Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Filing Period Ends For November Elections; Stovall’s Mayor Janet Parrott Retiring After 42 Years

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The town of Stovall will choose a new mayor for the first time in more than four decades in the upcoming elections in November; incumbent Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent will face challenger Sherry Shavon Hester and the three other incumbent mayors of Butner, Creedmoor and Stem are running unopposed.

The filing period ended today (Friday) at noon for the Nov. 2 municipal elections, said Tonya Burnette, county elections director.

Janet Parrott, Stovall’s mayor, did not file for re-election. The two candidates who filed are Curtis S. Pugh and current town board member Mike Williford.

Parrott told WIZS News she is retiring from her role as mayor after 42 years. She was first elected in 1979 when she was 24 years old, she added, but will continue to work as administrator for the town of Stovall.

Eight candidates filed for seats on the Oxford Board of Commissioners – incumbents Patricia Fields and S. Quon Bridges filed for re-election and newcomers Bryan Cohn, Courtney Crudup, Walkiria Jones, Melanie Kaye Moseley, John L. Oliver and B. Seth Lumpkins also filed.

Three candidates for Stovall Commissioner are Douglas Lunsford, Jr., Carl T. Roberts and Tonya Sneed.

Susan Cope, Kevin Easter and Frank N. Shelton, III filed to run for commissioner in the town of Stem.

In Butner, Michel Branch, Judy Cheek and Tom Lane filed for seats on the Butner Town Council; in Creedmoor, Emma L. Albright and Robert Way filed for commissioners’ seats.

Butner Mayor Terry Turner, Creedmoor Mayor Bobby Wheeler and Stem Mayor Casey Dover face no opposition.

Police Department One Step Closer To Body-Worn Cameras, If Grant Comes Through

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The Henderson City Council has given the go-ahead for a couple of requests for grant funding to equip police officers with body cams and law enforcement cruisers with additional cameras.

At its July 12 meeting, council members approved grant proposals that Police Chief Marcus Barrow and staff have prepared. “Our officers have been asking for them for several years,” Barrow told WIZS News Thursday. He said if the application is approved, it will provide half the money needed to equip the officers with body-worn cameras. “We are seeking a grant that has a 50 percent match. The match funds would come from asset forfeiture funds or state treasury funds, which both are only used by law enforcement,” he added.

Barrow said his department does have some in-car cameras now, but so far, no body cams. “The cost to outfit an agency our size has been prohibitive in the past and we felt that this was an opportunity to seize assistance,” he said. The cost lies mainly with data storage, not in the camera itself, he explained, adding that many law enforcement agencies are faced with a similar challenge. All data should be kept for at least 90 days, he said, but tagged information may need to be kept forever.

If the department does get the grant funding for $48,958, the chief said it would set into motion additional regulations and policies for the department to follow. “I am sure there will be some growing pains associated with the use of body cameras,” Barrow said, “but we will educate and train the use to be muscle memory for the officers and use corrective action for any misuse.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said since the police department is an accredited department through the Commission for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), “Chief Barrow has taken the time to develop standards for our officers based on best practices from around the country and from our accrediting agency.”

“I’ve always stood by my position that we would not introduce this product unless and until we could afford to properly apply it,” Barrow added.

The second grant for $21,599 is for purchase of three WatchGuard Video Camera systems and does not require matching local funds and would be shared with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, according to information from the city council agenda. The city would get almost $13,000 and the county would get just over $8,600.

TownTalk: Granville County Celebrates 275 Years

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Question: What was the largest town in Granville County in 1880?

Answer: Henderson.

It’s not a trick question, but unless you’re a local history buff, you may not know that for about 135 years, a good part of Vance County was, well, in Granville County, as were Warren and Franklin counties.

Present-day Granville County residents are preparing to celebrate the county’s 275th anniversary with a day-long event at Granville Athletic Park. About two years in the making, the celebration has something for everyone, according to planning committee members Mark Pace and Chair Sue Hinman. They joined county tourism director Angela Allen on Thursday’s Town Talk to talk about the exciting details with John C. Rose and Bill Harris.

“This is truly a celebration,” Allen said, of the county’s history, its progress, its resources – all the great things that make Granville County what it is today.

