WIZS Radio Local News Audio 8-20-21 Noon
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SportsTalk: Frances Excited About Fall Sports at Vance County High
“I was surprised at the offer,” new Assistant Athletic Director Christine Frances said about Vance County High School after they contacted her about the position. In fact, the position didn’t even exist until recently. With Athletic Director Joe Sharrow also taking on the Assistant Principal’s job at the school the athletic programs needed an extra set of eyes and Frances was chosen.
Frances says that in addition to football, which kicks off Friday night, the school has women’s volleyball, cross country, women’s golf, men’s soccer and cheerleading either underway or about to be.
“Coaches are thrilled to be back to something close to normal,” she said. Many sports last year struggled during a season dominated by Covid. She said this year should be better and that it will “feel more like a sports season.”
Fans will be allowed to games this year but Frances stressed that social distancing as much as possible is one way to keep everyone safe. She also said masks should be worn particularly in the ticket and concession areas. Safety is a top priority of the school.
Frances also took a moment during her appearance on SportsTalk with Trey Snide to congratulate Joe Sharrow. Sharrow was named as a NIAAA Certified Athletic Administrator this week.
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SportsTalk: Pender Ready to Kick the Football Season Off
It’s an exciting time of year for new Vance County High School Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender. Friday night kicks off the 2021 season against long-time rival Warren County. Going into the contest Pender is looking forward to the atmosphere and for plenty of fans to show up in the stands at Viper Stadium. Last season most teams played with no fans or a very few fans in the stands due to Covid, but it will be different Friday night, and Coach Pender is looking for those fans to be loud and help create the atmosphere that will help notch the first “W” of the season against the Eagles.
Pender has only been at the school for three weeks, and his first practice with the team was August 2nd. Off season was solid but not as long as Pender would have liked. He feels the team would have benefitted from more 7-on-7 practices to allow the timing on both sides of the ball to be better. Despite his late arrival to the Vipers, he is still enthusiastic. “I am excited to see all the players,” Pender said. He spotlighted running back Carl Stephens and QB Isarael Terry as two players who will play a big role for the Vipers this season.
Pender says the Vipers have kids who can run and kids who can catch and that he and his staff, which includes some new faces mixed in with returning staff, have to put the players in a position where they can be successful. He’s also looking to have some fun along the way. “Football should not be a job or a chore. We want the kids to love being here,” Pender said.
While Pender certainly has his eyes on the Won – Loss column, he says there is more to it than victories on the field. “My philosophy is to build great young men for life, preparing kids for almost anything they will encounter.”
The Vipers will take on Warren County at 7pm Friday night at Viper Stadium. If you cannot attend, but sure to tune it to 1450 AM / 100.1 FM or click on Listen Live at wizs.com.
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TownTalk: Henderson Fire Dept. Holds Its Own Despite Challenges
Firefighters, just like everyone else, have been affected by COVID-19 and the restrictions that have been in place for the last year and a half. But unlike so many other workers, firefighters can’t work from home or respond to fire calls virtually.
Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell said his department has faced challenges during the pandemic but he praised his team of firefighters for their loyalty and dedication to their jobs.
“We’ve seen a lot of turnover here recently,” Cordell told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. Some staff have moved to jobs in related fields and others have decided to take a completely different line of work.
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After a dip in the number of calls at the onset of the pandemic, he said the department is again responding to an average of 250 calls each month – about 60 percent are medical-related and about 40 percent are fire and rescue calls.
Cordell said his firefighters get good information from the dispatchers, who know the right questions to ask to learn if anyone is COVID-positive that firefighters may come into contact with when they go out on a call.
“We treat everyone as if they are a positive case,” he said, and his firefighters will wear a mask when they are off duty and in public, just to make sure that everyone is staying safe.
As the fire department works to recruit and retain firefighters in the short-term, Cordell said he is hopeful that plans for construction of a third station in west Henderson also will come to fruition.
“We’re still on the table,” he said of the plans for the new station. He and others have been taking with developers and looking at different spots to purchase.
He also said plans to reorganize and reclassify some departments and positions within the department should be brought to City Council for consideration next month.
Battalion Chief Joel Bartholomew is leaving after 15 years of service to become director of emergency services in his native Warren County, a move Cordell called “bittersweet.” He called Bartholomew a loyal and dedicated employee, and added “watching him develop and grow has been a blessing and an honor.”
One step toward “normal” for the department involves Capt. Lee Edmonds, who works with fire prevention education. The pandemic put the brakes on firefighters getting into schools to talk with children about fire prevention. With the start of school just around the corner, Cordell said everyone’s looking forward to restart the “Read A Book With A Firefighter” program. Firefighters read with kindergartners, help them with homework and just enjoy time with young learners.
Cordell said he has a great team who is working hard every day “to keep our feet grounded and trucks staffed and moving to help the people of Henderson.”
