Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! A Graduation Journey

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Journey Coleman is a young woman on a mission. The easy part’s done – she is the first official graduate of Vance County High School’s Class of 2022. Vance County Schools held a graduation ceremony – just for her – on Thursday, July 29 at 3 p.m.

The hard part is yet to come, but Coleman has been determined since she was a little girl, her mother says. The hard part? Beating cancer.

Journey is the younger daughter of Sherronda Minor of Henderson and Richie Coleman of Fremont. She turned 18 in March, just a few months after getting the life-altering news that she had a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.

Her mother spoke with WIZS News last week from her daughter’s hospital room at UNC Hospitals, where she receives her care. She got a chemo treatment on Wednesday, but by Thursday, she had spiked a fever of 102.3 and so back to the hospital she went. She developed pneumonia, Minor said. The chemo compromises her immune system and can cause complications.

Principal Rey Horner, Journey Coleman, Dr. Cindy Bennett

When hospital staff suggested she may not be able to attend the graduation, her mother told the 75 or so in attendance at the graduation that Journey didn’t even consider that an option. VCS Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett, along with school board chair Linda Cobb and members of Omega Phi Psi, Inc. and other district officials joined VCHS Principal Rey Horner at the commencement.

“She wasn’t due to graduate until next year,” Minor said. But Journey insisted on completing her course work early. She was not convinced by either her mother or her guidance counselor to shoot for perhaps a mid-year graduation in December, since she spends so much time in hospital getting treatments.

“And here she is, graduating,” Minor said. She said it was heartbreaking to hear her daughter say to her, “Mommy, I just knew I was going to die before I graduate.”

<Click Play for the Graduation Ceremony Audio>

“She had her computer at the hospital,” Minor said. “She was getting chemo and still doing schoolwork.” The plan hit a slight snag when she couldn’t find her charger cord and she couldn’t send her Math 4 work electronically, recalled Journey’s mom. Enter Journey’s godmother, who also happens to work at Vance County High School. She picked up the packet of work and delivered it to school so it could be checked off.

Minor said Journey’s cancer is very rare. It affects the soft muscle tissue. And that’s just what happened with Journey – she complained of pain in her foot. She was visiting her father in Fremont and the parents decided to take her to an orthopedist and podiatrist. After an initial consult on Wednesday, x-rays on Thursday and then an MRI, the parents got the phone call no parent wants to get: “They called us back the next day and said ‘We need to talk,’” Minor recalled.

She started chemotherapy treatments in early October 2020. Since then, doctors tell Minor that Journey’s Stage 4 cancer has spread; despite this news, Journey and her family are still hoping, still praying.

“She’s fighting it unbelievably,” Minor said. “She’s very strong.”

A happy graduate twirls and dances in front of the crowd!

And, once her body has had a chance to recover from the chemo treatments, Journey’s a normal teenager. She and extended family recently returned from a trip to Florida’s SeaWorld, Minor added.

Minor speaks about white counts, updating chemo regimens and regular stays in the hospital for treatments. She knows firsthand about how this all works – she is a cancer survivor herself. She was diagnosed in 2016 and received her care at Maria Parham Health. She is healthy today and said that, back in 2016, she didn’t understand God’s plan for her, why she was having to deal with cancer.

With more clarity now, she said her daughter has a very strong support group of family and friends. Chances are, they all helped to celebrate Journey’s high school graduation Thursday.

The post-graduation festivities include a meal with Journey’s hand-picked favorites: Buttered corn on the cob, collards and ham hock, potato salad, ribs and a ham that her dad is going to prepare. Oh, and cake.

A fitting meal for a deserving young woman and newest graduate of Vance County High School.

Community Partners of Hope

Community Partners Of Hope, Inc. Looking To Hire Community Network Specialist

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Community Partners of Hope, Inc. is hiring a part-time “community network specialist” that board members hope will evolve into a full-time executive director role.

CPOH operates Hope House and the men’s homeless shelter in Henderson, and board chair Ronald S. Cava said an ideal candidate would be someone who can focus attention on promotion, funding and community networking rather than day-to-day operations.

“The right person…will be able to move us exponentially toward achieving our vision of providing 360 support for our clients through a full-time, year-round shelter operation,” Cava said in a press statement.

The community network specialist position is a 20-hour per week position that involves collaboration with other agencies, businesses, law enforcement and area congregations to provide support, guidance and visibility for services to homeless men in the area.

