VGCC Logo

VGCC Partners With FTCC To Give Students Access To Funeral Service Education

/by

– Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Vance-Granville Community College is teaming up with one of its sister schools on an innovative hybrid program, paving the way for new career opportunities in its four-county service area.

VGCC has partnered with Fayetteville Technical Community College to bring FTCC’s Funeral Service Education program to students in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. FTCC runs the only funeral service program of its kind in North Carolina, which is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education and led by licensed funeral professionals.

“This is extremely relevant to our area,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “We really want to open this up as a possibility.”

The agreement allows VGCC students to take general education courses close to home before applying to transfer into FTCC’s funeral service program. Much of the program’s specialized instruction is offered online and can be completed remotely. Students must complete certain practical requirements in labs at FTCC or during work-based learning at a local funeral home, and they will be required to visit FTCC in person a few times to demonstrate or learn key funeral service skills.

FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells noted that the program offers VGCC students the opportunity to accomplish much of their education without having to travel the distance to Fayetteville. “We think that’s a tremendous advantage and a way that we, as the only funeral service program in the state, can extend that service out into the rural areas and the small- to medium-sized colleges that have a lot of employment demand and need,” he said.

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, who owns three funeral homes in Vance and Granville counties, was one of several industry professionals to attend the partnership’s signing ceremony in Henderson. “The more people locally we can get who consider going into this industry, the more likely funeral homes will stay family-owned,” Sossamon said. “I think that’s a valuable thing.”

Vance-Granville is the fifth community college in the North Carolina Community College System to partner with Fayetteville Tech’s funeral service program.

 

 

 

TownTalk: RAM Clinic Returning To Henderson In February

/by

The Duke RAM clinic is returning to Henderson later this month to provide free health, vision and dental care for patients in the community.

RAM stands for Remote Area Medical, and this year marks the third year in a row that the clinic has come to town. Clinic volunteers will set up shop once again at Vance Charter School on Ross Mill Road on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18. The clinic doors open at 6 a.m. each day to provide care, from routine exams to dental cleanings and extractions, as well as eye exams and eyeglasses. The clinic runs to 4 p.m. on Saturday and until 12 noon or 1 p.m. on Sunday

“We hope to be bigger and better than the last two years,” said Duke junior Anvi Sharvu, one of the event organizers.

Sharvu, a biology and sociology major, has been involved with RAM ever since she arrived at Duke and said she’s excited to see how many patients will get much-needed medical, dental and vision care during the two-day clinic.

She and Duke senior Sajan Patel were guests on Wednesday’s TownTalk to share details about the upcoming event.

Patients can start lining up at 12 midnight on Friday before the clinic opens on Saturday, and Patel said the clinic has “the capacity to see a lot of patients this year, especially on the dental side,” thanks to a team of dentists and student dentists from the
ECU Dental School.

“I’m a graduating senior,” Patel said, adding that he’s been involved with RAM since he’s been a student at Duke. He will graduate in the spring with degrees in biology and global health.

“I’m really excited and proud of our entire team,” he said.

Volunteers from other agencies including the local Granville Vance Public Health and other health care professionals, the duo said the clinic should be able to see even more patients than last year.

Sharvu said the need for essential health care remains high, especially in rural or underserved areas. “We just want to make sure more people can get care,” she said. Last year’s clinic provided dozens of dental cleanings, hundreds of tooth extractions and distributed 140 pairs of glasses.

The clinic requires no insurance or ID; there’s a questionnaire to fill out when you arrive, but even that’s optional, they say.

There will be other agencies on hand to provide resources for patients, including N.C. Legal Aid representatives who can help answer questions about Medicaid and Medicare. N.C. Harm Reduction also will be on site with free Narcan and instructions about how to use it in case of an overdose emergency.

And the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina will be giving away fresh produce.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Home And Garden Show

/by

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Get your equipment ready to start seeds indoors, Grow lights, media, starting trays
  • Ok to begin pruning ornamental trees, but only if they need it (mention CM).
  • Clean and sharpen your pruning equipment
  • Plant blueberries. Consult NCSU recommendations.
  • Check your house plants for disease and insects,dust with a soft cloth
  • Treat lawns for broadleaf weeds as soon as weather is favorable.
  • Check stored fruits and vegetables
  • Avoid using lawn fertilizer that is combined with an insecticide.
  • Check storage areas for mice.
  • Time your seed starting carefully.

