GEF’s Annual SPELL-ebration Coming S-O-O-N

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Join in the fun at the Granville Education Foundation’s annual SPELL-ebration on Thursday, Oct. 27. Whether you’re a stickler for correct spelling or whether you have trouble with c-a-t, this entertaining, no-pressure event pits three-member teams against each other to capture top honors for correctly spelling the most words.

If you get stumped, buy word coupons to spell your way to victory!

Businesses, schools, civic groups, church groups and others can form teams – and teams are encouraged to dress as characters from their favorite Disney movie, books or just for Halloween, according to information from GEF Director Jennifer Cufalo Carpenter.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the J.F. Webb High School gymnasium.

Admission is free for spectators and concessions will be available for purchase. There also will be a 50/50 raffle.

Sponsorships also are available. Whitco Bug Warriors and Masonic Home for Children in Oxford are event sponsors.

Find out more about becoming a sponsor or complete the registration at www.GranvilleEdFoundation.org or contact GEF at 919.693.7047 or by email at GranvilleEdFoundation@outlook.com

Tickets On Sale Now For Nov. 4 Granville Chamber’s “Cluck ‘N Shuck”

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Join the fun at the annual Cluck ‘N Shuck fundraiser sponsored by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Nov. 4 at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center.

Tickets are limited, so make sure to stop by the Chamber office, 124 Hillsboro St., Oxford to get yours now, said Chamber Executive Director Lauren Roberson. Tickets are $50 each. Contact the Chamber at 919.693.6125.

Cluck ‘N Shuck is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Leon Nixon Catering will be providing all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, fried fish and shrimp, fried chicken tenders, slaw, buttered potatoes and hushpuppies. Iced tea, Coca-Cola products and other cold beverages from Tobacco Wood Brewing Co and The Hub on Main are provided

Next Door Radio will be on site to providing music for the evening.

There are numerous sponsorship levels for businesses to choose from, from a single presenting sponsor level for a donation of $2,500 to a bronze sponsor for $250.

The presenting sponsor gets 8 tickets to the event, as well as having the company logo on promotional materials and other benefits, including setting up a table at the event to showcase the business. Other levels include:

  • Gold Sponsors get 4 tickets, and the additional promotional benefits – $1,000
  • Silver Sponsors get 2 tickets and some of the promotional benefits – $750
  • Wristband Sponsor (only one) gets 2 tickets and company name on wristband – $600
  • Bronze Sponsors get 2 tickets, company name on banner, recognition in the Chamber update and on social media.

Sponsors of the event who were not listed in some way above also include Creedmoor Forest Products, Inc., Granville Pallet Company, Lewis Electric of Oxford, Oliver’s Towing, Oxford Preparatory School, Shalag Non-wovens and Wilkinson Creative Co.

(This story was edited from its original at the request of the Granville Chamber to list event sponsors.)

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Of Elections Offers Reminders About Voter Registration Process

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-information courtesy of the N.C. State Board of Elections

Elections officials say the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is next Friday, Oct. 14.

Individuals who miss that deadline, however, may register and vote at the same time during the one-stop early voting period, which begins Oct. 20 and ends Nov. 5.  County-by-county early voting sites and schedules are available at the State Board of Elections’ One-Stop Early Voting Site Search.

To register, eligible individuals have the following options:

If an application is received after the deadline, it will be timely if it is postmarked on or before Oct. 14. If the postmark is missing or unclear, the application will be processed if it is received in the mail no later than 20 days before the election. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election.

If submitted by fax or email, the application must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 14, and a hard copy of the document must be delivered to the county board office by 20 days before the election.

“We encourage all eligible individuals to register to vote and make their voice heard in 2022,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “It’s easy, and there’s still time, either through the regular process or at any one-stop early voting location in your county.”

North Carolina residents may not register to vote on Election Day, unless they become eligible after the Oct.14 registration deadline due to becoming a U.S. citizen or having their rights restored following a felony conviction.

Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the general election on Nov. 8 are eligible to register and vote.

To register to vote, a person must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen;
  • Live in the county of his/her registration, and have lived there for at least 30 days before the date of the election;
  • Be at least 18 years old or will be by the date of the general election. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may preregister to vote; AND
  • Not be in jail or prison for a felony conviction.

