VGCC names new coordinator for Student Activities & Athletics

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Jermiel Hargrove has been named the coordinator of student activities and athletics at Vance-Granville Community College.

Hargrove will oversee clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities that engage students on campus, as well as the college’s intercollegiate athletics program, which includes men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and a new cheerleading squad. He will also serve as the advisor for the VGCC Student Government Association (SGA).

A resident of Henderson, Hargrove has been a member of the VGCC staff since 2006, serving as webmaster and digital media specialist. He is a graduate of Northern Vance High School and of VGCC, where he earned a degree in Web Technologies.

Hargrove has also served as head coach for the Northern Granville Middle School girls’ basketball team, guiding them to a conference championship. He noted that he has focused on preparing his players to advance to high school-level athletics, and was pleased that 90% of them made the A/B honor roll. Earlier this year, Hargrove also served as interim assistant coach for the VGCC Vanguards men’s basketball team and assisted with the college athletics program for several months on an interim basis before assuming his new full-time role.

“Jermiel brings to his new position a deep understanding of VGCC as both a graduate and an employee of the college, along with a passion for working with young people,” VGCC Dean of Enrollment & Outreach Jeffrey Allen said. “Under his leadership, we will continue to develop student-athletes who succeed both on the court and in the classroom, while also providing enriching experiences and service opportunities for all of our Vanguards.”

Fall Festival to be held at Vance County Early College High School

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The Vance County Early College High School would like to invite the community to attend its annual Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. 28th, at Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Families are urged to attend for good food, fellowship and fun!

Eaton-Johnson Middle School, VGCC partner to show students pathways

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As local educational partners, Vance-Granville Community College and Eaton-Johnson Middle School in Henderson help inspire young students to prepare for higher education. A faculty member recently made a visit to the middle school and brought along an EJMS alumna who is now a VGCC student.

VGCC Public Services Department Chair Steven Hargrove was accompanied on his visit by McKallah Pendergrass of Henderson, a Criminal Justice Technology student who had not set foot in her old middle school in years. Pendergrass is preparing to graduate this academic year and plans to transfer to either North Carolina Central University or UNC-Charlotte.

Hargrove and Pendergrass met with the middle school’s lead counselor, Dr. Priscilla Chavis-Lockley, who took them on a tour of the new EJMS Paxton/Patterson lab. Established under the leadership of the school’s new principal, Dr. Brad Jones, the lab features hands-on stations that help students learn about various fields, including manufacturing, robotics, forensics, audiovisual production and computer graphics.

Hargrove noted the clear connections between all the lab’s different skill areas and VGCC’s Business and Applied Technologies programs, showing students that they could continue to study these fields at their local college. As a longtime Criminal Justice instructor, Hargrove was particularly interested in the forensic science computer program that students were using to create a digital reconstruction of the face of a criminal suspect. He noted that now, students have a new opportunity to complete an entire bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice without leaving VGCC’s main campus, thanks to the “Eagle Voyage” partnership with North Carolina Central University. The program is set to graduate its first students in 2017.

“It is important for us to talk to eighth-graders about college,” Hargrove noted, “because that is when they start thinking about careers. They need to start planning their high school and college education and they need to see pathways. We must let students and their parents know about the opportunities that are available.”

Planning for college studies at the middle school level has become increasingly important in recent years, as students have options to enroll in Early College High Schools, offered by VGCC in partnership with local school systems, starting in the ninth grade. In addition, new Career & College Promise pathways have been developed for students in traditional high schools to earn college credits, tuition-free.

Eaton-Johnson’s partnership with VGCC is largely the result of the efforts of Dr. Chavis-Lockley, who earned two degrees at Vance-Granville — early childhood education and associate in arts (college transfer) — before moving on to North Carolina Central University for a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees, and to North Carolina State University for a doctorate in education and counseling. She also established a student ambassador program at EJMS that has partnered with VGCC’s own ambassador program in the past.

Days after the visit to the middle school by VGCC, the partnership continued as a group of EJMS students visited the college campus for the annual “Manufacturing Day” event to learn about technical careers.

Breaking News in Mysterious Granville County Death

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The death of Lillian Terry of Bullock has officially been ruled “asphyxiation from drowning,” according to Granville County Sheriff Brindell B. Wilkins, Jr. and the findings of the Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh.

Mrs. Terry’s body was discovered on Saturday evening, October 15th after the Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to her residence at 9524 Farrow Lane. Tenants who rented the upstairs garage apartment of the Terry home reported finding Terry floating face down at the shoreline of the lake behind her home and alerted authorities through a 911 call. The call came in at 4:20 p.m. Saturday.

Wilkins stated that Hurricane Matthew may have played a role in Terry’s death.

“The water was still high after the storm, and we believe Terry was attempting to get out to her boat dock, which was about 40 yards out in the water,” Wilkins said. “She had on chest waders when she was found.”

