Granville Crime Stoppers

Granville Co. Crime Stoppers: Larceny in New Applewood Subdivision

-Press Release, Granville County Crime Stoppers

Sometime between Monday, July 2 and Friday, July 6, 2018, an unknown person or persons unlawfully went upon property located off WB Clark Road in the new Applewood Subdivision, Creedmoor, NC and criminally removed six 31H batteries from equipment (two from a motor grader and four from a tractor).

If you have information concerning this incident, please contact the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213 or call Crime Stoppers 919-693-3100.

THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENT OF A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST/INDICTMENT(S) OF PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME.  IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CRIME OR ANY OTHER SERIOUS CRIME(S) IN GRANVILLE COUNTY, YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS IN OXFORD AT 919-693-3100.

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Public Open House for P5 Regional Transportation Projects

-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Transportation Planning Organization

The public is invited to an open house on Thursday, July 19, 2018, to express their opinions on the regional transportation projects in Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, and Warren Counties being considered for inclusion in the NCDOT 2020-2029 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is a 10-year plan that identifies funding for projects throughout North Carolina and schedules them for construction.

The Kerr-Tar Regional Transportation Planning Organization (KTRPO) will hold an informal open house on Thursday at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ office, 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson, NC, from 5 to 7 p.m. Residents will be able to view all potential projects and provide feedback. KTRPO staff will be present to answer any questions and address any concerns.

For those unable to attend the open house, the projects are available for review on the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ website: https://www.kerrtarcog.org/. Comments may be submitted via email to info@kerrtarcog.org. Please include P5 Regional Projects Comments in the subject line.

Granville County Public Schools

Four Granville Co. Public Schools to Begin Year-Round Schedule

-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools and the Granville County Public Schools website

Dr. Alisa McLean, superintendent of Granville County Public Schools (GCPS), will welcome students on Monday, July 16, 2018, for the first day of school for students on the new year-round calendar.

McLean will welcome students at Butner-Stem Middle School on Monday, July 16 at 8:15 a.m., and will be touring classrooms at West Oxford Elementary School starting at 12:45 p.m. that same day.

According to the GCPS website, Dr. McLean conducted a series of conversations last fall with the community, and an overwhelming interest was expressed for a choice of a year-round school schedule.

The Granville County Board of Education moved forward with the recommendation and four Granville County public schools will offer a year-round schedule for the 2018-19 school year: Butner-Stem Elementary School, Butner-Stem Middle School, West Oxford Elementary School and Northern Granville Middle School.

Each of these schools will operate with two separate calendars – one group of students on a traditional calendar, and one on a year-round schedule.

Henderson Rec. Players to Present “Clybourne Park”

-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor

The Henderson Rec Players will present “Clybourne Park” by Bruce Norris at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center nightly August 9-11 at 8 p.m. and August 12 at 2 p.m.

Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play, “Clybourne Park” is a satire about the politics of race that will be directed by Stephanie Asabi Howard. In response to Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” playwright Bruce Norris set up his work as a pair of scenes that bookend Hansberry’s piece and are set in the same modest bungalow on Chicago’s northwest side.

In 1959, Russ and Bev move out to the suburbs after the tragic death of their son. Inadvertently, they sell their house to the neighborhood’s first black family. Fifty years later in 2009, the roles are reversed when a young white couple buys the lot in what is now a predominantly black neighborhood, signaling a new wave of gentrification. In both instances, a community showdown takes place, pitting race against real estate with this home as the battleground.

Tickets are available for $15 at the McGregor Hall Box Office, 201 Breckenridge St. in Henderson, by calling (252) 598-0662 or visiting www.mcgregorhall.org.

For more information, please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or email callen@ci.henderson.nc.us

(This is not a paid advertisement)

 

U.S. Department of Justice

NC Dept. of Public Safety to Pay $190K in Civil Penalties for Violations

-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that the United States and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety have signed a civil settlement agreement resolving the State’s liability for civil penalties stemming from recordkeeping violations relating to the dispensing of controlled substances to inmates at the Central Prison Healthcare Complex and the North Carolina Correctional Center for Women. The State agreed to pay $190,000 rather than contest a potential fine that could have been as high as $880,000.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Unit conducted an audit of the Central Prison Healthcare Complex (CPHC) and the North Carolina Correctional Center for Women (NCCCW). Investigators found that on at least 88 occasions during the period of September 2, 2014, through October 4, 2016, medical staff at CPHC and NCCCW failed to properly document the dispensing and disposal of controlled substances at CPHC and NCCCW. While no unlawful use of controlled substances was detected, the substandard recordkeeping provided fertile ground for improper diversion.

