Join Franklin County leaders next week for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new 911 Emergency Communications Public Safety Answering Point.
The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the facility, located at 287 T. Kemp Rd., Louisburg.
The Seby Jones Performing Arts Center in Louisburg is the place to be this Saturday evening to hear the N.C. Symphony perform a concert called A Little Night Music.
The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the JPAC, located on the campus of Louisburg College.
In addition to Mozart’s “A Little Night Music,” the symphony will perform other selections, including works from Rossini’s’ “The Barber of Seville” and Bizet’s “Carmen” as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma.”
Tickets are $40 for adults. Seniors and teens, $35 children 6-12 are $10 and children 5 and under get in free.
Purchase tickets online at www.jpacarts.com, by phone at 919.497.3300 or 866.773.6354 or stop by the box office Monday-Friday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The Jones Performing Arts Center is located at 501 N. Main St., Louisburg.
Vance Granville Community College has scheduled a series of “Community Engagement Nights” through its four-county service area to allow individuals to partner with school leaders and plan for the future. The first one is Thursday, Sept. 7 in Warrenton; please RSVP to let college officials know you’re planning to attend.
The discussions will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
VGCC strives to be a catalyst in developing strong communities where everyone can experience a fulfilling quality of life, which comes “through educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success.”
VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and attendees of the events will engage in strategic planning activities, which will help leaders make recommendations about various areas of the institution. Light refreshments will be served.
Attendance at each event is limited; sign up at www.vgcc.edu/events.
Below is a list of the Community Engagement Night sessions:
State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the holiday weekend and beyond as part of the “Labor Day Booze It & Lose It” campaign, so as you plan to enjoy a last summertime hurrah, make sure those plans include having a designated driver. Don’t drink and drive.
Increased patrols and checkpoints will be conducted statewide through Sept. 10, to keep impaired drivers off North Carolina roads. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein helped lead Monday’s kickoff event at the Davidson County Rest Area off Interstate 85 South. “Keeping people safe has to be Job One for all of us,” Stein said. “If you drink and drive, you will get caught. Protect yourself and others – never operate a motor vehicle if you’ve been drinking.”The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign aims to eliminate impaired driving using outreach and stepped-up law enforcement efforts. Nearly every law enforcement agency in North Carolina participates in the 29-year-old campaign. “This Labor Day, we want you to plan ahead by arranging a sober ride home from any festivities that might involve alcohol or other impairing substances,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, a part of the N.C. Department of Transportation. “Law Enforcement will be working extra patrols during this campaign to keep all motorists safe by catching those who don’t heed this message. There’s really no excuse.”
Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal crashes in North Carolina, according to crash data compiled by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. Between 2017 and 2022, North Carolina has averaged more than one alcohol-related vehicle fatality each day. Last year, there were 462 alcohol-related fatalities on North Carolina roads and 16 of those deaths came during the Labor Day period.
Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with a Wake Forest company, has opened up a computer hub at its Franklin Campus to improve the community’s access to technology.
Not only will DigitalBridge provide classes to help individuals learn how to use technology, but the hub is a place where people can come in a get a document printed, for example.
Stephanie Tolbert, VGCC dean of Business, Applied Technologies and Public Services, said the training hub addresses three challenges underserved communities face when it comes to using technology: connectivitiy, affordability and workforce skills training.
The hub is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Franklin Campus, located at 8100 Hwy 56 just outside of Louisburg. Additional times and days are available by appointment, Tolbert noted during Monday’s TownTalk.
They had a ribbon-cutting recently and have placed signs outside and in to direct people to the hub.
“We are ready, willing and able to help,” Tolbert said. “Just come to Franklin Campus and walk right into the lab.”
Let’s say you received a document via email, but you need help printing it, Tolbert said. Stop by the hub and get help making a copy. Or say you want to add a certain technology certification to boost your resume – there are more than 130 courses available in a self-paced format, Erica Hixon said.
And it’s all provided at no cost to the participant, Hixon, DigitalBridge’s project lead, said.
The information is all tailored to the individual, depending on goals and skill levels, Hixon said.
“Training is offered in-person or remote,” she added, with career coaches available to guide their efforts.
Whether it’s learning how to print a document, complete an online application all the way up to learning to write computer code, there’s something for everyone. A simple assessment will help target skill levels, so students won’t have to sit through learning information they already know.
It’s all about helping people get jobs, or get better jobs, while they’re gaining confidence with using technology.
“DigitalBridge is an initiative that serves to meet people where they are,” said VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
The idea for the training hub began when VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais was at a national community college conference on entrepreneurship, Tolbert said. Once Desmarais learned about the Wake Forest group, the links were established and the training hub is the result.
