Granville Visitors Spent More Than $52 Million in 2018

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-Press Release, Granville County Tourism Development Authority

In a recent announcement, Gov. Roy Cooper reported that visitors to North Carolina set a record for spending in 2018. The 2.3 billion in total spending represented an increase of 5.6 percent from 2017. The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Granville County tourism helped contribute to this statewide increase, bringing in more than $52 million in 2018. This reported total equates to a 5.9 percent increase from the previous year’s expenditures, which is higher than the increase reported for the state. According to data shared in the report, Granville County’s share of local tax receipts for 2018 totaled $1.49 million, with $3.07 million in state tax receipts reported.

Granville County Tourism Development Director Angela Allen attributes the county-wide growth in tourism and visitor spending to a growing local economy, such as the opening of new restaurants and gathering places, as well as a greater awareness of events and attractions that can be enjoyed in our area.

“As more and more people are discovering what Granville County has to offer  – our welcoming atmosphere, hometown charm and relaxed lifestyle –  we are quickly becoming a choice destination,” Allen remarked. “Our recently-launched marketing campaign bears this out – we are ‘Uniquely Carolina.’”

Visitor spending in Granville County has seen a steady increase over the past decade, rising from approximately $36 million in 2009 to $43 million in a time span of four years. The report from 2014 reflected $44 million generated by visitor spending, with an increase to $45 million in 2015, $47 million in 2016 and $49 million reported last year.

According to a press release issued by Gov. Cooper’s office, North Carolina visitors spent more than $65 million per day in 2018, with each household saving approximately $530 (on average) in state and local taxes as a direct result of the tourism industry.

“North Carolina is a welcoming place to stay for the nearly 50 million visitors who travel here each year, employing more than 225,000 people across more than 45,000 businesses last year,” Gov. Cooper remarked. “I’m proud of the way tourism continues to fuel growth in communities across our state.”

To learn more about tourism and events/attractions in Granville County, log onto www.visitgranvillenc.com, or contact Angela Allen, Tourism Director, by phone at 919-693-6125 or by email at angela.allen@granvillecounty.org.

Reminder: NC Hot Sauce Contest Spices Up Downtown Oxford This Sat.!

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-Information courtesy Angela Allen, Director, Granville County Tourism Development Authority

There are now only a few days to go until downtown Oxford heats up with the annual NC Hot Sauce Contest! This year’s event will be held Saturday, September 14, 2019, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The NC Hot Sauce Contest brings thousands of people to downtown Oxford to interact with friends, merchants, fans, artisans and vendors. In 2018, the event topped 18,000 visitors!

North Carolina’s finest hot sauces and barbeque sauces, along with breweries and wineries spice up the blends and texture of downtown’s historic streets.

Enter the NC Pepper Eating Contest sponsored by Bailey Farms. Capture all the history of Oxford by visiting the Granville County Museum and their September Sensations Bazaar at the Harris Exhibit Hall, famous for showcasing local artisans.

The day will include activities for children, local shops waiting to greet you and great restaurants, all at your fingertips.

For more details, please visit the NC Hot Sauce Contest website at www.nchotsaucecontest.com.

U.S. Department of Justice

Dept. of Justice Reminds Public to be Aware of Fraud When Disaster Strikes

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region, which opened opportunities for criminals to exploit people during vulnerable times.

The NCDF, a national coordinating agency within the Department’s Criminal Division, operates a call center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and information relating to both natural and man-made disasters.

The NCDF seeks to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for victims of such fraud. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows them to forward complaints to the appropriate agency for investigation.

“In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian the affected communities and citizens of Eastern North Carolina should be on guard against disaster fraud schemes,” said Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “As FEMA and other federal, state, and local relief agencies work tirelessly to support those who have suffered losses as the result of this natural disaster, we can be certain that criminals will target those impacted and attempt to profit from the suffering of others. The Department of Justice is committed to detecting and stopping this type of fraud. Through the National Center for Disaster Fraud, and in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we are working to aggressively prosecute the offenders.”

