Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

TownTalk: Fentanyl Is Killing America’s Future – Young People

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Patricia Drews is on a mission – it’s a mission that won’t bring her daughter back, but she is determined to try to help other families learn more about what she calls drug-induced homicide that took the life of her only child.

Her daughter, Heaven, died in 2019 – one of approximately 200 young people dying each day back then in the U.S. from opioids. That figure has doubled to about 400 a day as the opioid epidemic rages. The NC DHHS reported Monday that an average of nine North Carolinians died each day in 2020 as a result of a drug overdose – a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

Drews has written and published a book titled Death of America’s Future: China’s Fentanyl that she said should be available for purchase by the end of the week. It is a compilation of more than 80 accounts – including the tragic story of her daughter Heaven – of families that have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning.

“I wanted a mother’s perspective,” she told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk, “of losing a child.” The first 50 copies of the book, which she paid for herself, should be available this week on Amazon. It was expensive endeavor, Drews noted, but if the book sales do make a profit, she wants to donate the proceeds to several different organizations, including Lost Voices of Fentanyl, a national organization with more than 10,000 members.

The book contains a color photograph of every mother and child, which was important to Drews so she could show families as they had once been – “that they lived, they loved, they laughed,” she said.

Drews said 104,000 young people in the United States died from drugs, and the numbers just keep climbing, she said.

Drews draws a clear distinction between a drug overdose versus the lethal opioid poisoning responsible for the deaths of so many young people. “Yes, they made a choice to experiment,” she said, “but they did not choose to die. The drug dealer that sold them that fentanyl made that choice for them.”

Raising awareness is critical to keeping young people safe – “we need to educate ourselves and we need to educate our children,” Drews said.

In December 2019, North Carolina enacted a law that allows prosecutors to charge drug dealers who illegally sell a controlled substance that causes someone’s death. The “death by distribution” act carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison.

Her daughter’s case remains active, she said. “I refuse to let it go – they need to be held accountable.”  Her daughter died in January 2019, just months before the new law went into effect that December.

“But there’s no statute of limitations on homicide,” she said.

To learn more about how to purchase a copy of the book, visit the local Forgotten Victims page on Facebook or contact Drews directly at 252. 204.9611.

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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.

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The Local Skinny! BBQ Fundraiser Will Benefit Masonic Home In Oxford

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The John H. Mills Masonic Lodge 624 in Epsom is having a barbecue fundraiser coming up on April 2, and Jeremy Hetrick, local lodge secretary, said tickets are on sale now from any lodge member.

Hetrick spoke with John C. Rose and Bill Harris about the upcoming event on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny! One-pound containers of pork barbecue will be ready for pickup at the lodge on Saturday, April 2 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. The lodge is located on NC Hwy 39 in Epsom, just across from the fire department.

Proceeds will benefit lodge activities and the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.

Hetrick is retired from the U.S. Army and currently is commander of the Department of American Legion Division 1. He works full-time at Henderson Collegiate Charter School and also is a member of the Henderson Masonic Lodge.

The Henderson and Epsom lodges are in the same 13th district of the Division 1, which includes a total of 49 lodges from Person County all the way to the Outer Banks and toward the Wilson area, he said.

The Epsom lodge was founded in 1935 by local farmers who decided to name it after a local minister and Mason, who was instrumental in the founding of the orphanage in Oxford.

Hetrick explained that it was Mills who recognized the need for a home for the numerous orphans at the end of the Civil War.

The group is being a little conservative this year with how many pounds of barbecue they’re producing, largely due to the fact that the fundraiser hasn’t been held in a couple of years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re only going to do 500 this year,” Hetrick said, about half the amount as in previous pre-COVID-19 years.

He encourages anyone interested in purchasing a ticket to do so now – there won’t be many left as the April 2 event day nears. Lodge members will oversee the cooking, which will begin by mid-afternoon on Friday. The pork butts will cook all night and then will be chopped and put in containers Saturday morning in time for pickup.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Hetrick at 252.204.4742.

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

COVID-19 Cases Continue Downward Trend In Vance, Granville

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New cases of COVID-19 continue to decline in Vance and Granville counties over the past week, and Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison said that while this is good news for the community, it’s important to pay close attention to what’s happening outside the community – even on other continents – to remain vigilant about safety precautions.

Vance County reported 10 new cases in the 7-day period ending Mar. 18; Granville reported 16 new cases in that same time frame. Both counties are in the low category for percent positivity – 2.7 percent for Vance and 1.7 percent for Granville, according to information from GVPH.

Both counties are now below the state’s percent positive rate of 2.3 percent.

There have been 14,173 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 11,809 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 25,982 across the health district.

Granville County has documented 111 deaths as a result of COVID-19 and Vance County has a total of 112 deaths for a total of 223 deaths across the health district.

