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TownTalk: Lisa Harrison Praises Area Healthcare Workers; Appears Before Congress

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If you receive a postcard in the mail from Granville Vance Public Health in the next little bit, Lisa Harrison surely would appreciate it if you agree to help out with a project that is currently underway in the two-county area.

Harrison, GVPH director, said the health department is conducting its community assessment to solicit information from residents about what is foremost on their minds with regard to health issues.

She told John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday that the health district is going to be sending out postcards to about 4,000 individuals – chosen at random – to complete an online survey that will be used to complete the community health assessment.

In addition, there will be two focus groups held next week – one at Gang Free Inc, 940 County Home Rd., Henderson on Nov. 16 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and a second at Oxford United Methodist Church, 105 W. McClanahan St., Oxford on Nov. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For the past several years, the health department has focused on mental health, substance abuse, youth well-being and access to health care services. Results from the current community assessment will help inform the direction for county health professionals to take over the next several years. Harrison said she wants the public to say “what we should spend our time and money on in the next three years.”

As health director, she is attuned to the programs offered and services needed in Vance and Granville counties.

But Harrison also currently serves as president of the board of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), which has taken her to conferences and meetings across the country.

She recently testified before Congress about the national shortage of health care workers and a possible loan repayment program to improve the situation.

“It was a really nice opportunity to brag on our workforce,” Harrison said. Those health care workers who have been “working at the tip of the spear” during the COVID-19 pandemic need to have advocates like Harrison representing them on the national level.

The hearing lasted about 4 ½ hours, but she said it seemed like there was bipartisan support for the loan repayment program.

The front-line workers battling COVID-19 aren’t much different from soldiers defending the country and keeping it safe. “I appreciate that there was some discussion…to protect Americans,” she added.

As for the staff at the health department, Harrison has nothing but glowing comments to share. “It’s always an honor and a privilege to talk about (them),” she said. They are dedicated to this community and so “it’s easy for me to tell that story.” The health department locations in Henderson and Oxford have extended clinic hours to make it easier for people to come after work and school to get vaccinated.

“Now’s the time” to get vaccinated, Harrison said. “We don’t want any more variants…(and) certainly we don’t want any more deaths. A vaccine is the best way to protect everybody.”

 

 

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Recycle/Disposal Event Set For Nov. 20 At Granville Expo Center

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The Granville County Environmental Services department is sponsoring a fall clean out event on Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents can bring recyclable items and hazardous household items for disposal. 

The event will be held at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center, located at 4185 Hwy. 15 South, Oxford.

Teresa Baker is the county’s recycling and sustainability coordinator. Items that will be collected for recycling or safe disposal include:

  • paint and paint-related materials – limit 15 paint cans per household
  • household cleaners
  • old gasoline
  • drain cleaners
  • fluorescent light tubes
  • scrap metal
  • electronics
  • batteries
  • pesticides/fungicides/herbicides
  • outdated medications, inhalers, sharps, diabetic supplies
  • ammunition
  • propane tanks
  • flares and fireworks

 

“Last year’s event was a successful one, resulting in the collection of more than 26 tons of materials for recycling and proper disposal,” Baker said. “We are looking forward to another productive collection day and invite all Granville County residents to participate.”

Baker said an on-site document shredding service also will be on site during the event and there will be a collection station for donations of pet supplies such as dog/cat food, leashes, collars, crates, pet beds, kitty litter and towels.

Assistance will be provided at each designated station for convenient unloading. For more details, please contact Baker at 919-725-1417 or at bakertd@gcs.k12.nc.us.

NCDHHS Info Session About Ages 5-11 Covid Vaccine

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Update 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 9 — If you did not get to listen live, it is still possible to watch it on social media.  The NCDHHS social media feed of the event is embedded here.

— press release from NCDHHS Monday, November 8, 2021

NCDHHS to Host Livestream Fireside Chat and Tele-Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Ages 5-11 on Nov. 9

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Tuesday, Nov. 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss the safety and effectiveness of the recently approved Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5–11.

NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D, will host the event and will be joined by pediatrician Rasheeda Monroe, M.D. Dr. Monroe currently serves as the Medical Director of Primary Care Pediatrics at WakeMed. She is also the Raleigh area Campus Director of the UNC School of Medicine and the Director to the Kenan Urban Scholars program at the UNC School of Medicine.

Molly Grantham — WBTV news anchor, author, speaker and mom of three children — will moderate the conversation.

The fireside chat will livestream from both the NCDHHS and WBTV social media accounts and will also include a tele-town hall feature. Households will be invited by phone to listen in and submit questions to help ensure everyone interested can participate. People can also dial into the event by calling 855-756-7520 Ext.76807#.

This event comes as the FDA recently authorized and the CDC now recommends a lower-dose Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5–11. Children are vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus just like everyone else, and the vaccine provides a safe, tested way to help keep them healthy.

