JF Webb High School Hires Lamont Robinson as Head Football Coach

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

JF Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school football coach, Mr. Lamont Robinson. A Washington D.C. native, Lamont Robinson played high school football at H.D. Woodson High School, before he transferred his junior year to Duval High School in Lanham, MD.

JF Webb High School recently announced the hiring of its new high school football coach, Mr. Lamont Robinson. (Photo courtesy GCPS)

After his high school graduation, Coach Robinson served two years in the United States Navy. He was stationed on the USS Eisenhower based out of Norfolk, VA, and he served in the Aviation Fuels Division. After completing his military obligation, Coach Robinson enrolled in Prince George’s Community College and then transferred to Salisbury University where he majored in English and Education. At SU, Coach Robinson was a four-year letterman on the Seagulls football team.

After his college graduation, he became a teacher and head junior varsity football coach at Amelia County High School in Amelia, VA. Since then, Coach Robinson has served in a variety of coaching roles in North Carolina, including Saint Augustine’s College, S.E. Raleigh High School, Riverside High School and Warren County.

In 2008, Coach Robinson also became the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Phoenix, a member of the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). Lamont Robinson will be entering his twentieth year as a football coach this season.

Coach Robinson is excited about the opportunity to become the head football coach at J.F. Webb High School. Coach Robinson is also a father of a 12-year-old son, Mason Robinson.

JF Webb High School Principal Amy Rice offered her remarks, stating, “We are so excited to welcome Coach Robinson to the Warrior family. We look forward to the leadership he will provide our students on and off the field. We anticipate many successful seasons with him in this role.”

Granville Co Sheriff

School Resource Officers Give Back to Community

/by

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Over the last three months, School Resource Officers (SRO’s) of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office have been providing assistance to local food pantries and area churches during the Covid-19 pandemic, packing, distributing and delivering more than 500,000 pounds of food to those in need. 

Those receiving assistance by Granville County’s School Resource Officers include the following locations, with food distribution totals reported through these efforts:

  • Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM) – 325,817 pounds of food, which included 522 Senior Boxes (Commodity Supplemental Food Program for Seniors) and 815 family boxes (Food Bank COVID Relief Boxes);
  • Pleasant Grove Baptist Church – 2,500 cases (average 40 lbs. a box), totaling 100,000 pounds;
  • Delrayno Baptist Church – 2,500 cases (average 40 lbs. a box) totaling 100,000 pounds; and
  • FBC Food Bank, Creedmoor – 279 families served.

In addition, more than 24,000 boxes of breakfast, lunch and snacks through the BackPack Buddies program were delivered over a six-day period.

“Many of the volunteers we normally count on were not able to leave their homes due to the Stay At Home Order,” said Sue Hinman, Executive Director of ACIM. “If the SROs had not been there, we would not have been able to provide food to the many people who needed us. We truly appreciate their support and their help when we needed it most.”

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has nine (9) School Resource Officers on staff. Following North Carolina school closure mandates – due to the COVID-19 pandemic – these SRO’s have assisted with food distribution since mid-March, making additional connections with families all over the county. 

“Every single SRO was a part of this effort,” Chief Deputy Sherwood Boyd remarked. “The kids all know that our SRO’s are there to help, and now their parents do, too. We were proud to have assisted our community in this way, helping meet the needs of our residents.”

Granville County Public Schools

School Re-Entry Plans Topic of Today’s Granville Board of Education Meeting

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a Special Meeting on Monday, June 15, 2020, at 4 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is for the Board of Education to receive updated information on school re-entry plans, updated budget information and other learning options for the upcoming school year.

However, in observance of the Governor’s “Stay-at-Home” Orders, this meeting will be conducted electronically, with members of the public invited to view the live stream. To join the live stream meeting, please use the following link:

https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=Z3Nj&c=Z3JhbnZpbGxlMQ%3D%3D

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.

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

Granville County Logo

Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Hold Regular June 15 Meeting Via Zoom

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet remotely by Zoom conference call on Monday, June 15, 2020, at 7 p.m. for the regularly scheduled meeting.

In order to adhere to the COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting may be accessed by utilizing the link and/or phone number included below. Public comments will be accepted in written format and must be received by Monday, June 15 at 12 p.m. by mail to P.O. Box 906, Oxford, NC 27565 or email to grancomrs@granvillecounty.org

Join Zoom Meeting

https://granvillecounty.zoom.us/j/95965652266?pwd=ZU5yd3Y0Y3dESGtWUVVPS2J5QksvQT09

Meeting ID: 959 6565 2266

Password: 252302

Dial by your location

877 853 5247 US Toll-free

888 788 0099 US Toll-free

Meeting ID: 959 6565 2266

Find your local number: https://granvillecounty.zoom.us/u/adCuS6IvaN

Agenda:

