Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! North Henderson Baptist Presents ‘A Night To Shine’

North Henderson Baptist Church is looking forward to being a part of what arguably may be considered the biggest prom night in the world. The church is one of more than 700 locations across the globe that will be hosting “A Night to Shine” on Friday, Feb. 9 and the Rev. Eddie Nutt said prom attendees should expect to get “the absolute royal treatment.”

Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, “A Night to Shine” is in its 10th year of providing a prom experience for individuals with special needs, Nutt said on Tuesday’s TownTalk – a segment of society often overlooked when it comes to fun stuff like proms and such.

The prom is for individuals 14 and older with special needs, Nutt explained. They’ll walk the red carpet, get a limo ride around the block and enjoy an evening filled with food, music and dancing – with photographers and videographers on hand to capture those special moments. The prom will begin at 6 p.m. and will end about 9 p.m.

And all this is “to show them the love of Christ,” Nutt said, “that they are loved and they do have value.”

The goal is to have 75 folks attend the prom, and Nutt said there will be a respite room for parents or other caregivers who may want to stay close while their loved ones enjoy a few hours of music and dancing.

Please register by Friday, Feb. 2 so organizers can plan to have enough food and nametags – not to mention crowns and tiaras.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Plants In Containers

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: Local Coaches Prep For Basketball Tournaments And Spring Sports

John Hammett and Scottie Richardson may be athletic directors for different schools in different counties but they are both facing the same things: a basketball season that is winding down and the start of spring sports.

Hammett, Oxford Prep’s athletic director, says his boys’ basketball team is having a real strong year despite a loss this week to Vance Charter.  “We’ve got some real good shooters,” Hammett said.  They take on Roxboro Charter Friday night. “Roxboro is young but they have a couple of good player,” Hammett said of the team’s opponent. The girls team is currently 7-9. “They have been getting better throughout the year,” said Hammett.  Oxford Prep has five games remaining before they start the conference basketball tournament.

Meanwhile, at Crossroads Christian, athletic director Scottie Richardson says his girls team will be the second seed for their upcoming tournament. The boys could be.  “We control our own destiny,” Richardson said.   It will take a few more wins in the remaining four games for Crossroads to secure that second seed.

One of the problems both men face is an overlap between basketball and baseball.  “I would like to see both basketball and baseball seasons shortened to eliminate the overlap,” Hammett said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  Richardson said it is difficult to coordinate with coaches when players play multiple sports.

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood Changing A Tire

For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

Count yourself lucky if you’ve never had to change a tire on your vehicle.

Count yourself luckier still if someone taught you how to change a tire, just because it was something you needed to know.

Thursday’s Pop the Hood segment features some key reminders about being safe when changing a tire, especially if you’ve been stranded by the side of the road.

It’s tricky enough to remember all the steps when you’re in your level driveway on a sunny day when the temps are mild and there’s no rain in sight.

But blowouts never occur when it’s convenient, so it’s vital to keep safety in mind when you’ve got to remove one tire and put another one on.

First of all, make sure the jack is rated for your vehicle and is properly placed before you attempt to lift the vehicle- don’t use cinder blocks to hold up a car. It’s a bad idea.

Once you’ve got the bad tire off and you’re ready to mount the spare in its place, make sure it’s properly seated. Seat the tire by putting the first two lug nuts on hand-tight. Then introduce the other three lugs and tightening every other one until you’ve gotten them all. The tightening pattern to remember is 1, 3, 5, 2, 4.

It’s a process that takes time, but it’s worth it to get the torque specifications right – too loose, you’ve got problems. Too tight, different problems.

If the circumstances aren’t right, the main order of business is to get the vehicle safely off the road and get help.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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TownTalk: Human Trafficking and Putting a Stop to It

North Carolinians can take pride in knowing that this state we call home is a destination for many tourists each year. The interstate highway network helps folks travel easily from Manteo to Murphy, Henderson to Charlotte and just from about anywhere to Raleigh with minimal effort.

Those very things that make the Old North State an attractive spot for visitors, however, also get the attention of some other individuals: human traffickers, whom U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina  Michael F. Easley, Jr. called one of the biggest threats and most insidious to our society.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Easley spoke with WIZS on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss just what the state is doing to fight the problem.

