Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers to Perform at McGregor Hall – June 9

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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

The McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center will feature The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Show starts at 2 p.m.

A Part of the Music at McGregor Series

The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers, founded in 1998 by Joel F. Reed, promote choral artistry by modeling the highest quality choral standard and performing a breadth of literature, including music from the southern Appalachian region.

The McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center will feature The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Show starts at 2 p.m. Photo courtesy the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center.

The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers are currently 25 singers who rehearse monthly in preparation for the ensemble’s performances. Many of the members are professional musicians, working in public and private schools, colleges and churches. Others are professionals from the business and medical communities who reside in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and are, for the most part, alumni and retired faculty of Mars Hill University.

The ensemble has performed regularly in the North and South Carolina areas including conferences of North Carolina American Choral Directors Association and National Association for Music Education.

Tickets may be purchased by:

DROP IN: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m

CALL: (252) 598-0662 (M-F 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

CLICK HERE: www.McGregorHall.org  (Use the eTix official site, online fees apply)

(This is not a paid advertisement)

National Weather Service

Hurricane Preparedness Week: Complete Your Written Hurricane Plan

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-Information courtesy Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

THIS WEEK IS NORTH CAROLINA’S HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

All week long, the National Weather Service has issued informative messages to help you prepare for the hurricane season. Today’s topic, the final in the series for this year’s hurricane preparedness week, is complete your written hurricane plan.

The time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins – when you have the time and are not under pressure. If you wait until a hurricane is on your doorstep, the odds are that you will be under duress and will make the wrong decisions. Take the time now to write down your hurricane plan. Know where you will ride out the storm and get your supplies now. You don’t want to be standing in long lines when a hurricane warning is issued. Those supplies that you need will probably be sold out by the time you reach the front of the line.

Being prepared, before a hurricane threatens, makes you resilient to the hurricane impacts of wind and water. It will mean the difference between being a hurricane victim and a hurricane survivor.

Here are some things to know about completing a written hurricane plan:

• Writing down your plan will ensure you don’t make mistakes when faced with an emergency.

• Document all of your valuables and possessions with a camera or video camera well before the storm.

• Gather all vital documents, like passports and medical records, and put them somewhere that you can quickly access.

• Make planning and preparedness a family affair to ensure everyone knows what to do.

• Don’t forget to include your pets in your plan.

• Every plan should include gathering non-perishable emergency supplies and assembling a disaster supply kit.

• Share your plan with others in your family, and have an out-of-state friend as a family contact who knows your plan and where you will go during a disaster, so all your family members have a single point of contact.

To make developing your family emergency plan easy, be sure to download a free template that is available online at https://readync.org.

For more information about hurricane preparedness, please visit the following web sites:

• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare

• https://www.readync.org

New VGCC President to Address Graduates as College Celebrates 50 Years

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who earlier this year became the seventh president of Vance-Granville Community College, will serve as the principal commencement speaker for the college’s graduation exercises on Friday, May 10, 2019. As VGCC celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Desmarais follows in the footsteps of the school’s first president, Dr. Donald Mohorn, who was the commencement speaker at the first such ceremony, back in 1970.

Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who earlier this year became the seventh president of Vance-Granville Community College, will serve as the principal commencement speaker for the college’s graduation exercises on Friday, May 10, 2019. (VGCC Photo)

Jose Angel De Leon of Henderson, president of the VGCC Student Government Association, will be the student speaker.

Nearly 500 students are scheduled to be honored during ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. For those unable to attend the event in person, VGCC will broadcast a live video feed from the ceremony online on its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/VanceGranvilleCC).

The VGCC Board of Trustees selected Dr. Desmarais to become the college president in December 2018, while she was serving as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forsyth Technical Community College.

Once a student at Forsyth Tech, Desmarais became an adjunct instructor at the community college from 1996 to 1999 while also working in the private sector. She joined Forsyth Tech full-time in 2002 and served in a variety of academic and administrative roles over the next 16 years.

Jose Angel De Leon of Henderson, president of the VGCC Student Government Association, will be the student speaker. (VGCC Photo)

Desmarais earned her doctorate of philosophy in instructional design and technology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., in 2015 after getting her master’s of science in information technology management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2003. She earned a bachelor of music degree in voice performance from Mars Hill College in 1992.