To date, more than 69% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17, and 71% of adults, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Watch the livestreams on NCDHHS social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

NCDHHS fireside chats and tele-town halls are part of the state’s ongoing public engagement to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to timely information, resources and COVID-19 vaccines.

Coats for Kids!

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The first chill of fall is in the air, which means that colder weather is surely on the way. The Drug-Free Coalition of Granville County has launched its second annual Coats for Kids campaign to help area families in need.

The goal is to collect 200 new coats, hats, scarves and gloves for children and teenagers by Dec. 11. Donations may be dropped off at the coalition office, 912 College St., Oxford or at the office of the Granville Chamber of Commerce, 120 Hillsboro St.

The winter outerwear donations will be collected and delivered to the Flat River Baptist Association for distribution.

In addition to clothing, monetary donations also are welcomed. Make checks payable to Drug-Free Coalition of Granville County, Inc. or use the cash app $TeamDFC.

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Latest CV19 figures from Granville Vance Public Health

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In the seven day period ending Friday, there were 64 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 5.2%.

In the seven day period ending Friday, there were 62 new cases in Granville County. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 3.5%.

Granville County has a total of 102 deaths as a result of CV19 and Vance County has a total of 102 deaths.

In Vance County, 66% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 61% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 71% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV19 vaccine and 67% are fully vaccinated.

71% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 67% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.

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Granville School Board, Commissioners To Meet Monday, Nov. 8 To Discuss Draft Voting District Maps

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The Granville County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners will hold a special joint session next week to discuss – as required by law – the revision of voting districts.

The meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center, 4815 US-15, Oxford, NC 27565.

The meeting, which will include an opportunity for public input, will be recorded and the video will be made available on the GCPS website, according to Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent of curriculum & instruction and student services and public information officer.

Visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Granville-County-Plan-5.pdf to view a draft of the district revisions. Maps are available for in-person viewing at the Richard H. Thornton Library, 210 Main Street, Oxford, the South Branch Library, 1550 South Campus Dr., Creedmoor and at the Granville County administration building, 141 Williamsboro St., Oxford.

Persons who wish to speak at the meeting must sign up prior to the start of the meeting in the Expo Center lobby.  Each speaker may address the boards for up to three minutes. Comments on topics other than revision of county voting districts will not be permitted at this meeting.

South Granville HS Campus Converts To Middle School In 2022-23; SGHS, Granville Central Merging

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The Granville County Board of Education made some moves toward school reorganization and consolidation by voting Monday to move the campus of G.C. Hawley Middle School to the current South Granville High School campus. The move will be effective for the 2022-23 school year. The board chose not to close any other schools, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent of curriculum & instruction and student services and public information officer.

The decision effectively merges the two southern-end high schools at the current Granville Central High School location in Stem. In a written statement to WIZS Tuesday, Winborne said the southern-end high school would have its own identity, which implies that it will be called neither South Granville High nor Granville Central.

The decision to move Hawley was not unanimous; the board voted 5-2, with Dr. Tom Houlihan and Leonard Peace, both former school board chairmen, voting against the motion. The motion to shift the middle school students to the campus of South Granville and the high school students to Granville Central’s campus was made by Chairman David Richardson and seconded by Dr. Gregory McKnight.

The school board has been considering different options for reorganization and consolidation for the past couple of years; some of the options included closing Wilton and Creedmoor elementary schools and converting Tar River Elementary to a middle school so the Hawley students could be relocated there.

County commissioners recently nixed the renovation of Hawley Middle School when the estimated costs were shown to be upwards of $25 million.

In the past several years, enrollment in Granville County Public Schools has trended downward, due in part to families choosing to send children to charter schools. The district has faced schools with more empty classrooms and teachers taking jobs in larger districts nearby in search of higher pay and supplements.

There have been opportunities for the public to comment on the various options that the school board was considering; at a public hearing on Oct. 18, parents and staff of Tar River Elementary spoke strongly against making the K-5 school a middle school.

In addition to the votes mentioned above, Winborne outlined the different motions that passed and failed during Monday’s board meeting:

  • A motion to leave open Wilton and Creedmoor schools passed unanimously.
  • The motion to close Creedmoor Elementary and keep Wilton open failed 3-4. Glenda Williams, Amanda LaBrecque and Houlihan voted yes and Anderson, McKnight, Richardson and Peace voted no.
  • The vote to make Tar River a middle school also failed. Williams, Peace and Houlihan voted yes and Ethel Anderson, McKnight, Richardson and LaBrecque voted no.
  • The motion to take Tar River off the closure list passed 5-2; Williams and Peace voted against the motion.
  • The motion to take Wilton off the closure list failed 3-4; Anderson, McKnight, Richardson and Peace voted no.

