FLVF Looking For Youth Advocate To Work With Young Victims Of Abuse, Assault

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Families Living Violence Free is a WIZS advertiser. This is not a paid ad.

 

Families Living Violence Free is looking for a qualified person to be a youth development/court advocate to provide counseling and other advocacy services to youth who are primary or secondary victims of domestic abuse and/or sexual assault.

The position requires a candidate who can collaborate with FLVF staff, effectively lead small group counseling sessions, as well as conduct client intake and network with other agencies to connect clients with services and conduct outreach programs.

Candidates also should have a bachelor’s degree in in human services, social work, or psychology from an accredited university, with a minimum of two years’ hands on experience working in youth programs.

A clean driving record and access to reliable transportation are a must as well, as is previous grant-writing experience and management experience. Additional duties include some night and weekend work to take calls on the crisis line, attendance at FLVF events in the community and more.

Find the application at WWW.FLVF.ORG.

NCDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Application Period Open Now Through Mar. 4 At Noon

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The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Nonprofits and government agencies have until noon on Mar. 4 to submit applications.

Applicants can submit a draft application for staff review by Jan. 26 to gain feedback on their grant proposals. A .pdf of the draft application should be sent to jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. It is managed by the department, through funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“In 2021, we awarded $2.9 million for 16 projects across the state, which included one-time funds of $1.6 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. We anticipate $1.2 million in funding this year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The success and growth of specialty crops are important as North Carolina agriculture continues to diversify and as the industry inches closer to the $100 billion mark in economic impact.”

The department will accept grant requests up to $200,000 from nonprofit organizations, academia, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities. Grants are not available for projects that directly benefit or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual.

Eligible projects must involve fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal plants, nursery, floriculture or horticulture crops.

For grant guidelines and an application, go to www.ncspecialtycrops.com. For questions, contact Jenni Keith at 919.707.3158 or jenni.keith@ncagr.gov.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Latest COVID-19 Figures for Vance and Granville Counties

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Lisa Harrison, Granville-Vance Public Health Director, has released the latest local date regarding COVID-19. As of January 14th, 95% of all confirmed cases are now the Omicron Variant.

In the past 7 days, there have been 890* new cases in Granville County. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 21.7%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is High community transmission in Granville County.

In the past 7 days, there have been 627 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 28.3%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is High community transmission in Vance County.**

There have been 10,923 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 9,372 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 20,295 across the health district.

Granville County has documented 108 deaths as a result of COVID-19 and Vance County has a total of 108 deaths for a total of 216 deaths across the health district.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Granville County:

In Granville County, 68% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 64% are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

In Granville County, 19% of those ages 5-11 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 13% are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.

In Granville County, 45% of those ages 12-17 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 41% are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

In Granville County 14,123 of those over the age of 12 are vaccinated with at least one booster/additional dose.

Vance County:

In Vance County, 64% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 59% vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

In Vance County, 17% of those ages 5-11 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 10% are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.

In Vance County, 48% of those ages 12-17 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 41% are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

In Vance County 9,302 of those over the age of 12 are vaccinated with at least one booster/additional dose.

 

DSS Offers Help To Eligible Households With Heating, Water Bills

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The Granville County Department of Social Services is offering a couple of assistance programs to help residents who face challenges paying utility bills. The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) and the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) are both available through DSS to provide one-time payments for electric and/or gas heating bills or for water/wastewater utility services.

Some Granville County households may qualify for LIEAP assistance with their heating bill during the winter. Depending on the heat source, eligible households may receive $300, $400, or $500 toward their heating bill through the program. Applications are being taken now through March 31, or until the funds are gone.

To apply for assistance, residents must provide the following information:

  • Valid identification
  • Social security numbers for everyone in the home
  • Proof of income for the month prior to the application
  • A heating bill that indicates the account number

If approved, payments will be made directly to the heating provider.

If applying for someone else, applicants should provide a signed permission statement from the person they are representing.

The LIHWAP program helps eligible households and families afford water and wastewater services, providing a one-time payment for eligible low-income households paid directly to the utility company. Applications are being taken now through September 2023 or until the funds run out.

LIHWAP was created in December 2021 after North Carolina was awarded more than $38 million in federal funds to establish a new water assistance program for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To be eligible for LIHWAP, a household must have at least one U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and:

  • have income equal to or less than 150% of the federal poverty level
  • have household services that are disconnected, in jeopardy of disconnection or have a current outstanding bill
  • be responsible for the water bill

Apply online at https://epass.nc.gov/. Apply by phone at 919.693.1511, or mail, fax or drop off the completed application. The fax number is 919.693.5090. The Granville DSS office is located at 410 W. Spring. St, Oxford, NC 27565.

Local Chambers Of Commerce Postpone Annual Banquets

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The annual meetings and banquets of two local Chambers of Commerce have been postponed and will be rescheduled to later in the spring of 2022.

Leaders of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and the Granville County Chamber made the announcements Wednesday.

Both meetings had been planned for late January, but rising cases of COVID-19 prompted both boards of directors to push the events out, in hopes that the surge in cases will have slowed.

The Henderson-Vance Chamber event has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 12, 2022; the Granville Chamber banquet is scheduled for March 28, 2022.

Both events will be held at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.
“After consulting local health officials and with the support of our sponsors we have decided it is the safest decision due to the increase in COVID cases in our community,” according to Lauren Roberson, executive director of the Granville Chamber. “Everything about the banquet will remain the same, just a new date.