Easley created a task force to combat human trafficking in the Raleigh/Cary area, and earlier this week announced that a second task force has been formed to work with counties to the East near the coast.

These task forces bring together local law enforcement agencies with state and federal agencies to create a strong one-two punch to catch and prosecute people who engage in human trafficking and prostitution.

“We have taken a victim-centric approach,” Easley said. “We’ll hit it with law enforcement,” Easley said of uncovering illegal operations, “but we’ll also have social workers, service providers and mental health professionals” on hand to assist those who have been victimized.

He praised the efforts of the FBI for their work in disrupting these trafficking networks and said the agency has “an incredible victim support system to help (victims) get their lives back on track and stabilized.”

He also praised the efforts of local law enforcement agencies, calling Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame “reliable partners” who are both in his speed dial.

And he called District Attorney Mike Waters “one of the most forward-leaning prosecutors” he knows. “He’s an incredible partner and somebody I count on to help unravel these cases.”

Traffickers are masters of manipulation, he said, and they prey on the most vulnerable in society – often, these are young people.

They seize control, little by little, he explained, and bring their victims under their full control.

“They control their victims, but they’re not bound in chains,” Easley said. “The chains are invisible.”

Some signs to look for include individuals who are not in control of their own documents, like a passport or driver license. They aren’t allowed to speak for themselves, or they often wear the same clothes day after day and only carry cash.

These are all those “invisible chains that bind a victim to a trafficker,” Easley said.

Perhaps most chilling was Easley’s comment about protecting young people from becoming victims of human traffickers: “Any kid who has a smartphone is a target,” he said. “There are groomers online who are trying to cleave them away” from parents and their community.

It may start with the victim agreeing to send one nude photo to an online groomer, he said, before that trafficker has the leverage needed to target another victim.

“We will break down and eliminate this insidious crime,” he said. “We can’t do it alone; we’ve go to do it side by side with local police and law enforcement.”

If you or anyone you know needs help or has information to provide regarding a potential human trafficking situation, please contact law enforcement by calling 911 if the situation appears unsafe, or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Parenting Separately

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: Rep. Sossamon Voices Concerns About ‘Gas Station Heroin’

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, recently appointed to serve on the House Select Committee on Substance Abuse, said he would like to see the state ban the sale of products that contain tianeptine, which is being referred to as “gas station heroin.”

Sossamon was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said eight other states have banned the drug and he said North Carolina should join them.

“North Carolina should follow suit,” he said. “The easiest and quickest thing to do is just ban it,” he said.

Tianeptine is not approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration, although it is an ingredient in a number of widely available products sold at gas stations and convenience stores as “cognitive enhancers,” according to information on the FDA website.

It is an opioid type drug linked to overdoses and death, Sossamon explained. He said he looks forward to the first meeting of the substance abuse committee, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. in Raleigh.

He said the committee will hear from experts and others whose loved ones have died from taking the drug. “I don’t know what all we’ll recommend, but I hope it will be effective to protect the citizens of North Carolina.”

The drug is used in other countries to treat depression and anxiety, but in the U.S. it is a Schedule I controlled substance. This means it has a high potential for abuse, Sossamon said.

“When you begin to read some of the material, it’s a no-brainer that it should be banned.”

Whether it should be a permanent ban or just a pause is part of what the committee can determine during its research and investigation into the issue.

The FDA is sometimes slow in taking action to ban something, and that’s why states have taken steps to prevent the products from being sold.

“The drug, evidently, has some positive effects if it’s used properly,” Sossamon noted, but if it is not regulated there’s a greater likelihood for abuse. It can come in pill or powder form and Sossamon said it’s even in a product that looks like a lollipop.

“We’ve got to ban it until we know more about it,” he said. “I don’t want it on my watch that somebody dies when I had a voice and an opportunity to ban it.”

 

 

Home And Garden Show

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

  • Get your equipment ready to start seeds indoors, Grow lights, media, starting trays
  • Get a good quality grow light if you will be trying to start seeds indoors.
  • Clean and sharpen your pruning equipment
  • Get ready to prune grapevines.
  • Check your house plants for disease and insects,dust with a soft cloth
  • Treat lawns for broadleaf weeds as soon as weather is favorable.
  • Check stored fruits and vegetables
  • Consider using granular weed preventers in flower, shrub and even vegetable beds.

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