December, 2017 - WIZS

Terry Garrison NC House 32 December 2017 Update

December 22, 2017/by WIZS Staff

North Carolina House Representative for District 32 Terry Garrison has written and released his latest from the NC General Assembly. In Volume 1, Issue 5 for December 2017, Garrison and his office released the following text.

Since being sworn into office of the House of Representatives for District 32 (Vance, Warren and Granville Counties) of the North Carolina General Assembly on January 11, 2017, serving as a legislator has been a tremendous learning experience. The session was action packed with a limited time for newcomers to learn the legislative process. My 28 years of experience as a Vance County Commissioner was quite helpful with trying to adjust to this level of governance.

Serving on committees was where the real work occurred on legislative bills to be considered for approval. My committee appointments included Appropriations, Appropriations-Transportation, Education-Community College, Environment, Judiciary IV, State and Local Government I, and Legislative Redistricting. Additionally, I served on House Democratic Caucus Work Groups of County, Housing, Rural and Indian Affairs. I was also selected to serve as a vice chair of the Freshman Democratic Class.

Learning how to get a bill introduced was challenging. I did, however, manage to sponsor five bills— H372-School Calendar Flexibility, H390-Counties/Internet Infrastructure, H603-Small Farms to Healthier Schools Initiative, H638 Public School Construction & Lottery Changes, and H804 Add Additional Assistant District Attorney District 9B. Also, I co-sponsored nine bills.

During this legislative session, 1,551 bills were introduced; 214 were adopted. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed 13 bills and the General Assembly overrode all of them. Some of the most egregious bills vetoed and overridden were H100-Restore Partisan Elections for Judicial System, S68 Bipartisan Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, H239-Reduce Court of Appeals from 15 to 12, H576-Allow Aerosolization of Leachate, and 656-Electoral Freedom Act.

The legislative session this year was termed a long session because it was the year to approve and adopt the biennium budget. Approving a budget is perhaps the most important action a government can take. The NC General Assembly adopted a $23 billion biennium budget on June 28. Although the budget contained many positives, it could have provided more funding for education, particularly for K-3 grade levels to meet the legislative mandate for class size.

Legislative Redistricting remains the #1 hot button issue to be addressed for the NC General Assembly. Currently, the District 32 design contains little change. A final decision on redistricting is likely to occur in early 2018. Democrats will need to gain six seats in the House or nine seats in the Senate to prevent veto override by Republicans who currently hold super majorities in the House and Senate. Judicial Redistricting is the #2 hot button issue with final decision also likely in 2018.

It was my privilege to sponsor four youths as Legislative Pages—Ashton Murphy and Jabriel Steed of Vance County and Jordon Page and Tonia Hunter of Warren County. A Granville County high school student will be sponsored to attend the Legislative Youth Leadership Assembly in February 2018.

Several citizens within the House District 32 contacted my office during the year with questions, concerns, or requests for help with issues. I have tried to be as responsive and accommodating as possible. In particular, it has been gratifying to support various local programs, services, special occasions, and other activities where possible.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to supporters and voters for electing me as State Representative for District 32 for 2017-2018. I look forward to returning to legislative session on January 10, 2018.

VGCC honor society students collect supplies, books for local kids

December 22, 2017/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy VGCC

(VGCC Photo)

The Vance-Granville Community College Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recently conducted a service project by collecting school supplies and books for children in grades K-12 who are affected by domestic violence. Children in such situations may be forced to relocate suddenly, leaving their school supplies at their former homes and putting them at an educational disadvantage. Donation boxes were placed at all four VGCC campuses. The donations were delivered to Infinite Possibilities, Inc., a domestic violence organization that serves Vance and Warren counties. Pictured above with some of the collected items are, from left, chapter advisor and VGCC English instructor Maureen Walters, chapter Vice President of Leadership Pamela Campbell of Littleton, advisor and art instructor Isaac Talley and chapter President Brenda Ellis of Durham. For more information on Phi Theta Kappa, contact Maureen Walters at 252-738-3406 or waltersm@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

News 12/22/17

December 22, 2017/by Larry

Leadership Vance 2018

December 21, 2017/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce | John Barnes, President ~ 252-438-8414 ~ info@hendersonvance.org ~ Facebook

Applications are available for the upcoming 2018 Leadership Vance Program! Interested professionals who live or work in Vance County are invited to apply. The program will be limited to a maximum of 25 participants who will be selected to represent all backgrounds, occupations and geographic areas of Vance County. The Leadership Vance program is designed to create a group of informed and dedicated leaders who will contribute to the community after graduation. The program informs, challenges and educates the participants on the opportunities and needs of the community and will strengthen their leadership skills while learning about the social, economic, and political dynamics that shape the community. The intensive training and exposure to all aspects of the community will provide participants with the historical background and the skills necessary for volunteer civic and community positions. It will also benefit participants in their business and career goals.

