Entries by Laura Gabel

TownTalk: History of Kerr Lake, Part 2

(Photo courtesy R.F. Timberlake – Kerr Lake Park Watch on Facebook and Shutter Art Gallery) •••••••••••••••••••• Kerr Lake covers about 50,000 acres when it’s at normal elevation, but if the lake level were to reach its maximum elevation of 320 feet above sea level, the lake would more than double in size. In short, Kerr […]

The Local Skinny! Vance County Grapples With Employee Discontent

A recent survey of county employees conducted by the UNC School of Government has turned up several areas of discontent, which county officials are hopeful could be eased by providing targeted training opportunities and following recommendations from the surveyor. Three focus groups totaling 23 county employees were convened during the week of May 24 of […]

TownTalk: VGCC Offers 8-Week Terms To Adapt, Respond To Students’ Needs

Whether they come to learn job skills or start their journey toward earning a college degree, students at Vance-Granville Community College have some interesting options when it comes to the length of time they take to complete a class. It’s called “compressed learning,” and VGCC director of Advising & College Success Amy O’Geary discussed some […]

TownTalk: The Barefoot Movement Presses Onward

Noah Wall apologized for her scratchy-sounding voice. “I sang all weekend,” Wall told Town Talk host Bill Harris Monday. “I’m exhausted – in the best way.” Wall, lead singer and fiddle player for The Barefoot Movement, is just back from performing at MerleFest, a popular bluegrass-and-more festival in western North Carolina. The band will perform […]

The Local Skinny: National Opioid Settlement to Have Impacts Locally

The proposed $26 billion settlement with drugmaker Purdue Pharma for its involvement in the national opioid crisis could have a ripple effect that would help fund future opioid crisis intervention programs locally. In 2020, it is estimated that 70 percent of drug overdoses involved opioids. Twenty-eight states in the U.S. saw at least a 30 […]

Amy Rice Will Continue to Serve Schools/Community in District Leadership

The Granville County Board of Education approved personnel changes Monday, moving a high school principal to a district-level position. Amy Rice, principal at J.F. Webb High School, will lead the district’s testing and accountability, as well as coordinate K-12 Science, the arts and STEM programs. Rice replaces Beth Cook, who will retire later this month […]