Soldier’s Remains Coming Home – WRAL News
More than 60 years after Korean War, Henderson soldier’s remains are coming home
Read more at https://www.wral.com/more-than-60-years-after-korean-war-henderson-soldier-s-remains-are-coming-home/15126720/
You can hear the audio portion of WRAL News on WIZS 1450 AM each weekday from 5:30 P.M. until 6:00 P.M.
VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products join forces with Apprenticeship program
Vance-Granville Community College and Oxford-based Dill Air Controls Products, LLC, recently signed on to join the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), in an effort to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce.
NCTAP offers students a unique start to a professional career and develops them into future industry leaders. The program focuses on integrated basic training which develops technical, methodological and social skills. Typically starting in the 11th grade of high school, the four-year program leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer.
Students in the program will be employed full-time by the company after they graduate from high school, and their VGCC tuition and fees are paid by the employer. Including salary, benefits and college tuition, the value of the program to the student is approximately $150,000 over four years.
VGCC and Dill Air Controls Products are currently spreading the word to students in Vance County and Granville County about this opportunity. The company intends to select its first two apprentices in 2016. They would complete the program in 2020.
Dill Air Controls Products is a leading manufacturer and distributor of tire and tank valves, tire pressure gauges, tire pressure monitoring sensors and service tools for the aerospace, automotive and commercial products industries. Company officials said they were pleased to announce the new partnership with NCTAP and VGCC. “We look forward to participating in this program to grow our employee base with local students who are committed to contributing to the manufacturing industry in Granville County,” said Dill’s President, Brian Rigney.
“This new partnership will support student success while building upon Vance-Granville’s tradition of collaborating with local employers and our local school systems to lead the economic development of our region,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.
For NCTAP, the college’s involvement represents an expansion into what the apprenticeship program calls its “northern region.” Additional companies will be invited to join the partnership with VGCC. The college will focus on apprenticeships related to the college’s Mechatronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering and Welding Technology programs at first, but other Applied Technologies programs could be involved in the future.
According to NCTAP vice chairman Kent Misegades, his organization is particularly excited to work with VGCC because the college offers the Mechatronics program, which is not currently offered by any community college in the Raleigh-Durham area. “Mechatronics is the way to go for a student in advanced manufacturing, because it trains you in a broad range of skills,” Misegades said.
Zachary Chaney of Roxboro, who works for CaptiveAire in Youngsville as an NCTAP apprentice, recently spoke to representatives of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Vance County Schools and Dill Air Controls. “NCTAP is a great opportunity to work and learn at the same time,” Chaney said. “I feel more confident now, knowing more about all aspects of manufacturing. It’s given me not only a paycheck, but also a sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Misegades said students entering the program must meet certain requirements but are not required to have a certain type of prior experience in the field. He said the program is looking for candidates with an interest in engineering or manufacturing. He plans to hold orientation for participants in March or April of 2016, followed by a pre-apprenticeship program in the summer. Then, students would officially start the apprenticeship in the fall. Misegades noted that NCTAP is registered with the N.C. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor.
For more information about the apprenticeship program, high school students and their parents should talk with their school guidance counselors or contact Ken Wilson at VGCC, at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259.
Leo Kelly Fills Wright’s Seat
Leo Kelly, Jr. will fill the unexpired term of late Vance County Commissioner Eddie Wright. County Attorney Jonathan Care told WIZS News that Kelly was unanimously voted in by the commissioners. Clerk to the Board Kelly Grissom said, “He will be sworn in on December 7.”
Kelly will fill the seat for approximately one year because the district 5 seat was already due for election in 2016 anyway. At that point, Kelly can choose to run for the seat.
Kelly was voted in by the board at the November 2nd meeting, as we originally reported during the 12:37 P.M. News on WIZS 1450 AM on November 12th.
Early in the process, Archie B. Taylor, Chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, sent a request to the chairman of the local Democratic party asking for the names of individuals good for the position who fulfilled the requirements. Betty Boyd, who is the Third Vice Chair and in charge of publicity, told WIZS News, “We met last Thursday night (Oct 15) at Perry Library. Four candidates made a three minute speech. Leo Kelly received the nomination to serve the unexpired term of the late Eddie Wright.”
Kelly was a longtime Dean at Vance Granville Community College. A news article published by the college in 2009 quotes VGCC’s president at the time, Randy Parker, as saying, “Leo Kelly is the longest-serving full-time employee in the history of our college, and his dedicated leadership has made an enormous difference in the lives of so many people in our communities.”
Detective Wormley Fundraiser
In a recent interview with WIZS News, Police Chief Marcus Barrow described the dedication of fellow officers in Detective Deric Wormley’s time of need. Detective Wormley faced an extremely life threatening situation, and as Chief Barrow described it, no one left Wormley’s side. Wormley collapsed inside the Henderson Police Department in late October from a heart attack. CPR was immediately administered. He was transported to the hospital. His fellow officers and officers of several other agencies gathered at the hospital, as Barrow described it, and remained there so as to not leave his side. Now officers and the public alike can help with Wormley’s medical expenses by simply enjoying a plate of food. See below. Come; offer support. (Flyer provided by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce. The Daily Dispatch Newspaper has also published an article about Det. Wormley.)
Farm-City Week part 3 of 3
Vance County has declared the third week in November each year as Farm-City Week. During that time, local residents are encouraged to reflect upon the connections and interdependence between the people and businesses in our towns, and the farms that surround them. This great nation was built on agriculture, but the towns and cities provide the markets and support businesses that make farming possible.
URBAN AGRICULTURE: A FARM AND CITY MASHUP
By Diana Lewis, Natural Resource Conservation Service
Vance County has joined the ranks of many cities across the United States to begin reviewing local land use permit codes to include urban agriculture and allow locally grown, year round production of fresh foods within city limits. On November 3, 2015, the Henderson Zoning Board unanimously granted a Special Use Permit to two of our city homeowners that will be transitioning into Organic production of vegetables.
Local governments throughout the U.S. and NC in cities such as Seattle, Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Boston, Asheville, Boulder, Austin, Salisbury, Portland, and Greensboro have already implemented special-use permits to allow installation of non-permanent structures such as greenhouses or high tunnels. This opens up a great opportunity to revitalize vacant inner city lots vandalized for years or just allowed to grow up or be trash dumps. It also provides opportunities for communities to partner with local agencies or community groups and implement educational projects for residents to be a part of.
Neighborhood kids, young adults and retirees can now be a part of growing vegetables from seed to harvest and bringing dying communities back to life. High tunnels provide a great opportunity to grow Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer produce, herbs, berries and greens in a protected environment and avoid extreme environmental conditions that can cause expensive crop failures. Produce such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, melons, summer squash, eggplants, ginger, garlic, collards etc. grown in high tunnels, can be in turn sold to local restaurants, day care centers, and schools providing healthy and delicious locally grown veggies right here in Henderson, NC!!
