Local News - WIZS

Oxford Commissioners to Hold Regular Board Meeting Nov. 10

November 6, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy the City of Oxford

The Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold a regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 7 p.m. online via Zoom.

Due to a recent “Zoom Bombing,” the City of Oxford will now have pre-registrations for all meetings. The meetings will be kept public and are available to everyone who is interested in attending; however, registration will be required in order to receive the meeting ID and password.

Registration will remain open until 30 minutes before the meeting begins.

Click here for the Nov. 10 meeting’s registration link. For registration, you must enter your name and email address; the meeting ID and password will be sent to the email address you enter.

“Zoom meetings follow all regular meeting protocols and any disruptions will be cause for immediate dismissal. Please silence all electronic devices, except those needed for the meeting.”

If you have trouble accessing the meeting, please call (919) 603-1100.

Please click here for the full meeting agenda.

How to Know Your Vote Counted in North Carolina

November 5, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

North Carolina elections officials wish to remind Election Day voters that it may take a few weeks before their “voter history” is updated to reflect their recent vote in their voter record available through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool.

“If you voted in person and inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were immediately recorded on a memory card, and your votes were reported on election night as part of the unofficial results,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We respectfully ask that voters trust their bipartisan boards of elections across North Carolina. We are here to make sure your votes count, and they will.”

The State Board of Elections and county boards of elections are inundated with questions from voters about whether their ballot was counted in the 2020 general election. In almost every single case, the answer will be yes.

However, if you voted on Election Day, it will take time for your voter history to reflect the fact that you voted, as county boards of elections must first complete post-election processes.

Voters may confirm the status of their ballot in the following ways through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. Simply enter your first and last names and county (if desired) and follow the instructions below based on your voting method.

If you voted in person on Election Day…

When you inserted your ballot into a tabulator, your selections were recorded on a media card in the tabulator. These results were counted and reported publicly on election night.

For further confirmation that your ballot was counted, use the Voter Search tool.

Your ballot status will show up in the “Voter History” section (see screenshot below) as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer after the election.

Please be assured that your county board of elections will complete this process as promptly as possible amid the other post-election tasks that must be completed, including post-election audits and certification of the results.

If you voted in person during the one-stop early voting period from October 15-31…

You can find that your vote counted in the “Your Absentee Ballot” section (see screenshot below) of the Voter Search database.

Under North Carolina law, all early votes – by-mail or in-person – are considered absentee votes. If you voted during the early voting period, your “Absentee Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” the “Return Method” will be “IN PERSON” and your “Return Status” will be “ACCEPTED.”

Your ballot status also will show up in the “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer.

If you voted absentee by-mail…

Once your ballot is received by your county board of elections, you can find that your vote counted in the “Your Absentee Ballot” section of the Voter Search database. “Absentee Status” will show “VALID RETURN,” the “Return Method” will be “MAIL” and your “Return Status” will be “ACCEPTED” or “ACCEPTED – CURED”.

Your ballot status will also show up in the “Voter History” section as soon as your county completes the post-election process of assigning voter history to your record. This may take a couple of weeks or longer.

If you cast a provisional ballot…

You will be able to check the status of your ballot 10 days after the election through the Provisional Search tool: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegProvPIN/. You must fill out all four fields in the form and click “Search.”

What is “voter history”?

Voter history includes the election date, the voting method and your county. For primary elections, it also includes the ballot style (Republican, Democratic, nonpartisan, etc.) that you voted. It will not show who you voted for. That is always confidential.

State elections officials urge voters to use the options above to ensure their ballot was counted. We also urge voters to be wary about what they read online and on social media about elections. In these days after the election, a lot of misinformation is spreading on social media.

“Please be patient as your county boards of elections work extremely hard to ensure all ballots are counted and results are audited and certified,” Brinson Bell said. “With these options, voters can have peace of mind that their voice was heard in this election.”

Oxford to Hold ‘Reverse Christmas’ Parade; Butner to Host ‘Christmas in the Park’ Event

November 5, 2020/by WIZS Staff

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

With the COVID pandemic forcing many areas to cancel or revise holiday events this year, the City of Oxford and Town of Butner announce plans to bring Christmas cheer to residents while following safety guidelines.