Updating Your Voter Registration

Voters who need to update their existing voter registration may use the DMV website or a regular voter registration application to do so.

Those with a North Carolina driver’s license or other DMV identification may update their residential or mailing address and party affiliation through the DMV online service, but may not change their name through that service.

If using the paper application to update a registration, it must be signed and mailed to the voter’s county board of elections by Oct. 14. Updates to name, address (if within the county), and party affiliation must be signed, but can be provided by fax or email to your county board of elections. If a voter is using the paper form to update their residential address to a new county, they must return the paper form by mail or in person.

Registered voters may also update an existing registration at a one-stop early voting site during the early voting period.

See more Voter Registration Resources in North Carolina.

Red Cross Helps Hurricane Victims, Asks For Donations Of Time, Blood, Money

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As relief agencies continue their cleanup efforts in Florida and other areas affected by Hurricane Ian, the American Red Cross reminds folks in local communities that there are ways they can support those volunteers from right here at home.

The Red Cross Eastern North Carolina region deployed a disaster responder to help with relief efforts. Cindy Romig is one of 33 from the eastern NC region to assist in the Red Cross volunteer efforts in hard-hit Florida.

Many communities are unrecognizable after the storm and volunteers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are helping those affected and will be helping them recover for weeks and months to come, according to a press statement issued by the Raleigh-based Red Cross office.

“People’s lives were turned upside down by this massive storm,” said Barry Porter, Regional CEO, American Red Cross of Eastern North Carolina. “They need your help now. Please consider making a donation to help people affected by disasters, giving blood or becoming a Red Cross volunteer today.”

“It’s devastating, it’s heartbreaking to see the destruction and see what Mother Nature can do,” said Romig. “We know that there’s so much need out there and if there’s anything that we can do–there’s so many resources that we can offer and that we can dispense down in Florida to help folks get on to the road of recovery as well as getting through one day at a time.”

The Red Cross and its partners are providing a safe place to stay, food to eat and a shoulder to lean on as people begin to pick up the pieces after the storm. Shelters are open across the affected areas, Red Cross emergency vehicles are delivering food and relief supplies and volunteers are helping families cope and replacing prescription medications, eyeglasses or critical medical equipment like canes and wheelchairs.

Dangerous weather conditions and floodwaters have canceled a dozen blood drives in North Carolina with nearly 400 lifesaving blood and platelet donations uncollected. Individuals who live in areas unaffected by Hurricane Ian — especially those with type O blood — are urged to give blood now to help ensure patients in impacted areas continue to have access to lifesaving blood.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

MAKE A DONATION We will be working side-by-side with our partners to help people in need for weeks and months to come. To help people affected by Hurricane Ian, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

 

GIVE BLOOD Please schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

 

VOLUNTEER If you have the time, you can make a significant impact as a Red Cross volunteer. Review our most urgently needed volunteer positions at redcross.org/volunteertoday and get involved today.

NC DOT

“Operation Crash Reduction” Underway On State’s Roads Through This Weekend

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– information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Transportation

North Carolina law enforcement agencies will be encouraging motorists to slow down from Oct. 3-9, as part of a special speeding enforcement effort dubbed “Operation Crash Reduction.”

“We have an epidemic of high-speed crashes occurring on roads in North Carolina, and that’s why agencies across the state opted to make speeding the focus on this year’s “Operation Crash Reduction” campaign,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “This is part of GHSP’s broader efforts to combat a dangerous increase in speeding through increased enforcement, public awareness and policy.”

The event is part of a larger, regional campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to target unsafe driving behaviors at a particularly deadly time of year. Motorists may notice increased law enforcement efforts to crack down on speeding motorists and bring awareness to unsafe speeds in communities statewide this week. This will include more radar operations and speed display signs.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program urges drivers to always avoid speeding. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to negotiate curves, makes it more difficult to stop, and increases the risk of crashes and injuries.

The “Operation Crash Reduction” effort is focused on North Carolina, Washington D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. This region experiences some of the nation’s highest numbers of traffic crash-induced fatalities. According to NHTSA, from 2015 to 2019, this region experienced more fatal crashes in October than any other month. A total of 190 people were killed in crashes during the month of October last year in North Carolina. Of those, 42 deaths were related to speeding.

