Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Tools For Parents

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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: Coker Takes Over As Chief Of Animal Services

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The vast majority of pet owners do the right thing and provide everything their animals need to live healthy, happy lives as furry members of the family.

And while Vance County’s new Animal Services Chief William Coker acknowledges this to be the case, he said that for those pet owners who don’t, there are county ordinances in place to protect animals.

“I think the biggest thing is educating the community on proper animal welfare and the county ordinances” in place to protect animals from maltreatment.

Once a dog is placed in a pen or put on a chain in the yard, it instantly becomes totally dependent on people for food, water and shelter. And it’s up to Coker and his officers to make sure all the animals in the county are afforded the minimum standards.

He said he chooses to de-escalate situations that may involve improper pet treatment, but he’s not afraid to fall back on county ordinances. Dogs must have a dog house, for example, and access to fresh water and they must be fed once a day – those are the minimum standards in place for the county’s canines.

After animal services officers give pet owners a couple of warnings and still fail to comply, the officers can issue citations.

Educating the community can come in many forms, Coker said on Wednesday’s TownTalk: he said he’d like to get into the schools and talk to young people about proper animal care. He also said he wants to emphasize getting dogs and cats spayed and neutered to reduce the unwanted pet population.

When his officers go out on a call, he asks that they promote the spay/neuter program, which often can be at a reduced cost for those that qualify.

Coker said he’s always had a passion for animals, and when he learned of an opening at animal services, he applied and was hired on in 2013. He worked with former chief Frankie Nobles for five years, and he said he learned a lot from his time working alongside Nobles.

He and Nobles stay in close contact and Coker said it’s reassuring to know that Nobles, now the county’s Special Projects Coordinator, is just a phone call away.

“I don’t like seeing animals mistreated,” Coker said. Just the other day, he came to work and found a dog tied outside the office door. As much as he hates for that to happen, he said the alternative – just turning the dog loose – wasn’t a good option either.

“As long as I’m chief of animal services, I’ll never turn away a surrender.”

Learn more about Vance County Animal Services at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • January is the inventory season to check your seed chemicals, garden equipment.
  • If you are shopping for lawn & garden equipment, consider the rechargeable options.
  • Plan landscape projects now
  • When planning landscape projects, consider impacts on tree root zones.
  • Write down garden problems you had in 2023 Contact Cooperative Extension.
  • Begin monitoring lawns for cool season weeds
  • Check pruning equipment now!
  • Visit public gardens even in winter!
  • Construct a small greenhouse.

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: Healthy Moms And Healthy Babies

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Have you heard of something called “centering pregnancy?” It’s a practice that’s been around since the 1990’s, and it is a way for expectant mothers to have support from health care professionals and other pregnant moms as they prepare for the moment that they deliver their newborn.

Granville Vance Public Health offers Centering Pregnancy through its clinics and GVPH Director Lisa Harrison said it’s something that’s been blazing trails across rural areas in the U.S. when it comes to maternal health.

“You have to be accredited as an agency to provide centering pregnancy,” Harrison said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. It’s designed for women with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies and it can help reduce the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, among other things.

“It’s exciting work,” she said, to provide an environment where women can learn and come together in a group setting. Women who participate in the program get one-on-one time with health care professionals, but they also join in small-group sessions where they can ask questions and learn from each other.

“It empowers women to be actively involved in their own health care decision-making,” she noted.

The Centering pregnancy program does not take the place of prenatal care that women receive elsewhere, and Harrison said it’s designed to complement the care that women receive from their own providers.

Given the health disparities that exist, especially among underserved populations, Harrison said this program offered by the health department is just one intervention to address maternal and infant mortality.

“It’s a way to set mom and baby up for the best outcomes,” she said.

In addition to the small group sessions during pregnancy, GVPH nurses also make home visits once mom and her newborn are home from the hospital. This service offers support to make sure mom and baby have the resources they need, and can connect them to additional resources to help them survive and thrive.