Michael Fuga Named Principal At J.F. Webb High

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The Granville Board of Education named Dr. Michael T. Fuga as the new principal of J.F. Webb High School at its January meeting.

Fuga most recently was principal of Neal Middle School in Durham and has almost 20 years of experience in education. During his six years as principal at Neal, Fuga received Principal of the Year honors for the district. He has been an assistant principal, social studies teacher and athletic coach at the high school level, according to a press release from Dr. Stan Winborne, district associate superintendent and public information officer.

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean said she is pleased to welcome Fuga to the district. “He comes highly recommended with a proven track record of improving outcomes for students,” McLean stated.

Under Fuga’s leadership, Neal went from a low-performing status to post some of the highest achievement results in its history. The school also “dramatically lowered both short- and long-term suspensions,” the press statement reported.

Fuga joins a leadership team that includes assistant principals Blondina Small, who served as interim principal, and Anthony Dickens.

Amy Rice, who had been principal at the high school, was named testing and accountability coordinator for the district.

Fuga holds an undergraduate degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, and a masters and doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Granville County Logo

Granville’s MLK, Jr. Event Going Virtual Again In 2022

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The Granville County Human Relations Commission annual event to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will again be held virtually on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.

The program will include the middle school and high school winners of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest, some special musical performances, and appearances from numerous Human Relations Commission members filmed in locations across Granville County. The keynote speaker will be Rev. James Isaac of New Hope Granville Missionary Baptist Church.

There are several ways to view the event, which begins at 7 a.m. One way is to tune in to Spectrum Channel 17, Granville County’s local government access channel. The program will be re-run each hour for several weeks on Channel 17. The video will premiere on the Granville County Facebook Page and the Granville County YouTube page at 7 a.m. and will be available for on-demand viewing thereafter.

The video also will be posted on the Granville County website (www.granvillecounty.org).

The format will follow the 2021 virtual event model, which was moved to Spectrum Channel 17 and to the Granville County Facebook and YouTube channels due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Human Relations Commission chose to hold a virtual event again in 2022 due to the uncertainty of planning a large in-person event.

Granville County Facebook Page link:

https://www.facebook.com/GranvilleCountyGov

or Granville County YouTube Page link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbVYs817nNZw3JQFiySEeXg/featured

Granville Elementary Schools Remain K-5, At Least For One More Year

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The elementary schools in Granville County will keep their K-5 designations, at least for another year, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer.

At its Jan. 10 meeting, the Granville Board of Education amended an earlier decision to put sixth grades at the elementary schools next year as part of the consolidation and reconfiguration efforts.

The board voted 6-1 to push that back to the 2023-24 school year. Board member Leonard Peace voted against the motion. In December, the board voted to change all elementary schools to K-6.

“Citing a need for more time to prepare, and to discuss additional possible impacts and scenarios, the board chose to move the date to reconfigure grades out to the 2023-2024 school year,” Winborne said in a press release. The board also cited challenges created by the ongoing pandemic as a reason to delay the decision.

Next steps include a review of a draft study of the closing of G.C. Hawley Middle School in the coming months, Winborne noted. A public forum must be held in advance of any decision regarding the fate of the middle school, but Winborne said a date has not yet been set.

Around Old Granville: Dr. Helen Chavis Othow

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Dr. Helen Chavis Othow was an educator, a genealogist, an author and a longtime leader in civic affairs in her native Granville County. She also was a wife, a sister and a mother.

Othow died on Jan. 1, 2022 at the age of 89.

Mark Pace and Bill Harris remembered the life and work of Othow to kick off a new segment of The Local Skinny! called Around Old Granville.

The Chavis family has ties to Granville County dating back to the 1700’s, Pace said, when Granville County encompassed most of what is present-day Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties.

The founder of the John Chavis Society, Othow wrote a biography of Chavis, who Pace said was Othow’s 5-times great-grandfather. Chavis was a free Black man who was born in 1763. He became a Presbyterian minister and taught many children of prominent white families in the area. Othow produced in 1990 a genealogy of Chavis and his family, Pace said, and made several subsequent updates in the years since that original publication.

Although Othow moved away from the area to attend university and then continued in her marriage and career, “she always had a connection back to the county,” Pace said. It was important for her to contribute and to give back to Oxford, he added.

She taught at numerous universities through her career, including her alma mater, St. Augustine’s in Raleigh from 1984-1996.

Othow is survived by her daughter, Ojulo Othow Norman, a grandson, Collis Norman and her brother, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former president of the NAACP.

She is buried in the Chavis family cemetery outside Oxford.

Have an idea for a story for an Around Old Granville segment? Contact Bill Harris at WIZS 252.492.5594 or Mark Pace at Thornton Public Library at 919.693. 1121, extension 204.

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Granville County Public Schools

Granville School Board To Meet Monday, Jan. 10

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The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular board meeting on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 at 6 p.m. at the Mary Potter Center of Education, 200 Taylor Street, Oxford, NC 27565. Members of the public are invited to view via livestream. To join the livestream meeting, please use the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

The Board also will meet in closed session in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 for Personnel and Attorney/Client Privilege.

Public comments for this meeting can be made in person at the board meeting or in writing by using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/y37evl6z Comments made using the link must be submitted between the hours of 12 noon and 4 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2021. A copy will be distributed to board members.  A maximum of 30 minutes in total will be allotted for public comment.

All meeting attendees must wear face coverings and comply with all safety measures, including social distancing. Face coverings must be worn at all times while inside the building.

Anyone without access to WiFi may use the internet services at the Richard Thornton library 210 Main Street, Oxford, or the South Branch Library, 1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor.