‘Shop With A Cop’ Deemed a Community Success Story
-Information and photos courtesy the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page Please click here for additional pictures from the event
On Thursday, December 20, 2018, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson Police Department, Vance-Granville Community College Campus Police, and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol participated in the annual Shop with a Cop event at the Wal-Mart in Henderson.
Officers were paired with approximately 44 children and given a budget with which to purchase items for those children. Thanks to donations and sponsorships, many local children are having a Christmas to remember this year.
In addition to $6,000 raised in a fundraiser sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and Maria Parham Health in November, the Vance County Department of Social Services plays a large role in making the annual event a success.
Vance Co. DSS partners with local law enforcement, donates money towards Shop With A Cop and selects the children who participate in the experience through a referral process.
Children that were not selected for Shop With A Cop were matched up with sponsors who contacted the agency. This year, over 100 children will be serviced through sponsorships.
Chavis Charged With Breaking & Entering at Oxford Rd. Business
-Information courtesy the Henderson Police Department
Saturday morning, Dec. 22 at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers of the Henderson Police Department responded to an alarm at 2303 Oxford Rd. When they arrived, they found that someone had broken into the business.
After a K-9 track and canvass of the area, a suspect vehicle description was developed. The vehicle was discovered at an area motel and the suspect, Dwayne Marcelle Chavis of Kittrell, was located and arrested. Chavis was in possession of stolen items.
Dwayne Chavis, 45 years old, was charged with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods. He is being held at the Vance County Jail under a $60,000 secured bond and his court date is set for Jan. 14, 2019.
We are appreciative of the diligence of the business for the precautions they took, and the assistance of the public that led to the arrest of the perpetrator.
Dwayne Chavis, 45 years old, was charged with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods. He is being held at the Vance County Jail under a $60,000 secured bond and his court date is set for Jan. 14, 2019.
VGCC’s Welding Technology Program at Franklin Earns Vanguard Cup
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College’s interim president, Dr. Gordon Burns, has honored a team of faculty members in the Welding Technology program at the Franklin Campus by awarding them the “Vanguard Cup” for excellence in education.
The department became the fourth recipients of the cup, an honor created by the President’s Office to recognize “exceptional team performance toward the college mission, vision and strategic plan.” The Vanguard Cup is awarded to a department that meets or exceeds the targets on improvement strategies designed to further department or instructional goals, Dr. Burns said in making the presentation on Thursday, Dec. 13, at a college event in the Civic Center.
Above: Members of the VGCC Welding Department faculty pose with the “Vanguard Cup,” awarded to the Welding program at Franklin Campus for educational excellence by Dr. Gordon Burns, interim president of the college. From left are Dr. Burns; Rusty Pace, program head/instructor for Welding Technology; Allen Tharrington, instructor for Welding at Franklin Campus; and Luke Gravel, instructor for Welding at Main Campus. (VGCC photo)
Rusty Pace, program head and instructor for Welding, and Allen Tharrington and Luke Gravel, instructors, were honored for the Franklin Campus achieving a student course success rate of 100 percent, the president noted.
“The Welding program at the Franklin Campus achieved this superior student course success rate by advancing student skill development through increased repetition and by working more closely with local employers,” said Dr. Burns. “The local employers provided student tours of their respective campuses, served as guest lecturers and hired program graduates.”
In addition to the cup, the department receives up to $10,000 for use on equipment, professional development, adjunct instructors, or other approved purposes for state funds, as well as a luncheon for the area.
Runners-up for the cup were announced as the Math Department faculty who increased the student success rate of Math 171 students by 8 percent by offering supplemental instruction and maintaining performance rates in Math 172; and the Accounting/Business Administration/Entrepreneurship faculty who increased retention rates by connecting with students during registration periods and over the summer
VGCC offers degree, diploma and certificate programs in Welding Technology. In addition to the classes at Franklin, classes are offered on the Main Campus in Vance County. For more information, contact Rusty Pace at (252) 738-3375 or pacer@vgcc.edu.
