Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny!: Police Chief Barrow Updates Two Murder Cases

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said a months-long murder investigation has resulted in a suspect being taken into custody in California.

“After slightly over three months of tireless effort from our investigative division, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, we are relieved to say that Antarious Tebron Harrington, age 28, has been taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal Service in California,” Barrow said in a written statement to WIZS News late Wednesday.

The shooting occurred on the evening of Apr. 15 during an altercation on Julia Avenue. Alston was taken to a local medical facility, where he later died.

At the time of the shooting, local police investigators obtained warrants for Harrington’s arrest, who was then out on pre-trial release on felony drug charges.

Further details were not immediately available.

Henderson police also have made two additional arrests in another shooting death that happened last week.

Christopher Joyner, 26, died on July 25. Police found Joyner in his car and discovered that he had suffered a gunshot wound. The car was located in the roadway between Beck Avenue and Ford Street on West Andrews Avenue.

 

Police arrested Qui’terrious Alston, 23, and Jadda-kyss Alston, 21, both of Henderson, in connection with the incident. Each was charged with First Degree Murder and placed at the Vance County Detention Facility without privilege of bond.
“We are tremendously grateful of our community for providing assistance in this investigation,” Barrow said in a statement to WIZS News. “Your continued support is making a difference.”

Nineteen-year-old Jah-meer Spann, of Henderson,  was arrested earlier and also charged with murder. He was remanded to the Vance County Jail without privilege of bond.

 

Oxford Prep School

SportsTalk: Oxford Prep Prepares For Fall Sports

The start of high school sports for the 2024-25 athletic year is officially upon us here in Kerr-Lake Country. Oxford Prep Athletic Director John Hammett joins SportsTalk with Bill Harris and George Hoyle on Thursday to talk all about it. In regards to the season itself, Oxford Prep athletics starts August 12 when volleyball scrimmages at South Granville. That same day, soccer with travel to Granville Central but Hamett says that they will scrimmage against three other schools that day.

Oxford Prep opens its doors for the academic year this upcoming Wednesday, August 7th. This may seem like a quick turnaround for Oxford Prep but Hammett isn’t as concerned about that, “Most all of our team workout in the summer with voluntary workouts…”. What Hammett is worried about though is that the seasons are extended so much, “I think the seasons are too long. I think they should reduce them back to 20 instead of 23, so we wouldn’t have the overlap.” This overlap is referring to fall sports interfering with winter sports and winter sports with spring sports.

George asks a tough question about NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) in North Carolina High School Sports. Hammett says, “The State School Board now has authority over athletics from the legislature and they decided that we would not have NIL in publics (public schools). But then the private school association decided that they would allow it…the number one tight end in the country is at Reidsville (NC) and transferred to a private school in Charlotte, and he’s gonna get a big NIL deal.”

 

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Sharing, Part 3

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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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Shares Latest Phone Scam

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame wants residents to know, first of all, that neither he nor any personnel of the sheriff’s office will ever ask anyone via telephone call or text message for sensitive personal information.

Brame spoke with WIZS on Wednesday’s TownTalk to pass along information regarding just such a scam that has been brought to his attention.

Brame said he learned about the scam upon receiving a phone call from a citizen.

The woman said the person left a voicemail for her late husband on her home phone. The caller identified himself as being a deputy on Brame’s staff, and left a number to call for what was described as an important and time-sensitive matter.

“I looked at the number, and I knew it wasn’t a local number,” Brame said. Neither was there a deputy with the name that was given in the message.

“My staff…will knock on your door and ask you to come to our office,” the sheriff said, adding that deputies will provide badge numbers, call numbers and other official information identifying them as sheriff’s officers.

He urges members of the public to be vigilant to avoid being taken in by scammers.

“Never say the word ‘yes’ to these people,” he said. Never provide personal information like dates of birth and Social Security numbers to people via email or text message.

 

 

TownTalk: Vance Co. Community Foundation Awards More Than 12K To Local Organizations

-information courtesy of the Vance County Community Foundation

The Vance County Community Foundation, a North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate, has awarded $12,050 in grants to organizations supporting the local community.

