Local News - WIZS

VGCC graduates 14 cadets in school’s 103rd BLET Class

January 3, 2017/by WIZS Staff

VGCC graduates 14 cadets in school’s 103rd BLET Class

Fourteen cadets graduated on Dec. 13 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.

Graduates of VGCC’s 103rd BLET class included Heather Jocqueline Cruz of the Franklinton Police Department; Justin Lamar Dailey and Shauna Demetrius Terry, both of the Henderson Police Department; Emmett Avory Smith of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation; André McCoy Oakley, Cedrick Shawn Peace II and Vicky Victor Philip, all of the Oxford Police Department; Kenneth William Fitzsimmons, Jr., of the Roxboro Police Department; James Brett Aiken, Erik Jamaal Sheftal and Tyrone Terry, all of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office; Antonio Tyrelle Seward of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office; Christopher Lee Oakley and Jennifer Christine Watson.

The ceremony began with a presentation of colors by students from the ROTC program at Northern Vance High School, and the singing of the national anthem by NVHS student Jaylen Webb.

In welcoming remarks, Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, thanked the many leaders from local and state law enforcement agencies in attendance for partnering with the college. “Your support for the BLET program is invaluable,” Ballentine told the law enforcement representatives. “You sponsor our cadets, hire our graduates, provide many of our instructors, and give us feedback and advice. This successful partnership between VGCC and our community improves the safety and quality of life of our region.” She congratulated the graduates on successfully completing the rigorous, 667-hour training program and encouraged them to continue their education. “I wish you every success as you protect and serve all of us,” Ballentine added.

Speaking as leader of the class, Cadet Cedrick Peace thanked the many instructors who had trained them, as well as the family members and friends who were there to support the graduates. “Today, we leave the classroom, and tomorrow, we enter our communities, our neighborhoods and our streets,” Peace said to his classmates. “I thank you for choosing to serve others.” He said that the cadets had become like a family. “Family means not letting each other give up when things get hard,” Peace said. “With this profession, you will have many brothers and sisters who will pick you back up when you’re down.”

Graduates selected Sgt. Richard Creech of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, one of their physical training, or “P.T.,” instructors, to serve as their featured speaker. “You wondered why I pushed you so hard in during P.T. workouts,” he said to the class. “It builds character and discipline, but most importantly, it teaches us not to give up, no matter how tired we get. Out on the streets, we don’t have the luxury of giving up. We will not give up, and we will go home at the end of our shift.”

Creech also reminded the graduating cadets to “treat everyone like you’d want your mother to be treated” and to become leaders in their agencies. “You can and you will make a difference,” he told the class. “I appreciate you all taking the challenge of law enforcement.”

Andrea Ferguson, the program coordinator, and instructor Glen Boyd presented awards to the top students in the class in three categories. Fitzsimmons won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in firearms qualification. Peace earned the Physical Fitness Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo during physical training. Smith took home the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the written tests each cadet must pass.

For more information on the BLET program, contact Ferguson at fergusona@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC Press Release–

Governor Pat McCrory Honors Retiring VGCC Educator

December 21, 2016/by WIZS Staff

Longtime Vance-Granville Community College faculty member Jacquelin Heath was recently honored with the Cardinal Award from North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory as she prepared to retire. The award was presented to her by the president of VGCC, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, at a holiday social held Dec. 15, at which Heath and other recent retirees were recognized.

A resident of Henderson, Heath is retiring on Dec. 31 with a longer tenure than any retiree in the history of the college: 40 years and three months. She has served for most of those years as head of the School-Age Education program.

The Cardinal Award is a prestigious honor that recognizes individuals who have contributed at least 30 years of exemplary public service to the state of North Carolina.

“Many recognitions may come in life, but one from the state of North Carolina stands as one of the highlights,” Heath said. “The Cardinal Award was a wonderful surprise. During my employment, I didn’t think about who would get the credit. I just wanted to get the job done.”

She added that receiving this award in front of her colleagues made it even more meaningful. “I am grateful for many things in life, but most blessed by being a member of the Vance-Granville Community College family,” Heath said.

Heath joined the faculty at VGCC on Sept. 15, 1976, when the college’s Main Campus was brand-new, and the institution had only recently made the transition from a technical institute to a comprehensive community college. In her four decades at VGCC, she has served with all six of the college’s presidents.