Harrison is no stranger to identifying best practices to support maternal and infant health. In fact, she and a colleague have recently written a chapter on this very topic for a book titled The Practical Playbook III. The first edition was published in 2019, and since then, it has become widely used among public health professionals.

When it comes to improving outcomes for maternal and infant health, it’s important for communities and providers to know what it takes – the policies and practices put in place – to support maternal health, she explained.

Community collaboration is “a critical piece of the safety net,” Harrison said.

To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic/.

 

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The Local Skinny! Upcoming MLK Day Events

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A couple of free programs commemorating the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place Monday, Jan. 15 in Oxford.

The Granville County Human Relations Commission will host “Remembering the Dream by Calling for Unity and a Celebration of Diversity in our Community” beginning at 10 a.m. at Oxford Baptist Church, 147 Main St.

Winners of the annual essay contest will be announced and their winning essays will be read aloud during the program. Featured speaker for the program is the Rev. Dr. Brett Pardue, senior pastor at Oxford Baptist Church.

The Granville County Human Relations Commission invites all the Granville County community to celebrate diversity and unity in Granville County while also honoring the academic achievement and writing talent of local  students. Please bring donations of canned and non-perishable food items for Area Congregations in Ministry food bank.

For more information about the program, please contact the Granville County administration office at 919.693.5240 or audrey.hill@granvillecounty.org.

Then, at 4 p.m., the Oxford-Granville Martin Luther King Celebration Committee is hosting “an evening of dialogue, tribute and celebration” at First Baptist Church, 320 Granville St.

Dorothy Wimbush said the committee sends out a special invitation to youth to attend the program, which will include special music and remarks by keynote speaker Granville County Sheriff Robert D. Fountain III.

Essay contest winners will read their winning entries during the program, and musical entertainment will be provided by “Covenant” of Roanoke Rapids and Devon Paylor and “Instrument of Praise.”

The committee chair is Larry Downey and members of the scholarship committee include Candice Sanford, Rev. Faye E. Thorpe, Linda Downey and Evangelist Renita Timberlake.

Donations will be accepted. Checks should be made payable to:

MLK Celebration

P.O. Box 441

Oxford, NC 27565

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Democratic Party

TownTalk: NC Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein Coming To Henderson Jan. 9

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UPDATE 1-9-24:

N.C. gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein’s scheduled visit to Henderson this afternoon has been postponed because of the threat of severe weather forecast for later today.

Vance County Democratic Chairperson Angela Thornton told WIZS News earlier Tuesday.

“We look forward to coordinating with his campaign for a rescheduled date,” Thornton said in a written statement to WIZS.

Stein is the current state attorney general.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Blue may be the dominant color at next week’s meet and greet for one of the Democratic candidates for governor, but local party officials invite the entire community to Perry Memorial Library on Tuesday, Jan. 9 – no matter their party preference.

Joseph Brodie, first vice president of the Vance County Democratic Party, said Thursday that current N.C. Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein will be in Henderson to meet voters and discuss the upcoming elections.

“All the public is invited to come down if they want to hear what Attorney General Josh Stein is going to be putting on the table,” Brodie said on Thursday’s TownTalk. “They can hear it for themselves.”

The doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 5:30 p.m. Brodie said this visit does not constitute an endorsement by local party leaders. “We have the door open for all our Democratic candidates to come down and introduce themselves to the voters of Vance County,” he explained.

With the March primary elections fast approaching, Brodie said he is pleased with the progress that is being made within the local Democratic Party.

“I feel real good,” he said. “The Vance County Democratic Party has come a long way…people are in place, working together for one common cause – to elect Democrats, not only in Vance County, but in surrounding areas.”

Brodie said the focus now is in organizing the local precincts so that voters can get important information concerning candidates and races.

“We’re always striving for excellence,” Brodie noted, adding that more work needs to be done.

 

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Logical Consequences

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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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