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County Employees Recognized For Years Of Service

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Several employees have been recognized for their years of service within county government. County Manager presented Cathy Hope, payroll specialist, with a certificate marking her 15-year anniversary. Hope started as an income maintenance caseworker and worked her way up to income maintenance supervisor. She transferred in July to the county’s payroll department.

Tax Administrator Porcha Brooks thanked Sandra Durham and Jonathan Morris for completing five years of service. Durham is a personal property appraiser with the tax office and Morris is a real property appraiser.

Kevin Brown, the county’s first information technology director, recently completed 10 years of service with the county. McMillen presented him with a 10-year anniversary certificate and said that Brown also recently announced his retirement. “We wish him all the best. You will certainly be missed,” a post on the county’s social media site.

Several members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office received certificates for their years of service as well. Sheriff Curtis Brame recognized Lt. C. Welborn for 15 years with the sheriff’s office; Deputies L. Carter and T. Terry join Sgts. J. Marrow and M. Burns with completing five years of service. Maj. J. Shelton, the detention center administrator also was recognized for completing five years of service.

Congratulations for your accomplishments and for working to serve your county and community.

Fire Ant Quarantine Zone Grows To Include All Granville, Most Of Person

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As the imported red fire ant continues its march through North Carolina, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials are expanding the quarantine zone to include all of Granville, as well as portions of Person and Caswell counties, effective Jan. 1, 2022.

That means that residents and business owners in these counties will need to obtain a permit before moving plants, sod and related equipment into or through non-infested areas. Certificates can be obtained from a local plant protection specialist or by contacting the Plant Protection Section at 800-206-9333 or 919-707-3730.

Items requiring a permit include nursery stock, sod, soil, hay and straw, logs or pulpwood with soil, and soil-moving equipment, according to information from NCDA.  Also, the movement of any other products, items or infested materials that present a risk of spread from areas that have fire ants to non-infested areas is prohibited.

“Failure to obtain the needed inspections and certifications may result in the issuance of a stop-sale notice and rejection or destruction of the regulated article,” said Bill Foote, director of the NCDA&CS plant industry division.  “Fire ants can be harmful to humans and livestock. It is important we continue proactive efforts to slow down fire ant movement into non-infested areas of the state.”

Fire ants can be found in the majority of the state’s 100 counties; most recently, fire ants have been confirmed in Jackson and Madison counties in the western part of the state.

The imported fire ant was first identified in Brunswick County in 1957. As it spread and became established, it was recognized as an aggressive pest of farmlands, pastures, residential areas and wildlife, Foote said. The imported fire ant is considered to be a nuisance and a health concern to humans, livestock and wildlife due to its painful sting.

For a map of the quarantine area, visit  https://www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/Plant/entomology/documents/Imported_Fire_Ant_2022_Quarantine_Expansion_Proposal.pdf

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Woodlots

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Got wood? Or, more precisely, small wood lots? If so you may want to develop a management plan for those lots.  “There are over two million acres of woodland holdings in lots of less than 20 acres,” said Wayne Rowland, Vance Co. Extension Agent. The majority of these holdings are owned by 341,000 families and are unmanaged.  These woodlands provide environmental, economical and social benefits to both owners and communities.

According to Rowland, management is a step by step process and developing a management plan is essential for these small lots. He recommends assess the land and the intent to help with development of a management plan.

The basic elements of developing a management plan includes goals and objectives for the property in question, preparing a property map, inventory the property and write a description of the land in question. It also should include activities and a schedule. Additionally, Rowland suggests a legal property description, ownership information, property history and contact information for forestry professional, particularly if they have designed the management plan.  Lastly Rowland says establish priorities for the property based on the type of land it is and what the property owner wants to do with the land.

For more information contact Wayne Rowland at the Vance Co. Extension office at 252-438-8188. You can hear the Vance Co. Extension Report on WIZS at 11:50am Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and the Home and Garden Show on the Local Skinny! with Rowland and Paul McKenzie at 11:30am on Wednesdays.

 

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

The Local Skinny! Louisburg College Graduate with Vance Co. Roots Honored

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A Long Island, NY councilman with local ties got a surprise on Veterans Day from a VFW post whose members he had come to honor for their service.

During his summer vacations to visit his grandmother in Townsville, it’s probably safe to say that Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews didn’t imagine the career path that would take him to Glen Cove, NY on Long Island and playing a role in the politics there.

Those summers in Townsville, which he referred to as “away camp,” were spent working in the tobacco fields. He graduated from Louisburg College in 1981.

In 2020, he was elected to the Glen Cove City Council, which is where VFW Post 347 is located. In recent years, Stevenson-Mathews visits with the local post on Veterans Day to thank them for their bravery and dedication in service to their country, according to a press release about the turn of events for Stevenson-Mathews.

This year, he arrived at the post for the ceremony with “I’m Proud to be a Veteran” lapel pins, which he distributed to each member present, the statement explained. In a surprise twist, prior to the start of their standard service, it was the councilman who was celebrated. The VFW members surprised Stevenson-Mathews with a plaque honoring him for his meritorious and distinguished service to their post.

“I was truly surprised and humbled to be presented with such an important and distinguished honor,” said Stevenson-Mathews. “To be acknowledged by veterans, who sacrificed so much in their own lifetimes is a true honor and will be something I will always cherish.”

Stevenson-Mathews is a public relations consultant as well as an acting and vocal coach and he recently created a Facebook page for the local VFW. He also was one of the first on the scene recently when the post building caught fire. The Facebook page has allowed the post to garner support – and the funds – needed to rebuild, according to VFW member and trustee Joseph Moores.