In addition to payment of the civil penalty, because of the investigation, State officials initiated their own investigation and took remedial measures. Included among such measures were changes in existing policies and procedures, implementation of better and more effective employee education and training, and the development of better monitoring, reporting, and compliance processes.

“The handling of prescription controlled substances inside our prisons poses some unique challenges,” says U.S. Attorney Higdon, “and yet given the possibility of illegal diversion to inmates and others, scrupulous recordkeeping and tracking of controlled substances is essential. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. This matter underscores the continued need for robust regulatory and enforcement measures against all medical providers to stop diversion of controlled prescription drugs and end the lax recordkeeping environments which may be fertile ground for diversion.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Atlanta Field Division stated, “DEA and its law enforcement partners will continue to expend time, energy and resources in an effort to stem the tide against the growing opioid epidemic. The spirited level of cooperation by the N.C. Board of Pharmacy and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, and the prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office made this investigation a success.”

Assistant United States Attorney Steve West represented the government in this matter.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC.

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson-Kerr Lake Regional Water Authority Honored by the State

-Press Release, NC Environmental Quality

The N.C. Division of Water Resources has honored 69 water treatment plants for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards.

The division’s Public Water Supply section has awarded the facilities the prestigious N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award, which is part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment facilities.

In 2017, the state recognized four facilities with the “Gold Star” honor, which is an award for systems that have received the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award for 10 consecutive years. They are Newton, Lincolnton, Marion and Henderson-Kerr Lake Regional Water Authority.

Awards are given each year to water systems that demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a key test of drinking water quality. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by individual particles that can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Microbes are microscopic particles that occur naturally but can include harmful bacteria and viruses.

While all drinking water systems must meet strict state and federal drinking water standards, these systems met performance goals that are significantly more stringent. During 2017, more than 3.8 million North Carolina residents were served by these award-winning plants.

The award winners for 2017 are Andrews, Appalachian State University, Boone, Broad River Water Authority, Brunswick County, Burlington – Ed Thomas, Burnsville, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority – Wilmington-Sweeney, Cary, Charlotte Water – Franklin, Charlotte Water – Lee S. Duke, Charlotte Water – Vest, Cherryville, Concord – Coddle Creek, Concord – Hillgrove, Dallas, Davidson – Gregg W. Stabler, Eden – Robert A. Harris, Elkin, Fayetteville PWC – Hoffer, Forest City, Franklin, Greenville Utilities Commission – Charles Horne, Hamlet, Harnett County, Hendersonville, Henderson-Kerr Lake Regional Water Authority, Hickory, Hillsborough, Johnston County – East, Johnston County – West, Kannapolis, King, Lenoir, Lincoln County, Lincolnton, Madison, Maggie Valley Sanitary District, Marion, Mayodan, Montgomery County, Mooresville – Plant 2, Morganton – Catawba, Mount Airy – F.G. Doggett, Mount Airy – S. L. Spencer, Mount Holly, Newton, Norwood, Orange Water & Sewer Authority, Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority – John F. Kime, Pilot Mountain, Pittsboro, Raleigh – D.E. Benton, Raleigh – E.M. Johnson, Robbinsville – Rock Creek, Sandford, Smithfield, Southern Pines, Tarboro, Thomasville, Tuckaseigee, Valdese, Waynesville – Allens Creek, Weaverville – Ivy River, Western Carolina University, Wilkesboro, Winston-Salem – P.W. Swann, Winston-Salem – R.A. Thomas, Winston-Salem – R.W. Neilson.

For more information, contact N.C. Drinking Water Protection Program Coordinator Rebecca Sadosky at Rebecca.Sadosky@ncdenr.gov or 919-707-9096.

Granville Co. Recreation Advisory Committee to Meet Tues., Aug 14

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

The Granville County Recreation Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at 5 p.m. This is a change from the originally scheduled August 21 meeting. Apologies for any inconvenience.

We hope that you can attend and look forward to seeing you at Thornton Library, 210 Main St., Oxford.

NCGA Passes Six Constitutional Amendments for Midterm Election Ballot

-Information courtesy the June 2018 newsletter of Rep. Terry E. Garrison (Dem)

The 2018 session of the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) convened on May 16 and adjourned on June 29, 2018. The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on November 27, 2018.