While compassion, assistance, and solidarity are generally prevalent in the aftermath of natural disasters, unscrupulous individuals and organizations also use these tragic events to take advantage of those in need.

Examples of illegal activity being reported to the NCDF and law enforcement include FEMA fraud, identity theft, contractor fraud, charity fraud and impersonation of government officials.

The NCDF reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims and before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of disaster victims.

The public is also reminded to be extremely cautious before providing personal identifying or financial information to anyone, especially those who may contact you after a natural disaster.

Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane Dorian, for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions.

Tips should be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov, and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.

Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement from United States Attorney Higdon here.

Within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Deputy Criminal Chief Felice Corpening serves as the Disaster Fraud Coordinator. Working with the NCDF and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, Deputy Criminal Chief Corpening oversees the federal prosecution and investigation of disaster fraud matters impacting Eastern North Carolina.

Violations of North Carolina state disaster fraud laws are handled by the North Carolina Department of Justice’s (NCDOJ) Consumer Protection Division. The NCDOJ Consumer Protection Division may be contacted at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226) or by visiting www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.

Scholarship Fund Established at VGCC in Memory of Local Teacher

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Friends and colleagues of the late Robert C. Pirie, Jr., have established a scholarship fund in his memory at Vance-Granville Community College.

Pirie passed away in May at the age of 75. A Vance County native, he was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, including service in Vietnam. He retired from the Vance County school system after teaching for more than 30 years, primarily at Zeb Vance Elementary School.

From left, Mike Bullard, Billy Horner, Wanda Bullard and VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson meet to discuss plans for the scholarship in memory of Robert Pirie. (VGCC photo)

Retired educators Michael and Wanda Bullard, along with Pirie’s best friend, Billy Horner, and his wife, Patricia Horner, helped set up the scholarship at VGCC. “I was a student of Mr. Pirie’s during his first year of teaching and then had the honor of teaching with him for 12 years,” Wanda Bullard said. “He encouraged me to become a teacher and then became my mentor. We became very close and I thought of him as a second father. I am one of many that he encouraged and supported.”

Bullard noted that Pirie received several awards for his math teaching abilities. He also coached the Zeb Vance Eagles Pee Wee football team for many years and was well-respected in the school system and the community. She recalled that Pirie and Horner shared a love of college sports, attending numerous Duke University home football games and ACC basketball tournaments together.

When Pirie struggled with health issues in his later years, Bullard and Horner helped take care of him. “He was like family to both of us,” Bullard said. “We wanted to start the scholarship in his name as a way to continue his legacy of encouragement and support of students being the best they can be.”

“We are touched that those who knew and worked with Mr. Pirie, those he taught and those he inspired, have been generous and thoughtful enough to honor his memory through a scholarship,” said VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson. “When fully endowed, this new scholarship will help VGCC students continue their education, and that’s a perfect way to pay tribute to an outstanding educator.”

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 9,400 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff.

Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education.

For more information or to make a contribution to help fully endow this scholarship, call Kay Currin at (252) 738-3409.

Contributions to the scholarship fund can be mailed to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund, at P.O. Box 917, Henderson, NC 27536.

Reminder: Last ‘Alive After Five’ of Year Set for Thursday!

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-Press Release, Granville County Chamber of Commerce

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the date for the last Alive After Five event of 2019 – Thursday, September 12. This event will feature the music and entertainment of JIM QUICK AND COASTLINE BAND and will be held from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. in Oxford’s Downtown Parking Lot on Gilliam Street.

Coincidentally, this concert is leading into an exciting weekend in downtown Oxford  – the annual North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest, which will be held Saturday, September 14. Plan to spend quite a bit of time meeting, greeting, visiting, shopping, dining and lodging in Oxford.

Concession vendors Chick-fil-A of Henderson will be offering their famous chicken sandwiches and soft drinks; Williamson’s Country Store and Grill from Bullock will be offering hot dogs, fried bologna sandwiches, French fries, soft drinks, etc. There will be Coca-Cola and Long Beverage products.