Due to the condition of the body when it was discovered, it was estimated that Terry’s body had been in the water for several days, Wilkins added. The water surrounding the dock at that time (Saturday) was also estimated at about seven feet deep.

Lillian Terry was the wife of John Terry, who was reported missing by a co-worker in September of 2015. A UPS employee, Mr. Terry did not show up for his shift and had not reported for work in three days when his disappearance was reported to authorities last year. His whereabouts, according to Wilkins, are still unknown.

“We have been proceeding with caution in investigating this case, ” Sheriff Wilkins said on Wednesday. Because of the circumstances surrounding this entire investigation, we had to look at all possibilities to eliminate any questions that may have arisen around this particular incident.”

The autopsy report released from the Medical Examiner’s Office this week has led Wilkins to the conclusion that no foul play is suspected in Mrs. Terry’s death.

No details have yet been released concerning funeral arrangements.

Surfing the Silver Tsunami

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Surfing the Silver Tsunami

Thursday, October 20th the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging will host an event call “Surfing the Silver Tsunami.”

It’s an expo-style event, and you can come and go as you please between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.

  • Exhibitors providing flu and pneumonia vaccines, health screenings and education on healthy living
  • Services such as Medicare and other insurance counseling
  • Vendors with items for sale, such as handmade jewelry, pottery, soap, scarves, hot sauce, honey, and more
  • Local entertainment (musicians, demonstrations and dancers)
  • Door prizes

Contact Melissa Catlett for more information at 252-436-2040 or mcatlett@kerrtarcog.org.

You can also check out additional information below or click Surfing the Silver Tsunami.

 

Surfing the Silver Tsunami

 

 

Vance-Granville awarded $150k for public safety training

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The Cannon Foundation Board of Directors recently approved a $150,000 grant to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund to renovate a 3,200-square-foot space on the college’s Main Campus for an Emergency Simulation Lab.

The new lab will enable law enforcement and emergency services departments in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties to train and certify their current and future public safety workers using a realistic scenario-based curriculum in a controlled environment.

The grant will be used, along with funds from the Connect NC bond (approved by North Carolina voters earlier this year), to complete the final phase of Building 10, which opened in August on the main campus in Vance County. The building houses classrooms, labs and faculty for VGCC’s law enforcement, fire/rescue and emergency medical services education and training programs.

“We are very pleased to receive this grant, because it will allow Vance-Granville to further enhance our vital partnerships with the local agencies that protect and serve our communities,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “We’re excited about the possibilities that this new lab will provide for us to serve students and our public safety partners.”

The Cannon Foundation, based in Concord, N.C., is part of the philanthropic legacy of Charles A. Cannon, an industrialist and humanitarian who was president and chairman of Cannon Mills Company for more than half a century.

“Our region is fortunate that VGCC has hands-on, real-life emergency simulation equipment to train students and professionals in public safety careers,” said Kaine Riggan, VGCC’s grants and government relations coordinator. “The simulation lab will give us a new facility in which to provide training for first responders throughout our four counties to be prepared for emergency scenarios, which saves lives.”

VGCC’s PRISim ShootBack system, for instance, fires plastic ammunition up to 110 miles per hour, teaching life-saving defense techniques and methods for using less-than-lethal force, when appropriate.

The college is currently seeking a $15,000 sponsor for a new EMS simulation mannequin that can, among other things, simulate stroke symptoms, ensuring that students are more prepared to recognize and call the stroke code into the ER, where saving even a minute can save a life.

VGCC is now starting the design phase of the renovation project, which will complete the overhaul of the 16,000-square-foot building, a former commercial structure that was purchased by the college in 2010.

Rehoboth United Methodist Church endows VGCC Scholarship

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A new scholarship has been endowed at Vance-Granville Community College by Rehoboth United Methodist Church, carrying on the legacy of a Granville County native and educator.

The church, located in Vance County between Henderson and Oxford and less than five miles from the college’s Main Campus, received a bequest from the estate of Marie Wilson Thomson. A onetime church member who passed away in 2014 at age 87, she is buried in Oxford and left portions of her estate to several area churches.

Thomson, a schoolteacher who began her career in education in Stovall before teaching for 30 years at an elementary school in San Diego, California, left instructions that the bequest be used to benefit high school seniors entering their first year of college. Church leaders decided that one way they would use the funds would be to create a scholarship at VGCC. The church’s contribution to the college represents approximately 10 percent — in religious terms, a tithe — of the sizable Thomson bequest, the remainder of which will be awarded as scholarships to youth in their congregation. The VGCC scholarship will be awarded in the church’s name as a Presidential Scholar Award, the college’s largest, most prestigious level of endowed scholarship.

“We wanted to help our whole community,” said Donald Clayton, the church’s lay leader, of the VGCC endowment. “A scholarship like this can provide hope for a student and maybe change their lives.”

