Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen

McMillen Selected As New Butner Town Manager

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-information courtesy of the Town of Butner

Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen will become the next town manager of Butner.

The town of Butner issued a press statement Wednesday announcing the selection of McMillen, who was chosen from a pool of 30 applicants generated by a nationwide search.

Finalists were interviewed in early April, and a contract with McMillen was approved on Monday, April 17. He will begin his new job on June 12, 2023.

McMillen brings to his new role nearly 15 years of government experience. He has served as Vance County’s manager since August 2016, and was assistant manager from 2013-2016. Before that, he was director of planning and development from 2008 to 2013.

“I appreciate the Council’s thorough selection process and am thrilled to come on board in Butner.  I look forward to building relationships, working with staff and the Council, and ultimately continuing the great work of serving the citizens in Butner,” said McMillen. “The Town has a bright future, and I am drawn to its rural character and close-knit atmosphere, its outstanding access to the Triangle and growth potential, as well as its family-friendly feel and vision for the future.”

“We are delighted to have Mr. Jordan McMillen join us as the new Town Manager,” said Terry Turner, Mayor of Butner. “We are confident in his skills and abilities to move Butner forward. He will be a great asset to the people of Butner.”

He has a Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments Outstanding County Manager of the Year in 2020 and the Egan Award for Application of Information Technology in 2008.

Jerry L. Ayscue, who has been serving as interim town manager since December 2022, will stay on until McMillen begins his duties in June.

Two J.F. Webb Students Selected To Attend 2023 Governor’s School

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-information courtesy of Granville County Public Schools

Two J.F. Webb High juniors will be spending part of their summer at Governor’s School, the annual enrichment residential program for rising seniors across the state.

Both young women have chosen English as the discipline they will focus on during the summer program.

Chapman Burnette and Destiny Royster will participate in the summer residential program, according to information from Granville County Public Schools spokesperson Dr. Stan Winborne.

Burnette chose English because of her passion for reading and writing – especially writing. “I find writing stress-relieving and engaging, as I have to carefully think out every word and put it in the right place so that whatever I’m writing is clear and works cohesively,” Burnette stated.

Outside of school, Burnette enjoys playing volleyball and creating digital art. After graduation, she plans to attend a 4-year university to major in criminology. She is the daughter of Caroline and Scott Burnette.

Royster said the’s thankful for being selected. “Governor’s School is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I am incredibly thankful. She stated that she hopes it will open up opportunities in the future as senior year and graduation get closer.  Her hobbies include designing houses on her games and spending quality time with family.  Her post-high school plans are to study economics or business.  Destiny would like to pursue a career in architecture and real estate. She is the daughter of Tia Royster-Williams and Archie Williams.

The North Carolina Governor’s School is a 4-week summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students that integrates academic disciplines, the arts and unique courses. The curriculum focuses on the exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in each discipline, and does not involve credit, tests, or grades.

Governor’s School programs are located on the campus of Meredith College in Raleigh and Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem

The North Carolina Governor’s School is the nation’s oldest statewide summer residential program for gifted high school students. The program, which is open to rising seniors only, with exceptions made for rising juniors in selected performing/visual arts areas, is located on two campuses of up to 335 students each.

Springtime Vaccines Protect Equines From Deadly Diseases

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-information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Agriculture

If you’re a horse owner, listen up: It’s time to protect your equines against a couple of serious ailments.

N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler encourages equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus, two diseases with high mortality rates. Both, however, are preventable with a simple vaccination.

“Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,” Troxler said. “EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent.”

Last year, there were no recorded cases of EEE and one case of WNV. In 2021, there were three recorded cases of EEE and two cases of WNV.

State Veterinarian Dr. Mike Martin recommends that equine owners talk to their veterinarians about an effective vaccination protocol to protect horses from mosquito-borne diseases. The combination vaccination initially requires multiple injections for horses, mules and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history.

Mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days, so removing any source of standing water can reduce the chance of exposing animals to WNV or EEE. Keeping horses in stalls at night, using insect screens and fans, and turning off lights after dusk can also help reduce exposure to mosquitoes. Insect repellants can be effective if used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Symptoms of EEE include impaired vision, aimless wandering, head pressing, circling, inability to swallow, irregular staggering gait, paralysis, convulsions and death. Once a horse has been bitten by an infected mosquito, it could take between 3 and 10 days for symptoms to appear.

Symptoms of WNV include fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, impaired vision, head pressing, seizures and aimless wandering.

People, horses and birds can become infected from a bite by a mosquito carrying these diseases, but there is no evidence that horses can transmit the viruses to other horses, birds or people through direct contact.

Equine care also includes keeping up-to-date on equine infectious anemia (EIA) testing, commonly referred to as the Coggins test. “Since January there have been 20 cases of EIA in North Carolina. There is no vaccine and no cure for this disease so testing annually is important,” Troxler added.

“It’s also a great time to make sure your animal is current on its rabies vaccination,” Troxler said. “In 2022, seven cases of livestock infected with rabies were reported to our Veterinary Division. Since January, we have had two positive cases in livestock. Historically, most of the cases have been in cows but all livestock are naturally curious animals, which puts them at risk for a bite if a rabid animal gets through their fence line.”

Arts In Bloom Gala Features Granville Students’ Artwork

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More than 150 original pieces of art created by students from schools throughout Granville County will on display at the Granville Museum – and on the auction block – for the second Arts in Bloom Gala April 25 and April 27.

Granville Ed Foundation Director Jennifer Carpenter said bids will be accepted on the opening day of the event, Tuesday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, and she invites folks to come out and view the artwork and place bids. Bidding reopens at 1o a.m. on April 27 and closes at 8 p.m. when the winners will be notified.

Carpenter and Granville Chamber of Commerce Director Lauren Roberson were on The Local Skinny! to share details about the event, and how the two local organizations collaborated to showcase the art gala, the proceeds of which come back to schools in the county in the form of grants.

Last year’s auction netted more than $5,600, Carpenter said, and this year’s is expected to top that. A reception will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25. The museum is located at 1 Museum Lane, Oxford.

In planning the gala, the women said they intentionally coordinated the art gala on the same day as the kickoff of Alive After Five in downtown Oxford.

Roberson is on the GEF board and she invites the community to take a few minutes to walk through the museum on their way to, or from, the concert downtown on April 27.

The Konnection Band will perform from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., officially opening the 20th anniversary of the popular seasonal outdoor concert series. There will be food trucks, face painting for the kids, as well as offerings from Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. and The Hub on Main.

“We want to get as many people into downtown as possible,” Roberson said, to enjoy the concert and to enjoy the artwork from talented local youth.

Visit https://granvilleedfoundation.org/ or find GEF on Facebook for a sneak peek at some of the art pieces that will be included in the silent auction.

 

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Families Living Violence Free

Families Living Violence Free Offers Tips To Identify, Report Sexual Assault

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April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Families Living Violence Free offers information to the community to learn more about how to protect yourself and how to report incidents.

FLVF defines the term sexual assault as any type of sexual activity or contact that happens without your consent. “Sexual assault can include non-contact activities, such as someone “flashing” you (exposing themselves to you) or forcing you to look at sexual images. Sexual assault is also called sexual violence or abuse,” according to FLVF Director Nancy Roark.

Roark offers these tips about reporting a sexual assault:

  • First of all, ensure your own safety
  • After the experience of sexual trauma, the first and most important factor should be prioritizing your safety and well-being
  • Reach out for support
  • Consider your medical options

It’s important for victims to understand that it’s not their fault. A range of emotions swirls through victims’ minds, but it is crucial to understand the victim is not at fault.

For more information or help,  contact

Families Living Violence Free (FLVF) at 919.693.5700.

The Local Skinny! Granville Gardeners Expo This Weekend

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Plant lovers have a heck of an opportunity to find a range of herbs, flowers, vegetable slips and more at the Granville Gardeners Expo on Saturday, April 22.

Christy Henthorn was a guest on The local Skinny! and provided details for what is sure to be a fun-filled event at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center.

