Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Local Extension Agent Shares Ways To Send Help To Areas Hit By Tornado, Wildfires

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The recent weather events in Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas and other Midwestern states have left devastation in their wake. Kim Woods, N.C. Cooperative extension livestock agent for Granville and Person counties shares a list of resources to help the ravaged areas rebuild.

“Many of you may have been wondering if there is anything that we in North Carolina can do to help our fellow ag folks in Kentucky and Tennessee after the devastating tornado outbreak in those states or the wildfires in Kansas,” Woods wrote in an email right before Christmas.

In Kentucky:

  • Donate money to the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation. All donations will be used to help local producers in need of farm supplies. These donations can be made by calling 859.278.0899 using the Paypal app at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=56JBAJJYC3RDQ.
  • Mail a check to: KY Cattlemen’s Foundation Attn: Tornado Relief 176 Pasadena Drive, Suite 4,  Lexington, KY 40503In Tennessee:
    • The Tennessee Farm Bureau established a fund to help farmers and ranchers who incurred damage to homes, farms or personal property.

    In Kansas:

    • The Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Livestock Foundation are assisting ranchers who were affected by fires and high winds across the state in mid-December. To provide monetary donations, click here. Donations may be tax deductible and 100 percent of all donations will be distributed to producers whose operations were damaged by the fires.

 

Granville County Manager Reappointed To State Risk Management Board

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Granville County Manager Michael Felts has been appointed to another term on the Risk Management Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC). Felts joined new and returning members at the quarterly meeting held in Wake County on Dec. 9  to be sworn in for a three-year term.

In a statement to the press, Felts said he is honored to be returning to serve another term on the risk management board. “In today’s environment, local government leaders are looking for ways to better anticipate and mitigate risks,” he said. “This organization is the largest provider of risk management services to county governments in the state of North Carolina and the board has a true passion for assisting counties.”

During the meeting, the board reviewed and approved the annual audit report for last fiscal year and heard updates on NCACC and legislative developments. The board also discussed the upcoming renewal season for risk pool members and new programs under consideration.

The NCACC Joint Risk Management Agency provides risk management services to North Carolina counties. It is managed and operated by NCACC, and is the largest provider of risk management services to county governments in North Carolina. It is governed by an appointed board of trustees made up of elected county commissioners and senior management staff.

The NCACC is the official voice of all 100 counties on issues being considered by the General Assembly, Congress, and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of advocacy, research, risk management and education and leadership training.

In addition to Felts, the board includes Bladen County Manager Gregory Martin, Transylvania County Manager Jaime Laughter, Stanly County Commissioner William Lawhon, Stokes County Commissioner Rick Morris, and Scotland County Manager Kevin Patterson. Edgecombe County Commissioner Viola Harris was re-elected as Chair and Tyrrell County Commissioner Tommy Everett remains the Vice-Chair of the Risk Management Board.

NC Coop Extension

Agricultural Extension to Offer Classes For Fruit Growers

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Fruit production has been a recent topic of conversation by both Wayne Rowland and Paul McKenzie on recent Cooperative Extension reports this week on WIZS. If those reports have got you thinking about having a back yard fruit crop then there is an upcoming class you may want to attend.  The Extension Service will be offering the same class over two day, January 7th and 8th. The January 7th class will be in Oxford at the Expo Center at 2pm and the Saturday class will be in Warrenton at the Warren Co. Armory Civic Center at 9am. The class is free but registration is required. Visit the Extensions Service’s website or call 252-438-8188 to learn more.

McKenzie will be partnering with Johnny Coley of the Warren County Extension Service for these classes. “You can’t beat the flavor and can’t beat the fun,” McKenzie said of growing back yard fruit crops. He also recommends that anyone thinking about planting a fruit crop to research the various cultivars in order to make sure that it is appropriate for this area. “Research is the first step in having success with fruit crops,” Mckenzie said. He said it is vitally important to do cultivar research if you are planning a back yard fruit crop.

Home And Garden Show 12-22-21

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

  • Review your garden journal,what went well, and not well, most important what did you learn?
  • What if you missed fescue fertilization in late November?
  • Check holiday plants for moisture.
  • What if you haven’t planted your pansies?
  • Inventory your seed before ordering more seed.
  • Prepare, clean and organize seed starting supplies
  • Build a small greenhouse or cold frame to raise your own transplants for 2022
  • Research fruit cultivars before planting.
  • Check water under your christmas tree each day

 

TownTalk: Henderson Fire Dept. Puts The Boot In For Maria Parham’s Angel Fund

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It is generally not recommended for pedestrians to walk out in the middle of traffic for any reason – especially Dabney Drive. But when firefighters do it, with their boots in their hands instead of on their feet, rest assured it’s for a good cause.

And on Tuesday, Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell presented the result of the 2021 fundraiser to the staff at Maria Parham Health’s Cancer Center – a check for $25,000. WIZS’s Trey Snide was on hand Tuesday for the check presentation and John C. Rose shared highlights on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

“It’s a great honor for us to be here with you today to present you with another donation from the wonderful residents of the city of Henderson and Vance County and the visitors that come down Dabney Drive,” Cordell said during the presentation ceremony.

