Stories include:
– United Way presents grant checks to local organizations
– 100% Graduation rate for Vance Granville Community College CDL Program
– Granville Co. Government holiday schedule
For full details and audio click play.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
— press release courtesy Granville County NC by Public Information Officer Lynn Allred
GRANVILLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT: Offices of Granville County Government will be closed for the Christmas holiday on Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 28. Offices will re-open on Tuesday, Dec. 29 during normal operating hours of 8:30 to 5:00 p.m.
All branches of the Granville County Library System will be also be closed from Dec. 24 through Dec. 28, re-opening on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Due to COVID-19, limited hours continue for use by the public. Please contact your local library branch for their operating schedule.
The Granville County Landfill in Oxford, as well as convenience sites in Butner, Wilton, Berea, Grassy Creek, Oak Hill and Bullock, will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
For emergency calls, the 911 Emergency Communications Center remains on duty throughout the holiday season. For non-emergency calls, please dial 919-690-0444.
The Hon. Henry L. Gupton, clerk of court in Vance County, has informed WIZS News that criminal district court will resume just after Christmas.
Gupton said, “I received a memorandum from our Chief District Court Judge John Davis on December 18th regarding the resumption of our District Courts schedule.
“As of Tuesday, December 29, 2020 our regular scheduled Criminal District Court Sessions will resume and we will continue to have Small Claims Court.
“However, we will not be conducting Civil District Court Sessions.”
Gupton said he would notify the public when all sessions resume.
He said, “This decision has been made after consultation with our County Health Director Lisa M. Harrison. We will continue to operate under our existing COVID-19 protocols.”
(This news article was posted December 21, 2020 at 12:15 p.m.)
–press release courtesy of VGCC
Vance-Granville Community College continues to show its commitment to building partnerships that provide meaningful pathways for students seeking to transfer to a four-year university. Recently, VGCC solidified a partnership with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW). The UNCW & VGCC “Pathways to Excellence” program will provide transfer students from the community college with guaranteed admission to UNCW.
VGCC is one of a host of community colleges from various regions across the state to sign on as a part of the Pathways to Excellence program with UNCW due to the quality of education that transfer students will receive at the institution. VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and UNCW Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Sartarelli inked the partnership agreement, and expressed enthusiasm about how it will benefit students.
“The co-admission agreement between VGCC and UNCW is a fine example of innovation and collaboration,” said Dr. Desmarais, president of the community college. “We look forward to helping our Vanguards achieve their academic and career goals by continuing their education as UNCW Seahawks.”
Pathways to Excellence guarantees admission to UNCW for students completing an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in transferable, college-level coursework from VGCC. As a part of the agreement, VGCC students will have access to a Transfer Student Success Coordinator that will meet with students at Vance-Granville throughout each semester. Students will have the benefit of working with their VGCC advisor and the Transfer Student Success Coordinator from UNCW. VGCC students will have the opportunity to attend an open house event, as well as an application event in the spring on the community college campus, and will receive a university application fee waiver as a transfer student.
“We are elated to partner with UNCW on the Pathways to Excellence program,” said Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of learning, student engagement and success. “This is another example of our dedicated team seeking opportunities to provide multiple pathways to success for students. The goal is for our transfer students to receive an excellent experience at VGCC and move on to the University of their Choice. It is wonderful that this UNCW program is now an option for students in our communities!”
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about this guaranteed admission partnership between VGCC and UNCW, please call VGCC at (252) 738-3234. If you are interested in enrolling at VGCC, please apply at www.vgcc.edu or call (252) 738-3234.
–vgcc–
(VGCC is a paying advertising client of WIZS and WIZS.com. This is not a paid ad.)
(Please Note – This is the second version of this story to be posted on WIZS.com. The first version had omissions which were unknown to WIZS at the time. WIZS apologizes to the parties who were originally left out. It was strictly unintentional on our part but was our responsibility to know nonetheless. This version replaces anything you may have seen earlier, in which two schools were omitted.)
— press release courtesy of Granville Education Foundation
The Granville Education Foundation (GEF) recently awarded over $50,500 in grants to Granville County School teachers. This year, 48 grant applications were received and GEF awarded 26 grants in 11 different schools. Teachers were eligible to submit grant applications that were reviewed and scored by GEF Grant Committee members. The grant applicants name and school were made anonymous before the grant committee members read and scored the grant. On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the GEF “Prize Patrol” visited and celebrated the grant recipients in person and via Zoom.