As of Oct. 3, nearly 300 people have been killed in speed-related crashes in North Carolina. That represents more than one fatality a day in 2022. Between 2017 and 2021, there was a 17 percent increase in speed-related crashes in North Carolina.
Find more information and statistics on speeding in North Carolina here.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville School Board Selects Helen Lindsey To Fill Vacant Seat

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A retired schools employee has been appointed to fill the unexpired term on the Granville County Board of Education.

Dr. Helen Lindsey was selected from a field of five candidates interviewed Thursday for the seat made vacant when Dr. Tom Houlihan tendered his resignation effective July 31.

Following the interviews, the board discussed the candidates before casting their votes.

“This was a very difficult process in that all of the applicants brought their own unique strengths and experiences,” said Board Chair Glenda Williams. “One thing they all had in common was their willingness to serve, and we are grateful to each of them for investing their time and effort in this process,” Williams added.

Dr. Lindsey will be sworn in at the next regularly scheduled meeting, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 3.

The agendas, minutes and video recordings for board meetings may be found at

https://www.boarddocs.com/nc/gcsd/Board.nsf

 

The Local Skinny! Clayton Homes Of Oxford Supports KidsCan! At Duke Cancer Institute

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Clayton Oxford is known as #929 in the larger corporate family that is Clayton Homes, so what better day than Sept. 29 – 9/29 – to kick off the local manufacturer’s monthlong fundraising effort called Pink October?

One long table in the breakroom at the Knotts Grove Road plant was filled Thursday with all sorts of sweets for the first of several events of Pink October. Sandra Santos, Clayton Oxford’s team member experience manager, said the bake sale would probably earn close to $400 toward a $20,000 goal. Add that to $3,700 from “Stronger Together” t-shirt sales, and they’re about a fifth of the way there. And it isn’t even October yet.

Santos said other events will be held throughout the month – hotdog lunch fundraisers, 50/50 raffles and a carnival closer to Halloween are just a few of the fun things planned.

Clayton Oxford raises money each year for Duke Cancer Institute, Santos said. The roughly 220 team members had no problem meeting last year’s goal of $15,000, and Santos predicts this year will be no different.

On hand for Thursday’s kickoff event was Kristy E. Sartin, director of external relations for Duke Supportive Care and Survivorship Center. Sartin’s program is part of the umbrella organization that is Duke Cancer Institute, which provides a range of services – at no cost – to cancer patients and their families.

Leslie Dixon, a customer care advocate for Clayton Oxford, is one such patient.

Dixon was diagnosed with melanoma in late 2020, and she said she received “amazing care” not only from her medical team but also from the folks at Duke Cancer Institute. The KidsCan! Program helped her young son process his mom’s diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

“KidsCan! helped with counseling and tutoring for my son, who was 10 at the time of my diagnosis,” Dixon said Thursday. The support he received from KidsCan! gave him a different outlook on cancer, she said.

“KidsCan! gave him an outlet and access to therapists for counseling,” Dixon said. And, he realized “they can also help me get my math grade back up,” she added.

“KidsCan! is a great program,” Santos said, “that provides support for children and teenagers…who can share their concerns and be treated with love and respect.”

Dixon said that during her six years at Clayton Oxford, there have been a number of fellow employees who have gotten a cancer diagnosis. They all went to Duke for their treatment, so it’s easy to support programs like the Duke Cancer Institute and KidsCan! because those programs have helped their friends and fellow team members.

“We’re part of a wonderful company,” Santos said. One of their core values is Do Good. And Pink October fits perfectly with that value, she said. “We do it and we serve our community in this way. We do good because it is good for everybody.”

To learn more, visit http://www.dukecancerinstitute.org/ and click Supportive Care.

CLICK PLAY!

VGCC Logo

VGCC Hosts Oct. 20 Conference To “Imagine The Future Of Work”

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Vance-Granville Community College is hosting a daylong conference in October designed to help the region’s employers and business leaders to learn more about important workforce issues and how to create innovative programs to offset the challenges employers and employees face.

The “Business/Industry Connect 2022: Imagine the Future of Work” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center on the college’s main campus in Vance County. The event is free, includes lunch, but registration is required. To register, visit BIC2022.eventbrite.com.

