Town Talk 12/17/19
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Granville Co. Sheriff’s Office Offers Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Safety Tips
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-Press Release, Granville County Government
With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, the Granville County Sheriff’s Office offers a reminder for residents to stay safe while completing their holiday shopping lists. This time of year attracts more shopping-related criminal activity because of the larger crowds and extended store hours. Everyone is encouraged to practice these safety tips:
- A single shopper is the best target for theft. Always shop with a friend or relative;
- When going shopping, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return;
- Shop during daylight hours. If you shop at night, park your vehicle in a well-lit area;
- Dress casually and comfortably and avoid wearing expensive jewelry;
- If carrying cash, keep it in your front pocket rather than in a purse or wallet. This makes it much more difficult for a pick-pocket to remove;
- Store car keys in pants or jacket pocket. That way, if your purse is stolen, you will still be able to drive home;
- Have car keys in your hand so that you can avoid spending unnecessary time unprotected from the security of your vehicle;
- Pay careful attention to your surroundings and avoid overloading yourself with packages;
- When returning to your vehicle, check around it and in the back seat. Be aware of any strangers approaching you for any reason;
- If you feel uneasy returning to your vehicle alone – for any reason – find a security guard and ask them to walk you to your car.
During this shopping season, busy holiday shoppers are often more vulnerable than during the rest of the year. Shop smart and be safe while completing your Christmas lists.
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 12/17/19
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News 12/17/19
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Vance Co. Schools Holds Press Conference on Middle School Incident
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Vance County Schools held a press conference this afternoon to address the December 12 incident involving a school resource officer and a Vance County Middle School student.
In a video widely circulated on social media, a Vance County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a male student can be seen walking down the school’s hallway. The deputy then appears to turn to the student, pick him up, drop him to the ground and then repeat the process before dragging him down the hallway.
The name of the deputy and the student have not been released at this time. In a press release sent earlier today, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office stated that the deputy is no longer employed in its service.
In the press conference, VCS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson addressed the community and the media by calling the incident an “unacceptable and egregious act.”
“As a school system, as an administrator, as a district, we are disappointed; as a community we are embarrassed. Most of all, we want to express our apologies to our community that this has occurred. We are better than this. This child deserved better than this. No child deserves to be treated in this manner.”
Jackson stated that the school system is providing support to the school, the student and his family and is modifying its agreement with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in order to review all protocols and procedures.
“We’re seeking the support of the NC Center for Safer Schools,” said Jackson. “We’re going to make sure that we do what is necessary for every single child that attends a school in Vance County to do so in a safe environment without any fear of anything close to this happening.”
Town Talk 12/16/19: Hibernia’s First Extended Camping Season Deemed a Success
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Frank Timberlake, Lead Public Affairs with the Kerr Lake Park Watch, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.
Following up on a press release sent to WIZS in October, Timberlake was “thrilled” to announce that the first-ever extension of Hibernia’s camping season into late fall/early winter was deemed a success.
While Timberlake said he’d “love to have some totally accurate numbers” to share with listeners, he could report that within days of the NC State Parks & Recreation’s initial announcement of the extension, over 100 reservations were made.
Prior to this year, winter camping for Kerr Lake’s seven state recreational areas was restricted to certain parts of Nutbush and Satterwhite Point. For the 2019 season, Hibernia’s Area 2 remained open through December 2.
Hibernia previously closed around October 25 each year and reopened between March 15-20.
For nine years, Timberlake said the Kerr Lake Park Watch has advocated extending the camping season as an increasing number of RVs are equipped for cold-weather camping.
“I would like to see that season extended even further, at least until December 20,” said Timberlake. “Think about the people who might come to Christmas festivals, the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center and Christmas parades if they could bring their RV and stay at Kerr Lake.”
Timberlake believes longer seasons equals more than just happier campers, as he estimates that those camping on Kerr Lake contribute approximately $100 a day to the local economy.
“After you get past October, you don’t see a whole lot of week-long campers. A Thursday, Friday and Saturday night stay, or even a Friday and Saturday night stay, add to the coffers of the state. More than that, it adds to the economic impact of Vance, Warren and maybe even Granville counties,” explained Timberlake.
