NC Governor Logo

Governor Cooper: No Official Word on School Plans; ‘Classroom Doors’ Reopening Priority

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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper

Governor Roy Cooper today shared that North Carolina will continue working with schools, teachers, parents, and health experts to ensure that plans for school this coming year will protect everybody, especially those at high-risk.

“We want to get our students back in the classroom, and we want to make sure we get this right. My number one opening priority is classroom doors,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We encourage our public schools to continue planning, with a special focus on how teachers, staff, and students can best be protected – especially those who are high-risk.”

In June, the state released the Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit laying out essential health practices for schools to re-open safely. Schools were asked to prepare three plans: Plan A – in-person learning with key health and safety rules in place. Plan B – same as Plan A, but with fewer children in the classroom at one time. And Plan C – remote learning for all students.

With the goal of getting students back in the classroom for in-person learning this school year, planning continues to ensure teachers, staff and students will have adequate protection.

“We need to do everything within our collective power so that our children can return to in-person instruction,” said NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. “We can do that with the scientifically proven protective measures in the StrongSchoolsNC guidance and all of us practicing the 3Ws.”

This week, the state distributed supplies of personal protective equipment to schools across the state for use in the upcoming school year to keep students safe and healthy while at school. These PPE Starter Packs include a two-month supply of thermometers, surgical masks, face shields & gowns to school systems and charter schools, for school nurses and delegated staff who provide health care to students for the 2020-2021 school year.

In total, the shipments include more than 16,500 thermometers, 7,200 face shields, 81,000 gowns and more than 347,000 surgical masks. Shipments to 203 charter schools, lab schools, and regional schools will travel via UPS. Supplies for the 116 public school districts will ship either via UPS or directly to the school district warehouse by North Carolina National Guard teams or by a contracted trucking firm.

The state has also provided school districts with access to statewide contracts so they can more easily purchase other health and hygiene supplies, like cloth face coverings and hand sanitizer, for their staff and students.

More is needed, and Governor Cooper is committed to working with schools, teachers, parents, the Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education on a strong plan to re-open schools.

VGCC Truck Driver Training

VGCC’s New Truck Driver Training Program Graduates First Class

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The new Truck Driver Training, or CDL, program at Vance-Granville Community College began in February, had to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then later resumed before finally concluding this month. Through all the ups and downs, VGCC officials say that the students in this first class have shown great perseverance and determination.

Jeff Bullock, of Henderson, is just one of many examples of the dedicated students in this class. Bullock, who works as a third shift engineer, earned a 4.0 grade point average and had perfect attendance. “Our highly experienced instructors provided excellent training and information inside and outside the classroom,” said Bullock. “Instructors stressed the importance of how to safely operate tractor-trailers and pay attention to detail during on-the-road training. We had access to recruiters from numerous trucking companies giving us potential job options as well as insight into the trucking industry.”

Students (pictured above) in the first class of VGCC’s new Trucker Driver Training program have completed their DOT exams, making them eligible for their “Class A” Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL-A) and fully employable as truck drivers. (VGCC photo)

Jim Womack, lead instructor for the Truck Driver Training program, said of Bullock, “I’m very proud of Jeff. He was an outstanding student that was never absent and never late for class.”

Student Michael Haskins, of Oxford, is another positive example from the class, who also earned a 4.0 grade point average and had perfect attendance. Instructor Womack noted, “Michael is a great guy and was a big help to the entire class. He was always the first student to offer his assistance to other students.”

Haskins’ philosophy was simple: “No man left behind.” As a result of the challenges caused by COVID-19, Haskins was “willing and determined to do whatever he could do to make sure every student was successful by passing the class and getting their CDL-A license.” He described the class as a “career-changing and exciting experience.” 

Student Kaylin Riley, of Creedmoor, faced challenges that he had to overcome. Womack said that he noticed “Kaylin buckling down and getting really serious about improving his driving skills and techniques – which paid off for him because he successfully completed the course and will be getting his CDL-A Driver License.”

Dawn Tucker, Dean of Continuing Education and College & Career Readiness said “Providing these young men and women the training necessary to start a new and rewarding career gives the college GREAT joy and pride! Their ability to persevere, in the midst of a pandemic, and their commitment to successfully completing all the requirements of the program, are clear indications that the best, for them, is yet to come.”

The program includes a combination of classroom instruction, range driving and road driving. With the end of training on June 25, 2020, students have successfully completed their DOT exams, making them eligible for their “Class A” Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL-A) and fully employable as truck drivers.   

VGCC is scheduled to offer another nine-week class starting in August, with a mandatory orientation on July 29. 

The program, offered in collaboration with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), is considered essential to meeting the needs of many companies who need drivers to move goods across the country. Local employers have shown strong support for VGCC’s program and have spoken to students about job opportunities. 

To enroll in the program, students must be at least 18 years old, have a valid North Carolina driver’s license, and be able to read and speak English well enough to take instructions from highway signs, to converse with officials, and to complete the required reports.