Oxford’s Reverse Christmas Parade – Friday, December 4 ~ 6:30 – 8 p.m.

A parade where the floats, dancers and cars are stationary and spaced apart. Those wishing to soak up the seasonal merriment can simply drive-through and enjoy from the safety of their personal vehicles.

This year’s theme is “Oxford’s Whoville Holiday” for churches, businesses and non-profits wishing to participate (please decorate accordingly).

Spaces will be measured at 60-80 feet allowing for social distancing. No candy will be given out, only waves of cheer and
encouragement!

If you would like to be a part of the ‘Reverse Parade,’ please contact Mary Yount at (919) 603-1164. Applications will be accepted through December 1.

* Oxford’s Lighting of the Greens for 2020 will be virtual (more information to come).

Butner Christmas in the Park – Drive-Thru – Friday, December 4 ~ 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Load up the kiddies with their letters to Santa and participate in a guided drive-thru at Butner’s Gazebo Park for a celebration of Christmas music, beautiful lights and to visit Santa safely from your car.

Event sponsored by the Butner Community Association.

The annual Butner Christmas Parade is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Creedmoor’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade events have been canceled due to COVID. Click here for additional information.

Social Services Observes Adoption Awareness Month

November 4, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

During the month of November, the Granville County Department of Social Services joins in the observance of Adoption Awareness Month, a time to celebrate adoption and to help children find permanent homes. The 2020 theme for National Adoption Month is “Engage Youth: Listen and Learn.”

Each year, more than 400,000 children and youth are in foster care, with 100,000+ waiting for adoption. Many are at risk of aging out of the foster care system without permanent family connections or are children with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.

According to information shared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

The average age of children in foster care is 8.5;
Almost 200,000 children in foster care in 2019 had been placed with a non-relative;
Neglect is the number one circumstance for children being removed from the home (63 percent);
Nearly 18,000 youth age out of foster care before being adopted; and
Five percent of children and youth waiting for adoption spend five or more years waiting for a family.

The Granville County Department of Social Services can help those interested in adoption to navigate through the process of providing a permanent home for a child in foster care. Homeownership is not required, and adoptive parents can be married, single, divorced or widowed. The cost of adopting a foster child with special needs will be provided by the child’s agency.

For more details, contact Laverne Smith, Adoption Specialist for Granville County’s Department of Social Services, at (919) 603-3348 or at laverne.smith@granvillecounty.org.

Guidelines for Assistance to Voters

November 3, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

Recently, questions have arisen about the law pertaining to assistance to voters at voting sites. The State Board of Elections will investigate credible allegations of improper assistance.

The following are guidelines regarding assistance to voters:

State and federal law provide disabled and illiterate voters the right to request assistance from a person of the voter’s choice, except for the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union.

There are no legal restrictions on the number of times a person can assist different voters if the voters qualify for assistance and proper procedures are followed.

Who may receive assistance

Any voter, regardless of whether they have a disability, may receive assistance from a near relative. Elections officials should avoid prying questions about the voter’s preference for assistance.

A voter whose disability prevents him or her from entering the voting booth or marking a ballot without assistance, or a voter who is illiterate, may get help from any person, except for the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. Not all disabilities are immediately apparent, but a voter who requires assistance entering the voting booth or marking a ballot due to a mental disability is just as entitled to assistance as a voter whose disability may be easily seen. N.C.G.S. § 163-166.8.

Requesting assistance

A voter who needs assistance must request it from the chief judge upon entering the voting place and identify the person the voter desires to provide such assistance. Certain disabilities may affect voters’ ability to vocalize their request, but federal law still provides that such a disabled voter is entitled to assistance. Elections officials will exercise their best efforts to understand and respond to individual requests for assistance however communicated. State administrative law provides that an election official may prompt the voter if needed if it appears the voter may be requesting assistance.

In many cases, a voter in need of assistance will be accompanied into the voting place by an assistant. Alternatively, the voter may—but is not required to—request the assistance of an election official. If the assistant helps mark the ballot, the assistant is required to mark the ballot as directed by the voter.

