Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! Oxford Armory Farmers Market Off To A Strong Start

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The Oxford Armory Farmers Market has gotten off to a good start. In just a few Saturdays, organizers say the open-air market has had about 2,400 visitors. That number makes Wendy Tatum very happy, and hopeful for future sustainability.

Tatum is the Food and Built Environment associate with Granville County Cooperative Extension, a new position supported by N.C. A&T State University.

Using information from a 2022 needs assessment, Tatum assembled a core group of volunteers to create a place for local producers could sell their produce and farm products. What began as a series of pop-up markets in downtown Oxford morphed into dozens of vendors setting up shop on the grounds of the Armory.

“We’re very much centered around agriculture,” Tatum said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! with WIZS’s Scout Hughes. The market is open on Saturdays May through October from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Craft vendors are at the market on the third Saturdays of each month.

She credits strong partnerships with the city of Oxford, the Granville County Board of Commissioners, the Kerr-Tar COG Food Council and many volunteers to get off on a positive note and to have such strong support from the community.

“We wanted a place that was highly visible,” Tatum said, in the choice made for the location of the market. “We needed it to be a walkable space – and comfortable,” she added. The Armory, located at 105 W. Spring St., is just a block or so away from the main downtown area of Oxford.

With a grant for $8,500 from Triangle North Healthcare, Tatum said the market buys produce from vendors at the end of the market day to stock the “Farm to Fridge” coolers located in library branches in the county.

Visit https://granville.ces.ncsu.edu/oxford-armory-farmers-market/ to learn more about the market or call Tatum at 919.603.1350.

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Natural Disasters

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If you’re a Baby Boomer, chances are you grew up hearing stories from parents or grandparents about Hazel. That’d be Hurricane Hazel, the October 1954 storm that tore through this part of North Carolina on a path that went all the way to Canada.

It’s just one example of a natural disaster that people use as a yardstick of sorts by which to measure other storms. Hazel made landfall in Calabash as a Category 4 storm as it headed straight up the middle of the state on its way north.

Millenials, Gen Xers and Gen Zers will be able to tell stories about Florence, Fran and Floyd, but hurricanes are just one category of natural disaster that has struck this area. WIZS’s Bill Harris chatted with local historian Mark Pace to remember a number of historic events that affected the four-county area in Thursday’s TownTalk segment Around Old Granville.

“What made Hazel so remarkable,” Pace said, was that it was very short-lived. After making landfall on the coast, it reached this area by about 2 p.m. “By 3:45, it was gone from Vance County,” he said. “It came through like a freight train.”

Forty-two years later, Hurricane Fran took more or less the same route as it rolled through North Carolina, killing 36 people and causing extensive damage in September 1996.

Hazel’s fierce winds snapped off a lot of the trees halfway up, Pace said, and it brought great destruction in a short period of time.

This area was also subjected to what is called “the Great Storm of 1893,”

“People didn’t have to worry about the electricity going out,” Pace said, because there weren’t many places that had it. “In a lot of ways, they were able to deal with the effects of the storm a lot better” than we do today.

Over the years, information from climatologists and weather forecasters help prepare for weather events like hurricanes, but people don’t always have a lot of advance warning about tornadoes.

And this area has had its share of tornadoes. Just last year, Epsom experienced a rash of tornadoes, spawned in the remnants of Tropical Storm Debbie. They were relatively weak – F-0 and F-1 – but that’s strong enough to cause damage.

In the Oak Hill community in northern Granville County, a tornado flattened Oak Hill School in November 1952, Pace said. Luckily, it was after school had let out, so there were no injuries. But the yearbook in subsequent years was renamed ‘The Tornado.’

Other tornadoes have demolished warehouses and killed more than a dozen people in Warrenton in 1936, homes in Huntsboro in 2016 and tore roofs off the Medical Arts building on Ruin Creek Road in 1988.

And while nobody welcomes hurricanes and tornadoes, there are plenty of people who wish for a good snowfall every winter – none more than schoolchildren. And probably a teacher or two.

But even the biggest snow fans may balk at the possibility of having 2 feet of snow on the ground. That’s what Warren County got during a massive storm in 1856.

