-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
Updated message from VGCC:
This message updates the announcement posted earlier about VGCC opening later today.
As of 8:30 a.m. all classes are canceled at all campuses, the Child Care Centers are closed and employees have an optional workday.
-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
All campuses of Vance-Granville Community College open at 9 a.m. today, Friday, October 12.
Elliot Clark, senior community executive for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, and Amanda Burrafato, marriage and family therapist and substance abuse counselor with Recovery Innovations, were the guests of honor on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program.
Clark announced that Cardinal Innovations has partnered with Trillium Health Resources in eastern NC to purchase 1,000 bookbags for special education students affected by Hurricane Florence. Today through Tuesday, October 16, the organization is requesting the public’s help in filling these bookbags with much-needed school supplies.
Requested supplies include pencils, wide-ruled notebooks, markers, crayons, glue sticks and prepackaged snacks. Donations may be brought to the Cardinal Innovations office located at 134 S. Garnett St. in Henderson on weekdays from now until Tuesday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
In regard to their decision to focus efforts on students in the Exceptional Children’s program, Clark responded, “Relief efforts across the state have been impressive, but there are certain pockets of the population that need a little more concentration and this is one of them.”
The local five-county branch of Cardinal Innovations works with the Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and Halifax communities and providers to cover mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services for Medicaid.
“Large in part, we cover services and we pay providers to do the work. We do the work as far as community service, care coordination, advocacy and education, but the treatment component depends on the providers,” said Clark.
One such valued provider, according to Clark, is Recovery Innovations located at 300 W. Parkview Dr. in Henderson. Recovery Innovations offers facility-based crisis and non-hospital detox services to residents on a 3-7 day stay basis.
“We are step number one,” said Burrafato. “We’re the mental health/substance abuse version of a hospital stopping the bleeding. We’re keeping people safe, restarting medication and allowing them to get sober. We get you safe and get you connected to the next stop.”
According to Burrafato, addiction is often the result of the addict battling depression or using inherited coping strategies. “A lot of times when we see someone who is addicted, it is someone who has gone through traumatic events or they are trying to run from depression.”
“Often times it is also hereditary,” Burrafato said. “What we see are generations of people learning to cope using substances and using patterns that have been ingrained.”
Burrafato said each person’s case is different and her organization prides itself on offering a choice. “People are meeting with doctors, our RN, our peer support workers and people who are in recovery themselves. Throughout, they are developing a plan that is unique to them.”
To further assist with the area’s mental health and substance abuse needs, a Wellness Alliance associated with Vance, Granville and Franklin community partners has been established. The group meets every other month on the fourth Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Cardinal Innovations Healthcare office in Henderson.
“Leadership from Recovery Innovations – Amanda in particular – has helped put together a more outreaching Wellness Alliance. They go out to different organizations and county departments to get a sense of the needs and respond to those needs with training or particular services,” said Clark.
One such area of need is additional assistance battling the crippling opioid crisis. “The conversation [on opioids] is not discriminating against who it is reaching anymore,” said Burrafato. “It can start with a car accident or a doctor’s prescription and before long it is spiraling out of control.”
“It doesn’t discriminate against age, race or creed. Shining a spotlight on the opioid crisis has made the conversation more available to the community.”
-Information courtesy the City of Oxford website
Downtown Oxford Trick or Treating will be held Wednesday, October 31, 2018, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. with City-wide Trick or Treating from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
From 5:30 to 6 p.m. there will be a Glow Party with glowing items in the City Hall Auditorium. The movie “Coco” will begin at 6 p.m.
-Information courtesy Vance-Granville Community College
Due to the threat of inclement weather, all campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closing at 10:30 a.m. today, Thursday, October 11.
The Scholarship Awards Dinner scheduled for tonight will be postponed to a later date.
By Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Que Tucker, Commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
From the Greatest Generation to Baby Boomers, Generation X to Millennials, teenagers in every era have had challenges growing up.
In today’s digital world, high school students are being tested in unique and demanding ways. The Washington Post confirms that 73 percent of all American teenagers own their own smartphone and, on average, spend almost nine hours a day texting, chatting, gaming, blogging, streaming and visiting with friends online.
Although conclusive research showing a direct correlation between the mental health of teenagers and smartphone usage won’t be complete for years, it isn’t a great confidence builder for a student to discover online that everyone else seems to have more friends.
