‘Citizens Academy’ Graduates First Class In Ceremony On Sept. 30

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The inaugural “Citizens Academy” of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office concluded Thursday with a graduation ceremony for 13 participants.

The program is open to residents age 21 or older and is designed to build a bridge between law enforcement and local citizens through a series of classroom presentations and community involvement.

Participants gathered on Tuesday evenings at the Law Enforcement Centre training room to learn about current law enforcement issues, patrol procedures and crime prevention.

Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr. congratulated the group on successful completion of the class.
“The partnerships we are building between our staff, the community and our residents all contributed to the success of the Citizens Academy program,” Noblin stated in a press release.

The first class of graduates includes Sue Hinman, Garnet Drakiotes, Billy Mickle, Teresia Blackwell, Kimberly Adcock, Robert Blancato, Faicia Elliott, Linda Clough, Annette Myers. Donna Mickle, Renata Thornton, Erica Harris and James Eden.

To learn more, contact the sheriff’s office at 919.693.3213.

North Carolina’s August County and Area Employment Figures Released

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Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 93 North Carolina counties in August and increased in two. Five remained unchanged.

Vance County came in 98th out of 100 counties, being third worst, and Warren County was just behind at 97th.

Granville County was 16th best with Chatham at the top spot and Orange, Wake and Durham in this immediate area higher in the list as well.

Franklin County was listed in North Carolina Department of Commerce information at 51st.

Vance improved 0.3% from July to August. Granville improved 0.1% in the same period. Franklin was 0.2% percent better, and Warren was unchanged.

Vance is suffering from a 7.4% unemployment rate as it’s shown in the commerce documents because, of a workforce of 16,668, there are 1,229 without work.

Warren – 468 of the eligible 6,645 labor force are without a job.

Granville – 1,128 of 29,922 have no job.

Franklin – 1,409 of 32,183 are unemployed.

The August not seasonally adjusted statewide came in at 4.4 percent.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Local CV19 Data Update as of Friday, Oct 1

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In the past 7 days, there have been 140 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 6.6%.

In the past 7 days, there have been 114 new cases in Granville County. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 4.4%.

In Vance County, 64% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 58% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 69% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 65% are fully vaccinated.

69% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 64% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.

— Information Courtesy of Granville Vance Public Health

Easley Nominated For U.S. Attorney for Eastern District Of N.C.

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Raleigh attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be a U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Easley is the son of former N.C. governor Mike Easley, who served from 2001-2009.

The younger Easley is a litigation partner at the law firm of McGuireWoods LLP, where he has practiced since 2010. His practice at McGuireWoods LLP has focused on government investigations and a range of civil and criminal matters in both state and federal courts. Easley also is a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Eastern District of North Carolina, through which he has provided legal representation to indigent clients under federal indictment or investigation. He currently serves as a Council Member for the Criminal Justice Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of North Carolina. He has served on the board of directors for North Carolina’s Tenth Judicial District Bar and Wake County Bar Association.

Easley graduated with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007 and earned his juris doctorate from the 2010 UNC School of Law, from which he graduated with honors and distinction.

CultureFEST Downtown Oxford on Saturday

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Downtown Oxford is the setting for Saturday’s CultureFEST, which will showcase a variety of multicultural artistic performances with a street fair vibe – food trucks, crafts and more await participants who visit Littlejohn Street between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Ajulo Othow and Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent are among the event planners, and they talked with John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk about their hopes for the event, both in the short-term and in the long-term.

The John Chavis Historical Society has sponsored several multicultural festivals in the past few years, but Othow said new partnerships with the city of Oxford and with the Downtown Oxford Economic Development Commission have created new opportunities.

“It just felt like the best time to expand it and bring it into downtown Oxford,” she said, “making it more accessible to the entire community.” Othow said she is grateful to city leaders for making the opportunity available and being willing to partner with the Chavis historical society.

“For me, this is huge,” Sergent said. She has attended the previous multicultural festivals, and marveled at many of the performers, especially the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble of Durham.

The dance ensemble will perform at CultureFEST, Sergent said.  But there will also be cloggers and Hawaiian dancers as well.

Whether you’re interested in Latino music or learning about the Procession of the Queen, CultureFEST has a little something for everyone.

“Too often, we’re in our own little worlds and we miss out” on experiencing food, music and dance from cultures we may not be familiar with, Sergent noted.

In addition to the Hawaiian dancers, some of the other performers include Mexican folk dancers Dance Ortiz, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church drummers, a storyteller from Chapel Hill and more.

After the festival concludes, a number of downtown restaurants will be open and serving some unique fare not usually on the menu. “They’ll be offering something that is a little out of the ordinary for them,” Othow said. Downtown Oasis is going to have spanakopita, for example, and Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. is going to offer Caribbean-style jerk chicken.

“We’ve gotten one festival figured out,” Sergent said, referring to the Hot Sauce Contest. “Now it’s time to get another one down – to highlight the talent, tastes, music…that other cultures bring to the table.” CultureFEST will be smaller than the hot sauce festival, but it has the opportunity to grow in the future, she said.

