Chamber, Rotary Join Forces To Host Nov. 10 “State Of The County” Address

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Join other members of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce and the Henderson Rotary Club for the “State of the County” address and luncheon in November.

The event is the second in a series of informational meetings for community members; the first gathering spotlighted the “state of the city” address.

Speakers for the Nov. 10 program include County Manager Jordan McMillen and County Commissioners’ Chairman Leo Kelly.

The event will be held at Henderson Country Club from 12 noon until 1:30 p.m. The cost per person is $30; reserve a table for eight for $240, according to information from Sandra Wilkerson, director of programs for the Chamber.

The deadline to RSVP is Nov. 4 and Wilkerson said seating is limited, so don’t delay!

Call the office at 252.438.8414, email Wilkerson at sandra@hendersonvance.org at or register online at www.hendersonvance.org

Granville County Library System

Granville Libraries Offer Programs For Children Of All Ages

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-information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

 

 The Granville County Library System is ready to serve residents with a full schedule of programs for the 2022-23 school year. After another successful summer reading program, programs aimed at pre- and school-aged Granville residents are back at all four library branches. Check out the recurring programs hosted by the Library System below to make plans for your children throughout the school year.

Storytime (ages 0-6): Young children and their caregivers enjoy stories, rhymes, games, songs, crafts, and interactive learning at the library. Storytime is offered Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the South Branch Library, Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Richard H. Thornton Library, and monthly on Fridays at 11 a.m. at the Berea Branch Library.

LEGO Club (ages 3-12): Unleash your LEGO creativity! This weekly drop-in program will allow children to create LEGO masterpieces with materials provided by the library. Imagination is required! Lego Club meets Mondays at 4 p.m. at the South Branch and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. at the Thornton Library.

Craft Hour (ages 5-12): Get creative, explore different art mediums, and take home a new project every week! Craft hour occurs on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. at the Stovall Branch Library.

STEAM (ages 5-12): Have you ever wondered how bridges are built or how airplanes fly? Have you ever asked yourself what electricity is or why volcanoes spew lava? Well, if you’re in elementary school, come join us each week as we explore the curious world of science through hands-on experiments. Get creative, get innovative and get ideas for making our world a better place! STEAM meets weekly on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. at the South Branch and weekly on Thursdays at 4 p.m. at the Thornton Library.

Art Fusion (ages 5-14): Do you know someone who lives and breathes art? Join us as we dive into art history and practice different art techniques created by famous artists throughout history! Art Fusion meets monthly on the second Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Thornton Library.

Code Ninjas (ages 5-18): Learn how to code your own animations and games using SCRATCH, a program created by MIT to teach kids how to code! Code Ninjas meets monthly on the fourth Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Thornton  ibrary.

Battle of the Books Book Club (ages 9-17): Part book club. Part competition. All fun! Pick one of three book options to read, then chat about it with friends. Test your knowledge with a Battle of the Books style trivia contest! Battle of the Books Book Club meets monthly on Thursdays at 4 p.m. at the South Branch.

Teen Time (ages 12-18/grades 6-12): Grab your friends and join us for art projects, Cooking 101, monthly

challenges, theme nights, book clubs, and more! Teen Time meets Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. at the Thornton Library.

Game On! (ages 13-18): Board games, card games, video games, and puzzles! Get your game on at the library! “Game On!” meets on Fridays at 2:30 p.m. at the South Branch.

For a full calendar of events, make sure you visit the Granville County Library System website  (https://granville.lib.nc.us/) and check out all the other programs and services offered across the Granville  County Library System.

Berea Branch Library (1211 US Highway 158, Oxford): Tuesday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Thursday 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Oak Hill Express Library (8061 NC Highway 96 North, Oxford): Lockers and book return open 24 hours a day. Deliveries occur on Tuesday.

Richard H. Thornton Library (210 Main Street, Oxford): Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

South Branch Library (1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor): Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Stovall Branch Library and Express Library (300 Main Street, Stovall): Monday – Wednesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Express library lockers and book return open 24 hours a day.

Wilton Express Library (2547 NC Highway 96 South, Franklinton): Lockers and book return open 24 hours a day. Deliveries occur Tuesday and Thursday.

Upcoming Local Blood Drives

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Blood donors this fall play an important role in keeping the blood supply high enough to help patients on blood or platelets, especially ahead of the busy holiday season.

Book a time to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1.800.RED CROSS (1.800.733.2767).

