Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! Boot Drive Aug. 29 To Support Steve Falkner Family

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The Henderson Fire Department is having a special boot drive Friday, Aug. 29 to show support for a longtime member of the city’s firefighter family.

Steve Falkner has been with the department for more than 40 years, and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said this boot drive was organized to help Falkner’s infant grandson, who has spent most of his short life at Duke University Hospital with complications from congenital heart defects.

“We’re going to collect funds to show them some love and support,” Twisdale said on Thursday’s TownTalk. The boot drive will take place in front of Station 1 on Dabney Drive from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to Twisdale, the little fellow has been hospitalized “pretty much every day since he’s been born.”

His parents are both schoolteachers and live in Lake Waccamaw, in Columbus County.

“They’re public servants, just like Steve,” Twisdale said, and he said the boot drive is one way to show their support as the family goes through this tough time.

“That’s what we’re here for – to try to help everyone in the community…we try to be available for everyone,” Twisdale said.

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VCSO Maj. William Mitchell Named Director Of State Sheriffs’ Training And Standards Division At N.C. Dept. Of Justice

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N.C. State Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Wednesday that Major William L. Mitchell will serve as the new director of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Training and Standards Division at the Department of Justice. He replaces interim Director Robin Pendergraft, who took on the role after Richard Squires retired earlier this year.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame told WIZS News Wednesday afternoon that he wishes Mitchell well in his new position.

“He will be missed. He was a valuable employee to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office,” Brame said. His departure will be felt at the sheriff’s office, Brame continued.

“It’s going to be an impact on us,” Brame said, “until we can get somebody in place who’s capable and competent to do what he did. He was an asset to this office.”

The Sheriffs’ Training and Standards Division staffs the Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission, which was established in 1983 and is responsible for the certification of all justice officers, including deputy sheriffs, detention officers, and telecommunicators employed in the North Carolina’s 100 sheriffs’ offices.

“Major Mitchell’s decades of service to the people of North Carolina are a testament to his character and his integrity,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I’m thrilled that he is taking the helm of the Sheriffs’ Standards Division and leading our work with all 100 sheriffs in North Carolina. His law enforcement experience will help us do everything we can to have the best-trained, most committed public servants in law enforcement.”

“I have been privileged to work alongside some of the best officers and deputies the state of North Carolina has ever produced,” said Major William Mitchell. “As director of the Sheriffs’ Standards Division, I’ll continue to follow the rule that has guided me throughout my law enforcement career: take care, be safe, and look after one another.”

“Major Mitchell is a lifelong public servant whose experiences on the job will inform the work of the Sheriffs’ Commission to ensure our deputies and officers live up to the highest standards of the profession,” said Sheriff Alan Norman, Chair of the Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission. “I congratulate him on the appointment and look forward to working with him.”

Major Mitchell is a Johnston County native who has served in law enforcement for 33 years. He received a degree in criminal justice from Wake Technical Community College and completed basic law enforcement training in 1991. From 1992 to 1994, he served with the Youngsville Police Department. He then served with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office until 2014, where he rose through the ranks of Sergeant and Lieutenant over the Narcotics Division, Supervisor in Charge of Multi-Agency Narcotics Units, and then Captain of the Uniform Patrol Division. He began serving with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in 2019, initially with the Criminal Investigations Division, then as Sergeant over the Narcotics Unit and then Major of Operations.

Off duty, Major Mitchell also obtained his private investigators license in 2014 and investigates homicide cases for Indigent Defense Services in Raleigh. He is a deacon with the Louisburg Baptist Church and a volunteer with the Louisburg Fire Department.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Managing Parenthood pt.1

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Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We revisit the whole parenting dynamic and discuss how our actions impact our children.

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: Vance County Annual Opioid Update Meeting Set For Sept. 16

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Vance County’s annual meeting to discuss the state of opioid and substance use is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 beginning at 4 p.m. in the county administration building.

Participants will hear a progress report concerning Vance County’s share of the opioid settlement funds – about $2.4 million so far – and they’ll also get a chance to provide input about how to spend that money.

So far, Vance County hasn’t spent any of its allocation.

During the commissioners’ work session on Monday, Aug. 18, County Manager C. Renee Perry said “We definitely need to start spending some funds.” Recalling advice she said she’d received from her professional association, “Don’t necessarily be in a rush when you spend your money, just make sure it’s beneficial to your community.”

Perry told commissioners that she’d like to see the county’s Opioid Committee expanded to include representatives from other area agencies and organizations.