The board of advisors granted:

  • $2,000 to ACTS of Vance County, Inc. for food purchases for pantry
  • $1,000 to Community Partners of Hope, Inc. for Henderson Men’s Shelter expansion
  • $1,550 to Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, Inc. (doing business as McGregor Hall) for general operating support
  • $1,500 to Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start, Inc. for Adolescent Parenting Program
  • $1,000 to HubZone Technology Initiative for general operating support
  • $1,000 to Kearah’s Place for transitional housing program
  • $1,000 to North Carolina Symphony for ensembles in the schools for Vance County students
  • $1,000 to Spoken Existence Ministries for self-sustaining community garden beautification
  • $1,000 to Vance County Middle School (VCMS) Healthful Living for after-school program
  • $1,000 to Vision’s Educational Learning & Tutoring Services for general operating support

“We’re honored to support these organizations doing great wok in our community and grateful to our supporters who make this possible,” said Wendy Meyer-Goodwin, advisory board president of the Vance County Community Foundation.

Funds for 2024 grants came from VCCF’s community grantmaking fund, the Bobby R. and Griselle G. Woodward Endowment Fund, and the Edna Freeman Murray and Ralph Murray Charitable Fund. Each year, VCCF’s local volunteer advisory board uses dollars from its endowment funds to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches.

Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/vance to learn more about VCCF and its work in the community or make a tax-deductible donation.

VCCF advisory board members live and work in Vance County, positioning them to strategically leverage resources to meet local needs and access opportunities.

In addition to Meyer-Goodwin, board members include Sara “Bebe” Webster, vice president; Terri Hedrick, secretary; Sarah Baskerville, Nikki Cheatham, Lee Faulkner, Uriah Ford and Lee Christine Williams.

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TownTalk: Introducing Scout Hughes to WIZS

During his recent job interview, Scout Hughes was fielding questions about his interests, abilities and long-term goals, but he was also gathering information about his prospective place of business.

Just three days in, Hughes said what he was told during that recent interview is absolutely true: WIZS is a hometown radio station, and his new co-workers are a close-knit bunch.

And although the young broadcaster is not from Henderson, he does have family here, he said during an introductory interview on Wednesday’s TownTalk. His grandfather is Howard Hughes, and his dad is Joe, Hughes’s younger son.

He graduated from Liberty University with a degree in sports journalism, and he worked at the school’s radio station there for 3 ½ years.

“I knew that I wanted to get into broadcasting,” Hughes said, and figured sports would be the way to pursue that goal.

As a new college graduate, Hughes landed a part-time job at radio stations WPAQ and WSYD  in his hometown of Mt. Airy.

There, he covered high school football for nearby Galax, VA, whose team won the 1A championship, and also covered Wake Forest University and UNC football for the two stations.

This year, he’ll be in the booth as the primary play-by-play broadcaster for Vance County High School Friday Night Football, a role he’s looking forward to.

Other duties have been described to him as administrative, which Hughes explains as a “big ‘umbrella’ word for EVERYTHING.”

Welcome to Henderson and to WIZS, Scout!

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Home And Garden Show

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

  • Farmer’s Market
  • Fall Gardens
  • Water in the garden
  • Insect control
  • Food Preservation 

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Schools New App Student Information System

Vance County Schools is among a group of public school districts and charter schools across the state in Phase 1 of a new student information system.

NC Student Information System – NC SIS – is coming on line over the next couple of years, and Vance County parents and students are among the first test drive the new system powered by Infinite Campus.

VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Innovative Support Aarika Sandlin and Chief Officer of Technology Marsha Abbott discussed the changeover and what it will entail on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Sandlin said families will no longer use the PowerSchool app, and should upload the Infinite Parent app available through the Apple Store or Google Play. Students, likewise, will download the Infinite Student app.

Abbott said each of the programs contains a wealth of tools for students and parents to use, from accessing attendance, to online assignments and grades, and more.

The new system will allow parents to enroll students online, eliminating the need to  travel to the central office.

“Our goal is to make things as accessible as possible,” Sandlin said, “with no barriers.”

Parents still have the option of enrolling their child in person, but they will no longer be required to do so, if they have the app on their mobile device.

“We are not taking away any form of communication,” she added, “we’re simply adding ways.”

Abbott said the new system also allows for communication with teachers and parents, at any point during the year, can update information such as phone numbers and address to maintain the most updated information.

Visit the school’s Facebook page to find out more or visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/  to learn about upcoming Open Houses for year-round schools and schools on the traditional calendar. Aug. 7 is the first day for year-round students; students in schools on traditional calendars return Aug. 26.

Find all three 2024-25 calendars at https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/calendar 

 

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