Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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Online 911 Telecommunicator Program A New Option For VGCC Students
Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel
Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) has teamed up with Richmond Community College to offer a new 911 telecommunications program to residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties.
The two community colleges recently signed an agreement which allows VGCC students to enroll in RichmondCC’s online associate degree program in 911 Communications & Operations. VGCC students will complete a majority of the core courses and the work-based learning portion of the program through RichmondCC while completing other general education requirements at VGCC.
“VGCC is pleased to partner with Richmond Community College to offer the 911 operator degree. Collaborations like these allow us to offer needed training and credentials to our community while being fiscally responsible,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais.
The online degree program provides a pathway for individuals who are interested in starting a career in this field, as well as providing skills enhancement for those already working as 911 telecommunicators.
The college curriculum program was developed when the NC 911 Board reached out to RichmondCC about a need for standardization in training 911 telecommunicators, plus a need to help elevate this career field. The college worked closely with the NC 911 Board and the NC Department of Information Technology to construct the online program.
“We appreciate Vance-Granville coming on board in this collaborative career training partnership to give 911 telecommunicators, who are true public servants, better educational opportunities and career growth,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC. “We look forward to working with our neighbors in the Piedmont.”
Unique in the state of North Carolina, RichmondCC’s 911 Communications & Operations program welcomed its first class of students during the fall 2023 semester.
RichmondCC has been reaching out to other community colleges in the state to make the 911 telecommunications program and its resources available to more students. VGCC is the fourth NC community college to create such a partnership with RichmondCC; Bladen Community College, Gaston College, and Stanly Community College will also be extending the program to their students.
Richmond County is located near the South Carolina border; RichmondCC’s main campus is located in Hamlet, located roughly between Fayetteville and Charlotte.
For more information about the online 911 Communications & Operations associate degree, call RichmondCC at 910.410.1700. For more information about VGCC, visit https://www.vgcc.edu/.
TownTalk: Show Shine Shag And Dine Is This Weekend!
This weekend’s Show, Shine, Shag and Dine in downtown Henderson promises to bring car enthusiasts from all over to get their fill of fins, treads and gleaming chrome. And don’t forget all those horses under the hood.
The fun begins on Friday afternoon with a BBQ and cruise-in at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake and continues through the evening at Southern Classic Car, LLC on Horner Street.
The action continues all day on Saturday as nine blocks of Garnett Street transform into a festival jam-packed with fun for the whole family.
“It’s quite the challenge to get all of this pulled together,” said Pam Hester, Vance County’s tourism director. Hester, along with fellow tourism staffer Norman Dickerson, and organizers Charles Bowman and Danny Stanton were guests on Monday’s TownTalk to give a little peek about what festivalgoers can expect.
It’s the 21st annual event, and registration of the old cars – 1994 models and older – will be from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The annual Corbitt truck show and reunion will take place along Garnett Street between the city fire station and Sunrise Biscuit. Check out vehicles that were made right here in Henderson at Corbitt Truck Company.
More than 30 awards will be given to winners in a variety of categories; the awards ceremony will take place around 3:30 p.m.
Hester said folks who come back year after year can expect to see many familiar things, including those Corbitt trucks and food vendors. But they also will see some new features, including a performance by Jimmy Barrier and the Sound Barriers, who are on the schedule for the first time this year.
“It’s just a whole lot of pieces…that fall together at the right time and right place,” Hester said of the annual event. “And there are new pieces every year.”
Because there’s no pre-registration, Dickerson said the number of participants is sort of a surprise every year.
“Generally, if it’s a beautiful day…attendance and participation’s usually through the roof,” Dickerson said. “The weather is a big factor,” but he said the number historically is around 400. That’s folks who drive in or trailer in. their hot rods, creampuffs and classic cars.
Stanton was in charge of the drag cars last year, and he’ll be overseeing that aspect again this year. “I’m trying to get the race cars back involved as much as possible,” Stanton said.
“You get a lot of maybes, but (also) some definites,” he said. The drag racers will be on display near the old train depot at Montgomery and Garnett streets.
Beer & Gear’s Jeep Jam will convene again at Curtis White’s real estate office. Any make, model and year of Jeep is welcome, and Carol Terwilliger and her volunteers hope for another good showing this year.
Stanton said he’s likely going to be showing off his ’55 Chevy during the weekend. He’s redone the interior and juiced up the engine a bit so that “it makes a little noise.”
“I’ve been a car guy all my life,” Stanton said. “I’m really looking forward to the weekend.
Want to learn more about getting your drag racer in the show? Contact Stanton at 252.432.5544.
See the flyer at http://www.kerrlake-nc.com/images/flyer-2023.pdf
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The Local Skinny! Henderson Mayoral Contest
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Significant updates and changes have occurred since this original audio post above on Oct. 16. It is strongly recommended that you review the new information available in bold below.