Rebuilding Hope Aims to Partner With Additional Ministries in 2019
-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc.
Rebuilding Hope wants to be your ministry partner in 2019.
“It’s important for us to do this,” RHI coordinator Randolph Wilson says. “Together we can do much more than on our own. Our aim all along has been to come alongside other ministries with resources that will help them reach their communities for Jesus.”
In its 13-year history, RHI has done just that and today invites ministries to take advantage of those resources. During the recent holiday seasons, RHI:
- Opened its kitchen, storage cooler and dining area to Grace Ministries so it could prepare 4,000 Thanksgiving meals.
- Opened the dining area and provided warehouse space for Grace Ministries’ Christmas toy project.
- Provided its box trucks so churches could transport Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Child shoeboxes.
- Year-round, RHI provides a conference room for the monthly meeting of pastors involved in Embrace Henderson.
- Weekly, space is provided for Grace Ministries’ meetings as it reaches out to recovering addicts.
Recently, RHI volunteers came alongside a church in Cove City as it provided hurricane disaster relief for a homeowner.
Each year, RHI partners with DNow (Disciple Now), a weekend youth retreat organized by local churches. RHI provides mission opportunities through projects, leadership, tools and materials for hands-on projects such as building wheelchair ramps or handrail and steps and yard clean up.
In addition to two box trucks, RHI can provide tool trailers equipped with everything needed to build wheelchair ramps; a dump trailer; a game trailer; and a kitchen trailer equipped with snow cone, cotton candy and popcorn machines.
To find out how RHI resources can help you, call the office at 252-425-5132 or Wilson’s cell at 252-425-5593.
Registration Underway for Vance Co. Special Olympics Volleyball
-Information and flyer courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center
Vance County’s Special Olympics Volleyball will play on Tuesday nights from March 26 through May 28, 2019, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Aycock Rec. Center.
Applicants must pre-register by Friday, March 8, 2019.
For more information contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or callen@ci.henderson.nc.us
The purpose of the Vance County Special Olympics North Carolina is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Carolina Panthers Graded on Final Home Game Performance
-Article and photos by Patrick Magoon of WIZS
The Carolina Panthers kicked off their final home game of the season with an impressive season-high 14-play drive which spanned 73 yards. Carolina’s offense was moving the ball well until quarterback Taylor Heinicke suffered a painful injury in the second quarter. An abundance of penalties, the allowance of explosive plays on defense and costly turnovers in the red zone prevented Carolina from pulling out a win for the seventh time in a row this season.
Here are your grades for Carolina’s Week 16 loss to the Falcons:
Quarterback – C: First-time starter Taylor Heinicke got off to a hot start, throwing his first touchdown pass as a pro on the opening drive, but the feeling was shortlived. An unfortunate left elbow/shoulder injury, suffering multiple hits in the pocket and mediocre protection from his offensive line forced him to scramble often and occasionally release the ball early, which helped facilitate costly turnovers in the red zone. Heinicke threw three interceptions (one wasn’t his fault) and earned a passer rating of 58.2. He made some mental mistakes typical of a quarterback who hasn’t started since 2014, but he deserves some praise for fighting through immense pain.
Offensive Line – D: The protection coming from the broken offensive line again was mediocre at best. The unit continuously crumbled under pressure and drew a flag multiple times.
Running Backs – A-: Christian McCaffrey was the star of the offense, per usual. He didn’t make any flashy plays, but his consistent hands carried the team. On Sunday, he added another 100-yard rushing game to his collection and broke the NFL single-season reception record previously set by Bears’ Matt Forte in 2014 (102).
Tight end – B+: Ian Thomas earned his first touchdown as a pro on Carolina’s opening drive. He connected with Heinicke for a one-yard score. Thomas conveyed flashes of elite talent as he continues to master offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s system. His smooth route running skills make him a trustworthy target across the middle of the field and in back of the end zone.
