Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Pine Thinning

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If you have a stand of pine trees on your property and plan to harvest them you may want to consider thinning out the stand to increase growth and profit.  Wayne Rowland, of the Vance County Extension Service, explained the reasons for this on Monday’s Local Skinny. “Cutting and removal of trees is used to accomplish management objectives,” Rowland said. While thinning obviously reduces the number of trees it does help in the distribution of quality trees. Sometimes, depending on the trees that are thinned, they can be marketable enabling the property owner to sell the trees.

According to Rowland, the number of trees per acre can affect yield and growth. Size and vigor of trees can be increased by thinning your stand. Trees will go poorly if there are too many or too few trees per acre. Rowland says there are a number of benefits to thinning a stand of pine trees. Trees will be able to grow quicker meaning they can be harvested and sent to market in a shorter period of time.  It also allows trees to grow larger and larger trees bring higher prices. Thinning trees also increases health of the forest. For more information on thinning pine tree stands contact Rowland at 252-438-8188. The Vance Co. Extension Report can be heard Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:50am as part of the Local Skinny on WIZS 1450am, 100.1fm and at wizs.com.

 

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Ridgeway Opry House Plans To Re-Open In March

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The sounds of tinkling mandolins, plucking banjos, strummed guitars, thumping bass, sawing fiddles and beautiful bluegrass singing has been quiet at the Ridgeway Opry House for several months according to Frieda Harlowe. She also has plans to re-open in March. Harlowe spoke with WIZS News on Monday and said the pandemic has been the cause of disruptions to the Opry House schedule.

Bluegrass musicians from all over the area can usually be found at the Opry House located on US 158 in Ridgeway. Harlowe said that even though some of the older musicians have died there are still plenty of younger ones to get the toes tapping. Before Mandolin Orange got big a few years ago, you might would find the band’s Andrew Martin in tattered jeans on stage. So far, thanks to COVID-19 the instruments are quiet but if all goes well with the virus Harlowe expects to be up and running again in March.

Plans are to have Harlowe on an upcoming segment of the Local Skinny! to talk more about the Ridgeway Opry House. The Local Skinny! can be heard on WIZS at 11:30am Monday through Thursday.

The Local Skinny! Register Now To Attend Feb. 1 Expungement Clinics In Henderson, Oxford

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Learn how to get your criminal records expunged tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 1) at two free informational clinics – one in Henderson and one in Oxford.

The Kerr-Tar Reentry Roundtable is partnering with Legal Aid of North Carolina to host the events, during which Legal Aid staff will walk participants through the process of getting previous records expunged, or cleared, which could have a positive impact when applying for jobs or housing.

The clinics will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St., Henderson and at the Oxford Housing Authority, 101 Hillside Dr., Oxford, according to KTCOG strategic initiatives coordinator Kisha High.

High told John C. Rose on Monday’s The Local Skinny! that the clinics are informational only; those who attend and qualify for record expungement will be notified to attend an April 12 clinic at Hix Gym in Oxford to complete the expungement process.

“This is our very first expungement event,” High said. Monthly information sessions are planned and she said most likely the expungement clinics would be held quarterly.

The Second Chance Law that went into effect in June 2020 provides information about which offenses can be expunged from a criminal record, and changes that took effect on Dec. 1, 2021 give more hope to those who wish to have records cleared.

Legal Aid staff will be ready Tuesday to clarify which charges and what type of offenses can be removed, she said.

Maybe it was a DWI or some other activity that happened earlier in a person’s life that is affecting their adult life now, High said. Even if a person’s criminal record is not able to be expunged, High said a “certificate of release” can be issued by a judge that indicates the prior record should not be held against the person.

Interested in participating? Contact Kisha High at 252. 436.2040, ext. 2008 no later than noon on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Vance County Sheriff's Office

One dead, juveniles charged following shooting Jan. 19

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One man is dead and one juvenile is being held without bond following a shooting on Jan. 19, 2022, according to information from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame released a press statement Friday afternoon which gave details of the incident.