UPDATE 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18, 2023
Mayoral Runoff Election Early Voting Starts 10-19-23
Geocoding issue resolved
WIZS Radio 5pm News Segment 1 From 10-18-23 Henderson Municipal Election Canvass
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
UPDATE 4:30 P.M. TUESDAY, OCT. 17, 2023
The Vance County Board of Elections has called for a “recess” in the post-election canvass process – that 10-day window following an election that officials have to verify and certify results.
This action comes one week after the Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections in Henderson that included contests for four City Council seats and a four-candidate field for mayor.
A runoff had been set for the mayoral contest, but those plans also were put on hold earlier today, per the N.C. State Board of Elections. The recess means that none of the contests have been certified.
In a meeting held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Vance Board of Elections Chair James Baines issued the following statement:
“The Vance County Board of Elections is recessing Canvass completion for the Municipal Election that occurred on 10-October-23 because the State Board of Elections has not yet completed the investigation regarding the geocoding issue. Canvass will reconvene once the State Board of Elections notifies the County Board of the completion of the investigation and resolution to the issue.”
As elections board members explained, the process of certifying election results considers all contests as one process; results must “be submitted to the state at once,” board member Cathy Clodfelter said Tuesday. So because all of the results have not been certified, none of the contests has been certified.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin informed WIZS News that early voting – set to begin in two days’ time – would not begin as previously announced.
Cocklin read the brief statement to WIZS News from the state board of elections:
“The results of the 10-October-2023 Vance County municipal election have not been officially declared by law, therefore the run-off election cannot be called for at this time.”
A glitch in geocoding is at the heart of the issue, and elections officials acknowledged the state board of the possible problem. As part of election coverage to announce the unofficial results on Oct. 10, WIZS included a statement from Baines that was issued after the polls had closed:
“The Vance County Board of Elections is aware of a geocoding issue that may have caused some voters in the city of Henderson elections to receive a ballot in Tuesday’s election that did not have the correct alderman ward contest. The County Board immediately notified the State Board of Elections, which is working with the county to determine how many voters’ ballots were affected. Election night results are always unofficial, and the post-election canvass process will ensure that the votes are counted correctly for each contest. Election officials will provide additional information about this situation as it becomes available.”
Cocklin provided few details about next steps, but she said she has provided information to the state board as it is requested.
“They’re asking us and we’re providing information as quickly as we can,” she said. “The only thing I know is they are working on it,” she said, “meeting every day – at least once every day.”
Just in case you need a refresher course in civics, here’s some information from the state board of elections website:
“Results on election night are unofficial. Canvass is the official process of determining if the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official election results.
For close elections, the canvass period is especially important. During this time, elections officials count absentee ballots that came in before the deadline and research provisional ballots to determine whether they should be counted.
In every county, the canvass meeting when the results are certified is 10 days after Election Day. Because elections thrive on transparency, the canvass meeting is open to the public.”
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-16-23 Noon
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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Fire Ants
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Henderson Mayor Runoff Election Set For Nov. 7; Early Voting Begins Oct. 19
Significant updates and changes have occurred since this original post on Oct. 13. It is strongly recommended that you review the new information available as of 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2023 in bold rather than the original post.
The Vance County Board of Elections has called for a “recess” in the post-election canvass process – that 10-day window following an election that officials have to verify and certify results.
This action comes one week after the Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections in Henderson that included contests for four City Council seats and a four-candidate field for mayor.
A runoff had been set for the mayoral contest, but those plans also were put on hold earlier today, per the N.C. State Board of Elections. The recess means that none of the contests have been certified.
In a meeting held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Vance Board of Elections Chair James Baines issued the following statement:
“The Vance County Board of Elections is recessing Canvass completion for the Municipal Election that occurred on 10-October-23 because the State Board of Elections has not yet completed the investigation regarding the geocoding issue. Canvass will reconvene once the State Board of Elections notifies the County Board of the completion of the investigation and resolution to the issue.”
As elections board members explained, the process of certifying election results considers all contests as one process; results must “be submitted to the state at once,” board member Cathy Clodfelter said Tuesday. So because all of the results have not been certified, none of the contests has been certified.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin informed WIZS News that early voting – set to begin in two days’ time – would not begin as previously announced.
Cocklin read the brief statement to WIZS News from the state board of elections:
“The results of the 10-October-2023 Vance County municipal election have not been officially declared by law, therefore the run-off election cannot be called for at this time.”
