TownTalk: Faith in Mental Health

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When he was serving in the N.C. House as District 32 representative, Frank Sossamon introduced a bill to create a faith-based initiative on substance abuse and mental health.

He served one term in the House, and his bill didn’t get through the Senate to become law, but Sossamon was undeterred.

In partnership with Granville Vance Public Health, Vaya Health and N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Sossamon’s “Faith in Mental Health” initiative is gathering steam to involve churches in Vance and Granville counties to combat issues surrounding substance abuse and mental health.

Two orientation sessions are scheduled – Monday, June 23 at West End Baptist Church in Henderson and Monday, June 30 at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center in Oxford – to kick off a three-part program to give churches information about resources available to them and to the community. Each session will last from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sossamon said in speaking with various church leaders about developing the initiative, he said more often than not, they didn’t know what services and resources are available when it comes to mental health and substance abuse issues.

“That’s the sad thing, not only they don’t know,” he said of those church representatives, “the average person doesn’t know.”

This is where the orientation sessions can help, he said. During these initial meetings, participants will complete the first of three levels of involvement.

“Level 1 is the most basic level, but maybe one of the most effective,” Sossamon said. Participants will learn about the different agencies in their county and hear from some representatives about the services they provide and how to access them.

Churches participating at this level also will agree to highlight a different topic each month in the Sunday service bulletin or newsletter, for example.

Pastors will be encouraged to preach a sermon on that topic or discuss it during a weekly Sunday School session.

Hearing about mental health or substance abuse from the pulpit or in a Sunday School class help to demystify the issues, he said. “That in itself brings healing,” he said.

Level 2 participating churches will agree to have quarterly forums on mental health issues, and Sossamon said he would encourage several churches to join forces and have one forum. There are speakers who are willing to take part in the forums and plenty of resources available to share with churches, he noted.

“It just has such great promise,” Sossamon said.

Level 2 churches also would establish a library to offer reading material related to mental health.

Those churches that wish to meet Level 3 criteria would be willing to complete more clinical training sessions to get certified. From suicide prevention training to mental health first aid, Sossamon said these trainings are “a little more intense.”

Contact Sossamon at pastorfrank1954@gmail.com to learn more.

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Rabies Cases Confirmed In Dead Raccoons Found On White Oak Drive South Of Oxford

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— Information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

 

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has confirmed a rabies case from several deceased raccoons picked up on White Oak Drive near US Highway 15. White Oak Drive is approximately one mile south of Interstate 85 at Exit 202.

Residents are urged to ensure that pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Vaccines are available at the Granville County Animal Shelter at a cost of $10 per vaccine. Rabies vaccines are administered Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

Granville County Library System

Granville Library System Kicks Off Summer Reading Program June 7

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–information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

The Granville County Library System kicks off its summer reading program Saturday, June 7 with a Comic-Con at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford. Events and programs will run throughout the summer at all four branches of the Granville County Library System.

Participants at the Comic-Con can learn about all the great things happening across the library system this summer. Register to keep a reading log to win prizes.

Comic-Con will also include sword fighting and cosplay demonstrations, and there will be food trucks and other craft vendors on hand, too.

Mark your calendars for another summer highlight – the Blow-Out Party at the Granville Athletic Park on Monday, June 30. It’s a chance for participants to take part in family-friendly yard games, face painting and free ice cream from Southern Snow.

Other program highlights for the summer include:

  • Bob Ross Painting Party on June 19 at Thornton
  • Eco Explore on June 20 at Berea Branch
  • Tie Dye Extravaganza at South Branch on July 2
  • Chalk Painting at Berea on July 11
  • Mario Kart Tournament at Thornton on July 15 and South on July 23
  • Teen Chef Competition on July 17 at Thornton

Weekly recurring events include:

  • Mondays: Lego club at South
  • Tuesdays: Storytime at South and elementary activities at Thornton and Stovall libraries
  • Wednesdays: Storytime and family art workshops at Thornton
  • Thursdays: Special events including Bright Star Theater, Museum of Life and Science and Japanese Drumming (These events will be held in the morning at Thornton and in the afternoon at South)

For the full schedule and more information about the four branches of the Granville County Library System, visit  https://granville.lib.nc.us/.

