Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Ed. to Discuss Joe Toler-Oak Hill Surplus Property

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a Special Called Meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, 8:30 a.m. at the Central Office Building, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Board’s surplus property on the site of the former Joe Toler-Oak Hill Elementary School.

The board may also meet in Closed Session to discuss confidential matters and consult with its attorney in accordance with N.C. General Statutes 143.318.11 (a)(1) and (a)(3).

Alzheimer’s Assoc. of Eastern NC Launches Direct Connect Referral Program

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-Press Release, Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association – Eastern North Carolina Chapter announced today the launch of its Direct Connect Referral Program.

This free service is designed to work together with physicians and other healthcare professionals to ensure that individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias receive the appropriate care and resources needed to improve their quality of life.

Developed in order to help provide a holistic approach to patient care, this program is the first of its kind in the Alzheimer’s community in all 51 Eastern North Carolina counties for which the Alzheimer’s Association – Eastern North Carolina Chapter serves. Physicians and healthcare professionals at clinic offices, medical centers and hospitals throughout these 51 counties now have an opportunity to participate in the program.

Currently, only 33 percent of seniors age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease are aware of their diagnosis. Studies have found that one of the reasons physicians do not diagnose Alzheimer’s — or do not disclose a diagnosis — is a lack of time and resources to provide care planning. However, a disclosed diagnosis is necessary to implement care planning, a crucial element in improving outcomes for the individual.

Care planning has many benefits for the patient and their family, including:

  • Allows newly diagnosed individuals and their caregivers to learn about medical and non-medical treatments, clinical trials and support services available in the community — resulting in a higher quality of life for those living with the disease.
  • Leads to fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and better medication management.
  • Contributes to better management of other conditions that can be complicated by Alzheimer’s.

The Medicare billing code – known as 99483 – introduced in 2018, allows clinicians to be reimbursed for providing care planning to cognitively impaired individuals. In using this code along with the Association’s Direct Connect Referral Program, clinicians will have the time and resources to provide a comprehensive set of care planning services to people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. All that is involved is completing a one-page, HIPAA compliant form and faxing or scanning it to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“We are thrilled about launching our new Direct Connect Referral Program, which provides an easy way to connect a doctor’s patients with our organization’s care and support services,” said Lisa Roberts, executive director of the Eastern North Carolina Chapter. “We are deeply committed to supporting the family of people on their journey of diagnosis and treatment, while also adding value to the efforts of physicians’ offices. Our Direct Connect Referral Program is a win-win resource for all.”

Physicians and healthcare professionals interested in learning more about this program should contact Peggy Best at pbest@alz.org or at 919-241-5928.

Additional Facts and Figures: (https://www.alz.org/facts/)

  • Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
  • Every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s.
  • An estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with the disease, including 170,000 North Carolina residents, are living with Alzheimer’s, a number estimated to grow to as many as 14 million by the year 2050.
  • More than 16 million family and friends, including 473,000 in North Carolina, provide unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias in the United States.
  • In 2018, friends and family of those with Alzheimer’s in North Carolina provided an estimated 538 million hours of unpaid care, a contribution valued at $6.8 billion.

For more information about Alzheimer’s disease, or the Alzheimer’s Association, Eastern North Carolina Chapter, visit www.alz.org/nc or call 800-272-3900. For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I Voted Sticker

Absentee By-Mail Voting Begins Monday for NC Primary Election

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

Beginning Monday, January 13, 2020, absentee by-mail ballots for the March primary election will be mailed to voters who request them. Any registered voter in North Carolina may vote absentee by-mail.

Primary Election Day – when voters select the political party nominees to appear on the ballot in the November 3 general election – is March 3, 2020.

“By-mail absentee voting officially launches the 2020 primary election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Any registered voter in North Carolina may request a mail-in absentee ballot for the primary.”

To vote absentee by-mail, voters must complete a 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form. For the 2020 primary, the form must be received by the voter’s county board of elections by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Voters who submit a valid request will receive a ballot from their county board of elections. The materials will include detailed instructions on how to complete and return the ballot.

For a one-page guide on how to vote absentee by-mail, go here.

Session Law 2019-239 made several changes to the absentee voting process. Changes include:

  • An absentee request form is now valid only if returned to the county board of elections by the voter, the voter’s near relative or legal guardian, or a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT);
  • The absentee request form must be mailed or delivered in-person to the voter’s county board of elections. Unlike past elections, request forms may not be emailed or faxed; and
  • If a voter needs help completing the request form due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, and a near relative or legal guardian is not available, the voter may get help from another person, who must list their name and address on the form.

About the Primary Election

All five recognized political parties in North Carolina – Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican – have primary ballots. Voters affiliated with a political party may only vote in their party’s primary. (For example, a voter registered as a Democrat may only vote the Democratic primary ballot.)

Unaffiliated voters may choose either the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican ballot, or a nonpartisan ballot, if available.

The one-stop, in-person early voting period for the March 3 primary begins Thursday, February 13 and ends Saturday, February 29.

 Uniformed or Overseas Citizens

Uniformed service members, as well as U.S. citizens living outside of the country, may request absentee ballots under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). For more information about UOCAVA absentee voting, visit FVAP.gov or ncsbe.gov/voting-options/military-overseas-voting.