She was also among fewer than 40 aspiring and emerging community college presidents nationwide who were chosen for the Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence in 2017-2018.

De Leon is graduating from VGCC with a degree in Criminal Justice Technology. A graduate of Norlina Christian School, he has earned Dean’s List and President’s List honors at the college and has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

De Leon plans to continue his education at North Carolina Central University, where he will complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. His long-term plan is to earn his Ph.D. in criminal justice or criminology and become a college professor.

Students serving as graduation marshals will be Caroline Williamson of Bullock; Ebony Cotton of Franklinton; Hannah Edwards, Evin Swilley, April Zuniga-Trejo and Leslie Zuniga-Trejo, all of Henderson; Gricel Arroyo of Louisburg; Miranda Brown of Oxford; Rana Alashmali of Timberlake; and Ronnie Brodie, Jr., of Wake Forest.

 

April Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson

Caroline Williamson of Bullock

Ebony Cotton of Franklinton

Evin Swilley of Henderson

Gricel Arroyo of Louisburg

Hannah Edwards of Henderson

Leslie Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson

Miranda Brown of Oxford

Rana Alashmali – Timberlake

Ronnie Brodie, Jr., of Wake Forest

National Weather Service

It’s North Carolina Hurricane Preparedness Week. Are You Ready?

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-Information courtesy Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year and ends on November 30. Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Even areas well away from the coastline can be threatened by dangerous flooding, destructive winds and tornadoes from these storms. The National Hurricane Center issues watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather.

May 5 through May 11, 2019, is Hurricane Preparedness Week in North Carolina, as well as nationally. The Vance County Office of Emergency Operations wants to make sure that you and your family are prepared for whatever this season brings our way.

The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be slightly below average due to a relatively high likelihood of a weak El Nino coupled with slightly lower sea surface temperatures, according to a report released by Colorado State University. Their predictions for this season include 13 named storms, with 5 becoming hurricanes and 2 expected to become major hurricanes of category 3 status or higher.

Forecasters at North Carolina State University are forecasting a near average season with similar expectations and a range of 13 to 16 names storms.

“The time to prepare is now, well out in front of hurricane season,” said Brian K. Short, Director of Emergency Operations for Vance County. Keep in mind that it only takes one storm to cause significant impact. Communities and individuals are expected to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours (3 days) following the impact of a hurricane. “If the impact is severe enough, it could potentially take outside help that long to get here,” Short said. “By taking the time to gather up a few basic necessities now, you will enable your family to weather the storm and the aftermath until help can arrive.”

In the event that a storm should threaten our area, the Vance County Emergency Operations staff will use all available means to get important information out and will keep the public informed of our preparedness activities. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on severe weather and coordination activities.

Smartphone users can also download a free app from ReadyNC.org. This app provides a great deal of information regarding storm preparedness as well as current road conditions, local weather, power outages and storm shelters that are open just to name a few. Follow the link below to get this free app.

https://www.readync.org/EN/DOWNLOADAPP.html

For more information about how you and your family can prepare for severe weather, including hurricanes, visit our website at: https://www.vancecounty.org/em.

While you’re there, be sure to visit our community alert and notification section to sign up for CODE RED, our emergency alert system. NOTE: if you have a landline phone you are most likely already in the CODE RED system. Please add your cell phone if you would like to receive real-time local alerts on your mobile phone or device.

You may also visit Vance County Emergency Operations on Facebook or call our office at 252-438-8264 for more information.

The 2019 tropical storm names for the Atlantic region include Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastian, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

Recommended Family Preparedness Items

The best time to assemble a three-day emergency supply kit is well before you will ever need it. Most people already have these items around the house and it is a matter of assembling them now before an evacuation or State of Emergency order is issued. Stocking up now on emergency supplies can add to your family’s safety and comfort during and after a disaster. Store enough supplies for at least three days, preferably seven days, in one place.

Start with an easy to carry, watertight container – a large plastic trash can will do, or line a sturdy cardboard box with a couple of trash bags. Next, gather up the following items and place them in your kit:

Essentials

 Water – 1 gallon per person per day (a week’s supply of water is preferable)

 Water purification kit or bleach

 First aid kit and first aid book

 Pre-cooked, non-perishable foods, such as canned meats, granola bars, instant soup & cereals, etc.