“The Cardinal Award is a fitting tribute to Jackie’s devotion to VGCC and to education,” said Dr. Williams. “Not only has she directly educated, inspired and supported countless students who went on to successful careers in public schools and other organizations, but she has also been a champion of community involvement that connects VGCC to other educational institutions and local partners.”

Heath served as the advisor for the Student North Carolina Association of Educators at VGCC for 31 years, which she founded as the first community college chapter in the state; as a long-time member of the National Education Association; as a member of the board of directors for the Tar Heel branch of the American Association of University Women and of the national AAUW; and as a member of the Henderson-Vance County Human Relations Commission for nine years. She has presented at the annual conference of the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs; been a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Nu Chi Omega Chapter with 27 consecutive years of membership; served as co-chair of VGCC’s Faculty and Staff Drive for its Endowment Fund; served with Head Start, the United Way of Vance County and Spring Street Baptist Church; and volunteered with community partners like the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford to strengthen local efforts to educate children.

During the holiday social, VGCC Education Department Chair Tracey Bennett Carter also announced that the college’s Arts & Sciences division had made a contribution to the Vance County unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs in her honor.

Heath earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education in 1974 from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and her Master of Science in Education with a Concentration in Early Childhood Education from N.C. A&T in 1975. She also completed additional graduate studies at North Carolina Central University in 1982.

Heath has been awarded the Director’s Award of Achievement by the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs, which recognized her for accomplishments including the implementation of “Upping Your Afterschool Game,” a training program. Her School-Age Education program was honored multiple times as a “Friend of Education” by Vance County Schools for its work placing students in local schools for internships. Under her leadership, Vance-Granville’s chapter of Student North Carolina Association of Educators was given the Membership Growth Award for its efforts to build the organization. Heath has been published twice in the National Education Association’s national magazine. She has also been named VGCC’s instructor of the year for the Division of Arts & Sciences.

Granville County Crime Stoppers looking for robbery suspect

December 20, 2016/by WIZS Staff

On Sunday, December 11^th, 2016 at 9:35 pm an unknown black male subject wearing a white mask, white gloves , a light colored hooded jacket with black on front, light colored blue jeans, white sneakers, and a black back pack unlawfully went upon private property of Dollar General located in the Wilton community at 2500 Highway 96 South, Franklinton, NC. The suspect criminally vanished a handgun black in color at the clerk on duty and demanded money and the cash register drawer. The suspect placed the cash drawer with money inside his back pack and fled on foot.

If you have information concerning this incident, please contact the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213 or call Crime Stoppers 919-693-3100.

THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENT OF A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST/INDICTMENT(S) OF PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CRIME OR ANY OTHER SERIOUS CRIME(S) IN GRANVILLE COUNTY. YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS IN OXFORD AT 919-693-3100.

Free small business tax workshop scheduled at VGCC Franklin Campus

December 20, 2016/by WIZS Staff

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center will present a free workshop, called “Sales & Use Tax 101,” on Thursday, Jan. 19, from 2-4 p.m. in room F1208 at the college’s Franklin County Campus, located just outside Louisburg.

In this hands-on workshop, Rhonda High of the N.C. Department of Revenue will help small business owners understand the basics of sales and use taxes, including registering for a sales and use tax account and learning about the most common types of sales and use taxes collected. High will also discuss the proper procedures for filing a sales and use tax return.

At the end of the workshop, there will be a question and answer session with the presenter, as well as opportunities to network with other business owners.

For more information and to reserve a seat, contact the Small Business Center at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240. Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center.

Daquan Foster sentenced in local Rape Case

December 20, 2016/by WIZS Staff

A special setting of Vance County Criminal Superior Court was held Monday, December 19, 2016. The Honorable Robert H. Hobgood Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren Counties presided for the term. The Office of District Attorney Mike Waters was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Melissa D. Pelfrey and Onica F. Fuller. The single matter scheduled for hearing was the sentencing of Daquan Keith Foster.

Defendant Daquan Foster was convicted of First Degree Rape on December 4, 2015, before the same judge. The sentencing was continued to allow his attorney, E.N. Bagshawe of Warrenton to put forward evidence in mitigation.