Brochures for the upcoming year will be available in early January with the first session to be held in February. The 10-session program will conclude in June and the cost for participating is $325 for Chamber members and $400 for non-Chamber members. Included in the price are all expenses, meals and materials. Participants are exposed to various aspects of Henderson and Vance County, specifically in regard to city and county government, health and community resources, economic development, agriculture and natural resources, history and media, and criminal justice and law. All potential participants should submit a completed application to the Chamber office no later than Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Notifications will be made by Wednesday, January 31, 2018. For more information, contact Director of Administration
and Events, Melanie Mann at the Chamber at 438-8414 or info@hendersonvance.org.

Town Talk 12/21/17

December 21, 2017/by Charlene

Discussion about HDTV and local channel availability over the air along with protecting yourself as a consumer against increasing subscription rates for internet, television, phone and other digital media.

Oxendine, Gooche Will Lead Board; Meeting Schedule Set For 2018

December 21, 2017/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy Vance County Schools

Darlynn Oxendine was elected by the board to serve as its new chairperson for 2018. Dorothy Gooche was elected to serve as the board’s vice chairperson. The board also approved its meeting schedule for the new year. The board will meet each month on the second Monday of the month, with the exception of November. The meeting for that month will be held on Monday, November 5, due to the Veteran’s Day holiday scheduled for the following Monday.

VGCC Pharmacy Technology program leads service projects

December 21, 2017/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy VGCC

The Pharmacy Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College has continued its tradition of community involvement with a pair of recent service projects during the fall semester.

First, Pharmacy Technology faculty and students, with help from their colleagues in other VGCC Health Sciences programs, spearheaded a relief drive to help people in the Caribbean who had been affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Pharmacy Technology Program Head Dr. Erica Fleming grew up on the Caribbean island of Anguilla and has family there. Students and faculty set up stations at each of VGCC’s four campuses on two days in late October, where they collected various items and accepted cash donations.

From left, in front, Center for Innovative Learning student Anthony Dixon, VGCC Pharmacy Technology student Tommy Hicks, Pharmacy Technology Program Head Dr. Erica Fleming, Pharmacy Technology student Malissa Chandler and CIL student Jonathan Manzo; and from left, in back, CIL Principal Calvin Timberlake, CIL student Eric Sapp and School Resource Officer Elliott Carver of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office.

“I would like to thank all of the Health Sciences students who participated,” Fleming said. “We brought all the bags of collected items to the Pharmacy Tech lab on Main Campus, where we sorted and packaged them to provide food, clothes, personal care items and household items to four families in the ‘NC for Puerto Rico’ relocation support network. Cash donations will go to provide support for families on my home island of Anguilla.”

During the hurricane relief drive, Fleming said, her program also forged a new community partnership with Granville County Schools’ Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) in Oxford. “Students at the CIL donated items they collected in their own drive to support our event,” Fleming noted. “The CIL supplied us with new books, folders and school supplies, winter items, socks, undergarments and household cleaning supplies. We want to say a very special ‘thank you’ to Mrs. Louise Terry, school counselor, for coordinating the drive at CIL.” She added, “To everyone who gave to this effort, we say ‘thank you’ for showing our neighbors both here in North Carolina and in the Caribbean that you care.”

Seated, from left, VGCC Pharmacy Technology students Tommy L. Hicks of Franklinton and Malissa S. Chandler of Durham use smartphones to identify and classify medications while Pharmacy Technology program head Dr. Erica Fleming (standing at right) sorts through medications during the “Operation Medicine Drop” event at Walgreens in Creedmoor.

The Pharmacy Technology program also partnered with the Creedmoor Police Department and Walgreens of Creedmoor on “Operation Medicine Drop,” a drug collection event, on Oct. 28. Within four hours, 6,377 dosage units/pills of non-controlled substances and 365 dosage units/pills of controlled substances were collected, according to the police department. The collection consisted of outdated or unused prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, syringes and veterinary prescription drugs.

“This is the third year that the Pharmacy Technology program has participated in the event, and the fourth year for me,” Fleming explained. “Each year, we have collected numerous ‘C-II’ controlled medications and have safely disposed of thousands of prescription and no prescription medications. The community is reminded that flushing of medications is never advised, because we want to avoid contamination of our local water sources.”

For more information on the VGCC Pharmacy Technology program, call Dr. Fleming at (252) 738-3482.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)