TownTalk: 06/11/25
TownTalk from 06/11/25. Thank you for listening.
Click Play.
Tag Archive for: #wizsnews
The Local Skinny! ‘Make Music Day’ featuring Jimmy & The Sound Barriers
Throw your lawn chairs in the car and head out to Kerr Lake Country Club on Saturday, June 21 to celebrate “Make Music Day” for an open jam session with Jimmy and the Sound Barriers.
The event is the culminating activity to a day full of music throughout the county, promoted by the Vance County Arts Council and the NC Arts Council, said Jimmy Barrier on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
Food and beverages will be available for purchase for the concert, which runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“I’m going to have a core band,” Barrier said, but he’s opening up the stage to others who want to join in and sing. “Gospel, country, R & B – if we know it – we’ll be glad to play it for you,” Barrier added.
“We’re just going to have a great time,” he said. “Just come on out and listen to some music. If you’ve ever wanted to come out and sing, we’ll play it and you sing it.”
Barrier, who plays stand-up bass, will be joined by Keith Aiken on dobro, J.W. Sanders on banjo and Chip Dixon, guitarist and vocalist.
Kerr Lake Country Club is located at 600 Hedrick Dr., Henderson, NC 27537
Visit https://vanceartscouncil.com/event/make-music-day-saturday-june-21-2025/ to learn more.
CLICK PLAY!
TownTalk: Faith in Mental Health
When he was serving in the N.C. House as District 32 representative, Frank Sossamon introduced a bill to create a faith-based initiative on substance abuse and mental health.
He served one term in the House, and his bill didn’t get through the Senate to become law, but Sossamon was undeterred.
In partnership with Granville Vance Public Health, Vaya Health and N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Sossamon’s “Faith in Mental Health” initiative is gathering steam to involve churches in Vance and Granville counties to combat issues surrounding substance abuse and mental health.
Two orientation sessions are scheduled – Monday, June 23 at West End Baptist Church in Henderson and Monday, June 30 at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center in Oxford – to kick off a three-part program to give churches information about resources available to them and to the community. Each session will last from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Sossamon said in speaking with various church leaders about developing the initiative, he said more often than not, they didn’t know what services and resources are available when it comes to mental health and substance abuse issues.
“That’s the sad thing, not only they don’t know,” he said of those church representatives, “the average person doesn’t know.”
This is where the orientation sessions can help, he said. During these initial meetings, participants will complete the first of three levels of involvement.
“Level 1 is the most basic level, but maybe one of the most effective,” Sossamon said. Participants will learn about the different agencies in their county and hear from some representatives about the services they provide and how to access them.
Churches participating at this level also will agree to highlight a different topic each month in the Sunday service bulletin or newsletter, for example.
Pastors will be encouraged to preach a sermon on that topic or discuss it during a weekly Sunday School session.
Hearing about mental health or substance abuse from the pulpit or in a Sunday School class help to demystify the issues, he said. “That in itself brings healing,” he said.
Level 2 participating churches will agree to have quarterly forums on mental health issues, and Sossamon said he would encourage several churches to join forces and have one forum. There are speakers who are willing to take part in the forums and plenty of resources available to share with churches, he noted.
“It just has such great promise,” Sossamon said.
Level 2 churches also would establish a library to offer reading material related to mental health.
Those churches that wish to meet Level 3 criteria would be willing to complete more clinical training sessions to get certified. From suicide prevention training to mental health first aid, Sossamon said these trainings are “a little more intense.”
Contact Sossamon at pastorfrank1954@gmail.com to learn more.
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 06-10-25 Noon
Listen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play!
Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Japanese Beetles
On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Michael Ellington:
We discuss Japanese beetles and how to manage them. Also included are reminders for upcoming pesticide courses and Master Gardener training.
This links to a registration page for an upcoming commercial pesticide training course.
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 06-09-25 Noon
Listen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play!
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Spotted Lanternfly
On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Wayne Rowland:
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that can be devastating to grape vines.
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!
TownTalk: Elder Abuse Awareness Conference Coming June 13th
The Kerr-Tar Council of Governments is hosting the 11th annual elder abuse awareness and prevention day on Friday, June 13 at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.
This event is free and open to the public, and Kim Hawkins, KTCOG’s regional ombudsman, said it’s the perfect time to come out and learn more about what elder abuse is, how to spot it and report it to keep vulnerable senior adults safe from being physically, emotionally and financially exploited.
In North Carolina, the time between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is usually when organizations and agencies focus on providing educational programs like the one that will happen Friday, Hawkins said.
“It’s going to be a fun day,” she said. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature dozens of vendors, t-shirts, entertainment from the Vance and Warren senior centers, a commemorative walk, lunch – and ice cream! The colors for the day are purple and silver, representing abuse awareness and elders, respectively.
“We hope everybody will come out and gain some information,” Hawkins said, adding that it’s events like this that help remind us how important senior adults are to their communities.
The vendors represent agencies and other organizations that provide information and resources; they’ll be on hand to help people become more aware of what’s in their community and how to report to the Department of Social Services if you suspect a senior is at risk.
One in 10 individuals over the age of 65 will experience some form of abuse, Hawkins said. The signs of abuse can be subtle, and sometimes people don’t report for fear of retaliation, isolation or just plain old embarrassment.
Anyone who suspects abuse is obligated to report to DSS, Hawkins noted. The reports are anonymous, but the elder person’s name and his/her location is necessary.
Signs could range from outward changes or changes in personality – think about the person who once could chat on and on who now won’t pick up the phone when it rings, she said.
It could be a change in a person’s tone of voice or facial expressions, or it could be something like self-neglect that could be a sign of cognitive decline.
Hawkins monitors long-term care facilities; call her at 252.436.2050 to learn more. Or call the main KTCOG number at 252.436.2040 if you’d like information about other topics.
Visit www.kerrtarcog.org for more details.
Click Play!
WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 06-06-25 Noon
Listen On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Click Play!
The Local Skinny! Oxford Armory Farmers Market Off To A Strong Start
The Oxford Armory Farmers Market has gotten off to a good start. In just a few Saturdays, organizers say the open-air market has had about 2,400 visitors. That number makes Wendy Tatum very happy, and hopeful for future sustainability.
Tatum is the Food and Built Environment associate with Granville County Cooperative Extension, a new position supported by N.C. A&T State University.
Using information from a 2022 needs assessment, Tatum assembled a core group of volunteers to create a place for local producers could sell their produce and farm products. What began as a series of pop-up markets in downtown Oxford morphed into dozens of vendors setting up shop on the grounds of the Armory.
“We’re very much centered around agriculture,” Tatum said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! with WIZS’s Scout Hughes. The market is open on Saturdays May through October from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Craft vendors are at the market on the third Saturdays of each month.
She credits strong partnerships with the city of Oxford, the Granville County Board of Commissioners, the Kerr-Tar COG Food Council and many volunteers to get off on a positive note and to have such strong support from the community.
“We wanted a place that was highly visible,” Tatum said, in the choice made for the location of the market. “We needed it to be a walkable space – and comfortable,” she added. The Armory, located at 105 W. Spring St., is just a block or so away from the main downtown area of Oxford.
With a grant for $8,500 from Triangle North Healthcare, Tatum said the market buys produce from vendors at the end of the market day to stock the “Farm to Fridge” coolers located in library branches in the county.
Visit https://granville.ces.ncsu.edu/oxford-armory-farmers-market/ to learn more about the market or call Tatum at 919.603.1350.
Click Play!