Henderson got close to that – 22.5 inches – in 1922, which collapsed a couple of tobacco warehouse roofs and part of the Corbitt Factory, Pace said.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: When the Money’s Tight

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Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Jamon Glover

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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TownTalk: N.C. Strength Sports Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony June 21

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The Brick Power Team will host an induction ceremony for the N.C. State Strength Sports Hall of Fame on June 21 at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson.

Harry Orr said Randy Perry and Will Lynch are this year’s honorees.

Orr, executive director of the statewide group, also is part of the Brick Power Team, said the honorees will receive plaques to recognize their accomplishments and contributions to the sport of powerlifting and weight lifting.

The Brick Power Team is an outreach ministry of Freedom Life Church of God and raises money for worthy causes with weightlifting competitions.

He said the group is accepting donations to help defray costs associated with the event.

All donations are tax-deductible.

“Any donations will be appreciated, whatever size,” Orr said.

The Brick Power Team will have a fish plate fundraiser on Monday, July 28 at 220 Seafood Restaurant, with most of the proceeds going to Freedom Life Church of God, which Orr said is instrumental in the work of the Brick Power Team.

“The Brick Power Team is putting it on,” he said. “Whatever we get out of that, we give most back to the church.”

Tickets are $10 and plates are take-out only.

Contact Orr to find out more about sponsoring the induction ceremony or to learn more about the hall of fame or the Brick Power Team at 252.432.4196 or email horr2553@yahoo.com

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TownTalk: Progress Being Made In Repairs To Vance County Jail

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners offered thanks Monday – and a round of applause – to show their appreciation for the work that Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles has done so far to tackle a long “to-do” list at the county detention center.

In providing an update on the progress made since he was given the lengthy list of repairs and maintenance projects, Nobles told commissioners he reckons about half of the items have been addressed so far.

“We’re going to work until we can get them (done),” he told commissioners during the regular monthly meeting.

Commissioner Tommy Hester said, “I want to say thank you, because this guy is doing a great job.” With that comment, the board offered a round of applause.

The state of the jail has been an ongoing topic of discussion for commissioners, and it’s just one of the five corrective action items that were included in a letter from the state dated April 1. In the letter, the state outlined required steps county leaders must take to get the facility back in compliance.

Commissioners took steps to put the repairs and maintenance under the supervision of the county rather than the sheriff’s office, and that’s when Nobles took over.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said, “We’ve been getting things done under Frankie’s leadership.”

Nobles added that the state is “very happy” with the progress that’s been made thus far.

In response to a question from Commissioner Tommy Hester about whether he’s had difficulty getting the work done, Nobles said, “Everybody that I’ve talked to has been caught up and paid except one,” who still has four invoices that haven’t been paid for. Commissioners had received reports that work wasn’t being completed either because workers weren’t being paid or because of safety concerns. For now, that challenge seems to be less of a problem than before.

The list of completed tasks is impressive, from power washing interior walls, ceilings and floors to replacing expired fire extinguishers and generator batteries. Broken glass has been removed and replaced, as well as air filters on the two-year-old units that apparently hadn’t been replaced since October 2023.

“Those units were completely stopped up,” Nobles said, adding that he didn’t know how they were still operational.

So after the paint, toilet and shower repairs and replacements, holes in walls patched and bunks bolted anew to walls…what’s left?

“The big stuff,” Nobles said. Things like locks on doors, the camera system, among others.

But for now, the county is happy – happier – because the state is happy as Nobles leads the effort to put more repairs in the “completed” column on his “to-do” list.

Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones told commissioners on Monday that the RFQ – request for qualifications – process closed just a couple of hours before the meeting began. There was one reply to the RFQ, which sets in motion the design/build process county leaders are considering for a new facility. The RFQ is scheduled to come before the commissioners on July 7 for possible approval. Commissioners will receive for review a copy of the RFQ before the July meeting, she said.

