State Highway Patrol Concludes ‘Operation Drive To Live’

-Press Release, North Carolina Dept. of Public Safety

The State Highway Patrol has concluded a week-long campaign held annually each year to combat fatal collisions involving teen drivers. During the week of April 8 through April 12, troopers participated in Operation Drive to Live, placing emphasis on education and enforcement across the state.

Troopers were out in full force monitoring driver behavior in and around school zones while offering educational programs to local high schools. The operation is conducted in proximity to spring break and prom season, in hopes teen drivers will gain an understanding of the dangers associated with driving.

In 2018, the Highway Patrol investigated over 55,261 motor vehicle collisions involving drivers and passengers who were between the ages of 15 – 19. Of those collisions, 10,287 injuries were reported and 94 resulted in one or more fatalities.

This year, SHP performed 179 traffic safety presentations and patrolled 540 school zones throughout the week. The following statistics also reflect the efforts of SHP during the campaign.

Speeding 3,973
License Violations 1,248
Seatbelt Violations 1,180
Child Seat Violations 127
DWI Under 21 34
Warnings 1,535

While the operation has concluded, the efforts of reducing teenage driver collisions will continue throughout the year.

For stats related to a specific county, please contact your local SHP office. A contact list can be obtained by visiting the following link: https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/law-enforcement/state-highway-patrol/troop-offices

 

Delrayno Baptist to Present ‘The Living Last Supper’ – Thurs., April 18

-Information courtesy Delrayno Baptist Church

Delrayno Baptist Church, 1315 College St., Oxford, presents “The Living Last Supper” on Maundy Thursday, April 18, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

“The Living Last Supper” is a short, but powerful, melodrama about the reflection and inner turmoil of each disciple when Jesus announced that he would be betrayed by one of them.

The public is invited to attend.

 

Granville Co. Animal Shelter Closed Wed. for Staff Development

-Information courtesy the Granville County Government’s Facebook page

The Granville County Animal Shelter, located at 5650 Cornwall Road in Oxford, will be closed to the public tomorrow, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, for a staff development day. Staff development days are now held on the third Wednesday of every month.

Granville County Animal Control will still be available all day for emergency calls for service. Normal operating hours are Monday through Friday from noon until 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Call 919-693-6749 for more information about services provided by Granville County Animal Management, or visit www.granvillecounty.org.

Pictured is “Cade,” who is available for adoption at the Granville County Animal Shelter. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Government)

Pins for Pets Bowling Proceeds to Benefit Local Spay/Neuter Programs

-Information and photos courtesy Community Partnership for Pets, Inc.
On March 16, 2019,  animal shelter directors, veterinarians, volunteers, friends, family and bowlers got together for the annual Pins for Pets bowling tournament. This event was held at the Palace Pointe Fun Center in Roxboro, NC.

Over $12,000 was raised through donations, bowling fees, bowling lane sponsors, raffle prizes, silent auction items plus a generous matching grant from the VF Fund.

The art was made from old, used bowling pins re-purposed into one-of-a-kind “pin art.”  Community Partnership for Pets, Inc. thanks each artist for using their talents to create these fun pieces of artwork.

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund spay/neuter programs in Granville, Warren and Vance Counties, NC.

VGCC Alumnus: Acting in Dinner Theater ‘Feels Like Coming Home’

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College holds a special place in the heart of Spencer Nunn, who has returned to his alma mater as a member of the cast of the college’s upcoming Dinner Theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy, “Company.”

When the former Warrenton resident first enrolled at VGCC, he planned to complete an Associate in Science degree and transfer to a four-year university to study Marine Biology. As it turned out, his experience at the community college changed his career plans and, in fact, his life – dramatically.

“When I got to Vance-Granville, I was already into acting, since finding theater in my freshman year of high school,” Nunn recalled. “But I thought of theater as a hobby.”

Vance-Granville Community College holds a special place in the heart of Spencer Nunn, who has returned to his alma mater as a member of the cast of the college’s upcoming Dinner Theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy, “Company” on April 25 & 26. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

One semester, he considered auditioning for VGCC’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” but a Biology lab session conflicted with the audition time, so he missed it. “Fortunately, I knew one of the cast members and found out that somebody had dropped out of the play,” Nunn said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. I auditioned and got the part.”

