Mills Appointed To State Economic Development Advisory Council

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Granville County Economic Development Director Harry Mills has been appointed to the North Carolina Economic Development Advisory Council, a statewide group that provides advisory direction and support to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Mills was selected to represent the “North Central Prosperity Zone” along with Michael Haley, executive director of the Wake County Economic Development office.

Mills was appointed to serve on this council by the current members of the EDPNC board, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood. He joins the 16-member council which represents eight “prosperity zones” across North Carolina. These zones are determined by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and subdivide the state geographically to provide localized support for economic development projects.

In addition to Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin counties, the North Central prosperity zone encompasses Person, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Wake, Nash, Edgecombe, Chatham, Wilson, Lee, Harnett and Johnston counties.

“I’m excited to serve on the EDPNC Advisory Council,”Mills said in a press statement. “This is a fantastic group of professionals that work to improve the economic prospects of their communities and North Carolina as a whole. So many of the projects that come to Granville County and other parts of North Carolina would not be possible without the staff and advisory board members that work on behalf of the EDPNC. I’m excited to represent Granville County and I look forward to working with this group of my peers to attract new businesses to North Carolina.”

For more information about the EDPNC, visit https://edpnc.com/.

Granville County SHIIP

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Granville County Senior Services provides assistance to local seniors during the annual federal Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Open Enrollment period. In 2022, Granville’s certified Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) staff helped 645 seniors explore their options and enroll in the plan that would best meet their needs. This enrollment assistance program helped Granville County seniors save a total of $264,312 on their prescription drug costs. Granville’s SHIIP counselors work with seniors to ensure that they are enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that best meets their needs and will  provide medications at the best price.

“The best Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for each individual can change from year to year,” according to Granville County Senior Services Director Kathy May. “Our counselors spend months researching the differences in each plan utilizing an online tool released by the federal Medicare Office. We know that plan changes can be stressful and overwhelming for Medicare enrollees, so we are glad that we can offer the peace of mind for our seniors that there are trusted and qualified counselors at their local senior centers ready and willing to help.”

Granville County has offered SHIIP counseling services at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford for many years and was able to expand services to the South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor in 2022. During the seven-week open enrollment period, 562 seniors were served at appointments at the Oxford Senior Center and 83 seniors received the same service at the South Granville location in Creedmoor. The North Carolina Department of Insurance oversees the SHIIP certification program, a rigorous course with quarterly trainings required to maintain credentials. Currently, Granville County Senior Services has seven SHIIP counselors on-staff:  Jill Floyd, Judy Gray, Marilyn Howard, Carolyn Keith, Kathy May, Teresa Rowland, and Christy Southall.

The Medicare Part D Open Enrollment window will once again run from October 15 through December 7, 2023. Enrollment assistance from qualified SHIIP counselors will be offered at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford and the South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor. Granville seniors will be invited to make appointments for counseling and enrollment assistance in late summer or early fall.

For more information about SHIIP counseling or other services and programs offered by Granville County Senior Services, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/senior-services or call 919.693.1930.

“Hog Farmer: The Trials Of Joey Carter” Showing At Granville Expo Center Feb. 3

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It takes a couple of hours to reach Duplin County from here, and many may recognize it as the home of Duplin Winery, or from road signs along I-40 you pass on the way to the beach.

But Duplin County also is the home of a former hog farmer named Joey Carter.

The Carter family farm became caught up in a federal lawsuit brought by neighbors against Smithfield Foods, and a recently released documentary recounts his story.

The film “Hog Farmer: The Trials of Joey Carter” will be shown on Friday, Feb. 3 at the Granville County Expo Center, 4158 US Hwy 15, Oxford, and then on Friday, Feb. 10 in the auditorium of the Person County Office Building, 304 S. Morgan St., Roxboro.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the film begins at 6:30, according to information from Kim Woods, livestock extension agent for Granville and Person counties.

Admission is free to the event. Donations will be accepted for the N.C. Agromedicine Institute in support of farmer mental health awareness and suicide prevention. There will be snacks and drinks available to purchase, with any profits also going to the N.C. Agromedicine Institute.

For more information, contact N.C. Cooperative Extension, Granville office at 919.603.1350 or Person office at 336.599.1195.

NJ-Based Food Company Opens Distribution Warehouse In Granville County

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A New Jersey-based provider of quality meats, produce and other delicacies to high-end hotels and restaurants has officially opened a distribution site – its largest outside New Jersey – in Granville County.

Local, regional and state officials gathered last week at D’Artagnan Inc.’s new warehouse and distribution facility, located in a section of the former Burlington Mills complex on Lewis Street, just outside Oxford.

The facility will create 23 new jobs and invest more than $4 million in the county.

