Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works In The Garden
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!
Tag Archive for: #wizsnews
TownTalk: Community Prayer Night Is This Friday
Tiffany Jones, founder of Community Uplift Project, takes her mission seriously – and literally. She is planning a Community Prayer Night for Friday, Dec. 15 and Jones said its purpose is to spiritually uplift the community.
It’s called “Light the Way” and it begins at 7:30 p.m. at the offices of the local nonprofit at 105 S. Garnett St.
There will be food, special music, games for the children and prayer, she told WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and Steve Lewis on Monday’s TownTalk.
When Jones says there will be food, she clarified: no finger foods, no hors d’ouevres for this community prayer night – everyone in attendance will get a plate full of supper. When they leave, they’re gonna be full spiritually and full literally, she said.
“Everybody leaves with something,” Jones said, “spiritual or tangible.”
Newscasts and news feeds are full of bad news – crime, wars, shootings, she said, the community prayer night is one way she can offer people hope.
“We just want to make sure people are uplifted at this time of the year,” Jones said.
Community Uplift Project was founded in August 2019, when Jones was unable to work because she was suffering from lupus. She was hosting yard sales to earn some money, she recalled. “I was sitting on my mother’s porch,” Jones said, “and the Lord said ‘give it all away.’”
Confused but obedient, Jones said she began posting photos of the items she was now giving away rather than selling.
People responded to her posts and she began to deliver the items to those who needed it.
“The more I did it, the more God gave me,” Jones said. “With the vision He gave me…I was just obedient to the vision.”
Jones is a self-professed giver – “just a little girl from the ‘hood with a big dream,” she said. She accepted the call to ministry more than 10 years ago and has never looked back.
She works with Headstart during the day, but can usually be found at the Community Uplift Project by 4:15 or so. Email her at CommunityUpliftProject2020@yahoo.com
or phone her at 252.425.6056.
CLICK PLAY!
The Local Skinny! S Line Rail Corridor Receives Over $1 Billion
Apparently, $1 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to. At least as far as the S-Line passenger rail line goes, that number – a 1 followed by NINE zeroes – will get the train from Raleigh to as far north as Wake Forest. That’s still 28 miles or so from Henderson.
President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that North Carolina would get a whopping $1.09 billion in federal grant money to build the first segment of the S-Line, a high-performance passenger rail line that will ultimately connect North Carolina with Virginia and points in the Northeast.
WIZS News spoke with NC DOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner late last week to find out what the project means for the state, and for Henderson and Vance County – basically the halfway point between Raleigh and Richmond.
Orthner said Henderson is “a critical location on the line…(which, when completed) will be on one of the most advanced transportation networks in the country.”
The whole project covers 162 miles, Orthner said. While there is existing rail along many stretches, it’s a project that will need to be built in phases. If DOT engineer could wave a magic wand to create all the bridges and other structural components needed to bring the passenger rail service through the state, it surely would shorten the process.
Alas, state DOT officials are just trying to get the train out of Raleigh and north to Wake Forest in this first phase of the massive project.
“We will pursue grant funding and extend service as we do it,” Orthner said, adding that DOT is already planning for the next phases to reach Henderson and beyond.
As for Henderson’s part, Orthner said, being ready for what’s coming, he’s pleased. “We are really excited about Henderson,” he said.
City leaders have been learning about mobility hubs and transportation hubs as they prepare and plan for what passenger rail service can add to the city’s growth and tourism opportunities.
The trick is to use existing tracks up and down the East Coast for passenger rail service without impeding the freight service that uses the same railways.
Train travel is growing in popularity – there’s record ridership between Raleigh and Charlotte, Orthner noted – and he said there is a true interest by the public in rail transportation.
“It’s safe, productive, comfortable and it’s just really a great way to travel.”
CLICK PLAY!
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 12-11-23 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Orchards
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 Local News Audio 12-07-23 Noon
Click Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
SportsTalk: Vance Charter Girls Basketball Off To A Strong Start
The Vance Charter Girls Basketball team is off to a 4-1 start this season and head coach Brian Howard is kind of happy about it. “The one part in the 4 -1 isn’t very satisfying,” Howard said on Thursday’s SportsTalk. That “1” part that Howard refers to is a 49-47 loss to Falls Lake. “We left points on the free throw line and missed points in transition,” Howard added.
This week Vance Charter defeated Granville Central 58-10 in a game that saw Vance Charter’s Alaina Bullock record 14 points and 9 steals. “We preach defense. I’m a defensive-minded coach,” Howard said about allowing only 10 points in the game.
