TownTalk: VGCC Adult Learner Program Helps Students Return To School To Complete Degree, Program

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Vance-Granville Community College is one of five community colleges across the state selected to participate in a pilot program designed to help students return to school to complete their post-secondary education.

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk about the Adult Learner program and how myFutureNC and the John M. Belk Endowment are providing support to bring students back to school who left without completing a degree or certificate.

“We’re excited to be a part of this,” Demarais said, adding that the program objective complements VGCC’s vision of being “a catalyst to strengthen communities.” Helping people prepare for fulfilling employment and life-long careers is what VGCC is all about, she said.

The myFutureNC program is a statewide nonprofit organization focused on educational attainment and is the result of cross-sector collaboration between North Carolina leaders in education, business and government.

The adult learner program will work to remove barriers to education. VGCC strives to make education meaningful, but “meaningful is in the eye of the beholder,” she said. “We have to prove that meaning – we’ve got to connect people to careers…to see what they could do to use their strengths, abilities and talents.”

“We’re not getting a pot of money,” she explained. “We are getting so much more than money – we’re getting access to services that have shown they work to move the needle” to improve achievement.

Part of the program will include development of a marketing strategy to help craft the message and then get that message out to the public. One particular data tool will be especially useful, Demarais said. It will be used to identify those former VGCC students who have some college credit but haven’t completed all the requirements to get a degree or certificate.

“We need to call these folks back and … make it easy to help them finish what they started,” she said.

Through the adult learner program, Demarais said she hoped to see some results as early as 2022. “If we can increase the number of people 25 and older to come to college, that’s a leading indicator,” she noted.

It will take some creativity to reach  the 25- to 44-year-old group, who must “be able to juggle work and family life, and school life,” she said. VGCC will have to provide flexible options, making sure that the education is efficient – even shoring up and refreshing knowledge that hasn’t been used in awhile.

The adult learner program will evaluate the credits that students already have completed and determine exactly what is left to complete the course of study and get certificates of completion for programs or degrees.

An additional resource is the Second Chance Scholarship, Demarais noted. Students lose access to federal Pell Grant money if they weren’t successful with previous courses. “The only way to get (access) back is to take a class,” she said. But that takes money, which the student may not have. The Second Chance Scholarship can help.

For so many of these students, “life got in the way,” Demarais said. “We need to make it easy for them to finish what they started.”

(For full broadcast audio and details click play.)

 

TownTalk: Elder Abuse Awareness

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Keeping Older Adults Safe, Protected –

Whether it’s unintentional or purposeful, mistreatment of older adults is serious business. It’s called elder abuse and two local experts discussed the topic with John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk.

Elder Abuse Awareness month is observed, appropriately enough, between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in North Carolina; World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15. In her job as long-term care ombudsman with Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging, Kimberly Hawkins monitors nursing homes and long-term care facilities to make sure residents’ rights are being respected. Most often, she said, residents are satisfied with the care they receive. But when a resident has a complaint, Hawkins said, it is her job “to find out what they want me to do with that information.”

In her role as advocate, Hawkins said, she sometimes needs to refer a complaint to the Department of Social Services. Deloris Cooke works in Granville County’s DSS adult protective services division. Cooke said she fields referrals from folks like Hawkins and from the community at-large.

Such a referral can come from anywhere in community, Cooke said. “Anyone has the right to call in and share any type of concern for an elderly person” – anyone over the age of 18, actually, who is disabled. It’s up to DSS personnel to determine if an allegation meets the criteria to be evaluated.

Even if a case of abuse, exploitation, neglect or self-neglect is not substantiated, Cooke said a visit to the home is in order to make sure the adult is ok. Such a “self-report” visit is one way to make sure that individuals and families know about resources that can help.

Whether it’s intentional or unintentional, abuse, neglect or exploitation of an elderly person is something that she works to prevent. Through the evaluation, she can “determine what is the situation, what has caused this and how we can resolve it,” Cooke said.

Sometimes an older person living alone can’t get to the pharmacy to pick up medications or prepare meals – that’s self-neglect.

An example of caretaker neglect could be a care recipient being left alone while the family member providing care is at work; and then there are the scammers, who prey on vulnerable older adults to cheat them out of money.