And there’s still time to place online orders, Henthorn noted. Visit www.thegranvillegardeners.org and click on the Expo link to get started.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include gardening demonstrations and workshops, as well as more than 80 vendors – mostly from right in Granville County – who have craft items, home décor and more for purchase.

The expo is free to attend, Henthorn said, thanks to the generosity of sponsors.

Want to learn more about attracting birds and butterflies to your garden? There’s a workshop for that. Interested in learning the medicinal qualities of herbs? Yep, there’s a workshop for that, too.

“I’m really excited for this weekend,” she said. It’s a great way to shop local and spend local, she added. The herbs come from a local wholesaler, and for the second year, there is a variety of plants for sale that club members have grown.

The Granville Gardeners welcomes new members. The club meets on the fourth Monday of each month and is known for having gardening experts present on a variety of topics.

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Granville Social Services Board Seeking To Fill Seat; Nominations Due By May 5

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The Social Services Commission will make an appointment to the Granville County Board of Social Services to fill the seat of an expired term and the nomination period is open through May 5 to fill the term.

The term will expire June 30, 2023. The Social Services Commission will consider nominations at a future meeting, according to information from Gwendolyn Waller, with the N.C. Social Services Commission.

Nomination forms are available from the local department of Social Services office, but also can be downloaded here:

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/media/14051/download?attachment

Click on the link to the nomination form at the bottom of the Social Services Commission members web page.

Email nomination forms to Gwendolyn.waller@dhhs.nc.gov.

SportsTalk: Mize Leads The Fun In Fungo Baseball

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Brad Mize, the son of the late Howard and Lisa Mize of Oxford and former student at J.F. Webb in Oxford, certainly has his hands full.  He is an assistant baseball coach at Heritage High School in Wake Forest and the General Manager for Wake Forest’s Fungo Baseball team which will begin its season on May 27th.  Fungo features college players from a variety of colleges including UNCW, UNCG, College of Charleston, Hofstra, Elon, Mt. Olive, Louisburg and more.

“Between June 2nd and July 28th we will play fifty games,” Mize said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  That’s a lot of baseball.  The team plays in Flaherty Park in Wake Forest and Mize said it’s a great fun atmosphere and cheaper than seeing the Mudcats or the Bulls play.  “Tickets are only $7 and kids under 12 get in free,” Mize said.  Special events are scheduled throughout the season like Thirsty Thursday, Hometown Heroes honoring local police and fire departments and the Centennial Weekend June 23rd through June 25th celebrating 100 years of baseball in Wake Forest.

It’s not all about baseball for Mize as part of his job is helping players find housing for two months.  “We are blessed to have local families that support us and take in players during the season,” Mize explained.

The first game for Fungo is an away game on May 27th.

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The Local Skinny! Granville License Plate Agency To Open

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The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will open a new license plate agency on April 11 in Granville County. That’s the good news – but wait, there’s more!

The agency will be located at 120 Roxboro Rd. in Oxford, which is the same location as the previous office, according to information from NC Department of Transportation spokesperson John Brockwell.

Linda Jordon is the new owner/operator. The office will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, except on state holidays.

Granville County residents have been without a license plate agency since November 2022.

The NCDMV oversees the 127 license plate agencies across the state, but the offices are actually run and managed by private businesses or local governments.

In addition to license plate renewals, the local agencies offer vehicle registration services and title transactions, replacement tags, handicap placards and duplicate registrations.

Services including property tax payments and registration renewals can also be completed online at www.MyNCDMV.gov.

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Granville Small Business Of The Year Nominations Due April 17

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce reminds chamber members to nominate a local business for the 2022 Small Business of the Year by Monday, April 17.

There are a few criteria to keep in mind when nominating a small business for consideration, said Chamber Executive Director Lauren Roberson.

The company must be a Chamber member, have been in operation in Granville County for at least two years and employ 50 or fewer employees.

Visit the Chamber office, 124 Hillsboro St., Oxford, or visit the Chamber website for a nomination form and a complete list of criteria.