Corbitt to NC Transportation Museum
Corbitt trucks played a vital role in transportation around the world, all after being assembled right here in Henderson, NC. This role was especially evident during WWII.
Now, Corbitt and The Corbitt Preservation Association will participate in the NC Transportation Museum’s Salute the Troops activities on July 1 and July 2. (Be sure to click the two links in this sentence.)
Kenneth Stegall, archivist and treasurer with Corbitt Preservation, wrote in an email to members, “This material will become part of a permanent exhibit in the space the Museum is going to provide us to display Corbitt material and a few vehicles. This is a great way for all the folks in NC to see the role Corbitt played in the transportation world.”
The photo here is an example of one of the pictures to be used at the exhibit and is displayed in this story courtesy of The Corbitt Preservation Association. Stegall said the photos will be 20 x 30 and matted and will look really nice.
Local, Vance County owned Corbitts will be in Spencer, NC this weekend too as part of the exhibit, including immaculate restorations of Corbitt Military Trucks.
Everything costs money, including the ongoing cost of permanently having Corbitts and Corbitt materials in the NC Transportation Museum. If you would like to make a contribution, all donations can be mailed to:
The Corbitt Preservation Association
PO BOX 74
Henderson, NC 27536
(John Charles Rose of WIZS and the writer of this content is a member of the Corbitt Preservation Association.)
Free Concert Saturday, July 1, 2017 at Fox Pond
Free Concert Saturday, July 1, 2017 at Fox Pond
STEM School to move from Northern Vance to Southern Vance
The STEM Early High School, serving students in grades 6-8, is preparing for its move to the 600 Hall area of Southern Vance High School for the 2017-2018 school year.
Principal Iris Dethmers is shown in the accompanying photo during a meeting held recently with STEM parents and students at Southern Vance. 
The relocation of the school provides more space for the middle school students and staff. All classrooms also will be on one level, which provides more convenience for everyone instead of the three levels required for usage at the school’s old site at Northern Vance High School.
The STEM Early High School will have a separate entrance and exit from the high school students. The school also will have its own office/reception area, conference room and offices for the principal and counselor. STEM will occupy at least eight to 12 classrooms in its dedicated space. STEM students will share space in the cafeteria and gymnasium with high school students, as needed.
Additional information about plans for the new STEM location will be shared with parents, students and the community over the summer.
Mark Speed Unanimously Appointed County Commissioner
Franklin County June 27, 2017: Franklin County Commissioners made a unanimous decision last evening to appoint James M. Speed (Mark) to fill the unexpired District 3 seat formerly served by the late John M. May.
Commissioner Speed was appointed following the District 3 Executive Committee’s nomination on July 20, 2017 and will serve the Epsom/Centerville area. Commissioner Speed comes from a family of public servants. His grandfather served as Franklin County Commissioner in the 1920’s. His father, the late James D. Speed served the North Carolina House of Representatives for 12 years and the North Carolina Senate for 20 years until his passing in 2006.
Commissioner Speed says he is thankful to all those who have encouraged him to serve through the years and to continue his family’s legacy. He said he looks forward to learning and working with fellow board members in serving the citizens of Franklin County.
Board Chairman Cedric Jones welcomes Commissioner Speed to the board and said he looks forward to working together for the betterment of Franklin County.
Commissioner Speed was sworn under oath by County Attorney Aubrey S. Tomlinson, Jr. and accompanied by his wife Camille Speed and nephew Davis Speed.
Following the appointment, Commissioner John M. May was honored posthumously with a standing ovation. His wife Vickie was in attendance.
Commissioner Speed will attend his first board meeting on July 17, 2017.
For additional information, please contact Angela L. Harris, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.
Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.
VGCC celebrates first graduates supported by ‘VanGuarantee’ scholarship
HENDERSON, N.C. — When six students walked across the stage to receive their degrees at Vance-Granville Community College’s May commencement exercises, they quietly made history. They were among the first graduates of the college who had received the “VanGuarantee” scholarship to help eliminate any financial barriers standing between them and their academic goals.
The innovative scholarship program was first announced in 2016 by the president of the college, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, with the first scholarships being awarded in the fall 2016 semester. The VanGuarantee was made possible by a $1.6 million bequest to VGCC from the estate of Wilbert A. Edwards, a resident of Oxford at the time of his death and a native of Vance County. The gift, announced in 2015, is the second largest in the history of the college. 
Three of the VanGuarantee recipients participating in Commencement were graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing program: Brittany Champion of Creedmoor, Courtney Humphries of eastern Granville County and Erin Woodlief of Franklinton. Alicia Toler of Raleigh, a former Granville County resident, graduated with an Associate in Arts degree. Kristen Honaker of Henderson completed a degree in Pharmacy Technology. Tanisha Silver of Warrenton graduated from the Medical Office Administration degree program.
“Receiving the VanGuarantee meant a lot to me,” Silver reflected. “I received a community college grant for the fall 2016 semester, but I still didn’t have enough to pay for my books. I was told about the VanGuarantee scholarship, and I was ecstatic about it. It has helped me out a lot, because it has made it possible for me to finish school.” Silver is currently in the job market for employment in a doctor’s office or hospital setting and is considering continuing her education at the bachelor’s degree level. A former certified nursing assistant and a mother, she said she waited until all of her children were in school to work on advancing her own career through education.
Toler said she was very appreciative of the opportunity that the VanGuarantee provided her. She intends to transfer into a four-year university to study nursing. “Had it not been for the VGCC Financial Aid Office staff, particularly Ms. Tonya Strum, telling me about the VanGuarantee scholarship, I don’t think I would have been able to stay in school,” Toler said.
At least two graduates are already employed, Champion in the emergency room at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham and Humphries at Maria Parham Health in Henderson, working in Outpatient Surgical Services. “I am very thankful that I was able to receive the VanGuarantee this year,” Humphries said. “It has helped me finish my last two semesters of RN school. I am truly blessed beyond words!”
The VanGuarantee is designed to cover tuition, student fees and/or textbooks for eligible students whose financial needs are unmet by federal financial aid and other means of support. The program is one of a number of “promise” or “guarantee” programs across the country, created by individual colleges or by states, in response to growing concerns from policymakers and students about the rising cost of higher education. In 2016, the VanGuarantee was recognized by the White House and national groups focused on college affordability.
Some college promise programs are open only to recent high school graduates, but the VanGuarantee applies to all eligible adults in the four counties, reflecting VGCC’s longstanding tradition of helping adults retrain for new careers at any age.
Among the eligibility requirements for the VanGuarantee, students must reside in the college’s service area (Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties) and qualify for in-state tuition. Eligible students must enroll in at least nine credit hours per semester in any VGCC curriculum program and not already possess a post-secondary degree from any college or university. They must first apply for and meet the eligibility requirements for federal and state financial aid programs. Next, they apply for endowed VGCC scholarships. When students still lack the funds to pay for their education after exhausting those and other sources, the VanGuarantee program helps to fill the gap. That makes the program an example of what is often called a “last-dollar scholarship.”
Once enrolled in the VanGuarantee program, students must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) to continue receiving the scholarship.
For more information on applying for the VanGuarantee, students can visit www.vgcc.edu/fao/vanguarantee.
–VGCC–