Consent Agenda

1. Contingency Summary

2. Budget Amendment #9

3. Refunds-Releases and Write-offs for May 2020

Public Comments

4. Public Comments

Grant Matters

5. Home & Community Care Block Grant

6. JCPC County Plan and Membership List for FY 2020-2021

Purchasing

7. Emergency Communications Phone Relocation

8. Emergency Communications Radio Relocation

Budget Matters

9. Budget Discussion and Deliberation

Appointments

10. Granville County Library System Board of Trustees

11. Human Relations Commission

12. Research Triangle Regional Partnership Board of Directors

13. Kerr-Tar Workforce Development Board

14. Granville County Planning Board

County Manager’s Report

15. County Manager’s Report

County Attorney’s Report

16. Sale of Property

17. County Attorney’s Report

Presentations by County Board Members

18. Presentations by County Board Members

Any Other Matters

19. Any Other Matters

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

Oxford Police Dept

Oxford Police Dept. Makes Arrests in Recent Murder, Attempted Murder Cases

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Oxford Police Department, NC

On June 10, 2020, Oxford Police Department Investigators arrested Darryl Lee Bumpass, Jr. for the murder of 19-year-old Kennedy Ashlynd Sloan. Kennedy Sloan was killed on the evening of May 31, 2020.

While traveling in her red 2018 Honda Accord in the 600 block of Raleigh St in Oxford, Kennedy Sloan suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

Darryl Lee Bumpass, Jr. was charged with second-degree murder and is incarcerated at the Granville County Jail and is currently being held under no bond.

Any person(s) having any information about this murder is asked to please contact Detective Gina Chappell at 919-693-3161 or the Granville County Crime Stoppers at 919-693-3100. Persons calling to give information do not have to disclose their identity.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

On June 10, 2020, Cedric Williams was arrested on a warrant that was obtained on May 19, 2020, for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill causing serious injury.

Detective G. Chappell with the Oxford Police Department obtained a warrant on Cedric Williams after the May 18 shooting at Lake Devin in Oxford where the victim, Trayvon Bradford, was shot by Cedric Williams.

Cedric Williams was arrested and served with the warrant and was given a $90,000.00 secured bond.

Cedric Williams is incarcerated at the Vance County Jail.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

On June 11, 2020, Abdul Malik Harris, age 27, was arrested by units with Oxford Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.

Harris was arrested in reference to outstanding warrants from the Henderson Police Department for 1st Degree Murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Harris is being held without bond.

Granville Library’s ‘Imagine Your Story’ Summer Reading Program Kicks Off June 13

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Although facilities for the Granville County Library System (Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall and Berea) are temporarily closed to the public, the Summer Reading Program will kick off on June 13, 2020, with activities for children, teens and adults.

This year’s theme, “Imagine Your Story,” will engage readers of all ages with reading rewards, scheduled performances, storytimes and fun-filled activities that will keep the focus on reading adventures all summer long through online connections, printed activity packets and reading logs.

Kids up to grade 6 can register for the summer reading program by completing a registration form and a reading log, either in paper form or online. Those choosing to participate using a printed reading log can color in one book for every 15 minutes that they read. Once one hour of reading has been completed (four coloring books), the reading log can be traded for a prize.

If choosing an online reading log, participants can log in the number of minutes read, with every 15 minutes earning 250 points. When 2,000 points are logged in, young readers can claim a prize from their local library.

Teens (students in grades 6 through 12) can also register. For every 500 pages read, their name will be placed into a drawing for a themed prize basket – and every time a book is completed, participants can earn a food-related coupon.

Adults are also invited to participate, with a goal of reaching 20,000 points by the end of the summer. Rewards such as fun bookmarks, $1.00 fine forgiveness, or a free book through the Friends of the Library can be redeemed, as well as winning a raffle ticket for one of ten grand prizes. 

As an additional challenge, participants can check off a list of extra activities such as taking a nature walk, conducting a science experiment, researching a famous inventor, watching the stars, etc. to earn even more prizes through the “Imagine Your Story” experience.

The Summer Reading Program schedule also includes “Maker Mondays” each week at 11 a.m., Story Times with Miss Amy (Amy Carlson and Amy Kemp) on Mondays at 2 p.m., and the “Book Wizards Club” for older elementary and middle school students each Thursday at 11 a.m. 

Special performances will be held each Thursday at 2 p.m. and include Native American storyteller Ryan Stanley of the Lumbee Indian Tribe on June 18; North Carolina Park Rangers on June 25; “Rags to Riches” on July 16;  and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences on July 23. 

The summer reading program extends through August 7. (Please note that all programming may be altered at any time due to statewide COVID-19 requirements and regulations.)

Visit the Granville County Library System website at https://granville.lib.nc.us to learn more about “Imagine Your Story” and each scheduled event. For questions, contact Amy Carlson at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford (919-693-1121 or amy.carlson@granvillecounty.org) or Amy Kemp at the South Branch Library in Creedmoor (919-528-1752 or amy.kemp@granvillecounty.org).

U.S. Department of Justice

Butner Federal Inmate Sentenced to 30 Months for Weapons Possession

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

An inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) was sentenced yesterday to 30 months of incarceration for possessing weapons inside the federal prison.

According to court documents, Gerald Wayne Timms, 59, was found by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) staff to be in possession of multiple homemade sharpened objects on two separate occasions in May 2019 and again in September 2019.

