Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! From The Land Of Ice And Snow: Vikings Coming To Granville

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The Vikings are planning an invasion soon, right here in Granville County. But this invasion is filled with activities for the whole family, especially if you’re into axe-throwing and drinking mead.

The Viking Experience will take place at the Granville Expo Center on Mar. 26 and Mar. 27.

Hannah Reed and her mother Angela Reed are the business duo behind the weekend event, which they describe as part educational and part entertainment.

They talked with John C. Rose on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! about how those who attend the local venue will be transported back to the Middle Ages, when Vikings in their sailing ships were conquering and pillaging.

There will be plenty of activities for children and adults, including “Vikings in training” activities and fight demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Not into axe-throwing and sword-fighting? That’s ok, too. There will be music and dancing “pretty much all day,” as well as a Norse-inspired acrobatic groups to entertain attendees.

Purchase an extra “fight pass” to gain access to the fight pit, where foam swords and other “safe” weapons abound, the Reeds said.

Based in Creedmoor, the Reeds attend similar festivals in Maryland, but noticed that there weren’t any Norse-inspired events around these parts. So about five years ago, they set the wheels in motion that has resulted in the first Viking Experience in the area.

Vendors will sell food, drinks, jewelry and much more during the weekend. And re-enactors will mingle with the crowds. “Our characters are roaming constantly and will interact with you as if you are actually part of that world,” Hannah said.

The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mar. 26 and then from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mar. 27. Tickets are available online at https://www.thevikingexperiencenc.com/

Plan to stay for the dinner theatre, which is offered at a separate ticket price

Angela suggests buying tickets in advance.

“We are getting a huge, huge interest in this event – much larger than we even expected,” she said.

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Dr. Stephen Pearson – City’s Orange Street Lot to Bear His Name

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The late Dr. Stephen Pearson, co-founder of Sadie’s Coffee Corner downtown, will be remembered in a ceremony next week.

The City of Henderson will host a ceremony and officially name the city’s Orange Street parking lot after Dr. Pearson.

That lot is next to Sadie’s on South Garnett Street.

The ceremony will take place Tuesday, March 8 at 11 a.m.

The public is invited to attend.

Pearson and Amanda Pearson, his wife, celebrated the grand opening of Sadie’s on November 9, 2019. Pearson died at age 57 about one year ago in late March 2021.

Pearson was well-liked and loved by many and had otherwise risen to the board chair level of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission.

As he said in a video presentation at the 2020 Henderson Vance Chamber of Commerce meeting and banquet, “We came in with very clear goals, a very clear business plan, things that we would absolutely make sure that we changed in the dynamic of business on main street, and we also came with the mindset that if we are going to come down and provide some change, then we’re going to change from the inside. You can’t change things from the outside.”

Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: John Eason Jr. Letter Of Intent Signing

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“I’m not going to play against him” was one of the comments John Eason Sr. had about his son, John Eason Jr.  The younger Eason will be playing next season at Central Carolina Community College now that he is wrapping up his senior season at Crossroads Christian. He signed his letter of intent at the school today (Wednesday) continuing a journey that began when the senior Eason taught him how to hold a basketball over his head at age five.

“He feels like a son to me,” Crossroads basketball coach Scottie Richardson said. “He’s one of those guys you love to have in the locker room,” Richardson continued. Richardson said Eason does the little things needed to win and described him as a team player. Eason started the season on the bench but by the end of the season he had worked his way into the starting lineup.

Central Carolina Community College coach Lamont Whitaker was on hand for the signing and said his interest in Eason stemmed from a call from Richardson who told him there was someone he needed to see. Whitaker watched Eason play three times when he decided he had seen enough and felt Eason was someone Central Carolina needed. “He has the physique. He gets after it and gets rebounds,” Whitaker said of what he saw in those three games. Eason was also impressed by Central Carolina as he liked the atmosphere, the school and the campus.

While the senior Eason may have helped him learn the moves and skills of being a basketball player, his mother was not about to be left out of helping her son either.  Beverly Eason also played basketball and played with her son. She tried to help him with his hook shot hoping he would be as good at it as the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but she joked that her son hasn’t quite got the shot down to her satisfaction yet.

John Eason Sr. also said that the education side of college is equally as important as basketball. “Get the book work together and you can go anywhere you want to go.”

Before Eason signed his letter of intent he told WIZS’ Trey Snide that without Crossroads Christian he wouldn’t be in the position he is now. Then with a stroke of the gold pen brought along for the occasion, Eason signed his letter of intent with thunderous applause from his team, friends and family. Congratulations to John Eason Jr. on signing to play college basketball with Central Carolina Community College.

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Vance County Logo

Candidates Must File By Noon Friday For May 17 Primary

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There are several contested races so far for the upcoming May 17 primary elections in Vance County, and prospective candidates have until noon on Friday to file.

Incumbent Sheriff Curtis Brame has filed for re-election. Brame, a Democrat, faces Sterlin Walker, also a Democrat, in the primary.

The winner will face Republican Patrick Bailey, who also has filed, if no other candidate files in the next couple of days.

Incumbent Terry Garrison (D) faces newcomer Frank Sossamon, a Republican, for the NC House 32 seat.

In the Vance County Board of Education races, incumbent Gloria White has filed for re-election in District 1; Democrat Omega T. Perry has filed for the District 2 seat. Incumbent Margaret Ellis has not filed yet; Incumbent Democrat Ruth Hartness has filed for re-election in District 7; nobody has filed for the District 2 seat, currently held by Darlynn Oxendine.