As a thank you, the Red Cross is offering these exciting opportunities for donors:

  • All who come to give through Sept. 30 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a VIP NASCAR racing experience, including two tickets to a 2023 Sport Clips Haircuts-sponsored race of the winner’s choice, round-trip airfare for two, up to a three-night hotel stay, and entry to a Sport Clips racetrack hospitality tent, if available, plus a $750 gift card, thanks to Sport Clips.
  • Those who come to give in September will also receive a coupon for a free haircut by email, also thanks to Sport Clips. Details are available at redcrossblood.org/racetogive.
  • All who come to give Oct. 1-31, 2022, will receive a $5 e-Gift Card by email to a merchant of choice.

Here’s a list of upcoming blood drives in the area:

Henderson

Tuesday, Sept. 27

11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Vance Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road

Thursday, Oct. 6

1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 3892 Raleigh Rd.

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Louisburg

Friday, Oct. 7

11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Louisburg College, 501 N. Main St.

Saturday, Oct. 15

9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Rock Spring Baptist Church, 34 Rock Springs Church Rd.

Boys and Girls Clubs

State Treasurer Folwell Returns $310.58 To BGC Halifax Unit From Unclaimed Property Division

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Donyell “DJ” Jones understands better than most the post-pandemic budgetary and fundraising pressures on nonprofit organizations. That’s why State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, was eager to return missing money to the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central North Carolina, where Jones is chief executive officer.

Jones accepted the $310.58 from the state’s unclaimed property division, commonly called NCCash.com. It may seem a small sum, but every penny counts.

“This funding will support our feeding program, allowing each child to enjoy a hot, healthy meal and a healthy snack each day after school,” Jones said. “On behalf of the over 1,700 kids and teens that we serve each year, we appreciate Treasurer Folwell and his team for their support of our local communities.”

Folwell presented the check to Jones during a visit Thursday to the Halifax unit of the BGCNCNC.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central North Carolina is committed to ensuring that each young person that walks through our doors has the opportunity to realize their full potential. Through supportive relationships with club leaders, a healthy meal, quality programs and activities, or just being in a safe environment, our club members are provided a sense of hope,” Jones said.

“We understand that we cannot achieve this alone and rely on the generosity of our volunteers, donors, and community partners to fulfill our mission. We truly thank the Department of State Treasurer for emphasizing the unclaimed property program and ensuring that organizations like ours have access to the much-needed resources to serve our kids,” Jones said.

“The staff and volunteers provide a unique and valuable service to their community, and even more so in helping to shape, guide and influence the young people with whom they work,” Folwell said. “By nurturing and nudging them into self-discovery and positive pathways, they help club members to see new worlds and imagine exciting possibilities.”

 

For the fiscal year through Aug. 31, UPD has paid 32,129 claims totaling more than $15 million from NCCash. Part of that total has been disbursed through the NCCash Match program, a no-hassle, expedited system that eliminated paperwork processing. As of Aug. 31, DST paid 16,986 Cash Match claims totaling nearly $7.3 million.

Under state law, UPD receives and safeguards funds that are escheated – turned over – to DST. The unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. More information, including how to find out if you are owed money, can be found at https://www.nccash.com/.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Elliott Pleased With Come Back Win

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20-0.  That was the half time score last Friday night and the score wasn’t in favor of the Vance Co. Vipers.  By the time the whistle blew the Vipers had turned the game around and walked off the field with a 28-27 comeback victory to move to 3-2 on the season.  Head Coach Aaron Elliott attributes the win to players trusting the plan that the coaches had laid out for them.  “We made zero adjustments at half time,” Coach Elliott said.  He felt that if the team would work together they could turn the game around.  “The mood was down and a lot of finger pointing was going on at halftime,” Elliott said.  Coach Elliott said he felt that at halftime that the coaches wanted the win more than the players.

That changed in the second half when Nazir Garrett began to connect on passes in his first game back after a two week absence due to a concussion.  Garrett had struggled in the first half as had the Viper defense but it all worked out for the Vipers as they scored 28 points in the second half.  “It was an emotional win,” Elliott said.  Now the Vipers have a week off before taking on Carrboro on Oct. 30th in the first conference game of the season. Elliott gave his team a couple of days off to enjoy the victory but are now focused on a Carrboro team that Elliott says is better than there record would indicate. The extra week off means that players like Sean Alston, who has been injured will be able to return to the Viper lineup.

You can catch all the action next Friday night, Oct. 30 as Vance Co. takes on Carrboro at Viper Stadium. Airtime on WIZS is 6:50pm with airtime at 7pm.

 

The Local Skinny! COVID-19 Update

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Although daily updates about COVID-19 transmission rates, sickness and deaths have evolved to weekly and now monthly updates, Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison’s updates have become regular reminders that although vaccines have reduced the threat of severe illness and worse in the community, the transmission rate in Vance County remains high.

