Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

SportsTalk: Warren County Kicks Off Football Against Vance County Friday

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Victor Hunt, Warren County High School Head Football Coach, discusses Friday Night’s game against Vance County.

Friday Night Football is right around the corner with Vance County traveling to Warren County on August 23rd. This county-line clash between Vance and Warren is sure to be a good game. Teams from Vance County and teams from Warren County have played each other over 60 times, going as far back as 1979 when Vance Senior High took on John Graham, and maybe even further than that.* 

Coach Victor Hunt and his Eagles squad prepare to host the Vipers in the first matchup of the season. Even though the Vipers and Eagles aren’t in the same conference, that doesn’t stop the game from producing a wild atmosphere. “With it (both high schools) being in such close quarters, it’s definitely a great game for both communities”, Coach Hunt said.

There are many ways teams prepare for seasons and Hunt thinks that this offseason in particular has helped them tremendously through all the Eagles have done over the summer. “This year, with us getting out of school in May, we were able to do a lot in the month of June. We went to a team camp at Ferrum College, which I think will pay dividends for our guys…We went against multiple 5A schools (from Virginia)…We went to a team camp at North Carolina Wesleyan. We went to multiple seven-on-seven’s and joint things with Louisburg High School. We were able to compete against a lot of different people this summer. I think that will pay dividends for us, in this game and throughout the whole season.” 

Warren County looks to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row and Coach Hunt believes that this is a trend now for his team.  He said, “Making the playoffs has definitely become the standard here. That’s a measuring stick for us. We want to make runs in the playoffs. Making the playoffs is great but getting it to that third round, that fourth round is where we ultimately want to be…now it’s time for us to turn the corner and get into those later rounds and see what happens.”

Hailing from the Tar-Roanoke Conference, Warren County is a 1A school, the lowest classification in North Carolina. (Classifications are determined by school enrollment.) Even with Warren being a 1A school, Hunt says he had a good turnout for football. “We had a pretty good turnout. Right now we’re probably sitting at about 45, close to 50 kids. It’s for sure the most kids that we’ve had since covid…We have about nine seniors, so most of these kids are younger guys. I’m thrilled with the turnout.”

Coach Hunt and the Eagles have already taken a look at Vance County. “We (Hunt and his Coaching Staff) got a chance to see them against Jordan High School,” referring to the High School OT jamboree at Wake Forest High School this past Saturday. “They (Vance County) are a good football team. It’s a David vs. Goliath matchup. They are a 3A school…they have some kids on their team that are really great. On paper, they are a really good program. They went undefeated last year in the regular season. You know, on paper they are really, really good. I just thank God that football is played on grass and not on paper.”

Based on earlier radio interviews with Vance County Head Coach Aaron Elliott, he is excited to get the season started and ready to get on the field. Eagles Coach Victor Hunt shares that excitement. “I’m extremely excited. I love the opportunity to compete. I’m a competitor. Our kids are competitive and that’s what practice has been like all summer. It’s been outright competitive…every time we get an opportunity to lace ‘em up, and go against somebody in a different color jersey, I am thrilled about it.” 

Vance County travels to Warren County for Week 1 of the 2024 season this Friday, August 23rd and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.

*Records of Vance County Football and Warren County Football found at carolinapreps.com

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TownTalk: Ducky Derby Coming September 21

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When you bring the family down to this year’s annual Ducky Derby in downtown Henderson, Kimiko Williams suggests you bring a change of clothes for the kiddos – at least a towel – because the water flowing down Garnett Street acts just like a magnet, figuratively speaking, of course.

“When they see that water, the first thing they want to do is dive in,” Williams told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “They can’t resist getting in that water.”

The 15th annual Ducky Derby takes place on Saturday, Sept. 21 and it’s a fun event for a serious cause, said Williams, who is the program research and development coordinator for FGV Smart Start.

