Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Nematodes
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“Godspell” Returns To Stage This Weekend For Saturday, Sunday Shows
The cast and crew of Godspell will return to the stage this weekend and McGregor Hall operations director Mark Hopper said response from the actors and from the community couldn’t have been better.
The three shows scheduled for last weekend have been combined into two shows – one Saturday at 8 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. “Our patrons and ticket holders have been amazingly understanding,” Hopper said in a statement to WIZS News Thursday. He said each person was contacted and, out of all the ticketholders, only one requested a refund.
Tickets from the cancelled shows will be honored at the upcoming performances, and those who would have attended the Friday show were offered seats for Saturday or Sunday.
The second weekend run was cancelled because a show member tested positive for COVID-19. Hopper said all others tested negative.
“It was like moving mountains to postpone the shows,” Hopper said, adding that dozens of members of cast, crew and orchestra had to shuffle schedules to be available for the additional performances.
“I’ve never in my career had a show go dark for two weeks, so this is uncharted territory for me,” Hopper said. There will be a rehearsal Thursday and then a dress rehearsal on Friday. “They have been consummate professionals, and I just couldn’t ask anything more of them,” he said.
The show got a “glowing review” from Triangle Arts and Entertainment. See it here: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2021/08/godspell-in-henderson-boasts-an-exemplary-cast-an-imaginative-director-peppy-dances-and-a-glorious-band/
Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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WIZS Local News Audio 8-9-21 Noon
Thank you for listening to WIZS Radio, Your Community Voice!
The Local Skinny: Covid Data for Vance and Granville Counties
— Info Courtesy of Granville Vance Public Health —
Covid Local Data Update previous 7 days ending Saturday, August 7th
In the past 7 days, there have been 42 new cases in Vance County, a 16.67% increase from the week before. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 6.03%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is substantial community transmission in Vance County.
In the past 7 days, there have been 63 new cases in Granville County, a 6.78% increase from the week before. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 5.64%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is high community transmission in Granville County.
In Vance County, 50.5% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 40.8% are fully vaccinated.
In Granville County, 58% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 50.6% are fully vaccinated.
In North Carolina, 62% of the adult population is at least partially vaccinated and 58% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
Town Talk: Families Living Violence Free Prepares For Event At Rucker Park
Families Living Violence Free is hosting a back-to-school Kids Day event Saturday, Aug. 14 at Rucker Park in Granville County. Children and adults can enjoy a variety of activities, from food trucks to water games during the Fun Day, which is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to FLVF staff.
LeSha Sneed and Carly Simonton were guests on Town Talk Monday and said the event is all about fun activities for children, combined with some awareness and outreach regarding domestic violence and abuse.
It’s important for young people to be able to make connections with adults who can help, Sneed, youth advocacy counselor for FLVF, told hosts John C. Rose and Trey Snide. She added that school resource officers (SROs) will be present Saturday. Children can’t always remember names, she said, but they can remember faces. It’s important for young people to know adults they can trust if they need to confide in someone about problems they may be facing.
“Kids have to feel safe around you before they’ll open up,” Sneed said. This fun day/fundraiser will help young people make connections with those adults.
Bookbags filled with school supplies will be distributed, and food and gas cards will be raffled off as well, Simonton said. As the adult advocacy counselor at FLVF, she noted that
the last year and a half has “taken a toll, obviously.” Children were learning remotely and parents were either working from home or without jobs altogether. Sometimes, school and jobs are “safe” spots for victims of domestic violence and abuse. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down those havens and left victims isolated from help.
But FLVF stayed open throughout that period, Simonton said, providing virtual options and keeping the 24/7 crisis phone lines operational.
The crisis center has moved to a new location, Henrahand Cottage on the campus of Central Children’s Home, 211 W. Antioch Drive, but its mission remains the same: “giving voice and support to domestic violence and sexual assault victims.”
Although it is located in Granville County, Simonton said their services are open to everyone. FLVF partners with many area agencies, and counselors can make sure clients connect with programs and services most convenient to their location.
“We make sure our clients are covered, no matter what,” Simonton said.