Three Vance County commissioners have filed for re-election – Gordon Wilder in District 3, Dan Brummitt in District 4 and Tommy Hester in District 7. Wilder, a Democrat, faces opposition by Sean Alston, also a Democrat. Brummitt and Hester, both Republicans, currently have no opposition.

The City Ward 1 at large incumbent Sara Coffey has filed for re-election and faces oppostition from Clementine Hunter, who also has filed for the seat.

City Ward 2 at large incumbent William Burnette has filed, as have incumbents Garry Daeke in City Ward 3 and Ola Thorpe-Cooper in City Ward 4.

Incumbent Cassandra Neal (D) has filed for re-election to the Register of Deeds and incumbent Henry Gupton (D) has filed for re-election to Clerk of Superior Court.

The filing period ends at noon on Friday, setting the stage for the upcoming primary on May 17 and the general election on Nov. 8.

 

TownTalk: Area Economic Summit Coming To Uptown Roxboro

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Kerr-Tar Council of Governments and a bevy of partners representing a cross-section of the business, education and government agencies across the five-county region are joining forces to present Vision 2022:  Regional Economic Development Summit later this month in Roxboro.

The event will be held Thursday, Mar. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Kirby Cultural Arts Complex in uptown Roxboro, and Person Economic Development Sherry Wilborn said participants will have the chance to learn from leading experts as well as enjoy what uptown Roxboro has to offer visitors.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Register by Mar. 21 at

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ej1p18ts26aa95f6&oseq=&c=&ch=

Wilborn and Lou Grillo, workforce development director for Kerr-Tar COG, joined John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk to share details of the upcoming event.

“We’re thrilled to have people coming in to Person County,” Wilborn said. Participants will get vouchers in their registration packets to exchange for lunch at uptown restaurants and food trucks that are driving in for the event.

Grillo said there will be many opportunities for networking among participants, and said the day’s events are geared toward employers, employees, business partners and local and regional governments to gain insight on what is currently transpiring in the workforce.

Many employers are having to figure out how to adjust to the changing labor market and work with the current workforce conditions, Grillo said.

“It’s an opportunity to get the community together to talk about some critical workforce issues,” he said, and to understand the situations that companies are currently experiencing.

“Come and get an understanding of what the post pandemic economy is going to look like –

What the current talent pipeline is going to look like.”

Polywood is one Person County employer that is poised for expansion and Wilborn said it and several other employers across the five-county area are going to share some of their strategies and innovations for keeping their existing employees and for finding new workers in the post-pandemic economy.

Wilborn said unemployment is about 3.3 percent in Person County, which makes for a tight labor market.

A vital piece of the economy puzzle includes partnerships and networking from agencies like NCWorks and area economic development offices to community colleges and private business, Grillo said.

“It takes partnership and communication to understand the opportunities that are available,” he said. “We’re preparing our workforce needs of the future” through holding events like the summit.

The keynote speaker is Peyton Holland, a nationally known expert who will speak on how to grow the workforce in a time where skill is hard to find, opportunities are plentiful for jobseekers, and results are needed immediately.

Grillo said he’s heard Holland speak before, and he considers him a great resource for helping to align the various community partners to be most effective in creating qualified workers through education and recruiting and retaining employees in the workforce.

Other speakers include N.C. Secretary of Commerce Machelle Sanders and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond CEO Tom Barkin. Managing Partner with Economic Leadership, LLC, Ted Abernathy will join live through virtual video conference.

Sponsors include the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments, Kerr-Tar workforce development board, and Duke Energy, with collaborative partners from the Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Commissions, and Vance-Granville and Piedmont Community Colleges.

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Clean and till up vegetable beds and add compost to the beds to increase organic matter.
  • Plant cool season crops.
  • When growing seeds indoors check the media before watering. If the media has moisture check the next day before watering.
  • Get ready to start seed for many warm season crops. I suggest sowing indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before you plan to plant outdoors.
  • On warm days 70F or warmer provide ventilation in greenhouses and cold frames if growing plants in them.
  • Add dill and fennel to your garden to support swallowtail butterflies.
  • We have excellent gardening publications at Cooperative Extension
  • Don’t spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a garden or landscape project without first spending $4 for a soil analysis.
  • Always check moisture level of garden soil before tilling that soil

 

4-H Logo

Meeting Set For Mar. 8 To Plan For Annual 4-H Poultry Sale

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Parents of children between the ages of 5 and 18 with an interest in raising and showing poultry should attend a virtual meeting next week to learn about plans for the 2022 Four County 4-H Poultry Show and Sale.

The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 8. The link is

https://go.ncsu.edu/4countypoultry.

The program provides 10 birds to each youth participant to raise, show and then sell. Each participant must show and sell three of the 10 birds they raise.

The birds will be auctioned at the sale, with proceeds going to the participant and to to the Four County 4-H group. Trophies also will be awarded.

Direct questions to your county’s 4-H agent.

  • In Vance County, contact Wykia Macon at 252.438.8188
  • In Granville County, contact Lina Howe or Kim Woods at 919.603.1350
  • In Warren County, contact Stephen Misenheimer or Matthew Place at 252.257.3640
  • In Franklin County, contact Meg Wyatt or Martha Mobley at 919.496.3344

Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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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.