Assistants are prohibited from persuading or inducing any voter to cast a vote in any particular way or to vote for any particular candidate. They are also prohibited from communicating to others about how the voter voted.

Script for requesting assistance

The State Board of Elections provides a script for elections officials to use when a voter is accompanied by someone who appears to be an assistant. Elections officials are prohibited from asking the voter to identify or explain the nature of the voter’s disability. The script should be modified if the voter’s disability limits their ability to communicate. See Numbered Memo 2020-16 for the script.

Intimidation of voters

Voters have a right to freely enter the voting enclosure without fear of intimidation or harassment. It is a federal crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce a voter with the purpose of interfering with the right of the voter to vote. Photographing or videotaping voters for the purpose of intimidation is prohibited. Observers will be ejected from the polling place if they interfere with or communicate with voters. See Numbered Memo 2020-30 for additional information.

Authority of county board of elections

It is the duty of the chief judge or one-stop site manager to ensure peace and good order at the voting place, which includes the duty to remove observers who intimidate or harass voters, and persons who unlawfully attempt to assist voters. If the chief judge or one-stop site manager needs additional support, they are to contact their county board of elections.

Vast Majority of NC Votes to be Tallied and Reported Tonight

November 3, 2020/by WIZS Staff

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The N.C. State Board of Elections anticipates that the results reported by the end of election night will include 97 percent or more of all ballots cast in North Carolina in the 2020 general election.

As always, the remaining ballots, including provisional ballots and absentee by-mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, will be counted and added to the totals during the post-election canvass period.

As they become available after all polls close Tuesday night, unofficial election results will be posted here: https://er.ncsbe.gov/.

“Please remember that all results reported on election night are unofficial. We will post results as quickly as possible, but our primary objective will be accuracy more than speed,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “State and county elections officials take many steps after every election to ensure all eligible votes are counted and the results are audited and accurate.”

Please see below for details on how votes are counted, how and when results are reported on election night and information about post-election audits, recounts and canvass.

What votes will be counted and reported on election night 2020?

The vast majority of all votes cast in the 2020 general election in North Carolina will be reported as unofficial results on November 3. All results are unofficial until the statewide certification, or canvass, scheduled for November 24, during a meeting of the State Board. (See “What happens after election night?” below.)

If all goes as expected, the following unofficial results will be reported to the public on election night through the Election Results Dashboard:

All in-person one-stop early votes
All by-mail absentee votes received by the county boards of elections by 5 p.m. Monday, November 2
All Election Day votes, excluding provisional ballots, which must be researched post-election to determine voter eligibility

When will results be reported to the public?

The State Board will begin posting results publicly after polls close statewide at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. However, the State Board may extend voting hours at a polling place if polls are delayed in opening for more than 15 minutes or are interrupted for more than 15 minutes after opening. Any polling extension may not be longer than the delay in voting. No results will be posted until all polls are closed.

The State Board will issue a notice if the State Board meets on Election Day to consider polling hours extensions. The public will be able to listen to the meeting remotely.

Below is an estimated timeline of the expected reporting of unofficial results to the Election Results Dashboard. Reporting times will vary by county. Results are updated every few minutes as they come in from the counties.

7:30 p.m.: Polls close.
7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Counties report results of in-person, one-stop early voting and absentee by-mail ballots received by 5 p.m. Monday, November 2.
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.: Precinct officials hand-deliver Election Day results to county boards of elections offices.
8:30 p.m. – midnight: Election Day precinct results are reported; reporting continues until all Election Day results are posted.

Various factors can affect the timing of results.

What happens after election night?

Elections are far from over on election night. This has always been the case. In the days that follow, the county boards of elections count the remaining ballots, research the eligibility of each provisional ballot, conduct a series of post-election audits, and conduct any necessary recounts. The State Board conducts additional audits to ensure a fair and accurate count.

These post-election processes culminate in the final certification of results, also called canvass. County boards of elections will hold their canvass meeting at 11 a.m. November 13. The State Board will meet on November 24 to certify the election.

For more information about NC election audits and canvass, see the Post-Elections Procedures and Audits webpage.

