Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension with Nitasha Kearney: Report for the People

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Nitasha Kearney, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We learn about EFNEP – Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program. There will also be an event at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC, on April 2nd at 6pm to see what Cooperative Extension does for the community. Registration is required. Contact Nitasha at ndkearney@ncat.edu or call (252) 438-8188 to learn how to register.

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: For Dr. Wykia Macon, Cooperative Extension And Agents, Every Day Is Ag Day

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National Ag Day may be officially celebrated one day each year, but for the dedicated staff at the Vance County N.C. Cooperative Extension, EVERY day is Ag Day.

As the county’s extension director, Dr. Wykia Macon said she encourages the local agents to get out into the community as much as possible. It’s a way to strengthen relationships with organizations and individuals alike that create collaboration.

Macon said she’d much rather be out in the field, as it were, instead of behind a desk. Although she’s the CED, she’s also the Consumer and Family Sciences agent for Vance County, and she enjoys interacting with the public in a variety of ways. Whether it’s teaching students at Sledge Institute about cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset or helping newbie gardeners cultivate their green thumbs at community garden plots at the Farmers Market, Macon and her team are available to help and provide research-based practices from N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities for programs that range from beekeeping to pesticide training.

Come out to the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Apr. 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the annual Report to the People, an interactive open house event to share with the community about what’s kept agents busy this past year and to learn about what’s in store for this coming year.

If you’d like to attend, please either call the extension office at 252.438.8188 or register online at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ to make sure there will be enough snacks on hand – yes, there will be snacks.

The Farmers Market is a fitting spot for this year’s open house. The market welcomes Christy Stanley as its new market manager, and Macon said she’s excited to see the market under Stanley’s leadership.

“She came in with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of ideas,” Macon said, adding that Stanley, a local farmer herself, sees lots of potential for the farmers market, which opens for the season on Saturday, May 2.

The Spring Fling is already on the schedule, and the community garden plots are available for rental again this year, Macon said. But there’s buzz about having live music and children’s reading time at the market, too.

There’s a workshop coming up at the farmers market on Tuesday, Apr. 7 to get folks thinking about planting spring gardens. Wayne Rowland and Michael Ellington will provide hands-on demonstrations at the farmers market, so if you’re new to gardening or need a confidence boost, this is the workshop for you! Registration is available online at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/

Agents are constantly seeking ways to extend – pun intended – into the wider community, and Macon said she’s proud of the collaboration the Vance County extension has with local partners like Triangle North, Duke Energy, area schools and others.

Strengthening collaboration increases volunteer participation. More volunteers means more people are spreading the word about programs and services that extension can provide.

She said she sees the farmers market campus as a hub, a place where people can come together to learn and to grow, but also, increasingly for entertainment and physical activity.

A walking trail is in the planning stages, and Macon said she envisions the farmers market as a place where folks can feel comfortable, whether they’re working, playing or purchasing local produce.

With an increased focus on growing, buying and eating “local,” it makes sense that the farmers market – with its seasonal vendors and rental community garden plots – become a gathering spot for sellers and buyers of local produce.

But Macon isn’t stopping there. She said she’s been discussing options with city and county leaders about other opportunities, including what she calls an “innovative farm” within the city where residents can not only learn how to grow their own food, but this space also would include a kitchen where you’d learn how to prepare the food you’ve just grown.

It’s a way to get people more connected with their food, she said.

Macon and her team’s mission is to think outside traditional agriculture to dispel the farmer stereotype. Not everyone has acres and acres of usable land, or tractors or any of the other stuff that goes along with the traditional idea of farming.

“We’re trying to help people expand their minds,” Macon said. No acreage, no problem. Try a raised bed or containers. And there’s the almost magical hydroponic gardening, too – no dirt needed.

An upcoming container garden workshop will help participants with “bootstrap” gardening – which Macon describes as a way “of taking what you have and starting there.” You can plant veggies in grow bags or pots on windowsills, she explained.

