Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! Father Daughter Dance Feb. 1 At Henderson Family YMCA

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Fathers and daughters can enjoy a special evening together at the upcoming Father Daughter Dance at the Henderson Family YMCA.

Sponsored by Chick-fil-A, the dance will take place at the Y, 380 Ruin Creek Rd. on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for each dad-daughter pair, but additional daughters can join in the fun for an extra $5. The dance is for girls 5-12 years old and their father or that special male role model in their lives.

Icon Entertainment is providing music for the event.

And don’t forget dinner beforehand! Stop by the Chick-fil-A off Dabney Drive at 200 Trade St. between 5:30 p.m. and 7 for a pre-dance meal. You’ll get one free child’s meal with purchase of an adult meal before heading over to the dance.

Registration is open now and ends Friday, Jan. 31.

Visit https://www.hendersonymca.org/ and scroll down to find the dance under Upcoming Events & Registration.

Contact Director of Membership Tesa Alexander at tesaa@henfamymca.org to learn more.

 

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Building Traditions & Legacy

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Cooperative Extension

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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Home and Garden Show

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

  • You need to start planting for your spring garden. When planting, think about the problems that you encountered in your last planting season.
  • Now is an excellent time to plan your 2025 Garden out on paper. Include your Gardening Goals for this year.
  • January is inventory month. Do you have enough seeds, equipment, and supplies to prepare for the gardening season?
  • Be careful to store your garden chemicals in a place where it will not get frozen, especially with weather conditions like snow. The cold temperatures can alter the chemicals.
  • It’s still a good time to take inventory of your seeds. That way you will know what vegetable seeds to order, try ordering a new variety of seeds for the 2025 growing season.
  • You can check out our available publications on vegetables on our website at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/
  • Consider raising a garden in a raised bed if you think that you do not have much space. 

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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SportsTalk: NCHSAA Releases 2nd Draft of Conference Realignment

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

On Tuesday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) released their second draft for the reorganization on conference play, also known as conference realignment. The Association released their first draft of conference realignment back on December 18th. Although these drafts are not final, they give a good idea of what the final product will look like when it comes to who will play who in conference play. The third draft is expected to be released next month, while the final draft will be releases later in the spring. Also, Ohio State may have won College Football’s National Title, but is it outright or is it a Shared National Title? WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle talked all about it on Wednesday’s edition of SportsTalk.

Below are the Conference Realignments for teams in Vance County and the surrounding counties:

6A/7A Conference B

  • Vance County (6A)
  • Franklinton (6A)
  • Northern Nash (6A)
  • Wake Forest (7A)
  • Heritage – Wake Forest (7A)
  • Knightdale (7A)
  • East Wake (7A)

1A/2A Conference C

  • Vance Charter (1A)
  • Oxford Prep (1A)
  • KIPP Pride (1A)
  • Southeast Halifax (1A)
  • Weldon (1A)
  • Henderson Collegiate (2A)
  • Warren County (2A)
  • Northwest Halifax (2A)
  • Northampton County (2A)

5A Conference 2

  • J.F. Webb (5A)
  • South Granville (5A)
  • Orange (5A)
  • Cedar Ridge (5A)
  • Seaforth (5A)
  • Durham School of the Arts (5A)

3A/4A Conference A

  • Louisburg (3A)
  • Wake Prep (3A)
  • North Carolina School of Science and Math – Durham (3A)
  • Bunn (4A)
  • Nash Central (4A)
  • Roanoke Rapids (4A)

1A Conference 2

  • Falls Lake Academy (1A)
  • Ascend Leadership (1A)
  • Central Carolina Academy (1A)
  • Clover Garden (1A)
  • Discovery Charter (1A)
  • Excelsior Classical (1A)
  • Neuse Charter (1A)
  • River Mill Academy (1A)
  • Southern Wake Academy (1A)
  • Woods Charter (1A)

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TownTalk: Charles Turrentine, Jr., 2024 Recipient of United Way’s Sam Watkins Visionary Award

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The winner of the 2024 Sam Watkins Visionary Award has a clear vision for what his community can be – for young people, for all people.

Charles Turrentine, Jr. told WIZS Wednesday that he thought he was attending Tuesday’s United Way banquet to see his wife recognized for being Warren County’s Teacher of the Year.

As Turrentine listened as the presenter described the recipient’s projects and accomplishments, he said they sounded familiar, but added he “didn’t have a clue” that he was the award winner. “To be honest, it’s still kind of a shock,” Turrentine said, just a day after getting the award.

Whether through his work with renovating the Chestnut Street Park and Crime Stoppers or being a trustee for Davis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Turrentine, 41, said his focus is on changing the narrative of Vance County.

And he’s hoping to add to his growing list of interests that of county commissioner. Turrentine lives in District 3 – the seat recently vacated by Sean Alston – and he wants to be appointed to fill Alston’s unexpired term and then run for the seat when it is next up for election.

“I’ve been putting the word out there,” Turrentine said. “I’m not doing it for me – I’m doing it for Henderson and Vance County…I’ve (got) pure intentions,” he said – no hidden agendas. “I just want to do what’s right for the people.”

He’s already hearing from people who have concerns about the property tax rates and having a revenue-neutral budget. He also puts public education and the future of the county jail on his priority list.

