Early College Recognitions
Administrators and faculty members at the Vance County Early College High School hosted their annual “Leading the Pack” celebration for outstanding students on February 9, in the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College.
There were 18 students honored during the celebration as they near the end of their fourth year in the five-year program and are on target to complete their high school education and have two years of college course credits when they graduate in May of 2017.
The students honored included Christopher Blue, David Cobbs, Nealee Fisher, Sierra Hawkins, Mychell Keith, Kristen Oakes, Bali Reavis, Autumn Richardson, Alexandra Saravia, Rebecca Short, Alicia Tucker, Jacob Weaver, Angel White, Darius Williams, Hailey Williamson, Jordan Williamson, Anautica Wilson and April Zuniga-Trejo.
Upon completion of their studies at Early College, the students will receive their high school diplomas and will have college course credits to transfer to four-year colleges and universities as juniors. Some will successfully complete work to receive a two-year associates degree in a chosen field of study from Vance-Granville Community College.
Principal Michael Bullard of Early College, led the celebration. He was joined in recognizing each of the students by Dr. Anthony D. Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of Vance-Granville Community College; Dr. Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent of Student Services and Strategic Planning at Vance County Schools; and Dr. Angela Ballentine, vice president of Academic and Student Affairs at Vance-Granville Community College.
(Information supplied to WIZS by VCS press release.)
Schools
Vance County Schools on two-hour delay for Tuesday, February 16, for all students and school system employees.
Victory Christian School and Daycare will operate on a two hour delay Tuesday 2/16.
Winter Weather Closings
Updated: All campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be closed on Monday, February 15.
Vance County Schools closed Monday, February 15, for all students and school system employees.
Granville County Public Schools closed for all students and staff for Monday, February 15.
H-V Crime Stoppers Issues $2,000 Payout
Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers Press Release
Since Crime Stoppers was created many years ago, the organization has offered payouts up to and including $2,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of criminals. Recently, information obtained by the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers led to the arrest of an individual that was terrorizing businesses in and around Henderson via armed robbery. Several local businesses had been victimized, and other businesses and business owners were fearful for their safety. An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers led to the arrest of the perpetrator.
Crime Stoppers has guidelines that determine the amount to pay out for each category of crime. The severity of the crime determines the amount of each payout. The payouts can range from $200 to $2,000.
Leave anonymous tips to the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers by calling 252-492-1925.
Remember, crime does not pay, but Crime Stoppers will.
Cast, crew announced for VGCC Dinner Theater production
Vance-Granville Community College has announced the cast and crew for “Deathtrap,” a comedy-thriller that will be the college’s fourth annual Dinner Theater event.
The dinner theater is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. each night. Then, on Saturday, April 30, at 2 p.m., there will be a special encore matinee performance of the play, without dinner, at the same location.
For the first time, the dinner theater will incorporate two casts in order to provide more opportunities for students to participate. On Thursday and Friday, the cast will include Spencer Nunn of Warrenton as Sidney Bruhl, Jessie Hartley of Oxford as Myra Bruhl, Morgan McFalls of Oxford as Clifford Anderson, and Jordan Bunting of Rocky Mount as Porter Milgrim. For the Saturday matinee, the cast will feature TaJuan (“Taj”) Glenn of Oxford as Sidney Bruhl, Tia Garren of Henderson as Myra Bruhl, Malachi Glass of Henderson as Clifford Anderson, and Keyante Lindsey of Oxford as Porter Milgrim. Brittney Patterson of Henderson will play the part of Helga ten Dorp in both casts.
The crew includes Jerome Bulluck of Henderson, who is serving as stage manager, sound designer and lighting engineer; Michael Frink of Raleigh, the sound engineer who is also helping with props; and Ashley McEntee of Oxford, who is supervising props and costumes, with assistance from Jamie McGinn of Wake Forest and Allen Young of Henderson.
All are current students at the college, except for Garren, a VGCC alumna who is now on the staff of the college’s Continuing Education division.
Betsy Henderson, VGCC’s Department Chair/Instructor of Humanities and Fine Arts, is the director of the play.
Written by the late playwright and novelist Ira Levin, Deathtrap enjoyed a successful original Broadway run from 1978 through 1982 and was then adapted into a feature film. Skillfully blending thrills and laughter, the plot concerns the devious machinations of Sidney Bruhl, a writer of thrillers whose recent offerings have been flops, and who is prepared to go to any lengths to improve his fortunes. He receives a script from a student, Clifford Anderson, and immediately recognizes the thriller as a potential hit, setting in motion a suspenseful chain of events.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale on March 15. For more information, visit www.vgcc.edu/dinnertheater.
Vance County Schools Recognitions
(Vance County Schools Press Release)
Vance County Schools is proud to announce that Marion Perry, an outstanding volunteer in our school system and particularly for Carver Elementary School, was named the Citizen of the Year for 2015 at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on February 4, 2016.
Our school system also is proud to announce that Flat Rock United Methodist Church in Vance County has been named the recipient of the school system’s Shining Moment in Education Award for 2015-2016 as the most outstanding business partner for our schools. Flat Rock United Methodist has a phenomenal partnership with E.O. Young Jr. Elementary School in Middleburg. Principal Marylaura McKoon and Karen Reece, E.O. Young’s social worker, presented the crystal vase and engraved base for the Shining Moment award to the Rev. Cathy Hoyle, pastor of Flat Rock United Methodist Church.
Mrs. Perry and Flat Rock church are true champions of public education and their support results in great things in our local schools.
Mrs. Perry leads Carver Elementary’s One Step Above Reading Club weekly for students who need extra help in improving their reading skills. She promotes the joys and importance of reading to the children. She sponsors several special events each school year at the school, including a “Welcome Back” event for school staff members at the beginning of the year and the Black History Month Celebration in February. Mrs. Perry also seeks support for the school system throughout our community and serves on several boards and committees in our area, most notably the Vance County Public School Foundation and the Friends of Perry Memorial Library Board.
Flat Rock United Methodist Church has sponsored a summer reading program for the last two years for identified students at E.O. Young Jr. Elementary who need help during the summer to enhance their reading skills. 
The program, which includes several church members as volunteers who tutor students, has proven to help students successfully prepare for the oncoming school year. Flat Rock members also donate nonperishable food items for identified students in the Backpack Buddies program through the year and assist needy students and families during the holidays.
Finally, Vance County Schools wants to announce that staff members in our Maintenance and Transportation departments are the first to be honored through our new Vanceformation Award Program. They were given their Vanceformation lapel pins at the February 8, 2016, meeting of the Vance County Board of Education and recognized for their outstanding efforts in preparing school system vehicles, facilities and campuses for the return of students and employees after a snowstorm in late January. Those recognized included from the Maintenance Department, Wayne Cozart, Jimmy Faulkner, Shon Jones, Jay Kearney, Guy McFaddin, Joe Norwood, Chris Pulley, Ricky Railey and Robert Watson; and from the Transportation Department, R.C. Creech, Ryan Smiley and Jimmy Waverly.
Thank you all for your outstanding efforts to help us rethink, reform, reimagine and renew our educational mission.