 Multipartisan Assistance Teams (MATs)

Special assistance is available for voters living in care facilities, such as nursing homes. Upon request, county boards of elections will send a Multi-partisan Assistance Team (MAT) to help voters in facilities complete their 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form, mark their ballot, or serve as required witnesses.

Care facility coordinators or members of the public can contact their local county board of elections office to schedule a visit.

For more information about absentee voting, visit ncsbe.gov/voting-options/absentee-voting.

Skunk Collected in Oxford Tests Positive for Rabies

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-Information courtesy Granville County Government

Granville County Animal Control reports the pickup of a skunk that tested positive for rabies. The rabid animal was collected in the vicinity of Cornwall and Greenway Roads in Oxford.

As mandated by North Carolina law and for their own protection, all dogs, cats and ferrets over four months of age are required to have current rabies shots. Dogs and cats should also receive a rabies booster vaccine one year after the first vaccine and every three years thereafter if the vaccine is licensed for three-year use.

Granville County Animal Control offers a reminder that one-year vaccinations are available at the Granville County Animal Shelter, Mondays through Fridays, from noon until 4:30 p.m. The cost of each shot is only $6. Call the Shelter, located at 5650 Cornwall Road in Oxford, at 919-693-6749 for details.

Oxford Logo

Oxford Commissioners to Hold Reg. Board Meeting Jan. 14

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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall in Oxford.

Agenda items include:

Report – The 2018-2019 Audit Report will be presented by Carleen Evans of Winston, Williams, Creech, Evans and Company, LLP

a) Consider accepting the annual financial report for FY 2018-2019 from Winston, Williams, Creech, Evans, and Co., LLP

Presentation to Harold Slaughter

Presentation to Gina Chappell

Consider authorizing the city clerk to investigate the sufficiency of the petition for a non-contiguous annexation for Oxford Preparatory School and certifying its sufficiency.

Consider annual review and signing of the Code of Ethics for the Board of Commissioners.

Consider calling for a public hearing to be held at the February 11 Board of Commissioners meeting regarding approval for a 58 +/- Planned Unit Development on Lewis Street (adjacent to the solar farm).

Please click here for the full meeting agenda.

Applications Now Available for Careers in Conservation Scholarship Program

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

The N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation announces that applications are now being accepted for the Careers in Conservation Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipients will be students who have firm plans to pursue a college degree in natural resource management and are committed to supporting the mission of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Up to $5,000 is available per student per school year, renewable at the discretion of the Scholarship Selection Committee.

Online applications are available to students who have declared a major in agronomy, agricultural engineering, agriculture sustainability, agriculture education, animal science, forestry, natural resource conservation/management, plant science, soil science, water management, water quality, wildlife management or other closely related degree programs. The goal of the Foundation is to increase the number of professionals entering the field who are committed to working in soil and water conservation.

Applicants must be a resident of North Carolina and must have achieved academic excellence in their high school or in their undergraduate studies.

The Foundation is accepting online applications through Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. An application form is available at https://forms.gle/qdpDXVPEVLb6ryCJ8.

Those interested in learning more about this scholarship opportunity are asked to contact Michelle Lovejoy, Executive Director of the N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, at 919-510-4599 or ncfswc@gmail.com.

Applicants may also visit ncsoilwater.org for additional information.

Granville Co. School Board Member Honored at Surprise Reception

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-Information courtesy Granville County Government

A proclamation has been issued by the Granville County Board of Commissioners in recognition of the life and service of Mr. Leonard E. Peace, Sr. who has served on the Granville County Board of Education for the past 30 years.

On behalf of the Board, Dr. Tony Cozart presented the proclamation during a surprise reception in Peace’s honor, held on Monday afternoon. Also in attendance to offer their support were Board Chair David Smith and Comm. Zelodis Jay.

Among his many accomplishments, Peace is a past president of the North Carolina School Boards Association and a member of the North Carolina School Boards Association Board of Directors. He was also the recipient of the Raleigh Dingman Award in 2003, the highest honor bestowed on a North Carolina School Board member.

A proclamation has been issued by the Granville County Board of Commissioners in recognition of the life and service of Mr. Leonard E. Peace, Sr. who has served on the Granville County Board of Education for the past 30 years. On behalf of the Board, Dr. Tony Cozart presented the proclamation during a surprise reception in Peace’s honor, held on Monday afternoon. Also in attendance to offer their support were Board Chair David Smith and Comm. Zelodis Jay. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

VGCC Deans Recognized by N.C. State University

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

A pair of leaders at Vance-Granville Community College were recently recognized by North Carolina State University, where they are doctoral students in the College of Education.

Jeffrey Allen, VGCC’s Dean of Student Retention & Success, was named a Belk Center Fellow, while Angela M. Thomas, the Dean of Health Sciences, received the Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Fellowship award.

Angela M. Thomas, VGCC Dean of Health Sciences (VGCC photo)

“I am excited about the opportunity to be a Belk Center Fellow,” Allen said. “I look forward to the opportunity to learn more about student success strategies from community colleges across the nation as the American Association of Community Colleges celebrates 100 years.”