Candidates must have at least a high school diploma and experience as a supervisor or manager; candidates with experience working with non-profits or social services connected with at-risk populations receive priority consideration.

In addition to community networking, the job description includes public relations, managing staff schedules and training, pursuing grant opportunities and coordinating program goals and progress for clients.

Email resume and references to:   cpofhope@gmail.com

The Local Skinny! Home and Garden Show 7-28-21

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Thank you for listening to WIZS Radio.  Your Community Voice!!

Farmers market and beekeepers update on the show today.  Also, electric fencing around gardens, mosquito mitigation, fall turnips and collards as well as yellowjacket nests.

Click play.

 

‘National Night Out’ In Creedmoor Has Food, Fun For Families

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Join the Creedmoor Police Department for National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at South Granville High School.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and includes children’s activities and free hotdogs, popcorn, sno-cones and beverages, according to information from Granville Chamber of Commerce.

“National Night Out is a unique opportunity for the police department and our community members to bond and build relationships while having a little fun,” said Creedmoor Police Chief Keith King.

The event in Creedmoor coincides with thousands of participating communities nationwide to heighten awareness of crime and drug prevention.

Activities include an inflatable obstacle course, impaired-vision course, several emergency vehicle displays and a visit from Duke Life Flight.

The Creedmoor Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand to provide water activities, so children are encouraged to wear play clothes and to bring a towel!

Friendly competitions will pair police officers with kids for an obstacle course challenge as well as the ever-popular sixth annual doughnut eating contest.

The 38th annual National Night Out event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and is co-sponsored by the City of Creedmoor. More than 16,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world are involved. In all, more than 40 million people are expected to participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”

Volunteers are still needed for the event. If you or your community group would like to volunteer and support this family-friendly event, call Angie Perry, event coordinator, at 919.764.1013 or email events@cityofcreedmoor.org.

South Granville High School is located at 701 North Crescent Drive.

TownTalk: North Carolina BBQ Is More Than Just Great Food

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Barbecue is serious business. Around these parts, barbecue is a noun, not a verb. We eat barbecue, and it’s not necessary to say the word “pork” before you say the word “barbecue.” Because, well, isn’t ALL barbecue pork barbecue?

These opinions and others may be topics to discuss with members of the North Carolina Barbecue Society.

Pit master Alan Nichols is an instructor at the NCBS Boot Camps, two-day sessions during which participants learn all about grilling. And not just pork, but chicken, beef and seafood as well.

Nichols discussed grilling tips and more with Bill Harris on Tuesday’s Town Talk.

The NCBS is a non-profit organization created in 2006 by Jim Early, who was born right here in Henderson. He wanted to preserve barbecue the way it was originally made — pit-cooked using wood, pellets or charcoal, Nichols said. Early even wrote a book, The Best Tar Heel Barbecue: Manteo to Murphy. There’s even a Barbecue Trail, which takes folks on a culinary trail across the state, sampling barbecue all the way.

Early died a couple of months ago, Nichols said. “We’re trying to keep this thing going for him.”

The group of folks that compete in barbecue contests form a family of sorts, Nichols said. And it was back in 2011 that the Operation Barbecue Relief Disaster Team was formed to provide meals in Joplin, Missouri after a tornado hit.

Two of the guys decided they were going to cook for Joplin’s residents. They planned to provide, from their own pockets, what they thought would be a couple of thousand meals. They underestimated. Nichols said they served up 120,000 meals in the tornado’s aftermath.

“This past summer, I was part of the nine millionth meal that we’ve cooked,” Nichols said.

With only a handful of paid employees and continued support from sponsors like Blue Rhino and Prairie Fresh, Nichols said the Barbecue Relief Disaster team has fired up grills after tornadoes ripped through Tennessee, Iowa, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.

Nichols was named the 2019 Volunteer of the Year, an honor he feels a little uncomfortable with. “So many people do so much for the organization,” he said, adding that 70-75 local volunteers routinely come out to help when they are on site after a hurricane or tornado.

Last year – 2020 – the team was called into action a couple of times, but because of COVID-19, no volunteers were able to assist. That meant extra-long hours for the grill teams.

When he’s not competing or teaching at boot camps or responding to a disaster with his grilling gear in tow, Nichols judges competitions.

He reckons he’s judged more than 100 competitions, which means that he is sitting at a table with six other judges, sampling ribs before deciding upon a winner.

“I’m not one to sit around,” Nichols confessed. When he’s at home, he’s usually reading or watching videos about how to cook barbecue.