 

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is now open on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.
  • Honey Extraction Day will be on June 7th at 4pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Water your plants according to soil moisture and not by how the plants look.
  • Check your garden twice a week for insects and diseases.
  • Always read the chemical label before applying that chemical to any plants.
  • Use Personal Protective Equipment according to the chemical label.
  • Keep lawn mower cutting height no lower than 3 inches for fescue lawns.
  • If you have young children or grandchildren, teach them how to work in the garden. They are our future gardeners.
  • Cooperative Extension has excellent publications for most fruits and vegetables.
  • Use row covers to protect your garden from wildlife.
  • Continue your fruit tree spray program according to the label directions of the product that you are using.
  • Keep your garden journal up to date.
  • 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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TownTalk: Vance Elections Board Merges 5 Precincts To Create Newly Named Central Henderson, South Henderson Precincts

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With the proposal to consolidate five voting precincts into two approved by the N.C. State Board of Elections, County Elections Director Haley Rawles presented the plan to county commissioners at their meeting on Monday.

North Henderson 1 and East Henderson 1 precincts are going to become Central Henderson voting precinct, and voters will go to the campus of the former Eaton Johnson Middle School to cast their ballots.

The Hilltop, South Henderson 1 and South Henderson 2 precincts will merge to become South Henderson precinct. Perry Memorial Library will be the voting place for that precinct.

Rawles told commissioners that no candidate seats will be affected; the consolidation will not change the ward or district.

Rawles said information about the changes in precinct locations will be mailed to residents in August and the information also will be published on the board of elections webpage and shared with local news outlets.

The Vance County Board of Elections voted in February 2024 to set the process in motion, and it got notice of approval from then-state director Karen Brinson Bell.

The county elections board had been talking about consolidating precincts for some time, she said. “This has been something that they’ve wanted for years,” Rawles said. This plan reduces from 12 to 9 the number of voting precincts in the county.

More voters are choosing to cast ballots during the early voting period, which has reduced the number of voters who come to the polls on election day. She provided numbers from recent elections to commissioners – one precinct had zero voters come in on election day.

She said the consolidation could reduce by 21 the number of poll workers needed on election day.

In addition to reducing the number of workers, Rawles said the move will reduce confusion for voters about their polling place and will increase the safety and accessibility for voters – and staff. It also will simplify delivery and pickup of elections equipment by county employees.

“The Board of Elections is trying to save the county some money,” said Elections Board Chair James Baines.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Vance County Reads with Perry Memorial Library

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Have you seen those baskets with books when you pop in the local coffee shop or the farmers market? Those books are for you! It’s part of a new program called ‘Vance County Reads’ sponsored by Perry Memorial Library.

There are 10 locations throughout the county where copies of three different books can be found, each one targeting a specific age range.

And Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters said everyone’s invited to a big celebration at the end of July to meet the two local authors whose books are among the selections in the baskets.

Lots of communities have group reads, Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! She and library staff developed this program as a way to reach people who may not have occasion to visit the library itself.

“We tried to do what is a nice fit for the community,” she said.

The books are free to take, and you can bring them back after you’ve finished reading them so others can enjoy them, but it’s not required.

The goal is to get people excited about reading, she said.

Local author Curtis Harvey, Jr.’s book titled “The Perfect Pair” is geared for younger children through elementary school-aged youth.

“Super Pancake” is a graphic novel geared toward the middle school and older group, and local author Angie Ellington’s “Autumn at Apple Hill” is the book selected for adults.

Of course, anyone may choose to read any of the books, Peters noted.

Harvey and Ellington are scheduled to be at the July 29 celebration, which will be held at the library from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Find the book baskets at Perry Memorial Library and at the following locations:

  • Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson
  • Carolina Peanut Factory, 394 Zeb Robinson Rd., Henderson
  • Duke Primary Care Henderson, 480 Ruin Creek Rd., Henderson
  • Henderson Family YMCA, 380 Ruin Creek Rd., Henderson
  • Oasis of Hope Ministries, 2565 US 1/158 Hwy., Henderson
  • Sadie’s Coffee Corner, 324 S. Garnett St., Henderson
  • Starbucks, 1522 Dabney Dr., Henderson
  • Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson
  • Vanco Outdoor Equipment, 296 US 158, Henderson

Visit www.perrylibrary.org to learn about all the programs and services the library offers.

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