Daquan Foster was sentenced to 239 to 347 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction for a 2013 rape in the City of Henderson. Officers with the Henderson Police Department investigated the case after a citizen reported that the victim came out of the woods reporting that she had been sexually assaulted. Strong police work resulted in an eyewitness identification by the victim and the collection of DNA evidence, both of which were presented by the State during Foster’s trial. It took jurors less than an hour to return a verdict of guilty of First Degree Rape against Foster. The jury also heard evidence concerning aggravating factors that were put forth by the State in an effort to increase Foster’s sentence. Jurors took less than five minutes to decide that the State had proven the aggravating factors based on the victim’s mental and physical infirmities and that she was handicapped. This case was investigated and prepared for trial by Detective Brandon Logue, Detective Jessica West, and patrol officers with the Henderson Police Department.

It’s through the hard work of the Henderson Police Department and their collaboration with our office that convictions like this are made possible. Our office would like to acknowledge the victim for her willingness to participate in this prosecution. Without her courage and the hard work of law enforcement, this would not have been possible.

VGCC presents free seminar to help small businesses “hit the ground running”

December 20, 2016/by WIZS Staff

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a free seminar, entitled “Hit the Ground Running in 2017,” on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at CenturyLink in Wake Forest.

Mike McConchie of Creedmoor will serve as the instructor. The owner of M&M Consultants, Inc., McConchie is a Certified Business Coach and a Senior Business Consultant. He has over 36 years of retail management experience and is the past president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce.

According to McConchie, the seminar will help small business owners “create their own destiny for 2017.” Among his topics will be “how to set up your business for success, establish and clarify your 2017 goals, and establish a plan of attack.” He added that attendees would “learn how to identify gaps in performance and results and develop a plan to close the gaps and achieve your goals.”

In addition to CenturyLink, the seminar is presented by VGCC in partnership with the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Economic Development Commission, and North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation.

Lunch will be provided at no charge to attendees who register in advance. To reserve a seat, contact Lori Duke at lduke@franklincountync.us or 919-554-1863. The deadline to RSVP is Jan. 6, 2017.

SGA leaders take office at VGCC

December 19, 2016/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) has installed a group of officers to serve during the 2016-2017 year.

Elected officers include President Colton Hayes of Epsom, a student in the College Transfer program through Franklin County Early College High School; Vice President Jeronee Blackwell of Henderson, a College Transfer/Vance County Early College High School student; Secretary/Treasurer Emory Gant-Hawkins of Henderson, a Business Administration student; Parliamentarian Francis Scotland of Oxford, a College Transfer student; and Public Information Officer Micah Roberts of Stem, a College Transfer student.

Students appointed to other offices include Jasmine Allen, Xavier Perry and Autumn Richardson, all of Henderson and all College Transfer/Vance County Early College High School students, along with Michelle McKinnon of Kittrell, a College Transfer student. Perry is assistant public information officer and will soon assume the Public Information Officer position from Roberts when he transfers to continue his education at the four-year level. Richardson is lead campus senator, and Allen and McKinnon are also senators.

As SGA president, Hayes is also the student trustee, representing the interests of his fellow students at all meetings of the VGCC Board of Trustees. He is the first student from an Early College High School ever elected to serve in this leadership role at VGCC.

The Student Government Association is designed to promote the general welfare of the college in a democratic fashion and to facilitate communication among the student body, the faculty, and the administration. SGA also provides a means through which students can promote interest in student activities, both on and off campus. For more information on SGA, contact Jermiel Hargrove, coordinator of Student Activities and Athletics, at (252) 738-3246.

VGCC holds College Day for students continuing their higher education

December 19, 2016/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College hosted admissions officers from four-year colleges and universities on Dec. 8 on VGCC’s Main Campus. The event was VGCC’s annual “College Day,” which allows students to obtain important information about transfer requirements, financial aid and scholarships that can help them take the next steps in their educational journeys.

The VGCC Student Learning and Success Center organized the fair in partnership with the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers (CACRAO).

VGCC students browsed through displays, picked up informational materials, and talked with representatives from 18 four-year schools. Almost all of the represented colleges and universities were from North Carolina.

Each year, large numbers of students start their higher education at VGCC before transferring to four-year institutions. VGCC has numerous articulation agreements with four-year schools (both public and private) that allow students to transfer credits in various programs.

The VGCC College Transfer program provides students with the first two years of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. College Transfer courses are offered at all four VGCC campuses and online. In recent years, the comprehensive articulation agreements between all North Carolina community colleges, the UNC System and the private N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities have been revised with clearer pathways. Graduates of the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science programs at VGCC are guaranteed admission into one of the 16 UNC schools, typically transferring in with the standing of juniors.

