Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Grilling Safety Tips To Remember As Cookout Season Kicks Off

/by

– information courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association

OK, the long holiday weekend is upon us and chances are, your mind has wandered a time or two about weekend activities – how to make the best use of that extra day off from work?

If cookouts and backyard grilling have popped into your head, the National Fire Protection Association has a few reminders to make sure your weekend activities around the grill are safe ones.

“Because outdoor grilling involves the use of a fuel source to generate an open flame, it inherently presents potential fire risks that needs to be taken seriously,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA.

Between 2017 and 2021, fire departments across the country responded to almost 11,500 fire calls each year that involved grills, barbecues or hibachis.

Of that number, more than 5,700 were structure fires and another 5,600 were simply outside or unclassified fires.

The NFPA has broken down the statistics further to note that May accounts for 12 percent of the grill fires that were reported, and the percentages inch up as the summer progresses. July was the leading month for grilling fires, with 16 percent.

They cause $172 million in direct property damage, killed an average of 2 people each year and injured 176 more.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that, for the same fire-year period, an annual average of 22,155 patients went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills.

Close to half were for burns, both from fire and from contact with hot objects. Children under 5 account for almost half of the close to 3,000 contact-fire burns for that 5-year period.

Adults should supervise closely all children who are close to a grill when it’s in use to avoid them touching, falling or bumping into the hot surface and coals.

“These numbers reinforce that grilling fires can and do happen. However, there’s no need to avoid grilling during Memorial Day or in the months ahead,” said Carli. “Instead, by following simple safety precautions, people can greatly reduce the risk of experiencing a grilling fire.”

See a comprehensive list from NFPA at tips, recommendations, and resources for grilling safely, including these key messages:

  • For propane grills, check the gas tank for leaks before use in the months ahead. (Watch NFPA’s video on how to check for leaks.)
  • Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
  • Place the grill well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
  • Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
  • Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area.
  • If you use starter fluid when charcoal grilling, only use charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire. When you have or are finished grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing in a metal container.
  • Never leave your grill unattended when in use.

 

TownTalk: Around Old Granville: History Of Brookston, Greystone And Chalk Level

/by

If you’ve ever wondered about those two small rock buildings that you see when you’re driving out Warrenton Road on the way to Brookston, North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace may have some information that will help.

In the late 1800’s when John Wesley Pegram was going gangbusters as a stone mason, the area where those two one-room structures currently sit were situated on the main North-South route – predating even U.S. Hwy 1.

And Pegram constructed those two buildings as advertising for his considerable abilities, Pace said on Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.

Anyone who wants to see the “crowning achievement” need look no further than the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson.

Pegram lived in the Brookston community and plied his trade in the late 1800’s. In fact, Pace said, he had his own private quarry nearby. But his quarry wasn’t the only one in the area of Brookston, Chalk Level and Greystone.

There’s been a quarry in operation at Greystone for close to 200 years, and although it’s changed ownership over the years, Greystone may be one of the oldest businesses in the area.

It makes sense that the Greystone quarry has been around since the 1830’s, Pace noted, because that’s about the same time that the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad was being constructed. And just think of all the gravel that goes into making up a rail bed.

There’s a string of quarries along the “Ridge Way,” the flat area that wends its way along the general route of U.S. 1 where railroad planners laid tracks. There’s a quarry in Wake Forest, another in Kittrell, then there’s Greystone and also one at Wise, Pace noted.

Folks in the Greystone, Brookston and Chalk Level communities had high hopes that their sleepy little area would prosper once the railroad came through.

And it almost happened.

Until a wealthy landowner named Lewis Reavis, who owned property near where the old courthouse and former library sit downtown, lured the railroad to Henderson in the mid-1830’s by offering rights-of-way and property on which to build a depot.

It made all the difference. Henderson became incorporated just a few years later, in 1841, and Chalk Level died off.