The NCGA passed the following six Constitutional Amendments, which will now be placed on the ballot for the upcoming midterm elections on November 6, 2018:

Strengthen Victim’s Rights

SB 551 amends the NC Constitution and expands the rights of crime victims to guarantee that victims receive the right to be treated with dignity and respect; reasonable, accurate, and timely notice; be present at any proceeding; be reasonably heard at certain proceedings; to receive restitution in a timely manner; to receive information upon request; to reasonably confer with the prosecutor.

SB 551 also directs the General Assembly to create a procedure for a victim to assert the rights provided.

This was the only amendment not vetoed by the Governor.

Bipartisan Ethics & Elections Enforcement

HB 913 amends the NC Constitution to remove the Governor’s authority to appoint members to the State Board of Elections and gives powers to Legislators to control those appointments. This bill also determines how those appointments are to be made: Four from the House with two nominations each from the majority and minority leaders and; four from the Senate with two nominations each from the majority and minority leaders.

Judicial District Changes

SB 814 amends the NC Constitution to change how judicial vacancies will be filled. Currently, when a judge leaves office before their term has ended, the Governor appoints a replacement to serve until the voters can fill the seat in the next election. This has been the law for decades through Democratic and Republican Governors.

The bill forms a Merit Commission to rate interested judicial candidates as “qualified” or “not qualified.” The Merit Commission then submits the list of candidates with the label of qualified or not qualified to the General Assembly. The General Assembly considers all candidates and narrows its selection to two persons. The two named persons are then sent to the Governor. If the Governor fails to make an appointment within 10 days after being presented with the candidates, the General Assembly shall elect in a joint session, an appointee to fill the vacancy.

Require Photo ID to Vote

HB 1092 amends the North Carolina Constitution to require every voter to show a photo ID. The details are left to legislators to figure out later.

This law may create hardships for North Carolina citizens who do not have such an ID. They are typically among our youngest, oldest, and poorest citizens. Further, the Voter ID requirement is likely to produce lower voter turnout.

North Carolina’s elections are already fair. There is no evidence of substantial voter ID fraud to justify the need for voter photo ID.

Income Tax Cap

SB 75 amends the North Carolina constitution to cap the tax rate on income for individuals and corporations. SB 75 would raise the previously proposed cap from 5.5 % to 7%. Currently, the constitutional cap is 10% for individuals and corporations.

The change will make it very difficult to pay for schools, healthcare, and other public services. The income tax is the biggest source of revenue for the state budget.

The bill will limit budget flexibility to pay for needed public services. It may also threaten our AAA bond rating. The AAA bond rating is important because it allows the state to borrow money at lower interest rates.

Protect Right to Hunt and Fish

SB 677 amends the NC constitution to merely reinforce a right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. It will be submitted to the voters of the State at the mid-term election to be held on November 6, 2018.

Please note that a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot for the November 6, 2018, mid-term election will not become law unless approved by the voters.

VGCC Hosting Biotechnology Open House At Franklin Campus

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Area residents interested in the field of Biotechnology are invited to Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin Campus for an Open House on Monday, July 23, from 4 to 7 p.m.

The event is open to new applicants to the program as well as current students of VGCC. Stewart Lyon, program head for the Bioprocess Technology curriculum program, will discuss the options for students to earn a certificate or an associate’s degree, and members of the admissions and financial aid staff will be available to help students complete applications on site.

Above: Students work in the Bioprocess Tech lab at VGCC’s Franklin Campus, which will hold a Biotechnology Open House on July 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. (VGCC Photo)

“Vance-Granville prepares men and women for work in the growing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical manufacturing and distribution environments,” said Lyon. Graduates work as process technicians in biological products manufacturing facilities, with possible jobs including mixing chemicals to make cancer drugs, formulating medical and cosmetic creams and DNA testing kits.

“The certificate program is open to everyone, including students who would be currently enrolled in high school,” Lyon added. The certificate program can be completed with the BioWorks: Process Technician course through VGCC’s Continuing Education division and two curriculum courses, BIO 110 (Principles of Biology) and BPM 111 (Bioprocess Measurements).

