VGCC students partner to register bone marrow donors

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The SkillsUSA chapter at Vance-Granville Community College recently teamed up with national organizations and a local cancer survivor to find some potential heroes.

The survivor, Whitney Johnson Espinosa of Henderson, who calls her campaign against childhood cancer “Whitney’s Hope,” organized a bone marrow registration drive in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus. She connected with the SkillsUSA student organization through her mother, VGCC Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland.

Espinosa was working in concert with three national organizations, “There Goes My Hero,” Delete Blood Cancer and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, to register new bone marrow donors. “Your college drive is an amazing opportunity to impact the lives of patients around the world who need bone marrow transplants by improving their chances of finding a matching donor,” Kristina Gaddy of There Goes My Hero wrote to Espinosa.

There Goes My Hero was founded by transplant recipient Erik Sauer in 2008, and seeks to provide hope and nourishment to leukemia patients and their families. Since its founding, the organization has added over 10,000 new people to the bone marrow registry.

The event at VGCC registered 30 new donors. Students, faculty, staff and community members signed up and swabbed their cheeks to provide DNA samples. The painless registration process took only a few minutes, but could save a life if a participant turns out to be a match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Such treatments are the only hope for many people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other blood cancers and diseases. VGCC held a similar drive in 2015 in partnership with the Project Life Movement and the “Save the Fox” campaign.

The initiative is one of several community service projects that have been conducted under the auspices of the college’s SkillsUSA organization. VGCC recently joined the national partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Students in a variety of VGCC programs are eligible to join SkillsUSA. For more information on SkillsUSA at VGCC, contact Public Services department chair Steve Hargrove at hargroves@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3467.

For more information on becoming a bone marrow donor, visit www.ThereGoesMyHero.org or www.deletebloodcancer.org.

Granville Sheriff asks for your help

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Granville County Sheriff’s Office needs your help in locating Kenneth “Buddy” McIlhenny last known address of Grassy Creek Rd. He has outstanding warrants for Felony Larceny, Obtaining Property by False Pretense and Larceny of a Firearm. If you have information regarding his whereabouts please contact 911 or Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213.

VGCC to host Afternoon Tea class

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Vance-Granville Community College will offer a course on the “afternoon tea” party, the tradition that is enjoying a renaissance as fine hotels, inns and tea rooms across the country give guests an opportunity to retreat from the hurried pace of their lives.

The course, called “Let’s Have a Tea Party,” will meet on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m., starting March 29. The final class and “graduation” ceremony is an actual afternoon tea party planned and facilitated by the students at Magnolia Manor Plantation in Warrenton on April 19, thanks to the generosity of owners Sheila and Larry Carver.

The instructor will be Dr. B.K. McCloud of Oxford, a 2012 graduate of the course and historian for the Old North State Tea Society (ONSTS). McCloud has a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and retired as a full professor of education at North Carolina Central University. She is also a member of the Granville County Historical Society and a docent at the Granville County Museum.

After completing the tea class at VGCC under the instruction of Constance Lue of Oxford, McCloud has continued her education in the world of tea by attending meetings of the ONSTS, frequenting tea rooms, reading, building her personal tea library, and attending classes. In 2013, she attended the International World Tea Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2015, McCloud participated in a tea master-class with international tea expert Jane Pettigrew in London, under the auspices of the U.K. Tea Council. That same year, she received her certification as a Tea and Etiquette Consultant after studying with Bruce and Shelley Richardson in Lexington, Kentucky.

McCloud’s students will learn about the history of tea; the difference between an afternoon tea party, a royal tea party and “High Tea”; and the proper way to make the best pot of tea. They will have tastings of a wide variety of teas (black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal) at each class meeting. Beyond the specifics of teas, students will consider qualities of grace, civility and etiquette. Participants might use what they learn to hold their own tea parties for children as well as their adult friends. Afternoon Tea also can be a way to raise funds for churches and clubs.

The cost of the course is $60 for four class sessions, plus $20 for the final tea at Magnolia Manor. Students will receive a valuable resource manual with recipes for tea time, tips on flower arranging, and a section on etiquette.

