Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Granville Vance Public Health Releases 2017 Report

/by

Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH), a provider of public health services related to communicable diseases, primary care, maternal health, child health and family planning, recently released their annual report for 2017.

According to the report, GVPH’s status as a health district allows greater flexibility to procure grant-based funding; however, overall state and federal funding has decreased in recent years. The agency has “worked hard to partner with local, state, and federal entities that can support and expand community health efforts in Granville and Vance counties.”

During the July 2016 – June 2017 fiscal year, GVPH managed over $2,500,000 in grant-funded projects. These funds helped support valuable community-based projects in both counties while also maintaining critical staffing. These grant dollars help ensure that evidence-based care and health promotion practices extend into rural communities in Granville and Vance counties.

GVPH reported $5,984,265 in revenues and $6,072,389 in expenses for fiscal year 2017, an increase of $683,672 and $103,848, respectively, from fiscal year 2016.

A major undertaking for 2017, GVPH was subject to the North Carolina Local Health Department Reaccreditation process and was recognized as an accredited health department with honors. Local health departments receiving the honors designation excelled in their accreditation assessment, missing one or fewer within each of the five standards set by the accreditation program, a total of 147 activities.

The next reaccreditation assessment for GVPH will occur in the fall of 2021.

Notable statistics from the January 1 – December 31, 2017 reporting term include:

  • 4,529 unique patients seen for 9,743 individual clinical care visits
  • 1,914 uninsured patients totaling 3,705 clinical care visits
  • 1,636 patients rely on Medicaid for medical care received during 3,037 Medicaid clinical care visits
  • 3,994 immunizations given to 2,409 individuals
  • 1,989 immunizations were given to 720 children and adolescents under 18 years of age
  • 1,799 flu vaccines provided
  • 2,408 WIC participants served
  • Child Health Program conducted 1,034 visits for 715 children
  • 12 CenteringPregnancy® groups conducted in 2017 with 109 women participating

In a letter recently sent to healthcare professionals and other parties, Lindsey Bickers Bock, health education supervisor for GVPH, stated “In our role providing safety net services for vulnerable populations, GVPH sees the clear impact of social determinants of health and the necessity of protecting and promoting health by facilitating policy, system and environmental changes to prevent disease, address health equity issues and improve population health.

For more information on the services offered by GVPH, visit their website at www.gvph.org. To view more detailed information on the 2017 report, specifically, click here.

Rebuilding Hope, Inc. to Participate in Servants on Site Event

/by

-Information courtesy Don Dunlin and the monthly Rebuilding Hope, Inc. Newsletter

Servants on Site Event – June 23 – 30, 2018

Participants in this year’s Servants on Site (SOS) will repair 12 roofs and build six wheelchair ramps. The June 23-30 event will be our sixth annual week of witnessing and sharing Christ and serving people in need in our communities.

As the May 1 deadline for registering passed, 153 participants had signed up.

Project Coordination

Leigh Humphries is once again project coordinator, a job she’s had since the first SOS week in 2013.

Leigh, who lives in Person County, has sorted through the registrants and organized the crews according to the types of jobs scheduled. Before the work begins, she will assign encouragers for the crews at the work sites, which she visits during the week.

Leigh’s duties continue once the day’s work is done as she helps chaperone the youth overnight at Crossroads Christian School.

“It’s a big job and a huge responsibility,” says Leigh, a member of Theresa Baptist Church.

“This time of year I get a little anxious,” she said, “but when the kids get here there’s a lot of joy.”

Materials Coordination

Without a steady supply of materials, the jobs would not be completed. And that’s where Walt Slaton, a member of Central Baptist Church, comes in as materials coordinator.

With a worksheet describing each job, Walt assembles shingles, tar paper, lumber, nails, bolts, nuts, washers, tools, compressors, hoses and more the week before SOS. Materials are on-hand, donated or purchased locally. Where possible, materials are delivered to sites before the work week begins.

