Granville County Offered Opportunity to “Show What the Region is Made Of”

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-Press Release, County of Granville, Public Information Officer Lynn Allred

Granville County has much to offer, and what better way to bring attention to the talents of the people who live here than nominating them for statewide recognition through the Made in NC Awards presented by Our State magazine and Mast General Store? Now in its third year, the contest spotlights unique makers and business owners in four categories: Home and Garden, Style, Food and Drink and Art. All products must be able to be reproduced for sale, with submissions judged on quality, innovation, creativity and the connection with North Carolina.

“Whatever it is that you make and sell, you’re proud to produce it right here in North Carolina,” contest information reads, “and we want to help you show it off to the entire state.”

One winner and two honorable mentions will be selected for each of the four categories, and an overall winner will be selected from the four category winners, receiving a $500 prize, an email and social media promotion; a short feature on madeinncawards.com and on ourstate.com; and a quarter page ad in the December 2018 edition of Our State magazine ($2,000 value). Category winners will also be featured in the Made in NC awards celebration on Oct0ber 13 in downtown Winston Salem.

Last year’s winners include Blue Mountain Bowls of Pisgah Forest for their vessel sinks (overall winner, winner of Art category); Ole Mason Jar of Charlotte for their button-down shirts (Style category); Troutman Chair Company of Troutman, NC for their Plantation Rocking Chairs (Home and Garden category) and The Chef’s Farmer of Shelby for their Old North Shrub beverage (Food and Drink category).

Judges for this year’s contest include Mast General Store President Lisa Cooper; Our State Store Manager Nicole Bogus; Co-founder of Ole Mason Jar Bradley Rhyne; Founder and Owner of Replacements Ltd. Bob Page; Artist Patrick Doughtery; and Angus Barn owner Van Eure. In addition to determining this year’s winners, judges from the Our State Store and Mast General Store will also consider submissions for merchandising opportunities.

Entries are accepted online at madeinncawards.com through July 18. Once all submission forms are received at the end of the entry period, an Our State representative will contact nominees if a sample of the product is required.

Winners will be announced on August 23, 2018.

For more information about this contest, contact Angela Allen, Director of Granville County Tourism Development Authority, at 919-693-6125 or angela.allen@granvillecounty.org.

American Flag

Lake Holt Fireworks Display Set for Tues., July 3

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

The City of Creedmoor and Town of Butner will host a spectacular fireworks display at Lake Holt, located on Old Highway 75 in Butner, on Tuesday, July 3, 2018.  Gates open at 6 p.m. and fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

Concessions offering a selection of hot dogs, bottled water, and soft drinks are available (no alcoholic beverages are permitted), and a DJ plays music to add to the celebration.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a personal-size flashlight. Due to the loud nature of fireworks, event organizers request that all pets be left at home for this event.

Parking and security are organized by officers of the Creedmoor Police Department, the Creedmoor Volunteer Fire Department, Butner Public Safety, and Granville County Sheriff’s Office.

This event is supported with donations from the Town of Stem, City of Oxford, and Granville County.

The date for the annual fireworks display varies from year to year, and details are published on the events calendar once finalized. Register for e-Notification to stay informed of event news and happenings in Creedmoor.

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Families Living Violence Free

High Number of NC Homicides Makes Families Living Violence Free Say “Enough!”

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-Information courtesy Peggy Roark, Sexual Assault Advocate & PREA Coordinator, Families Living Violence Free

As of June 3, there have been 32 domestic violence homicides in North Carolina in 2018!

The youngest victim was 7 months old…

It’s time to say “Enough!” SPEAK UP!

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call Families Living Violence Free at 919-693-5700 Crisis Line or the Hispanic Crisis Line at 919-690-0888 Day or Night!

We are here for you!