“My second experience with Prize Patrol was a bit different this year due to COVID-19, but I am thrilled we were still able to host this wonderful event. This day was filled with surprises, excitement, and tears of joy for many deserving teachers and students. We secretly notified the school principals we would be awarding the grants, but the teachers were unaware. Balloons and grant acceptance letters were delivered to the schools in advance to prepare for the virtual celebrations. It was delightful to witness these very happy Granville County School teachers receive their grants!” said GEF Executive Director, Jennifer Cufalo Carpenter. “Our grant funding goes directly into the classrooms for these teachers’ innovative projects, which is exciting not only for the teachers receiving the grants, but for their schools, their students, and for our GEF Board of Directors. We are excited about these projects and look forward to hearing how these grants impact our Granville County Students”, says Susan Hiscocks, President of the Granville Education Foundation Board of Directors.
GEF will remain in contact with the grant recipients throughout the 2020-2021 school year to gather the progress of their grant projects. Please join us in congratulating the following schools and teachers on their success.
2020-2021 Success Through Technology Grants (eligible to apply for an amount up to $5,000):
Pictured: J.F. Webb High School teacher, Carole Griffin, 2020-2021 Success Through Technology Grant recipient for her grant “Fostering Foundations Building Vocabulary for our Educational Futures” in the amount of $3,000.00. Photo credits to Mrs. Amy Rice, Principal of J.F. Webb High School. J.F. Webb High School received 4 grants from the Granville Education Foundation this year, making them the top grant recipient out of 9 Granville County Public Schools.
2020-2021 Experience Grants (eligible to apply for an amount up to $1,000):
2020-2021 Performing & Visual Arts Grant (eligible to apply for an amount up to $1,500):
Pictured: Oxford Preparatory School teacher, Jade Currin, 2020-2021 Success Through Technology Grant recipient for her grant “Tech Savvy Kinders” in the amount of $1,387.68 and 2020-2021 Experience Grant recipient for her grant “Covid Can’t Stop Science” in the amount of $594.00. Oxford Preparatory School received 7 grants from the Granville Education Foundation this year, making them the top grant recipient overall in Granville County Schools.
2020-2021 Lela Eaton Creative Teaching Grants (eligible to apply for an amount up to $1,000):
Contact: Jennifer Cufalo Carpenter, Executive Director Granville Education Foundation, Inc.
Phone: 919.693.7047
Email: GranvilleEdFoundation@outlook.com
The Granville Education Foundation is an independent, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing student performance. Funds raised through the Granville Education Foundation are used to provide resources and enrichment programs for the students of Granville County Schools. Please visit the website www.GranvilleEdFoundation.org for more information.
Stories include:
– Safe Neighborhood Initiative
– David Smith awarded Long Leaf Pine
– Covid19
– Re-entry plan for Vance Co. Schools
For full details and audio click play.
Granville County’s David Smith was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine earlier this week. The award is one of the most prestigious in North Carolina and comes from the Governor.
Smith, presently chairman of the Granville County Commissioners, is a former Sheriff of Granville County.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine society’s web page (https://longleafpinesociety.org/) indicates North Carolina Governors have presented the award since 1963 “for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.”
Comm. David Smith, District 2, is pictured with his family as Granville County’s Clerk to the Board, Debra Weary, administers the oath Dec 3, 2018. (Photo Credit: County of Granville)
On the web site granvillecounty.org (https://www.granvillecounty.org/2020/12/16/smith-awarded-order-of-the-long-leaf-pine/) you can see additional details. For 48 or more years, Smith has served Granville County.
The U.S. Department of Justice has recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina because of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
Relationship building among prosecutors and federal, state and local law enforcement has led to arrests and convictions for drug, drug trafficking and violent crimes and the involved criminal organizations.
Since the initiative started in 2018, more than 1,600 individuals have been prosecuted, representing a 50 percent increase in the number of people charged compared to 2016-2017 in eastern North Carolina.
The aggressive Take Back North Carolina effort has resulted in a 60% reduction in robberies in Henderson and a 21% decrease in aggravated assaults, according to the press release below.
You’ve heard the phrase Project Safe Neighborhoods on WIZS News or read it on WIZS.com 58 times in 2019-2020. Those times were just for Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin Counties.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said, “When I took office as the United States Attorney, the President and the Attorney General made it clear that job one in our District was to reduce crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations operating here. We have taken that task very seriously and, because of the hard work of so many, we have seen those crime rates decline as we have removed the drivers of those crime rates from our cities and towns. This award honors a sustained effort by many, many dedicated public servants and it is a privilege to accept this award on their behalf.”
The press release also indicates Vance County has enrolled in the Educating Kids about Gun Violence (EKG) program, which assisting in reducing violent crimes in Fayetteville by 10 percent in the last five years for student-aged young people.
– Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice Recognizes U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for its Work with Project Safe Neighborhoods
Take Back North Carolina Receives National Award as the Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force
RALEIGH – The Department of Justice has recognized the Take Back North Carolina initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina with its Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force Award in support of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Initiative.
