Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Franklin County Creates, Fills Second Assistant County Manager Position

/by

Franklin County is getting a second assistant county manager in a couple of weeks.

The county commissioners approved adding the position in its 2023 budget and officials recently announced that Ryan Preble will begin his new role on Jan. 25.

Preble has more than 20 years’ management across a variety of organizations, including the private sector and local and federal government.

“I am excited to join the Franklin County team and look forward to working together to fulfill the county’s mission, vision, values and goals,” Preble said in a press statement received by WIZS News.

Preble comes to Franklin County from Wayne County where he served more than six years as chief information officer and project management director. Prior to that, he worked as enterprise project manager for Alliance One International, Inc. in Farmville for six years. He also worked as management information systems supervisor for McRae & Associates for two years as well as various roles in information technology with the U.S. Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for more than 11 years.

“Ryan brings a wealth of management experience in both government and the private sector which will be extremely valuable to Franklin County,” said County Manager Kim Denton.

Preble graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He also obtained a master’s degree in information technology with a concentration in project management and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He has also completed the Municipal and County Administration course with the UNC School of Government and is a Certified Government Chief Information Officer.

US Attorney’s Office Gets Guns Off the Streets In 2022

/by

-information courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of North Carolina

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has announced that, as a result of litigation efforts during 2022, at least 280 illegally owned, possessed, used or obtained firearms were forfeited.

“Getting illegal guns out of the hands of the most dangerous felons helps make our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “I am proud of the strong partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement to get these guns off the street, so they are not used to commit future crimes.”

Firearms that are criminally forfeited are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of the firearm to a rightful owner, the press release stated.

Since the start of 2022, EDNC charged about 278 defendants with federal firearms offenses, including “possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw purchasing of a firearm.”

These prosecutions are a result of close cooperation between prosecutors and partners at federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. EDNC also partners with the State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and local police and sheriffs across the district, which includes Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin counties.

EDNC’s efforts to seize and forfeit illegal firearms in 2022 was the result of multiple investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including the Project Safe Neighborhood and the Violent Crime Action Plan initiative, which are collaborative efforts with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces whose purpose is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, which are primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

“ATF’s top priority is preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “That effort is strongly supported by our local and state law enforcement partners and our federal prosecutors. Through our collaborative efforts, we’re working hard to prevent illegal purchases, firearms trafficking and firearms thefts. Keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited individuals is key to building and maintaining safer communities.”

“Every day, the FBI works tirelessly with law enforcement partners across North Carolina to combat violent crime. Seizing guns from convicted felons is one step closer to making our communities safer,” said Michael C. Scherck, the FBI’s acting special agent in charge in Charlotte.

“DEA and its law enforcement partners want to send a stern warning that the distribution of dangerous drugs in association with gun violence presents a clear and present danger to the community,” said Robert J. Murphy, DEA’s special agent in charge in the Atlanta field division. “This dangerous lifestyle has led many to face serious prison time as a consequence.”

“Finding and confiscating illegal weapons from dangerous criminals not only protects our communities, but it also protects the law enforcement community as we do our jobs,” said Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”

TownTalk: Reflections On Dr. Martin Luther King

/by

Monday’s TownTalk segment includes reflections from area pastors in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Please listen back to hear these reflections in their entirety.

 

The Rev. Joseph Ratliff, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, said he views the MLK holiday “not simply about a single man, but…the struggle of Black people for generations. Today, Ratliff said, Black Americans can vote, get elected and sit anywhere they choose on public transportation – “things our grandparents and great-grandparents only dreamt of.”

Because of the continued support from so many, Ratliff said, “we now have a brighter day – there are all kinds of opportunities in front of us.”

He called King the dreamer of the dream that Blacks would no longer be considered second-class citizens, a vision that provided hope to an entire nation.

“Our action – or inaction – determines our future,” Ratliff said. “Dream with me – we can make a difference. Be the somebody that Christ has made you.”

The pastor of Clearview Church, Dr. Abidan Shah, arrived in the U.S. as a teenager and quickly realized that “every citizen had the opportunity to achieve, through hard work, determination and initiative.”

He called King one of the most influential Christians in history, and laid down the challenge to revisit King’s vision of equality for all – that vision that says people should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the strength of their character.

 

Dr. Ron Cava, senior minister at First Baptist Church, said he is a little too young to have first-hand knowledge about King and his ministry, but said what he has learned about King confirms the idea that he was not only a prophet but a great preacher.

King’s ministry, like the Gospels in the Bible, charge believers to love our neighbors as ourselves, Cava explained, “regardless of race or gender or a multitude of factors that divide us.”

The time is now “to let freedom ring and… justice roll down like a mighty torrent,” Cava said.

 

Elder Gloria Ragland delivers the “Walking in the Word” program on WIZS on Sunday mornings said if King were alive today, she believes he’d look approvingly on accomplishments, “but we still haven’t gone far enough yet – my dream is bigger than this (because) we still have racism, hate and discrimination.”

“I believe he would also say ‘God is love,’” she added.

“We have come a mighty long way,” Ragland said. “It’s time for us to love one another, show respect for one another,” she said.

We are all part of God’s creation, Ragland said. “We should be able to get along, to work together…it shouldn’t be about differences, but we are one with God.”

She said she believes that God wants all of his children to get along and to prosper.
“You can’t make it to heaven with hate” in your heart, she said.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Greenhouse

/by

Interested in starting your springtime vegetable plants from seed or propagating plants from cuttings? A small backyard greenhouse might be just the thing to help you achieve those goals.

