WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-12-23 Noon
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Tag Archive for: #wizsnews
The Local Skinny! Duke Remote Area Medical Clinic Update
The Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic that set up shop back in May provided $186,000 in free medical, dental and vision care to people who attended the weekend event.
Saajan Patel and Anvi Charvu, both upperclassmen at Duke University, helped to organize the two-day clinic and provided a follow-up report on Thursday’s The Local Skinny!
“The clinic went really well,” Patel said.
Health professionals were able to attend to 230 different patients who came to the parking lot of Vance Charter School where the pop-up clinic was held.
In addition to many children seeing a doctor for the first time, Patel said there were 30 dental cleanings performed, 92 tooth extractions and 140 pairs of glasses made on the spot to give to those in need.
This is the second year that RAM has had a clinic in Henderson, and Charvu attributed this year’s success to having more volunteers to help things run more efficiently and smoother.
“Our first year, we had a limited number of volunteers, so we had a limited capacity,” Charvu said. This year, clients could pretty much walk in and be served, she added.
Duke sophomore Grace Wang is helping to plan next year’s clinic, which will most likely take place in February 2024. Wang said she was impressed with the “amazing energy” of the volunteers and the health professionals who provided the care during the May clinic.
Don’t want to wait until February? There’s a RAM clinic at Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount this weekend, Patel said.
The pop-up clinics are “band aid” solutions to the overarching challenge of health care inequities, Patel said. RAM clinics are free and open to anyone – with or without insurance.
The May clinic demographics broke down like this: 48 percent of clients were African American, 20 percent were Hispanic; 79 percent had not completed a college degree and 64 percent had neither dental nor vision insurance.
“We want to continue expanding and educating everyone” on how to solve the challenge of health care inequity, Patel said. Wang said the RAM organizers are partnering with local agencies like the health department, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation and others to help make a difference.
“We want to support the health of this county in more ways than one,” Wang said.
Visit www.ramusa.org to learn more or to view the clinic schedule.
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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Supporting Your Partner
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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SportsTalk: Crossroads Finding Success At Multiple Sports
Last year Crossroads Christian lost in the final four of the state soccer championship but, according to Scottie Richardson, the school’s athletic director, Crossroads is will have a good shot of returning to the final four this season. “We are ranked #1 in the state. We lost our first game to Franklinton and haven’t lost since,” Richardson said on Wednesday’s SportsTalk. This week they take on defending state champions Cape Fear Christian as they prepare to move into the state playoffs.
Soccer is not the only area where Crossroads is finding success. “Cross Country has their conference tournament next week and they are looking for a three-peat,” Richardson said as the cross country team has one back to back state championships.
Volleyball is also moving towards playoff time. “It’s a tough conference and anything can happen,” Richardson said about his volleyball team. The varsity team will travel to Lee Christian this week while the JV team plays at Cape Fear.
Basketball is also just around the corner with the first game on November 7th at Oakwood in Greenville. “We lost a lot of players from last year’s team so we may be able to fly under the radar,” Richardson said.
SportsTalk: KVA Prepares For Tournaments
Schools around the area are approaching state playoffs and conference tournaments. Kerr Vance Academy is no exception. The school’s Volleyball team, currently ranked 7th in the state, will take on Faith Christian in the second round of their conference tournament in Rocky Mount after receiving a first round bye, according to Mike Joyner, KVA Athletic Director. Once the conference tournament finishes up it’s likely KVA will have some more home games to start off state playoffs. “Depending on how the conference finishes, it’s likely we will get more home games,” Joyner said.
Soccer and Tennis have also finished their regular season. “We will likely have to travel in the first round,” Joyner said in regards to his soccer and tennis teams. “We are waiting for seeding,” Joyner added.
Basketball is also gearing up for JV girls and boys and varsity girls and boys. Basketball season opens Oct. 30th.
And if that weren’t enough Joyner is also prepping the school’s swim team. “We have six or seven swimmers and we are hoping to schedule meets closer to home this year,” Joyner commented. Joyner was a guest on Wednesday’s SportsTalk on WIZS.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-11-23 Noon
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Home And Garden Show
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
- Start preparing for season extension. Have your frost protection plan ready!
- Should you apply lime to your lawn?
- Clean up your garden. Take up and clean and store your vegetable trellis if vegetables are finished producing on the trellis
- What should you do about moss? Stop fighting it?
- Check fall vegetables for harlequin bugs. These insects are shaped like stink bugs. Black with red markings on back
- Mowing tip: aim discharge chute away from flower and shrub beds to cut down on weeds.
- October is a great time to collect your Soil Samples when we get some rain. 2 week analysis time.
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TownTalk: Mayoral Race Still Uncertain
The text of this story has been updated since originally posted October 11th.
The outcome of Tuesday’s Henderson mayoral race remains uncertain, and the two top vote-getters are headed to a Nov. 7 runoff election.
Melissa Elliott earned 898 votes from the 1,856 individuals who voted in the nonpartisan municipal elections, which constitutes 48.57 percent – just short of the 50 percent, plus 1 vote state statute requires to be considered the winner.
Greg Etheridge garnered 746 votes, just more than 40 percent. Etheridge said in an email Wednesday that he had submitted his request for a runoff to the county board of elections.
Elliott said as of Wednesday that provisional ballots and mail-in ballots were yet to be included in the overall count, so she said it was premature as of Wednesday for her to comment on a possible runoff.