The GAP will be filled to overflowing with activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the whole family to enjoy. Balloons and clowns and games and music, to name a few, Hinman said. At 9 a.m., there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open Phase III of the GAP, which contains new tennis courts and an inclusive playground.

Hinman, chair of the county commissioners board, said she is excited to be a part of the celebration and to be able to spread the word about the county’s 275th anniversary.

Allen said the park will be filled to overflowing with everything from live music to bouncy houses for the kids. Visit www.granvillecounty.org/275th to find a complete schedule of events.

At the sports pavilion, attendees will find a variety of resources where they can learn about the cities, towns and communities in the county.

Also available is a book written and compiled by local author Lewis Bowling. Looking Back: 275 years of Granville County History will be available for purchase, and Bowling will be on hand to sign copies, Pace said.

Of the hundreds of books that have been written about Granville and the surrounding areas, this is a “complete narrative history,” Pace said. “And this is the first one of Granville County,” he added. Among the 300 pages of the coffee-table style book are many never-before published photographs that capture Granville County’s past.

At 10 a.m., an opening ceremony will kick off the event, with presentation of colors and remarks from local dignitaries. After that, Allen said it’s time to enjoy live music in the amphitheater, food from a variety of vendors and even visit an outdoor classroom space where folks can learn about such things as the history of tobacco in the area as well as where the walking trails in the county can be found.

The Granville-Vance Health District will be on hand for COVID-19 testing as well as COVID-19 vaccines, Allen said.

The committee was formed and began planning before the pandemic, and Pace said, to be honest, there were times during the planning process when the group didn’t know whether the celebration would be able to take place at all. Allen said the committee members come from across the county and all municipalities are represented.

“It’s a great mix of community pieces,” she said. “We wanted to make this as inclusive as we possibly could.” The celebration represents the thought that went into the planning process.

Until the original county was carved up into the four counties we know today, Allen said she has learned through planning for this event that Granville County was truly a hub for the state. She said it is great to be able to “live, work and play in a community that already has a reputation of bringing people together.”

Today, about 60,000 people call Granville County home. Back in the late 1780’s, when it was just more than 40 years old, there were about 6,500 residents, and one of those residents was John Penn, North Carolina’s only signer of the Declaration of Independence. Penn died in 1788, but chances are slim to none that he ever ate a funnel cake or enjoyed a sno-cone. Visitors to the GAP next Saturday, however, could glimpse such an anachronistic sight – sort of.

Mark Pace will portray Penn during the event, sharing stories and insight from a time more than 200 years ago. And who knows? Maybe he’ll wander over to the sno-cone stand to see which flavor he prefers.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

City of Henderson Logo

CITY INVITES COMMUNITY INPUT ON ELMWOOD DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ON JULY 22nd

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The recently reestablished Henderson Redevelopment Commission is holding its first public listening session on Thursday, July 22, 2021 in order to learn about community priorities and goals for redevelopment in this greater Orange Street area neighborhood. The session is open to all and participants can attend in-person or join by Zoom or phone. The listening session will be facilitated by staff of the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI).

DFI has also released an online survey for anyone interested in commenting on a set of proposed redevelopment goals for the area. The survey, along with additional information about the Redevelopment Commission’s efforts, including a boundary of the proposed Elmwood District redevelopment area, are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA.   

Comments shared through the online survey and during the listening session will help to inform the direction of a redevelopment plan currently being drafted by the Redevelopment Commission, with support from UNC DFI. The plan is intended to guide future City activities in the proposed Elmwood District URA including efforts to attract new private investment and address the neighborhood’s housing, public health and safety needs. To attend in person, you are invited to Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckinridge St., Farm Bureau Room. The meeting will take place from 6-7:30pm.

Join by Zoom: https://unc.zoom.us/j/96903327572

Or you may join by phone (toll free) at: (855) 880-1246 Meeting ID: 969 0332 7572

The online survey and updates on the Redevelopment Commission are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA

Maria Parham Health

Rehab Can be a Key to Better Health

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Just a half hour of exercise five days a week – that’s 150 minutes total – can be just what we need to reduce the risk of an adverse health “event” and Chris Cole said we owe it to ourselves to get those heart rates up to become the best version of ourselves possible.