“We are extremely gratified and humbled by the Attorney General’s recognition of the important work being done by federal, state and local law enforcement, our partners in the District Attorneys’ Offices and by the men and women of my office as we seek to drive down crime rates and deliver safer communities to all the citizens of the Eastern District.” Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said. “When I took office as the United States Attorney, the President and the Attorney General made it clear that job one in our District was to reduce crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations operating here. We have taken that task very seriously and, because of the hard work of so many, we have seen those crime rates decline as we have removed the drivers of those crime rates from our cities and towns. This award honors a sustained effort by many, many dedicated public servants and it is a privilege to accept this award on their behalf.”
In early 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina launched Take Back North Carolina in an effort to drive down spiraling crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations – specifically violent crime and drug activities caused by gangs and other national and transnational organizations. Through the initiative, teams of Assistant United States Attorneys and legal support staff were deployed across the 44 counties of the Eastern District focusing on six broad geographic areas. Each team was tasked with building strong relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement operating in those areas and they worked in close coordination with the 15 elected District Attorneys who prosecute state crimes in North Carolina courts in the eastern half of the State. Building on these relationships, our prosecutors worked to identify the individuals who are driving the crime problem in the communities in their assigned area and with charging and prosecuting those individuals in an effort strategically designed to reduce violent crime rates and disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking operations across the District.
Since the Initiative’s inception, more than 1600 individuals have been prosecuted as part of this Initiative, representing a more than 50% increase in the number of defendants charged by this office over those charged in 2016 and 2017. But, more importantly, due to the strategic targeting of the drivers of our violent and drug crime problems, many communities have seen measurable – and in some cases dramatic – reductions in the violent crime rates. For example, based on data analyzed and provided by our research partners at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, the following cities saw significant reductions in crime rates during 2018 and 2019[1] while participating aggressively in the Take Back North Carolina Initiative:
-Jacksonville – 50% reduction in homicides; 42% decrease in robberies; 83% reduction in aggravated assaults;
-Henderson – 60% reduction in robberies; 21% decrease in aggravated assaults;
-Greenville – homicides down 60%; robberies reduced by 15%.
And, these results have been replicated in communities of all sizes all across the Eastern District. We have also seen the prosecution of the leadership of numerous sects of violent, drug-trafficking gangs across the District. Targeting the leadership of the various Bloods organizations, the Take Back North Carolina Initiative has worked to disrupt and dismantle their operations in this federal district.
Drugs fuel gun violence and the opioid crisis is no exception. Aside from increasing the number of deaths resulting from heroin overdose cases prosecuted, TBNC has also focused on educating the public about the heroin epidemic through the establishment of the USAO Heroin Education Action Team (USA-HEAT). USA-HEAT works to reduce the growing harm to North Carolina families caused by heroin/opiate abuse, partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration, local law enforcement, community health professionals, and family members who have lost a loved one to a drug overdose. In the last six months, the USAO has conducted 17 training events, each lasting 1-3 hours with content tailored to that audience (e.g., first responders and community groups). Other prevention efforts include the Educating Kids about Gun Violence (EKG) program – part of the Fayetteville Police Department’s Operation Ceasefire, created in 2002 under the umbrella of PSN and USAO-EDNC. In the past 5 years, 25,241 students in Fayetteville have been educated through EKG. Overall violent crime for this age group has decreased 10% city wide since EKG began. Other PSN sites – Goldsboro, Pasquotank County, Kinston, and Vance County have adopted the EKG program. Other prevention efforts include re-entry programs, and an outdoor movie series to engage the community and create public awareness about gun violence. In 2019, 1,425 people attended 6 movie nights in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
TBNC PSN sites have worked hard to develop an effective public messaging strategy for each community utilizing press releases, press conferences, and advertising campaigns highlighting the penalties for committing federal crimes. In the last two years, the USAO-EDNC issued over 250 press releases highlighting PSN cases and has held numerous press conferences highlighting TBNC success stories. The USAO has produced hundreds of posters for PSN sites to help spread public awareness and has worked with the Executive Office for United States Attorney’s to develop multiple Public Service Announcements (PSA) focusing on violent crime and opioids. These PSA’s have been widely distributed across EDNC for use by the media and communities.
Revitalized in 2017, PSN is a critical piece of the Department’s crime reduction efforts. PSN has focused on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
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Granville Vance Public Health addresses the COVID-19 vaccine in the following statement:
Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH) continues to work on the response to COVID-19 each day, each night, and each weekend. We are also eagerly planning for the vaccine to come our way. The first doses have arrived in NC.