“It is true that we are in a much better and much different place than we have been during the pandemic,” Harrison said. “It is also true the pandemic is not over. Never underestimate the power of data, of your public health teams, health care provider teams, education support teams, and in general, where many of us turn often: Faith, Hope, and Love. Whatever the future brings, we have the courage and the tools to navigate it,” she said.

Beginning Wednesday, Mar. 23, the DHHS dashboard summary will reflect how the state’s health offiicials are continuing to keep a close watch on COVID-19 trends in the state. The following seven metrics will be used, with less emphasis of the percentage of positive tests:

 

  • Wastewater surveillance, which can detect COVID
  • Emergency department reports of people coming in with COVID-like illnesses
  • Hospital admission numbers
  • Case trends
  • Booster shot rates
  • Prevalence of variants
  • Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on community spread in the states.

This change is being made because so many people are testing themselves at home and not necessarily reporting results to DHHS, Harrison said.

She added information on a recent increase in cases and hospitalizations in the United Kingdom and  other European countries. There are several possible reasons for this increase, Harrison noted: the more transmissible BA.2 Omicron variants, more people gathering more often without masks and waning immunity from vaccination or previous infection.

State public health and political leaders held a press conference on Thursday, Mar. 17 and the main points of the press conference were:

  • We can look forward with the belief that the worst of this pandemic is behind us and it’s also important to take stock at how far we have come.
  • There are COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, testing supplies, and improved infrastructure to help people make choices as they live amid the virus.
  • Now we turn the page on the pandemic to a new phase – “one of individual responsibility, preparedness, and prosperity.”

“While COVID is now a threat we can manage, it has not disappeared,” NC DHSS Secretary Kody Kinsley said. “We will remain vigilant and we will work to equip you with the information and tools you need to make choices that are best for you and your family.”

Four principles will guide the DHHS response, Kinsley said, to “ensure a fast and fair response that improves the health, safety and well-being of all North Carolinians.”

The guiding principles are:

  • Empowering individuals to make informed decisions for themselves and their families
  • Maintaining health system capacity
  • Collaborating with local partners
  • Prioritizing equity in access to vaccines, treatments and other tools, as well as crucial information

Stay up-to-date by visiting https://gvph.org/

Vance County Sheriff's Office

One Arrested On Drug Charges By Vance Sheriff’s Narcotics Division

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A man was arrested on drug charges Friday during a traffic stop in the Townsville community, according to Vance Sheriff Curtis R. Brame.

In a press statement to WIZS News, Brame said

Vance County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division conducted a motor vehicle stop for traffic violations and detected the odor of marijuana.

Further investigation led to the seizure of a small amount of marijuana and crack cocaine.

Frederick Harris, 54, was arrested on one count of

felony possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance, (Crack Cocaine) and one count of simple possession of Schedule VI Controlled Substances, (Marijuana).

An unsecured bond of $10,000 was set and Harris was scheduled to appear in court today (Monday, Mar. 21).

Granville Summer Leadership Program for Rising High School Seniors Application Period Open Until April 8

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Granville County’s Summer Civic Leadership Program is back on for rising high school seniors who live in Granville County.

The program, put on pause for the last couple of summers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is accepting applications, which can be found on the county’s website https://www.granvillecounty.org/government/administration/summer-civic-leadership-program/

or by contacting Debra Weary, clerk to the board, at 919.603.1307.

Eligible students must apply before April 8, according to information from Terry Hobgood, county public information officer. Interviews will be conducted in April and selected candidates will be notified in May.

The leadership program gives high school students the opportunity to gain work experience in local government with hands-on job training across all aspects of county operations and aligns with Granville County’s commitment to developing the next generation of local workforce talent and foster edication and  passion for public service.

Eligible students will be selected to participate in one of the four service-area tracks:

  • Community Services: Cooperative Extension, Economic Development, Landfill, Library System, Planning  and Inspections, Recreation and Parks, and Tourism.
  • General Government: Administration, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Tax  Administration.
  • Human Services: Senior Services and Veterans Services.
  • Public Safety: Animal Control, Detention Center, Emergency Communications, Emergency Management,  and Sheriff’s Office.

Successful completion of the Summer Civic Leadership Program will entitle students to educational assistance in the amount of $1,400.

Sheriff: Toddler Dies In Weekend Accident

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A toddler has died after being hit by a moving vehicle, according to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame said in a press release that the accident occurred on Saturday, Mar. 19. Deputies responded to a call at 6:04 p.m. to 1320 Railroad St.

An 18-month-old was transported to Maria Parham Medical Center by Vance County EMS, and died as a result of injuries received in the accident.

Brame said the North Carolina Highway Patrol is assisting in the investigation because a motor vehicle was involved in the child’s death.

No further details are available at this time.