New VGCC Partnership with KARTS Makes Education More Accessible

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recently launched a new partnership with KARTS, the public, rural transportation system, to help students travel to and from any of the college’s four campuses at no cost. Through the partnership, the college will use grant funds and donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund to pay for students to use KARTS.

“Transportation is just one non-academic barrier that can make it difficult for rural citizens to make use of their community college,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “We are thankful for KARTS’ willingness to partner with us to reduce this barrier. We also appreciate our generous donors and grantors who are making this opportunity possible. VGCC is committed to student access and success!”

Students can now make appointments for KARTS to pick them up by calling 252-438-2573 and then dialing “0”. If students need to cancel appointments, they can call the same number. Appointment timeslots are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made up to two weeks in advance. Service requests for the following day are taken no later than 1 p.m., or as capacity allows.

Students can request tickets on campus from any VGCC employee. Once students have these fare tickets, they must present their VGCC student IDs, along with the tickets, when boarding the KARTS transportation bus. They must be on time, because drivers will wait approximately two minutes, and students who do not show up for scheduled appointments three times are subject to be prohibited from using this service in the future.

Current pickup/drop-off locations on campus are below:

  • VGCC Main Campus (Vance County), in front of Building 7;
  • VGCC Franklin Campus (Louisburg), in front of Building 1;
  • VGCC South Campus (Butner/Creedmoor), in front of Building 1 by the flag pole; and
  • VGCC Warren Campus (Warrenton), between Buildings 2 and 3.

College officials said that there is the potential for more locations to be added in the future.

“We, as a college, are thrilled to provide transportation, at no cost, to current and future students,” said Dawn Michelle Tucker, VGCC’s Dean of Continuing Education and College & Career Readiness. “We know transportation is a major challenge that many students face and we are pleased to be able to partner with KARTS to offer this solution.”

“Our partnership with KARTS provides an even greater opportunity for our communities to access higher education and obtain a college credential,” said Kali Brown, VGCC’s Dean of Student Access & Support.

Working to remove the lack of transportation as an obstacle to receiving higher education and job training is just one aspect of the community college’s commitment to student support. Numerous types of financial aid and scholarships, including the unique “VanGuarantee” program, are available to help students pay for classes. Free tutoring services, library services (on all campuses and online) and career services are also among a variety of resources for students.

“Excessive absences are often a leading contributor to non-completion of community college education,” said VGCC Vice President of Workforce and Community Engagement Jerry Edmonds. “Therefore, VGCC is delighted to partner with KARTS in providing transportation to our growing population of students.”

KARTS is a service of the Kerr Area Transportation Authority. Its mission is “to provide safe, dependable and accessible transportation services in the most efficient and effective manner possible in order to improve mobility, support livable communities, enhance local economies, and provide opportunities to expand horizons of the citizens of Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren Counties.” Those are the same four counties served by VGCC.

All KARTS rides are provided on a scheduled/reserved basis, with fees based on mileage from point of origin to destination.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Education to Meet for Work Session Jan. 21

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-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a Work Session on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at 2 p.m. at West Oxford Elementary School, 412 Ivey Day Rd., Oxford, North Carolina.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the items found on the agenda at https://go.boarddocs.com/nc/gcsd/Board.nsf/Public.

The board may also meet in Closed Session to discuss confidential matters and consult with its attorney in accordance with N.C. General Statutes 143.318.11 (a)(1),(a)(3), and (a)(6).

Granville County Logo

2020 Coggin’s Clinics for Horse Owners Scheduled

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-Press Release, Granville County Government 

NC Cooperative Extension, Granville County Center, has scheduled two Coggin’s Clinics for horse owners. Horses that are taken off the farm to events such as horse shows or trail rides, or even for pleasure riding off the farm, should be tested for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). The Coggins Clinics offer this test at a reduced rate for horse owners.

Testing in February will allow time for horse owners to get their negative test results back before the season for trail rides and horse shows begins.

Dates and times for the clinics are:

Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, 1 to 4 p.m.

Both clinics will be held at Southern States Cooperative, located at 607 Hillsboro Street in Oxford. Those interested should turn into the west end of the store parking lot, cross the railroad tracks and proceed to the bulk storage area, where they will see the clinic set up and a circular drive which will make it easy to get in and out.