“We had to go all the way to a conference to be introduced to someone in our own backyard,” Tolbert said. Desmarais recognized the need for the community, she said, adding that it’s not just a good partnership for the institution, but also for the community.
Learn about all the services the hub can provide by visiting https://mydigitalbridge.org/ or by calling 919.246.5700.
-information from N.C. Department of Insurance and AAA
More than 1.5 million students across the state started a new school year today and AAA and the N.C. Department of Insurance have some important reminders when it comes to sharing the roads with buses transporting their precious cargo – schoolchildren.
It’s not new information, but the reminders bear repeating this time of year, with school bells ringing in Vance, Granville and Franklin counties. Schools on year-round calendars, charters and Warren County schools have been in session for a few weeks, but many other young people have enjoyed summertime for a bit longer.
N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey also serves as Chair of Safe Kids N.C., and he reminds everyone to keep safety in mind when walking, driving or riding the bus to school.
“We all have an important role to play in keeping our children safe,” said Causey. “Drivers need to be on the lookout for crowded crosswalks and school buses on the road and parents need to talk to their children about the importance of traveling to school safely. It only takes one mistake to cause a tragic injury or death to a child.”
Statistics highlight the need for a call to action. On a typical day, more than 14,000 school buses carrying nearly 800,000 students operate on North Carolina roads. According to DOT, there were 1,075 crashes involving school buses in 2022. A total of 786 people were injured and eight people died.
There were also 5,189 charges for speeding in a school zone and 968 charges for failure to stop for a stopped bus.
In addition to the safety concerns these charges carry, they also hold repercussions to motorists’ auto insurance premiums. Passing a stopped school bus can result in the motorist adding four insurance points to their policy and potentially doubling their auto insurance premiums.
As part of its School’s Open Drive Carefully campaign, AAA reminds motorists to:
Motorists are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and STOP arms extended. The only exception is on a divided highway with a raised divider. Here’s a breakdown of the rules of the road as they relate to buses:
Students who are walking or riding their bikes to school have some important safety reminders as well.
Walkers:
Bicyclists:
-information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James Hicks
Salaries for Franklin County’s Emergency Medical Services staff got a 5 percent bump from county commissioners recently, all part of an effort to boost retention and recruitment.
The board Commissioners approved recommendations from County Manager Kim Denton to increase the pay.
“Franklin County EMS continues to experience challenges that are felt nationwide by EMS systems and healthcare organizations,” Denton said. “EMS works hard every day to answer calls and provide the highest quality care for Franklin County.”
Salary increases are aimed to retain qualified staff and increase recruitment efforts. In addition to increased salaries, Franklin County offers sign-on bonuses for all employees including $1,500 for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), $2,000 for Advanced EMT and $3,000 for Paramedics.
Franklin County also added another 12-hour peak demand shift in the FY24 budget. This second peak demand shift provides additional EMS coverage for hours that experience higher emergency call volumes. Additionally, Franklin County has committed to purchase at least one new ambulance each year because of the supply chain challenges across the nation.
Franklin County is conducting a job fair on Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Franklin Plaza, 279 S. Bickett Blvd., Louisburg. Interested applicants can talk with department representatives about available positions during the job fair.
A slight turn of phrase can provide a whole different perspective on things, and Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais is looking forward to hearing from the wider community as plans for the future develop.
Take the phrase “community college” for example. Change that to “community’s college,” and you gain some insight into plans for an upcoming series of community engagement nights the college is planning.
“We really want to listen to our community,” Desmarais said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. As a way of implementing its new theme, “Your Community, Your College,” Demarais said the meetings are a way to be intentional about creating a plan that will be the best fit for the communities that VGCC serves.
There’s always room for improvement, she said, and getting feedback from these meetings is a good start.
“We don’t want to stop doing something that is helpful,” she said, adding that “feedback is part of the learning process.”
As students in a classroom need feedback on their activities and work, so does an institution like VGCC, she said.
“If you don’t know what you’re doing right or wrong, you’re not learning anything,” she said.
Individuals interested in participating in the meetings are encouraged to RSVP. A link to the sessions is expected to be available on the www.vgcc.edu website Thursday.
Each session will begin at 6 p.m. and will last until about 7:30 p.m. Small groups – each with a VGCC rep and a person taking notes – will discuss various issues related to their community’s needs.
With the understanding that different people and different communities need different things, Desmarais said she wants VGCC to “be a convener and a catalyst” that brings different organizations together to work for common good.
“Little nudges that we each do can have a wonderful ripple effect in the end,” she said.