Perry said, “I think it should be more than just three commissioners.” Originally, Commissioners Yolanda Feimster, Carolyn Faines and former Commissioner Sean Alston made up the committee.

At Monday’s work session, commissioners agreed by consensus to have Commissioners Dan Brummitt, Charisse Fain and Feimster serve on the committee.

Perry said she will work to get representatives from the health department, law enforcement and the courts system added.

The county sent out a request Tuesday for service providers, community organizations and people with “lived experiences” to complete applications that will be reviewed for possible appointment at the October commissioners’ meeting. The committee could have somewhere between 9 and 15 members.

Perry said she would then push for an initial meeting of the committee sometime in October.

The opioid committee serves only in an advisory capacity, Perry said, and would be offering recommendations to commissioners who ultimately will decide how to spend the money.

Some counties have funded positions and others have issued requests for proposals for programs that align with local priorities to combat the opioid crisis.

Granville County, for example, has partially funded a position within the Granville-Vance Health District. Halifax and Edgecombe counties funded community paramedic positions, Perry said. Another county has established a co-responder model and others have created peer services and support for improved access for people who can’t afford transportation and treatment.

The $2.4 million is part of what will be at least a $6.3 million funding stream to Vance County from the multi-billion opioid settlement through 2038. North Carolina’s portion of the settlement is about $1.4 billion.

Applications for the opioid committee may be obtained at https://www.vancecounty.org/or by contacting Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to the Board at kgrissom@vancecounty.org. Please submit completed applications to 122 Young St., Suite B, Henderson, NC 27536 or kgrissom@vancecounty.org.

Visit https://ncopioidsettlement.org/ to learn more about the opioid settlement funding plan.

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Home and Garden Show

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

  • The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Today they have tomatoes, snapbeans, beets, cabbages, yellow squash, zucchini squash, red irish potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, peaches, and canned items.
  • There will be a Fall Vegetable Garden Class on September 2nd, 2025 starting at 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Start collecting your soil samples now.
  • Collect flowers for dried  arrangements. Ex: Yarrow, German staus.
  • Freeze or can your fruits and vegetables now enjoy them this winter.
  • When purchasing grass seed, check the germination percentage on the bag of seed.
  • Know what to plant in your garden and get a copy of the central piedmont planting guide.
  • Know the harvest interval when spraying anything in your garden.
  • Do not let any weeds seed out in your garden.
  • When purchasing transplants look for a dark green color of leaves, stay away from pot bound transplants.
  • Carolina lawns is the best publication for having a good lawn.
  • Start ordering your fall planting bulbs now.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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Vance County Seeks Applicants To Serve On Opioid Committee

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Vance County is looking for individuals interested in serving on its Opioid Committee. The purpose of this committee is to advise the Board of County Commissioners on strategies to address opioid-related impacts in Vance County through the effective use of settlement funds. Its duties include reviewing community needs, identifying evidence-based interventions, encouraging public and municipal input, and promoting intergovernmental collaboration to ensure that funding decisions reflect shared priorities and support long-term solutions.

The Board of County Commissioners is seeking to fill these roles on the committee:

  • Individuals with lived experience (maximum of 2 appointments)
  • Service Providers (maximum of 2 appointments)
  • Community Organizations (maximum of 2 appointments)

Applications may be obtained at www.vancecounty.org or by contacting Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to the Board at kgrissom@vancecounty.org. Please submit completed applications to 122 Young Street, Suite B, Henderson, NC 27536 or kgrissom@vancecounty.org.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Growth and Excitement at Perry Memorial Library

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Perry Memorial Library is all the things a library should be – it’s inviting and chock full of books and other reading materials for patrons to enjoy. But Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters is someone who likes to be in “the mix,” as she put it, so whenever she’s able to, she likes to be out and about – bringing the library and its services into the community.

“You have to go out to get people to come in,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

With another successful summer program under their belts, the library staff is gearing up for the fall, but there’s a bit of a breather that has allowed Peters to do some outreach activities, most recently with The Salvation Army and AIM High.

And on Saturday, you’ll most likely find her at the Way to Grow Fest in downtown Henderson.
“This is happening in our backyard – we have to be there,” Peters said.

Stop by the library’s table on Saturday and enjoy a bracelet craft activity as you learn more about the various programs the library offers.

Then stop by the library on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome to library’s fancy new Bookmobile.

“This is big news – this is huge!” Peters exclaimed.

A Greensboro-based company designed and outfitted the bookmobile’s interior. It’s got a ramp and all the bells and whistles, she said.

“People are going to love it! It opens up a whole new level of outreach,” Peters said.

 

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