Thomas was presented with her award by Associate Professor Dr. Tuere Bowles during a ceremony at the university in December conducted by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership & Research. Bowles described the leadership award, given to only one student per year, as “highly competitive.”

Thomas said she was honored and would “do her best to make the Boones proud.” The fellowship is named in part for Dr. Edgar Boone, the founding head of the Department of Adult and Community College Education at NCSU.

Allen, an Oxford resident, has been a member of the VGCC staff in various roles since 2012. In his current position, Allen provides leadership and oversight to the areas of advising, counseling, male success initiative, student activities and athletics, testing and tutoring. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at North Carolina Central University and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Western Governors University.

Jeffrey Allen, VGCC Dean of Student Retention & Success (VGCC photo)

Allen had a 14-year career in education at the K-12 level prior to joining VGCC. He is also the recipient of the 2016 Laura Thomas Award from the North Carolina Association on Higher Education and Disability (NC AHEAD). Earlier this year, Allen was named one of eight DREAM Fellows by NCSU.

A resident of Hillsborough, Thomas started her association with VGCC in 1997 as a part-time Radiography instructor, later becoming the program’s full-time clinical coordinator and then head of the program. Thomas was named VGCC’s Faculty Member of the Year in 2011.

As dean of health sciences since 2013, she leads a division that includes the Histotechnology, Nursing, Human Services Technology, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technology and Radiography programs.

Thomas earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Radiologic Technology from Pitt Community College, a bachelor of arts in Forensic Science from Guilford College and a Master of Science degree in Health Care Management from Ashworth College. Thomas is a graduate of the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program and completed the Executive Leadership Program through the College of Education at N.C. State University. She is also a recipient of the VGCC President’s Leadership Award.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Ed. Approves Process for Filling Vacant District 5 Seat

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Per Policy 2115 – Unexpired Term Fulfillment, the Granville County Board of Education has approved the process for filling the District 5 seat made vacant by the resignation of Mr. Ed Mims in December 2019.

It is the intent of the Board to identify and appoint a suitable candidate for this position using the process outlined below, with the ultimate goal of serving the students of Granville County Public Schools.

Interested candidates should review the “Duties of the Board” guidelines issued by the NC School Board Association, which may be found at the NCSBA website https://www.ncsba.org/news-resources/board-member-knowledge-base/duties-of-the-board/

Candidates should submit a letter of interest, a C.V. or resume, and three letters of recommendation to the Clerk of the Board of Education, Ms. Dywanda Pettaway, by the close of business, Friday, January 24, 2020. These documents should provide information that highlights the candidate’s ability and experiences related to education and service to children.

All candidates must reside in District 5 in order to be considered for this position. Proof of residency will be required. District 5 map and information may be found at the Granville County website https://www.granvillecounty.org/government/county-commissioners/district-map/

At its February 6, 2020, regular meeting, the Board will review the documents submitted by each candidate and vote to issue invitations to those the Board wishes to interview.

On Monday, February 17, 2020, the Board will hold a Special Called Meeting for the purpose of interviewing candidates (the Board will use a list of questions asked of each candidate, chosen at the beginning of the meeting) and then vote on who will fill the unexpired term of District 5. (Note: Interviews and vote to take place in Open Session)

At its March 2, 2020, regular meeting, the chosen candidate will take the oath of office.

NOTE: If no suitable candidates are selected, the above process will be repeated as necessary, with new dates selected, until the position is filled.

Town Talk 01/08/20: ‘Science in the Summer’ Provides Free, Hands-On Learning

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Zenovia Hogue, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Science in the Summer (SIS) Coordinator for the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center in Chapel Hill, NC, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Bringing summer science activities to rising second through eighth-grade students in 10 counties throughout Central North Carolina since 2008, Hogue said the free program is “an engaging, fun way to prevent the proven slide that happens when kids don’t participate in academic activities over the summer break.”

“SIS is free to all participating children because GSK covers all program expenses,” Hogue explained. “Science in the Summer would not be possible without their support.”

The 2020 SIS theme is “Chemistry is everywhere!” According to the SIS website, students will enjoy everything from “discovering polymers with color-changing slime to investigating how zombie worms use chemicals to survive. Students will use common, everyday materials and ingredients to understand that almost everything they do is connected to science. Along the way, not only will they discover that science is exciting, but that it will be a key part of their future – no matter which career they choose.”

Local teachers may also join in on the summer fun by applying to be a paid SIS educator. A current teaching license is required and an application process must be completed. Those interested may visit the Morehead Planetarium’s employment website by clicking here.

For Vance County residents, the first SIS student session will be held at the Perry Memorial Library for rising second through fifth graders June 15 – 19, 2020, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Registration date is March 2.

The second session will be held at the Perry Memorial Library for rising sixth through eighth graders July 13 – 15, 2020, from 1 – 4 p.m. Registration date is March 10.

Spaces are limited in all summer sessions and registration is required. For more information, including Granville and Franklin County sessions, and to register, please visit the SIS website at www.moreheadplanetarium.org/sis.

To hear the interview with Hogue in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.