He said Sam Watkins and his brother George always had a vision of what Henderson could be – and it’s a vision he shares. “I’ve always wanted to put the youth in Henderson in that vision,” he said, “to let them know there’s a brighter day ahead.”

In his mind’s eye, he pictures George congratulating him on his work and for receiving the award that bears his brother’s name. “I can see George now, shaking my hand and saying ‘I’m proud of you. You’re doing good things. I think my brother would be proud of you, too.’”

Looking at his name on the same plaque that bears not only Watkins’s name, but other recipients, Turrentine said, simply, “I’m in some good company.”

 

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TownTalk: Virtual Information Session for Vance County Schools

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Despite Tuesday night’s snow “event,” tonight’s virtual information session for prospective families in Vance County Schools will go on as planned. Parents can log in via a link on the school district’s website https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/and connect with principals of the five campuses designated as Innovative Schools. The event begins at 6 p.m.

“All five principals will be on to answer any questions about the schools,” said VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Support Aarika Sandlin. Applications are available online and are due by Feb. 7.

“We try to meet our families where they are,” Sandlin said of the in-person and virtual offerings for parents, who may be interested in learning more about the Innovative Schools in the district. Three schools have already had info sessions at their campuses, but two remain: E.M. Rollins STEAM will hold an on-site session Thursday, Jan. 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Vance County Early College will hold an info session at its location in Building 2 at Vance-Granville Community College on Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Delivering information across a variety of platforms is important for district leadership to make sure parents stay updated on school programs and processes.

Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor-Crosson, executive director of Federal Programs and Elementary Education, said student safety and instructional practices are what’s top-of-mind for parents and families.

“We are so excited to offer Vance County Schools to our families and our young students,” she said. As a former kindergarten teacher and elementary principal, Batchelor-Crosson said she understands the importance of getting youngsters off on the right foot in school.

Parent engagement sessions are held throughout the year to help keep families informed. Sandlin said future family engagement sessions include a Jan. 23 session for English as a Second Language Arabic-speaking families, and a Feb. 27 session on internet safety.

Visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/ to learn more.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Early Season Planting

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On today’s program – As February approaches and with gardening planning underway, discussed were a few recommendations for early-season planting. Also, highlighted were several large events coming up for farmers. And, the Vance County Regional Farmers Market is seeking community input to form a community 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.

Vegetable Planting Calendar https://go.ncsu.edu/vegplantcalendar

Tobacco Production and Gap Meeting http://go.ncsu.edu/uppermiddletobacco25

Grain Production Meeting http://go.ncsu.edu/negrainmeeting25

Vance County Extension Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vanceextension

TownTalk: KVA Celebrates 20th Anniversary of State Championship

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The Kerr-Vance Academy Spartans boys’ basketball team takes to the court Friday evening in a  6 p.m. conference matchup with Halifax Academy, but the folks in the bleachers will also get a chance to relive a magical moment in the school’s history as the 2005 state champion basketball team is recognized.

It was 20 years ago that the varsity boys’ squad won the NC Independent Schools Athletic Association championship, and Headmaster Matthew McLaughlin and Athletic Director Mike Joyner said Friday’s recognition will be something special for current students and alumni.

McLaughlin said the event is centered around a basketball game, but he hopes it will be seen as a larger celebration of what is “alive and well” at Kerr-Vance Academy.

He joined the school back in July 2024, and when he learned that KVA was coming up on the 20-year anniversary, he just knew it’d be the perfect way to honor the school’s past and present, with an eye on its future.

An informal class reunion is planned for Saturday night at Norse Brewery in Wake Forest, and McLaughlin said all alums are welcome to attend. Another special event surrounding the game and 20-year anniversary recognition is a raffle for a home HVAC system – complete with installation, courtesy of Ranes Heating. Tickets are $10 each, and the lucky winner will be announced between the 3rd and 4th quarters of the Friday game. Tickets will be sold up until about halftime of the game, McLaughlin said. The winner doesn’t have to be present to win, and tickets are transferrable.

The Spartans will play Friday on a newly installed floor in the Crawford Gym, a shiny investment in the school’s future, which was established back in 1968. The new floor bears the name Bob Walker Court, a nod to the long-time assistant coach who, alongside Head Coach John Whitley, took that 2005 team to the state title game.

Friday’s festivities will be a way to acknowledge the 2005 team and what that state championship means to KVA.

Joyner said it’s important to recognize accomplishments of sports teams – dozens of banners hang in the school gym proclaiming championships in volleyball, tennis, girls’ soccer, baseball,  basketball among others over the years – but success on the field or court is a direct reflection of success in the classroom.

And when current students hear or see what previous students have accomplished, it helps them envision success in their own futures, McLaughlin said.

“A lot of schools and school communities talk about athletics being an extension of the school,” he said. At KVA, “it’s not an extension – it IS our school.” Sports teams are visible, tangible ways that the community can see what KVA is all about. The community doesn’t get a chance to visit the science lab or that elementary classroom, but they can see the student-athletes in a sports contest and have a good idea about what kind of learning goes on during the school day.

Joyner said the school culture with athletics is very important, and that “winning culture comes from across the school, not just athletics.”