Throughout the week, Walt says he has runners ready at the RHI warehouse to resupply workers through a chain that begins with a job’s crew chief who notifies a multisite supervisor. The supervisor notifies Walt who dispatches a runner.

Destination SOS

In addition to participants from Vance, Granville, Warren and neighboring counties, teams will be coming from a number of communities, such as Roxboro, Windy Gap and Otto, reports Martha McGowan, SOS secretary and a member of West End Baptist Church.

And it’s also Destination SOS for teams from Alabama and South Carolina.

Breakfast and Supper

Breakfast and supper are served at Central Baptist Church, beginning with Sunday breakfast before the work week begins.

Central Baptist member Roger Bibee does most of the cooking.

Supplies, Roger says, include 4-5 cases of liquid eggs, 300 chicken quarters, 10 gallons of spaghetti sauce and noodles, 40-45 pounds of bacon, sausage, hash browns and more. Supper includes a full salad bar. A team of six helps with serving and cleaning up.

Lunches

Fifteen churches will provide lunches for the teams at the work sites. The churches are Fuller’s Chapel, Gardner Baptist Church, First Baptist Church (Creedmoor), West End Baptist Church, Raleigh Road Baptist Church, Liberty Christian Church, New Bethel Baptist Church, New Life Baptist Church (Henderson), North Henderson Baptist Church, New Sandy Creek Baptist Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Carey Baptist Church, Oxford Baptist Church, Island Creek Baptist Church, and Norlina Baptist Church.

Week’s Theme is “Fixed”

The theme for the week this year is “Fixed.” The meaning of the theme will be explained by guest speakers at each of the evening worship services during the week.

The services and their emphases will be: Sunday, “Need Fixing,” based on Romans 3:9-18; Monday, “Can Be Fixed,” based on Romans 1:16; Tuesday, “All Eyes Fixed on Jesus,” a panel discussion; Thursday, “God’s Plan is Fixed,” based on Matthew 28; Friday, “God is Fixing a Place – Eternity,” based on John 14:1-11. On Wednesday afternoon, participants have free time.

The public is encouraged to attend the worship services at 7 p.m. at Central Baptist Church, except Wednesday night.

Needs for SOS

Volunteers – Adult/college-age volunteers are needed to serve as staff during the week. Staff assists with setting up the rooms, posting signs and schedules and for chores such as cleaning bath and restroom facilities.

Financial Support for SOS Projects

A roofing project costs approximately $2,000, but any amount is appreciated. A church sponsoring a project will “adopt” the crew for the week and serve lunch each day. Your crew will attend your church for worship and lunch on Sunday and meet your congregation. Afterward, the crew will visit the homeowner.

How to Bring a Group to Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

RHI has a number of volunteer opportunities throughout the year and will work with you or your group (youth or adult) to not only meet the needs of homeowners but also to meet the needs of your group in its effort to put its faith into action serving others.

We provide job locations and materials for hands-on experience and will arrange for one-day projects or projects for more than one day. Overnight accommodations can be arranged. E-mail us at rwilson@rebuildinghopeinc.org or call 252-438-5132 for more information or registration.

Please visit Rebuilding Hope’s website at www.rebuildinghopeinc.org for additional information on the organization and the upcoming SOS event.

 

Have You Heard the Buzz? Annual Bee Jubilee Sat., June 23

/by

-Information courtesy Bee Jubilee Coordinator Christi Henthron

On behalf of the Granville County Beekeepers Association (GCBA), you are invited to the 3rd Annual Bee Jubilee on Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center in Oxford, NC.

As usual, the Bee Jubilee is held in conjunction with National Pollinator Week, June 18-24.

The Bee Jubilee is a day-long event filled with bee and pollinator-related speakers and demonstrations, local arts and handmade crafts, non-profits, children’s activities, silent auction, honey, North Carolina-grown produce and more!