Visit any of the four branches: Richard H. Thornton, located at 210 Main St., Oxford;  South, at 1550 South Campus Dr., Creedmoor; Stovall, 300 Main St., Stovall; and  Berea, 1211 US Highway 158, Oxford.

Ronald Garrett Appointed To Lead State USDA Farm Service Agency

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Ronald Garrett has been appointed State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency in North Carolina.

Garrett began his new role on May 5. As SED, he is responsible for overseeing the delivery of FSA programs to the state’s agricultural producers. The commodity, conservation, credit and disaster assistance programs ensure a safe, affordable, abundant and nutritious food, fiber, and fuel supply for all Americans.

“FSA State Executive Directors serve in a critical role carrying out USDA’s mission at the state level — ensuring that our focus is on meeting the needs of local agricultural producers by putting farmers and ranchers first,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Rural communities need our support now more than ever. Our newly appointed state leaders bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their position as SED and they will play an integral role in shaping the future of agriculture in their state.”

Garrett served as an FSA county Executive Director for more than 34 years. He started his career with FSA as a county Operations Trainee in 1991 and worked in several county offices after completing his training. Garrett has received numerous awards from the National Association of State and County Office Employees for service to his community, FSA and agriculture. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business management from N.C. State University.

In a press release announcing the appointment, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, “When America’s farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again.”

Latest Phishing Scam Involves Text Messages Claiming To Be From NCDMV

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The N. C. Division of Motor Vehicles is alerting the public about a surge in fraudulent text message scams targeting residents. These scams falsely claim to request payment for fees, fines, or tolls and may appear to come from the NCDMV.

NCDMV does not and will never request payments via text message.

Citizens are urged to report any suspicious texts as spam and delete them immediately. Do not click on any links or provide personal information in response to these messages.

Protect yourself from scams!

Be cautious of unsolicited texts requesting payment or personal information.

Verify any NCDMV-related inquiries through official channels.

Report suspicious texts to your mobile carrier or the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint.

Learn more about how to identify phishing texts and scams at https://ncdoj.gov/internet-safety/phishing/.

NC DOT

NCDOT Awards $2.9 M Contract For Roadwork In Vance, Granville, Warren Counties

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— information from the N.C. Department of Transportation

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $2.9 million contract to Sunrock Industries LLC to improve more than 16 miles of roads in Granville, Vance and Warren counties.

The roads to be upgraded include:

  • US 1 / 158 / Norlina Road from just north of Satterwhite Point Road to the U.S. 1 Bypass
  • U.S. 158 (North Garnett Street/Norlina Road) from near Satterwhite Point Road to U.S. 1 Bypass in Vance County
  • U.S. 1/U.S. 158 from U.S. 1 Bypass to the Vance-Warren County line
  • U.S. 1 Business/U.S. 158 from the Vance-Warren County line to Terrell Street in Norlina
  • NC. 56 (East C Street/Butner Creedmoor Road/West Lake Road) from Central Avenue to South Durham Avenue (U.S. 15) in Granville County

The project will include milling, resurfacing, shoulder reconstruction and curb replacement. Work is set to begin this spring and should be finished by late fall 2026.

“Very Conservative” KTCOG Budget Reflects Federal Funding Uncertainty

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It’s budget season, a time when cities and counties look at that tricky balance between revenues – money coming in – and expenditures – paying for services that residents need.

The Kerr-Tar Council of Government budget, however, relies mostly on federal money to fund its programs.

And KTCOG Executive Director Diane Cox said recent uncertainty with federal agencies reducing workforce and closing whole programs, this year’s budget process was different than in years past.

“I’ve always taken the conservative approach when it came to our budget,” Cox said in an interview with WIZS.

The 2025-26 budget represents a decrease of more than $2 million from the current year budget and does not include any salary or cost of living increases. Cox is proposing a roughly $5.8 million budget and is hopeful that additional federal funding will be available. The 2024-25 amended budget was just more than $8.3 million.

“Over 90 percent of our funding at COG comes through the state but they’re federal funds,” Cox explained.

“No one’s saying anything yet,” she said. “The state folks haven’t heard from that federal folks what those funds are going to look like.” So until then, Cox and the KTCOG staff wait.

“It’s sort of a wait and see position that we’re in,” she said. “We’re preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.”