There are barbecue events everywhere, he said. “They will all talk to you about how to cook things,” Nichols said of the grill masters. But they’re not going to tell you all their secrets.”

Learn more, including how to be an NCBS volunteer, at www.ncbbqsociety.com.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

 

The Local Skinny Jobs In Vance

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for July 27, 2021. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

VANCE COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES – See experience required or apply online: www.vancecounty.org

Finance Office

Deputy Finance Director

Performs professional work assisting with department operations; coordinating accounting, budgeting and revenue collections functions; preparing and maintaining detailed records and files; preparing reports, and related work as apparent or assigned.

 

Social Services

Social Worker III – Foster Care

This social work position provides Foster Care placement services for children (ages 14 – 21), LINKS services to teens ages 14-18 and extended foster care services to young adults ages 18-21. This social worker will also, perform On-Call duties during after- hours and weekends when the agency is closed and Disaster Duty as needed.  This position is expected to and required to work overtime as needed, outside of the normal work schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Accounting Specialist

Work involves making basic journal entries, reversing and correcting entries, auditing program expenditures and the interpretation of fiscal policies.

Social Worker IAT (Investigations)

The social worker will complete CPS Investigations/Assessments alleging the abuse, neglect and dependency of children. This social worker will also, perform on-call duties during after- hours and weekends when the agency is closed. This position also, is required to perform Disaster Duty as needed and required to work overtime prior to and after the regular work schedule Monday thru Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.

Income Maintenance Supervisor – Family & Children’s Medicaid

This position is responsible for the administrative and technical supervision of a staff of income maintenance caseworkers.

Income Maintenance Caseworker III – Adult Medicaid

This position involves taking applications and determining eligibility and maintaining cases for Adult Medicaid services in Long Term Care, CAP and SA benefits. It includes interviewing clients receiving or applying for Long Term Care, CAP and Special Assistance benefits to gather data to determine eligibility. Verification of information, maintaining records and will also include maintenance of an ongoing caseload.

Income Maintenance Caseworker II – Adult Medicaid

This position involves taking applications and determining eligibility and maintaining cases for Adult Medicaid Services and SA Benefits.

Staff Development Specialist I

The position is to function as staff trainer and monitor for DSS staff, with emphasis on policy and NCFAST functionality.

Staff Development specialist II

Plan and conduct multiple training programs to meet organizational training needs. Work involves performance of tasks designed to enhance the competence of individual employees, in-service training, and training to develop skills in administrative and supervisory development.

Processing Assistant V

This position performs a variety of office assistance tasks in support of the administrative program and technical operations. Employee performs functions that include a diversity of records, reports, filing, public contact and other general office duties. This employee will be creating reports, compiling data, assisting caseworkers in providing services to clients and acting as back up for the agency’s front desk and providing other duties as assigned.

Social Worker III – Adult Services

This position provides case management to adults at risk of institutionalization. This position is also, responsible for On-Call duty for after hours, weekends, and holidays. Disaster Duty is an essential function of this position.

Social Work Supervisor III – Children’s Services

This position will provide oversight to three CPS ln-Home Social Workers and an intake Social Worker. This position will have the responsibility of overseeing timely case decisions regarding service delivery to children and their families.

 

Elections

Elections Specialist

Performs responsible administrative and clerical work in assisting the Director of Elections with various aspects of the elections process, especially registration and verification of voter information.

 

Fire Department

Fire Engineer

Performs responsible fire suppression and incident response activities including operating fire apparatus and participating in firefighting; may act in the absence of the Captain.

Required Certifications: Firefighter I/II, Driver Operator Pumps and Aerials, Emergency Vehicle Driver, Class B License, Hazardous Materials I, NIMS 100,200,700,800, EMT-Basic or ability to obtain in 18 months.

Firefighter

Performs responsible fire suppression, rescue, emergency medical and incident response activities; may require ability to operate fire apparatus in the absence of an Engineer.  This is a 24-hour position.

Requires Firefighter Level I/II Certification, EMT-Basic, NC Emergency Vehicle Driver, Hazardous Material Level I Certification, NIMS 100,200,300,400 or the ability to obtain in 18 months. Attach all certifications and transcripts.

 

Planning & Development

Planning Technician

Performs a variety of technical and administrative/clerical support duties for the Planning & Development office including reviewing development site plans for compliance to land use, watershed and related ordinances as well as floodplain requirements and issuing development permits after approval by the supervisor; assisting customers with land use and zoning regulation interpretations, answering questions and providing back-up to other administrative support staff; creating and maintaining records on all developmental permits.

Ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of the planning field and of the County’s development regulations; good judgement and initiative required in the review of development applications; tact, courtesy and firmness required with considerable public contact with developers, property owners and the general public.

 

EMS Department – The Department is transitioning to a new 24/72 schedule

EMT-Paramedic/FTO

An employee in this class performs emergency medical procedures at the certified Paramedic level, performing professional advanced life support work in operating an approved mobile medical unit, rescuing victims and performing advanced emergency care including the administration of life sustaining treatment to patients on-site and while in route to  area hospitals. In addition, the employee serves as a Field Training Officer working with new and existing employees to improve and document skills.  Work involves responding to the scene of emergency and non-emergency calls, applying necessary medical treatment to sick or injured persons, and transporting persons to a medical facility.  Work requires considerable independent judgment in assessing the condition of patients and applying short-term relief. Employees are exposed to the normal hazards of emergency rescue work, including risk of exposure to human body fluids and infectious diseases, thus the work is subject to the OSHA requirements for blood borne pathogens.  Work is performed in accordance with established EMT and medical procedures and under departmental and local medical director approved protocols. Shift work is performed under the supervision of a Shift Supervisor, while training activities are under the supervision of both the Shift Supervisor and the departmental Training Officer.  Both training and paramedic duties are evaluated through peer review, conferences, observation, discussion of procedures at emergency scenes, and public feedback.

EMT-Basic

Performs basic life support, stabilization procedures, and emergency medical care at the EMT-Basic level of training and certification on a twenty-four hour shift providing EMS services for the County.

Currently this position works a 24 hour shift rotating 24 on, 24 off for three cycles before going on a 4-day off cycle.  The Annual Salary is $28,728, depending on years of experience as an EMT-B.  This salary range does not include mandatory overtime that comes with this position.

Community Paramedic

An employee in this class provides proactive care that is intended to help improve the overall health and wellness of program participants.  Expands access to non-urgent health care through in-home patient visits and/or community-based services.  Works in cooperation with other stakeholders/key medical providers.  Serves as a trained “navigator” of community resources.  Provides outreach education to citizens.  Employees perform emergency medical procedures at the certified Paramedic level.  Work includes participating in community outreach education, prevention programs, and participating in continuous in-service training.  Work is performed in accordance with established Emergency Medical Standard Operating Procedures Manual and under local medical director approved protocols.  Work is performed under the supervision of the EMS Director and EMS Division Chiefs.

 

Sheriff’s Office

Detention Officer

Performs inmate detention and care work in the County Detention Center.

Employees in this class work a rotating 12-hour shift and perform inmate intake, detention, care, transport, observation and release work in accordance with established policies and procedures. Work includes the observation and accompaniment of inmates inside the Detention Center and related care and recordkeeping requirements; and employees may be assigned to any work area within the facility and may also be assigned to accompany inmates to court or other assigned locations. Patience and firmness are required in frequent contacts with some violent, suicidal, and mentally unstable inmates. The employees are subject to hazards associated with custody work including working in inside environments, exposure to various hazards such as noise and a variety of physical conditions and close quarters. Employees may be exposed to blood borne pathogens. Work is performed under the direct supervision of the shift supervisor on the assigned shift, and is evaluated through observation.

Vance County has a couple of sponsorships with WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

 

Center For Innovation Cutting-Edge Hub For VCS

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Vance County Schools officially opened its Center for Innovation at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning, and community representatives were on hand to see how the former Henderson High School building has been transformed into a high-tech hub for student learning.

“It is just a special day in Vance County,” said Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Michele Burgess. The building is a city landmark and has been outfitted with all sorts of technology to enhance students’ education. The new life of technology, innovation, virtual learning and robotics that the students will experience is going “to put our school system on top of the leader board for sure,” Burgess told WIZS News Monday.  (Click here to listen to Michele Burgess on WIZS News – 3 min)

There’s an audio room and a “green room” where students can come in and learn about broadcasting and recording, she noted, and added that there will be a community meeting room outfitted to accommodate all types of technology and an adjoining kitchen that can be used for catering. Community groups will be able to rent this space for their meetings, she said.

There will be another ribbon-cutting later to officially open the Wayne Adcock Community Auditorium.

Also housed at the 219 Charles St. location are AdVance Academy, STEM Early High, Vance Virtual Village, MakerSpace/Robotics Lab, a professional practice lab, technology resource center and family resource center.