The deadline to register for this class is March 26. Prospective students can register online at www.vgcc.edu/ped or in person at Main Campus, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.

VGCC installs first officers for SkillsUSA chapter

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The Vance-Granville Community College chapter of the national SkillsUSA organization, established only a few months ago, now has its first official student leaders.

On Feb. 29, four students signed their contracts and took their oaths as chapter officers. They included President Benjamin Layton of Kittrell (a Criminal Justice Technology student), Secretary/Treasurer Ashley Allen of Henderson (Office Administration), Reporter Harold Todd of Oxford (Criminal Justice Technology) and Parliamentarian Daniel Johnson of Louisburg (Paralegal Technology).

Performing the installation was Steve Hargrove, who chairs the Public Services department at VGCC and serves as lead advisor for the chapter. VGCC Paralegal Technology program head Antoinette Dickens, Office Administration program head Christal Thomas, Office Administration instructor Candy Parker, Medical Office Administration instructor Hollie Garrett and Business & Applied Technologies administrative assistant Kimberly Elliott also serve as advisors. Other faculty members are also helping to support and advise various committees for the organization.

At the installation ceremony, Hargrove played a video message that was recorded specifically for the historic occasion by Peyton Holland, the executive director of SkillsUSA North Carolina.

In closing remarks, VGCC Business Technologies department chair Spring Tucker thanked the students for taking on their new leadership roles.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations excel. Founded in 1965 as V.I.C.A. (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA has served nearly 12 million members in its 50-year history. Today, the organization has more than 360,000 students and instructors as members nationwide.

Among the benefits to VGCC students are opportunities to participate in competitions at the local, state and national levels, which are designed by industry experts and showcase the nation’s top career and technical education students. The chapter also provides students with opportunities for leadership, professional development, community service and social activities.

VGCC will soon send a delegation to the 50th annual SkillsUSA North Carolina State Leadership and Skills Conference, which will be held in Greensboro on April 19-21. Over 2,500 students, instructors, industry members, and volunteers will be on hand for the largest showcase of career and technical education in the state.

For more information on SkillsUSA at VGCC, contact Public Services department chair Steve Hargrove at hargroves@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3467.

Tobacco Trust Fund awards grant to VGCC

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The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has awarded a $25,000 grant to Vance-Granville Community College to support students in a pair of training programs.

The grant, for a project entitled “Cultivating and Growing Agricultural Communities,” will help cover the cost of tuition and other fees for eligible students in the “NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship” and “Heavy Equipment Operator” courses offered by VGCC. Grant funding will also support instructional staff, marketing and supplies related to the programs.

VGCC has offered the Agricultural Entrepreneurship program at various locations, most recently at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and the Granville County Expo & Convention Center. Heavy Equipment Operator training is held at VGCC’s Warren County Campus.

While this is the first grant of its kind awarded to VGCC, the college has previously received grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission as part of “Project Skill-UP.” As in those previous grants, the commission’s goal is to help individuals and communities adversely affected by the decline of tobacco-related employment in the region.

“We appreciate that the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission chose to support our agricultural efforts to help adults in our service area to gain new skills and in some cases, to start new careers or businesses,” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s coordinator of Human Resources Development.

The seven-week NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship course is designed specifically to help local farmers and budding entrepreneurs succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound small farms or agricultural businesses.

One of VGCC’s newest programs, Heavy Equipment Operator training takes approximately 13 weeks to complete. During the course, students gain a general understanding of the requirements necessary to operate equipment such as a motor grader, a four-wheel drive loader and backhoe, which are used both in construction and in agriculture.

Students receiving grant funding must meet certain eligibility requirements and must be residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin or Warren counties. Each student can receive up to $250.

For more information on receiving assistance and the opportunities available at VGCC, contact Kyle Burwell at hrd-wk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3276.

For more information on the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, visit www.tobaccotrustfund.org.

