Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Board of Education Regular Board Meeting Monday, January 11

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular Board meeting on Monday, January 11, 2021 at 6:00pm at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street, Oxford, NC 27565. Members of the public are invited to view livestream. To join the livestream meeting, please use the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

The Board will also meet in Closed Session in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11.

Public comments for this meeting will be accepted in writing by using the link below. Comments entered into this form between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on January 11, 2021, will be distributed to the Board of Education members and the first two minutes of each comment will be read aloud during the meeting. A maximum of 30 minutes in total will be allotted for public comment. https://tinyurl.com/y37evl6z

U.S. ATTORNEY RECOGNIZES LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DURING LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY

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— press release

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. recognizes the service of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, which is being observed Saturday, January 9, 2021. On this date, communities across the country will show their appreciation and support for law enforcement agencies and their personnel in various ways.

“I ask every citizen of the Eastern District to join me in recognizing the tremendous service and sacrifices that our law enforcement officers have made this past year and make every day,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. “Together, with our ongoing partnerships, commitment, and dedication, we will continue to work together to ensure that our citizens, here in the Eastern District of North Carolina, are safe and secure.”

As part of this national day of recognition, citizens across the country are encouraged to share their expressions of gratitude and support for local law enforcement agencies, officers, and public safety personnel within their respective communities. Likewise, citizens and officers alike are encouraged to share their positive experiences and collaborations with each other.

The Eastern District of North Carolina serves the 44 easternmost counties of North Carolina.

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PLANT TREES TO HELP PROTECT DRINKING WATER

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— Tar River Land Conservancy Press Release

BUTNER/STEM – Tar River Land Conservancy (TRLC) is seeking volunteers to plant hardwood tree seedlings on conservation land located at 831 Roberts Chapel Road in Granville County. Seedlings will be planted near streams to protect drinking water supplied by Lake Holt and Falls Lake. Tree planting events will take place from 8:45 AM to 12:00 PM on
these dates:

Friday, January 22, 2021
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Friday, January 29, 2021
Saturday, January 30, 2021

No previous tree planting experience is necessary to volunteer. TRLC will provide tools and instruction on proper tree planting techniques. Tree planting holes will be pre-dug before volunteers arrive. Participants should wear weather-appropriate work clothing, work gloves and a hat. TRLC welcomes any business team, church group, school club, or Scout troop interested in participating as a group. Participants will be asked to follow safety protocols to limit exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

For more information or to register, please contact Alex Hall at TRLC at 919-496-5902 or volunteer@tarriver.org.

Families Living Violence Free

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

— from Families Living Violence Free

January is National Stalking Awareness Month!
Know it. Name it. Stop it.

January 2021 marks the seventeenth annual National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM), an annual call to action to recognize and respond to the serious crime of stalking.

If you or someone you know are being stalked, Families Living Violence Free is here to help! Call our 24/7 Crisis Line at 919-693-5700; Español 919-690-0888.

A real person will answer 24/7.  You can call from anywhere.

At Least There Will Be Girl Scout Cookies; Local Sales Start Jan.16

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The countdown to cookie season is almost here! In just over a week, area residents will see the colorful boxes in the hands of local Girl Scouts, many familiar types and one new variety to enjoy. Each box is $5.

Sales kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 and conclude on March 7. In addition to the traditional door-to-door sales and tables outside big box stores and groceries, Teresa Wimbrow, local membership director for the North Carolina Coastal Pines Council, reminds anyone looking to satisfy their cookie craving can order online by visiting  https://www.nccoastalpines.org/.

She said, “Some who live in neighborhoods will be knocking on doors but that practice is being discouraged for safety reasons and because of Covid. ”

The troops are “quite competitive in normal times” and Winbrow hopes that this year’s cookie sale will be another success. “We’ve never sold cookies in a pandemic before,” she said, and expressed gratitude that Walmart is allowing the troops to set up their booths again this year. Customers can find the cookie booths outside retailers such as Walmart by Jan. 24. All the scouts and the adult volunteers will wear masks and will follow all state-directed pandemic protocols. Expect to see them in operation on Saturdays and Sundays, Winbrow added.