In addition, recent figures indicate that more than 31 percent of America’s 42 million teenagers are overweight or obese, compared to only five percent in 1980. According to the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, North Carolina is ranked the 25th most obese state in the nation with 30.9 percent of all teenagers considered overweight.
Not surprisingly, many psychologists and researchers agree that today’s teenagers are more lonely, anxious and depressed than ever before.
As the new school year gets underway and social pressures increase, statistics like these verify how important it is for teenagers to participate in high school sports and other activities such as marching band, choir, speech and debate.
The most recent survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) indicates there are almost eight million participants in high school sports and more than four million in performing arts activities. Most of these students would agree the primary advantage of playing a sport or participating in an after-school activity is the opportunity to meet new people and develop meaningful friendships. An online chat is no substitute for working toward a common goal face-to-face, side-by-side for weeks on end with teammates.
And positive social relationships are only the beginning. Among other benefits, high school sports are instrumental in helping teenagers establish nutritional and exercise habits that will carry them for a lifetime. Participating in a sport in high school is a great way to maintain a healthy weight, establish good eating and sleeping habits, discourage the use of alcohol and drugs and develop a greater sense of self-esteem.
Additional benefits of participating in a high school sport or activity are shared by the NFHS on a new website at MyReasonWhy.com, where dozens of high school students address this topic in their own words through videos.
A new school year brings with it an opportunity for teenagers to make new friends and establish new lifestyle habits. Encouraging them to make friends on the field of play as well as online is a great way to start.
-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools
In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Michael, all Granville County public schools will be canceled for all students and staff tomorrow, Thursday, October 11.
The forecast of heavy rainfall, flooding, strong wind gusts and isolated tornados could make for dangerous conditions during the school day. Please be attentive to weather alerts about this powerful storm. We wish everyone a safe and uneventful day off.
-Information provided by Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County
The following Granville County meetings that were scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2018, have been canceled or postponed:
Granville County Library Board of Trustees – canceled
Granville Greenways – canceled
Granville County Animal Control Advisory Committee – postponed to Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 7 p.m. at the Expo Center.
-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford
The Personnel Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the 1st Floor Training Room of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street, Oxford.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss funding of the employee incentives approved by the Board of Commissioners at the October 9 Board Meeting. All those interested are invited to attend.
Kevin Otis, administrator with the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, was on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the upcoming 8th Annual Masonic Homecoming Festival.
The two-day event kicks off Friday, October 12 at 9 a.m. with the 20th Annual “Chip Shots for Children” golf tournament at South Granville Country Club. Sponsored by the Masonic Home’s Alumni Association, the shotgun start tournament raises funds for the Home’s current youth.
Food preparation gets underway at 5 p.m. on Friday as the BBQ teams begin cooking “under the oaks.” Teams will compete in best BBQ categories and prepare food for the masses expected to attend events on Saturday.
New to the homecoming festivities this year, The Moonlighters Orchestra, an 11-piece brass and string ensemble, will begin playing at 6 p.m. on Friday evening. While BBQ teams are cooking, the orchestra will entertain with “everything from big band, to rock and roll and beach music.”
The fun continues on Saturday, October 13 with the annual homecoming parade, BBQ feast, live music, campus tours, games and activities for the entire family.
The popular scrap exchange sponsored by the South Granville Rotary Club will allow visitors to repurpose old items into something new. “They have stuff that most people would throw away. Instead of throwing it away, they bring it all together and give you ideas of how you can take scraps and turn them into something fun,” Otis said.
This year’s parade will have both a later start time and a different route than previous years. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. in front of the fire station on McClanahan St. and run down College St. to the front gates of the Masonic Home.
“Saturday is our big day,” said Otis. “School groups, Masonic groups and Shriners all come together. It’s a lot of fun for the whole family.”
Following the parade, the pit will open at noon for a $10 lunch of BBQ, fixings and a drink. Tickets can be purchased on-site.
At 12:30 p.m., Bryan Mayer, country music’s “biggest performer” at 6 foot, 8 inches tall will take the stage.
With questions or if you are interested in playing in the golf tournament or hosting a BBQ team, please call the Masonic Home at (919) 693-5111.