 Baby supplies: formula, bottle, pacifier, soap, baby powder, clothing, blankets, baby wipes, disposable diapers, canned food and juices

 Non-electric can opener

 Anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel

 Blanket or sleeping bag per person

 Portable radio or portable TV and extra batteries

 Flashlight and extra batteries

 Essential medications

 Extra pair of eyeglasses

 Extra house and car keys

 Fire extinguisher – ABC-type

 Food, water, leash and carrier for pets

 Cash and change

 Seasonal change of clothing, including sturdy shoes

Sanitation Supplies

 Large plastic trash bags for waste, tarps and rain ponchos

 Large trash cans

 Bar soap, shampoo and liquid detergent

 Toothpaste and toothbrushes

 Feminine hygiene supplies

 Toilet paper

 Household bleach

 Rubber gloves

 Don’t forget your pets when getting prepared!!!

Public Meetings to Gather Citizens’ Input on Future of Franklin Co.

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-Information courtesy Franklin County Government

“Frankly Speaking,” a series of community meetings about the future of Franklin County will be held May 28-30, 2019.

Franklin County is just beginning the process of creating a new Comprehensive Development Plan to guide leaders’ decisions about future growth, particularly new development and related investments in infrastructure and services. The public is invited to attend one of the following meetings to share ideas and concerns:

  • Tuesday, May 28, 2019, 6-8 p.m. – Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin Campus – 8100 NC-56, Louisburg.
  • Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 6-8 p.m. – Community Center – 115 E. Main St, Youngsville.
  • Thursday, May 30, 2019, 6-8 p.m. – Red Bud Baptist Church – 832 NC 58 Hwy, Castalia.

With questions, please call (919) 496-2909 or email planning@franklincountync.us. For more information, and to take a survey related to the Comprehensive Development Plan, visit www.franklincountync.us.

Franklin County Logo

Franklin Co. Public Input Survey Results to Aid in Development Plan

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-Information courtesy the County of Franklin

ATTENTION: This is your opportunity to help shape the future of Franklin County. The County is working to complete a Comprehensive Development Plan in order to guide future growth and development over the next twenty years. Please fill out this online survey and give us your opinions about community character, land use, growth management, transportation, local economy, resource conservation and the overall vision for the future of Franklin County.

The Comprehensive Development Plan will cover the entire jurisdiction of Franklin County outside of the municipal limits. All responses are confidential. Please complete surveys no later than Friday, May 24, 2019.

Thank you for your time and participation. Please call the Planning Department at (919) 496-2909 if you have any questions while answering the survey.

We welcome any additional comments or thoughts that are raised by any of the questions in the survey. If you would like to add additional narrative, please feel free to do so in the space provided at the end of the survey.

Online survey link:
Franklin County Schools

Franklin Co. Schools Closed for Students Wed., May 1

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-Information courtesy Franklin County Schools

On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, educators from across the state will be participating in a rally at the General Assembly in support of improvement of classroom opportunities for students and improved working conditions for teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other staff who play a critical role in supporting our schools.

We have been actively monitoring the number of anticipated teacher and support staff absences on this date, and have reached a point at which scheduled absences of teachers and support staff will not allow us to safely and effectively operate that day. Therefore, all schools are closed on Wednesday, May 1 for Franklin County School students. We have met the requirement for accumulated instructional hours and will not need to make this day up for students.

May 1 will be an optional teacher workday for staff. Central Office will remain open. All school activities on May 1 are canceled.

We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause and appreciate your understanding.

Education Veteran to Address VGCC Basic Skills Grads

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College will hold commencement exercises dedicated exclusively to new graduates of Adult Basic Skills programs on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Those being honored will include students who have completed either the Adult High School Diploma program or the High School Equivalency program in the past year.

Rev. Dannie T. Williams, a longtime leader in education, will deliver the principal commencement address at VGCC’s Adult Basic Skills graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 2, 2019. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

Rev. Dannie T. Williams, a longtime leader in education, will deliver the principal commencement address. Williams is a Franklin County native and a GED High School Equivalency graduate himself. He went on to graduate from Shaw University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice, along with a minor in Sociology and Public Administration, from Christian Bible College in Rocky Mount with a Master of Theology, and from North Carolina State University with both a Master’s in School Administration and an Ed.S. in School Supervision and Administration.

Most recently, he has completed all required coursework for his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) and is currently working on his dissertation.