Cooke said the APS reports can be made anonymously; “we cannot and will not divulge (the name of the reporter) unless it is court-ordered,” she said. So often, the reports come from individuals who care about the well-being of the older adult. DSS has up to 45 days to complete its evaluation of the situation, and they provide the reporter with basic findings once the investigation is complete.

“Our primary job is to make sure the adult is safe,” Cooke said. Often, providing resources and putting a plan in place to keep the adult safe, is sufficient. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to file a petition to the court to have the person removed.

Hawkins said she works with a different complaint process, and sometimes she must refer a long-term care facility complaint to DSS. And, of course, she informs the facility that a complaint has been lodged. But with nursing homes, she sends referrals to the state’s department of health and human resources – with the consent of the resident or that person’s legal guardian.

“Most of the time, it’s a lack of communication,” Hawkins said of complaints she receives. High staff turnover could contribute to complaints, as well as staff that feel overworked and overwhelmed.

“We offer trainings to facilities on resident rights and appropriate actions,” Hawkins said. “Getting new information helps a lot.” She also does activities with residents – like a residents’ rights BINGO game – to raise awareness.

Events in the five-county region are having events in the next couple of weeks to observe elder abuse awareness; contact your county’s Senior Center to learn details. In Vance County, Hawkins and colleague Austin Caton will present a program on family caregiver support at the Vance County Senior Center on June 17; other counties will have contactless, drive-through events to share information about elder abuse awareness.

To learn more, contact Hawkins at 252.436.2050 or toll-free at 866.506.6223; contact Cooke at 919.693.1511.

For complete details and audio click play.

The Local Skinny! Vance Unemployment Third Worst in NC

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While the unemployment rates in Vance and Warren counties improved in the last month and drastically improved in the last year, both remain about the worst in North Carolina.

Vance County improved from a rate of 7.6% in March to 7.2% in April but remains 98th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties. That’s the third worst.

Warren County improved from 7.2% in March to 7.0% in April, giving Warren the fourth worst in the state at 97 out of 100 counties.

Speaking in general or round figures, the rates in both Vance and Warren are about half what they were in April of 2020, soon after the pandemic started.

Granville County’s unemployment rate is 3.6%, and that lands Granville County at the ninth best in the state.

Franklin County is in the middle of the pack at 4.2%.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce reports as well that the number of workers employed statewide (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in April by 4,935 to 4,757,583. Those unemployed decreased by 11,269 to 217,379. Since April 2020, the number of workers employed statewide increased 710,828, while those unemployed decreased 395,936.

For the audio and additional details, click play.

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Oxford City Hall Set To Reopen To Public June 1

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The City of Oxford will be re-opening its office facilities to the public on June 1, 2021.

Visitors to Oxford City Hall can once again pay utility bills in person at a kiosk just inside the entrance, according to a press release to WIZS News. A city staff member will be stationed at the front kiosk to contact other city staff that visitors wish to see, and the visitor then will be escorted to the appropriate area or office within City Hall.

Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent told WIZS News Friday that she is proud of the city’s efforts to keep everyone safe. “I am proud that the city of Oxford worked hard to protect its staff and our public during the COVID outbreak without decreasing services or access to meetings,” she stated. “But doing business by Zoom has been hard on everyone, so we are delighted to open our doors to the public and one another again.”

The City of Oxford is “excited to welcome the public back to City Hall and its other public facilities as we look forward to continuing to serve the public as we strive to return to normal,” according to the statement, issued by Alyssa Blair, the city’s administrative assistant.

The City of Oxford will respectfully require individuals who desire entry to a city facility to wear a mask and maintain established social distancing protocols. Sergent encouraged everyone eligible to get vaccinated “so we can continue to protect one another,” she said.

Meetings of the Oxford board of commissioners, planning board, board of adjustment, and historical commission will once again be held at their regular date and time in the commissioner’s board meeting room at Oxford City Hall.

The public is encouraged to attend and to observe all indoor gathering COVID-19 protocols – including wearing masks and social distancing –  for those who remain unvaccinated.

Area Extension Offices To Offer Pesticide Recertification Opportunities In June

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Warren, Vance and Granville counties are hosting a couple of virtual pesticide recertification sessions in June.

The first session is scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 10 and the second is scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 14, according to information from Matthew Place, with Warren County Cooperative Extension.