Absentee ballots. Mail-in absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be accepted by county boards of elections until 5 p.m. November 12. Overseas and military absentee ballots also are accepted through November 12. These ballots will be added to the unofficial results during the canvass process.

Provisional ballot meetings. Provisional ballots are cast when an individual’s name does not appear on the poll book or other questions arise about that person’s eligibility to vote or to vote a particular ballot.

Each county board of elections meets before certifying the results to make decisions on provisional applications submitted by voters. If the board determines that the voter is eligible, the provisional ballot is counted. If the voter is eligible for some contests on the ballot but not others, the eligible contests will be counted. These ballots will be added to the unofficial results during the canvass process.

Sample Audit. Every county conducts a sample hand-to-eye count of ballots in randomly selected precincts and one-stop locations to confirm results tabulated by machine. Counties must conduct their hand-to-eye counts in public.

County canvass. County boards of elections will certify their results at public meetings held at 11 a.m. Friday, November 13. The county board certifies contests and referenda within the county boundaries.

Recounts. Any mandatory recounts would be conducted by county boards of elections after the county canvass and before the state canvass. For statewide contests, the vote difference must be 10,000 votes or fewer for a candidate who is the runner-up to demand a recount. For non-statewide contests, the difference between the candidates must be 1 percent or less of the total votes cast in the contest. The recount demand must be in writing and received by the State Board of Elections no later than noon on Tuesday, November 17. If a recount is demanded, the State Board of Elections office would issue a schedule, and the counties would conduct recounts individually during open meetings.

For contests under jurisdiction of county boards of elections, a demand for recount must be made in writing to the county board of elections by 5 p.m. Monday, November 16.

N.C.G.S. § 163-182.7

See general guidelines for recounts: http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2008%20-%20elections/chapter%2009%20-%20conduct%20of%20vote%20recounts%20by%20county%20boards%20of%20elections/08%20ncac%2009%20.0106.html.

And see Recount of Optical Scan Ballots: http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2008%20-%20elections/chapter%2009%20-%20conduct%20of%20vote%20recounts%20by%20county%20boards%20of%20elections/08%20ncac%2009%20.0107.html

State canvass. The State Board of Elections will certify statewide results for all federal, statewide, multi-district and judicial contests at a public meeting held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. Results in each contest are not considered official until certified by the State Board. After state canvass, the board of elections with jurisdiction over each contest will issue a certificate of election to the prevailing candidate.

5 Important Facts About Election Security in 2020

Under state law, all voting systems used in North Carolina must use paper ballots, producing a paper trail that can be recounted and audited. Every voter in all 100 counties will cast a paper ballot.
Election night results are always unofficial. In the days that follow the election, election officials will ensure every eligible ballot is counted. They will audit and certify the results. This is a regular process after each election.
In North Carolina, about 2,660 polling places will be open on Election Day and perhaps one million voters will cast ballots on November 3. Unexpected issues arise during every election, such as power outages, voting equipment malfunctions, tabulator or printer jams and long lines at some voting places. These are not indications of malicious activity, and processes are in place to respond to each of these scenarios.
Because of COVID-19, North Carolinians are voting by mail in record numbers this year. All ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted. Because of the surge in by-mail voting, more ballots than usual will be counted after Election Day. This means more North Carolinians will be able to vote successfully, despite the pandemic.
Every polling place is staffed with bipartisan, trained officials from the local community who take an oath to uphold state elections laws and work together to ensure election security. Bipartisan State and county boards of elections oversee all aspects of elections in North Carolina.

Gooch Sworn In as District 7 Granville County Commissioner

November 2, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

Jimmy Gooch of Butner was sworn in as a Granville County Commissioner on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Appointed to the Board of Commissioners at their October 19 meeting, Gooch will represent District 7.

The swearing-in ceremony was officiated by Board Chair David T. Smith at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center. Holding the Bible for the oath was Vickie Smoak, wife of former Comm. Edgar Smoak, who passed away on September 11.

Jimmy Gooch of Butner was sworn in as County Commissioner on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

After the ceremony, Wendy Gooch, wife of the newly-sworn-in Commissioner, placed the lapel pin on her husband’s jacket.