In the latest update, Harrison is quick to point out that health professionals are still dealing with COVID-19 and its repercussions, despite the fact that so much of society has opted for a return to almost normal life.

“Although there is some confusion in the news lately about whether we are still in a pandemic or not, the World Health Organization is the entity that gets to declare when the pandemic is over,” Harrison wrote. In the U.S. and in North Carolina, she added, health officials are more confident in their ability to effectively fight COVID-19.

But we’re entering that time of year where folks are rolling up their sleeves for the seasonal flu shot. Harrison said it’s important to consider getting a COVID-19 booster as well.

“An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for people 12 and older, two months after they finish their primary series, and/or two months after illness from COVID-19. It offers the most up-to-date protection against the latest Omicron variants. Omicron is the most common form of COVID-19 in circulation so this new booster identifies variants related to Omicron,” Harrison stated in the weekly update.

Click Stay up-to-date to learn more.

Whether it’s COVID-19, or the flu, or just the common cold, Harrison said it bears repeating a few simple actions that can reduce spread of any virus germs:

 

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick, and when you are sick.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
  • Consider wearing a mask around other people if you have respiratory symptoms.
  • Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you or your child has trouble breathing or has a sudden onset of limb weakness.
  • Ensure you or your child are following an up-to-date asthma action plan if you or your child have asthma.
  • Stay home when you are sick. Let me say that again: Stay home when you are sick.  One more time for those in the back: Stay home when you are sick.

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Butner Inmate Gets 20 Months For 2020 Escape Attempt

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-information courtesy of the office of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NC

A federal inmate has been sentenced to 30 months for attempting to escape from the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner back in 2020.

According to court documents, Charles Asher, 62, an inmate at FCI Butner at the time of the offense, was found hiding in the bushes – and not in his designated housing unit, as required – on the compound at about 9 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2020, near the exit door of the institution.

“Asher was found with multiple unauthorized items that could be used to effectuate an escape, including: a homemade rope approximately 14 feet in length, gray gloves, a blue mattress cover, and a homemade cardboard replica handgun wrapped with black electrical tape,” according to a press statement from the office of Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Asher had pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the sole count of attempted escape from prison and U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced Asher.

TownTalk: Tyler Fleming’s Junior Shadowing Project

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Whether you know Tyler Fleming from school, swim meets, or First United Methodist Church, one thing’s for certain: The 17-year-old certainly is a wonderful ambassador for an age group that sometimes gets a bad rap.

Tyler, a junior at Kerr-Vance Academy, is smack in the middle of a three-day program called “junior shadowing,” which pairs students with different businesses in the community so they can learn a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes.

Wednesday was Tyler’s first day right here at WIZS, and today, on Day 2, he found himself in front of the microphone on TownTalk. He and John C. Rose talked about high schoolers’ busy schedules, his sports interests and the perks of attending a small school and living in a small community.

Whether it was watching car races and imitating the commentators as a 6-year-old or helping his church create videos during the COVID-19 pandemic, media and communications have held Tyler’s interest for much of his life. And when it came time for him to choose where he wanted to do his junior shadowing, he chose WIZS because “it’s a place where I could explore the world of radio and communications through digital media.”

There are just more than a dozen students in KVA’s junior class, and Tyler said “the goal is that each and every person in the class will do the shadowing.” The community agencies that partner with the junior shadowing project have been very receptive to having high school students come and see how their businesses operate.

“You can get out in the community (in a spot) where you have an interest and you can try things,” he said. “Being able to get somewhere (that) you can at least try it out – that directs us toward our future.”

The junior shadowing program gives students a chance to learn about something new, but it also can help them discern whether their interest in a particular field is something they wish to pursue.

As for Tyler’s experience, he said being a part of a small station has given him a chance for some hands-on learning from seasoned staff. He said time “to learn the small things” that keep a radio station like WIZS on the air – “like planning ahead and thinking about what you’ll be doing over the next few days…planning and dedication -it’s been really nice to have those insights,” Tyler noted.

Planning ahead and dedication are valuable commodities in everyday life as well, he observed. And he no doubt has to call both into play as he balances his academics with extracurriculars. He recently joined the KV cross country team as a way to cross-train for swimming, which he said he took up when he was about 7.

“It’s been a great sport not only to stay physically active, but leading me to other things like lifeguarding,” Tyler said. Swimming competitively keeps him aware of the other swimmers’ capabilities and keeps him hungry to be his best.

Listen to the complete interview at wizs.com

 

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