Granville Economic Development Director Appointed To Regional Foreign Trade Zone #93 Board

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Granville County Economic Development Director Harry Mills has been appointed to the Rates, Tariff, and Legal Review Board for the Research Triangle Area Foreign Trade Zone #93. Mills will serve a three-year term, beginning Jan. 1, 2022, along with eleven others representing Granville, Chatham, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Person, Sampson, Vance, Wake, Warren and Wilson counties, according to a statement from Granville County’s public information officer Terry Hobgood.

The Foreign Trade Zone #93 Board’s job is to review and recommend applications for zone status; adopting a zone schedule including rates, rules and regulations; and ensuring the Grantee operates the zone as a public utility.

Triangle J Council of Governments is the grantee of the Research Triangle Area’s full-service, multi-site Foreign Trade Zone #93, which allows companies importing and exporting products to reduce or delay custom duties or taxes on products received within the zone. All zone activities must result in public benefit and a net positive economic effect. Triangle J Council of Governments views the Foreign Trade Zone as a benefit to member organizations through its ability to stimulate international trade in the region, create jobs engaged in international trade, and encourage job creation in the larger market.

Granville County is the home of two companies conducting operations as approved sites in Foreign Trade Zone #93: one is Revlon Consumer Products in Oxford, and the second is AW North Carolina in Butner.

To learn more, visit https://www.tjcog.org/focus-areas-community-economic-development/foreign-trade-zone .

 

 

I Voted Sticker

Municipal Elections in Granville County Nov. 2

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Update 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 2 — Local Municipal Election Results in Granville County

All election results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Elections.

Incumbent Mayor Jackie Sergent of Oxford defeated challenger Sherry Harris. Sergeant received 964 votes to 363 for Harris.

The four candidates for City of Oxford Commissioner who received the most votes were S. Quon Bridges with 928 votes, Patricia Fields with 768 votes, Bryan Cohn with 710 votes and B. Seth Lumpkins with 699 votes. Otherwise, Cortney Crudup received 573 votes, John Oliver with 453, Walkiria Jones with 304, and there were 24 write-in votes.

Town of Stovall Mayor – Mike Williford over Curtis Pugh with Williford receiving 81 votes and Pugh receiving 19, and there were two write-in votes.

Town of Stovall Commissioner – The top two candidates receiving votes were Carl Roberts with 73 and Douglas Lunsford, Jr. with 63; Tonya Sneed received 43 votes.

Town of Butner Mayor – Terry Turner 273 votes; Nine write-ins.

Town of Butner Council, where voters could choose three – Michel Branch 232 votes; Judy Cheek 225; Thomas W. (Tom) Lane 217; five write-ins.

City of Creedmoor Mayor – Bobby Wheeler 162 votes; 17 write-ins.

City of Creedmoor Commissioner, where voters could choose two – Robert Way 136 votes; Emma Albright 128; 22 write-ins.

Town of Stem Mayor – Casey Dover 35 votes; one write-in vote.

Town of Stem Commissioner – With voters selecting three, Susan Cope received 32 votes; Kevin Easter 31 votes; Frank N. Shelton III 31 votes; five write-ins.

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Update Monday, Nov 1 —

In Oxford, incumbent Mayor Jackie Sergent is being challenged by Sherry Shavon Harris.

For City of Oxford Commissioner, citizens may vote for four of the following: S. Quon Bridges; Bryan K. Cohn; Courtney Crudup; Patricia T. Fields; Walkiria Jones; B. Seth Lumpkins; John L. Oliver.

In the Town of Stovall, for mayor, Curtis S. Pugh and Mike Williford are running to fill the vacancy created by retiring Mayor Janet Parrott. She did not file for re-election.

Parrott told WIZS News in July she was retiring from her role as mayor after 42 years. She was first elected in 1979 when she was 24 years old, she added, but will continue to work as administrator for the town of Stovall.

Town of Stovall voters are also to choose two from the following for commissioner: Douglas Lunsford, Jr.; Carl T. Roberts; Tonya N. Sneed.

The three other incumbent mayors of Butner, Creedmoor and Stem are running unopposed and they are Terry Turner, Bobby Wheeler and Casey Dover respectively.

For Town of Butner Council Member, there are three names and votes are to choose three. Michel Branch, Judy Cheek and Thomas W. (Tom) Lane appear on the ballot.

City of Creedmoor citizens vote for two for City of Creedmoor Commissioner, and there are two names on the ballot, Emma L. Albright and Robert Way.

Similarly, for Town of Stem Commissioner there are three names on the ballot, including Susan Cope, Kevin Easter and Frank N. Shelton III, and Stem residents are to vote for three.

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CV-19 Local Data from Granville Vance Public Health

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In the seven days ending this past Friday, there were 82 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 5.2%.

In the seven days ending Friday, there have been 81 new cases in Granville County. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 3.0%.

In Vance County, 66% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV-19 vaccine and 61% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 71% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their CV-19 vaccine and 67% are fully vaccinated.

71% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 67% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.