GVPH Director Lisa Harrison Guest Speaker At Chamber’s “State Of Public Health” Luncheon

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A community’s public health department provides an array of services that range from prenatal care and immunizations to tracking communicable diseases and well and septic inspections.

For Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison, it’s the public’s health – whether it’s getting a shot or making sure the well water’s safe to drink – that matters.

Harrison, who has been in her role since 2012, was the guest speaker at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s “State of” luncheon Thursday and told the audience that while there are always challenges, with those challenges come opportunities.

One big challenge coming down the pike: changes in Medicaid laws that are certain to hit rural areas especially hard.

In a nutshell, the federal legislation informally called “the One Big Beautiful Bill” will take about $1 trillion away from Medicaid. That will trickle down quickly to affect states, especially those with lots of rural health care providers – from doctor’s offices to hospitals.

That’s going to be a big challenge, for sure, in North Carolina.

But, Harrison continued, the corresponding opportunity is what came out of recent Congressional hearings where Harrison, among others, stated their case to provide some sort of funding to help rural areas like Vance and Granville counties.

“We can’t make everything work with all the cuts that are coming,” she said, recounting the basic message delivered to Congress.

What came from those Congressional hearings is the $50 billion Rural Transformation Grant, which gives $1 billion to each state in the country to address rural health priorities.

Harrison said GVPH is one of 14 counties in the NC ROOTS (Rural Organizations Orchestrating Transformation for Sustainability) Hub 4 that stretches from Caswell County to the west and Johnston County to the southeast.

There are some strings attached to the money, however, and Harrison mentioned several areas that must be addressed in future programming per the grant requirements: workforce development, technology, hubs of governance and chronic disease prevention.

“The rules that come with this are very strict,” she said, adding that collaboration and partnership with other agencies and community groups are going to be key. Working together in creative ways to figure out what works best for the community and its residents is vital to future success.

Health departments have long used information from community assessments to identify top concerns and priorities to target. Diabetes, heart disease and stroke are among the perennial top three health challenges for Vance residents, so finding ways to reduce or prevent those chronic health conditions is something public health providers are always thinking about.

Lately, mental health and substance use disorder have gained traction, but often, residents don’t know where to go for help.

“It’s hard to market and communicate what we do and how we do it,” Harrison said. Staffs are planning open house events at both the Henderson and Oxford offices as a way to invite people in to hear and see for themselves what their health department is all about.

Visit www.gvph.org to learn more about the programs and services available at GVPH. The Henderson offices are located at 115 Charles Rollins Rd. beside Maria Parham Health; the Oxford offices are located behind Granville Medical Center, 1032 College St. College St.

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – The History of Alcohol

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In 1748, when North Carolina was just a colony and had to follow England’s rules, the first “ordinary” was opened in Granville County. The proprietor had to pay $30 in “proclamation” money for a license and he had to promise to provide food and lodging for travelers and their horses.

As local historian Mark Pace explained it on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk, ordinaries provided food and drinks for a fixed price as compared to inns – which provided rooms and meals and maybe drinks. And taverns were places where alcohol was first on the menu, accompanied possibly by food.

But anyone who wanted to open one of these establishments had to go to court and get a bond – pay money.

Prior to the Revolution, for the price of one shilling (about $35 in today’s economy), you and your horses would get room and board. But for drinks stronger than water, you probably had to pay extra.

Choices for alcohol were probably quite limited back then, with port, stout and rum figuring highest on the list, Pace said.

Nowadays, we have a multitude of craft beers, wine and spirits to tickle our taste buds. But whether you enjoy the occasional adult beverage or you’re a teetotaler, the stories about the history of alcohol in North Carolina are nothing short of entertaining.

After the Revolution, George Washington’s federal style of government put an excise tax on alcohol.

“This did not go over well with everybody, particularly with Pennsylvania,” Pace said, and the tax led to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.

“It was the first time the federal government had issued a tax and the first time the people had risen up in arms against that tax,” he said. After all, they’d just fought a Revolution to get out from under British rule, and here they were, getting taxed again.

Washington sent 13,000 troops to quash the rebellion, and they made quick work of it.