You could be saving a life…it might be your own.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

NCDOT’s Office of Civil Rights Seeking Stakeholder Participation

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-Press Release, NCDOT

DURHAM – The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is inviting stakeholders not limited to but including small businesses, general contractors, suppliers and supportive and professional service providers, to participate in the department’s next session of it’s 2018 Community Engagement Series.

“This series is designed to offer networking and learning opportunities for contractors, consultants and other companies seeking to do business with NCDOT, and is being hosted in each of NCDOT’s 14 Highway Divisions throughout the remainder of 2018,” said Chief Deputy Secretary David Howard.

“OCR’s motto is to ‘Recruit, Train, Retain and Grow,’ and this series is a conduit for us to execute that mission on behalf of the department and the taxpayers of this great state,” said Office of Civil Rights Director Shelby Scales.

The next meeting in the series will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, on the campus of North Carolina Central University inside the NCCU School of Law building at 640 Nelson Street, Durham.

NCDOT is committed to ensuring that no person shall – on the grounds of race, color, national origin, limited English proficiency, income status, sex, age or disability – be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any NCDOT program or activity, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related nondiscrimination laws and authorities.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in the Series. Anyone requiring special services should contact Mark Whisenant at 919-508-1822 or mawhisenant@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

For more information contact: NCDOT Office of Civil Rights at (919) 508-1808 or ncdotocr@ncdot.gov.

Schedule Released for Saturday’s Bee Jubilee in Oxford

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-Information courtesy Bee Jubilee Coordinator Christi Henthron

The Granville County Beekeepers Association (GCBA), will hold their 3rd Annual Bee Jubilee this Saturday, June 23, 2018, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center, 4605 US-15 in Oxford.

The Bee Jubilee is held in conjunction with National Pollinator Week, June 18-24, and is a day-long event filled with bee and pollinator-related speakers and demonstrations, local arts and handmade crafts, non-profits, children’s activities, a silent auction, honey, North Carolina-grown produce and more.

Kids activities will be available and over 65 vendors will offer information or selling homegrown, handmade, bee or agriculture items. A silent auction and a drawing for the winner of the Year of Honey Raffle will be held.

Schedule of Events:

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Vendors & Kids Area Open – Expo Center & Arena

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Year of Honey Raffle Tickets for Sale at $1 each or 6 for $5 – Expo Lobby

9 a.m. – Silent Auction Begins – Granville County Beekeepers Association – Expo Lobby

9 to 11 a.m. – Breakfast is Served – Gavin’s Grub Hub Food Truck – Front of Expo

10 a.m. – Herbalist & Beekeeper Maria Hristova-Kazmierski – “Pollinator, Garden Design & Plant Selection: Propolis 101”- Expo Auditorium

10:30 a.m. – Honey Extraction Demonstration – Granville County Beekeepers Association – Arena (North)

11 a.m. – Goat Milking Demonstration – New Dawn Homestead – Arena (Paddock)

11 a.m. – Chris Apple, Master Gardner, Journeyman Beekeeper – “Pollinators A Plenty” – Expo Auditorium

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Ricky Manning, Journeyman Beekeeper – “Starting a New Top Bar Hive” Workshop – Arena (Training Room)

12 p.m. – Keith Rogers, Certified Beekeeper – “So You Want to be a Beekeeper?” – Expo Auditorium

12:30 p.m. – Honey Extraction Demonstration – Granville County Beekeepers Association – Arena (North)

1 p.m. – Adolphus Leonard, NC Apiary Inspector – “NCSBA and the State Fair, Entering Honey Into Competitions” – Expo Auditorium

1:30 p.m. – Goat Milking Demonstration – New Dawn Homestead – Arena (Paddock)

2 p.m. – Year of Honey Raffle Winner Drawn – Expo Auditorium

2 p.m. – Greg Taylor, Certified Beekeeper – “Mead” – Expo Auditorium

2:15 p.m. – Silent Auction Ends – Granville County Beekeepers Association – Expo Lobby

3 p.m. – Volker Borneman, President & CEO of Avazyme, Inc. – “Honey, Bees and Science: The Good, the Bad and the Toxic” – Expo Auditorium

Please call Bee Jubilee Coordinator Christi Henthron at 907.738.9047 or email granvillebeejubilee@gmail.com with any questions, comments or ideas.