Call the Granville County Cooperative Extension Center at 919-603-1350 or send an email to gwen_rubio@ncsu.edu to make an appointment for horses to be tested.

Vaccinations for East/West Equine Encephalitis, Flu/Rhinovirus, Rabies, West Nile Virus and other diseases are also available for a fee. Horse owners should consult with a veterinarian for recommended vaccinations.

For questions or directions to the clinics, contact the Granville County NC Cooperative Extension Center at 919-603-1350.

Granville County Public Schools

GCPS Accepting Choice School Applications for 2020-21 Academic Year

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-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Public Schools is happy to announce that the Choice School Application is now available for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you would like to enroll your child in a choice school program, please complete the GCPS Choice School Application by March 20, 2020. The application window for Granville Early College closes on February 18, 2020.

The application can be found on the GCPS District website or on the individual school’s website.

Please contact the Choice Program Office for questions regarding choice programs at 919-693-6413.

 

American Flag

Granville Administrative Office Offers Proper U.S. Flag Disposal

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-Information and photo courtesy Granville County Government

With a brand new year just starting, is it time to replace your old, worn-out American flag? Bring your old one to Granville County’s official flag receptacle, located in the Granville County Administrative Office on Williamsboro Street in Oxford, for proper disposal.

Offices are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Currin Named Granville County’s New Natural Resources Conservationist

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

Byron Currin is the newly-hired Natural Resources Conservationist for Granville County’s Soil and Water District. A native of the area, Currin has prior experience from the Vance County Soil and Water Conservation District, where he worked for the past seven years.

Byron Currin is the newly-hired Natural Resources Conservationist for Granville County’s Soil and Water District. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

Currin holds certifications from the N.C. Forest Service as well as completing training in cropland conservation planning, watering facilities/piping, pasture planning, herbicide application, customer service and other trainings that have helped prepare him for this role.

A 2006 graduate of J.F. Webb High School, Currin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. He has also completed training with the UNC School of Government for Soil and Water Conservation Supervisors.

He officially began work with Granville County Government in October of 2019, where he shadowed Soil and Water Conservation District Director Warren Daniel, who recently retired after a 35-year career.

Currin’s office is located at 518 Lewis Street in Oxford, where he can be reached at 919-693-4603 (ext. 3) or at byron.currin@granvillecounty.org.

Granville Early College High School Accepting Applications for 2020-21

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-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Public Schools is happy to announce we are now accepting applications from all current 8th-grade students for Granville Early College High School for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you are interested in enrolling your 8th grader in Granville Early College, now is the time to complete your application!  We will be accepting applications through February 18, 2020.

You can find the online application by visiting the Granville Early College HS website or by clicking here.

Oxford Police Dept

Oxford PD Making Arrests, Obtaining Warrants, Searching For Suspects

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The Oxford Police Department worked two incidents where three people were shot on January 11 and January 12.  In addition, arrests have been made in a homicide case from December 31, 2019, and in the aftermath of an altercation on December 9, 2019, where a suspect fired multiple shots at a motor vehicle. Both of the December incidents involve 16-year-old suspects.

According to information obtained from the Oxford Police Department:

January 12, 2020, the OPD responded to Granville Medical Center for two persons who had been shot. Officers talked with both victims – Jerome Bumpass, 20 years old, and Lakeem Lyons, 27 years old and determined that the incident took place on Hicks Mill Rd. Both victims were transported out to other medical facilities for treatment. Neither had life-threatening injuries. No suspects have been identified in this case.

January 11, 2020, the OPD responded to Speedway on MLK Blvd. in reference to a shooting victim. The victim, Matthew Jones, 33 years old, reported that he had been shot in the leg by Leo McCoy, 31 years of age. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Warrants have been obtained for McCoy, however, he had not been located as of this publication. Oxford Police Chief Alvin Coley told WIZS News the warrants for McCoy were for “assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.”

The homicide victim from December 31, 2019, was identified as Ms. Sharday Thorpe, age 34, of 306 Lanier St. An arrest warrant was obtained for 1st Degree Murder and the suspect was taken into custody. However, the suspect is 16 years old and the name cannot be released. This is an active investigation and a motive cannot be released.

December 9, 2019, at or near the intersection of Leak and Wilmington Avenues, an altercation occurred where a suspect fired multiple shots at a motor vehicle. The suspect in this case is 16 years old and has been taken into custody. No additional information can be released.

