Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

TownTalk: Kerr-Tar Senior Games Coming Up

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Registration continues through Friday, Mar. 7 for the upcoming Senior Games and Silver Arts, giving area seniors a chance to participate in a variety of sports as well as photography, crafts, handiwork and literary compositions.

The events will take place between Mar. 21 and May 16 throughout the five counties that make up the Kerr-Tar region, said Michael Patterson, a family caregiver specialist for KTCOG.

Registrations can be completed online at https://torch.ncseniorgames.org/  or in person at any county senior center. A $20 entry fee should accompany the registration, Patterson said on Monday’s TownTalk.

“This is a great opportunity for older adults to participate in games and arts that they are passionate about,” Patterson said.

Over the past couple of years, about 230 people took part in the events, from pickleball and tennis to track events and basketball.

There will two or three events each week over the next couple of months, with the Silver Arts exhibition taking place on closing day, which will be held beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16 at the Person County Office Building.

The top three finishers in each event will have the opportunity to move on to the state Senior Games competition, but Patterson said the local games are about more than just winning an award.

“One of the biggest benefits is the socialization opportunity,” he said. The games are a chance for older adults to engage and talk and have a good time.

Individuals compete against others in their general age group – there’s a 50-54 age group, a 55-59 group, and the groupings keep going up in 5-year increments.

As one of the event coordinators, Patterson said it is “so inspiring and empowering to see our older adults passionate about their wellness, passionate about participating and having a good time.”

Contact Patterson at 252.436.2040 x 6072 to learn more, or Crystal Allen at 252.436.2040 x2036.

 

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NC Coop Extension

The Local Skinny! Farmers Market Vendor Courses

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This is the time of year when local gardeners are perusing seed catalogs or checking in with local nurseries about when the vegetable slips will be ready to purchase.  The April 15 frost date seems a long way off, but gardeners are planning now in order to reap the benefits – literally – when spinach, peas, beans and more are ready to harvest.

Vance County Cooperative Extension is hosting a series of vendor workshops during March for anyone interested in participating in farmers markets in Vance, Granville or other nearby counties.

Vance County Agriculture Agent Michael Ellington said the classes will be held on Saturday mornings beginning Mar. 8 and will continue on Mar. 15, 22 and 29. The first three sessions will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the Mar. 29 session will last from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.

All sessions will be held at Salem United Methodist Church, 4151 Salem Rd., Oxford.

Each session has a different focus, Ellington explained.

  • 8 – the basics of business
  • 15 – marketing – product placement for optimum visibility on tables in the market
  • 22 – knowing your customers and follow-up to sales
  • 29 – basic food safety

Vendors often sell at more than one farmers market, Ellington said, so it just makes sense that these vendor trainings are offered to individuals from numerous counties throughout the area.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market may see a higher volume than some of the other area markets because of tourism – folks visiting Kerr Lake or traveling along I-85 may choose to stop in, he noted.

He would like to see the Vance market be an incubator market for others who are just getting started in growing produce or for those who are interested in expanding their existing production.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market will have a new feature this year, if all goes according to plan.

Ellington said volunteers and others have been whacking away at kudzu to create a community garden on the campus of the farmers market.

More volunteers are needed at upcoming workdays, he said:

  • Mar. 21 – working on establishing garden borders – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Mar. 29 – marking walkways and preparing for stone installation – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Apr. 11 – installing garden beds – 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“We want to have the community realize that this is their market, and the garden is theirs,” Ellington said. The community garden would be a perfect spot for those who want a garden but lack the space or the confidence to plant, tend and harvest on their own.

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: State of the County

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It didn’t take long for Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry to address what she called “the elephant in the room” during the “State of the County” report hosted by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Henderson Country Club.

Perry and Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones reviewed goals, economic development successes, as well as several challenges the county faces as it moves forward.

When she became county manager in November 2023, Perry and county staff had in front of them a few challenges to sort through – including that “elephant in the room” that Perry mentioned: A former finance director who embezzled $1.4 million in county funds.

Perry said $1 million of that has been recouped, and she and her team are looking to the future.

Making financial lemonade from lemons, Perry said the county has overcome its past and now has much stronger internal controls in place to protect citizens’ tax dollars.