The Oxford Farmers Market will be joining us and we will have two honey extraction demonstrations.

There are kids activities and over 65 vendors offering information or selling homegrown, handmade, bee or agriculture items. We will have a silent auction and draw the winner of our Year of Honey Raffle.

Our focus is on homegrown, handmade, and local. And of course, we love bees, agriculture and nature too! We can’t make it happen without you!

We have made three major changes for this year’s event:

1- Parking – We will have parking attendants and marked areas to improve traffic flow and safety.

2- Outside space – We will be making use of the livestock arena behind the building. This is a large covered area and use of it will provide a more comfortable and safer vendor and attendee experience than last year. We will have the food trucks and trailers remain in the front of the building.

3- Improved sponsorship opportunities

We hope you join us for a vibrant and fun-filled Bee Jubilee event, to be held at the Granville County Expo Center, located at 4605 US-15, Oxford.

Please call Bee Jubilee Coordinator Christi Henthron at 907.738.9047 or email granvillebeejubilee@gmail.com with any questions, comments or ideas. We are hoping to make 2018 the best Bee Jubilee yet!

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

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

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Henderson Police Department

“Operation Thunderstruck” Nets 11 Vance & Granville Defendants

/by

-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

As part of the “Take Back North Carolina Initiative,” the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that “Operation Thunderstruck,” a heroin and opioid centered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) resulted in the arrest of twelve (12) defendants for outstanding federal charges in a coordinated warrant enforcement operation. In addition, at least one defendant related to this operation was found to be in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Corrections. A federal detainers has been filed against this subject. Also, one subject was arrested on state charges.

This operation was conducted as part of the Eastern District of North Carolina’s “Take Back North Carolina Initiative” as part of the federal focus on the alarming level of opioid use and the deaths associated with it. This initiative is bringing the full weight and resources of the federal court system in the fight against crime in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren Counties in partnership with District Attorneys’ Offices and federal, state, and local law enforcement.

The following individuals were charged by way of Criminal Indictment. The individual charges for each defendant are contained in the parenthesis following the personal information.

• Lorenzo Alston, 28, of Henderson, NC (Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin)

• Jermill Keith Blacknall, 30, of Henderson, NC (Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Place for Manufacture & Distribution of Heroin)

• Odell Terrance Burrell, 40, of Vance County, NC (Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack) and Marijuana & Maintaining a Place for Manufacture and Distribution of Cocaine Base (Crack) and Marijuana)

• Kyle Victor Fisher, 29, of Granville County, NC (Felon in Possession of a Firearm & Ammunition)

• Roy Lee Fowler, 53, of Vance County, NC (Felon in Possession of a Firearm)

• Dominique Renna Russell, 30, of Henderson, NC (Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Aiding and Abetting, Maintaining a Place for Manufacturing & Distributing Heroin, aiding and abetting, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.)

• Daryl Russell, 31, of Henderson, NC (Felon in Possession of a Firearm)

• Mario Jamal Steed, 29, of Henderson, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Felon in Possession of a Firearm)

• James Edward Downey, 41, of Oxford, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack))

• Markest Foye, 32, of Oxford, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack))

• Jamal Kendale Watson, 27, of Fayetteville, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack))

• Toney Fields, 42, of Oxford, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base (Crack)

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The enforcement operation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, (ATF), the United States Marshal Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Henderson Police Department, Oxford Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Granville County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Probation Office.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC

Listen to Friday’s news conference held at the Henderson Police Department here:

Oxford Commissioners to Hold June’s Board Meeting Tues., June 12

/by

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

The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall.

Among the agenda items:

-Public Hearing for the FY 2018 – 2019 Budget.

-Consider adopting the FY 2018-2019 Budget Ordinance and associated schedule of fees or call for a Special Meeting to adopt the budget prior to June 30, 2018.

-Public Hearing to consider a rezoning request from Attorney James C. Wrenn, Jr. on behalf of HEW Rental.