For more information on the Truck Driver Training Program, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl/ or contact Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension, at 252-738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

Jeff Bullock, of Henderson, is just one of many examples of the dedicated students in VGCC’s Trucker Driver Training class. Bullock, who works as a third shift engineer, earned a 4.0 grade point average and had perfect attendance. (VGCC photo)

Student Michael Haskins, of Oxford, is another positive example from the Truck Driver class, who also earned a 4.0 grade point average and had perfect attendance. (VGCC photo)

Student Kaylin Riley, of Creedmoor, successfully completed VGCC’s Truck Driver Training course and is now eligible for his CDL-A Driver License. (VGCC photo)

Confederate Monument and Statue Vance County

Town Talk 07/01/20: Call-in, Discussion on Removal of Vance Co. Confederate Statue

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To hear today’s Town Talk segment in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk or click the play button below.

Listen live to Town Talk every Monday – Friday at 11 a.m. at 100.1 FM, 1450 AM or online at www.wizs.com.

To read the WIZS article regarding the Vance County Board of Commissioners’ 4-3 vote to remove the Confederate statue and monument, click here.

Coach's Corner Logo

Coach’s Corner 07/01/20: Orange Co. Speedway Hopeful Fans Can Return for July Race

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Terry Deal, director of operations at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC, appeared on WIZS Coach’s Corner Wednesday.

With two races on the 2020 schedule canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, and one held without fans, Deal is hopeful the next scheduled OCS race on Saturday, July 18, will be a-go with at least some fans in attendance.

The July race is scheduled for the day after the end of NC Governor Roy Cooper’s three-week extension of the Safer at Home Phase 2 plan.

“We had a race without fans, and that’s just not a very good way to race. We hope to have some fans in some capacity at the next race, whether that be at 50 percent or whatever the new rules are at the time,” said Deal.

If the July 18 race is canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Deal said the OCS will look forward to August for scheduled races and shows. To view the race schedule, please visit the newly-designed OCS website at www.ocstrack.net.

“We are holding up as good as anyone else considering the circumstances,” Deal said. “We are just taking it day by day and seeing how it goes.”

Listen to today’s Coach’s Corner audio by clicking the play button above.

Local News Audio

WIZS Local News 07/01/20 Noon

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Local News 8am, 12 Noon, 5pm; M-F

  • Vance County Confederate Statue
  • Vance Virtual Academy
  • Granville County Public School Athletics
  • Vance County Economic Development Commission Director

 

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

COVID-19 Update: Current Numbers; Outbreak at Brantwood Nursing & Rehab

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health and the Warren County Health Department

As of June 30, 2020, there are 813 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 502 cases in Vance County, 160 in Warren County and 64,670 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

Granville County:

There are three outbreaks at congregate living facilities in Granville County: Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, Murdoch Development Center in Butner, NC, and Central Regional Hospital in Butner, NC.

Of the cases in Granville County, 403 are associated with the prisons, five are associated with Murdoch, and two are associated with Central Regional Hospital.

Of the 403 cases in the prison system, 92 have been released from isolation and two individuals with Murdoch have been released from isolation.

Of the 403 community-based cases in Granville County, 247 have been released from isolation and six are hospitalized.

There is an outbreak at Brantwood Nursing and Rehab Center. Two staff members have tested positive but neither reside in Granville County, so they are not included in the Granville County numbers. The center is testing staff and residents regularly.

There have been a total of 21 deaths in Granville County, 19 of whom were with the Bureau of Prisons and one with Central Regional Hospital.

Vance County:

There are two active outbreaks at congregate living facilities in Vance County: Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC, and Senior Citizens Home in Henderson, NC.

There was also an outbreak at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC that is no longer active.

Of the cases in Vance County, 117 are associated with outbreaks at congregate living facilities including 46 cases associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home and 13 associated with Senior Citizens Home.

Of the 117 cases in congregate living facilities in Vance County, 44 have been released from isolation.

Of the 385 community-based cases in Vance County, 171 have been released from isolation.

Eleven individuals in Vance County are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 37 deaths in Vance County, 14 of whom were associated with Pelican Health and 11 of whom were associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Warren County:

There are 160 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases with one known result currently pending. Of the known positive cases, 140 are considered recovered.

No known individuals in Warren County are currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

There have been a total of five deaths in Warren County.

Health Department Information:

GVPH updates its website daily at approximately 5 p.m. with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

GVPH also emails updates about COVID-19 in Granville and Vance counties each evening. You can sign up to receive these emails at www.gvph.org/covid-19.

Warren County Health Department provides COVID-19 updates on its Facebook page (click here). You can also view more information online at www.warrencountyhd.com.

NCDHHS

State Launches Testing Initiative for Nursing Homes

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-Press Release, NCDHHS

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) will partner with Omnicare, a CVS Health company, to make facility-wide testing available to residents and staff in all North Carolina skilled nursing facilities. There are over 400 nursing homes in the state with approximately 36,000 residents and more than 30,000 staff. Testing will begin in July and continue through August.