“Gaitley has been a tremendous help to all veterans, especially our VFW Post 347,” Moores stated.  “He touches base with us before important meetings to ensure our voice will be heard. Gaitley is a loyal friend and we wanted everyone to know how much we appreciate him.”

Stevenson-Mathews, a native of Red Springs, NC, grew up with a strong sense of civic duty, faith, and commitment to community. His family also served in the military. His brother, retired Colonel J. Hunter Mathews, Sr., served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. His father, James H. Mathews Sr., who is originally from Townsville, NC, served in the Navy during World War II and his mother, Jean Gaitley Mathews, served in the Cadet Nurse Corps.

Stevenson-Mathews has not forgotten his North Carolina roots. “I continue to draw on the inspiration of my professors at Louisburg College and thanks to having spent summers in Townsville (NC) as a young teenager, I am appreciative for having seen and learned the value of hard work and of supporting family and community.” “I will always value my years growing up in North Carolina,” said the councilman.

“I knew both of Gaitley’s parents,” said Louisburg resident and former Louisburg College professor Janet Taylor.  “It does not surprise me at all that Gaitley is so committed to his community on Long Island. He was certainly raised with a strong sense of the importance of serving others.

Stevenson-Mathews is the son of the late Jim and Jean Mathews of Red Springs, the nephew of Doris and Lewis Reavis of Warrenton and of the late Alma and Richard Mathews of Henderson, and the grandson of the late Martha Catherine Riggan Mathews of Townsville.

Local Extension Agent Shares Ways To Send Help To Areas Hit By Tornado, Wildfires

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The recent weather events in Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas and other Midwestern states have left devastation in their wake. Kim Woods, N.C. Cooperative extension livestock agent for Granville and Person counties shares a list of resources to help the ravaged areas rebuild.

“Many of you may have been wondering if there is anything that we in North Carolina can do to help our fellow ag folks in Kentucky and Tennessee after the devastating tornado outbreak in those states or the wildfires in Kansas,” Woods wrote in an email right before Christmas.

In Kentucky:

  • Donate money to the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation. All donations will be used to help local producers in need of farm supplies. These donations can be made by calling 859.278.0899 using the Paypal app at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=56JBAJJYC3RDQ.
  • Mail a check to: KY Cattlemen’s Foundation Attn: Tornado Relief 176 Pasadena Drive, Suite 4,  Lexington, KY 40503In Tennessee:
    • The Tennessee Farm Bureau established a fund to help farmers and ranchers who incurred damage to homes, farms or personal property.

    In Kansas:

    • The Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Livestock Foundation are assisting ranchers who were affected by fires and high winds across the state in mid-December. To provide monetary donations, click here. Donations may be tax deductible and 100 percent of all donations will be distributed to producers whose operations were damaged by the fires.

 

Vance Citizen Of The Year Nominations Due By Jan. 6, 2022

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There’s still time to nominate a resident of Vance County to be considered for the 2021 Citizen of the Year, and Henderson-Vance Chamber officials encourage the community to consider making a nomination by the deadline of Jan. 6.

“This distinguished award is presented at the Chamber membership meeting and banquet held each year in January,” according to Chamber official Sandra Wilkerson.

This year’s meeting is scheduled to b be held Jan. 27, 2022 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.  Invitations and more information on the banquet will be emailed out to chamber members in January.

Contact the chamber office to get a nomination form, which also lists criteria for candidates. Call 252.438.8414, visit the website https://hendersonvance.org/ or drop by the office 414 S. Garnett St., Henderson to get more information.

Granville County Chamber of Commerce

Granville Chamber Announces Slate Of Officers for 2022

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce nominating committee has announced its proposed slate of officers and board of directors for 2022, according to Chamber Executive Director Lauren B. Roberson. The bylaws allow for additional nominations by petition, but if none are received within the required time frame, the nominations will be closed and the slate of candidates will be considered elected.

Installation of the executive committee will take place at the annual banquet and the new officers will begin their roles in February.

Below are results of the nominating committee’s report:

  • President, Dan DiCarlo with Creedmoor Forest Products;
  • President-elect, Reba Bullock, VGCC;
  • Vice-President, Larry Wilson, Lewis Electric of Oxford;
  • Treasurer, Jason Finch, Union Bank;
  • Past-President, Cecilia Wheeler, VGCC.

Following are the board of directors slate:

Terms expire 2022: Andrew Swanner, Oxford Preparatory School; John Snow, Granville Health System

Terms expire 2023:  Sandra Pruitt, Granville Insurance Agency; Stan Winborne, Granville County Public Schools

Terms expire 2024:   Ruth Ann Bullock, Legal Shield; Eddie Caudle, Oxford Car & Truck

Warren County Government Holiday Schedules

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Warren County government offices, facilities, and services will be closed for the holidays and announce the following schedules regarding hours of operation:

  • Warren County government offices, including County Administration – closed today (Thursday), through Monday, Dec. 27; and also will be closed on Friday, Dec. 31;
  • Warren County Memorial Library – closed through Monday Dec. 27; and closed on Friday, Dec. 31;
  • Warren County convenience centers: will close tomorrow (Friday) at 12 noon through Monday, Dec. 27, and also will be closed Saturday, Jan. 1.

Visit warrencountync.com to learn more.

This information comes from Charla Duncan, community & economic development director and senior assistant to the Warren County manager.