Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Supervision And Safety, Pt. 3
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VGCC To Offer Students Access To Virtual Textbooks, Course Materials Beginning Spring 2024
-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel
Vance-Granville Community College is making course materials more affordable and accessible for students. November 3 the college announced the launch of the new VGCC Textbook+ initiative, which lowers the cost of learning materials through a partnership with textbook publisher Cengage. Beginning in the spring 2024 semester, students will be able to access digital Cengage course materials through the Moodle platform starting on the first day of class.
“With textbook prices rising every year, VGCC wants to help students with the cost as much as possible,” said Dr. Kim Sepich, vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success at Vance-Granville. “We want our students to have what they need as quickly and as economically as possible, and VGCC Textbook+ makes this happen.”
VGCC’s Textbook+ initiative provides Cengage Unlimited Institutional subscriptions to students, which allows first-day access to a virtual library of thousands of e-books, online learning platforms and study materials covering hundreds of college-level subject areas in one place at a single price. Vance-Granville is helping its students save hundreds of dollars per semester on textbooks and course materials with the addition of the Cengage Unlimited Institutional program.
“Cengage has made a significant commitment to lowering course materials costs for students,” said Edwin Robles, senior vice president and general manager of U.S. Higher Education and Canada at Cengage. “Vance-Granville Community College shares this commitment. Working together, we will support VGCC students by making education more affordable and accessible for all.”
Since its August 2018 launch, Cengage Unlimited has helped more than 5.2 million students save nearly $630 million on the cost of course materials, with $230 million of that savings coming directly from institutional partnerships. For more information on institutional partnerships for Cengage Unlimited, visit www.cengage.com/institutions.
Oak Level UCC Hosts Community Program Saturday
Oak Level United Church of Christ in Manson is hosting a program on Saturday, Nov. 11 for the community to come out and learn about how to help young people stay safe from gangs, drugs and gun violence.
It’s called “Around the Table – Substance in the Community,” and Rayenna Wimbush said the two-hour event is free to attend and will begin at 10 a.m.
Guest speaker is Debbie Scott, who will share strategies to help those struggling with addiction, as well as identifying gangs in the community and putting a stop to gun violence.
Plan to be entertained with song, praise dance and more, Wimbush said.
Refreshments will be served.
The church is located at 5631 Jacksontown Rd., Manson.
Greg Hicks New Assistant Commissioner of N.C. Forest Service
A Granville County resident who has worked with the N.C. Forest Service for more than 20 years has been named its assistant commissioner.
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the promotion of Greg Hicks was effective Nov. 1.
Hicks had been assistant commissioner overseeing operations at the forest service. He replaces Scott Bissette, who is retiring. “I am always pleased to have well-qualified and dedicated staff members step into new leadership roles at the department,” Troxler said. “Hicks has been employed with the N.C. Forest Service for more than two decades serving in nine different roles and in that time has worked at the district, regional and central office levels. I am confident in his ability to understand the many roles of the N.C. Forest Service and build on the lifelong relationships he has made as a career employee.”
Hicks received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from the College of Forest Resources at N.C. State University in 1998 and began his career with the forest service in 1999. In his first role, he was based in New Bern and assisted with the four counties that had been heavily impacted by Hurricane Fran. He also has worked as a service forester, an assistant district forester, assistant regional forester, fire chief and assistant state forester.
Oxford Elects Guillermo Nurse Mayor
Oxford elected Guillermo Nurse to be its mayor Tuesday, making him the first Black mayor in the city’s history.
Nurse got 1,090 votes to Debbie Ramsey’s 461.
There were seven candidates running for three Town Commissioners spots. The top three vote-getters were two newcomers – Carlos Velez and Curtis McRae – and one incumbent, John Tovey.
Velez got 771 votes, McRae got 694 and Tovey received 657 votes.
In Stovall, two newcomers joined incumbent Jeff Stovall to take the three seats on the Stovall board of commissioners. Stovall got 72 votes to keep his seat on the board; Ricky Sneed Sr. got 65 votes and Angelina Cromer got 46 votes from a field of five candidates.
View complete results from Tuesday’s elections at https://er.ncsbe.gov/
TownTalk: Elliott Wins Runoff For Henderson
Henderson voters have elected Melissa Elliott to be the city’s next mayor, creating a historic moment on two fronts: The Mayor-Elect will be the first woman and the first Black to lead the city.
Tuesday’s runoff election was the last piece of the puzzle that provides a complete picture of city leadership; four City Council members were elected in the Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections, but the mayor’s race was undecided until Tuesday’s runoff.
Traditionally, the new Council members and the mayor will be sworn in at the December meeting, which is set for Monday, Dec. 11.