Tickets are $5 per rubber ducky and can be purchased in a variety of ways – online, via QR code, or by contacting or visiting the FGV office.

Of course, the number of ducks that will be poured out of the official cement mixer to float down the 2 ½ block course along Garnett Street depends on the number of tickets that are purchased. Pre-derby activities begin at 1 p.m. at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett streets. The race begins at 2 p.m.

The first duck to cross the finish line wins for its ticketholder a $1,000 cash prize, Williams said. The second-place finisher gets Chick fil A for a year and the third-place winner gets a $250 Sheetz gas card.

Not to worry, the last duck that crosses the finish line doesn’t go away empty-handed; there’s a $100 cash award as a consolation prize.

Families currently paying for a child or children to be in day care can put their name in the bucket for a chance to win a free month of childcare at a local DCDEE licensed childcare facility.

Organizations or individuals may also be sponsors of the event – become a SuperDuck for $1,000, a Quacker Backer for $500 or a Feathered Friend for $250.

Proceeds from the fundraiser help FGV Smart Start provide supplemental support to families and children.

Williams said state and local dollars have restrictions for their use, but there are needs that those funds can’t be used for.

One program sends teachers into homes to help children gain skills that prepare them for entering school. And when those teachers learn about additional needs – diapers, transportation and more – they want to help.

“A lot of times, we need those unrestricted funds to provide that service,” she said.

Contact Williams at 252.572.0339 or visit (https://fgvsmartstart.org/community/ducky-derby) to learn more.

Call the FGV Smart Start office at 252.433.9110 (x230), purchase ducks online at fgvsmartstart.org or
(https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fgvss-ducky-derby/items?cart

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Perry Memorial Library

Perry Library To Celebrate 100th Birthday

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Perry Library has had several locations during its 99 years and 11 months of providing book-lending services to the area. And now, as library staff and the community prepare to celebrate 100 years, Youth Services Director Melody Peters says she’s weaving a birthday theme into a number of programs leading up to a very special celebration.

Some residents may remember visiting H. Leslie Perry Library when it occupied the columned building across from the old courthouse; others may have gone to the library when it was on Rose Avenue. But 205 Breckenridge Street has been the home of Perry Memorial Library since 2006, and Peters said it will be the site of a 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be a bounce house, circus performers, food trucks, and a DJ and live music. The community is invited to come out to celebrate a century of having a library to enjoy, she said.

Other children’s programs leading up to that centennial celebration, however, will include a birthday theme.

Pre-school aged children will get to make pom pom launchers at the kickoff event of a STEM program geared toward kids not yet in school. Participants also will be decorating Play-Doh cupcakes at the first of a monthly gathering that includes hands-on activities for youngsters, Peters said.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about its programs and services and to view a calendar of events.

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Soil Testing

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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: Bobby West – Grace Ministries

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Grace Ministries has a busy weekend on tap, with an outdoor concert on Friday evening and its annual Family Fun Day on Saturday.

Bobby West invites the community to join in the festivities for both events. The weather forecast is calling for nice weather each day, making conditions just right for what West and others at Grace Ministries has planned.

Texas-based Seventh Day Slumber will bring its Christian rock to the Friday event, West said on Monday’s TownTalk. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the food and beverage concessions will benefit Rushing Water Outreach in Oxford; there is no charge for admission, but donations will be accepted at the gate, West said.

You should bring a lawn chair, but please don’t bring any outside food or beverages, he added.

Seating is first come, first served.

Then on Saturday, come back to Grace Ministries, located on Crozier Street, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to take part in the Family Fun Day. There will be lots of water games, including a slip n’ slide, for the kids to enjoy and hotdogs, watermelon, corn on the cob and more available throughout the day.

Backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed, and West said he hoped to be able to give away between 150 and 200 by the end of the afternoon’s activities.

This weekend is just the beginning of a busy fall and holiday season for Grace Ministries, West said. They have plans to be at the Show, Shine, Shag and Dine in mid-October, and West said it would be a time for he and others to give out supplies and to pray with those who attend the car show.