One area that she’s particularly concerned about is the Area Agency on Aging, which relies on mostly federal funds. As of Friday, there had been no notice that the grant funding will be coming.

“This is the first year in the 14 or 15 years that I’ve been here that we’ve gone into the budget season without some initial numbers,” she said. For that reason, she said the budget is “very conservative” and included an across-the-board decrease.

The Area Agency on Aging programs provide services for the senior centers in all five counties, as well as their in-home aide programs, among others.

Since the pandemic, the KTCOG has provided assistance to many local governments in the region in some form or another.

Cox said while she and her staff wait for word on grant funding, KTCOG will continue to provide services and programs for the region – there’s a disaster recovery and relief expo on Thursday, June 12 at the VGCC Civic Center, which will provide information to community groups and individuals about how to cope in the event of a disaster.

“We have always had a much larger budget at the end of the year than we do at the beginning of the year” because the COG receives grant funding throughout the year.

So, while our budget may look much lower than what our current budget is, the hope (is) – and I pray – that there will be several budget amendments,” Cox said, allowing for the provision of more service.

Getting Property, Emergency Plans Ready For 2025 Hurricane Season, Which Begins Sunday, June 1

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Topping this year’s list of unwanted guests between June and December include Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter – those are names designated for the first four named hurricanes of the 2025 season, which officially begins Sunday, June 1.

It’s not too soon to think about ways to protect your property to reduce potential damage in the event a hurricane or its after-effects cause problems.

Western North Carolina is still dealing with the aftermath of destruction caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene last fall.

And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an “above-normal” season.

With that in mind, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association suggests that homeowners review insurance policies to make sure you can financially weather a storm.

“Natural disasters in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damages, which is a key reason why insurance costs have risen,” says Michael Richmond-Crum, senior director of personal lines at APCIA. “To help make insurance more affordable and available long-term, it is critical to increase the resiliency of homes and communities and reduce costly damage from severe weather. Many insurers offer premium discounts for certain steps that homeowners take to reduce the potential for damage from a storm. Discounts vary by company, so talk to your insurer or agent to see what discounts are available.”

The following steps are low-cost ways homeowners can strengthen their property for hurricane season:

  • Start by checking around your home or business and trimming back any nearby branches or trees, especially ones that hang over or close to your home.
  • Inspect the roof and repair any loose or damaged shingles.
  • Secure loose gutters and seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors to prevent water intrusion.
  • Installing a wind-rated garage door or hurricane shutters and upgrading the home to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s FORTIFIEDconstruction standard are additional measures to consider.

In recent years, costs to repair and rebuild homes and businesses after a natural disaster have risen significantly. In the last five years, the cost of construction labor has increased 36.3 percent while the cost of building materials are up 42.7 percent.

“As part of your hurricane season prep, take time to review your insurance policy and verify with your insurer or agent that your coverage is keeping pace with these cost increases,” added Richmond-Crum.

When reviewing your insurance policy, consider the following:

  • Carefully review your policy limits and deductible (i.e., the amount you will pay out of pocket if you have a claim), and make adjustments, if needed, to ensure you have an appropriate amount of coverage to recover if your property is damaged. Raising your deductible is one way to potentially lower your premium, but make sure you can afford the higher deductible and understand that any damage that falls below the deductible will be out of pocket.
  • Ask if your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value. Actual cash value takes depreciation into account and replacement cost is the amount necessary to rebuild your home with materials of like kind and quality up to policy limits.
  • Consider adding key additional coverages, such as automatic inflation guard, extended replacement cost, and building code/ordinance coverage.
  • Evaluate your need for flood insurance.Flood damage is typically not covered under a standard homeowners policy. Flood insurance is available as a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or the private market.

Other steps to take to prepare for hurricane season:

  • Make a home inventory using your cell phone to take pictures and videos of your home and your home’s contents.
  • Gather copies of your home, auto, and flood insurance policies and keep them in a safe, accessible place.
  • Save your insurer’s contact info to your phone’s contacts so you can easily and quickly start the claims process if your home is damaged.
  • If your insurer has an app available, download it on to your phone for easy access to policy information.

For the record, in addition to Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter, the following names will be used if needed for the 2025 hurricane season:

Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.