-Consider amending the Oxford Zoning Ordinance for 4.8 +/- acres of land located at 322 Lewis Street from B-2 (Highway Business to 1-2) General Industrial as well as approving the consistency statement of declaring that this also amends the comprehensive plan in an effort to meet the development needs of the community as a factor in rezoning the property.

-Consider formally including the portion of Professional Park Drive, not currently on the Powell Bill list.

-Consider adopting a demolition ordinance for 614 Granville Street.

-Consider awarding the Fiscal Years 2017-18 & 2018-19 Audit Contract to Preston Douglas & Associates. LLP.

-Consider formally offering a 7.5% raise to the manager in recognition of his performance and leadership this past year.

Our State Magazine Announces Third Annual Made in NC Awards

/by

— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Craig Hahn, Executive Director ~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

“Show us what you’re made of, North Carolina.” Prouder words were never spoken. Our State magazine, now in its 85th year, and presenting sponsor Mast General Store are celebrating the astounding talent of the people who make North Carolina so special with its third annual Made in NC Awards. In the Our State tradition of spotlighting the best creators, makers, designers, and chefs across this amazing state of ours, the Made in NC Awards supports local businesses, highlights artisans and entrepreneurs, and celebrates North Carolina-made products. For the full details on the Made in NC Awards, visit madeinncawards.com.

Our State and Mast General Store will honor unique makers and business owners in four categories: Home & Garden, Style, Food & Drink, and Art. All products must be able to be reproduced for sale. Submissions will be judged upon quality (50%), innovation and creativity (25%), and the tie to North Carolina (25%).

Representing the 2018 panel of judges are: Lisa Cooper, president of Mast General Store; Nicole Bogas, Our State Store manager; Bradley Rhyne, cofounder of Ole Mason Jar; Bob Page, founder and owner of Replacements, Ltd.; artist Patrick Doughtery; and Van Eure, owner of The Angus Barn. Judges from the Our State Store and Mast General Store will consider all submissions for merchandising opportunities.

This distinguished panel of judges will select one winner and two honorable mentions for each of the four categories, and an overall winner will be selected from among the four category winners. Each category winner will receive email and social media promotion; a short feature on madeinncawards.com and ourstate.com; and a quarter-page ad, valued at $2,000, in the December 2018 issue of Our State magazine.

The overall winner will receive an additional $500 prize. Category winners will also be featured at the Made in NC Awards Celebration Event on October 13, 2018, at Mast General Store’s location in downtown Winston-Salem. Winners will be announced on August 23, 2018.

“We are very excited to announce the third annual Made in NC Awards as an extension of the Our State brand,” said Bernie Mann, the publisher of the magazine. “There are so many amazing business owners and entrepreneurs in North Carolina, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase them and our great state.”

Entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EST on July 18, 2018. To submit your entry or to find answers to any of your questions about the Made in NC Awards, visit madeinncawards.com.

About Our State

Each month, Our State celebrates the very best of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast through lively storytelling and stunning photography. Published by Mann Media, Inc., the award-winning magazine reaches more than one million readers each month with subscribers in every state and 15 foreign countries.

About Mast General Store

The Original Mast General Store opened in 1883 in the rural community of Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Downtowns in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee offer the same friendly and knowledgeable service that welcomed neighbors in Valle Crucis more than 100 years ago.

George C. Shaw Museum Open Monthly for Special Presentations

/by

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

The George C. Shaw Museum, African-American History in Your Community, is open monthly on the third Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m. and is located at 202 E. McClanahan Street in downtown Oxford.

Upcoming presentations include:

“The Life of Rev. Martin V. Marable of Granville County” on Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m.

“Cedar Law Plantation from Two Perspectives” on Saturday, August 18 at 2 p.m.

Both presentations feature Guest Artist/Speaker Sallyann Marable Hobson.

For more information on special tours or programs, please call 919-690-8055.