VGCC officials hope that the event can help businesses attract talent, understand the neuroscience behind successful hiring, institute highly motivating onboarding programs and develop a company culture that energizes coworkers, unlocks their potential and leads to higher retention rates. Many organizations are finding it difficult to find and keep skilled workers, according to a press statement from Jerry Edmonds, III, VGCC’s vice president of Workforce & Community Engagement.

Two special guests will help facilitate the conference: Phil Dixon and Bryan W. Mattimore.

Dixon graduated from Warwick University with a degree in Computer Science. His career in the Information Technology field included a stint with Apple before launching his own consulting firm. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change in England at a program run jointly by HEC Paris and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He found his life’s passion in studying neuroscience and the brain.

Today a resident of Oxford – in Granville County – Dixon has published several articles and books about the brain, and is a frequent and international speaker on the topic of brain-based leadership.

Mattimore is cofounder and “Chief Idea Guy” of the Growth Engine Company, based in Connecticut. In his business consulting career, Mattimore has given more than100 keynote addresses, facilitated over a thousand brainstorming sessions, and managed 200 successful innovation projects, leading to over three billion dollars in new sales annually for one-third of the Fortune 100 companies. He is also a Senior Fellow with The Conference Board, an innovation and marketing instructor for Caltech in their Executive Education Department, and the author of several books. His new book, “Islands of Invention, How to Create Extraordinary Innovation Centers,” co-authored with McKinsey consultant Claus Raasted, is set to be published later this year.

“We look forward to this opportunity for the local business and economic development community to gather, learn and collaborate on ways to not only find new team members, but also to develop and engage the employees they already have,” said VGCC Grants Administrator Ken Wilson, who is coordinating the conference. “VGCC and our partners in education and workforce development are here to help local organizations successfully hire and train their talent.”

For more information, contact Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu.

 

NCDOT

Henderson Gets $463K in Powell Bill Funds From NCDOT

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Henderson is the big winner among area municipalities in the recent $154.8 million Powell Bill allotment announced by the N.C. Department of Transportation for street improvements.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS Wednesday that he and the City Council will be working to help prioritize where and how to use the $463,634.73 allotment, about half of which has been distributed.  The remaining amount to be paid by Jan. 1, 2023, according to a press statement from NCDOT.

Officially called the State Street Aid to Municipalities, the program also is known as Powell Bill funds. This year, a total of 508 municipalities statewide benefitted from the allocation.

The Powell Bill funds are used primarily to resurface municipal streets but also may be used to maintain, repair, construct, or widen streets, bridges, and drainage areas. Municipalities can also use Powell Bill funds to plan, construct and maintain bike paths, greenways or sidewalks.

The amount each municipality receives is based on a formula established by state law, with 75 percent of the funds based on population and 25 percent based on the number of municipality-maintained street miles.  The annual population figures are provided by the Office of State Budget and Management.

“Powell Bill funding allows us to complete a lot of transportation projects important to North Carolina communities from Murphy to Manteo,” said State Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette.  “Municipalities can use these funds on projects that make our state a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

The fund is named for Junius K. Powell, a former state senator and mayor of Whiteville. Powell was the primary sponsor of the 1951 bill to help the state’s cities with urban road problems. The first allocation of Powell Bill funds was for $4.5 million and was distributed to 386 cities and towns.

Here’s what other area municipalities received through the Powell Bill:

  • Oxford – $255,752.37
  • Butner – $211,071.63
  • Creedmoor – $136,485.84
  • Louisburg – $95,153.03
  • Franklinton – $81,171.29
  • Youngsville – $61, 422.29
  • Norlina – $36,146.25
  • Stem – $29,567.39
  • Warrenton – $29,013.37
  • Stovall – $12,849.72
  • Middleburg – $6,201.01
  • Kittrell – $5,248.47

Oxford’s CultureFEST Postponed; New Date Set For May 2023

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This Saturday’s CultureFEST in downtown Oxford has been rescheduled, thanks to the likelihood that the area will be dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Ian, now poised to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast tomorrow.

Two of the event organizers  – Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent and Ajulo Othow – were on TownTalk Monday to spread the word about the event, which was going to mark its second year of being held in the parking lot at Littlejohn Street.

Sergent contacted WIZS News Tuesday morning to share the news of the postponement.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel and postpone until next May,” Sergent said.

With weather forecasts predicting that North Carolina will be hit with heavy rains from the storm, it was a case of better safe than sorry.