But the Chalk Level area of what is now Vance County has one of the highest elevations in the area – some 500 feet above sea level – and that’s why a fire tower is located there, as well as a signal tower for the former WHNC radio station.

Just down the road from Chalk Level is Brookston Baptist Church, which Pace said is the oldest African American church around. Founded by the Hayes, Hawkins and Bing families, it could have been established as early as 1858, he said. “But I know it was there by the 1870’s.”

Also nearby is Carver Elementary School, was built in 1954 – the same year as the U.S. Supreme Court ended racial segregation with its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

The main speaker at the dedication of the school was Shiloh Church’s pastor, the Rev. John R. Dungee, who is an ancestor of Tony Dungee, the former pro football coach-turned analyst.

First Lady Barbara Bush visited Carver in 1990, when the school hosted a program that offered teen mothers a chance to earn their high school equivalency diplomas while their children attended school.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

The Local Skinny! American Legion To Host Memorial Day Service

/by

It’s a sobering sight to see those white crosses that dot the grassy area outside American Legion Post 60 in Henderson. Whether you just drive by over the Memorial Day weekend holiday or attend the annual service at Post 60 on Monday at 10 a.m.

Post Commander Ted Grissom wants people to remember why those crosses – numbering more than 150 – matter.

Each cross represents someone from Vance County who has died while serving in the Armed Forces, from World War I to the present, Grissom told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The ceremony will be brief, he said, but the main reason to gather will be “to honor our heroes remember their achievements and service, and to thank them” for their ultimate sacrifice to their country.

“Many didn’t volunteer,” he said, but were called to be part of something bigger than themselves – they were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways” to protect and defend this country, our freedom and way of life.

“Our gathering in Henderson is just one small spark in the flame of pride that burns across the nation on Memorial day and every day,” Grissom said.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glove: Perspective

/by

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

Click Play!

 

Home And Garden Show

/by

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

  • Scout your garden at least twice a week for insects and disease
  • Be cautious with weed killers that provide several months of control. They can damage trees and shrubs through root uptake. Check the instructions and stay the recommended distance away.
  • Keep up with your weeding. Small weeds are much easier to control.
  • Harvest herbs frequently.
  • Attention: Beekeepers You may want to construct electric fence to protect hives from Bears
  • For cut flowers, harvest early in the day, keep cool, place in water ASAP, select newest fully expanded blossoms.
  • Honey bees are still swarming if you see a swarm call Cooperative extension 252-438-8188
  • Protect yourself from ticks and mosquitos.
  • Keep your garden journal updated. You are getting busier each day in the garden and you need to record what you have done in the garden each day.

Click Play!

 

South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church

TownTalk: Celebrating 100 Years Of South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church

/by

South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church is preparing to celebrate its centennial anniversary and Pastor Mark Richardson extends an open invitation to the community to the June 4 service for a special look back at the first 100 years of the church.

Richardson was a guest on TownTalk Wednesday and said the celebration kicks off that first Sunday in June and will continue all month long.

Back in 1923, Henderson was the site of a five-month long tent revival, a very successful way to “plant” churches for the Pentecostal Holiness Church back then, Richardson said.

The revival took place mostly on what is now Southerland Street in Henderson, although it did travel to other spots in the town. And at the end of that five months, the seeds for a new church were planted.

Richardson was himself a member of the church beginning in 1996. He had various roles and was on the Pastor Frank Sossamon’s staff from 2003-2007. He spent 14 years at a church in Siler City before returning to Henderson. He’s been back as pastor for almost two years.

The present church building was constructed in 1980, and Richardson said the sanctuary has been undergoing a pretty big facelift in preparation for the 100th anniversary celebration.

There’s been lots of painting going on, new carpet installed and the newly covered pews should be installed soon. There’s a new sound system and a new LED projection screen that Richardson referred to as a wall.

“We’ve updated our sanctuary to bring it more of an up-to-date and modern look,” he said.

“We saw the new screen come to life for the first time” recently, he said, which is nothing short of amazing.