WIZS Local News Audio 8-19-21 Noon
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JF Webb Student’s Artwork Selected For NACo 2022 Calendar
A local teenager’s artwork has been chosen from entries submitted from across the country for a 2022 calendar that will be distributed across the country by the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Brim Royster, a junior at J.F. Webb High School, is one of 18 winners selected from a pool of entries submitted through local county governments across the nation. The “I Love My County Because…” art competition, sponsored by NACo, was held for students in grades 1 through 12, who were asked to explain in words and in art why “their county matters.” Royster’s entry depicts his strong family connections in the area.
J.F. Webb High School art teacher Ophelia Staton was recently notified of the selection, according to a statement from Lynn Allred, Granville County’s public information officer.
“I am so excited for Brim and for our art program,” Staton said in the statement. “We have some talented students, and this recognition means so much for our school and – of course – for Brim. We are very proud of him. His talent is sure to take him very far.”
Students from J.F. Webb, Tar River Elementary and Creedmoor Elementary submitted artwork for the 2021 competition, which was introduced this year as part of the “Counties Matter” campaign. All entries are currently on display at the Harris Exhibit Hall of the Granville County Historical Society Museum, 1 Museum Lane in Oxford.
In addition to being featured in the NACo calendar, Royster will receive prizes and a certificate, as well as having his artwork published in the NACo newspaper “County News,” which is distributed to county members in all 50 states. More than 3,000 U.S. counties are active NACo members, including Granville County Government.
“Granville County was well represented in this contest,” said Sue Hinman, chair of the Granville County board of commissioners. “We thank all the students who participated, as well as the art teachers who submitted entries on behalf of their students. We are also grateful to Granville County Public Schools, who assisted us in this project.”
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 8-18-21 Noon
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TownTalk: Vance County Fireworks and Classic Cars
Fall is just more than a month away, and its arrival ushers in several events sure to interest locals and tourists alike.
Pam Hester and Norman Dickerson shared details about the upcoming Labor Day fireworks and the 19th annual downtown classic car show and the two tourism development authority representatives said plans are shaping up for a couple of great shows for the whole family.
The Labor Day fireworks show is set for Saturday, Sept. 4 at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake.
There will be a DJ providing music during the afternoon and several food vendors will be on hand, including Jerry’s Hotdogs, Peyton’s Place and Frostbites, Hester told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. Vendors should be ready for customers by the middle of the afternoon, and “as soon as they’re set up, they’ll be ready for business,” Hester said.
Dickerson said the fireworks display probably will begin around 8:15 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.
The July 4 fireworks show was pushed to Labor Day this year because of the uncertainty of when COVID-19 restrictions may be lifted and Dickerson said it’s been almost 20 years since there’s been a fireworks show for Labor Day. State park weekend gate fees are $7 per vehicle.
Hopefully, the recent heavy rains brought by tropical storms won’t create too much of a problem with the lake level. Dickerson said the lake is at 301 feet, just a little above normal.
If water levels are a problem, “we have a backup shoot site, so we’ll be ok,” he said.
Hester said she is trying to look at the rescheduled date in a positive light: “We gave the people of Vance County three different events to go to, because we weren’t doing it on the same night,” she said. “We’re going to make the best of it and have a great celebration” on Sept. 4, she added.
Then in mid-October, a different type of celebration returns to downtown Henderson with the 19th annual Show, Shag, Shine and Dine event. Hundreds of classic cars line the streets for folks to admire on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Hester said there has been a lot of interest in the event, which will kick off on Friday, Oct. 15 with a cruise-in at Kerr Lake from noon to 4 p.m., and then it’s on to Southern Classic Cars on Horner Street in Henderson from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“We’re having lots and lots of phone calls,” Hester said. “People are ready to come out and go to a car show.”
Registration for the car show, which is for any make and model 1988 and older, is $20. For owners who want their vehicles included in the judging, the fee is $25. Registration is Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. “We had a huge turnout in 2019,” Hester said. “I think the judges were worn out by the end of the day.”
Listen Here for Full Audio about the Vance County Tourism fireworks and Show Shine Shag and Dine.
Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Three Help Local Education Shine for More Than a Moment
Each year Vance County Schools presents a community partner the Shining Moment in Education Award. This year it’s times three, and when you read the names, it will be fairly self explanatory.
The local public school system stated on its web page (vcs.k12.nc.us) and through its Public Information Officer Aarika Sandlin, “We are extremely grateful for all that Maria Parham Health, Granville-Vance Public Health and NC Pediatric Associates are doing to keep our students, staff and community safe through the pandemic. These organizations have collaborated with VCS, doing vaccination clinics since January of this year.”
Vance County Schools has stated time after time that it believes in working with the community and developing partnerships with civic, business and community partners. The purpose of the Shining Moment in Education Awards is to celebrate “partners making an impact on a larger scale.”
Partnership and collaboration have allowed VCS to continue to vaccinate individuals locally.
The next vaccination clinic will take place on August 31, 2021 at Vance County Middle School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is necessary for anyone age 12 and up.