And that’s the point of the meetings – to point the community’s college in the direction that the community needs and wants in order to grow.
Below is a list of sites and dates for the community meetings:
Daydreaming about the cooler days of autumn, when colorful leaves are beginning to fall to the ground and that little nip in the air has you reaching for your sweater?
Well, those cooler October days are also when folks make plans to attend the North Carolina State Fair – so quit your daydreaming and purchase advance tickets and wristbands now to save a little money!
Advance sales will run through Oct. 12 and are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 6-12. Unlimited ride wristbands are $30 each and can be purchased online. Wristbands are for one day only and vouchers can be redeemed at the Ride Ticket Plazas once the Fair begins. They are not valid for the State Fair Flyer or the State Fair SkyGazer.
“Advance sale tickets are the best prices you will see all year for the State Fair,” said Kent Yelverton, State Fair manager. “Prices increase once the Fair begins, so buy your tickets now especially if you’re bringing a big group.”
This year, ride ticket credits will be placed on a chipped card which will be presented at each ride and will automatically debit the ticket count for that ride. Ride ticket credits will carry over year-to-year.
“Like many other big state fairs, we have decided to make the switch to ride ticket cards for our guests to use,” Yelverton said. “This new system is easy to use and ensures that everyone spends less time in lines and more time enjoying their time at the Fair.”
Other special themed ticket packages offered include:
The 2023 N.C. State Fair will run Oct. 12-22 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The fair offers an experience unique to North Carolina and is an unparalleled value with free entertainment, thrilling rides and games, thousands of animals, endless family activities, competitions, vendors and creative deep-fried delights. For more information, visit www.ncstatefair.org or connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ncstatefair.org.
During the Civil War, Clara Barton was a nurse who tended to wounded soldiers in hospitals. But Franklin County lays claim to another “angel of mercy” who, during that same time, tended to soldiers on the battlefield.
Abby House, known around Old Granville as Aunt Abby House, was born around 1796, and local historian Mark Pace shared some interesting stories about her on Thursday’s tri-weekly TownTalk history segment. House died in 1881 and is buried in her native Franklin County.
House may not be as famous as Barton, who is best known for being the founder of the American Red Cross, but Pace said she’s a good example of a local version.
“She never got married and she was poor, but she made a difference,” Pace told WIZS co-host Bill Harris.
She had no formal education, he said, but she provided what she could to those who needed help, whether it was bringing a dipper of water to a thirsty soldier or blankets from family back home to keep troops warm. Her heart for serving soldiers could have come about because of a personal experience.
During the War of 1812, House learned that her beau, who’d been called into service, was ill in Norfolk. House, who was a teenager at the time, set off to go see him.
“As no other transportation was available, she set off on foot,” Pace said. It’s 180 miles from Franklin County to Norfolk.
Upon her arrival, she learned that not only had he died, but he had been buried the day before. “She turned around and came back,” Pace said.
This sad chapter of House’s life helped chart the course for her future.
By the time the Civil War was underway, a much older House took it upon herself to help, sometimes by “bringing food and supplies and gifts from home to individual soldiers from their families,” Pace said.
Her stern, no-nonsense demeanor, a “feisty” attitude and walking cane combined to “convince” train conductors to allow her to travel at no cost; “they let her go and come as she pleased,” Pace noted.
One of the places she traveled to was Petersburg, reportedly to look after her nephews, two of whom died in the war and five of whom survived.
She was basically destitute by the end of the war, but her good deeds during wartime paid off. A group of former Confederate soldiers, along with other high-ranking political figures in the state, took up a collection and arranged to set her up in a small home on the outskirts of Raleigh near the former fairgrounds.
Gov. Zebulon Vance was one of those politicians. He visited her often, and Pace said there’s a story that goes something like this: In 1872, during Gov. Vance’s second term, he stopped by to visit House. According to his carriage driver, Vance went inside and shortly thereafter, was seen around back, hauling buckets of water into the house.
“She pretty much put him to work,” Pace mused – he may have been governor, but House had a job for him to do and, by golly, he did as she instructed.
In 1876, House attended the state Democratic convention in Raleigh. “She was somewhat involved in politics, which was unheard of at the time,” Pace said.
Paul Cameron, the owner of Stagville Plantation – which made him the largest landowner and largest slaveholder in the state – bid her come sit with him in the crowded space. Among the business that took place during that convention was to nominate Vance as the Democrats’ favorite for a third term as governor.
There was nobody from Clay County, located in the western part of the state, in attendance, and it was decided that House be allowed to cast that county’s vote.
“That is the first recorded incident of a woman casting a vote in North Carolina,” Pace said.
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