For more information, visit the Bee Jubilee Facebook page by clicking here.

Learn more about Pollinator Week at www.pollinator.org!

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Granville Co. Chamber’s 2018-19 “Granville Today” Hot off the Press

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— courtesy Granville County Chamber of Commerce | Ginnie Currin, Executive Director ~ 919-693-6125 ~ ginnie@granville-chamber.com

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce has just received the printed 2018-19 edition of their annual “Granville Today” publication.

“Our Chamber is exceptionally proud of the incredibly interesting feature stories in this edition and is grateful to the business community for their support of this project.,” said Executive Director Ginnie Currin.

Copies of “Granville Today” may be obtained from the Chamber’s offices – 124 Hillsboro St., Oxford and 1598 Hwy 56, between Butner and Creedmoor.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Granville County Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Committee previews the just-received “Granville Today” 2018-19 publication. (Left to right):  Larry Wilson, Lewis Electric/Chamber Vice-President; Tanya Evans, Duke Energy/President-elect of the Chamber; and Hal Muetzel, Express Employment Professionals/Chamber President. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Chamber of Commerce)

 

 

Granville County Logo

Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Meet Mon., June 18

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-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Granville Expo and Convention Center, 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford.

Agenda items include:

– Contingency Summary

– Budget Amendment #8

– Capital Project Ordinance – 2018 GAP Phase III

– Capital Project Ordinance – Oxford Landfill Closure/Post Closure 2018-2019 – Budget Amendment #1

– Grant Project Ordinance – CDBG Scattered Site Program – Closeout

– Recognition of Service – Susan L. Cottrell

– Presentation – Opioid Litigation

– Granville County 2018-2019 Agreement with the NC Department of Health and Human Services

– Agreed-Upon Procedures to Confirm Medicaid Eligibility

– VARONIS Datalert Software Permanent License

– NACo Voting Delegate Designation

– Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Request

– FAA Tower Site on Mountain Road is Available for Public Benefit Conveyance

– City of Creedmoor Resolution Requesting County Inspection Services

– Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee Request

Heavy Equipment Operator Course Returns to VGCC’s Warren Campus in July

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

WARRENTON — The Heavy Equipment Operator course will be offered by Vance-Granville Community College starting Tuesday, July 10, at the college’s Warren County Campus.

A Short-Term Workforce Training Grant from the N.C. Community College System will be available to cover the cost of tuition and books for qualified students taking the nine-week course, according to Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s director of occupational extension.

“This course presents an excellent opportunity for students to learn the techniques and safety aspects of operating heavy equipment while exploring the various types and functions of the equipment,” Burwell said. “Students completing the course come away from it with the general understanding to secure a job for a company preparing a site for the construction of buildings, roadways and other structures.”

The college has worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help course completers find jobs with companies that contract with the State.

“This is a new career opportunity that Vance-Granville began offering just a few years ago with training that previously had not been available in our service area,” Burwell said. Classes will be held on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 10 to Sept. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.

Above: Matthew Paynter trains on a motor grader simulator in a classroom on the college’s Warren County Campus during a previous Heavy Equipment Operator course. (VGCC photo)

The Heavy Equipment Operator training program has three computerized training simulators, offering a safe and efficient way to train new operators in a risk-free environment, Burwell said. Highly detailed and realistic lessons teach proper operator technique, machine controls, and safe operation. The simulators feature real-world situations, job site hazards, safety violations, hand signals, equipment damage, budget-based scoring, and replica machine controls.

Each simulator allows students to train virtually on different types of equipment: a motor grader, a four-wheel drive loader and a backhoe. Students use foot pedals, joysticks and steering wheels that mimic those found in actual heavy equipment, while large computer monitors in front of them display a virtual job site in the first-person style of a video game. VGCC students use the equipment not only for practice and experience but also for testing that is required to pass the course.

