Repair Café NC Information Event Coming To Oxford July 15

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An organization called Repair Café NC is having an informational meeting for Granville County residents on Thursday evening at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co.

Repair Café NC has numerous programs across the state, and it’s a way to connect people who have broken household items with others in the community who can fix them. The local organizers are Oxford resident Tom Fick and Teresa Baker, the county’s recycling coordinator.

Sometimes a simple repair is all it takes to keep an item working – and keeping it out of the landfill.

According to the group’s website, Repair Café “brings together people to share skills and solve problems. Valuable practical knowledge is getting passed on. Things are being used for longer and don’t have to be thrown away.”

The event is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co., located at 117 Wall St., Oxford.

To register, visit www.repaircafenc.org.

Families Living Violence Free

Families Living Violence Free Has Moved

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Families Living Violence Free has moved.

The new location is 211 West Antioch Drive, Henrahand Cottage, Oxford, NC 27565.

Learn more at (919) 693-3579 or www.flvf.org.

The 24/7/365 crisis line is 919-693-5700 for English and 919-690-0888 for Spanish.

Hot Sauce Festival Seeking Volunteers

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Are you ready for the heat? Volunteers are needed for the 15th Annual Hot Sauce Contest and Festival that will take place in downtown Oxford Saturday, September 11th from 11am until 5pm. If you are interested in volunteering for the Hot Sauce Contest and Festival or for other city or Department of Economic Development Commission events contact Alyssa Blair at 919-603-1102 or Rebekah Guiterrez-Olivares at 919-603-1101. Free T-shirts will be given to volunteers.  The festival features barbecue & hot sauces and locally crafted products along with food trucks, selected crafted brews, unique sounds from local bands, a pepper eating contest, classic car show, and attendees can cheer for their favorite sauce to win a 2021 medal naming best sauces.

The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year, this is sure to be one Smokin’ Hot event.

Stephen Horton of Oxford to serve as commissioner of NC State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision

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Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Stephen Horton of Oxford to serve as the commissioner of the North Carolina State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision. The Appointment became effective June 17.

Horton is the deputy compact administrator for the Interstate Compact for Juveniles at the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice.

Horton and other state and territory commissioners serve on The Interstate Commission for Juveniles, the governing body of the Interstate Compact for Juveniles. Commission members include representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands, who work together to preserve child welfare and promote public safety.

The Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) is the law that regulates the interstate movement of juveniles who are under court supervision or have run away to another state. The ICJ is a contract that has been adopted as law throughout the United States. The Commission is responsible for promoting and enforcing rules to implement the ICJ.

Horton also serves on the ICJ Rules Committee, which provides oversight and guidance regarding proposed rule amendments throughout the ICJ rule-making process.

Horton began working in Court Services District 24, which includes Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties, in April 1999. He’s worked in various positions during his 22 years with Juvenile Justice, including court counselor, court counselor supervisor, and staff development specialist. In May 2014, he began serving as the deputy compact administrator for Interstate Compact for North Carolina.

Horton graduated from Appalachian State University in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Literacy Tutors To Help K-3 Students Overcome Loss Of Instructional Time During Pandemic

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The plea from N.C. Education Corps is as simple as A-B-C: school children in grades K-3 need literacy tutors to help overcome lost instructional time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for paid, part-time tutors are being taken now, but the deadline is July 20, 2021 to be considered for the next wave of tutors that will work in specific counties across the state, including Vance and Granville.

Tutors will commit to work for nine months, according to information received from the non-profit organization, which is “committed to helping all NC students have the support they need to thrive.”

Vance County Schools has openings for 16 literacy tutors; Granville County Public Schools has 6 slots open. The organization hopes to send 250 literacy tutors to more than 20 N.C. counties to work directly with K-3 students during the school day. There also are 3 positions open at Henderson Collegiate; applicants should have a high school diploma and some college experience. The pay rate is $13.15/hour.

The pay in Vance for the tutor position is in the $13.15 – $25 per hour range, depending on experience. Applicants must have at least a high school diploma. In Granville, the pay range is $15-$25 per hour, depending on experience. Applicants must have a minimum of 48 hours of college credit.

The group recruits community college and university students, recent college graduates, retirees, and adults who are actively engaged in their community, with a “special focus on recruiting students from universities and community colleges with teacher prep programs,” according to the statement, with the hope that “young corps members consider a career in public education and public service after working with NCEC and our school partners.”

Visit www.nceducationcorps.org to learn more.

 

 

 

 

 

Granville Chamber Announces Roberson As New Executive Director

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Vance County native Lauren Bennett Roberson has been named the new executive director of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce. Roberson will begin her job on Monday, July 12, according to a press release.

The Chamber’s board of directors made the announcement on Thursday. Roberson is a 2012 graduate of NC State University and has experience in working in a family business, as well as with marketing and social media, the press release stated.

In accepting the position, Roberson told the board she looks forward to working in the community.  “The chamber has and will continue to be a vital part of the county by advocating for our members and shining a spotlight on this thriving community,” Roberson said. “I love Granville County and cannot wait to meet with and show our members and potential members what the Chamber has to offer them.”

The statement from the chamber board said “she brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the position as well as an innovative spirit that will serve as a basis for growing and supporting out membership.”

