Granville Soil & Water Office To Sponsor 2 Students For June Workshop At N.C. State

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Granville County Soil and Water Office will sponsor two local students to attend the annual conservation workshop at N.C. State University, scheduled for June 15-20.

The Resource Conservation Workshop is a weeklong intensive study and hands-on conservation workshop that includes a wide range of conservation topics. The workshop is intended to engage students to learn about natural resources and their management in today’s environment. Students participate in field study, tours, hands-on sessions and evening activities that focus on college and career-decision making.

Students who attend the Resource Conservation Workshop stay on campus at N.C. State in dormitories and attend workshop sessions in Williams Hall, Lake Wheeler Soils Field Lab in addition to field studies at Falls Lake State Recreation Area and Clemmons State Educational Forest.

“Having served as a counselor at this workshop, I can personally attest that it’s a great opportunity for students to experience a taste of college life while expanding interest and passion for degrees in conservation like environmental science, agriculture, or natural resources,” said Granville County Natural Resource Conservationist Byron Currin. “It’s a great way to build connections, add a great experience to your resume, and even earn a college scholarship. I can’t speak highly enough of this program and its importance to furthering the aims of natural resource conservation in Granville County and North Carolina.”

Granville County Soil and Water will sponsor two rising high school juniors and/or seniors. Any current 10th or 11th grader who resides in Granville County is eligible to apply.

Applications are due by Tuesday, April 1 via the N.C. State University Brickyard application system. Create an account and apply at https://reporter.ncsu.edu/index.html 

Brickyard accounts must be created by the student’s parent or guardian. N.C. State University will forward eligible applications to the student’s Soil and Water Conservation District office for review.

NC State Board of Elections

North Carolina’s Karen Brinson Bell Elected To Lead Nation’s Elections Directors In 2026

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North Carolina’s executive director of the State Board of Elections is set to be the 2026 president of the national association of state elections board directors.

Karen Brinson Bell recently was elected incoming president of the National Association of State Election Directors and was sworn in during the NASED conference in Washington, D.C. Bell was the organization’s vice president in 2024.

“Through this role on the NASED board, I interact routinely with election officials from across the United States as we learn from each other and improve elections,” Brinson Bell said. “I am proud of the work NASED does to help all election administrators succeed in making voting accessible, secure, and fair across the country.”

Kansas State Elections Director Bryan Caskey is serving as NASED president for 2025.

Other NASED officers for 2025-26 are: Mark Goins of Tennessee, vice president; Jonathan Brater of Michigan, treasurer; Monica Evans, District of Columbia, secretary; Mandy Vigil of New Mexico, immediate past president.

Brinson Bell has served as executive director of the State Board of Elections since June 2019. She has worked in elections administration since 2006 in county, state, and national roles. As North Carolina’s chief elections official, Brinson Bell leads about 65 employees at the state agency. The State Board administers elections and oversees campaign finance compliance. It also provides guidance on election laws and procedures to the 100 county boards of elections in North Carolina.

NASED is a nonpartisan professional organization made up of state election directors. It promotes accessible, accurate, and transparent elections in the 50 states and U.S. territories. NASED members meet twice a year to discuss the latest developments in election administration and learn from other states and experts about best practices in elections.

VGCC Logo

VGCC, Western Carolina University Partnership Turns Vanguards Into Catamounts

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— Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

More than 300 miles separate Vance-Granville Community College and Western Carolina University—but thanks to a new partnership, the two schools are now much closer than the physical distance that separates them.

On Thursday, Feb. 6, VGCC President Rachel Desmarais, WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown and colleagues from both institutions met by video call to sign a memorandum of understanding, guaranteeing admission to WCU for all Vance-Granville graduates who satisfy certain requirements. The agreement will offer a direct pathway for Vanguards to earn their four-year degree at WCU.

“We are pleased to be a participant in the Catamount Connections program offering a direct-entry admission opportunity to qualified VGCC graduates,” said Desmarais. “Western Carolina University offers unique programs of study, and we are excited to offer a pathway to these possibilities.”

Brown is excited Western Carolina can help make higher education more accessible to students in VGCC’s four-county service area.

“WCU continues to make the process of transferring to WCU as smooth as possible for the graduates of all our community college partners across the region and the state,” Brown noted. “This memorandum of understanding is an important tool in providing Vance-Granville Community College graduates with the resources and access to continue their higher education journey.”