As a representative of Granville County Government and the Board, Gooch has been assigned to the following committees:

Audit Review Committee
Board of Equalization and Review
Opioid Advisory Committee
Public Safety Liaison
Soil and Water Board Liaison
Transportation Plan Work Group
Water/Sewer Matters Liaison

Born and raised in the Wilton community of Granville County, Gooch is a graduate of South Granville High School and has extensive experience in water management. He is retired from the City of Durham.

Gooch previously served on the Butner Town Council, having been elected in 2017. In that role, he served as the Town’s representative to the Granville County Animal Control Advisory Committee and the Granville Greenways Advisory Council, as well as serving as a member of the Camp Butner Society and Chairman of the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority Board.

VGCC Receives $125,000 Grant From Cannon Foundation

November 2, 2020/by WIZS Staff

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Cannon Foundation, based in Concord, North Carolina, recently awarded a $125,000 grant to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund. The funds will support VGCC’s Nursing Simulation Lab and Heavy Equipment Operator program simulators.

“With this grant, Vance-Granville Community College will continue to enhance our Nursing and Heavy Equipment Operator training programs, so that students can receive state-of-the-art preparation for their careers,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “We appreciate the Cannon Foundation’s commitment to workforce development and education.”

Part of the grant will provide needed equipment for the new, 4,000-square-foot Simulation Lab on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. This lab has recently been relocated from its previous space on the campus of Maria Parham Health in Henderson.

Much like it did at the previous location, the lab will provide students in Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing with opportunities to train for a variety of real-life situations, using high-tech manikins. The life-like “patients” can be programmed to replicate a variety of medical diagnoses and conditions.

The other, larger portion of the grant funds will provide simulators of a different sort. The Heavy Equipment Operator program, based on VGCC’s Warren County Campus in Warrenton, will benefit from new, improved training simulators, on which students can practice in a safe, controlled way. The trainers simulate equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.

The college’s HEO program is now a registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program, and the updated simulation equipment will help align the training with current workforce needs.

“Our current Heavy Equipment Operator program has been in place since 2015 with the simulators we currently have through an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration,” explained Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s director of Occupational Extension & Human Resources Development. “I am thrilled at the opportunity offered to us by the Cannon Foundation to purchase additional simulation equipment to enhance our HEO program so that students can practice and learn on updated equipment as they prepare to work in the field of Heavy Equipment Operation.”

The Cannon Foundation was formed in 1943 by Charles A. Cannon, chairman and president of the Cannon Mills Company. The Cannon Foundation continues his philanthropic legacy by funding primarily capital and infrastructure projects for organizations across the state of North Carolina. To date, the Cannon Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $305 million.

“This new grant from the Cannon Foundation is good news for our community, for the students who will use this equipment to learn, and for their future employers,” said Eddie Ferguson, VGCC endowment fund director. “VGCC continues to partner with a variety of funders to provide high-quality training for good jobs in fields like health care and construction.”

The Cannon Foundation has supported VGCC in the past, including a grant of $150,000 to help complete the renovation of Building 10 on the college’s Main Campus.

Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Meet This Evening

November 2, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy the County of Granville

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet remotely by Zoom conference call on Monday, November 2, 2020, at 7 p.m. for a regular scheduled meeting.

In order to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting may be accessed by a Zoom link. Please contact the County Administration Office at (919) 693-5240 to receive the registration link.

Public comments will be accepted in written format and must be received by Monday, November 2 at 12 p.m. by mail to P.O. Box 906, Oxford, NC 27565 or email to grancomrs@granvillecounty.org

To view Granville Co. Board of Commissioner meeting agendas and minutes, click here.

Granville Board of Education To Hold Regular Meeting Mon., Nov. 2

October 30, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular Board meeting on Monday, November 2, 2020, at 6 p.m. at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street, Oxford, NC 27565. Members of the public are invited to view via 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 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 for Personnel, and Attorney/Client Privilege.

Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting will be required to wear face coverings, undergo health screenings before entering the building and cooperate with social distancing requirements. There will be limited seating available.

To view the agenda for this meeting, please click here.