Deputies responded to a call at 104 Vicksboro Road and, upon arrival, discovered a man with an apparent gunshot wound to the torso. The victim was identified as Chrisdarrius Clark. Vance County EMS attempted life-saving measures, but Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, along with members of the SBI, conducted an investigation into the incident that resulted in multiple juvenile charges. The charges include first-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and possession of a handgun by a minor.

A 17-year-old, who was found at the scene, was taken into secure custody by deputies without incident for the charge of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Two other juveniles have also been charged in relation to this incident, but no details are available about specific charges.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Vance County Schools Logo

Former Vance Superintendent Gregory Dies

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Former Superintendent of Vance County Schools Ronald Gregory died on Jan. 21.  A graveside service will take place Friday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. at Meadowview Memorial Park. All services will observe COVID-19 protocols of facial coverings and social distancing of six feet or more.

Gregory, 80, retired in 2015 from the school system, having served as principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, according to information from VCS.”I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Gregory as a Vance County Board of Education member for many years,” said

Vance County Board of Education Vice-Chair Gloria J. White.

“He was surely one of a kind. He always believed that education was the great equalizer between the haves and have nots. He deeply believed that through education people could rise above their circumstances. Mr. Gregory worked tirelessly throughout his career to achieve that goal. This community has lost a great leader and warrior for education,” White said in a written statement to WIZS.

The school district issued this response: “We are truly grateful for his impact on Vance County Schools. On behalf of the Vance County School Board, superintendent and the district, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife and children, as well as the extended family.”

Board Chair Ruth M. Hartness expressed her appreciation of Gregory’s commitment to the school district as well. “Vance County Schools are saddened to hear of the passing of Ronald Gregory,” Hartness said in a written statement to WIZS. “He spent many years with students in his care. He will be missed.

He was the son of the late Edward Gregory and Vertilia Oakley Gregory. He was a former Superintendent of Vance County Public Schools.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Gray Gregory; a daughter, Pherin Gregory of Henderson; two sons, Brandon Gregory of Greensboro and Ryan Gregory of Pleasant Gardens; a sister, Yvonne Kittrell of Bowie, MD; a brother Calvin “Tim” Gregory of Raleigh; and three grandchildren.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Cell Phone Tower Is A Win – Win

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The shiny new cell tower that was erected on city property by the police training grounds should be operational in the next few months, and Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill said it’s a win-win for the city and for the cell service provider that owns the tower.

U.S. Cellular “found that location to be a good fit for their network,” Paylor told WIZS News Thursday. The tower that had been there was old and needed some maintenance, but the city and the cell provider reached a deal that suited both sides.

“They took the old tower down and put up the new one,” he said. And the city has “the very top of that tower for their communication.” US Cellular owns the tower and has agreed to maintain it, and for the next seven years or so, won’t be paying any rent. When that period ends, rent payments will begin.

“They gave us prime real estate for the ability to put their own tower there,” Spruill said.

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The Local Skinny! Vance Eats: Ribeyes Of Henderson

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When you go to a steakhouse, the usual recommendation is to order the beef. But fearless Trey Snide of WIZS Radio, always looking for a gastronomic adventure, took a different track when he visited Ribeyes in Henderson Thursday.

He ordered the pork chop.

And he was not disappointed.

On Thursday’s Vance Eats segment of The Local Skinny! his pronouncement after tasting the first bite said it all: “I am a happy man.”

The thick slab of pork is specially brined to create a mouth-watering dish, sure to delight the senses. And Trey said there was absolutely no need to add a sauce. The chop took center stage.

No doubt he made Bill Harris’s mouth water back in the studio as well, because before the segment was over, Trey promised to bring his co-worker his own chops back to the radio station.

(This is not a paid ad. Vance Eats on WIZS is a food review.)

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