The meetings will be held via Zoom, but Place said participants can make arrangements to watch the webinars from their county’s extension offices if access to a computer or the internet is a problem.
The following category credits will be included with the June 10 class: D, L, N and X
The following category credits will be included with the June 14th class: A, B, D, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, T, X.

Registration is required. Visit http://go.ncsu.edu/pestclasskerrtar to register.

If you have any questions or would like to reserve a spot to watch the classes at the Warren County Center, call Place at 252.257.3640 or email at mbplace@ncsu.edu.

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Granville Closer To Satellite DSS Office in Creedmoor

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Granville County officials may find out Tuesday, June 1 whether its application will be considered for more than $1.8 million from the N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) to lease a property in the southern end of the county for a satellite social services center.

Granville County officials have requested $1,871,616 to lease a 9,600 square-foot space in Dutch Village, 2531 East Lyon Station Road in Creedmoor.  “We are excited that there was space available in Creedmoor for us to grow into as the county grows,” said Granville County Manager Michael Felts. “We intend to look at the county’s changing needs over the next 10 years as we continue to bring services to where our residents are,” Felts said in a statement to WIZS News Friday.

Back in 2016, the Granville commissioners projected in a five-year strategic plan to “improve inter-local government relationships through partnerships and shared services;” according to county spokesperson Lynn Allred. The lease is a 10-year lease arrangement, with two five-year options to renew, she added. Currently, county residents must travel to the DSS offices in Oxford to conduct business. A satellite office would make it more convenient for residents in the southern end of the county to access services.

If all goes according to plan, the new satellite office will be open for business on Jan. 1, 2022. Design work and upfitting will begin in September 2021 and is expected to take several months to complete.

The county’s request is a small part of the more than $1 billion in financing applications from counties and municipalities from across the state, according to a press release from State Treasurer Dale Folwell. The LGC meeting will be held virtually, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Although the bulk of the requests comes from the cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, and Forsyth, Hoke, Moore and Orange counties.

The request was made because a satellite DSS is “necessary and expedient to meet an ongoing need for additional office space to better serve the southern side of the county,” according to LGC agenda information.

The Department of Social Services in Oxford has a staff of about 90 employees, and Allred said about one-third would be re-located to the new satellite office in Creedmoor. The satellite office will be a full-service site for residents in the southern end of the county – the area experiencing the largest population growth, Allred noted.

State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, chairs the LGC.

Local governments must get LGC approval before it borrows money for projects. The LGC determines that the amount being borrowed is an amount that the government can reasonably afford to repay, according to its webpage. The LGC is responsible for selling the debt, or bonds and oversees independent audits each year to monitor the fiscal health of local governments.

Other major requests to LGC include:

  • Charlotte has two major items on the agenda. It wants to obtain $250 million in bond anticipation notes to pay for capital improvement projects on the city’s aging water and sewer systems. And it seeks to take advantage of lower interest rates and reap savings of nearly $9.6 million by refunding $200 million that was previously issued for the city’s transit system.
  • The City of Charlotte Housing Authority, now known as INLIVIAN, is seeking $9 million in bonds as part of a $15.9 million package to build 80 one- and two-bedroom units on land leased from Park Ministries northwest of the downtown area.
  • Raleigh is seeking $200 million in bonds to improve water and sewer systems under the city’s Capital Improvement Program. The Raleigh Housing Authority is seeking $18 million to loan to Primavera Seniors to build 164 one- and two-bedroom apartments for low-income residents in two residential buildings.
  • Forsyth County wants to obtain $160 million in limited obligation bonds to acquire, build and equip a new county courthouse and a new children’s museum, to renovate and expand Smith Reynolds Airport facilities and to refund existing bonds at a savings of $2.8 million.
  • Moore County wants to acquire, build and equip a new county courthouse, county offices and other support facilities, and refund prior loans at a savings of $1.1 million. It is seeking approval of $71 million in limited obligation bonds to meet those needs.
  • Hoke County is asking approval for $50 million in limited obligation bonds to build the James E. Leach Aquatic and Recreation Center, two basketball courts, ball fields and Parks and Recreation Department office space. The facility will serve as the county’s emergency services shelter. Some of the money would be used to refund prior financing at a savings of more than $4.2 million.
  • Orange County is asking for approval of $28 million in limited obligation bonds for equipment and school projects and to refund previous financing at a savings of about $374,267.