The instructor for the course will be Steve Buus, who earned his diploma in Heavy Equipment Operation from Wake Technical Community College. Buus has held various positions with Caterpillar and similar companies as an operator and manager of heavy equipment. He has 30-Hour OSHA Certification in Construction Training from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

To register for the course, students may visit www.vgcc.edu/schedules/occupational-extension-schedule.

Students interested in applying for the grant should contact Kyle Burwell at (252) 738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

NCDOT Seeks Public Comment on Transportation Projects

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WIZS Note: The Division 5 meeting, including Durham, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren counties will be held Tuesday, June 19, 2018, from 4 – 6 p.m. at the NCDOT Division 5 Office, 2612 N. Duke St., Durham.

-Press Release, NCDOT

RALEIGH – Starting June 4, North Carolinians are invited to express their opinions about which regional and local transportation projects should be top priorities in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – a 10-year plan that identifies funding for projects and schedules them for construction.

The N.C. Department of Transportation combines data and local input to determine which projects will get built, using a formula established in the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) law to focus funding on projects that will reduce congestion, improve safety and promote economic growth.

During a public comment period that runs from June 4 through July 9, NCDOT will collect feedback from citizens who express their views at public meetings, online, by phone or in writing.

Public Meetings

NCDOT’s 14 local transportation divisions will host informal meetings to present proposed projects and to receive public comment. The first meetings are Monday, June 4, in Winston-Salem (Division 9) and Thursday, June 7, in Aberdeen (Division 8).  See below for the schedules and locations of all the public meetings.

At each meeting, citizens are invited to stop in and provide input on how the division plans to rank its project priorities. Please note that these meetings are not for maintenance projects, such as patching potholes, resurfacing roads or improving ditches.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for anyone with disabilities who wants to participate in the public meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Lauren Putnam, Public Involvement Officer, at 919-707-6072 or by email at lnputnam1@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that these arrangements can be made.

Other Ways to Participate

In addition to the public meetings, NCDOT is offering other options for citizens to provide input starting Monday, June 4, through the STI website (ncdot.gov/sti).  Citizens can complete a short, interactive survey to identify priority projects, or send a message to their local division planning engineer.

The online survey features an interactive state map with the proposed projects up for funding.  Citizens can review project information and provide feedback on which projects they think are important.

The STI website provides the phone numbers and postal addresses of local division planning engineers, for citizens who want to comment on transportation projects by telephone or mail.

In April, NCDOT released data scores for more than 2,100 transportation improvement projects across the state, in the first round of an evaluation process to determine which projects will be scheduled for construction.  Also in April, NCDOT identified 77 high-scoring Statewide Mobility projects that will be programmed for funding over the next decade.

Next Steps

After the comment period ends on July 9, NCDOT will combine the data scores and local input to produce the total project scores. A draft list of the top-scoring Regional Impact projects is scheduled for release in August. A similar process for local input will take place in the fall for local Division Needs projects.

Once all project scores are finalized, the top-scoring projects will be programmed for construction based on available funding. Other factors may determine whether a project ultimately moves to construction, including the completion of environmental and engineering plans, corridor spending limits prescribed by law, and other federal and state funding restrictions.

This information will be used to create the next STIP for the years 2020-2029. NCDOT will release a draft STIP for public comment in January 2019. The final 2020-2029 STIP is expected to be adopted by the N.C. Board of Transportation in June 2019.

The STI law, enacted in 2013, established a data-driven process that allows NCDOT to invest transportation dollars more efficiently and effectively.  NCDOT updates the STIP approximately every two years to ensure that it accurately reflects the state’s current financial situation.