The Chamber’s Alive After Five outdoor event is free to attend. Come early, bring a chair, listen to the incredible music, dance and enjoy visiting with friends. The last Alive After Five event of 2019 will be a night to remember as Jim Quick and Coastline Band takes the stage!

Please visit the Chamber’s website, www.granville-chamber.com or their Facebook page to view the event poster for complete details, including amazing event sponsors and contributors.

Oxford Logo

Oxford Commissioners to Hold Public Hearing on New Floodplain Regulations

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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall in Oxford.

Agenda items include:

Public hearing to hear citizen input on amending the Oxford Zoning Ordinance – section 1100 – in order to adopt the new floodplain regulations required by NC Dept. of Emergency Management.

Consider amending the Oxford Zoning Ordinance – section 1100 – in order to adopt the new floodplain regulations required by NC Dept. of Emergency Management.

Consider calling for a public hearing to be held at the October regular meeting regarding request from the UDO Committee regarding placing a moratorium on any new internet sweepstakes establishments.

Consider awarding bid for the 2019 City Street Resurfacing Project and approve a budget amendment in the amount of $24,000.

Consider adopting a tentative resolution to award the bid for the 2017 USDA Water and Sewer Improvements Project.

Resolution providing for application to the LGC for approval of Water and Sewer System Revenue Bonds and Bond Anticipation Note and certain related matters and findings.

Consider approval of Amendment #6 to the Kerr Lake Regional Water System Agreement.

Consider approving a budget amendment in the amount of $226,398.00.

Resolution for tentative award of bid for the 2017 DWI Sewer Main Project.

Please click here for the full meeting agenda.

Majority of Granville Co. Public Schools Exceeded or Met Growth

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

The NC Department of Public Instruction released the standardized test scores for the 2018-19 school year, and the results show some positive trends for the district. The majority of schools either exceeded or met growth, according to state analysis.

Growth measures the overall academic progress a student makes during the course of the entire year, compared to their counterparts across the state. Proficiency measures whether or not a student achieves a particular score, typically designated as level III or above on most tests.

Using a combination of the growth measure (20%) and percentage of students who are proficient (80%), the state assigns a school letter grade. Granville Early College High School earned an A. Wilton Elementary and Mt. Energy Elementary both earned a B, and seven other schools earned a C.

Eight schools earned a D, with four of those schools only two points away from earning a C. Northern Granville Middle School earned an F, but was one point away from earning a letter grade of a D.

Superintendent McLean offered her perspective on the outcomes, stating, “While our growth measures continue to remain strong, we did see some slippage in the overall letter grades of our schools. Since this past June, we have been using the raw data to make adjustments in our approach, including making changes in school leadership, reallocating curricular resources, and renewing our focus on literacy.At our lowest performing schools, we have already made significant changes to address areas of concern, which we are confident will yield positive results.”

Dr. Brenda Williamson takes on the newly merged and energized Northern Granville Middle School as the principal for the 2019-2020 school year. JF Webb School of Health and Life Sciences also prepares for its merger in 2020 with JF Webb High School under new leadership. JF Webb High School improved its letter grade from a D to a C this past year under Principal Amy Rice’s leadership.

A variety of external factors may have also contributed to the variance in test scores. This past year, the NCDPI administered newly designed math assessments at all grade levels, which resulted in statewide standard-setting, causing scores to be re-calibrated on a new scale. There were also no retests for any math tests, which did not afford some students a second chance to improve their score.

In addition, this was the first year that all students took all standardized tests online using their laptop computers as recommended by NCDPI. In the past, most tests have been administered using paper and pencil test booklets and answer sheets.

A deeper analysis of results by subject area, grade level and subgroup of students show some areas of marked improvement.  For example, there was a double-digit increase in 8th grade math proficiency of 25 percentage points. In addition, 3rd grade reading proficiency increased by almost 8 percentage points for all students across the district. Finally, all but one high school improved their graduation rate, with JFW HLS boasting a 100% and Granville Early College at a 98% graduation rate for the year.