VGCC to offer Biotech Workshop to high school students

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Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled its fourth annual Biotech Workshop for local high school students, as one of a series of VGCC Arts & Sciences camps and workshops being held this year.

All tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders who have taken or are currently taking biology and chemistry are invited to attend the workshop, which is set to take place over the course of two Saturdays: April 2 and April 9, each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students must attend on both days.

Sessions will be taught by VGCC faculty in the state-of-the-art biotech lab in Building 8 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. “This workshop will give students a great opportunity to build their résumés and gain hands-on experience in a real laboratory with advanced equipment,” said VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head Dr. Tara Hamilton, who will oversee the workshop. “You can develop lab skills here that you can use in college and in various STEM careers, whether it’s in scientific research, high-tech manufacturing or medicine.”

Students will be introduced to Biotechnology, which is broadly described as using living organisms to develop and manufacture products for human use. This can range from making yogurt and cheese to producing human proteins in bacteria. This workshop will focus on the manipulation and use of various cellular molecules and the techniques commonly employed in a biotechnology laboratory.  Participants will separate proteins and DNA on gels, learn how to culture bacteria for use in obtaining a useful product, and become accustomed to utilizing common laboratory equipment.

The cost to attend the workshop is $50, which includes lunch each day.

This opportunity is one of a number of initiatives by the VGCC Arts & Sciences division to reach out into the community with unique learning activities. The annual VGCC Science Camp for rising sixth, seventh and eighth graders and the Teenworks Drama Camp, which targets rising eighth graders through high school seniors, will both be held this summer.

Registration for the Biotech workshop can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/camps. For more information, contact Dr. Hamilton at (252) 738-3285 or hamiltont@vgcc.edu.

Thomas Jefferson makes first visit to VGCC

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Vance-Granville Community College students, faculty, staff and members of the community recently felt that they were in the presence of one of our nation’s Founding Fathers, when Bill Barker, in character as President Thomas Jefferson, presented the first in a series of three lectures. Barker has a local connection, as his father was an Oxford native and he has many relatives in Granville County.

The college’s Arts and Sciences division is offering a spring lecture series featuring Barker, the critically acclaimed resident “Mr. Jefferson” at Colonial Williamsburg, Va. The public is invited to attend the Jefferson presentations.

On Feb. 18, the series kicked off with “Mr. Jefferson and the Pursuit of Science.” Barker will return to present “Mr. Jefferson and the U.S. Constitution,” on Thursday, March 17, at 11 a.m. The final presentation will be “Mr. Jefferson and Slavery,” on Thursday, April 21, at 11 a.m. Each of these hour-long lectures are being held in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson.

At his first engagement, the special guest was introduced by VGCC English department chair David Wyche, who noted that Barker is the same height, weight and general appearance as Mr. Jefferson. He has portrayed Thomas Jefferson in a variety of venues since his first appearance at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1984 and has conducted extensive research on Jefferson and his world. “Short of time travel, this is as close as we can come to meeting the man himself,” Wyche said.

“Jefferson” expressed his pleasure at visiting an educational institution like VGCC, noting that when he was growing up, education was only available to male children of families with means. “I hope for the day when everyone will have the opportunity to go to school, poor as well as wealthy, female as well as male, so that all will have a better opportunity to pursue ‘natural philosophy,’ what you now call ‘science,’” he said. Science, he added, is “founded upon open and free conversation, an open mind to pursue everything, to question everything, and thereby through objective reasoning to arrive at the discovery of facts.”

Barker, never breaking character, discussed the wide variety of scientific and technological advances that fascinated Jefferson. “What will happen in the next century, or two centuries?” he wondered. “Imagine! The greatest product this nation has to offer the world is imagination.” The president said that he still lived in a “four-mile-per hour world,” with both transportation and communication tied to the speed of horses, ships and “your own two feet.”

