Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Supervision And Safety, Pt. 2

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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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Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Crossroads Wins Boys Soccer Championship

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Since Spring of 2021 Crossroads Christian School has won five state championships. The school added their fifth last Saturday as the boy’s soccer team defeated conference rivals Bradford Academy 5-1.  “It’s boy’s soccer’s first championship,” said Crossroads AD Scottie Richardson on Wednesday’s SportsTalk.  “Holden Coghill won two games his first season and now a state championship,” added Richardson.  Coghill is the head coach at Crossroads.

Crossroads also had to face another conference rival, Cape Fear, to get to the championship game. “Familiarity with those two schools makes playing them more difficult because it’s harder to keep the kids focused,” Richardson added.  Last year Crossroads lost to Cape Fear in the semi-finals and this year Richardson was determined that would not happen this season.  To keep them focused the team spent the night in Rocky Mount where the tournament was played.  The ate meals together and Richardson said he felt that helped the team stay focused.

Crossroads will lose three seniors off of a team that lost its first game of the season and then peeled off 19 straight wins.  Congratulations to the Crossroads Christian Boy’s Soccer team for winning that state championship.

 

Home And Garden Show

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

  • Drain water out of any sprayers or pumps.
  • Spend some time on equipment maintenance.
  • Harvest any mature fruits or vegetables today
  • Continue planting.
  • Bring indoors any plants that might freeze.
  • Check houseplants for repotting.
  • November is a great time to collect your Soil Samples when we get some rain. 2 week analysis time.
  • Research fruit crops.

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TownTalk: Pacific Organics Conducts Facilities Tour

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Quality control is a critical step in just about everything that gets made today. From food to fashion to cars and so much more, manufacturers and producers have to make sure that what comes off assembly lines or factory floors is as good as it can be.

Pacific Organics, located right here in Vance County, incorporates quality control at every step of the way to ensure that its pine bark potting medium products are just exactly what they’re supposed to be. In fact, said owner and president George Cunningham, his company tests each load of its potting medium before it gets shipped to the customer.

The bark products that Pacific Organics makes is “not just stuff in a pot,” said Brian Jackson, an N.C. State University horticulture professor who’s conducted research with Pacific Organics for 15 years or so. Jackson was speaking to a group of more than 200 conventioneers who had come to Henderson to tour the facility.

Durham is hosting the 47th annual gathering of the International Plant Propagators Society and they have spent the past few days learning from plant experts and touring area nurseries. They visited Pacific Organics Tuesday afternoon to see the operation. They visited the lab, the aging field, production and shipping areas.

Pacific Organics produces “highly engineered materials that serve very specific functions for whatever plant it is you’re growing or whatever system you’re growing,” Jackson said. “I hope today you see why these barks are engineered.”

There’s a new product called RM18, and company officials said it could become an alternative to peat moss. It holds moisture like peat moss, but it’s bark – called substrate in the industry, which makes it a soil-less medium.

“A customer had a growing application that required a lot of moisture retention, and we didn’t have an existing product that met those requirements,” said Bobby Oakley, recently retired from the company. “So we got a different screen to make (the bark) even smaller.” The result is an engineered substrate that could prove useful to other customers.

Pacific Organics gets its raw material – pine bark – from area sawmills and paper mills. And then they get to work making their different products that get shipped all over the Southwest, Midwest and up and down the East Coast from Florida to Maine, Cunningham said.

They got started in 2004 and spent the first couple of years supplying landscape mulch before developing their business to include nurseries. Today, the company’s aged, stabilized pine bark line is designed and tailored for each nursery it supplies.

“All of your production starts here,” Jackson told the IPPS group. “The growing medium is where it starts.”

The International Plant Propagators Society represents the epitome of plant production, said Scotty Hipps, general manager at Pacific Organics. “To be offered this chance for them to come and see us,” Hipps said, “it means everything to us.”

Hipps said all aspects of the production process is based in science. “Everything we do is numbers-based,” he said, which means that it’s easily replicated. “We make it every day the same way…we don’t leave anything to happenstance.”

Cunningham said the company prides itself on testing throughout the production process to make sure that pH levels and soluble salt levels are in acceptable ranges and that customized blends meet the customers’ specifications.

 

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Battalion Chief Doug Owen Retires From Henderson Fire Department With 30+ Years Of Service

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It’s been a couple of hours now, probably not long enough for it to really sink in, but as of 3 p.m. today, Battalion Chief Doug Owen is officially retired. Central Fire Station on Dabney Drive was filled with a hundred or more family, colleagues and government officials Tuesday afternoon to wish Owen well as he begins a new chapter of his life.

“I’ve had the best years of my life right here,” Owen said during the ceremony. “I’ve really enjoyed my career.”

Amy Colbert and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale presented Owen with a fireman’s axe to say thank you for the 30-plus years Owen devoted to the fire service.

“Chief Owen has been an asset to our department for more than 20 years,” Twisdale told WIZS News after the ceremony, adding that he was always an effective leader and always brought a good work ethic to the job.

“He expects a lot out of his crew and encourages all of us to do our best” when headed out on calls.

For these reasons, and more, Owen has earned the respect of his peers within the local fire department and across other jurisdictions, Twisdale said.

Owen may be retiring from his full-time fire job, but he told WIZS News that he’s planning to stay part-time. “This is the best career anybody could have,” he reiterated.