Vance Charter has been putting solid teams on the court over the last several years but Howard feels that they are all quite different. “This year’s team is one of the most connected, due to chemistry, I’ve had,” Howard stated.
Next up for Vance Charter is East Wake Academy on December 15th.
CLICK PLAY!
SportsTalk: KVA Prepares For Holiday Tournament
Mike Joyner, Kerr Vance Academy athletic director, has reason to be happy with the school’s Fall sports programs. “Every team made the playoffs,” Joyner stated on Thursday’s SportsTalk. Now that fall sports have come to an end, the winter sports season is kicking into high gear. The Spartans have one win to their credit in boys basketball and the girls team is struggling with injuries at the moment but an upcoming holiday tournament at the school will give both squads a chance to rebound. The tournament takes place next weekend. “Big crowds and lots of alumni are expected,” Joyner said.
Joyner also singled out cheerleading coach Elizabeth Wilson. “The cheerleading squad has tripled in size,” Joyner said. One of the highlights of the upcoming basketball tournament will be the Spartanettes who are cheerleaders from lower grades, Almost like a JV cheerleading squad. They have several opportunities to perform routines with the older girls throughout the season and the tournament will provide the Spartanettes a chance to show off their skills. Again, the tournament begins Friday, December 15th at Kerr Vance Academy.
CLICK PLAY!
The Local Skinny! Vance County Commissioners Meet
Dan Brummitt is the newly elected chair of the Vance County Board of Commissioners. The District 4 representative was selected in a 5-2 vote during the Dec. 4 regular monthly meeting.
Leo Kelly was elected vice chair in a 4-3 vote.
Brummitt thanked outgoing chairperson Yolanda Feimster for her time as chair, saying it’s been a “very trying year,” mentioning the search for a new county manager as one of the challenges on the county’s plate. “Thank you for your leadership through this process,” Brummitt continued.
The commissioners got an update on the two instances of elevated lead reported to the county by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
The samples were taken from residential taps as part of a routine lead service inventory. The next step, most likely, is to take samples from the water system. The county now is waiting to hear back from the state about what will occur next.
In her report, County Manager Renee Perry asked commissioners to consider allowing the fire department to purchase personal protective equipment that will most likely be needed before preliminary results of the fire study are released in early 2024.
In her first few weeks as county manager, Perry said she has been meeting with various department heads within the county government. The budget that was approved in June included a freeze on capital expenditures, and Perry asked the commissioners to allow the fire department to purchase the PPE.
Brummitt, who also chairs the Public Safety Committee, said this request should be reviewed by the Public Safety Committee before a decision is made. The next meeting of Public Safety Committee is Dec. 20.
Brummitt told Perry that the committee had asked fire officials for a complete inventory of equipment, with expiration dates noted.
As part of the ongoing employee engagement efforts, County Finance Director Katherine Bigelow recognized Kathy Hope, who has worked in the finance department since July 2021, when Bigelow said “we stole her” from the Department of Social Services. Hope began working with DSS in December 2006 as a Medicaid caseworker.
Bigelow said Hope is a “truly exceptional” employee who doesn’t merely complete her work, but she elevates her work to a higher level. Her innovative thinking, unwavering dedication and positivity make her a valuable member of the county’s team.
CLICK PLAY!
TownTalk: Amedisys Seeks Volunteers For Hospice
COVID-19 restrictions affected just about every aspect of society, including the volunteer pool at Amedisys, a home health and hospice care agency that provides help to patients in hospice and respite care for their caregivers.
“Before COVID, I had volunteers,” said Roberta Freeman, regional volunteer coordinator for Amedisys, which serves the four-county area. Freeman was a guest on TownTalk with WIZS co-hosts Bill Harris and Steve Lewis.
Freeman said she is working to build back the volunteer program and shared details about how people can become involved.
Some of the attributes of an ideal volunteer fall under the category of soft skills, including being compassionate and having a heart for those who are in end-of-life care. Amedisys kicked off a holiday campaign to recruit volunteers called “Hope for the Holidays.” Freeman said it is her hope that people will give the gift of time to serve as a volunteer.
Direct-patient volunteering involves being matched with a patient or caregiver and then working out a schedule for regular visits, which could tasks such as running errands, light housework, caring for lawns or gardens, or even picking up prepaid grocery orders.
Anyone 16 or older can apply to volunteer, but individuals under the age of 18 aren’t allowed to visit homes unsupervised. There are plenty of administrative type jobs, too, including general office work, maintaining social media and representing Amedisys at community events.
Want to learn more? Contact Freeman at 225.412.7759 or email her at
CLICK PLAY!