Roberson and husband Colin are members of Island Creek Baptist Church in Vance County. They have one daughter, Everly.

Longtime director Ginnie Currin retired in late 2020, after serving as director since 1997. The chamber board statement said it looks forward to Roberson continuing the work begun under Currin’s leadership.

NCDOT

US 15-Hester Road Intersection Will Become A 4-Way Stop On July 21

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The N.C. Department of Transportation has announced that the intersection of U.S. Hwy 15 and Hester Road will become a 4-way stop on July 21, weather permitting.

The intersection is located a couple of miles north of Creedmoor and currently requires vehicles to stop on Hester Road, but not on U.S. 15.  The change comes after the DOT investigated traffic volumes and the number and severity of crashes at the intersection.

In addition to the extra “stop” signs, crews will also be installing “stop ahead” and “stop” pavement markings on U.S. 15 to help warn motorists of the new traffic pattern. Additionally, LED stop signs and stop ahead warning signs will be installed.

Drivers should slow down, obey workers controlling traffic and proceed through the intersection with caution during its reconfiguration, which will be completed by that afternoon, according to a press release from NC DOT.

These improvements are being made through NCDOT’s SPOT Safety Program, which identifies safety projects that are expected to be the most beneficial and feasible and address departmental goals.

Converting intersections into all-way stops has been shown to reduce fatalities and injuries by 77 percent.

Visit the department’s all-way stop webpage to learn more.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

Granville County Logo

Latest Granville County Election Filings

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According to Tanya C. Burnette, Granville Co. Board of Elections director, the following candidates have filed for the Nov. 2nd elections.

In Oxford, Jackie Sergent has filed for Mayor, she is currently in her fifth term having been first elected in 2011.

John L. Oliver and Patricia T. Fields have filed for City of Oxford Commissioners seats. Fields is a current commissioner.

In Butner, Terry Turner has filed for reelection as mayor and Michel Branch has filed for reelection to the Butner Town Council.

In Creedmoor, Emma Louise Albright has filed for town commissioner.

In Stem, Casey Dover has filed for reelection and Susan Cope has filed for town commissioner.

In Stovall, current town commissioner Mike Williford has filed for Mayor and Douglas Lunsford,Jr., Carl T. Roberts and Tonya N. Sneed have filed for town commissioner.

Once again, this information is provided to WIZS by Tanya C. Burnette, Granville Co. Board of Elections Director.

 

Granville Board Of Education Seeks Community Input Through Survey About Consolidation Next-Steps

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The Granville County Board of Education is seeking input from the community as it continues to make decisions about how to most efficiently operate its schools in the wake of declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.

Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer for GCPS, said the board wants to hear from the families it serves and invites them to complete a survey to share their opinions.

The link to the survey is: https://gcsk12.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_26uiHcScrE7ke58

“Our board has created a short informational video linked HERE explaining the challenges our school district faces with regards to declining enrollment and the resulting inefficiencies that impact our operations,” Winborne said in a statement.  Currently, the Board needs to find $1.7 million in annual savings to balance the budget, Winborne said.

The school board is currently looking at reorganization and consolidation of school. In the past three years, three schools have been closed, and one campus and other auxiliary properties have been sold.

Surveys may be completed online, or hard copies may be picked up from any GCPS school or public library beginning today (Tuesday, July 6). The survey closes at midnight on Sunday, July 11, 2021, Winborne noted.

County Manager, Administrative Staff Occupy Newly Renovated Office Space

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Granville County residents who have business to conduct at the county administrative office, take note: several components of county government are now located at 104 Belle Street in Oxford, just a short distance from the previous spot on Williamsboro Street.

The recently completed move means a little more elbow room for the office of the county manager, assistant county manager, as well as human resources and a couple of others who work in county government, said Lynn Allred, public information officer/grants coordinator. Allred’s office also is located in the new space.

A small conference room is set up for individual commissioners to hold meetings and conduct business, Allred said. In addition, there are a couple of larger conference rooms designed to accommodate groups. The building originally was the Carolina Power & Light Co. office, Allred said, and more recently had been home to an insurance agency.

“The mission of Granville County is to provide its residents with an array of services to enhance their quality of life through a responsive, effective and efficient local government, County Manager Mike Felts said in a press release announcing the move.

104 Belle Street; Oxford, NC

It’s part of a continuing effort to better utilize available space and to plan for future expansions, Allred noted. A 2010 space needs study made recommendations that have resulted in relocating several county entities to new or existing facilities.

The N.C. Cooperative Extension office moved in 2017 to its location on the campus of the Tobacco Research Station and the board of elections moved to space previous occupied by the extension service on Wall Street in Oxford. A new animal shelter and law enforcement center in 2020 is another example of how the county is addressing the needs for efficient use of space.

Felts stated that there are several options for what will occupy their former office space on Williamsboro Street. “Once final decisions are made, we will begin taking steps to transition other county services into the available space,” he added.

Mailing address remains the same for the county manager/administration staff and human resources: P.O. Box 906, Oxford, NC 27565. Phone numbers and email addresses are unchanged as well.

The finance and tax administration offices remain in operation at 141 Williamsboro Street.

To learn more, call 919.693.5240.