“If you’re a fireman, you know that bond,” Owen said. “The brotherhood in the fire service is unreal – unbelievable,” he said. “It becomes a bond you can’t break.”

Causey Names Fire Marshal Successor In Wake Of Legislative Action To Separate Role From Insurance Commissioner

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N.C. Department of Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey let the cat out of the proverbial bag earlier this afternoon in remarks at Central Fire Station on Dabney Drive about some upcoming changes to unyoke the state fire marshal’s office from his department.

“This morning, I had to make some changes in the office of the state fire marshal,” Causey told a gathering assembled to celebrate the 33-year career of retiring Batallion Chief Doug Owen.

The way Causey sees it, the General Assembly is “trying to screw with the setup” by removing the state fire marshal from under the insurance department and making it a stand-alone entity.

Causey said he has named Tony Bailey to lead the fire marshal office, effective Nov. 1.

Bailey also was at the retirement gathering and he spoke with WIZS News after the ceremony was over. Bailey has worked for 15 years helping fire departments lower their ISO rating.

Causey said 80 percent of the state’s more than 1,200 fire departments have improved their ISO ratings. “I can’t understand why the Legislature is doing what it’s doing,” Causey said, of removing the fire marshal from the insurance office.

He said he asked the General Assembly to postpone for a year, but that was not approved, so the changes will take effect Jan.1, 2024.

The new rules call for Causey to name a replacement for himself as fire marshal, and he chose Bailey; the selection will be subject to General Assembly confirmation. The bill that was approved said the fire marshal’s office, although still located within Causey’s office, may act independently.

Bailey said he will do his best to keep operations going and as normal as possible, but there is a lot of reorganizing to do and it will take time to fill positions.

You won’t find him sitting behind a desk in Raleigh, Bailey told the gathering. “I’m here for you, here to work…and to keep our fire marshal’s office on top.”

The insurance commissioner has served the dual role of commissioner and fire marshal for the past 85 years, Causey said, and it is an effective relationship – fire departments work to lower their ratings and that has a direct effect on homeowners’ insurance bills. Lower ISO ratings can lower insurance bills.

“It’s working better than it ever has,” Causey noted, and can’t imagine why legislators voted to change the system.

“We are seeing lower insurance premiums,” he said. “We don’t need the General Assembly to mess it up.”

Vance County Schools October Student Spotlights

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Vance County Schools shines its October Student Spotlight on three students who are making a meaningful difference in their schools. The program, sponsored by the school system and the Vance County Public School Foundation, identifies students who demonstrate excellence in their academics and who also exhibit traits like kindness, dedication and a commitment to personal growth.

Tia Lewis, 6th Grader, Advance Academy 

Tia is a caring and loving student who extends kindness to others, according to school staff. Her

favorite subject is science, and she values the engaging projects and teaching

methods used in science instruction. Tia aspires to become a pediatric nurse, driven by

her passion for helping people – especially children.

In addition to her academic interests, Tia enjoys reading “Junie B. Jones” books and

has a strong love for R&B music. Her role model is her grandmother, who has

imparted valuable life lessons to her.

Tia’s advice to others is to stay focused, avoid distractions, and go with the flow.

She actively helps her fellow students understand

their coursework and contributes to classroom cleanup.

If she could visit anywhere in the world, Tia would choose a yacht trip in Miami. Her friends and supportive teachers are her motivation for attending school daily. She admires her kind teacher, who provides assistance, and her friends’ ability to make her laugh. Tia’s favorite color is blue, and she enjoys dancing.

Devontae’ Ragland, 8th Grader, STEM Early High 

Devontae’ is known for his caring and dedicated nature, always looking out for the well-being of his classmates and assisting both friends and teachers. Devontae’ excels in Social Studies and is actively involved in school activities, such as the Microgravity Project and the Beta Club. He is also team captain of the Vance County Middle Jaguar soccer team. In his free time, Devontae’ enjoys reading fiction and has a keen interest in history, particularly the Columbian Exchange and the Aztec Empire. He aspires to play soccer professionally in the future.

His advice to his peers: Follow your passions and don’t be influenced by the opinions of others. Devontae’ dreams of visiting Spain to explore famous soccer clubs. His motivation for attending school daily is his parents, who share his commitment to education. His parents expressed that Devontae’ always puts forth consistent effort and has a positive attitude.

Jaryk Harris, 5th Grader, Vance Virtual Village Academy 

Jaryk is known for his infectious positivity and dedication to learning. His favorite subject is math, and he enjoys spending time with his younger brother. He aspires to be a quarterback and an architect and has a penchant for horror movies –  “Halloween” is his favorite.

His strong interpersonal skills  foster a supportive and inclusive community among his peers, his teachers say. His role models are his hard-working

parents, and he has recently found joy in learning about the weather and the water

cycle in Science. If he had a superpower, he would choose to stop time to remain a

child. If given a magic wand, he would wish for financial prosperity and actively help

his mom around the house.

Jaryk’s advice to other students is to never stop working. He highly values the amazing teachers at Vance Virtual Village Academy. His motivation for attending school every day stems from his mother, who encourages him to seize the available learning opportunities. Jaryk’s dream is to visit New York City and Legoland.

These students are exemplary representatives of Vance County Schools and the Student Spotlight program. They embody the values of kindness, dedication, and a commitment to learning, serving as an inspiration to their peers and a source of pride for their school communities and the district as a whole.

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