In a written statement sent Tuesday evening to WIZS News, Etheridge thanked his supporters and laid out plans for a Nov. 7 runoff.
In part, his statement read: “You are the reason I am going to continue the fight for safer neighborhoods, affordable housing, jobs with living wages, a vibrant downtown, and lower property taxes in our wonderful hometown.”
About 20 percent of the city’s residents voted during the early voting period and Tuesday’s election day – 1,856 of the city’s 9,285 registered voters.
In a phone interview Wednesday, Elliott said she chooses not to criticize those who did not vote, but she applauds those who did come out to vote.
“Right now, I’m the winner and I’m going to stay the winner,” she said.
Elections officials planned to open the provisional ballot box on Friday, Oct. 13 at 12 noon.
A simple math problem shows that of those 9,285 registered voters, 1,856 exercised their right to vote, leaving a whopping 7,429 who did not vote at all.
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TownTalk: Police Report Three People Found Dead In Keene Street Apartment
Three people were found dead Tuesday night in an apartment on Keene Street in Henderson. One of the deceased individuals, 28-year-old Bakariek Leonard, had been reported missing by relatives earlier in the day. Relatives had not heard from him since Sunday, according to police.
Henderson police responded to a call of “unresponsive persons” at 108 Keene Street, Apartment C, just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press statement from Police Chief Marcus Barrow.
When they arrived, officers spoke with a family member who had not heard from the resident for two days. The family member had to remove a window air conditioning unit to gain entry to the home because all other entrances were locked.
The residents, Josephine Taylor, 76, and Laura Taylor, 38, along with Leonard,, were found dead inside the apartment. The area medical examiner was called to review the scene with Investigators. The preliminary review of the scene, and canvass of the area, did not indicate any physical assaults or acute injuries to any of the individuals.
The decedents were transported to a medical facility for further examination and toxicology to determine the cause of death.
This incident remains an active investigation, Barrow said. Anyone with information should call the Henderson Police Department at 252.438.4141.
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Henderson Nonpartisan Election Results
Voters in Henderson elected four new members to the City Council Tuesday, but the mayoral race remains uncertain, as no candidate got 50 percent of the vote.
With 898 votes, Melissa Elliott received just more than 48 percent of the vote, followed by Greg Etheridge who, with 746, garnered just over 40 percent. In a written statement sent to WIZS News Tuesday night, Etheridge indicated that he would request a runoff. If a runoff is called for, the election day would be Nov. 7.
Political newcomers shared the spotlight as the election results were tabulated.
Michael Venable defeated two challengers to win the Ward 3 at-large seat and Tami Walker defeated her two challengers handily to win the Ward 4 at-large seat.
By 8:14 p.m., WIZS News called the race for Ward 2 for Sam Seifert, who defeated incumbent Mike Rainey and challenger Janice Ward with 435 votes, a decisive 60 percent win.
The Ward 1 race was claimed by Geraldine Champion, who got 208 votes for a total of 57.14 percent. She easily defeated the other three candidates.
The evening didn’t go off without a hitch, however; Vance County Board of Elections Chairman James Baines issued a written statement Tuesday evening to report that some voters may have gotten incorrect ballots.
Here’s the statement:
“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.”
In an interview Tuesday evening at the Board of Elections office, Elliott said she was excited and thankful for the citizens who chose to vote for her.
“I don’t see a runoff at all,” she told WIZS News.
Challenger Etheridge can call for a runoff; WIZS spoke with Etheridge in person after the on-air election coverage had concluded. We anticipate a statement from his campaign that will include his intentions to call for a runoff.
Champion told WIZS Tuesday evening that during her campaign, she talked to – and listened to – many in the community about issues the city faces, including the crime rate. “I’m grateful that (they) thought enough of me and believed in me to want to see a change, a difference in the city of Henderson,” she said.
About 20 percent – 1,856 out of 9,285 registered voters – cast their ballots either during the early voting period or Tuesday; polls closed at 7:30 p.m. and it didn’t take long for elections officials to receive and process the results from the city’s nine precincts.
Seifert said he was proud to be able to serve Henderson. “It’s a good feeling to come back home to Henderson…I’m proud to be able to take this next step in my journey to serve Henderson on the City Council,” he told WIZS News Tuesday by phone.
He said he looks forward to building relationships in the community and on the Council, using “good, solid decision-making so that we give Henderson our best, so Henderson can be its best.”
Ward 4 winner Walker had similar observations, stating that she had met a variety of people during her campaigning and hopes to be able to harness their support to get things done for Henderson. ”It has made me realize that you don’t have to concentrate on one thing,” she told WIZS News. “You’ll meet people along the way that have the same vision.”
Ward 3 at-large winner Venable said he is grateful to his supporters for their vote. “It feels wonderful,” he said Tuesday. “I’m ready to work and serve.” He said he wants to target economic development and address mental health issues, both of which he said are issues the community faces.
The totals from the Vance County Board of Elections are:
Mayor
Melissa Elliott 898
Greg Etheridge 746
Sara Coffey 151
Jason Spriggs 51
Ward 3 at-large
Michael Venable 922
Michelle Horner Wood 597
Corey Franklin 232
Ward 4 at-large
Tami Walker 959
George Daye 533
Lora Durham 141
Ward 1
Geraldine Champion 208
Symia Crews 95
Clementine Hunter 14
Corey Pearson 47
Ward 2
Sam Seifert 435
Mike Rainey 116
Janice Ward 173