Wayne Rowland, technician with Vance County’s Cooperative Extension service, reports that constructing a backyard greenhouse may be simpler than you’d think.

With some simple hand tools and some basic knowledge of construction, it’s not that difficult, Rowland said during on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

All the materials can be purchased from most building supply stores, he said, from PVC pipe to the clear plastic sheeting used to cover the frame.

As for site selection, you’ll want a level spot that has good drainage. If you’re mainly interested in plant propagation – growing plants from cuttings of other plants – it’s best to place the structure in partial shade, such as on the north side of a large, deciduous tree.

For growing plants from seeds or for growing plants to maturity, it’s best to choose a site that has maximum sun exposure. You can always use a shade cloth to control the amount of sunlight, he added.

As for the frame of the greenhouse, treated lumber will hold up longer than untreated wood. But don’t use lumber treated with creosote, which could leech into the ground and then get into the plants.

If you don’t have a perfectly level spot for the greenhouse, Rowland said it’s better to dig a trench on the high side of the site instead of trying to build up the low side to ensure that the foundation boards are level.

The PVC pipe will be used for the uprights and overhead “ribs” that give the greenhouse shape. Use simple metal clamps to fit the pipe ends onto the wooden frame and tighten to ensure a solid fit. Stretch the clear sheeting over the frame and you’re done!

For more information, call 252.438.8188.

 

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!

 

Sossamon Sworn In As Dist. 32 Rep In N.C. House

/by

Frank Sossamon was sworn in last week as the new legislator representing Vance and Granville counties in the N.C. House before an audience of supporters in the lobby of McGregor Hall.

The Hon. John Dunlow administered the oath of office following remarks from county officials representing the local county commissions and chairmen of the Republican party.

Sossamon defeated incumbent Terry Garrison in the November mid-term elections. He had an official swearing-in on Wednesday in Raleigh.

In comments during the ceremony in Henderson earlier in the week, Sossamon recounted how he reached the decision to put throw his hat into the proverbial ring.

“The Lord used my own words against me,” Sossamon quipped, explaining that he told his church members to “be that somebody” to make change.

“I became that somebody,” Sossamon said. “I’m in it to serve the people.”

The retired pastor of South Henderson Pentecostal Church, Sossamon said he is going to have to “work hard and work fast and work smart” to get things done in Raleigh in his two-year term.

“Under my watch, I want us to be able to say that District 32 is one of the most prosperous districts” in the state; he said it currently ranks among the poorest districts.

He wants to focus on community development in both counties, which he said would have the side effects of decreasing crime, increasing educational opportunities and give young people hope.

“If we want company to come, we’ve got to clean up our house,” he said.

In an interview with WIZS News following the swearing-in, Sossamon said he looks forward to serving the people in District 32 to get some things done, and he said he will challenge the citizens he represents to join him in the effort.

$25,000 Reward Offered For Information About 2018 Homicide

/by

A $25,000 reward is being offered by the state of North Carolina for information about an almost five-year-old unsolved murder in Vance County.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s office made the announcement Thursday in connection with the death of 22-year-old De’Cedric Tyquon Alston.

In the late evening hours of Feb. 22, 2018, Alston was shot multiple times while driving his vehicle near the 1100 block of Warrenton Road in Henderson. He was transported to the hospital and later died from his injuries.

Anyone having information concerning this case should contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200, Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925 or the State Bureau of Investigation at 919.662.4500.

SportsTalk: Mike Joyner on KVA Athletics

/by

As an athletic director Mike Joyner of Kerr Vance Academy stays busy overseeing all of the sports his school provides to students. In addition to that there are tournaments that also are part of the school’s athletics.  Over the recent holiday period KVA hosted a basketball tournament with Oak Forest winning the men’s’ championship and Brunswick Academy in Virginia taking the girls’ title. “We hoped we could have done a little better,” Joyner says of KVA. “We are very young. We start a lot of 9th and 10th graders,” Joyner added.  The boys’ team did win this week over Wake Prep while the girls lost.

Joyner says it’s great to have a team like Wake Prep to play since they are close by in Youngsville.  The KVA conference schedule requires longer trips to Rocky Mount and to Greenville, and Kerr Vance is just about to start the bulk of its conference play. The travel means kids miss some classes which can be difficult on students and teachers.

In addition to basketball, Joyner says the school’s swim team has an upcoming meet next week and will soon be hosting travel volleyball tournaments bringing in some extra cash for the school and exciting games.

Additionally, KVA is gearing up to celebrate the 2003 State Baseball Championship team.  “We are looking to hold an alumni game between the 2003 team and the current team,” Joyner said. No details for that have been set but should be forthcoming soon.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Athletics With John Hammett

/by

John Hammett patrolled the football sidelines as a head coach for many years but the former JF Webb coach now finds being athletic director at a small school such as Oxford Prep to be quite satisfying.  Even though there are aspects of being a football coach that he misses, one of the reasons he made the change was it began to become more like work.

Being a football coach meant Hammett had to deal with injuries, something he says Oxford Prep takes very seriously. “You have to teach players differently about how to deal with injuries.  The more education the better,” Hammett says. “Athletes have to be honest,” according to Hammett. That’s hard he says because the kids are competitive and don’t want to miss any time on the field or the court.

According to Hammett, Oxford Prep is becoming more competitive on the basketball court.  After a slow start, the school won a big rivalry game last week over Eno River.

So while Hammett may not be patrolling the sidelines of a football field, Oxford Prep’s AD position seems to be working out for him. “It’s nice, because it’s small,” Hammett summed up.

CLICK PLAY!