The Kerr Lake Park Watch has long maintained that the salaries for rangers, maintenance and support staff for the recreation areas go year-round, so more of the parks should be open for longer seasons.
“It wouldn’t cost more because the staff is already full-time. Another cost would be the electricity used, but that is covered in the campsite fees,” Timberlake stated.
The seven state recreational areas include Kimball Point, County Line, Bullocksville, Satterwhite Point, Nutbush, Hibernia and Henderson Point. For more information on each area, including a link to make online reservations, please click here.
For more information on the Kerr Lake Park Watch, visit www.kerrlakeparkwatch.org.
To hear the interview with Timberlake in its entirety, including more on the history and accomplishments of the Kerr Lake Park Watch, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
VGCC Honors 2019 Retirees at Holiday Event
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-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College honored five employees that retired in 2019 at a holiday event held on Thursday, December 12 in the VGCC Civic Center.
Retirees and their years of service to VGCC included Phyllis Bynum, 14 years of service; Faith Harris, 14 years of service; June Kersey, 8 years of service; Tina Moll, 14 years of service and Vickie W. Watkins, 14 years of service.
Fellow VGCC employees spoke on behalf of the retirees and thanked each for their hard work, commitment, and invaluable contributions.
Vance-Granville Community College honored five employees that retired in 2019 at a holiday event held on Thursday, December 12 in the VGCC Civic Center. (Front row, left to right): Phyllis Bynum, VGCC President Rachel Desmarais, Ph.D., Faith Harris. (Back row, left to right): Tina Moll and Vickie West Watkins. Not pictured, June Kersey. (VGCC photo)
City to Hold Public Hearing on 60-Day Gaming Operations Moratorium
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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson, NC
Mayor Eddie Ellington has requested a Special Called Meeting for Friday, December 20, 2019, at 12 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson.
The purpose of this meeting is to hold a public hearing to establish a 60-day moratorium on gaming operations to allow staff and the City Attorney time to review current regulations. The public is encouraged to attend.
GCPS’ ‘Books for Break’ Initiative Encourages At-Home Reading Over Holidays
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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools
Granville County Public Schools is celebrating reading and readers with Books for Break – Celebrating the Joy of Reading! As part of its commitment to early literacy, GCPS is giving a book to every student in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd grade to keep and enjoy at home.
During the winter break, we hope students enjoy reading not only these books about characters’ adventures in the snow but also continue reading their personal favorite books. In the words of children’s book author Tomie dePaola, “Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.“
We hope these books offer your family the opportunity to find joy in reading together.
WHO: Students in Pre-K through 3rd grade
WHAT: Books for Break, a literacy initiative of Granville County Public Schools
WHEN: Friday, December 13 (year-round) and Friday, December 20 (traditional)
WHERE: All elementary schools
WHY: To encourage students to continue reading during winter break
NCDA&CS Announces Specialty Crop Block Grant Recipients
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-Press Release, NCDA&CS
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced recipients of over $1.3 million in funding from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The funding will be used for projects that enhance the quality of specialty crops grown in North Carolina.
North Carolina’s specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turfgrass and sod, and nursery and greenhouse crops. Grant proposals were submitted by nonprofit organizations, commodity groups, government agencies and universities.
Some of the funding went to support the N.C. Good Agricultural Practices Program and the N.C. Water Analysis Program. Carolina Farm Stewardship received funding for its project called “Increasing Competitiveness: Food Safety and Quality.”
In addition, N.C. State University received funding for the following 10 research projects:
- Attract and Kill for Managing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug;
- Breeding Flavorful Disease Resistant Strawberry Cultivars;
- Comprehensive Christmas Tree Management Using Drones;
- Elongate Hemlock Scale and Fraser Fir;
- Heirloom–Type Tomato Hybrids for Niche-Markets;
- Hemlock Restoration in Nurseries and Landscapes;
- Horizontal Planting to Improve Sweet Potato Production;
- Improving Field Production of Grafted Tomatoes;
- Postharvest Disease Control for Export Sweet Potatoes;
- Tulip and Dutch Iris Extended Storage
The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is administered by the department and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the 2018 farm bill. More information about the program is available at www.NCSpecialtyCropGrant.org.