Click Play!

 

One Arrest Made After Shots Fired Into Vehicle; No Injuries Reported

/by

-information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Henderson Police responded to a call Monday about noon that someone had discharged a weapon into a vehicle. No one was injured in the incident.

According to a statement from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, officers determined the initial interaction originated on Ruin Creek Road and a weapon was discharged into a vehicle just outside the city limits on Tiny Broadwick Road.

Through descriptions given, the investigators were able to determine the suspect vehicle and in turn, identify the suspect. Terrence C. Fox, 58, of Vance County was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon into occupied property. Fox received a $60,000 secured bond and was remanded to the local jail.

The car that was fired into was occupied by two minors.

“Innovative Schools Night” Set For Wednesday, Jan. 31 At Center For Innovation

/by

Information courtesy of VCS Chief Communications Officer Aarika Sandlin

Parents of school-age children are invited to attend an Innovative Schools Night for Vance County Public Schools to learn more about the district’s five innovative schools.

The information session will be held Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Center for Innovation, 219 Charles St., Henderson.

Applications for the five schools – E.M. Rollins STEAM Academy, STEM Early High, Vance County Early College, Advance Academy, and Vance Virtual Village Academy – will be accepted through Feb. 29 and decisions will be mailed out on Mar. 28, according to information on the district website.

Find the application at vcs.k12.nc.us or click the link “Innovative Schools Application” to download the form.

VGCC Logo

Youth Honor Band Concert Friday, Feb. 2 At VGCC Civic Center

/by

Vance Granville-Community College will host its second annual Youth Honor Band concert on Friday, Feb. 2 at the college’s Main Campus Civic Center in Henderson.

Last year’s inaugural event was for musicians from local high schools, but it was so successful that this year’s concert will include musicians from several local middle schools as well, said VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

The participants, representing schools in Vance, Granville and Franklin counties, were nominated by their respective band directors for their musical talent and passion. They will gather for the first time to rehearse Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. They’ll come together for the concert at 6:30 p.m.

The performance is free and open to the public; family, friends, and community members are encouraged to come support these talented students and the schools they represent, Cissel stated.

This event was planned by a committee comprised of faculty and staff from VGCC, area band directors, area school administrators, local business owners and other community members. Brian D. Miller, VGCC music instructor and Community Band director, will lead the high school band; Sherri M. Damon, music instructor at Oxford’s Credle Elementary School, will lead the middle school band.

The student musicians will learn new songs especially for this event. Music selections had not yet been finalized at the time of publication, but event organizers offered a preview of what songs attendees might hear: “The Tempest” (Robert W. Smith), “Bach: Two Joyous Chorales” (arr. Anne McGinty), “Military Escort march” (Harold Bennett), “American Youth Overture” (Floyd St. Clair), and “Air for Band” (Frank Erickson).

To learn more about the VGCC Honor Band or Fine Arts at Vance-Granville Community Colleg, contact  Betsy Henderson, department chair of Fine Arts & Humanities, at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3371.

Alyssa Blair Joins Franklin Co. Economic Development Dept.

/by

Alyssa Blair is joining Franklin County’s Economic Development Department as an economic development specialist.

Blair begins her new role in Franklin County on Feb. 5, following more than four years with the City of Oxford, where she had most recently worked as the city’s downtown development director.

“I am thrilled to join a strong, developing team and to not only work alongside dedicated individuals but to also serve the Franklin County community,” Blair said in a press release issued Tuesday by Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks, III.

In her role as downtown development director, Blair oversaw the NC Main Street Program in Oxford and had also been executive director of the Downtown Oxford Economic Development Corporation. Before that, she was a communications specialist for the city.

“The diverse experience Alyssa brings will be of great value to our business community and the economic development initiatives for Franklin County,” said Franklin County Economic Development Director Barbara Fiedor. “We are excited she will be joining our team and look forward to her arrival.”

Blair has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a dual master’s degree in public administration and conflict management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Konstanz in Germany. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in public administration from the UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill.

TownTalk: Events In Granville County

/by

Most coffee and tea drinkers have a favorite cup they reach for each day, but there’s a good chance they’re always looking for that “next” perfect vessel for a morning brew or afternoon cuppa. Cedar Creek Gallery in Creedmoor has an exhibit called “CUPful – Celebrating the Daily Ritual” that will run through Feb. 25 to showcase handcrafted pottery from near and far.

Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen shared a laundry list of upcoming events in the area, from Creedmoor and Stem to Oxford.

Visit https://cedarcreekgallery.com/ to learn more.

On Friday, Feb. 9, the Orpheum in Oxford will transform to host a local version of Mardi Gras, a fundraiser for the Granville County unit of the Boys & Girls Club.

“It is a party with a purpose,” Allen said. Things crank up at 6:30 p.m. to welcome partygoers for an evening of fun, complete with heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and a silent auction.

Tickets are $75.

Wear your favorite cocktail attire, a Mardi Gras mask, she said, “and you know there’s gonna be some beads there,” she said.

The next evening, Saturday, Feb. 10, Thorndale Oaks is hosting a murder-mystery dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening’s theme is “A Country Fried Caper,” Allen said, and the evening will include a cast of characters that could best be described as a group of “ off-the-wall country music stars,” one of whom will not make it through the evening.

Tickets are $65 and includes a full dinner. Allen said the evening’s events unfold throughout the different dinner courses.

Call Thorndale Oaks at 919.603.3701 to reserve your seat at the table.

If whodunits aren’t your style, perhaps a quarter auction to support the local Dogs Deserve Better organization is more to your liking. The “Puppy Love” fundraiser will be held at The Barn at Vino on Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This event has proved to be quite popular, Allen said, and she recommends getting your tickets soon. Find a link to purchase tickets at https://visitgranvillenc.com/

“It’s a wonderful organization and every year, they show these fur babies some love,” she said. In addition to a couple of food trucks on site to satisfy everyone’s appetites, there will be 65 different raffle baskets available, a 50/50 raffle and additional vendors who will be selling different items through the evening.

Some upcoming events in March include:

  • Saturday, Mar. 2 – Spring Granville Wedding and Event Expo – Creedmoor Community Center. Donations for ACIM food bank will be accepted during this event, so bring a can of food or other shelf-stable food to contribute to this worthy cause.
  • Saturday, Mar. 16 – Granville Ambulance Chase and Food Truck Rodeo – After a hiatus due to COVID-19, Granville Health System is bringing this fun event back to Oxford. Walk or run and then kick back for food and live music. Visit ghsambulancechase.org for all the details.
  • Saturday, Mar. 16 – Head over to Thorndale Oaks to catch comedian Dan Grueter. Visit the Thorndale Oaks Facebook page to get tickets. There will be appetizers available and a cash bar.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 23, 24 – the third annual Viking Experience, which will take place at The Barn at Vino from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Participants can immerse themselves in all things Viking. People have come from all across the country to attend this two-day event, Allen said. Visit https://www.thevikingexperiencenc.com/
  •  for details about ticket prices, schedules and more.

The county’s tourism website, www.visitgranvillenc.com has a complete listing of all the events happening in and around Granville County.

 

 

The Local Skinny! Rebuilding Hope Uses Crosses To Help Get The Message Out

/by

In the February newsletter, local nonprofit organization Rebuilding Hope shines a spotlight on a volunteer whose creativity adds a special touch to the work that goes into building wheelchair ramps and other home repair projects across the area.

Van Splinter makes wooden crosses, which the Rebuilding Hope volunteers have been distributing when they’ve gone out into the community to do their work.

“From the beginning of the ministry we’ve presented a Bible,” Rebuilding Hope coordinator Randolph Wilson said in the newsletter story. “The generosity of Van Splinter has added greatly to the ministry.”

Splinter, himself retired from his job in construction, said he heard about Rebuilding Hope and its mission when Wilson came and spoke at Splinter’s church, Rock Spring Baptist Church, in Townsville.

He estimates that he’s given away as many as 500 of his hand-crafted crosses, each about a foot tall, and he keeps a good supply in his truck to give away. He’s also made a smaller version for each active member of his church.

The crosses are made from scrap lumber, but he also makes flags, serving trays, cutting boards and more that he sells. He puts all his proceeds from sales of those items toward buying more materials.

You can find Splinter most Saturdays at his roadside stand in Townsville.

Learn more about Rebuilding Hope at  www.Rebuildinghopeinc.org.

CLICK PLAY!