Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

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City Council OK’s Ordinances To Boost Fire Dept. Rating, Gives Nod For In-Car Video Grant For PD

The Henderson City Council meeting approved a couple of ordinances that may help the fire department earn credits in its rating process. The ordinances regulate use of outdoor grills in certain locations and the use of fireworks in the city limits.

Council members voted on two ordinances at their Monday meeting.

Setting off fireworks should be left to those who have been trained and certified to set off “fireworks that explode or launch into the air,” the ordinance states.

The city fire chief must review plans in advance for any event that involves fireworks within the city limits.

Acting Fire Chief Curtis Tyndall brought the matter to the council, explaining that having certain city ordinances in place can result in credits used to rate fire districts.

The regulations presented to the council includes use of “open-flame cooking devices” such as charcoal grills – specifically, that they not be used “on combustible balconies or within 15 feet of combustible construction.”

There are a few exceptions to this, however, including buildings, balconies and decks that have automatic sprinkler systems.

The City Council also gave the go-ahead for the police department to seek a $29,500 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission for purchase of in-car video camera systems for five patrol cars. These systems will fully integrate with existing systems as well as the body camera equipment currently being used.

The grant, if it is received, requires no matching funds from local sources.

 

Home And Garden Show

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

 

  • Start your garden journal for 2023
  • Study up on Grapevine pruning.
  • Sketch out on paper your garden plan for 2023
  • Check flower beds for cool season weeds and pull them now while they are small.
  • When ordering seeds don’t get caught up in all of the photos in seed catalogs. Order what you need.
  • Take stock of vegetable gardening supplies such as seed starting trays,tomato cages,Irrigation supplies, et cetera
  • If you think you have any shade trees that need pruning, begin making arrangements now.
  • Construct a small greenhouse to be able to grow plants next year.

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TownTalk: Carolina United For Change Works With Communities

Observances and celebrations to remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will abound across the country this weekend and on Monday, the official national holiday which honors the slain civil rights leader.

Joseph Brodie, co-founder and leader of Carolina United for Change, Inc. wants to take it a step further this year with a service project to collect donations for area homeless shelters.

Brodie spoke Wednesday with John C. Rose on TownTalk to share information about his fledgling organization and its role in the community.

The nonprofit’s goals fall right in line with King’s philosophy – to be a unifying force in the community, end racial discrimination, feed the hungry, reduce poverty and improve education for all.

Brodie encouraged individuals to help Carolina United for Change by donating items that can be used at the various homeless shelters. Volunteers will be collecting items near the traffic circle between Perry Memorial Library and the police department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, Brodie said.

Some needed items include Clorox, disinfectant spray and other cleaning supplies for use at the shelters, as well as toiletry items for those who are spending nights in the shelters.

“We appreciate any help from anybody,” Brodie said.

The Vance County shelters that will receive donations from the service project include Lifeline Ministries, which currently has 30 women and a dozen children, as well as the ARC men’s shelter and the Community Partners for Hope men’s shelter. A shelter in Granville County is on the list to receive donations.

The organization was only incorporated in June 2022, but already has established a scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College, and Brodie said he hopes to gain a bigger foothold in the community.

“Right now, we’re just trying to get the people to be aware that they do have an organization in the area – we’re out there doing the footwork,” he said.

He said plans are being made to have an awards ceremony in the future to shine the spotlight on individuals who have gone “above and beyond” to make a difference in the community.

This is not a one-man show, and Brodie credits his executive board and others for coalescing and spreading the word about Carolina United for Change.

“It’s all about awareness,” Brodie said, adding that he wants people to “realize we are here and we are here to stay.”

Contact Brodie at 252.762.3364 to learn more or to volunteer to help with Monday’s service project.

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Henderson Family YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program Begins Jan. 16

The Henderson Family YMCA is beginning a class to help people reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program is a yearlong commitment that starts with weekly meetings and gradually goes to meetings every few weeks.

The one-hour class begins Monday, Jan. 16 at 12:30 p.m. and Christina Miceli said it’s all part of an effort to help people who are not yet diagnosed with diabetes eat healthier, increase their physical activity and lose weight – all of which can help delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Time is of the essence, however. Miceli said she hopes individuals will register for the class soon. Each class builds upon previous classes, so it’s important to attend all 26 sessions. The deadline to register is extended to Jan. 23, when all information must be submitted.

The Henderson Family Y is among more than 200 across the country offering the program.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal. Diabetes affects more than 34 million people in the United States, but 1 in 4 do not know that they have it. A condition called prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. More than 88 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes has no cure, but prediabetes can be reversed.

Submit test results to Member Services Desk or mail to: Henderson Family YMCA, Renee Gorby-YMCA Diabetes Program Coordinator, 380 Ruin Creek Road Henderson, NC 27536.

The Local Skinny! Mayor Ellington Discusses City Council Meeting

 

The Henderson City Council approved Monday a request of up to $15.3 million from the Local Government Commission to fill a gap in projected costs for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System expansion.

This request includes an extra cushion of $300,000 that may be needed for administrative costs, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, who explained the situation to council members during the regular monthly meeting.

Bob Jessup, an attorney whose firm the city contracted with to help manage this part of the project, told council members that the money could be available by mid-March.

Mayor Eddie Ellington elaborated on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and said that he and other city leaders have met with state officials to make sure the $80 million project stays on track.

“We’re always working to reach out at the state and federal level,” Ellington told John C. Rose on Tuesday.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing cost of materials, “expenses increased in a short amount of time,” he said. Ellington said he and others have met with state leaders to garner support for the project and have been met with nothing but positive responses.

N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, Rep. Michael Wray have been supportive, as well as Diane Cox with the N.C. Kerr-Tar Council of Government.

“It’s a big deal,” Ellington said of the expansion project. “We have to have it for the future.”

 

 

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Perry Memorial Library

TownTalk: Perry Library Programs For Youths

 

Gone are the days when librarians preferred the quiet, shushing patrons who dared make noise to interrupt the serious readers in their building.

No, today’s librarians embrace activity, breathing life into the more modern concept that has transformed libraries into media centers.

Public libraries are hubs in their communities, providing a variety of programs and services for patrons old and young.

Perry Memorial Library’s Youth Services Director Melody Peters joined the staff over the summer, when kids were out of school. Now that school is back in session, Peters is upping the game for young library patrons, who she says benefit greatly from the social interaction that comes with the programs offered at the library.

“Life is about people-to-people connections,” Peters told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The networking and interaction that goes along with many of the library offerings, from Mother Goose Story Time for toddlers to Survival Skills and Life Hacks for teens.

“Information is shared in many ways,” Peters said. “There is real power in interpersonal communication-it’s what we need to thrive,” she added. “There is real power in interpersonal communication.”

The Mother Goose Story Time is an established program at the library – Thursdays at 11 a.m. It’s a time for children 0-4 to enjoy a story, but it’s also a time for parents and caregivers to connect, Peters said.

“We’re laying a foundation – it really does matter,” Peters said.

Part of that foundation can come from library programs, and there are plenty to choose from.

Curious about the outdoors? There’s a program for that. Rangers from Kerr Lake State Recreation Area come and read with kids on the third Thursday of the month.

And a family program on Jan.24 will focus on animal tracks in the snow.

Snow?

It’s something we don’t see a lot of here in Vance County.

No problem.

They’re going to make it.

Yep. They’re going to make some snow. Way to blend in STEM with some fun. All it takes is a little shaving cream and baking soda.

To learn more, visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/

 

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Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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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