He recounted that the first fundraiser to support the cancer center’s “angel fund” was back in 2014. Through t-shirt sales to fight breast cancer, the fire department was able to raise about $3,400 for the oncology department.

Since then, the annual fundraiser – except for last year when it was cancelled because of the pandemic – has netted more than $77,000.

This year’s total of $25,000 almost doubles the combined efforts of previous fundraisers, and Cordell credits the generosity of the community and the willingness of all three shifts of firefighters with this year’s success.

“This year’s total – I was blown away,” he told the group assembled at the hospital for the presentation. The original goal for Day 1 of the project was $4,700, but they’d gotten that by lunchtime, Cordell recalled. By the end of Day 1, folks had put $11,000 in those boots.

Cordell said he remembered thinking, “Man, that’s good. The rest of the days will be pretty slow, but the people just kept on giving.”

“If it wasn’t for these men and women that go out there, very unselfishly, and stand out there in the middle of Dabney Drive and hold a boot,” Cordell said, the donation to the cancer center simply wouldn’t have been possible.

Kimberly Smith is director of the hospital’s cancer center and she said the angel fund helps cancer patients with basic needs, from transportation to medicines to help with their treatment.

“We thank you very much,” Smith said.  “We appreciate you…this money will go to great use for our patients and our community here.”

She likened the work of firefighters to the work that the staff at the cancer center, saying that every day, each group of workers does an amazing job and, every day, they find ways to help people in the communities they serve.

Hope Breedlove is a social worker at the cancer center and offered her thanks as well.

“I’m so thankful.  I’m so proud right now of you, of the community.” Through the angel fund, patients can receive funds that remove barriers, Breedlove noted, and if it weren’t for the angel fund, “we couldn’t do some of the things that we’re able to do” for the patients.

“This angel fund is truly a godsend,” Breedlove said. “From the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of our hearts, and from the bottom of our patients’ hearts, we just thank you so much.”

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TownTalk: Shop With A Cop Makes Christmas Brighter For Kids In Vance County

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(Shop with a Cop 2021 photos by HPD)

The 2021 Shop with a Cop project proved to be another huge success, and local law enforcement officials said it was good fun for a good cause. Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said that 58 young people took part in Tuesday’s activities, thanks in large part to the generosity of local businesses and individuals who participated in the fundraising arm of the project sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

Chief Barrow reportedly had a run-in with the Grinch, but not even the Grinch could dampen the holiday mood at the Henderson Walmart as the children and law enforcement officers had some quality time together as they shopped the aisles.

“It was a tremendous event,” Barrow said. “We had an absolute blast shopping with the kids. It’s a great but humbling feeling to be able to shop with these kids.”

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame echoed the police chief’s sentiments.

“It’s an awesome program,” Brame told John C. Rose Wednesday by phone. “I look forward to doing it every year.” With the help of Michele Burgess and Sandra Wilkerson at the Chamber, Brame said he and others in law enforcement get the chance to interact in a positive way with  young people in the community .

The police department, sheriff’s office, Chamber, as well as the N.C. Highway Patrol and Maria Parham Health all are united together for a great cause, Brame added.

The community donated $12,000 through the chamber’s fundraising event – and through other donations – to provide the money for the Shop with a Cop project, according to Barrow.

He added that the families are grateful for the event. “It takes a burden off them during economically challenging times,” he said.

For the children, it’s just fun.

“It’s a positive thing to take them out to Walmart and shop with them,” Brame said. “That’s the part we love – it’s a win-win situation.”

(More photos below)

 

 

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NCTeach Supports Aspiring Teachers Get Prepared For Classrooms

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Just two years after its launch, the teacher recruitment initiative called TeachNC reported that it has “significantly exceeded” its second-year goals, with more than 1,400 aspiring teachers applying to an educator preparation program in 2021. That number more than doubles the number of applicants who signed up in the first year.

From September 2020 through August 2021, the TeachNC.org website was accessed in excess of 159,000 times and has attracted over 11,000 prospective educators who are being supported in their quest to become teachers, according to a press statement from the organization, which partners with several state and national agencies to get more educators into classrooms.

More than 1,400 of those applied for an educator preparation program in North Carolina during the initiative’s second year, with many of them also entering the classroom through the state’s residency licensure pathway, allowing them to work as teachers while completing course work necessary for certification. The year-two teacher recruits represents more than a 130% increase over the number of applicants supported in TeachNC’s first year. Of the applicants, 50 percent identified as candidates of color and nearly a quarter of those reporting a focus area say they want to teach a STEM-related subject such as math or science or in special education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt commended the TeachNC initiative for its success in helping to attract more people to the teaching profession and serving as a key resource of information about teaching careers in the state.

“TeachNC fills a critical need in North Carolina to make it easy for would-be teachers to learn more about the profession and to support them as they begin their journey to the classroom,” Truitt said. “My own North Star is that every student deserves a highly qualified, excellent teacher in every classroom, and the work of TeachNC is helping the state reach that all-important goal.”