Dr. McLean further explained, “While important, these test scores are but one measure of student success. Our teachers work very hard to provide a safe environment where our students are prepared academically, socially and emotionally for what lies beyond graduation. This is our number one goal. We love our students, and together, our teachers, support staff and administrators will stay on the move!”

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Education to Hold September Meeting

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular board meeting on Monday, September 9, 2019, 6 p.m. at the Granville County Public Schools Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The Board will also meet in a Closed Session with the Board’s attorney 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 on this evening.

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

Duke Energy

Duke Energy Reports First Storm Outages, Provides Important Reminders

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Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for storm updates. The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found any time by clicking here.

-Information courtesy Tanya Evans, District Manager, Duke Energy

We are beginning to see the first storm-related outages this afternoon as Hurricane Dorian storm bands reach our state. And while we aren’t expecting hurricane force winds locally, we do anticipate severe weather conditions which will lead to outages.

Across the state, we are still projecting as many as 700,000 customers or more could experience extended outages from this storm.

How to see outages in your area

See the outage map at www.duke-energy.com/outages.

You can view outages in a few ways. On all devices, you can use the search bar to find a specific address or location.

When looking at the map, you will see circle icons of varying sizes indicating the location and number of customers without power. One outage on the map could represent multiple homes and businesses. Pan the map and select a circle to zoom in on your location.

Or you can select the zoom (+/-) in the lower right corner of the map, and then use the mouse to drag left, right, up or down to navigate to the location you want to view. Or, you can select the zoom (+/-) in the lower right corner of the map, and then use the mouse to drag left, right, up or down to navigate to the location you want to view.

On a mobile device, use the pinch open gesture to zoom in and the pinch close gesture to zoom out, and then use the drag gesture to move the outage map to the desired location.

Email and text communication

We have been sharing prepare messages and updates with customers who have email addresses registered with us. In addition, a text message was sent today to customers who do not have an email on file with us:

“Duke Energy Storm: Dorian is bringing high winds & excessive rainfall to parts of our state. Prepare for dangerous conditions & extended outages. Our crews are nearby and ready to move as soon as conditions allow.  Visit https://duk.us/06 for latest info. Heed all warnings and stay safe. Text STOP to cancel.”

 Outage reporting  

Customers who experience an outage during the storm can report it by:

Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.

Texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).

Calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800.419.6356.

For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy). See the outage map at www.duke-energy.com/outages.

Important reminders

The following tips can help you and your family stay safe if the power goes out:

  • Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with lines.
  • Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in advance of the storm to stay connected to important safety and response information. Consider purchasing portable chargers and make sure they are fully charged as well.
  • Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with special needs – to a safe, alternative location in case an extended power outage occurs or evacuation is required.
  • Pet owners should make arrangements to stay at evacuation shelters that accept pets; friends’ or family members’ homes; or pet-friendly hotels.
  • Report all power line hazards using the following phone numbers:
  • Duke Energy Carolinas customers – 800.769.3766
  • Duke Energy Progress customers – 800.419.6356
  • Please do not use 911 to report a downed power line unless it is a life-threatening emergency. If a power line falls across a car that you’re in, stay in the car and dial 911. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.Click here for a video demonstration and to read more about safety around power lines.

BBQ Contest, Parade Planned for 9th Annual Oxford Masonic Homecoming

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-Information courtesy the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford

The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, 600 College St., will hold its 9th Annual Masonic Homecoming Festival on Saturday, October 12, 2019, from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Admission is free and festivities are open to the public. Campus tours of the Masonic Home will be available.

Enjoy a fun day full of games and activities for kids, homecoming activities for alumni, music, food and the annual Shrine and Community Parade. Parade begins at the fire department at 11 a.m.

$10 lunch tickets will be sold on-site and include all-you-can-eat samples from the BBQ contest.

Don’t miss music performances by The Tams with hits such as “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “What Kind of Fool” and “Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me.”

For more information, please visit www.mhc-oxford.org.

(This is not a paid advertisement)