Kerr Lake Park Watch Asks ‘Are the Days of the Park Ranger Numbered?’

/by

Frank Timberlake, lead of public affairs for the Kerr Lake Park Watch (KLPW), was recently on Town Talk to discuss what is, in his and other Park Watch members’ opinion, the troubling trend of the dwindling role of the park ranger position at Kerr Lake.

Timberlake has been with the KLPW for eight years and has seen its ranks grow from six to almost 600 concerned citizens. He said the group’s mission is “to promote, to protect and improve all of the public facilities around Kerr Lake.”

Timberlake believes today’s park rangers are expected to act predominantly as law enforcement officers while ignoring traditional ranger duties such as protecting the environment and educating the public, specifically youth, on preservation efforts.

In documentation provided to WIZS, Timberlake states:

At Kerr Lake, the park rangers for the US Army Corps of Engineers parks still adhere closely to [a] broad range of duties, with only a few designated as full law enforcement officers. The rangers, including the Chief Ranger, wear Federal badges and can issue citations. That may sound mild but be assured those citations land accused violators in Federal court because those parks are on Federal land. Those arrested on the say-so of Corps rangers are hauled before a magistrate or to jail.

 In Virginia, the two parks on Kerr Lake have law enforcement officers. There is no “split” in Virginia having parks versus recreation areas; they are all parks. Some current and former Virginia State Parks employees believe that the tilt of the park ranger job is going too far towards law enforcement and leaving behind the resource, the park’s other employees and the visiting public.

 The KLPW recently conducted their own 30-day investigation into the role of park ranger and the visiting public’s opinion of ranger responsibilities. The results of this investigation were documented in a five-page report that was sent to the NC Division of State Parks and Recreation in Raleigh.

“One reason we’ve taken it public is that we don’t want to bring this issue out, bring it to the forefront, and then it be swept to the back when something else comes along,” Timberlake said.

Among the findings, the KLPW cites a lack of understanding of ranger roles other than as a law enforcement entity, the public’s unawareness of who the rangers are, a high turnover of rangers at Kerr Lake leading to inconsistency in leadership, the lack of an official park manager role to keep parks organized and a prevailing “that’s not my job” attitude among park officials.

“Part of the problem is that there is nobody assigned to the duty of being a park manager, so to speak,” said Timberlake. “There is nobody to fill in on those interpretive services that were done previously. The park rangers use to take pride in their part. What’s been mutilated in all seven parks is the team spirit.”

Timberlake said part of the KLPW’s proposal to NC State Parks and Recreation included a recommendation that entry stations built at each park in recent years be made the rangers’ offices. “The State of NC spent $250,000 on entry stations that are unmanned most of the time,” Timberlake said. “There is a missed $6 entry fee for every person who drives through. Why not make those booths the park ranger’s office?”

In the report, the KLPW invite the administration to “leave Raleigh and get out to talk with the park – public and employees.”

Timberlake said he was recently told by some of the leadership of NC State Parks and Recreation that the department is taking into consideration several points mentioned in KLPW’s report and that meetings have previously been held to discuss issues related to organizational structure.

While the KLPW finds this encouraging, Timberlake warns that “the wheels of government grind slowly.”

*For more information on the Kerr Lake Park Watch Association, including a more detailed summary of their report on Kerr Lake’s park ranger role, please visit their website at https://kerrlakeparkwatch.org/.

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market Now Open on Wednesdays!

/by

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is now open on Wednesdays!

You now have two days to shop at the Market – Wednesday & Saturday – 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Wednesdays, there will be produce vendors, craft vendors and a food truck serving breakfast.

Location:

Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Drive, Henderson.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Board of Education to Hold Special Called Meeting Mon., June 11

/by

-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a special called meeting Monday, June 11, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at the Granville County Public Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford.

The board will also meet in a closed session for Personnel/Attorney-Client Privilege 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.

The next scheduled meeting will be Thursday, June 28 at 6 p.m.