Participating students must satisfy the following conditions:

  • Be a currently enrolled student at Vance-Granville Community College in a degree-seeking capacity
  • Submit WCU application for admission and records by WCU deadlines
  • Submit application fee or waiver and fulfill all commitment action steps
  • Be in good standing at VGCC and other institutions attended
  • Demonstrate good citizenship and conduct
  • Earn and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 at VGCC and a minimum GPA of 2.20 in their most recent term
  • Earn an associates degree from VGCC in a college transfer program or in an applied program for which an articulation agreement exists
  • Enroll at WCU within one academic year (within the next two regular terms [fall/spring semesters]) of completion of the associates degree

VGCC students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university may find more resources at www.vgcc.edu/transfer. For additional information, contact Robinette Fischer, Department Chair of Transition, Student Success, & College Transfer, at 252-738-3255 or fischerr@vgcc.edu.

Thinking Of Planting A Specialty Crop? N.C. Ag Dept. Accepting Grant Applications

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The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. Nonprofits and government agencies have until 5 p.m. on Mar 10 to submit applications.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is managed by the department, through anticipated funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eligible projects must involve fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal plants, nursery, floriculture or horticulture crops.

“We are fortunate in North Carolina that our farmers can grow just about any crop, which means the production of specialty crops continues to grow and add to the state’s $111 billion ag industry,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This $1.2 million in grants helps support and grow specialty crop production.”

The department will accept grant requests of up to $200,000 from nonprofit organizations, academia, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, and colleges and universities. Grants are not available for projects that directly benefit or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual.

See https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/specialty-crop for a comprehensive listing of qualifying specialty crops. For grant guidelines and an application, go to www.ncspecialtycrops.com/apply. For questions, contact Jenni Keith at 919.707.3158 or by email at jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

NC Foundation For Soil And Water Conservation Scholarships Available

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The North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation is offering scholarships to students who are currently studying or plan to seek a degree in natural resource management at a college, university or community college in North Carolina. Scholarship applications are open now and will be available until March 1, 2025.

Find the application at https://ncsoilwater.org/careers-in-conservation-scholarship-program-application/ 

The Careers in Conservation Scholarship Program’s goal is to increase the number of qualified people committed to working in the field of natural resource management. Scholarship recipients will be students who are currently pursuing or have firm plans to pursue a college degree in natural resource management or other closely related fields. Recipients will receive $1,000 per school year and must reapply each year for consideration. Scholarship awards will be announced before the end of May 2025.

Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of recommendation from their Soil and Water Conservation District Board or staff members.

For more information, please contact the Granville County Soil and Water office at 919.693.4603

 

Granville County Library System

Thornton Library’s North Carolina Room Gets $4K Gift

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The North Carolina Room at the Richard H. Thornton Library has received a $4,000 gift from an anonymous donor via the Friends of the Library. This is the largest single donation received by the North Carolina room during the 16 years North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace has been at the helm.

The unnamed donor grew up in Oxford and has longstanding ties to Granville County but gave the donation on the condition of anonymity, according to a press release from Granville County Public Information Terry Hobgood.

The gift will be used for currently currently unfunded areas of need for the North Carolina Room. This could include the purchase of archival storage boxes, a genealogical book series or other equipment or maintenance needs in lieu of taxpayer dollars.

The North Carolina Room includes a multitude of county histories like Census records for Granville and surrounding counties, archives of the Oxford Public Ledger and Butner-Creedmoor News, minutes from court proceedings, as well as marriage certificates, deeds, family genealogical histories and church histories. The North Carolina Room is located at the Richard H. Thornton Library, 210 Main St., Oxford. To learn more, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/438/NC-Genealogy-Room

The Friends of the Library is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the support of the Granville County Library System, including the development and growth of library resources, services and facilities. Visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/431/Friends-of-the-Library to learn more.

Auto Owners, Brace Yourselves For Possible Insurance Rate Increase

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North Carolina insurance companies have requested a statewide average 22.6 percent increase in automobile insurance rates.

The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents the automobile insurance companies in the state and is not a part of the Department of Insurance, filed the request with the Department on Monday. The insurance companies requested that the rates take effect on Oct. 1.

State law gives the Commissioner of Insurance 60 days to review the rate request to determine if the increase is justified based on the data submitted.

If Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey does not agree with the requested increase, he and the Department of Insurance can negotiate a settlement or call for a hearing.

Settlements have been reached on automobile rate filings in the past. If the case goes to a hearing, a hearing officer would make a ruling on the request.