And church leaders may just roll out that new projection screen at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 4 when they show pictures of the first 100 years of the church – from then until now.

There will be coffee and donuts to enjoy as the slide show rolls on and viewers can remember and celebrate the people of the church during its first century.

“We’re celebrating our past and preparing for the future,” Richardson said. “We’re not finished writing the story of what South Henderson Pentecostal is trying to accomplish.”

Visit https://www.shphc.org/ to learn more about the church and its programs and services.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Town Talk: Vance County Schools Enjoy Success at Recent Robotics Competition

/by

Elementary and middle school students traveled to Salisbury over the weekend to participate in a competition and they brought home several awards for their efforts.

The six teams that made the trip for the Brick Master State Level Competition had to earn their spots at a local competition on May 6 called RoboVANCE. That’s right, this competition is for students who design, create and compete using robotics.

“Robotics in Vance County Schools have been in design for the last three years,” said Destiney Ross-Putney, VCS director of instruction and innovation. District leaders wanted to provide opportunities for elementary, middle and high school students to learn about robotics, whether in an after-school Legos club or through a high school elective or an extracurricular group.

School officials opened it up at the beginning of the year and Ross-Putney said they were “blown away” by the number of students who showed interest.

Some schools had multiple teams, who met weekly with coaches/advisors to work on the coding and design of the creations.

The adult advisors didn’t necessarily have a background in coding or robotics; rather, they coached the students in problem-solving and working together as a team to complete their projects. The program is completely student-centered, Ross-Putney explained.

“We want to give them experiences that prepare them for the future,” said Aarika Sandlin, VCS communications coordinator.

The Salisbury competition was for elementary and middle schoolers and VCS sent six teams who advanced from the local competition, which included nine K-2 teams, 17 3-5 teams and five 6-8 teams.

The teams who traveled to Salisbury were the Zeb Vance Magical RobotZ, the Carver Electric Eagles, the Dabney Rockets, the VCMS Master Tech Builders, the STEM Card Sharks 3, the STEM Card Sharks and the L.B. Yancey Robotics #1.

The Dabney Rockets won first for elementary coding and the STEM Card Sharks #3 – an all girls team – won the coding competition for its grade level.

For the robotics portion of the competition, teams had four assignments, along with a mystery task. Students had to program their robots to complete a variety of challenges with scenarios that were based on alternative energy sources. VCMS Master Tech Builders took 4th place at the competition for the middle school division.

School leaders couldn’t be happier at the results, especially for the first time ever competing at this level.

“Our robotics program has been hard work since the beginning of this school year, with both staff and students meeting and practicing weekly.” Ross-Putney said.  “To watch these programs develop from the ground up and take state level recognition is a testament to their commitment to problem solving and teamwork.”

Parents and students can learn more about RoboVANCE for next year during the August Open House.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Vance Co. Venom Win Initial 7 On 7 Cup

/by

7-on-7 football is a bit different, but according to Vance Venom coaches Theo Perry and Trenton Ware it’s still football.  “It’s the same strategy. We look to take advantage of the other team’s weakness,” according to Ware.  On Sunday, May 21st, the Vance Venom hosted the First Annual Carolina Cup with teams from Warrenton, Knightdale and Goldsboro participating.  The Venom were victorious in what Perry and Ware hope will be a yearly event with more teams.

Perry and Ware, who both appeared on WIZS TownTalk, say that one of the goals is to help develop players age 7 to 18 in the Vance, Granville and Warren County areas.  “We want to give the kids something to do. Keep them off the streets and the right path, doing something positive,” Perry said.

This season focuses on high school kids, but Perry and Ware hope to expand next year and have more players who are younger so the Venom will be able to field more teams organized by age group.  Ware said many of the younger players this year look up to the older kids who play for the Vance County High School Viper team.  “Those kids are well coached and want to learn,” Ware said of the Viper players who play with the Venom.