“We are thrilled to have D’Artagnan expand into the southeastern United States with their Granville location,” said Russ May, chairman of the Granville County board of commissioners. “We want all our residents to know how important it is to have industries like D’Artagnan locate here.”

Glenn Livi, general manager and vice president of operations for the company, said he’s pleased with the experience so far. “I have never encountered a warmer welcome than we received when we first started investigating Granville County as a prospective expansion site,” Livi told the gathering. “From our first phone calls with the Granville County Economic Development Office through all the other stops along the construction process, we could not have asked for anything more. Granville County and the City of Oxford were nothing but professional and accommodating to our needs. What was originally projected to be a nine-month construction timeline was shortened to six thanks to all the local help and support we received.”

Founded by French food pioneer, Ariane Daguin, in 1985, D’Artagnan has three business segments that cover food service, retail and e-commerce in all 50 states.

“I would like to thank the members of the Granville County Board of Commissioners, the Granville County Economic Development Advisory Board, Wills Hancock and his team at Century 21 Hancock Properties, and the City of Oxford for their hard work and support to attract a company like D’Artagnan to our county,” said Granville County Economic Development Director Harry Mills.

For more information about D’Artagnan, please visit their website: https://www.dartagnan.com.

Duke Energy

Granville Gets $30K From Duke Energy Foundation

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-information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Granville County has received $30,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation’s Emergency Preparedness fund, most of which will be used to purchase automated external defibrillators and supplies used to operate emergency shelters.

Granville is one of 24 organizations across the state to share $750,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation, according to information from Terry Hobgood, the county’s public information officer.

The county’s emergency management office will use $25,000 to purchase the AEDs and other materials that shelters need in the event of a natural disaster. The AEDs will be placed at numerous county facilities. The remaining $5,000 will be used to make trail safety improvements at Granville Athletic Park.

“We are thankful to the Duke Energy Foundation for recognizing the importance of providing equipment for life-saving measures made by possible by AEDs, supplies for our county’s emergency shelters, and trail improvements at the Granville Athletic Park,” said Assistant County Manager Korena Weichel. “All of these projects will make a huge impact in Granville’s emergency preparedness and the safety of our citizens.”

The Duke Energy Foundation focuses grant funds on helping emergency preparedness organizations respond and recover more quickly from weather events and disasters through advanced preparation and planning. The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders. For more information about Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation, visit www.duke-energy.com or follow Duke Energy on social media.

Tobacco Trust Fund Grant Cycle Open To Receive Proposals Through Mar. 3

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The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission’s grant cycle is open and is now accepting grant applications through Mar. 3, 2023. Access the application, guidelines and other information about the funding opportunity by clicking here.

Federal, state and local governments can apply for grant funding, as well as economic development groups, educational institutions and nonprofits

Individuals can also apply, but the commission’s executive director, William Upchurch, Jr. said trust fund officials encourage individuals to work with a cost-share partner: NC AgVentures at N.C. State University, AgPrime at the University of Mount Olive, and WNC AgOptions at WNC Communities. Upchurch said that the Tobacco Trust Fund is open to talking with folks who have questions about the grant cycle and its cost-share partners.

The Tobacco Trust Fund grant cycle focuses on the priorities of community economic development, skill and resource development, increasing farm profitability, diversification of crops and development of natural resources. They look for projects that support the following outcomes: farmers assisted, jobs created and retained, acreage impacted, new crops planted, funding leverage and new education opportunities.

The trust fund commission was created in 2000 to assist current and former tobacco farmers, former quota holders, persons engaged in tobacco-related businesses, individuals displaced from tobacco-related employment, and tobacco product component businesses in North Carolina that have been affected by the adverse effects of the Master Settlement Agreement.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville School Board Votes to Close Creedmoor Elementary And Shift Hawley Students To Creedmoor Campus

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Public school students who live in the Creedmoor area will be facing some changes next school year, following a decision Monday by the Granville County Board of Education to close Creedmoor Elementary School and relocate G.C. Hawley students to the elementary school campus in the 2023-24 school year.

“This action follows extensive research and analysis of a wide variety of information and data, which were included in a formal study as well as input from a variety of stakeholders, including opinions provided at a recent public hearing held on January 17, 2023,” said Dr. Stan Winborne, GCPS public information officer and assistant superintendent.

The elementary school was built in 1975, with a lower grade wing completed in 2000 and a two-story building for upper elementary grades completed in 2005.

According to information included in the study, close to a half million dollars in upfitting and renovations will have to be made to the elementary campus in order to accommodate the older students next year.

Next steps include:

  • Creation of a transition plan for the reassignment of Creedmoor Elementary School students;
  • Creation of a transition plan for the reassignment of Creedmoor Elementary School faculty and staff;
  • Development of new southern area elementary school attendance zones;
  • Development of a facility transition plan with specific tasks for the renovation of facilities and relocation of furniture, equipment and supplies.