“We are using every tool we have to respond to COVID-19,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “Building on North Carolina’s early and aggressive actions to protect residents who live in long-term care settings, DHHS will pay for proactive testing of staff and residents in all nursing homes to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

NCDHHS already recommends that nursing homes with one or more cases test all staff and residents. This initiative further makes testing available to all nursing homes to conduct a baseline test of all residents and staff.

“While testing is a key component of our COVID-response strategy, it is important to remember that the actions we take as a result of that testing are most important,” said NCDHHS Section Chief of Chronic Disease and Injury, Susan Kansagra, M.D., MBA. “Testing will enable our skilled nursing facilities to identify positive cases earlier and better determine additional infection prevention and control measures necessary to contain spread.”

“At CVS Health, our testing efforts in nursing homes are just one example of the support we provide to states like North Carolina to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jim Love, President of Omnicare. “With our expert understanding of the long-term care industry, we are deploying solutions to help these critically important health care facilities address their most significant challenges arising from the pandemic.”

CVS Health will bill insurance as possible, and NCDHHS will cover any additional costs for testing. Facilities should continue to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for repeat testing and work with the community and private vendors to support ongoing testing needs.

“We continue to work closely with the state to protect the residents and staff in our skilled nursing facilities. This testing initiative is another example of how the state is providing our facilities with valuable tools and resources,” said Adam Sholar, President and CEO of the NC Health Care Facilities Association.

These actions build on earlier measures North Carolina has taken to protect residents and staff in long-term facilities, including:

  • Issuing Executive Order 138 which codified public health and safety requirements for long-term care facilities, including requiring staff to wear surgical masks and screenings all staff and residents for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 daily.
  • Distributing PPE to over 3,000 state-licensed long-term care facilities, including 14-day supplies of gloves, procedure masks and face shields.
  • Conducting remote infection prevention and control consultation with skilled nursing and other long-term facilities across the state through a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology.
  • Providing targeted funding to support nursing homes and adult care homes to provide the intensive care needed for residents with COVID-19 and limit the spread of the virus to other residents and staff.
  • Providing a toolkit to support long-term care facilities in preparing for and responding to COVID-19 outbreaks in their facility. The toolkit contains an infection control assessment, infection staffing worksheet, infection prevention educational resources and other tools.
  • Helping to fill staffing shortages in long-term care facilities and other health care facilities through a partnership with East Carolina University School of Nursing to match Registered Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants with facilities, particularly long-term care facilities, seeking to urgently hire staff for temporary, part-time or full-time roles. Interested health care employees can register at nc.readyop.com/fs/4cjq/697b.
  • Implementing several temporary regulatory changes to assist providers in caring for their residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, including adopting an emergency rule granting reciprocity to nurse aides certified in other states to work as nurse aides in North Carolina and allowing facilities to exceed the number of licensed beds if needed to provide temporary shelter and services to adequately care for residents with COVID-19.
  • Providing virtual trainings for more than 2,000 staff working in long-term care sites. Trainings are available online at www.ncahec.net/covid-19/webinars.

A list of additional guidance for long-term care facilities can be found here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/guidance#long-term-care-facilities.

For more information about North Carolina’s response to COVID-19, visit nc.gov/covid19.

Sheriff Charles Noblin

Sheriff Noblin Offers Tips for Safe July 4th Weekend

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

With the approach of the July 4th weekend, Granville County Sheriff Charles Noblin asks all residents to join him in making this holiday a safe and enjoyable one.

Traditionally, highways experience one of the highest traffic flows of the year during the July 4th holiday. Sheriff Noblin reminds all Granville County residents to be mindful of these safety tips when driving:

  • Always shift attention every few seconds, constantly scanning the road ahead and behind. Never stare blankly ahead or fix your gaze on one point on the road.
  • When passing a vehicle, always glance at the ground beside the front wheel of the car you intend to pass. That way, you will know instantly if the car is about to veer, giving you an extra few seconds to respond.
  • Also when passing, pull out into the opposite lane of traffic while you are still well behind the car in front. This should give you some time and space to build up speed, and will enable you to pull back into your own lane, should the need arise. 
  • Never cut abruptly out of your lane into the opposite lane. Always signal your intentions with your brake lights, turn signals, horn and/or headlights so that other drivers will see you well before you change course.
  • Always “aim high” in steering, glancing frequently at points well ahead. Not only will this help in steering, but will also help check the position of vehicles in front, as well as oncoming traffic.
  • Never follow too close. Remember that, as speed increases, it takes substantially longer to stop. Also remember that it’s good to have an extra cushion of space in front if you are being tailgated, on a slippery road, or in low visibility conditions.

“I would like to remind all drivers to also practice the ‘Golden Rule’ when driving,” Sheriff Noblin said. “Be courteous and tolerant of other drivers. Let’s make this summer a safe one on our roads.”