Williams has had numerous experiences in the field of public education. He began his career as a teacher assistant/bus driver. After receiving his Lateral Entry teacher certification, he taught the subjects of Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and English, and served at times as a basketball coach and coordinator of character education. He has served as a member of the Board of Education in Franklin County.

In administration, he was an assistant principal, principal, executive director for human resources and auxiliary services and is currently the chief of human resources with the Franklin County Schools.

Rev. Roberta Egerton will speak on behalf of graduating students at VGCC’s Adult Basic Skills graduation. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

In addition, Williams is a Christian educator. He served as the Minister for Church Life and Education for the Southern Conference, United Church of Christ (UCC), and currently is the President of the Board of Directors of the Southern Conference, UCC. He has been the Senior Pastor and Teacher of the Melfield UCC in Haw River, N.C., for 23 years and has over 43 years of ministry experience.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating students during the ceremony will be Rev. Roberta Egerton of Louisburg. She completed her High School Equivalency earlier this year after attending classes on VGCC’s Franklin County Campus. She is also a Monmouth Bible Institute graduate and an ordained Baptist minister.

Egerton has enrolled in curriculum classes at VGCC with plans to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Nursing.

Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office Arrests Accused Sex Offender

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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On November 16, 2018, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division issued a warrant for the arrest of Terry Jermaine Johnson, a Franklin County resident.

Charges consisted of the following: one (1) count of Felony Statutory Sexual Offense with a Child <= 15 Years Old and one (1) count of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Child.

On Thursday, April 18, 2019, with the assistance of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Terry Jermaine Johnson was taken into custody during a vehicle stop, without incident.

Terry Jermaine Johnson is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Facility under a $350,000.00 secured bond.

Terry Jermaine Johnson DOB: 05/30/1977, 335 Wilders Lane Louisburg, NC 27549.

On Thursday, April 18, 2019, with the assistance of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Terry Jermaine Johnson was taken into custody during a vehicle stop, without incident. Charges consisted of the following: one (1) count of Felony Statutory Sexual Offense with a Child <= 15 Years Old and one (1) count of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Child. (Photo courtesy FCSO)

 

LaRocca, New Director of Communications, Encouraged by VGCC’s ‘Fresh Approach’

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Christopher LaRocca, director of communications for Vance-Granville Community College, was the guest of honor on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program.

LaRocca, who joined the college in March after 15 years with Duke University, said his own experience as a graduate of North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, New York made the possibility of working for VGCC appealing.

“Vance-Granville is giving me another opportunity to give back to the community college system that gave so much to me,” LaRocca said. “I gained valuable tools learning how to manage my time, learning how to focus academically, and then using those skills at a four-year college and in my career.”

In addition to Duke University, LaRocca’s career includes stints with the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and USA Basketball Men’s National Team.

While LaRocca believes his educational path was the key to success in his career, he agrees that everyone must define success in their own terms – an opportunity readily offered by the community college system.

“I’m a big proponent of education. I’m a big advocate of getting a four-year degree and even going on to get a master’s degree; however, I’m also aware that college isn’t for everyone. Sometimes getting a two-year degree in a skill or trade is enough to be successful,” stated LaRocca.

While less than two months into his new position, LaRocca said he is encouraged by the positive growth he has already witnessed under the leadership of VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. Desmarais, who previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, joined VGCC as the institution’s seventh president in January.

“I love the new, fresh approach at the college. Dr. Desmarais has some wonderful ideas in terms of restructuring and her view on where the college could be in the next few years.”

In a recent Town Talk interview with WIZS, Desmarais explained her vision promoted economic turnaround by helping the four-county area transition “from tobacco and old-style manufacturing into healthcare and biotech innovation.”

Part of that vision, according to LaRocca, is promoting new programs at the college to ensure students have the skills needed to be eligible for emerging career opportunities in the local area.

Two of VGCC’s newest programs – Healthcare Informatics and Cyber Security – will be offered as certificate and associate degree programs through the Information Technology Department beginning fall 2019.

“We are making strides to create new programs so there is something available for everyone. I encourage the community to check out our website frequently (www.vgcc.edu) for updates,” said LaRocca.

LaRocca also invites the community to attend upcoming events at VGCC, including:

To hear the Town Talk interview with LaRocca in its entirety, click here. LaRocca’s portion of the interview begins at the 10:00 mark.