When Thomas Jefferson took the Presidential oath in 1801, he abolished the tax.

And liquor was not taxed again until 1862, when it was reinstituted to raise money for the Civil War.

During that period leading up to the Civil War, it was perfectly legal to make your own alcohol, with no taxes imposed. And that’s what a lot of farmers in and around Granville County did, Pace explained.

One particular area in the vicinity where present-day southern Granville County meets Franklin County, achieved local notoriety for being rife with moonshine stills.

The dense orange-red  clay in the area known as the “Harracan” wouldn’t grow tobacco, but it would grow corn.

So resourceful farmers and others took the opportunity to turn that crop into something they could make money with – and that was alcohol, Pace said. You may even be able to find the remains of stills along creeks or other water sources in the Haracan, “just down the road a little ways,” as old-timers recall.

After the Civil War, the feds started allowing people to have large-scale distilleries, and many towns had them, including Henderson, Oxford and Warrenton.

These distilleries were licensed and there were hefty federal taxes involved. Back then, a  gallon of alcohol cost about $2.50 – and $1 of that was tax.

That was a bitter pill to swallow for some, Pace said. And that’s what led to bootlegging.

From 1870 to 1908 or so, bootleggers were running up, down, across and through the state with their untaxed spirits.

People figured out they could get their alcohol cheaper from their neighbor than they could from a licensed distillery, so business was booming for a good while.

In 1908, North Carolina passed a law stating that distilleries could be located in incorporated towns only.

Layer on that the 18th Amendment to the Constitution that enacted Prohibition and the black market for alcohol became even more important and intriguing.

The bootleggers needed to be able to outrun the revenuers, Pace said, and they created souped-up vehicles that paved the way for NASCAR racing, a perennial favorite for many.

One bootlegger from Wake County has a road named after him in the southern part of Granville County. Bruce Garner was arrested a bunch of times, paid his fines and kept on making liquor.  He found religion, however, and turned from the liquor business. After World War II he moved to Raleigh and opened up a couple of restaurants. The burger joint he started in 1960? Yep. It’s called Char-Grill.

The 13 years or so that made up the Prohibition era was anything but dry, however. And when the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition in 1933, North Carolina was one of the states that, in essence, got into the liquor business when the Alcohol Beverage Control board was established a couple of years later.

Vance, Warren and Franklin counties set up ABC stores in 1935. It took Granville County until 1963 to join the party.

Pace said at one time there was a bus route that ran from Oxford to the train station in Henderson – which was conveniently located across from the town’s ABC store on William Street.

Locals felt like having a liquor store right across from the station was a blemish on Henderson’s reputation, Pace said. But apparently that didn’t bother the folks who made the round trip from Oxford one little bit.

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NC Dept of Agriculture

Grants Up To $25K Available To Help Eligible Large-Animal Vets

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— From the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funding to help support their large animal practices.

The Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend at least 30 percent of their patient care providing large animal veterinary services.

“Large animal veterinarians are essential to North Carolina agriculture, but too many rural communities continue to face shortages of these critical professionals,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This program helps veterinarians invest in their practices, reduce educational debt and continue serving the livestock producers who depend on them.”

Grant funds may be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient’s veterinary degree, the purchase of equipment or technology for use in the recipient’s large animal veterinary practice or other uses approved by the advisory committee to promote and develop large animal veterinary practice in eligible counties.

The application period opens Aug. 14 and closes Oct. 14. Applicants who received funding during both of the two most recent funding rounds are not eligible to apply this year but may reapply in a future funding cycle. Other previous recipients remain eligible to apply.

Applications are available online at ncagr.gov/grants by clicking on the Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement Fund link. More information about the grant program is available on the program’s frequently asked questions page at ncagr.gov/large-animal-health-enhancement-fund-faq/download?attachment or by emailing LargeAnimalVetGrants@ncagr.gov.