In 2019, FLVF saw 323 “unique clients,” which means that some clients they helped more than once. She said statistics show that by the time a client reaches out to FLVF, they’ve already made seven attempts – on average – to leave a violent or abusive situation. Victims of domestic violence or abuse don’t fit into one age range, but Simonton said the majority of clients they see at FLVF are in the 34-64 age group.
Outreach into the community helps to establish connections that may be needed in a moment of crisis. “It’s a lot easier to open up when you know you have a connection with someone,” Simonton said. This type of outreach event helps establish connections so people “know we’re here from the get-go,” she said. The public needs to see us as a good resource in the community, she added. “We’re literally here for everyone.” All services are free and confidential.
The FLVF Fun Day will be held at Rucker Park, located at 5189 Old N.C. 75, Oxford.
Visit www.flvf.com to learn more. The 24/7 crisis lines are 919.693.5700 (English) and 919.690.0888 (Spanish)
For complete details and audio click play.
WIZS Local News Audio 8-6-21 Noon
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Safe Routes Program Encourages Biking And Walking To School
There may be a couple of bike racks outside some school buildings in the area, but gone are the days that students’ bicycles fill those racks during the day while children are in class. The familiar crosswalks still function, but they are more for students getting out of cars than for those who have walked from their nearby homes.
Kisha High recognizes that rural areas and small towns may face challenges when they encourage children to walk or bike to school, but the Safe Routes to School program does more than just promote those practices.
High is the Safe Route to Schools program coordinator for the Kerr-Tar COG. She spoke with WIZS News about all the ways her program can have positive impacts on schoolchildren – on or off school campuses.
“The name can be misleading,” High said. “It’s not just about school – you’re a pedestrian when you’re in the parking lot at the grocery store.” By sharing information about safety practices when people are in areas where there also are vehicles, High said the program can improve overall safety and health.
The program is funded by federal and state departments of transportation. It’s a non-infrastructure grant, so her efforts are largely aimed at outreach. Whether it’s a Back To School event or a walking competition within a particular school, she’s willing and ready to participate or help organize.
She will be at the Back to School Bash in Oxford tomorrow, for example, raising awareness about how important it is to be healthy and how important it is to be safe.
Although the program’s mission is to promote walking and biking to schools, she added the words “where possible” to take into account that there aren’t many sidewalks in rural communities and schools are in more centralized locations.
But children may still walk to bus stops, for example, and it’s important for them to understand safety rules, she said.
Friendly competitions are one way to promote walking as a way for children to exercise. High said students at West Oxford Elementary in Granville County used pedometers last spring to track their steps. They calculated their mileage in a “Walking to Tokyo” race in advance of the Olympics.
Whether walking to school, in the store parking lot, or the neighborhood, safety should be top of mind, High said.
“We’re all pedestrians at some point during the day,” she added.
For more details, listen below.
McClary, Purple Heart Recipient, To Speak At Living Stones Church Of God Aug. 8
Clebe McClary said he enjoys playing golf, a sport he took up later in life, after meeting PGA golfer Billy Casper. It wasn’t the first time he’d met Casper however; the first time was when he was in a military hospital bed, facing a leg amputation.
First Lt. Patrick C. “Clebe” McClary III USMC (Retired) recounted the story to John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk: He was a platoon leader in the First Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam when the Viet Cong attacked. He attributes his very existence today to a visit by the PGA golfer. “He said, ‘I’m praying for you. God’s got a plan for your life. Don’t quit,’” McClary said.
Casper wasn’t for the war, McClary said, “but he was for the troops.”
So when McClary got the chance to meet Casper at the Masters Tournament a few years ago, he took it. And he also took up golf.
He said he enjoys the beauty of the course, and the chance to witness to others while he’s out there.
McClary will be the featured speaker Sunday at Living Stones Church of God Worship Center in Oxford. He is speaking in conjunction with the annual observance of Purple Heart Day on Saturday, Aug. 7.
“Purple Hearts – that’s a medal you don’t want,” McClary said. “You’ve got to get shot to get that rascal,” he said. And he has three of them.
McClary shares his story and the message of having “a personal relationship with a living Savior. Know the Lord. You don’t know when it’s going to be your last day,” he said.
See more about McClary, visit www.clebemcclary.com.
Listen here to the full interview with Clebe McClary.
Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Redirecting
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