We will likely receive our first shipments in the health department the week of December 14 and will give instructions for those who can sign up in the online registration system as soon as we are able to – we are already collecting information about first responders and health care workers and will notify those individuals about how to register in the online system – all health care entities should seek information about ways to have staff sign up who are interested.
We are receiving lots of questions about the vaccine – below are a few of the top questions and answers as well as additional resources from the CDC about the vaccine for COVID-19.
When will it be my turn?
Healthcare workers who are in the highest risk categories for exposure to the virus will be first, including all of those working in hospital ICUs, COVID-19 units, and leading emergency response. Then, other health care workers and first responders will have opportunities too in the coming weeks.
At the same time, hospitals and health departments receive and give vaccines, private pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens will also receive shipments of the vaccine specifically for nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The federal government has contracted with CVS and Walgreens directly to help the high-risk workers and residents living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, so they will get theirs first too.
The next prioritized group will be adults with two or more chronic conditions who are more likely to have severe illness from the virus, and others who are at risk, such as frontline workers. Those workers include police, teachers and child care workers.
As more vaccine shipments arrive in the state, they will then be made available to anyone who wants one, at clinics, pharmacies and community vaccination events. Widespread availability is expected around the spring.
Does the vaccine cost anything?
The vaccine will be free to all individuals – any fees covering health care workers’ time and talents during this mass vaccination will be paid for by insurance companies, Congress, and grants.
These vaccines were produced so quickly. How do we know they are safe?
The CDC reports: “It is the U.S. vaccine safety system’s job to make sure that all vaccines are as safe as possible. Safety has been a top priority while federal partners have worked to make COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the United States. The new COVID-19 vaccines have been evaluated in tens of thousands of individuals, who volunteered to be vaccinated and to participate in clinical trials. The information from these clinical trials allowed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. These clinical trials were conducted according to rigorous standards set forth by the FDA. The FDA has determined that the newly authorized COVID-19 vaccines meet its safety and effectiveness standards. Therefore, the FDA has made these vaccines available for use in the United States under what is known as an Emergency Use Authorization. More here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
A few other facts to know:
Dr. Guthrie and I will be hosting a Facebook live conversation Friday, December 18 at 4:30 p.m. to answer your own questions about the vaccine. Please submit questions at this link and encourage others to do the same! We will also be adding vaccine information to our web site this week. NC DHHS has an informative vaccine webpage as well.
Please remember that even though the first vaccine from Pfizer is approved and on its way, that does not mean we get to let up on wearing the mask, washing our hands, and staying apart from one another – that’s more important now than ever! We are still seeing large numbers of active cases in both our counties, and statewide; we are worried about the staffing levels at hospitals. Now is the time to work as hard as we can together to make it to the other side of this pandemic and we have to do ALL the things we know work well in combination to keep the virus from spreading.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health
GVPH provided the following update for COVID-19 spread and response in Granville and Vance County as of December 14, 2020. Granville Vance Public Health numbers correlate with the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS) data.
The county case numbers reported on the NC county map from the NC Department of Health and Human Services may differ from the ones reported locally as they are updated at different times and may change once residence is verified.
Vance County
Total Cases: 2,168
Active Cases: 748
Total Cases in Community: 1,982
Active Cases: 739
Cases Off-Isolation: 1,221
Total Cases at Long-Term Care Facilities: 186
Active Cases: 9
Cases Off-Isolation: 136
There is currently an outbreak at Senior Citizens Home and Kerr Lake Nursing Home.
Total Hospitalized with COVID-19: 22
Total Deaths: 63
Community: 22
Pelican Nursing Home: 14
Kerr Lake Nursing Home: 12
Senior Citizens Home: 15
Unfortunately, an additional death has been reported in the community. A 72-year-old male passed away on December 12.
Granville County
Total Cases: 3,114
Active Cases: 673
Total Cases in Community: 2,190
Active Cases: 464
Cases Off-Isolation: 1,716
Total Cases at Federal Prison: 534
Active Cases: 8
Cases Off-Isolation: 504
Total Cases at Long-Term Care Facilities: 390
Active Cases: 201
Cases Off-Isolation: 161
There are currently outbreaks at Universal Health Care, Murdoch Development Center, Granville House, RHA Health Services – Stem, Polk Correctional Institution, Oxford Group Home, Brantwood and Toney Rest Home.
Total Hospitalized with COVID-19: 7
Total Deaths: 60
Community: 10
Central Regional: 1
Granville House: 2
Murdoch Development Center: 3
Universal Health Care: 22
Federal Prison: 22
Additional Information
The number of those who have been ‘released from isolation’ is determined by the CDC Guidance for discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19.
Please visit GVPH’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard (click here) for tables and graphs that are updated daily.