The Large Animal Health Enhancement Advisory Committee will determine grant awards based on eligible applications. The committee includes the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture, the State Veterinarian of North Carolina, the chief executive officer of the N.C. Agricultural Finance Authority, one designee from the Food Animal Scholars Program at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, two practicing large animal veterinarians, two representatives of the livestock industry, one designee appointed by Troxler and one designee appointed by the state veterinarian Dr. Mike Martin.

Granville County Appoints Ben King As Deputy Clerk To Board, Assistant To County Manager

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— Information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Ben King has been appointed to serve as Granville County’s next deputy clerk to the Board and assistant to the County Manager. King has four years of experience in local government at multiple municipalities in Wake and Johnston counties.

He began the new job on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

King comes to Granville County after a year as town clerk for the town of Archer Lodge in Johnston County, where he began his tenure as deputy town clerk. Before coming to Archer Lodge, King earned his Master’s of Public Administration from UNC- Chapel Hill. While earning his degree, King spent time as a program support assistant for the town of Apex Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department and as an intern with the Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department. He has served on parks and recreation citizen advisory boards in Durham County, Orange County, and in Salisbury, where he attended Catawba College. King also gained experience during his college years as an intern with the office of U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning at her 6th Congressional district office.

“Local government is where the rubber meets the road, and it’s where residents can truly see and feel the impact of the decisions their elected officials and staff make every day,” said King when asked what drew him to this new position with Granville County. “I’m excited about this opportunity because it allows me to help leadership continue moving Granville County forward while respecting the community’s rich history, traditions, and culture. I’m also looking forward to continuing to work in the Clerk profession while expanding my experience in working with county management and department heads. On a personal note, my mother worked as a Deputy City Manager, and my stepfather was a Division Fire Chief in my hometown. Public service has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.”

When he isn’t working, King is an active Mason and Scottish Rite Mason and volunteers with Reality Ministries in Durham.

VGCC Foundation Craft Fair Vendor Deadline Sept. 25 For Oct. 9 Event

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— Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation will host the 4th annual “Fill the Pantry” Craft Show on Friday, Oct. 9, from 2–7 p.m. inside the VGCC Civic Center in Henderson.

This popular community event brings together local artisans, crafters, and vendors for an afternoon of shopping, creativity, and giving back. Proceeds from the event will directly support the VGCC Food Pantry, which provides essential resources to students facing food insecurity across Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties.

The Foundation is currently seeking vendors to participate in this year’s event. Booth spaces are available for $25 for each 10′ x 10′ space ($50 for a 10′ x 20′ space), plus a donated item to be used for raffles. This event offers an affordable opportunity for local businesses and creators to showcase and sell their products while supporting a meaningful cause.

“The ‘Fill the Pantry’ Craft Show continues to grow each year, thanks to the incredible support of our community,” said Angela Douglas, Food Pantry assistant. “This event not only highlights local talent but also helps ensure our students have access to basic needs so they can focus on their education and future success.”

Community members are encouraged to attend, shop, and support the cause. A wide variety of handmade goods, crafts and unique items will be available. The entry fee for shoppers is three canned goods or non-perishable items.

To register as a vendor, complete the online interest form at https://bit.ly/4vQVsyR. Please note vendors will not be considered registered unless they have paid before the deadline of Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Vendors must offer items for sale.

For additional information or questions, please contact Angie Douglas douglasa@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3323.

(This news text above was originally published July 17, 2026.)

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NCDOT

NCDOT Launches ‘Projects Near Me’ To Find Road Projects Across State

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— Information courtesy of N.C. Dept. of Transportation

The N.C. Department of Transportation recently launched an interactive online tool called Projects Near Me where people can explore a map featuring a wide range of state transportation project data.

The map is searchable by address, making it easy to find projects near any location, and by project identification number in the State Transportation Improvement Program. It can also display projects by county or NCDOT Highway Division.

Additional filters allow users to search the map by project type — aviation, bicycle and pedestrian, bridge and structure, ferry, highway, public transportation, rail, and other miscellaneous projects. The map can also display indicators for projects that are of high public interest, have public engagement, or are future projects.

Users can click on any map pin to display more project information, including a local map and description of the work, milestones for those that are committed for funding in the current STIP, and contact information.