This rate filing follows a February 2023 filing in which the insurance companies requested a statewide 28.4 percent increase. That filing resulted in a settlement of an overall average 4.5 percent increase per year for two years.

NC Community Foundation Scholarship Info

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The North Carolina Community Foundation administers nearly 140 college scholarships totaling close to $1.8 million. Most of the applications are open until Mar. 3 for students looking for ways to help pay for college.

There is no cost to apply and students can apply online using NCCF’s Universal Scholarships Application, which matches student information with criteria for about 130 scholarships for which they may be eligible.

There are a dozen or so other NCCF scholarships that have separate applications with different due dates. Students should review the criteria for those and follow instructions on how to apply.

All scholarships are established through endowment funds at NCCF with criteria determined by the donor. In 2024, NCCF awarded almost $1.5 million in scholarships to 360 students.

Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Scholarships for detailed application instructions.

VCHS Band Director Jaron Cox To Take Conductor Role In 3rd Annual Community Youth Honor Band

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— information courtesy of Vance County Schools and Vance-Granville Community College

More than 100 of the region’s best young musicians will show off their skills at the 3rd annual Community Youth Honor Band Concert, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 7 at the VGCC Civic Center.

The concert, which is free and open to the public. begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Campus Civic Center in Henderson. All family, friends and community members are encouraged to come support these talented students and the schools they represent.

Jaron Cox, a founding member of the honor band event, will lead the intermediate group – the Green Honor Band. Cox is the band director at Vance County High School. VGCC music instructor Brian D. Miller will lead the advanced group, according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

Middle and high school students representing schools throughout VGCC’s four-county service area were nominated by their respective band directors for their musical talent and passion. They will gather for the first time to rehearse on Thursday, Feb. 6, reconvene Friday morning, and present a concert that evening.

The student musicians will learn new songs especially for this event. Music selections had not yet been finalized at the time of publication, but event organizers offered a preview of what songs attendees might hear: “Ballad for Peace,” “The Barber of Seville,” “Ready the Castle” (JaRod Hall), and “Shadow Fire” (Randall D. Standridge), among others.

Cox said he is honored to lead this talented group of students. “The opportunity to conduct the Green Honor Band is a privilege,” said Cox. “This concert brings together young musicians from across the region to showcase their talents, and I look forward to helping them create a memorable performance.”

The Community Youth Honor Band includes middle and high school students from Granville, Vance, Warren and Franklin counties. It offers a special opportunity for students to collaborate with peers from other schools and perform in a large concert band. The preparation begins the day prior to the performance, with students rehearsing intensively for the big event.

Last year’s concert featured 95 students—45 from middle schools and 50 from high schools—performing before an audience of more than 300 in the VGCC Civic Center. This year promises to be another exciting display of musical growth and community spirit.

Cox also expressed gratitude for the continued support of the event by Betsy Henderson, VGCC Department Chair of Fine Arts and Humanities, Dr. Thomas Koinis, MD, FAAFP, VGCC Community Band member, and Tiffany Stone of Hill’s Music, aas well as Miller, who also is director of the Community Band.

This event was planned by a committee comprised of VGCC representatives, area band directors and school administrators, local business owners, and other community members. To learn more about the band or Fine Arts programs at Vance-Granville, contact department chair Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3371.

Granville County Implements “Property Check” To Guard Against Property, Mortgage Fraud

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Granville County Register of Deeds Kathy Taylor has announced the implementation of Cott System’s “PropertyCheck” that will help protect residents from property and mortgage fraud. This service, free to Granville County residents, will send a notification when an official  document is recorded on their property. Residents can activate alerts based on their name, property address or parcel number by visiting https://recordhub.cottsystems.com 

Property fraud can occur if someone forges your identity, transfers your property in their name, and records the document. This fraudulent activity can make it appear as if that person owns your property – and you may not have any idea that this happened.

The program works in the background of the Granville County Register of Deeds records management software, automatically alerting subscribers if a document with matching name or address is recorded. Property owners will need to create an account, create alerts for their name and/or property address and choose alert preferences – email or text message.

“I also recommend setting up multiple alerts based on first, middle and last name variations and your spouse’s name, to be sure that an alert will be triggered in case a recording happens with some kind of slight variation,”  Taylor said. “We hope that this service will give our residents peace of mind to monitor any activity that occurs relating to their name or property at the Granville County Register of Deeds.”

For more information, visit the Granville County Register of Deeds office located within the Granville County Courthouse at 101 Main St., Oxford or visit

https://www.granvillecounty.org/192/Register-of-Deeds.