“We are just here to teach people how to start.”

Sometimes, that’s the hard part – just getting people to figure out how to start something.

Whether it’s EFNEP Educator Nitasha Kearney teaching senior adults – or schoolchildren – about healthy food choices, or leading folks step-by-step to create their own container garden, the Cooperative Extension agents are ready to help.

They’ll bring the program into the community to help reach more people, so look for Kearney to partner with area churches, for example.

And if you hear the phrase “mobile Man Cave,” don’t be surprised. Parenting Coordinator Jamon Glover got a grant to bring such a thing out into the community – meeting dads and other males in father roles where they are.

“I have no idea what it looks like,” Macon confessed.

Yep, a man cave is males-only.

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Butterflies in Your Backyard

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Butterflies can be attracted to your landscape providing you have plants that they feed on.

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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The Local Skinny! Remote Area Medical’s Free Pop-Up Clinic This Weekend

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Remote Area Medical’s FREE pop-up clinic offering dental, vision, and medical services is coming to Henderson for two days only this weekend, March 28-29. All services are free, no ID required and on a first-come, first-served basis, until capacity is reached. Sunday, clinic services are an abbreviated day.

Remote Area Medical (RAM®) is stepping in to address the urgent issue of uninsured or underinsured individuals and families by offering a free, comprehensive dental, vision, and medical clinic at Vance Charter School, located at 2090 Ross Mill Road, Henderson, NC 27537 for two days only this weekend, on March 28-29. This clinic will provide dental, vision, and medical care to those who might otherwise go without these essential services. This free RAM Clinic is hosted by Duke’s RAM Campus Chapter.

The Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic is scheduled to return to Henderson for a fifth consecutive year, providing medical, dental and vision care absolutely free of charge for anyone.

The two-day clinic takes place at Vance Charter School, 2090 Ross Mill Rd., on Saturday, Mar. 28 and Sunday, Mar. 29, and clinic co-leader Lara Kendall says many of the details are the same as for previous clinics. Because patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis, she recommends that folks arrive as early as they possibly can to make sure they can get the care they’re seeking.

The parking lot will open Friday, Mar. 27 at 11:59 p.m. The Saturday clinic begins at 6 a.m.

In addition to the more routine services like basic vital screenings and blood panels, patients can see doctors, nurses and physician assistants for other types of care. Dentists and hygienists will perform dental cleanings, fillings and extractions as well as other more complicated types of oral surgery.

And patients who come for vision services can come in, have their eyes examined and walk out with a brand-new pair of eyeglasses that were made right on the spot.

Granville-Vance Public Health is a strong partner for this year’s clinic, and Kendall said interpreters will be on hand again this year to assist with provider-patient communication.

Speaking on behalf of this year’s team of Duke students working to plan the clinic, Kendall said they are dedicated to the effort and truly care about everyone who participates, from the volunteer doctors, nurses and dentists and patients to the volunteers that help make the clinic run smoothly.

“We are so deeply grateful for the community of Henderson,” Kendall said. “We really do have the best intentions. We just want to make a difference and help people.”

Just more than 300 patients received services at last year’s clinic.

RAM’s clinics are a lifeline for underserved communities, offering free dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, and general medical exams. By bringing healthcare directly to those in need, RAM’s free clinics remove the barriers of cost and distance that often prevent people from seeking care.

No insurance or ID required, the clinic in Henderson is open to anyone in need. RAM encourages anyone who could benefit from these services to attend and receive the care they deserve. The parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. (Midnight) on Friday night, March 27 and remain open for the duration of the clinic.

Once in the parking lot, patients will receive additional information regarding clinic processes and next steps. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m., and services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, the clinic closes when capacity is reached. Sunday’s clinic operations will be an abbreviated day, so patients are advised to arrive as early as possible. Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between DENTAL and VISION services, and all patients are offered general medical care.

Kendall recalled to WIZS one of her favorite moments from last year’s clinic.

A little boy, who had just seen the dentist, came running out of the clinic, announcing happily to all around him that he could eat whatever he wanted. “I can chew it all as hard as I want,” she recalled the youngster saying.

For many, the RAM clinic is the way they get health care. They don’t have to show proof of insurance or even an ID card, Kendall said.

“It’s really heartening to know that the clinic we’re putting out there is serving its purpose,” she said, adding that it’s also “a little bit disheartening that the need is that great in the community.”

The RAM clinic provides a “Band-Aid solution” to the issue of having access to care in this area and across the country, she added.

Kendall, who grew up on Sanibel Island off the Florida coast, said she remembers having to go to the mainland for doctor or dentist visits. A series of bridges connects the island to Florida, and when hurricanes caused problems, they’d have to use fishing boats to ferry them back and forth.

People who lack access to quality health care can feel just as isolated as she did growing up on an island, and Kendall said her experiences have fueled her desire to help provide people the care they deserve.

Now a junior at Duke, Kendall said she aspires to go to medical school and work in disaster relief to provide medical services following hurricanes and other types of natural disasters.

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TownTalk: Business Spotlight – Pete Smith Automotive

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Pete Smith had a knack for fixing transmissions, but he also knew a thing or two about diagnosing and repairing vehicles. Combine that with a strong work ethic and an office chock full of shop manuals and you’ve got a recipe for a successful business.

And Smith’s grandchildren, Kristi and Dallas, have set their sights on making sure that Pete Smith Automotive is hitting on all cylinders as it approaches 80 years in business.

Pete Smith Automotive has seven shops, with an eighth set to open soon in Youngsville. Kristi and Dallas are third-generation Smiths to help run the stores, two of which are in Henderson, with one in Warrenton, three in Louisburg and one in Rolesville.

Kristi said she and Dallas each had careers in the corporate world, but they answered the call to work in the family business within the last year. With her background in managing people and his focus on payroll, the two are assuming responsibility for keeping the shops running smoothly.

But it’s not just the nuts-and-bolts of running a business that are important for the Smiths.

They’re committed to continuing the feeling of “family” the business has fostered over the years.  “We will treat you as you would want to be treated,” Dallas said, “as if you were part of our family.”

“You can take your car anywhere to get it fixed,” he said, “but here, you’ll feel like you’re included and part of the family.” At Pete Smith Automotive, the manager is likely to not just know your name but also ask you how your day is going. “That’s important and that stuff matters,” Dallas said.

Kristi concurs. “We always put the customer first, no matter what. We train our managers and staff to always have the customer in mind…from the second you walk in the door.”

Whether it’s the customer who brought in a ’68 Plymouth for a new set of whitewall tires to complete that vintage look, or the one who brought in his 2026 dually truck, the shop staff at Pete Smith is ready to roll up their sleeves to provide quality service.

“We really can work on it all,” Dallas said. They prioritize continuing education and sponsor monthly trainings for their technicians in partnership with NAPA to make sure they’re on top of their game.

It’s important to stay current to handle the requirements of new vehicles with all its computer chips, sensors and complex systems.

The two give Kristi’s dad, Keith, credit for expanding the business over the years. He started out as a lube tech and then drove the tow truck. Kristi remembers the CB radio that sat by her father’s recliner when she was younger. “I thought it was something special when I’d get to go ride,” she said, recalling riding shotgun in that tow truck.

Kristi is giving her 11-year-old daughter Lilli a taste of that same experience of being part of the family business – not riding shotgun in a tow truck but assisting her mom in creating a stronger social media presence. Lilli, phone in hand, took photos of her mom and her uncle during the interview. (Click Play below to Listen.)

L-R: John Rose, Dallas Smith, Kristi Smith in WIZS Studio B

Greg is Dallas’s father, and he keeps the main garage, located on Pete Smith Road in Franklin County, humming. “My dad is more focused on the garage’s well-being – that’s his sphere of influence,” Dallas said.