State Highway Patrol

Highway Patrol Reminds Drivers To Be Safe As Holiday Weekend Ushers In Summer Travel

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— information courtesy of the N.C. State Highway Patrol

 

An estimated 45 million Americans are expected to travel domestically this Memorial Day weekend with 87% of those people taking road trips, according to AAA. The State Highway Patrol is working to ensure residents and visitors to our state reach their destinations safely.

As the Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol will utilize educational and enforcement efforts to reduce collisions from leading factors such as speeding, impaired and distracted driving, as well as reducing the severity of collisions through the enforcement of restraint laws.

Memorial Day also marks the start of the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers as the summer months historically see an increase in teen driving deaths. Parents and teens are encouraged to strictly adhere to North Carolina graduated driving requirements. For more information on the requirements please visit https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/graduated-licensing.aspx.

Additionally, the State Highway Patrol will be partnering with the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s Click It or Ticket campaign. This campaign involves two seven-day enforcement periods, with the first being May 19-25 and the second being May 26-June 1. The campaign emphasis is being placed on seat belt and child restraint violations.

Motorists can report dangerous driving behaviors to the State Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47).

TownTalk: Granville County Tourism Ramps Up

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Granville County is bustin’ at the seams with springtime events designed to get families out and about, from Quittin’ Time in downtown Oxford on Thursday evenings, live music in Bullock and a Memorial Day wreath-laying service at Butner Gazebo Park on Monday, May 26.

Angela Allen, now a decade in as the county’s Tourism director, said these are just a few of opportunities available in the coming weeks to keep folks entertained and connected with the community.

In her early days in the job, she said springtime events were much fewer. “All I had was the Easter Bunny,” she joked on WIZS’s TownTalk segment Wednesday. “Spring is springing all over the place,” she said.

The RedBird Theater is bringing Eureka Day to the city hall auditorium Saturday, May 24. The show, which begins at 7:30 p.m., combines comedy and drama to reveal how a progressive private school deals with making tough decisions about a measles outbreak and more divisive issues. There’s a link to purchase tickets at www.visitgranvillenc.com.

Crokinole, anyone? How about disc golf? Oxford has clubs for both. Crokinole – pronounced CROW (like the bird) kuh nole – is a game played on a round tabletop board. The goal is to flick a small disc into the hole in the board’s center, sort of like shuffleboard, Allen explained.

The local club normally has Open Nights on Thursdays at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. for anyone interested in learning more about the game, but Allen said it’s on pause for now because of Quittin’ Time. Check out their Facebook page to find out more.

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming events in and around Granville County:

  • Thursday evenings in May and June: Quittin’ Time – 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Oxford. Stroll from spot to spot and enjoy specialty cocktails and small plates, as well as live music and art exhibits. Get a “passport,” scan a QR code over the course of Quittin’ Time and have a chance to win prizes at the end of the nine-week run.
  • TWBC has paired brunch with local music and an open stage for others to perform. Brunch runs June through August. Email taproom@tobaccowood.co to sign up for your time on stage.
  • There’s a new farmers market in Oxford called the Oxford Armory Farmers Market to go along with the existing market on McClanahan Street across from the Oxford Police Department and the market in downtown Creedmoor. The new market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is set up on the grounds of the Armory at Linden Avenue and Spring Street with a wreath-laying ceremony to observe Memorial Day. The park is located at 416 Central Ave.
  • The Town of Butner continues a tradition Monday, May 26 at 10 a.m. with a wreath laying ceremony at Butner Gazebo Park, located at 416 Central Ave.
  • “Live After Six in the Stix” returns to Williamson’s Country Store and Grill in Bullock on June 5. Bring your lawnchairs and your dancin’ shoes, because JB and the Get Down Browns will perform. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Tammy and Rod Williamson will have the grill fired up and the drink coolers stocked for you. The admission is free.
  • Saturday, June 14 is a shaping up to be busy – Oxford’s Juneteenth celebration takes place at Wall and Hunt streets from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and The Barn at Vino is hosting a beach music festival from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • The annual Bee Jubilee and Food Truck Rodeo takes over the Granville Expo Center on Saturday, June 28 for a day of food, fun and all things “bee.”

Read more details at these and other events taking place in Granville County at www.visitgranvillenc.com

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