Regular meetings will be held in the coming weeks and months to share progress and updates with all stakeholders.

The board made the decision Monday during a special called meeting. The vote was 6-1 to close Creedmoor Elementary and relocate Hawley students to the elementary school campus.

View the study here.

Golden LEAF Scholarship, Internship Opportunities

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-information courtesy of the Golden LEAF Foundation

The Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities Scholarship application window is now open for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applications are available at CFNC.org. A total of 215 awards will be offered to first-time recipients from qualifying rural and economically distressed counties. Applications are due March 1, 2023.

The awards are valued at $14,000 ($3,500 per year for up to four years) for North Carolina high school students attending a participating North Carolina college or university. North Carolina community college transfer students can receive $3,500 per year for up to three years.

“The Golden LEAF Scholarship Program is an important component of the Foundation’s workforce preparedness strategy,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “Our goal is for Golden LEAF Scholars to gain the talent, knowledge and skills necessary to help North Carolina’s rural communities thrive by returning home to live, work and raise families.”

To be eligible, students must be a graduating North Carolina high school senior or a currently enrolled North Carolina community college transfer student, enrolling full-time in the fall at a participating North Carolina public or private college or university. Recipients are selected based upon multiple factors including an intent to return to a rural North Carolina county after graduation. Applicants must also fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate financial need as determined by the application process; have a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.5; and be a resident of a rural, economically distressed North Carolina county. Click here for the full list of eligible counties.

For more than 20 years, the Golden LEAF Scholarship Program has provided more than 6,000 scholarships to help rural students attend the state’s colleges and universities.

The Golden LEAF Scholarship Program is administered by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority and funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation. A complete list of program requirements, participating campuses and qualifying counties can be viewed at CFNC.org. Call 1-800-700-1775 or send an email to information@ncseaa.edu, for more information.

Learn more about the scholarship at https://scholars.goldenleaf.org/.

 

Scholarship recipients may also apply for the Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative. The Rural Internship Initiative provides Golden LEAF Scholars with professional work experience related to their career field in a rural North Carolina community. The application window closes Jan. 31.

The Golden LEAF Foundation provides funding to pay interns $15/hour for up to 400 hours of work. Internships take place over 8-10 weeks, between June and August.

Bids Open Now For Army National Guard Project In Stem

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The North Carolina Military Business Center is reaching out to local contractors who may be interested in submitting a bid for a Granville County project for the Army National Guard Bureau.

The Army National Guard has an open request for proposals for building materials for a construction project in Stem. The deadline to submit proposals is Jan. 27, 2023.

Reena Bhatia is the business development specialist for the NCMBC‘s RTP region, which includes Granville County and several other surrounding counties.

NCMBC is a state agency with 15 offices across the state. The organization has helped businesses win more than 4,000 contracts since 2005.

Bhatia’s role is to support the mission by helping North Carolina-based businesses identify and obtain federal contract opportunities, as well as navigate the solicitation and proposal processes, she said in a press statement.

“We would like to bring those federal dollars to Granville County by helping a local company bid on the requirements,” Bhatia said.

NCMBC is available to help with proposal efforts if needed.

“We hope we can partner together to help local businesses win and bring federal dollars to our communities,” Bhatia said.

To learn more about the project, contact Bhatia at reena@ncmbc.us or 919.314.7317.

Truck Fire On I-85 Near Oxford Snarls Thursday Afternoon Traffic; Driver Taken To UNC Burn Center

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Northbound traffic on I-85 was backed up for miles Thursday afternoon after a tractor trailer loaded with rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide caught fire near mile marker 199. The driver of the truck was transported to the UNC Burn Center. His condition is not known at this time.

Granville County Public Information Officer Terry A. Hobgood Jr. said Friday the incident was reported at 2:46 p.m. and emergency crews were on the scene within 10 minutes. By 3:08 p.m., both northbound lanes were closed to all traffic. One lane reopened about 4 p.m. and both lanes were clear by 8:30 p.m.

Mile marker 199 is just south of the Oxford rest area near the Bryan’s Hill Road overpass/Tar River bridge.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Hobgood said, but he stated that witnesses reported that the trailer caught fire while driving on I-85. The trailer was carrying a full load of 70% Isopropyl alcohol as well as hydrogen peroxide. Some of the spilled load did run-off into the Tar River but there has been no update on how much.

Granville County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal’s Office and the Granville County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene first, followed by Granville Health System EMS and Providence Volunteer Fire Department.

Other responders included the Corinth Volunteer Fire Department, Stem Volunteer Fire Department, Oxford Fire Department, Butner Public Safety, NC State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.