Many more VGCC productions followed, including the first four Dinner Theaters. Nunn attended school part-time, while also working part-time. That meant he was enrolled for more semesters than some students, and he had more chances to appear in VGCC plays. “I might be the most prolific actor in Vance-Granville history,” he reflected with a laugh.

Along the way, after spending time studying with VGCC Theatre Arts instructor Betsy Henderson, something clicked for him. “I thought after a while, ‘this makes me happy,’ and I decided to pursue the theatre as a career,” Nunn said. His new plan was to transfer to a four-year university to complete a degree that would allow him to teach drama.

Nunn graduated from VGCC in 2016 and enrolled at William Peace University in Raleigh, where his professors marveled at the amount of college-level stage experience he had. He is set to graduate from WPU with his bachelor’s degree in Theatre Education, and a minor in English, on May 4, not long after the VGCC Dinner Theater. “Later, I’d like to get my master’s and teach at the college level,” Nunn said. “I was not on that course when I started at VGCC.”

There is another significant aspect to Nunn’s experience at the community college: the lasting relationships he formed. In addition to making many friends and gaining a mentor in Betsy Henderson, Nunn started dating one of his fellow student actors, Rachel Pottern, after they appeared together in “Zara Spook and Other Lures.” He proposed marriage to her in front of an awe-struck VGCC Civic Center audience at the conclusion of a Dinner Theater production, “Smoke on the Mountain.” She said “yes,” and they eventually wed in 2016. “So that’s something else I owe to Betsy Henderson and the college,” Nunn remarked. They even had their wedding on the VGCC campus. Originally set to take place in the gazebo outside, the ceremony moved into the Civic Center because of Hurricane Matthew.

His wife is an accomplished thespian herself and graduated from William Peace University right before he enrolled there. Among the four plays in which Nunn has acted at WPU, one was directed by Rachel. He has submitted a proposal to direct a play at the university after he graduates, just as she did.

Appropriately enough, in the new production of “Company,” Nunn plays “Paul,” a young man who is about to get married to “Amy,” played by Rachel. Nunn describes Paul as “a young banker in New York City; he’s very optimistic and overly affectionate at times, but he’s genuine, kind-hearted and loving.”

Spencer and Rachel Nunn are the only cast members in this year’s seventh annual Dinner Theater who were also in VGCC’s first such production (“Our Town”) back in 2013. Their involvement in the show as alumni is in keeping with the celebration of the community college’s 50th anniversary.

“The cast of this show is a lot of fun,” Nunn said. “The music is really challenging. Sondheim is known for complex music. If the cast was not so determined and ego-free, it could be frustrating, but we are all so supportive of each other.” In addition to Betsy Henderson directing and co-starring, Nunn noted that the production benefits from “a fantastic music director, Joanna Li; I feel I understand musical theater so much better after working with her.”

“Coming back to do this show feels like coming home,” Nunn added. “I never regretted going the community college route. I am 100% positive I would not be in the position I am, mentally, emotionally or in terms of maturity if it wasn’t for Vance-Granville.”

His heart, he said, “is at peace knowing I am doing theater because I realized how much it meant to me at Vance-Granville, and now, I want to get on a career path to be able to give that back. Going to the college is one of the best things I ever chose to do, and so many blessings have come from it.”

The dinner theater is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. each evening in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus near Henderson. Tickets are available for $30 each through the VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/dinnertheater.

NCDOT

‘Swat-A-Litterbug’ Program Simple Way for Public to Help Keep NC Clean

-Information courtesy the Vance County Government’s Facebook Page

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s “Swat-A-Litterbug” program encourages the public to report people who litter in an effort to help make North Carolina roadways cleaner. The program provides every individual an opportunity to be an active participant in reducing litter on NC roadways.

The public can report those who litter to NCDOT’s Litter Management Section by filling out an online form or calling NCDOT’s Customer Service Office at (877) 368-4968.

Upon receipt of the reported information, NCDOT will mail the registered owner of the vehicle that was reported a formal notification, signed by the N.C. State Highway Patrol, that informs them of the littering offense, the penalties of littering and urges them to help keep North Carolina clean.