Jefferson said that he was frequently asked to name the greatest invention of this modern world, and his answer was “the printing press,” for its power to disseminate information and encourage literacy. “When you read for yourself, you begin to think for yourself,” he said. “You are no longer beholden to hearsay; you have the opportunity to read the facts distinctly for yourself, to put your mind to work, to ponder and to question, to objectively look at things.” He also touched upon fields like astronomy, agriculture, medicine, paleontology and even the science of government.

“What a bright future we have,” Barker said, from Jefferson’s perspective. “I enjoy much more the dreams of our future than I do the history of our past.”

For more information on the lecture series, call David Wyche at (252) 738-3364 or Deanna Stegall at (252) 738-3311.

Local Pastors Visit Local Schools

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Earlier in February, Pastors of local churches took time out of their busy schedules to visit four schools in the Vance County Schools system.

The school system invited pastors and church leaders throughout Vance County to take part in the four-hour event during the morning to learn more about the many positive things happening in local schools.

Dr. Anthony D. Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools, led the group of about 15 pastors on the tours. They visited the STEM Early High School, Pinkston Street Elementary School, Zeb Vance Elementary School and Early College High School. Breakfast and lunch also were provided for the participants at the school system’s Administrative Services Center.

At the STEM Early High School, Principal Rey Horner was joined by his school’s student ambassadors in leading the pastors in visits to several classrooms. They saw students in each classroom led by their teacher in hands-on work with electrical power boards, open discussions about literature written by famous African American authors, group discussions and students using Smartboards to solve mathematical equations and indepth discussions about our nation’s economy.

Heddie Somerville, principal of Pinkston Street and the school system’s Principal of the Year, welcomed the group to her school and had staff members take them to several classrooms where they had a chance to interact with teachers and students during their instruction time. Somerville and her staff also stressed how the school’s wing for classrooms in grades 3-5 is called “College Row” and daily discussions are held with students to encourage them to begin planning to pursue a college education.

Kristian Herring, the new principal of Zeb Vance Elementary, met the group as they arrived at his school. Student representatives led the pastors on tours of the school. They talked with several teachers and students in their classrooms and learned about the emphasis on reading throughout the school. Herring also explained to them how his faculty and staff work as teams to identify students’ specific needs and their academic progress throughout the school year.

Their final visit was to the Early College High School on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC). Their visit was led by Vangie Mitchell, liaison between Early College and VGCC, who explained the unique partnership to enable students to complete their high school career and receive two years of college coursework at no cost to them. Pastors again were able to visit in several classrooms.

The school system has now hosted elected officials and business leaders, as well as the pastors, in visits to local schools. More of these events will be scheduled as school officials work to communicate with stakeholders about the services and programs provided to students.

(The preceding comes from a press release issued by VCS.  The pastors visited the local schools on February 3, but we are just now publishing this information at this time on WIZS.com.)

Warren and Granville Legal Press Releases

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Warren 02-23-16 Press Release

Granville 02-26-16 Press Release

 

Warrenton, NC – Warren County Superior Case Management Court was held Monday, February 22, 2016. The Honorable Donald W. Stephens was the Superior Court Judge presiding over this session of Court. Bond motions were held in the cases of State of North Carolina vs. Darren Alston, State of North Carolina vs. Marquis M. Davis and State of North Carolina vs. Montrell Davis. These defendants are each charged with First Degree Murder arising out of the death of Michael Pressley on August 9,2015. After hearing from Assistant District Attorney Onica Fuller, and the attorneys for each of the defendants, bond was set at $1,000,000.00 secured in the cases of State of North Carolina vs. Marquis M. Davis and Montrell Davis. Defendant Darren A. Alston did not ask to be heard on bond at this time. The fourth defendant charged, Kadeem J. Grooms, was not in court on February 22, 2016, because his attorney was unavailable. A fifth defendant, Keshan Goode, is charged with Felony Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder, and his bond was set at $50,000.00 secured.

 

Oxford, NC – Granville County Criminal Superior Trial Court was held during the week of February 22, 2016. The Honorable W. Osmond Smith, III presided over the week long session. The Office of District Attorney Mike Waters was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Allison Capps, Tasha Gardner and Mike Putney.