Winbrow oversees Girl Scout troops in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. Franklin County has 11 troops, Granville has 10, Vance has 4 and Warren has 2 troops. Anyone interested in learning more about Girl Scout membership or volunteering can contact Winbrow. “The cookie sale usually sparks some interest,” she said, adding that the troops do get some new members during and after the cookie sale.

This year’s cookie list has favorites customers have been gobbling down for years, but there is a new cookie called Toast-Yay!, a French toast-inspired flavor. Traditional favorites such as Thin Mint, Shortbread, Tag-along and Do-si-do are all available as well, Wimbrow said.

Most of the local troops will pick up their cookies at a Durham warehouse this Saturday in advance of the Jan. 16 opening day. Proceeds from the cookie sale support troop activities such as trips and other outings, but the girls also choose to support land donate to local programs in their area.

For more information about scouting, visit the North Carolina Coastal Pines website at  https://www.nccoastalpines.org/. Contact Winbrow at 252.438.8103 or twimbrow@nccoastalpines.org.

Oxford Spreads Its Generosity at Thanksgiving and Christmas

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

— information courtesy of the City of Oxford and Executive Assistant Alyssa Blair

Just out Monday afternoon, the City of Oxford has released its January newsletter.  In it, Oxford announces the second annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and inaugural Holiday Toy Drive were each a major success.

“Because of the generous and helpful spirits throughout our community, we were able to give food and gifts to approximately eight families, totaling 23 men, women, and children throughout the Oxford area. Not only were we able to help all our sponsored families, but we were able to donate more to the Central Children’s home,” the publication states.

All participants and those who gave are much appreciated.

The Oxford January newsletter says, “2020 was a difficult year and the City of Oxford is overjoyed at the amount of love and generosity received.”

Also in this edition, save the date items, an employee recognition, the public works facade and more.

The Facebook post containing the entire newsletter is embedded here.

Vance and Granville Government Meeting Times Are Things to Know

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Local Vance and Granville Government meeting times around the area are “Things to Know!”

  • January 4th at 6 p.m. — Vance County Board of Commissioners — full agenda here
  • January 4th at 7 p.m. — Granville County Board of Commissioners — full agenda here
  • January 4th at 5:30 p.m. — City of Oxford Board of Commissioner’s agenda meeting, via zoom, to set Jan 12th agenda
  • January 11th at 6 p.m. — Henderson City Council regular monthly meeting — agenda to be announced
  • January 12th at 7 p.m. — City of Oxford Board of Commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, via zoom

 

Granville County Board of Education Members To Discuss Academic Performance

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NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education Academic Subcommittee will meet virtually on Thursday, January 7, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. to discuss information related to academic performance. For more information or a link to the virtual meeting, please contact Dr. Michael A. Myrick, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at myrickm@gcs.k12.nc.us or Mrs. Alston Shave at shavea@gcs.k12.nc.us to receive a link to the meeting.

NC Dept of Agriculture

NCDA&CS warns pet owners to destroy recalled Sportmix brand pet food due to high levels of aflatoxin

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— press release courtesy of NCDA

RALEIGH –The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is issuing a warning to consumers to not purchase or let their dogs or cats consume certain lot codes and types of Sportmix brand dog and cat foods due to high levels of aflatoxin found in the products during testing. There have been reports of illnesses and deaths in dogs associated with some of the products identified in this recall. No cat or human illnesses have been reported.

The products are sold through Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. of Evansville, In. and distributed nationally.

“These products are registered for sale in North Carolina,” said Joe Reardon, assistant commissioner of consumer protection. “We know that they are available at brick-and-mortar retail locations as well as through online distributors. These products have shown high levels of aflatoxin and pet owners need to be diligent in not allowing dogs, cats or other animals, including wildlife, to consume the recalled products.”