All the Pete Smith Automotive shops provide a full range of services, and each store has an area of expertise. But when it’s necessary, they’ll bring vehicles to the garage, which Dallas calls the “heartbeat of the entire operation.”

Dallas puts his trust and confidence in the technicians at Pete Smith.

“Our guys are very good at what they do,” he said. “Your car is in great hands.” There’s at least one master technician and multiple ASE-certified managers or techs at each location who can handle everything from checking the air pressure in your tires to transmission or engine replacement.

“We will treat you right and get your car right – we are very capable at what we do,” he said.

And in the unlikely event that things don’t go as planned, Kristi said, it’s still “customer first.”

“We make mistakes, but we always tell our customers we will always make it right. If something goes wrong, we’ll take care of it. We’re going to treat you like family.”

Kristi and Dallas say it’s Ma Ruth who instilled that “family-first” mindset into her husband’s business. Ruth Smith died last year, and Kristi said it was Ma Ruth as the grands called her who taught them from an early age to care about people.

“She was the kindest person you would ever meet,” Kristi said. Treating people kindly resonates with Kristi as she brings on board elements of HR that she picked up in her previous corporate career.

Dallas remembers helping Ma Ruth roll quarters as a child. She kept the books for the business until about 10 years ago, and he said his grandmother brought a calm, steady presence to the business, in good times and in not-so-good times.

Today, there are about 50 employees on the Pete Smith payroll, not counting the other five to 10 employees at the Louisburg vehicles sales lot.

Some of those employees have been with the company for decades and can lay claim to having worked with Pete Smith himself. But whether they’re long-time employees or not, they’re loyal. And they’ve welcomed Kristi and Dallas to the business.

“Show us some grace,” Kristi said she told employees upon their arrival. “We’re going to need to lean on you.” Store managers have helped guide the two as they gain experience running things. “They’ve got all the history – they know things we didn’t know,” Kristi added.

Kristi jokes that you probably wouldn’t want her back in the shop area working on your vehicle, but Dallas is another story. He’s done a bit of it all, from working the counter to chipping in back in the shop when they need extra help.

“Never ask your employees to do something you’re not willing to do,” Kristi said. “That’s just how our family operates – we jump in…to do everything we can” to help.

“It’s comforting to know that that’s what we’re known for,” she said. “I’ve always been so proud of being a Smith (and I’m) so proud of our business.”

In 20 years, Pete Smith Automotive will turn 100. Dallas’s son will turn 22. Will he be the fourth generation of Smiths to usher the business into its second century?

If the young man takes a page from his father, who described being at work for Pete Smith Automotive as something that feels like “home,” like it was meant to be, then maybe, just maybe, that answer will be yes.

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(The audio, text and images available are not part of a paid advertisement.)

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Love in Action

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Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

In this part of our series – Leading your House, we discuss one of the hardest thing about parenting, consistency.

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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Home and Garden Show

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

  • There will be a Spring Vegetable Garden Event on April 7th from 6-7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • If you buy any seed check the package date and seed in bags or bulk seeds the germination percentage. Ex: grass and sweet corn.
  • Tall fescue planted now is unlikely to survive through the summer. Consider planting only where needed to repair bare spots,and hold off until September.
  • Resist the temptation to sow tall fescue now. Annual ryegrass can be used as a temporary patch on bare areas.
  • If you missed the window for spraying your lawn for broadleaf weeds, you may want to mow and collect the clippings in a bag or use a bagging equipped mower.
  • Ground bees are starting to arrive in lawns. These bees are harmless, they are good pollinators, please do not kill them.
  • Don’t try to grow grass in the shade. Trim or remove trees to increase light, or convert the shady area to other uses.
  • If you have seedlings growing indoors, provide adequate lighting. Check soil each day and if it’s moist, don’t water your plants today.
  • Train your young fruit trees by attaching weights to branches and encourage outward growth.
  • It’s now ok to plant trees and shrubs but don’t forget to water them.
  • Get your vegetable publications from Cooperative Extension.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building 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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