VGCC Graduates 47 With Associates Degree In Nursing

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Vance-Granville Community College held a virtual pinning ceremony on May 14 at 6 p.m. for the associate degree nursing Class of 2021. The ceremony celebrated the 47 graduates of the program. Family and friends were able to join in the virtual event to see the graduates receiving their pins and marking their graduation.

The ceremony was opened by Ugur Celimli, VGCC’s interim department chair of nursing.  Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of learning, student engagement, & success, gave welcoming remarks, along with Dr. Anna Seaman, associate degree nursing program head; and ADN Class of 2021 President Cortney Ragan. Seaman noted that 2020 and 2021 presented challenges for nurses and nursing students that no one could have imagined, but he commended them for their perseverance.

Nursing instructor Jamie Davis presented cords to students who participated in the VGCC Student Nurses Association, a chapter of the National Student Nurses Association. She also recognized those students graduating with honors (a GPA of 3.5 or higher): Joel Nyamohanga, Cortney Ragan, Steven Pierce, Alicia Moussa, Jolina Chiong, James Ogidi, Diana Orina, Rebekah Edwards, and Kirstie Koski. Mary Wanjiku and Susan Zenker were recognized as the two graduates with the highest GPA.

Brande McILroy shared the story of the VGCC nursing pin.  The graduates were then pinned by a person of their choosing at home.  Seaman shared where the students plan to work or their area of interest in nursing, plans for continuing education, as well as appreciation to family, friends, and the faculty for their support during their time in school. After this time, the graduates recited the nursing pledge (written by Beverly Hansen O’Malley, RN) with Vanessa Ramseur, Nursing Instructor. Dr. Anna Seaman presented the class as official graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2021. Even though the ceremony was not able to be held on campus in the Civic Center as traditionally held, the graduates remarked that it was still a meaningful and memorable way to mark the end of their journey. The ADN students were excited to have President Rachel Desmarais and other VGCC employees in attendance virtually.

Following is a list of all graduates and where they live: Karla Garcia Cervantes and Karlee Michalina, both of Butner; Emely Aguaviva Reyes of Clayton; Jessica Haskins, Sarah Riley and Sharlett Wilson, all of Creedmoor; Cara Blalock, Justin Kortor and Chris Trotman, all of Durham; Natasha Alston, Kati Hand, Stephen Nyambariga and Esther Ogachi, all of Franklinton; Kelsie Park of Fuquay Varina; Montrella Alston of Garner; Jolina Anne Chiong, Rebekah Edwards, Adrienne Pegram, Steven Pierce, Jaslin Renteria, Ashley Speed, Chelsea Troutman and April Zuniga-Trejo, all of Henderson; Jaysia Brown and Peninah Mburu, both of Knightdale; Cortney Ragan and Leslie Mata Ruiz, both of Louisburg; Cindy Blankenship, Dianne Davis, Wyatt Holley and Monique Watson, all of Oxford; Kirstie Koski, Alicia Moussa, James Ogidi, Angela Okpara, Diana Orina and Mary Wanjiku, all of Raleigh; McKenzie Howerton of Rougemont; Rocio Crews of Stem; Jessica Black and Susan Zenker, both of Wake Forest; Tiffany Eddie, Shaquile Hawkins, Amy Matthews and Georgina Vanegas Reyes, all of Warrenton; Pamela Rucker of Youngsville; and Joel Nyamohanga of Zebulon.

32 Graduate From VGCC Radiography Program

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Thirty-two new graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s two-year radiography program were honored in a virtual pinning ceremony earlier this month.

Although not held in the traditional manner, the May 10 event incorporated the traditional welcomes and congratulatory remarks that go along with graduations. But Angela Thomas, dean of health sciences and head of the radiography program went a step further when she welcomed all in attendance in the various languages represented in the diverse class – Amharic, English, Swahili and Spanish.

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais spoke about the students’ accomplishments amidst the trying times of a global pandemic. Desmarais wished the group well in their future endeavors and reminded the group that should they need courses in the future, VGCC would be there with open arms.