Chief Coley said he believes the crimes are unrelated. He said, “However, I can’t say for sure if all of our recent crimes were all random. However, it does appear that in some cases individuals were purposely shot or shot at for unknown reasons.”

Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent said, “As you might imagine, the City and Police Department are working hard to address the recent incidents, and we feel secure that they will prevail in their efforts to restore the peace.”

Coley said, “As always, each act of crime is a public safety concern, and we will continue to work towards the apprehension of the perpetrator(s).”

Reavis Takes Reins at Granville County Emergency Services

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Granville County Government announces that Jason Reavis has been hired as Director of Granville County Emergency Services.

Reavis has more than 20 years’ experience in the emergency services field, with his most recent position being Assistant Director of Emergency Operations in Vance County. In that role, he helped supervise all functions associated with Emergency Management and 911, including emergency planning, response, recovery and mitigation.

Granville County Government announces that Jason Reavis has been hired as Director of Granville County Emergency Services. His first day of work was Dec. 1, 2019. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

Along with planning and executing numerous exercises in preparation for natural and manmade disasters, Reavis has helped build and strengthen relationships with area governments, departments and agencies to manage effective planning and implementation of emergency response strategies.

The new Emergency Services Director, who is stepping in after the Dec. 31 retirement of former Emergency Services Director Doug Logan, is a certified N.C. Executive Emergency Manager, an International Emergency Medical Dispatcher, and an International Emergency Fire Dispatcher, among many other distinctions.

Various supervisory and instructional roles in his extensive career have helped prepare him to fill the position of Emergency Services Director, as well as experience as a paramedic and volunteer firefighter.

At the Fall Conference of the North Carolina Emergency Management Association, Reavis was recognized with the 2019 Vance E. Kee Award, which is presented annually to the local emergency management staff person who has demonstrated outstanding achievement through promoting emergency management among other county and state agencies and elected officials.

A graduate of Vance-Granville Community College, Reavis holds an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration. He is married and has five children.

His first day of work was Dec. 1, 2019.

Granville County Public Schools

GCPS Receives ‘Clean’ Financial Audit Report 

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

At their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020, the Granville County Board of Education received the official financial audit for the 2018-2019 fiscal year from the firm of Anderson, Smith and Wike, PLLC.

Partner Dale Smith summarized the 72-page report to the Board, commenting, “these reports are the cleanest reports that a governmental entity can receive in an audit of its financial statement.” Board Chairman David Richardson responded to the audit results, stating, “The Board is pleased with the results of this year’s audit. In striving to be transparent and accountable for the funds entrusted to us, this process affirms our staff and procedures while showing the public our financial standing.”

Mr. Smith walked Board members through various highlights of the report, including an overview of the budget, as well as the status of fund balance, or the district’s savings or “rainy day” fund.

The total budget of governmental activities for the district during the 2018-2019 fiscal year was $90,991,833. Regarding fund balance, Mr. Smith explained, “The total fund balance on June 30, 2019, was $6,229,570, which as a percentage of total governmental expenditures represents 7.26%.”

Mr. Smith further explained the importance of the Board to continue monitoring the fund balance to ensure the district remained in sound financial standing. He noted that while there is no required threshold for the percentage of fund balance that the district should maintain, other governmental entities such as towns, cities and municipalities use 8% as a general target for their savings.

Mr. Smith concluded his presentation by stating, “Over the past three years, the district has not had any major compliance issues. The state puts a lot of restrictions on how the money is to be spent, so all of your directors and the finance department are responsible for ensuring the funds are spent in the proper manner, and they have done an excellent job in spending those funds the way they were supposed to be. It says a lot about the folks you have in charge that there are no findings with this audit. We audit over 50 districts across the state, and there is not anyone doing as great a job as Ms. Day and her team. Y’all have a top-notch finance department.”

The Board uses a third party independent auditing firm to review financial records as a measure of accountability and certification as required by state law. This helps ensure that the district remains a good steward of taxpayer dollars.

Superintendent McLean also commented on the findings, saying, “I am very proud to see the high quality work of our finance team and staff from across the district confirmed by this independent report. This is fundamental to our primary goal of educating students and I commend them for a job well done.”