The data behind the Projects Near Me map is subject to change as projects evolve. The map does not feature data on travel impacts associated with current transportation projects. Visit https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/ProjectsNearMe/default.aspx to search county-by-county projects.

People should continue to use https://www.drivenc.gov/ for real-time traffic information across North Carolina.

NC Dept of Agriculture

Nominations For State Fair 2026 ‘Farm Family Of The Day’ Program Open Through Aug. 21

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— Information courtesy of the N.C. State Fair office

 

The N.C. State Fair will recognize 11 farm families during the fair this year through the Farm Family of the Day program, sponsored by Tractor Supply Company. Nominations and applications are being accepted now through Aug. 21. If you are a proud N.C. farmer who works hard to contribute to our state’s No. 1 industry, and loves both farming and the N.C. State Fair, your family could be one of the lucky ones selected to represent the industry at the fair.

“This is the sixth year we have honored farm families with the Farm Family of the Day program at the N.C. State Fair,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Helping people make the connection between farming and the food that they enjoy is one of our top missions at the N.C. State Fair each year. Thanks to Tractor Supply Company, we can help tell the story of our farmers because they are the individuals out there every day working to grow the food, fiber and fuel that we need to survive.”

Families recognized as Farm Family of the Day will be honored across the grounds on their assigned day, as well as awarded an N.C. State Fair gift basket, including fair tickets to use on any day of their choice during the 2026 N.C. State Fair, ride passes and additional swag from both Tractor Supply Company and the N.C. State Fair.

Families will be chosen by both nomination and application forms. Applications can be found online at https://www.ncagr.gov/2026-farm-family-day-application-form/open or nomination forms can be found online at https://www.ncagr.gov/2026-farm-family-day-nomination-form/open.

The 2026 N.C. State Fair will run Oct. 15-25 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The fair offers an experience unique to North Carolina for all who attend, and is an unparalleled value with free entertainment, thrilling rides and games, thousands of animals, endless family activities, competitions, vendors and creative deep-fried delights.

To learn more, visit www.ncstatefair.org.

 

Granville Animal Control Confirms Multiple Distemper Cases In Raccoons Within Oxford City Limits

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— Information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Granville County Animal Control has confirmed multiple cases of canine distemper from raccoons picked up within the city of Oxford after receiving reports of raccoons behaving strangely and showing no fear or awareness of humans. Each raccoon was picked up north of downtown Oxford on College Street, Broad Street and Kearney Avenue.

While humans are not susceptible to canine distemper, domestic dogs and ferrets, as well as wild carnivores, are.  Canine distemper can be fatal, and animals who contract the virus behave similarly to rabid animals. The virus is spread through direct contact, and the virus can persist for months post-infection. Granville County Animal Management strongly recommends that all dogs receive the canine distemper vaccination from a licensed veterinarian.

The raccoons that were tested and confirmed to have canine distemper were trapped by Granville County Animal Management and transferred to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Canine distemper is very common in raccoons, skunks and foxes.

Please report any animal-related concerns to Granville County Animal Management for investigation by calling 919.693.6749 or by dialing 911.

For more information about Granville County Animal Management and the animal shelter, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/180/Animal-Management.

 

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Nathaniel Macon

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Some may say that the area known as Old Granville County can lay claim to having the original “Senator ‘No’” among its residents, more than a century before the longtime TV editorialist-turned politician Jesse Helms was known by the dubious nickname.

That man – Nathaniel Macon – was perhaps the foremost public figure from North Carolina in the early 19th century said WIZS’s Bill Harris. Bill and local historian Mark Pace recounted stories about Macon and his rise to prominence in the political arena in the 1800’s on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk.

“He might have been the most important and significant North Carolinian in his time and his day,” Pace said. “He personified North Carolina.” The North Carolina of that time, anyway. Which meant that he was a staunch conservative who didn’t believe the government had any business doing much of anything that interfered with individual rights and private industry.

His ideas aligned more with those of Thomas Jefferson, who was a champion of individual liberty and states’ rights and talked up the virtues and the lifestyles of landowners.