TeachNC, which works in partnership with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, delivers research-based tools and supports for prospective teachers, helping reduce the barriers to applying to and enrolling in an educator preparation program. In a survey by the initiative, 60 percent of TeachNC subscriber-respondents reported an increased interest in teaching and 59 percent of TeachNC’s applicants reported that without the support of TeachNC tools, they may not have applied to a North Carolina educator prep program.

The following resources are freely available to anyone in North Carolina who may be considering entering the teaching profession:

  • 1-on-1 coaching from current North Carolina educators (900+ calls in year two)
  • Interactive education preparation program search tool and application tools
  • Application fee reimbursements
  • Scholarships and financial aid search tool
  • North Carolina’s first statewide teacher job board
  • Live chat function to answer questions 24 hours/day
  • Guides on testing, finances, resumes, cover letters, application essays, licensure, and more

Brenda Berg, President & CEO of BEST NC, the nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business leaders that launched and helped fund the TeachNC pilot, said she is pleased with these results.

“When we launched TeachNC in 2019, we knew our state had an urgent need for teachers. With the challenges our schools have faced through the pandemic, this need is greater than ever, making it even more exciting to see that these results have exceeded our expectations,” Berg said.

“It’s not that people don’t want to become teachers. More than 10,000 people have expressed interest in becoming teachers by subscribing to TeachNC; they just need additional information and support to get there,” she said. “We are also happy to see the state take this over as an on-going effort, because we know that an investment in teacher talent is a direct investment in North Carolina students.”

The recently passed state budget includes funding to DPI to adopt the TeachNC initiative and provides a dedicated position within the agency to administer the program.

TeachNC is a partnership of BEST NC, NCDPI, and TEACH.org. TeachNC includes a full suite of strategic recruitment activities including a robust communications campaign, a comprehensive website encompassing all existing resources in the state, and 1-on-1 personalized supports for teacher candidates. These resources create a trusted, safe, and user-friendly support system for anyone considering a teaching career in North Carolina. Visit TeachNC to learn more.

TownTalk: Sossamon Discusses Candidacy For NC House 32

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The Rev. Frank Sossamon said his more than three decades as a local pastor will serve him well if he’s elected to serve a different kind of flock – the residents of N.C. House District 32.

Sossamon has filed as a candidate for the House seat and will face incumbent Terry Garrison in next year’s election.

He and Garrison both put their hats into the ring before filings were suspended, pending a court ruling on whether the redrawn district maps would be upheld or would need to be changed again. Critics have charged that the new maps are gerrymandered and are partial to the Republican majority in the N.C. General Assembly.

The redrawn maps have District 32 covering all of Vance County and all but two southernmost precincts in Granville County. Sossamon told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk that if he were elected, he would serve all the people in his district.

“I’m going to represent the people,” Sossamon said. “I am a Republican, and I am a conservative Republican, but in order to get things done…we’ve got to work for the greater good for the people we represent.”

He said he won’t be the type of politician that sits behind a desk. “I’ll be out meeting the public,” he said working to find ways to help solve problems and helping the community.

“I will be a very active, a very busy representative – that’s been my nature for 36 years in Vance County,” he said.

As a pastor in Vance County for all those years, he has vast experience in being a problem-solver. That, he said, along with his ability to listen, really listen, to people, will transfer into his role as representative if he is elected.

He said he wants to challenge, to encourage and motivate people in the community to make things better. “We can’t wait on Washington, or Raleigh…we can pull ourselves together and accomplish a lot of things” he said, adding that this effort could really become a model for others to emulate.

As for key issues facing the district, Sossamon ticked off economic development, infrastructure, improving the workforce, education and clean drinking water. And crime.

Infrastructure is a “major problem” in Vance, he said. “We need a lot of help.”

“I just feel like there are some things we can do to make our communities safer and to feel better about where we live,” Sossamon said.

There are many ways to work together across county lines to have mutual benefit, he said, adding that although Vance and Granville often compete for new business and industry, there are various ways that both counties can work together “to do some joint things regarding economic development. There are things we can do better together,” Sossamon said. He said he would like to sit down with leaders from across the district, identify strengths and weaknesses and then concentrate on the strengths to recruit business and industry.

Working together rather than becoming territorial doesn’t have to dampen the competitive spirit between counties, but Sossamon said he hopes “we can lay those things aside and have a conversation that can lead us to joint ventures.”

Improving the workforce, for example, is something that would make the area more attractive to business and industry. “We’ve got the community college to help us,” he said.

Improving the quality of the workforce not only will make the district more attractive, but it also could lower crime in the area as well, for example.

Sossamon said he hopes to bring “a fresh look, a new look…a new vision for the area.”

He doesn’t subscribe to the idea that ministers should steer clear of politics. On the contrary, he said, Christians across the nation are realizing the need to be involved in the greater community, whether in politics or in other capacities.

He decided to run for office after prayer and contemplation about just what he has to offer to help the district.

“There ought to be people lining up to serve” their communities, he said, challenging others to consider running for local office as well, “to bring fresh ideas that will help improve our community.”

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