A glitch in geocoding is at the heart of the issue, and elections officials acknowledged the state board of the possible problem. As part of election coverage to announce the unofficial results on Oct. 10, WIZS included a statement from Baines that was issued after the polls had closed:
“The Vance County Board of Elections is aware of a geocoding issue that may have caused some voters in the city of Henderson elections to receive a ballot in Tuesday’s election that did not have the correct alderman ward contest. The County Board immediately notified the State Board of Elections, which is working with the county to determine how many voters’ ballots were affected. Election night results are always unofficial, and the post-election canvass process will ensure that the votes are counted correctly for each contest. Election officials will provide additional information about this situation as it becomes available.”
Cocklin provided few details about next steps, but she said she has provided information to the state board as it is requested.
“They’re asking us and we’re providing information as quickly as we can,” she said. “The only thing I know is they are working on it,” she said, “meeting every day – at least once every day.”
Just in case you need a refresher course in civics, here’s some information from the state board of elections website:
“Results on election night are unofficial. Canvass is the official process of determining if the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official election results.
For close elections, the canvass period is especially important. During this time, elections officials count absentee ballots that came in before the deadline and research provisional ballots to determine whether they should be counted.
In every county, the canvass meeting when the results are certified is 10 days after Election Day. Because elections thrive on transparency, the canvass meeting is open to the public.”
—-
Original Post Oct. 13, 2023:
County elections officials have confirmed that a runoff election to determine the next mayor of the City of Henderson is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7. Residents will be able to vote early, beginning Thursday, Oct. 19.
None of the four mayoral candidates received the 50 percent plus 1 vote needed to be declared the winner in Tuesday’s nonpartisan municipal elections; Melissa Elliott led the field with just more than 48 percent of the vote, and Greg Etheridge requested a runoff on Wednesday. That request was granted when it became clear that the provisional ballots would not be enough to give Elliott the necessary votes to prevent a runoff.
The person who receives more votes will be declared the winner.
The early voting period will run from Thursday, Oct. 19 until Friday, Nov. 3. The Monday-through-Friday hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The location is the Dr. Andrea Harris City of Henderson Operations Center on Beckford Drive. And just as was the case for the recent municipal election, the final Saturday before the runoff date will feature early voting as well. That lone Saturday, Nov. 4, features early voting hours of 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
If all of that seems familiar, it is because essentially it’s the same in principle as the election that was just held. The new director of the board of elections, Jennifer Cocklin, told WIZS News the early voting had “to be done the same way.”
And when the runoff date of Nov. 7 arrives, voters will be able to return to the nine precincts used most recently and vote from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Warren County Has Additional Drop-Off Locations For Discarded Meds
There are two additional locations in Warren County where residents can drop off unused or outdated prescription medications, thanks to some federal grant funds for rural communities.
One location is at the Warren County Senior Center, located at 435 W. Franklin St. in Warrenton and the second drop-ff site is at Lake Gaston DrugCo in Littleton, according to information from Crystal Smith, senior assistant to Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office was awarded annually $25,000 for a three-year period from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, a federal program under the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The grant comes from Nash UNC Health Care; the primary goal is to partner with stakeholders and provide awareness of substance and opioid use disorder throughout the county through presentations and various community events, Smith said in a press statement.
The sheriff’s office is working with the Warren County Health Department and Warren County EMS to implement the program, which includes a drug take-back program twice a year and education components aimed at prevention. Further outreach plans are being developed for the school setting, to be completed in spring 2024.
Big Ruin Creek Missionary Baptist Church Celebrates 143 Years Sunday
Big Ruin Creek Missionary Baptist Church is observing its 143rd anniversary Sunday and invites the community to join in the celebration.
The worship service begins at 11 a.m. Pastor Charles W. Burwell will deliver the sermon; Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m.
The C.W. Walton Voices of Praise will provide special music for the occasion and a meal will follow the service.
The church is located at 16 Big Ruin Creek Lane.
Anyone unable to attend in person can view the service online, which will be livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page.
SportsTalk: Vipers Take A Week Off Before Facing Carrboro
The Vance County Vipers are guaranteed to remain 8-0 until, at least, October 20. Why? Because the team has a late season bye week.
According to Head Coach Aaron Elliott, it’s time for one. “I didn’t realize how beat up we are,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. Several players are banged up including quarterback Javion Vines-Holder who has a bruised hip. That injury occurred in the second half of the Vipers’ 14-0 win over South Granville. The week off will help not only Vines-Holder but several other Vipers.
Elliott said the win over South Granville was hard fought. “They were physical and disciplined,” said Elliott of the Vikings. “Their defense really stood out,” Elliott continued. Things will likely be less contested on the 20th when the Vipers travel to Carrboro which has struggled through much of the season. “They can throw the ball. They have a good, solid quarterback,” Elliott said.
Meanwhile, Elliott was happy that the Vipers’ JV team has won the conference championship and is 6-0 with two games remaining on the schedule. Once the JV team finishes up around 15 of those players will be moving up to the varsity team just in time for the state playoffs.