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus and can grow on corn and other grains that are used as ingredients in pet food. At high levels, aflatoxin can cause illness and death in pets. Signs of aflatoxin poisoning in pets include sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice and/or diarrhea. If a pet owner suspects aflatoxin poisoning, they need to contact their veterinarian immediately.

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”

Recalled lot codes are as follows:

50# Sportmix Energy Plus Lots Exp 03/02/22/05/L2, 03/02/22/05/L3, 03/03/22/05/L2
44# Sportmix Energy Plus Lots 03/02/22/05/L3
50# Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
44# Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
31# Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
15# Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L2, 03/03/22/05/L3

Consumers should destroy the products and wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups and storage containers.

The Food and Drug Administration has more information on the recall at its website, https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwestern-pet-foods-voluntarily-recalls-pet-food-recall-aflatoxin-health-risk?fbclid=IwAR1wEhFpZgyCZA8U9H0HnDAzNJYJ_zG2POLWGZv12zWlGi4KlNGULRm02WY.

Contact Midwestern Pet Foods Consumer Affairs at 800-474-4163, ext. 455 from 7AM to 4PM Central Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at info@midwesternpetfoods.com for additional information.

Artists in Warren, Vance, Granville Awarded Funds

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— press release courtesy of the Warren County Arts Council

Warren County Arts Council Awards Funding to Regional Artists

The Warren County Arts Council has awarded $6,701 in direct funding to 7 artists in the North Carolina Arts Council’s first ever Artist Support Grant program. The Warren County Arts Council was chosen by the North Carolina Arts Council to be the lead arts council in a grants region that includes: Warren, Vance, Halifax, Northampton, Granville, and Franklin counties.

“The Artist Support Grants program responds to the impact of the pandemic by ensuring that artists and the state’s arts infrastructure have the resources needed to help our state make a strong social and economic recovery,” said Wayne Martin, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council.

“We are honored to serve as the lead arts council in this new initiative,” said Charla Duncan, Chair of the Warren County Arts Council. “Working with our regional partners in this new consortium of rural counties gives us a chance to impact local artists in ways we haven’t been able to do before.”

Twenty-two artists from all six counties and from various disciplines applied for funding in this competitive application process, requesting a total of $25,900 in funding. Artists were not allowed to request more than $1,200 in funding. This year the grants are non-matching, but will most likely require a match in future cycles.

“Our review panel had a tough decision to make. The state only granted our region $5,000. The Warren County Arts Council chose to contribute $1,000 to increase the impact,” stated Duncan. “The Vance County, Franklin County, and Northampton County arts councils also contributed, so in total we were able to increase our region’s funding by $1,700.”

Awards went to: Senora Lynch, a potter from Warren County; Marvin Richardson and the Stoney Creek Singers, contemporary pow wow singers from Warren County; Ellen Newbauer, a woodworker from Warren County; Jereann King Johnson, a quilter from Warren County; Lydia Dudley, a singer from Warren County; Allison Darcy, a writer from Granville County; and Brandi Parker, a theatrical director from Vance County.

Funding will be used to support projects or needs that enhance the artists’ craft and careers.

The grant review panel consisted of arts professionals from across the state, and not members of any of the arts councils in the qualifying region. The panel included: Trista Porter (Executive Director, Greenville Museum of Art); Amy Grossman (President & CEO, NC Folk Festival); Hobey Ford (master puppeteer and Kennedy Center Partner in Education); Antoine Williams (mixed media artist and Guilford College professor); and Sarah Bryan (Executive Director, NC Folklife Institute).

“We were so honored to have such a thoughtful and intentional group of panelists,” said Duncan. “It was clear that they value the arts in rural communities as much as we do.”

For more information or questions please contact the Warren County Arts Council at warrencountyartscouncil@gmail.com. The Warren County Arts Council can be found online at warrencountyartsnc.org and on Facebook and Instagram at @wcartcouncil.

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About the Warren County Arts Council

The Warren County Arts Council was founded on April 20, 1999 in order to promote and increase appreciation for the arts in Warren County.

About the North Carolina Arts Council

The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s longstanding love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education. www.NCArts.org