Wide Receivers – B+: Sure-handed Jarius Wright bounced back after fumbling his second catch of the game. He quickly built rapport with both quarterbacks, which paved the way for an inspiring season-high six-catch performance. Curtis Samuel was also heavily involved on offense. He caught seven passes for 41 yards. His speed and remarkable hand-eye coordination allow him to stretch the field.
Defensive Line – C-: The Panthers’ struggled to put an adequate about of pressure on Matt Ryan or counter Atlanta’s physical run game. The unit recorded just one sack.
Linebackers – B+: Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are the heart and soul of the defense. They both do an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and adjusting their position to quickly shut down an offensive target. Kuechly played well against Julio Jones when he lined up in the slot and was an effective run-stopper for most of the game. Both linebackers finished today’s matchup with a combined 12 total tackles.
Secondary – C-: Cornerback James Bradberry played lights out in man coverage. He recorded an impressive four PBUs, but his teammates let him down throughout different parts of the game. Blown coverage by veteran safety Mike Adams stemming from confusion surrounding the formation on defense allowed Ryan to easily hit a wide-open Calvin Ridley in stride for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter. Captain Munnerlyn was also responsible for allowing several explosive plays. The unit allowed at least five plays of 20-plus yards.
Special teams – C+: Chandler Catanzaro nailed a 50-yard field goal. Kenjon Barner had minimal success fielding punts. He was able to return just two punts for a combined 16 yards. Barner got closelined by Atlanta’s punter during a return – not a good look.
Federal Charges Adopted Against Three Arrestees From Yancey Lane Raid
-Press Release, Vance County Sheriff’s Office
THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA HAS ADOPTED FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST THREE OF THE ARRESTEES FROM THE RAID AT 310 YANCEY LANE ON DECEMBER 6, 2018. THE THREE DEFENDANTS ARE IN FEDERAL CUSTODY. THEY ARE:
RUFUS KENNY WILLIAMS, AGE 46, 310 YANCEY LANE
CHRIS WILLIAMS, AGE 58, 310 YANCEY LANE
MAURIO ANTWON SOLOMAN, AGE 39, 310 YANCEY LANE
THE VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO FIGHTING NARCOTICS SALES AND VIOLENT CRIME AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.
Bus Driver Training for Vance Co. Schools to be Held in January
-Press Release, Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools will be hosting school bus driver training classes Tuesday, January 15, through Thursday, January 17, 2019, in Room I-103 at Vance County Middle School from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. each day.
Those interested in participating in the training sessions must register at least five business days prior to the session.
The school system’s Transportation Department must submit a criminal background check and DMV license check for candidates to be approved for the class. One may learn more about how to procure a DMV license on thecheckpeople.co.uk. Transportation Department officials will contact candidates when they have been approved to participate in the class.
Interested persons must attend the training on all three days to receive certification. Please contact the VCS Transportation Department at 252-438-5012 to register.
The training will be for individuals to drive school buses for Vance County Schools. Participants will be given applications for a VCS school bus driver to be completed by the third day of the class. Participants who use a VCS yellow bus to complete the driving part of the class must commit to drive for the school system for one year as a part-time or substitute driver.
Failure to meet this commitment to drive for Vance County Schools will result in participants being charged for the use of the bus during road training and the background check completed by the school system.
Harris Exhibit Hall Presents ‘Granville Greats: Footprints in History’
-Information courtesy the Granville County Historical Society Museums website
Harris Exhibit Hall’s newest exhibit, Granville Greats: Footprints in History, is now open for viewing! Learn about 75 individuals from Granville County that have impacted history locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally. Enjoy interactive exhibits as well as a train display!
These individuals have left behind a legacy: what legacy will you leave?
Harris Exhibit Hall is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hall is part of the Granville County Historical Society Museum and is located at 1 Museum Lane in Oxford. Admission is free; donations are welcome!
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