In awarding the scholarship, preference will be given to residents of Granville or Vance counties who are enrolling as full-time students at the college immediately after graduating from high school and meet certain academic requirements.

“We are honored that the members and leaders of Rehoboth United Methodist Church have entrusted us with a gift that will support students for generations to come,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “It is a truly fitting tribute to the generosity and vision of Mrs. Thomson, who devoted her life to education.”

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,500 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

15th Annual Show, Shine, Shag, Dine

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Show, Shine, Shag and Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame

October 14th, 15th and 16th, the Vance County Tourism Development Authority presents the 15th Annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine and The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and Reunion.

Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said the reunion and drag racing hall of fame inductions is what it’s all about.  She said, “It all leads up to this.  It’s a way to honor these guys for their contributions.  They’ve learned so much and have shared it with the racing world.”

Wilson said she started the show here to honor these drag racing legends, folks like Roy Johnson, Levi Holmes, John Livingston and his “Tennessee Thunder,” and nostalgia fuel dragsters.  She said, “They come to reunite and are just as happy as a lark to be here.”

You can join in too and see the inductions.  Admission is free on Sunday, October 16th.  Starting at 10 a.m., meet race icons of the 50s, 60s and 70s at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.  Everyone is invited to attend.

Saturday, October 15th is the big show day in downtown Henderson.  1976 and older antique, classic cars and nostalgia drag cars line the streets.  Admission is free on Saturday, and there will be vendors, food and live entertainment.

About 30,000 people are expected, at least that’s how many appeared last year.  In a wrap up article posted on WIZS.com last year, Wilson was asked to compare the show here to shows done elsewhere in towns the size of Henderson.  She said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who can compare.  We’re not a festival.  That’s not what we do.  It’s an event, a production.  The State Fair is about as close as I can get to the number of people at one location at one time.”

The economic impact here, for spending done while the show is here, will be between 2.5 and 3.0 million dollars.  If you ask around, the community, the people here and the leadership here are grateful for the show and especially for all the cars and drivers and legends that come in from out of town.

On Friday, October 14th at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake, guests will enjoy a southern style barbecue from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. for a $10 cover charge.

See more below and online at kerrlake-nc.com.

show-shine-shag-dine-2016

Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers Thanks You for Support

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On September 15th The Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers held their annual Awards Banquet at Vance Granville Community honoring “The Best of the Best” in law enforcement.  They would like to thank the following people for being a sponsor for helping make this award winning night so special to so many.  They are:

1st Sgt. Jeff Rowan
Adam Johnson
Advantage Ford-Lincoln
Alice Harris
Baskerville & Baskerville, PLLC
Beacon Light Masonic Lodge #249
Billy Ford
Bobby Choplin
Calvary Baptist Church
Carolina Carpet and Flooring
Caroline Burnette
Charles Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC
City of Henderson
Clearview Church
Cobblestone Community Watch
Craig Thorpe
Danny Wright, CPA
Early Falsom Properties
Edward Woodlief
Frankie Nobles
Freison
Henderson Fruit and Produce
Henderson Institute Historical Museum
Henderson Vance Recreation Department
Home Decorator Shop
Henderson Police Department
J M. White Funeral Service
Joe Dittmar
Larry’s Service Company
Mainstreet Marketplace
MR Williams
Magnolia Management, LLC
Mike Waters, District Attorney
Vance County NAACP
Pinnell Insurance Agency
Rosemyr Corporation
The Screen Master
Senior Citizens Home, Inc.
Sheriff Peter White
Superior Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Vance County
Vance Johnson
Vance-Granville Community College
Wester Realty & Insurance Agency, Inc.
Western Vance Academy
WIZS Radio

 

Again, thank you for your support in all that Crime Stoppers does to honor those for their commitment and dedication in serving the citizens of Henderson and Vance County.  Without your support, we would not be able provide them with necessary funds as well as other necessities to help gather information to make our city and county a safer place for all of us.

Murder Conviction in Granville County

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Trial in Granville County Superior Court leads to Murder Conviction

Oxford, NC– Granville County Criminal Superior Court was held during the week of October 3, 2016.  Superior Court Judge G. Wayne Abernathy presided during the session.  The Office of District Attorney Mike Waters was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Allison S. Capps and Michael W. Putney, Jr.

The primary focus of the week-long session was the trial of State of North Carolina vs. Rotonya Russell.  Mrs. Russell was charged with the Second Degree Murder of her husband, Carlos Russell, Sr. on June 11, 2014, at their home on Belltown Road.  Mrs. Russell, the defendant, was represented by Keith Bishop of the Durham County Bar.  At the close of all evidence and arguments of counsel, the jury convicted Mrs. Russell as charged.  Judge Abernathy sentenced Mrs. Russell to an active sentence of 148 to 190 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction.

This case was investigated by Detective Todd Wilkins and officers from the Granville County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Brin Wilkins.

(Official Press Release from District Attorney Mike Waters)