Class President Mariah Lawson delivered remarks highlighting the trials the class had to overcome and the good times they all shared throughout the 21-month journey. She concluded with a poem written especially for the radiography class of 2021 which has been coined “The Best Class Ever!” Additionally, some of the graduates communicated what the program meant to them. The overall consensus was that they were more than Radiologic Technologists; they were professionals, according to a statement from VGCC’s Chris LaRocca.

The Academic Achievement Award given to the student with the highest GPA went to Travis Banka of Durham, NC. Banka maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester for the entirety of the program. In accepting the award, he thanked the radiography program and faculty. On behalf of the class, he thanked the faculty for giving them all the tools necessary to ensure success in the program.

Instructor Anthony Twisdale shared the history of the radiographer’s pin before Dean Thomas led the graduates in reciting the radiographer’s pledge as the ceremonies concluded.

Following is a list of all graduates and where they live: Laura Andersen and Mackenzie Cates, both of Efland; Travis Banka, Belete Dress, Eden Ketema, all of Durham; Taylor Beck of Kittrell; Elizabeth Brogden, Glenn Burgess, Coleen Green, Kaylor Lawrence, Terri McGarr, and Katie Rumsey, all of Creedmoor; Cassidy Burton, Datoka Chabala, Dora Dial, and Edwin Vargas, all of Franklinton; Theresa Carrillo, Matthew Denton, Geneva Duncan, and Jakea Spruill, all of Henderson; Raegan Ellis of Prospect Hill, Lawrence Haymond of Wake Forest; Cristal Herrera and Ashley Hicks, both of Louisburg; Sierra Holland, Mariah Lawson, and Charles Maina, all of Raleigh; Osvaldo Martinez of Butner; Robyn Perry of Zebulon; Victoria Swain of Roxboro; and Carly West of Littleton. Not in attendance was Sean Murphy of Raleigh.

J.F. Webb Students Complete Art Project For Display At “Bonnie’s House”

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Two J.F. Webb High School art students recently completed a special project commissioned by Families Living Violence Free (FLVF). The artwork has been completed and will be displayed in the FLVF safe house for domestic violence victims.

Sofia Serba-Davis and Brim Royster each received a $100 gift card in appreciation for their efforts, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, public information officer and assistant superintendent of operations & human resources.

FLVF board member Jackie Harris worked with JFW’s art teacher Ophelia Staton to commission the work. Staton received a $50 gift card for her assistance and support of the project, Winborne said.

Both pieces of art depict Bonnie Hawley, a Granville County resident who was killed in a domestic violence incident. The safe house is known simply as “Bonnie’s House.”

L to R: Brim Royster, Mrs. Staton, Sofia Serba-Davis

“Their artwork is phenomenal,” Harris said. “The FLVF board and I are extremely honored to hang their artwork in this special location.  It speaks volumes of the students and their teacher.”

Families Living Violence Free is Granville County’s domestic violence and rape crisis center. All services are free and confidential. Learn more at  https://flvf.org/

Coach's Corner Logo

SportsTalk 05-27-21 Barry Moore, Granville Central Baseball

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UPDATE 9:30 P.M. THURS –

FINAL SCORE GRANVILLE CENTRAL 7 TO 3 OVER LOUISBURG.

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The Granville Central Panthers Varsity Baseball team started off 0-3 but have since put together five consecutive wins and look for a sixth tonight as the school welcomes the Louisburg Warriors for a 6pm game.

Head coach Barry Moore said freshman Brenden Chamberlain will pitch. The team has struggled with pitching this season and have walked too many batters which he attributes to the youthfulness of the team. “Our team is still young,” Coach Moore said. He said the team has three seniors that are big contributors as well as a couple of freshman who have helped out. Despite the pitching struggles Coach Moore says that aspect of the team is improving.

“Now is a lot better than it was several weeks ago. It feels like over the last couple of weeks that we are where we should have been at the beginning of the season,” Coach Moore said.

He feels the team missed some opportunities to beat Roanoke Rapids in the season opener but are now dialed in to where they should be. The team currently has a .306 batting average and their on base average sits at .455 this season.

Coach Moore expects a big turnout for tonight’s game as the Granville Central Panthers look to improve to 6-3 against Louisburg.

For complete details and audio click play.