Meeting Dates and Locations

  • JUNE 14, 5-7 P.M. – EDENTON
    (DIVISION 1: Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Bertie, Hertford, Northampton, Chowan, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties)
    NCDOT Division 1 Office
    113 Airport Drive
    Edenton, N.C.  27932
  • JUNE 12, 4-6 P.M. – KINSTON
    (DIVISION 2: Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Pamlico and Pitt counties)
    NCDOT Division 2 Office
    2815 Rouse Road Ext.
    Kinston, N.C. 28504
  • JUNE 12, 5-7 P.M. – CASTLE HAYNE
    (DIVISION 3: Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow, New Hanover, Pender and Sampson counties)
    NCDOT Division 3 Office
    5501 Barbados Blvd.
    Castle Hayne, N.C. 28429
  • JUNE 12, 5-7 P.M. – WILSON
    (DIVISION 4: Edgecombe, Halifax, Johnston, Nash, Wayne and Wilson counties)
    NCDOT Division 4 Office
    509 Ward Blvd.
    Wilson, N.C.  27895
  • JUNE 19, 4-6 P.M. – DURHAM
    (DIVISION 5: Durham, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren counties)
    NCDOT Division 5 Office
    2612 N. Duke St.
    Durham, N.C. 27704
  • JUNE 18, 5-7 P.M. – FAYETTEVILLE
    (DIVISION 6: Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett and Robeson counties)
    NCDOT Division 6 Office
    558 Gillespie St.
    Fayetteville, N.C. 28301
  • JUNE 11, 5-7 P.M. – GREENSBORO
    (DIVISION 7: Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange and Rockingham counties)
    NCDOT Division 7 Office
    1584 Yanceyville St.
    Greensboro, N.C.  27415
  • JUNE 7, 5-7 P.M. – ABERDEEN
    (DIVISION 8: Chatham, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Scotland counties)
    NCDOT Division 8 Conference Room
    902 N. Sandhills Blvd.
    Aberdeen, N.C. 28315
  • JUNE 4, 4-6 P.M. – WINSTON-SALEM
    (DIVISION 9: Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rowan and Stokes counties)
    NCDOT Division 9
    Conference Room
    375 Silas Creek Parkway
    Winston-Salem, N.C.  27127
  • JUNE 19, 5-7 P.M. – ALBEMARLE
    (DIVISION 10: Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Stanly and Union counties)
    Stanly County Commissioners Meeting Room
    1000 N. First St.
    Albemarle, N.C. 28001
  • JUNE 11, 4-6 P.M. – NORTH WILKESBORO
    (DIVISION 11: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties)
    NCDOT Division 11 Office
    802 Statesville Road
    N. Wilkesboro, N.C.  28659
  • JUNE 25, 5-7 P.M. – MAIDEN
    (DIVISION 12: Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell and Lincoln counties)
    Maiden Town Hall
    19 N. Main Ave.
    Maiden, N.C. 28650
  • JUNE 14, 5-7 P.M. – BLACK MOUNTAIN
    (DIVISION 13: Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties)
    Lake Tomahawk Park
    Lakeview Clubhouse
    401 Laurel Circle Drive
    Black Mountain, N.C.  28711
  • JUNE 11, 5-7 P.M. – HAYESVILLE & JUNE 12, 5-7 P.M. – MILLS RIVER
    (DIVISION 14: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties)
    June 11:     Hayesville First United Methodist Church
    989 U.S. 64 Business
    Hayesville, N.C. 28904

Oxford’s The Hub on Main to Hold Trivia Night Fundraiser

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-Information courtesy Jennifer Grimes, Financial Development Assistant, The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, Inc.

The Hub on Main, 100 Main St. in Oxford, to hold a Trivia Night Fundraiser on Thursday, July 12, 2018, from 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Teams should consist of six players ($10 per person or $50 for a team of six).

Trivia will go five rounds with 10 questions in each round.

Winning teams will be awarded trophies.

Proceeds raised are designated toward building repairs at the Oxford Masonic Lodge.

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