Older Adults CAN Prevent a Fall
Henderson, NC – The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging, along with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and its Falls Free® Coalition, will be celebrating the 10th Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day on September 22, 2017 (the first day of fall) by helping support balanced lifestyles.
“Older adults want to stay active, independent, and safe in their homes, but many worry about their risk of falling,” says Jillian Hardin, Director, Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging. “In fact, one in three Americans over the age of 65 falls every year. However, falling is not a normal part of aging. Falls can be prevented.”
Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging is supporting the 2017 theme, 10 Years Standing Together to Prevent Falls, by educating older adults on simple steps that can be taken to prevent falls and fall related injuries. Two free eight week workshops on falls prevention are scheduled; one at the North Granville Senior Center in Stovall on Tuesdays from September 12 – October 31 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and the second class scheduled for October 18 – December 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Warren County Senior Center in Warrenton.
The program, called A Matter of Balance, is designed to help older adults to overcome the fear and help prevent falls. Participants learn physical activities to strengthen muscles, increase social activity, safety hazards to prevent falls, problem solving and goal setting.
To find more falls prevention resources, go to ncoa.org/FallsPrevention. The official social media hashtag for this year’s event is #FPAD2017.
The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging leads and is involved in the efforts that provide for the development and enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community based systems of services, opportunities, and protections for older adults which assist them in leading independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. We serve five counties, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren.
The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging Celebrates National Falls Prevention Awareness Day by Supporting Balanced Lifestyles.
MEET ME IN THE STREET – Thurs, Sept 14
— courtesy Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce
The third and final concert of the season will feature Liquid Pleasure. After more than two decades of bringing audiences to their feet, this band has become a multi-cultural icon. Veteran member Melvin Farrington says, “We love being in touch with people like us, who love a variety of good music, and appreciate hearing it performed live.” Liquid Pleasure presents a mix of Oldies, Beach Music and Disco.
Liquid Pleasure
Join us for live music and dancing, and our Kid’s Zone sponsored by Maria Parham Health. Bring the whole family for an evening of food, friends and fun!
Sponsors for this year’s concert series are:
Presenting Sponsors: CenturyLink, Envirolink, and Prim Commercial & Residential Rentals
Duke Energy and Maria Parham Health – Gold Sponsors
BB&T, Mars Petcare, Wake Electric Membership Corporation and Walmart DC #6091 – Silver Sponsors
Henderson Vance Downtown Development Commission, Express Employment Professionals and Waste Industries – Bronze Sponsors
Benchmark Community Bank – Contributor Sponsor
All concerts are free to the public and will be held at the corner of North Garnett and Breckenridge Streets from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Melanie Mann at the Chamber at 438-8414 or info@hendersonvance.org.
Louisburg man Sentenced for Several Firearm Offenses
GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, John Stuart Bruce, announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced DAVID EARL GILL, JR., 26, of Louisburg, North Carolina, to 216 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,477.07 in restitution.
On May 12, 2017, GILL pled guilty to carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Additionally GILL plead guilty to possession of a stolen firearm in the Northern District of Georgia.
According to the Indictment and information in the public records, on July 31, 2015, GILL and his codefendant Kyara Nicole Jones, forced entry into a residence in Louisburg, North Carolina. GILL was armed with a sawed off shotgun and forced the homeowner into a closet and barricaded the door with furniture and took the two homeowner’s vehicle. Jones previously pled guilty for her role on January 12, 2017 and will be sentenced later this year.
On August 5, 2015, GILL pawned a shotgun that was reported stolen from Rockingham County at a store in McDonough, Georgia. The next day, law enforcement officers in McIntosh arrested GILL when they located him driving the stolen vehicle from Louisburg, North Carolina.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the McIntosh, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, and the Henry County, Georgia, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Jackson prosecuted the case for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bret Hobson prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Georgia.
VGCC invites community to Manufacturing Day
Vance-Granville Community College will hold a “Manufacturing Day” celebration on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Job seekers and students are invited to attend and to learn more about manufacturing and related careers.
Local manufacturers and equipment vendors will provide demonstrations and information highlighting their products and their employment opportunities. Attendees will learn about career options in the region’s industries and the technical skills required to succeed in such careers.
Participants are set to include Altec of Creedmoor, Boise Cascade of Roxboro, Glen Raven of Norlina, Mars Petcare of Henderson, CertainTeed of Oxford and Carolina Sunrock of Butner, among others.
Representatives of VGCC technical programs, including those that provide education and training related to advanced manufacturing, will also be on hand. These include curriculum programs in Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology and Welding Technology. VGCC’s Admissions and Financial Aid departments will also have representatives there. Attendees will also be able to learn about the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at a community college and paid, on-the-job training at a participating employer.
Event organizers hope to develop a pipeline of highly trained and skilled employees. “VGCC and industry partners are working together to address the skills gap, connect with future generations, and educate them about the outstanding opportunities that manufacturing careers can provide,” said Ken Wilson, project manager for the TechHire grant at VGCC, which supports advanced manufacturing training and information technology training.
The VGCC event is one of many across the country celebrating National Manufacturing Day (also known as “MFG Day”). The annual observance was established by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
For more information, contact VGCC Academic & Career Coach Tiffani Polk at polkt@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3291.
GCPS Continues Significant Proficiency Gains and Academic Growth
At their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, September 11, the Granville County Board of Education received a special report on the student achievement results from the 2016-2017 school year. During this presentation, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Myrick presented a series of graphs and charts providing comprehensive data on how the students performed on state tests. The presentation focused on GCPS test score averages over the past three years compared to state and surrounding district averages. Dr. Myrick also shared information about academic growth measures for each school, and school letter grades as assigned by the state.
Data from his presentation revealed an increase in proficiency in 14 of 18 tested areas, with 18 of 19 schools having met or exceeded academic growth. These significant gains in growth and proficiency across grade levels and content areas contribute to a multi-year positive trend for student achievement.
The scores for our district were generally higher than those of Vance, Warren and Person counties, and slightly lower or comparable to those for Franklin County. All five districts in our region were at or below the overall state average in all areas.
In the second set of data, Dr. Myrick displayed the following chart showing how GCPS schools letter grades compared to those of local charter schools:
Letter grades for schools in our district improved compared to the previous year, with no schools reporting an F, fewer schools reporting as a D, and more schools reporting as a B.
School Board Chairman Dr. Thomas Houlihan commented on this set of data, saying, “Three year trends sho tremendous growth over time. It’s very exciting to see this type of progress. We do want to celebrate, but we don’t want to forget the work that remains. We also don’t want to forget the hard work and dedication of all of our talented teachers.”
School letter grades are determined by a state-mandated formula that uses proficiency and growth on a variety of test scores to assign a letter grade. More information about how school letter grades are calculated can be found here:
https://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/reporting/spgbckgrndpack15.pdf
Vice Chairman Leonard Peace, Sr. offered his remarks, saying “We are definitely headed in the right direction. The teachers certainly deserve all of the credit for their hard work.”
Superintendent Dr. McLean thanked Dr. Myrick for his work in this area, and summarized the presentation with these remarks, “While I can take no credit for these remarkable gains, I am excited that there is established, consistent momentum for our district. If we are to achieve our goals of double digit improvements and 90 percent across the board, then we must use these fine results to help launch us forward. ”