In the two-year associate degree program, first-year courses include basics such as biology, chemistry, college algebra and computers, as well as industrial courses in bioprocessing, biochemistry and industrial environment. The first summer and subsequent semester of the program include a cooperative work experience in a local biotechnology company. The second year includes specialized courses in industrial bioprocessing, research and reporting and statistical quality control.

Evening and day course options are available, including online and hybrid opportunities. Visitors will be able to examine the state-of-the-art Biotechnology equipment that students use in the lab at Franklin Campus.

To register for the Open House, complete the form available on the college’s website at www.vgcc.edu/bio-open-house. For more information, contact Bioprocess Technology program head Stewart Lyon at (252) 738-3632 or lyons@vgcc.edu.

VGCC’s Franklin County Campus is located at 8100 NC Highway 56 in Louisburg.

VGCC Partners With N.C. State For Dual-Admission Program

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College has entered an agreement with North Carolina State University to offer a dual-admission, dual-enrollment program. The initiative will benefit students who wish to be guaranteed admission to NCSU to earn a baccalaureate degree after completing an associate degree at VGCC.

VGCC is one of eight community colleges working with the university in the N.C. State Community College Collaboration, or C3, as the program is called. NCSU officials met with Vance-Granville officials on Main Campus on June 12 to online the plans for the program.

“This pathway to N.C. State is more like an eight-lane highway for our students to continue a superior education even beyond the doors of Vance-Granville,” said Stacey Carter-Coley, VGCC’s vice president of employee and student services. “What a remarkable day it is for our community of learners, supporters and partners.”

“C3 is intended for high-achieving community college students from low-to-moderate income backgrounds who plan to attend N.C. State University after completing their associate degree at one of the eight community colleges,” Bobbie Jo May, dean of VGCC’s Franklin Campus, said in her welcoming remarks. The program differs from other VGCC partnerships in place, however, she said, because “students are dually admitted to both institutions at the same time.”

North Carolina State University Senior Vice Provost of Enrollment and Management Services Dr. Louis D. Hunt outlines plans for the N.C. State C3 program to allow dual admission and dual enrollment to VGCC students who wish to earn their four-year degree at NCSU after getting an associate degree at the community college. NCSU officials met with college officials on Vance-Granville’s Main Campus on June 12. (VGCC Photo)

When a student enrolls in the Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs at VGCC, he or she will also enroll at NCSU as a Non-Degree Studies (NDS) student, according to Dr. Louis D. Hunt, N.C. State’s senior vice provost of enrollment management and services. Students will have up to three years to complete their AA, AS or Associate of Engineering (AE) degree at one of the designated community colleges.

After completing the degree and maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better, the C3 participants will be guaranteed admission to N.C. State. Entry into specific majors may be more competitive, Hunt added.

“Each year, nearly 1,700 students transfer to N.C. State to complete their bachelor’s degree,” Dr. Hunt said. “N.C. State is committed to increasing that number by providing a guaranteed admission pathway to N.C. State from our partner community colleges.”

“We’re very excited about this partnership,” he added. “As a land-grant institution, we’ve always been committed to providing opportunities to all citizens across the state of North Carolina. Creating more opportunities for students from low-to-moderate income families and students from rural communities is essential to our success. N.C. State’s strategic plan emphasizes increasing the number of North Carolina Community College System graduates enrolling in our programs.”

May noted that C3 students will work with advising staff at both institutions. “Once enrolled, students are assigned an academic and career coach with Vance-Granville and a separate academic advisor for N.C. State,” May said. “The coach and the advisor will work together with the student on their academic plan.”

Students who may apply for C3 include graduating high school seniors as well as current community college students who have completed less than 30 credit hours of college work, officials said.

Among the benefits of the program for Vance-Granville students will be access to N.C. State’s online advising and course planning systems, the opportunity to enroll in approved NCSU courses while enrolled at VGCC, and planned C3 activities on both VGCC’s campus and N.C. State’s campus.

“Vance-Granville is always seeking new opportunities to educate, inspire and support our students through creative partnerships,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president. “This initiative developed by North Carolina State University will open new doors for our Vanguards, providing clear pathways from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree.”

Also meeting with the NCSU officials were Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, and Spence Bailey, director of admissions.

The other community colleges participating in the program are Alamance, Central Carolina, Durham Technical, Johnston, Nash, Wake Technical and Wilson.

For more information, interested individuals can visit the N.C. State website at https://admissions.ncsu.edu/m/community-college-collaboration/ or speak with a staff member in the VGCC’s Admissions Office at (252) 738-3234.