“We have a committed team of leaders who strive every day to make Vance County thrive,” families flourish” and stay strong, she said.

Always forward-facing, Perry said “our past does not define us. It’s the work we’re doing now” that counts.

Key to Vance County’s growth is economic development, and Perry said she supports responsible growth to create a stronger, more vibrant community.

The Board of Commissioners has chosen to keep their goals from last year and add to the list, Perry said.

The goals include:

  • purchase land for an EMS substation in Williamsboro and an EMS central station
  • pursue land acquisition, construction of a new detention center
  • take next steps for the recently completed fire study
  • continue construction of Phase 1B of the county water system and increase water connection signups by 20 percent
  • work with city to build better relationships for services offered
  • plan for using opioid settlement money and identify programs to reduce drug dependency
  • retain or assist in creation of 150 jobs and $10 million in new investment

The county has 90 vacancies, most notably in social services – 42 vacant positions – and the detention center – 20 openings.

It’s tough for a rural county to compete with more lucrative packages that nearby counties can offer. Wake and Durham counties are just a commute away, Perry said, and that makes Vance County an ideal spot to live – but not to work. Simply put, Vance County just can’t match bonuses and other incentives that larger, more urban counties can.

The county did enact, however, a 7 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment), effective July 1, 2024.

She encouraged those in attendance to stay positive and hopeful for a positive future.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Supporting Your Partner

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Cooperative Extension

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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SportsTalk: High School Playoff Basketball, First Round Results and Second Round Preview

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th 

Scout Hughes and George Hoyle take a look back at the first round playoffs games in high school basketball for teams in our area. The guys also look forward to the upcoming matchups for the second round. Right here on SportsTalk!

1A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs First Round Results

  • Vance Charter 76 Eno River 60
  • Wake Prep 65 Excelsior Classical 43
  • Warren County 79 North Edgecombe 54
  • Bertie 75 Roxboro Community 54

1A NCHSAA Girls State Playoffs First Round Results

  • North Edgecombe 54 Vance Charter 46
  • Wake Prep 54 Oxford Prep 10
  • Warren County 57 Falls Lake 43
  • Roxboro Community 58 Cape Hatteras 43

2A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs First Round Results

  • South Granville 89 Trask 59
  • Whiteville 70 J.F. Webb 61

2A NCHSAA Girls State Playoffs First Round Results

  • Louisburg 69 John A. Holmes 60
  • Goldsboro 68 J.F. Webb 34

3A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs First Round Results

  • Person 78 Currituck County 74

3A NCHSAA Girls State Playoffs First Round Results

  • Currituck County 57 Franklinton 49
  • Carrboro 67 Vance County 29

Class 4 VHSL Boys State Playoffs Region D Quarterfinals Results

  • E.C. Glass (VA) 59 Mecklenburg County (VA) 48

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1A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs Second Round

  • Vance Charter @ Wake Prep
  • Warren County @ Southern Wake Academy

1A NCHSAA Girls State Playoffs Second Round

  • Warren County @ Wake Prep
  • Roxboro Community vs. Pamlico County

2A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs Second Round

  • South Granville vs. Roanoke Rapids

2A NCHSAA Girls State Playoffs Second Round

  • Louisburg @ Nash Central

3A NCHSAA Boys State Playoffs Second Round

  • Person vs. Orange

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Home and Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeeping School will be on March 1st, at 9am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will have their March Meeting on Monday, March 10th, at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The Growing The Spring Vegetable Garden Workshop will happen on Monday March 31st, 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. This event will be hosted by Wayne Rowland.

  • Pruning season is fast approaching, sharpen your pruning equipment,  Cooperative Extension has pruning publications that will show how to correctly prune fruit trees and grape vines.
  • Check the central Piedmont planting guide for vegetables that can be planted in each month.
  • Fertilize your fescue lawn if you haven’t already done so.
  • With warmer temperatures this week check for cool season broadleaf weeds in your lawn and spray them if needed. 
  • Continue planting trees and shrubs anytime soil is workable.
  • Organize seed packets according to planting date.
  • Do not till soil if it is wet.
  • Check seedlings daily for moisture.
  • Keep that garden journal up to date.
  • Treat sheds, lawn furniture, and wooden handled tools with wood preservative if needed.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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