Call 919.693.9133 for more information.

 

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Hobgood To Succeed Retiring Allred As Granville Public Information Officer

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Oxford native Terry Hobgood has been named Granville County’s public information officer and grant development specialist. Hobgood will take over from Lynn Allred, who plans to retire in December.

Hobgood joined the administrative team in July as a deputy clerk after having served as city clerk and public information officer for the city of Creedmoor.

According to a statement, Hobgood will lead county communication efforts and will assist county departments to identify grant funding opportunities and reporting compliance on all active grants.

A graduate of J.F. Webb High School, Hobgood attended UNC-Wilmington and attended N.C. State University and UNC-Greensboro where he studied English Literature and Library and Information Studies.

Hobgood also is a graduate of the UNC School of Government’s Public Executive Leadership Academy as well as the Clerk Certification Institute.

He previously worked as director of the Mary Duncan Public Library and Benson Museum of Local History, and then served as communications director, town clerk and assistant to the Benson town manager.

Contact Hobgood at 919.693.5240 or terry.hobgood@granvillecounty.org.

Tuesday Is National Voter Registration Day; Register By Oct. 8 To Vote In November

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Today is National Voter Registration Day and the state board of elections has issued a statement to remind eligible individuals to register to vote and for current voters to make sure their information is up-to-date.

The voter registration deadline for the November elections is Friday, Oct. 8.

“Voting is a critical way to make an impact in your city or town, county, state and country,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state board. “If you’re eligible, we hope to see you at the polls this fall.”

In Vance County, although Henderson’s municipal elections have been rescheduled for next year to address the redrawing district lines to comply with Census data, Kittrell and Middleburg will have elections on Nov. 2.

Eligible residents have options to register, including downloading a voter registration application and returning the form to their county board of elections. Applications can be emailed, faxed, mailed or returned in person to your board of elections office.

Eligibility requirements and other information about registering to vote can be found at NCSBE.gov. Voters can check their registration status and information via the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool.

National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday raising awareness for voter registration and encouraging Americans to register to vote. Since the first Voter Registration Day in 2012, more than 4.5 million voters nationwide have registered to vote on the holiday.

Tar River Land Conservancy Needs Volunteers To Construct Trails In Southern Granville County

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Fall is a wonderful time to get out and enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s hiking or working in the yard.

And Derek Halberg, executive director of Tar River Land Conservancy, has a couple of opportunities for volunteers to combine both activities. The result will be the addition of 3.3 miles of hiking trails in southern Granville County.

TRLC is looking for volunteers to turn the properties into hiking trail destinations for everyone to enjoy as early as June 2022 – one will be named Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve and the second will be named Robertson Creek Nature Preserve. Both sites are located near Creedmoor.

Workers will use hand tools to clear brush and create trails and experienced staff will be on hand to supervise. No previous experience is necessary, and volunteers will have the opportunity to help construct footbridges and benches along the trails as well.

When the trails are completed, hikers can enjoy walking through the pine and hardwood forests, as well as crossing streams and viewing the scenic wetlands and wildlife. The trails will be open all year long, during daylight hours.

Work sessions for the Horseshoe Bend property are scheduled for Sept. 29 and Oct. 6, 13 and 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. The property is located at 3018 Horseshoe Rd., Creedmoor, NC 27522.

Workdays for the Robertson Creek property, located at 2173 E. Wilton Ave., Creedmoor, are scheduled for Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 20, also from 9 a.m. to noon.

To register for one or more workdays, contact TRLC at volunteer@tarriver.org or 919.496.5902.

Individuals or groups are welcome and TRLC staff can design special events for Scouts, faith-based groups, service clubs and others upon request.

There are two TRLC sites currently open for visitors that provide 6.5 miles of hiking trails near Stem and Butner.

Visit www.tarriver.org to learn more.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Local CV19 Update 9-24-21 from Granville Vance Public Health

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In the past 7 days, there have been 146 new cases in Vance County, a 17% decrease from the previous 7 days. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 7.4%.

In the past 7 days, there have been 141 new cases in Granville County, a 17.5% decrease from the previous 7 days. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 4.8%.

In Vance County, 62% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 57% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 68% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 64% are fully vaccinated.

69% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 64% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.

Federal Judge Sends Oxford Man to Prison for 7 Years Following a Shooting

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— press release courtesy of U.S. Attorneys Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina

An Oxford man was sentenced to 84  months in prison for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.  On June 8, 2021, S Daques Shorter pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on April 6, 2020, the Oxford Police Department responded to a report of gunshots at the Oxford Food Mart.  Upon arrival, witnesses stated that several men, including Shorter, were engaged in an argument, and that Shorter later retrieved a firearm and shot at two men.  Video surveillance captured the incident confirming the witnesses’ account.  Spent shell casings were recovered on the scene and the firearm used by Shorter was recovered nearby.  Shorter is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for Breaking and Entering, and Attempted Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon.  He is also a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Oxford Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-224-BO.