High school students in one of the four Early College programs operated by VGCC in partnership with local public school systems can earn up to two years of college-transferable credit, tuition-free. Likewise, eligible students at other high schools and homeschools can take free College Transfer courses through the “Career and College Promise” (CCP) program.

The Spring 2017 semester starts Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. For more information on enrolling at VGCC and transfer options, contact the Student Learning and Success Center at studentsuccess@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3330, or visit any campus.

Teachers gain new skills through robotics training at VGCC

December 19, 2016/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College and the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA) recently partnered to hold a five-part “Rover-Bot” Workshop for area teachers. The series was held on Thursday evenings in October and November in the electronics lab at VGCC’s South Campus, where the Electronics Engineering Technology program is based.

In the workshop, VGCC Engineering Technologies program head Wesley Williams taught the educators about basic electronics and programming while they assembled a “rover” robot, a small, autonomous moving vehicle. The Rover-Bot has two battery-powered motors that move independently, so it is driven like a tank, Williams explained. “Over the course of the workshop, we built the rover and learned how to drive it with a platform called Arduino, which is basically a small computer,” Williams said. “We then incorporated sensors that would activate based on light and temperature and other features. The teachers really enjoyed the building process and the hands-on nature of the class. They said they want to incorporate what they learned in their own classrooms, so I gave them links to more information and ideas.”

According to AMSTA Project Manager Stephanie Ayers, “the goal of the Rover-Bot workshop was to expand teachers’ knowledge of robotics and enable them to sponsor robotics clubs in their school or implement project-based learning in their classroom.”

Among those who attended all or part of the series were: Beverly Spivey-Judkins from Franklinton High School; Kelly Dixon and Fred Reed, both from Granville Central High School; Marva Burrell-Smith from J.F. Webb High School (Granville County); Kevin W. Moran and Traci Branch, both from Mt. Energy Elementary School (Granville County); Audra Neunkirchner from Northern Granville Middle School; Penny Collins and Pamela Huff, both from Northern Vance High School; and Henry Bobbitt from Warren County High School. Each teacher received continuing education credits for attending.

AMSTA is a partnership involving VGCC and the public school systems in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, who work together to prepare students in the region for careers in manufacturing. A grant from the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Fund supported this workshop and other AMSTA projects. “By providing quality professional development activities that are relevant to manufacturing in our region, we increase our teachers’ ability prepare students to enter these careers,” Ayers said. “Also, by partnering with VGCC to provide these workshops, we have opened up lines of communication between K-12 teachers and community college instructors to share information and ideas about preparing students for advanced manufacturing careers.”

This was the first time Williams has conducted a project-based robotics course for schoolteachers; he offered a broader course in 2015 in partnership with AMSTA on various topics related to electronics and robotics.

VGCC offers both a two-year degree and a certificate in Electronics Engineering Technology (EET). The certificate is also available as a Career and College Promise (CCP) Pathway for eligible high school students. In the EET curriculum, students learn to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills to design, build, install, test, troubleshoot, repair, and modify developmental and production electronic components, equipment, and systems such as industrial/computer controls, manufacturing systems, communication systems and power electronic systems. For more information on the EET program, contact Williams at (252) 738-3541.

VGCC Health Sciences students connect with employers

December 19, 2016/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College held its second annual Health Sciences Career Fair in December at the college’s South Campus in Granville County. The event was organized by the VGCC Career Services department and Health Sciences division to help students in health-related programs to meet potential employers and explore career options.

Participating health care facilities included Granville Health System, Murdoch Developmental Center, Maria Parham Medical Center, UNC Physicians Network, Rocky Mount Rehabilitation, the R.J. Blackley Center, Franklin Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital and Central Regional Hospital. Representatives talked to students about their career aspirations and accepted their resumes.

Several institutions of higher learning were also on hand to talk with students about options to continue their education. The four-year schools included Chamberlain College of Nursing, Grand Canyon University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina A&T State University, UNC Wilmington, Lees-McRae College and Cabarrus College of Health Sciences.

Attendees included students from VGCC programs including Nurse Aide I and II, Medication Aide, Phlebotomy, Practical Nursing, Associate Degree Nursing, Medical Assisting, LPN to ADN Transition, Criminal Justice Technology, Medical Office Administration, Radiography, Pharmacy Technology and Medical Coding, along with some who are preparing to enter Health Sciences programs.

For more information on VGCC’s Health Sciences programs, contact Audrey Stainback at (252) 738-3210.

For more information on career services at VGCC, contact Linda Fletcher at (252) 738-3466.