Macon was a 24-year-old serving in the New Jersey militia during the American Revolution when he got word that he’d been elected to the State Senate. That set him on a career path that spanned close to four decades and sent him to Washington, D.C.

He was in the State Senate from 1781 to 1785, and then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1791. He served there until 1815 and was elected Speaker of the House and served for six years – from 1801 to 1807.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from 1815 to 1828, including seven years President pro tem from 1825 to 1827.

Over the years, he said ‘no’ to cabinet posts, appointments and even re-entered military service in 1780 as a private instead of accepting a higher rank that could have been his for the taking.

He didn’t like making government appropriations and didn’t think government had any business in private industry.

Despite his penchant for saying ‘no,’ however, Pace said Macon’s oratory skills and ability to compromise served Macon the politician well.

“You always knew where you stood with him,” Pace said. “He was a personable guy. It was  hard not to like him.”

Macon retired to his home in present-day Warren County – Buck Spring – in 1828, following his storied career in the House and the Senate.

But the home was nothing fancy, no columns across the front or sprawling staircases inside.

No, in keeping with his humble, no-frills ideas, Macon instead lived in what amounted to a one-room house that contained few possessions other than books.

Although the original Buck Spring home was partially burned about 40 years ago, Pace said some parts were salvageable and the reconstructed home currently is part of a park in the Littleton area.

The project received some federal funds to complete, an appropriation Macon himself most likely would have frowned upon.

 

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Water Line Extension Promotes Economic Growth For Henderson-Oxford Airport, Regional Presence

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With the sound of small aircraft in the background and a corporate jet parked nearby, local officials gathered Monday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off a water line extension project at the Henderson-Oxford Airport.

Or, to borrow Airport Manager Amanda Welsh’s term: Hotel November Zulu. HNZ – the airport’s official 3-letter code.

Welsh and husband Chris established flyHNZ in 2018 and are the fixed-based operators at the local airport situated in Granville County near the Vance County line. The couple, along with Chris’s father, handled everything at first, but Welsh told those gathered at the airport to officially kick off the $1 million-plus project on Monday that it now takes a full-time staff of 8 to manage the operation.

Granville County Economic Development Director Charla Duncan said although project involves less than a mile of water line, it represents a critical infrastructure investment that is needed to keep up with growth and support economic development.

The whirr of plane engines at times drowned out speakers at the podium, but as Golden Leaf Foundation representative Scott Hamilton noted, “That’s the sound of money.”

The airport got a $600,000 grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation for the project to go along with the initial state appropriation of $500,000 that then-N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon was instrumental in securing. But the airport authority learned pretty early in the process that it would need at least that much again, if not more, to see the project to completion.

Granville County Commissioner Rob Williford represents District 2, where the airport is situated. He told those in attendance that he learned a lot about the airport from Airport Board Vice Chair Jon Carver, who painted a rosy picture for the future of an airport with appropriate infrastructure.

To see growth, there needed to be infrastructure, Williford said. For the airport to grow and be able to provide hangar space for corporate jets, there needed to be adequate fire suppression. And that meant having public water.

Williford, a Democrat, said he and fellow commissioner Russ May, a Republican, worked together across the aisles of the legislature to seek additional funds. “We went to see them all together,” Williford said, referring to state legislators of both parties. “They all listened. They all understood. And they all said, ‘We can’t get you the money.’”

But the Granville County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 to provide up to $300,000 for the project and then the Golden Leaf grant came through, so the project is set to begin.

With dozens on the wait list for hangar space, Duncan said there’s a focus on promoting the concept of a regional airport.

She said as RDU looks to move away from general aviation services, HNZ could be a good option for businesses and individuals for hangar space,  flight training and more.

“We want to be able to say that our transportation facilities – whether it be highways or whether it be general aviation resources – can compete with the Piedmont Triad, with the Sandhills as well,” Duncan said.

Welsh said the aviation industry continues to grow, but there’s a pilot shortage and a support personnel shortage.

And flyHNZ is poised to train and bring up the next generation of aviation professionals.

“Once the water service is in place, our business in and of itself hopes to add additional services,” she said, from flight school and training options to the heavier restoration of older aircraft.

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