“We all need to be physically active. We can all do that. It’s going to lower your risk of dying early by 30 percent or more,” Cole told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. He said in addition to aerobic exercise, we should also adopt a resistance training program two days a week to build strength. The two activities combine to create a one-two punch against health problems.

Cole, a clinical exercise physiologist at Maria Parham Health’s rehabilitation clinic in Henderson, works with patients who already have had one of these “events” – whether heart attack, respiratory ailment or other chronic condition  – get back on the road to recovery. He talked about ways to prevent health problems, reduce risk and improve quality of life.

He and the rehab team, which also includes physicians, nurses, therapists, a clinical psychologist and a nutritionist work with patients to put together a plan tailored to the individual.

Through exercise or activity counseling, he said he tries “to get an individual to adopt physical activity in a way that’s going to reduce their risk” for future health problems. “I try to get people to their best physical shape, no matter how they show up to me.”

A big chunk of his work is during Phase 2 of a 3-phase rehabilitation plan, mostly for cardiovascular patients. Phase 1 occurs while the patient is still in hospital, usually 24-48 hours after a cardiovascular surgery. Phase 2 is an out-patient program lasting 12 weeks, during which patients come in three times a week, he said. Phase 3 patients are in maintenance and are continuing the program independently, “taking lifestyle changes into their own hands.”

Others who come to the clinic have peripheral artery disease, or PAD. Unlike coronary artery disease, which is artery disease around the heart, peripheral artery disease presents as pain in the areas like the calf or buttocks and makes walking painful.

It’s a lack of oxygen to the muscle that creates the problem, and the rehab clinic’s job is to help patients increase the distance they can walk without pain.

“If we can take 100 feet and turn it into 100 yards” that people can walk pain-free, it’s a good thing. In fact, he said patients, on average, have had a 452 percent increase in their walking distance, which Cole said is substantial.

The clinic has seen a few patients with long COVID, for whom recovery has been slow and who face overall fatigue. Interestingly, those clients are below the age of 65, the opposite of the clinic’s normal clientele. Cole said those “long-haulers” have had a 100 percent return to work rate after working with the rehab clinic team.

In an effort to try to get people to be more proactive about warding off health problems, the rehab clinic began a preventative program. “We were always reacting to a problem,” Cole said, so doctors can refer a patient with certain risk factors to participate. Although insurance will not pay, the cost is $4 a day, less than some gym memberships, he noted.

The patient has access to exercise experts, the team of medical professionals and are covered by a supervising physician. This team can evaluate and make suggestions for patients to reduce their risk for major health problems. “It’s a very effective program,” Cole said.

Barriers to services, including transportation, cost and lack of insurance coverage, can also be overcome, thanks to an endowment fund that is available to help cover costs.

“If you have risk factors, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor,” Cole said. “We’ve got things that we can do to get you here.”

To learn more, call 252.436.6395.

(This is not a paid ad.  This is not medical advice.)

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 13th, 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.

 

Medical Careers Readiness of North Carolina

Jobs Available: Pharmacy Technician Instructors – Associate’s Degree and some experience is required

Contact Person: NaOnnie Lee

Method of Contact: for inquires call 252-598-2020

 

Henderson YMCA

Jobs Available:  Nursery Staff and Bus Drivers – Benefits include free YMCA membership

Method of Contact:   Apply online at www.hendersonymca.org

 

Pizza Inn of Henderson

Contact Person: Manager Randy Poythress

Method of Contact:  Stop by 1250 Coble Blvd. to apply

 

Bojangles is hiring for both locations in Henderson

Jobs Available: Management Trainees and crew members. Must be 18 years or older to apply

Method of Contact:  apply online at bojanglesrdu.com or stop by locations on Dabney Drive and East Andrews Ave.

 

State Employees Credit Union

Jobs Available:  Financial Services Representatives

Method of Contact: Apply online at henderson@ncsecu.org or stop by their location at 1795 Graham Ave. in Henderson

 

Vance County Public Schools

Jobs Available: Licensure Specialist, Electrician and Human Resources Generalist

Method of Contact: You can apply at Administrative Office on 1724 Graham Ave. in Henderson or go to www.vcs.k12.nc.us to apply online

 

Hollander Sleep Products

Jobs Available: Logistics Coordinator

Method of Contact: You can apply through NC Works at 857 S. Beckford Drive in Henderson

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.