As Elliott said in an interview with WIZS News Tuesday evening, she will only move one seat to the left in December; until she takes the mayor’s chair, she represents the Ward 3 at-large seat on the City Council.
New Council members elected on Oct. 10 include:
- Ward 1: Geraldine Champion
- Ward 2: Sam Seifert
- Ward 3 at-large: Michael Venable
- Ward 4 at-large: Tami Walker
Almost 10 percent more voters turned out for Tuesday’s runoff election than in the Oct. 10 municipal election, which included four City Council seats in addition to the mayor’s race.
As WIZS reported Tuesday night, Elliott got 1,527 votes (56.35 percent) to Etheridge’s 1,183 (43.65 percent).
Yesterday’s turnout was about 29 percent, compared with about 20 percent in the October election. A runoff was called for when no candidate received the 50 percent plus 1 vote needed to claim the win outright.
Middleburg re-elected its mayor to another term Tuesday. Ray Bullock was elected with 25 votes. He ran unopposed. Shirley Bullock got 18 votes, Hazel Baskett got 11 votes and Mamie Turner got 14 votes to fill three seats on the Town Council.
But Kittrell Mayor Jerry Joyner was upset in Tuesday’s election by Gene Pulley who got 16 write-in votes, according to information Wednesday from Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin.
Susan Pulley got 25 votes, Mary Jo Floyd got 19 and Robert Tunstall got 17 votes to fill the three City Council seats.
Cocklin said the election results remain unofficial until the canvass is completed on Nov. 17.
Find a link to all election results at https://er.ncsbe.gov/
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Home And Garden Show
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
- Drain water out of any sprayers or pumps.
- Spend some time on equipment maintenance.
- Harvest any mature fruits or vegetables today
- Continue planting.
- Bring indoors any plants that might freeze.
- Check houseplants for repotting.
- November is a great time to collect your Soil Samples when we get some rain. 2 week analysis time.
- Research fruit crops.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 11-08-23 Noon
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WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Melissa Elliott Makes History As First Female, First Black Mayor
Henderson voters have elected Melissa Elliott as their next mayor, making her the first female and the first Black to lead the city.
Elliott, a member of the Henderson City Council, defeated political newcomer Greg Etheridge in Tuesday’s runoff election by 344 votes.
WIZS News called the race just before 8:30 p.m., an hour after the polls closed. Elliott garnered 1,527 votes, compared to Etheridge’s 1,183 votes from the city’s nine precincts.
Elliott joined WIZS News in the studio shortly after 9:15 p.m. to discuss the historic win.
“I’m elated…overwhelmed with joy,” Elliott said, of the election outcome.
She thanked her opponent for what she called a “high-spirited campaign,” and she thanked those who voted for her.
“I am a servant leader,” Elliott said, and she plans to serve the community at-large and all people.
“Everyone was so wonderful…so much encouragement,” she said. There were “so many people that wouldn’t allow me to quit. I’m thankful for this historic moment in time,” but she said she also looks to the future for the city.
When reached by phone after all precincts had reported, Etheridge said he was disappointed with the outcome.
“The voters have spoken,” he told WIZS News in a telephone interview.
He said he and his supporters handled themselves respectably during the campaign, but added that he hasn’t “seen a sense of urgency to have any plan whatsoever on how to make things safer (or) more affordable for anybody” in the city.
His vision for the city is still alive, he said. “How we accomplish it is just going to be a little different.”
TownTalk: Maria Parham Health Seeks To Bolster Nursing Staff
Are you a nurse looking for a change of scenery? Or maybe you’re a nursing student who is looking ahead for employment after the classwork is complete. Then again, if you feel like nursing is your true passion and you’re ready to make a career change, there’s an event coming up on Thursday, Nov. 16 just for you.
Ryan Randall, market Human Relations recruiter for Maria Parham Health and Person Memorial in Roxboro was a guest on Tuesday’s TownTalk and shared details about the upcoming nursing social recruitment event.
Current nurses, CNAs and CMAs are invited to come to Maria Parham Women’s Care, 1209 S. E. Industry Dr. next week from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to learn about employment opportunities offered at Maria Parham in Henderson, Maria Parham Franklin in Louisburg and Person Memorial Hospital in Roxboro.
“There are numerous opportunities – both clinical and non-clinical roles,” Randall said. Visit the hospital websites to find current job postings.
Whether you’re a nurse with lots of experience, or a student looking for that first job after completing a nursing program, the possibilities are out there, Randall said.
Representatives will be on hand during the event to share information about salaries, sign-on bonuses, tuition assistance programs and more.
No matter the industry, Randall said “there is a massive need for people that have incredible talents.” Nursing is no exception.
But Randall wants prospective employees to know about Maria Parham Health. “This place is truly special,” he said, “and we’re just trying to get the word out.”
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