Davey Allen pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in the death of Suzy Hester. Ms. Hester was the nighttime caregiver for Mr. Allen’s grandmother who was an invalid. Mr. Allen entered his grandmother’s home on the evening of October 5,2013, and stabbed Ms. Hester multiple times. Judge Smith sentenced Mr. Allen to 365 to 450 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction (DAC). This case was investigated by the Oxford Police Department and was prepared for trial by Assistant District Attorneys Tasha Gardner and Allison Capps.

After Judge Smith declared that he was capable of proceeding to trial, Jose Dominguez-Lopez plead guilty to Second Degree Sex Offense. Dominguez-Lopez received an active sentence of 78 months minimum to 148 months maximum in DAC. Dominguez-Lopez was charged after he assaulted a woman on Westbourne Drive in Creedmoor. After a short man-hunt, Dominguez-Lopez was apprehended by officers of the Creedmoor Police Department while hiding in a shed on nearby Sam Moss Hayes Road.

Tyre Burnette pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. Burnette received an active sentence of 28 months minimum to 43 months maximum in DAC. Burnette and a co-defendant, Anthony Mann, were involved in the beating of Kedric Hester on Otho Mangum Road. Anthony Mann also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, as well as, various drug and weapon charges. Mann received an active sentence of 18-31 months in DAC. Detectives from the Granville County Sheriffs Office investigated all
of these cases.

Thurston Darius Bobbitt pleaded guilty to Attempted Common Law Robbery and Felony Fleeing to Elude an Officer. Bobbitt received an active sentence of 16 months minimum to 38 months maximum in DAC. The Attempted Common Law Robbery charge arose from the attempted robbery of the Shell Station located at 3901 Oxford Loop Road on September 16, 2014, and was investigated by detectives of the Oxford Police Department. The Fleeing to Elude an Officer charge arose from a high speed chase that began in the city limits of Oxford and ended at Wilton Elementary School on February 2, 2016. The chase involved officers from Oxford Police Department and The Granville County Sheriffs Office.

Phillip Markunas pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. On September 9,2014, the United States Marshall Service, Eastern District of North Carolina, Violent Fugitive Task Force assisted the Granville County Sheriff’s Office with verifying registration compliance of all registered sex offenders in Granville County. Upon search of the camper that Markunas resided in, officers recovered several firearms and knives. Markunas was previously convicted of Indecent Liberties with a child on December 2, 2013.

James Tunstall pleaded guilty to Felonious Possession of Cocaine. Tunstall received an active sentence of 6 months minimum to 17 months maximum in DAC. Officers of Oxford Police Department executed a traffic stop of the vehicle Tunstall was driving on October 13, 2014. In plain view was an open container of alcohol. A further search of the vehicle yielded illegal controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.

Tiffany Thomas pleaded gUilty to Habitual Misdemeanor Larceny. Thomas received a minimum of 8 months to a maximum of 19 months suspended with supervised probation. As a condition of probation, she was ordered to serve a 60 day sentence. On May 28, 2015, Thomas entered the Family Dollar located at 117 Hilltop Village, shortly before the store was to close. After walking around with a tote and filling it with various household items, Thomas left the store without paying for the items. Officers of the Oxford Police Department responded and Thomas was immediately apprehended.

Granville Vance Tornado Path

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Director of Emergency Operations for Henderson and Vance County Brian Short provided the picture below to WIZS News by email.

In his email, he wrote, “(Wednesday’s) tornadoes caused significant damage in the northern portion of Vance County. While we believe at this time that we had three separate tornadoes in total, I have attached some locational data showing four points that we feel strongly are tornado touchdowns in Vance County. This helps to define the path of the tornado that caused the damage in the northern part of the County.”

According to what Short is saying, there were apparently three separate tornadoes believed to have been in Vance County on Wednesday, while the picture shows the path of a single tornado which it is believed caused the damage in northern Vance County.  The path pictured is of the tornado which caused so much damage in the Huntsboro community in Granville County before moving into Vance County and touching down as many as four more times.

tornado track 022416