They’ll be distributing meals across the area the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and then it’s on to the toy giveaway for Christmas.

“It’ll be here before you know it,” he said.

Grace Ministries helps people and families with its program called New Beginnings, designed to provide support for those struggling with addiction or substance abuse.

Whether facing those struggles or other types of challenges, including financial ones, West said it is the mission of Grace Ministries to offer support.

Eleven women recently completed GED programs at Grace Ministries, and West said the new graduates wore caps and gowns to the ceremony to mark the achievement.

There are 49 people enrolled in the next GED program that will begin soon.

Visitwww.graceofhenderson.org to learn more.

 

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The Local Skinny! John Mattocks – Vance Recovery

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John Mattocks, program director at Vance Recovery, told county commissioners the opioid treatment center’s marketing campaign can be a little tough: individuals who are in recovery and beating the addiction odds aren’t usually the ones giving testimonials.

“Our successes are invisible,” Mattocks told commissioners at the Aug. 5 meeting. “All of my failures come with red and blue lights,” he said, referring to involvement with law enforcement and medical personnel.

“We are the gold standard for treatment,” Mattocks said, adding that the 50 percent success rate is “crazy good.”

But Mattocks and his staff at Vance Recovery want to better educate the public about the facility and the programs it offers. Currently operating at its location on Dabney Drive, plans are well underway to move to a state-of-the-art facility at 932 W. Andrews Ave.

“We’re hoping to move by Oct. 1,” Mattocks told WIZS Monday. They’re waiting for one last checkoff from the DEA to make sure the new location is safe and secure for clients and for the community.

As soon as that last inspection is completed, Mattocks said, “we’ll be moving with gangbusters.”

The clinic is moving because it needs more space to provide treatment to clients, he said, adding that Vance Recovery is the only opioid treatment program in the area. They work with other agencies, like Rural Health Group, and Vision Behavioral Health to help connect services to the people who need them.

Vance Recovery is a for-profit business, and just one of numerous clinics owned by Dr. Eric Morse, a nationally acclaimed leader in the field of opioid treatment and recovery programs.

“Every day we are fighting the twin epidemics of opioid use and opioid overdose and death,” he said.

One of the goals is to avoid emergency room visits and legal interventions for people who are in crisis, he said.

He said that without the diversion services that RHA provides, he knows there would be individuals who would have had to be sent to an emergency room for help.

“Right now, it’s a real blessing to our community” to have RHA, he said.

Visit https://www.morseclinics.com/locations/vance-recovery to learn more.

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Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland: Mosquito Control

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If April showers bring May flowers, what do deluges from summer storms and hurricanes bring?

Mosquitoes.

Anyone who has ever swatted at those buzzing insects surely will agree that mosquitoes are a nuisance, not to mention unwelcome pests. But in addition to their general peskiness, mosquitoes also transmit diseases to humans and wild and domesticated animals, and Cooperative Extension Technician Wayne Rowland provides several tips to help reduce the mosquito population.

We associate heightened mosquito activity during twilight and nighttime hours, but the state’s most common mosquito – the Asian tiger mosquito – is aggressive during daytime hours.

So what works best for mosquito control?

Rowland recommends an integrated pest management approach, which basically means bundling together a variety of strategies that interrupt the insects’ life cycle.

Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle, but fish and predatory insects like dragonflies do a number on mosquitoes that may be near lakes and ponds.

It’s stagnant, standing water that make the perfect breeding location, so Rowland said it’s a good idea to get rid of containers and old tires – anything that collects water around your yard or property. If you can’t remove the containers, at least tip them over to remove the water after rains, he said.

Cover rain barrels with screening to keep mosquitoes from getting to the water collected in the barrel.

Pesticides may offer relief, but they provide short-term solutions, he added.

pesticides are only a short-term solution.

Visit https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ to learn more.

 

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