BOP staff found the weapons inside Timms’ assigned cell during routine searches. Timms was charged by way of a two-count indictment for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1791, possession of contraband in prison. On February 19, 2020, a jury found Timms guilty of both counts. Timms received 30 months on each count to be served concurrently.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. BOP Special Investigative Services investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus, Genna D. Petre, and Michael Bredenberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00428-FL.

NC State Board of Elections

Advocacy Group Sends Invalid Absentee Ballot Request Forms to 80,000 NC Voters

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections has learned that a voter advocacy group mailed about 80,000 absentee ballot request forms to North Carolina residents with voters’ information already filled out on the forms.

A state law passed last year prohibits election officials from accepting absentee ballot request forms pre-filled “partially or in whole,” and the State Board has instructed county boards of elections not to process such request forms.

The advocacy group, The Center for Voter Information (CVI) in Washington, D.C., halted additional mailings with pre-filled voter information after N.C. elections officials informed the group of the issue.

CVI plans to send about 400,000 additional mailings to N.C. residents, but they will include blank absentee ballot request forms, which are valid.

County boards of elections that receive an invalid absentee request form will send a letter to the voter informing them of the issue. The letter will include a blank request form for the voter to return.

The State Board urges voters to discard any absentee ballot request form they receive that includes pre-filled voter information.

CVI asked State Board staff to review a sample mailing in April, and State Board staff did not catch the pre-filled forms at that time. However, CVI sent some mailings before forwarding the final product to elections officials for review. Election officials discovered the issue after these mailings were sent to voters.

“We will do our best to review mailings and other voting information distributed by third parties when requested and when resources allow for it,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections. “However, it’s ultimately up to advocacy groups to ensure their mailings do not confuse voters or potentially affect their ability to vote in an election.”

All registered voters in North Carolina may request an absentee by-mail ballot. The official 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form is available for download from the State Board website. Voters may also pick up a request form from their county board of elections or call their county board to request a form.

For the November 3 general election, the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is October 27. Voters may request a ballot now. Starting in early September, ballots will be mailed to voters who request them.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

COVID-19 Update: 631 Granville, 391 Vance Cases; Related Deaths Climb to 45

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of June 10, 2020, there are 631 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 391 cases in Vance County, and 38,171 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are four outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC; one at Murdoch Development Center in Butner, NC; one at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC; and one at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 375 in Granville County are associated with the prisons, 5 are associated with Murdoch, 58 in Vance County are associated with Pelican Health nursing home, and 38 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Of the 251 community-based cases in Granville County, 125 have been released from isolation and 8 are hospitalized.

Of the 375 cases in the prison system, 84 have been released from isolation and one case at Murdoch has been released from isolation.

Of the 295 community-based cases in Vance County, 133 have been released from isolation.

Of the 96 cases in congregate living facilities in Vance County, 41 have been released from isolation.

6 individuals in Vance County are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 45 deaths in the health district – 31 in Vance County and 14 in Granville County of which 13 are with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily at approximately 5 p.m. with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

GVPH also emails updates about COVID-19 in Granville and Vance counties each evening. You can sign up to receive these emails at www.gvph.org/covid-19. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and complete the form.

Granville County Chamber of Commerce

Granville Co. Chamber: Participants Needed for 2020-21 Leadership Granville Program

/by

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville County Chamber of Commerce

As the Granville County Chamber of Commerce looks to the future and continues to address the uncertainties we may face in the coming months, it is a great moment to remind all citizens of the opportunities provided to inquiring minds as a participant in the 31st Leadership Granville Class.

Individuals with a sincere and genuine interest in future service to the community and those who have demonstrated commitment by previous community activities are encouraged to apply. 

The program provides an education on various facets of Granville County, and all graduates have praised the program for presenting many aspects of our county. Individuals interested in assuming leadership positions within their organization and/or community will find the knowledge gained in the program to be an asset.

Class sessions are tentatively set to begin mid-September 2020 and end with graduation in early April 2021. The program consists of approximately twenty sessions. The length of the sessions varies from daylong to half-day and some evenings.

Session highlights include leadership assessment and development, personal and group dynamics, county history, city-county-state governments, education, the arts, agriculture, economics-industry-small business, health services and volunteer agencies, human services, community support, tourism, judiciary and law enforcement, visiting manufacturers, farm, industries, businesses, etc.

Sponsored by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Granville County Public Schools and Vance-Granville Community College, Leadership Granville offers citizens of Granville County the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the community and develop their leadership potential. It offers new citizens an opportunity to become personally and professionally acquainted with county structure and life, which can benefit their present and future leadership.

The Chamber remains committed to providing a quality program filled with content and experience. As the Steering Committee and the Chamber address the changes created by today’s environment, the Chamber is seeking a response from all county citizens who may have an interest in the 2020 – 2021 Leadership Granville Program.

Interested individuals should contact one of the Chamber’s office locations – 124 Hillsboro Street in Oxford/Wanda, 919.693.6125, wanda@granville-chamber.com or 1598 Highway #56, Butner-Creedmoor/Toni Anne, 919.528.4994, tawheeler@granville-chamber.com to request an interest flyer for the 2020 – 2021 year.