Information that is needed to report a “litterbug” includes the date, time, plate number, county, city, street and violation description (cup, napkin, cigarette butt, etc.).

Please do your part to help keep NC, and our local communities, litter-free!

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Oxford Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Illegal Possession of Firearm

-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced MAURICE SHAWAYNE HARRIS, a/k/a “Gator”, 38, of Oxford to 60 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised released.

On January 2, 2019, HARRIS pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

In January 2018, the Oxford Police Department attempted to make a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by HARRIS, to investigate a report of shots fired in the area. HARRIS jumped and ran from the vehicle. Inside of that vehicle officers recovered a box of .38 caliber ammunition. Officers traced HARRIS’s flight path and recovered a Taurus model .38 caliber revolver. HARRIS was later arrested by the Oxford Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Oxford Police Department and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case for the government.

Oxford Prep Announces MaryAnn Crews as Lower School Director

-Press Release, Oxford Preparatory School

Oxford Preparatory School (OPS), a free public charter school, is pleased to announce that MaryAnn Crews will be joining the leadership team as Lower School Director beginning July 2019.

In the coming 2019-2020 school year, the OPS Lower School is expanding down to serve the 5th grade. Beginning in August 2020, the school will again expand to become a full K-12 school. Because of this expansion, the new role of Lower School Director has been created. Vici Bradsher will remain in the role of Upper School Director.

Oxford Preparatory School (OPS), a free public charter school, is pleased to announce that MaryAnn Crews will be joining the leadership team as Lower School Director beginning July 2019. (Photo courtesy OPS)

MaryAnn Crews has 14 years of experience in education including her roles as a 5th-grade teacher, an assistant principal, and principal. She has an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and a Masters in School Administration from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

She was a recipient of a North Carolina Principal Fellowship in 2011, as well as a recipient of Teacher and Principal of the Year for Granville County Schools. She is a resident of Oxford, along with her husband and two children.

“I am excited to join Oxford Prep to create an innovative and rigorous lower school program for students in Granville County. I believe schools should be places filled with joy where students are challenged daily to be the best they can be,” Crews remarked about the new opportunity.

“Among the many applicants for the position, MaryAnn’s passion, track record, and vision for the Lower School made her stand out from all of the applicants,” OPS Executive Director, Andrew Swanner commented. “The OPS Board and leadership team are thrilled to have MaryAnn join our organization.”

Granville County Logo

Agenda: Granville Co. Board of Commissioners Meeting – Mon., April 15

-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, April 15, 2019, at 7 p.m. at the Granville Expo and Convention Center, 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford.

Agenda items include:

Consent Agenda

1. Contingency Summary

2. NC Education Lottery Fund Request

3. Minutes

Recognitions and Presentations

4. Recognition – Governor’s Volunteer Service Award – Tally Ho First Baptist Church

5. Update on the Granville County Museum and Historical Society Request

Public Comments

6. Public Comments

Recreation Matters

7. Inclusive Play Equipment: Instruments for the GAP Sound Garden

Solid Waste Matters

8. Solid Waste Ordinance Revision(s)

9. Solid Waste Collections and Convenience Site Management RFPs

Appointments

10. South Granville Memorial Gardens Board of Trustees

11. Granville Greenways Advisory Council

County Manager’s Report

12. Request to Submit a Text Amendment to the Planning Board

13. Acceptance of 12 Acre Transfer from the State

County Attorney’s Report

14. County Attorney’s Report

Presentations by County Board Members

15. Presentations by County Board Members

Any Other Matters

16. Any Other Matters

Closed Session

17. Closed Session as allowed by G.S. 143-318.11(a)(3) – Attorney-Client Matter

For current and previous Granville Co. Board of Commissioner meeting agendas and minutes, click here

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Education to Hold Financial Work Session

-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a Financial Work Session on Monday, April 15, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. at the Granville County Public Schools Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The purpose of the meeting is to receive a financial presentation and financial updates from staff on School System finances.

The next regular scheduled Board meeting is set for Monday, May 6, 2019, at 6 p.m.