Maria Parham Health Adds Midwife For Womens’ Health Care

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-information courtesy of Donna Young, Maria Parham Health marketing & communication coordinator

Maria Parham Health has announced that Sofronia Germany, MSN, CNM has joined its staff and will be offering midwife services to patients throughout Henderson, Vance County and the surrounding area.

“We are pleased to welcome Sofronia Germany to our Maria Parham team,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Women’s care is an important need in our community, and Germany‘s midwifery experience will go a long way toward giving our area’s parents more choices in their families’ care. She is an important addition as Maria Parham Health works to make our community healthier.”

Germany graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Cincinnati in Ohio and was a student Nurse Midwife at CareConnect OBGYN in Cordele, Georgia. Germany is an advanced practice midwife, and specializes in care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic health; and family planning services, including preconception care. She is seeing patients at her offices at Maria Parham Women’s Care. For a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 800.424.DOCS.

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TownTalk: VGCC Hosts Off-Campus Enrollment Event

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Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled an Enrollment Day

Enrollment Day is set for Thursday, June 22 in Henderson and rather than having prospective students come to the college’s Main Campus, staff from Main Campus will be set up at Perry Memorial Library to assist individuals with registering for Fall 2023 classes, according to VGCC Director of Admissions Sherry Alston.

Taking the enrollment show on the road is just one way that VGCC officials are thinking outside the box to get the information out about the various programs and services that VGCC offers.

“Knowing that transportation can sometimes be a barrier, we wanted to go where the people are,” Alston said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

VGCC representatives will be at the library from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to provide information on the enrollment process, as well as the academic programs and student support services available – including financial aid. Advisors will be ready to help with registration for the fall semester, which begins Monday, Aug. 14.

Both 8-week and the traditional 16-week classes will be available.

Unsure about whether this Enrollment Day is for you? No matter how far along in the enrollment and registration process you are, Alston said there will be VGCC staff on hand at the library to help. Linda Fletcher with Career Services has an interest assessment for prospective students who may not have a career path in mind.

The interest assessment helps individuals learn more about their likes and dislikes, and helps to match them with possible career paths.

“We interact with individuals who may not know or understand what their next step is – they know they want to go to school, but not much more,” Alston said.

An orientation for new students will be held at 10 a.m. on June 22 as part of Enrollment Day. Orientations can be completed online on June 22 or students can arrange for an in-person orientation at a later date.

Alston said participants will get a chance to learn more about all the academic programs available at VGCC, whether that’s a certificate or degree program or a college-transfer program.

“We want to make it a productive day,” Alston said.

For more information about Enrollment Day, or to sign up for orientation, visit www.vgcc.edu/enrollment-day.

 

 

 

The Local Skinny! Elder Abuse Walk To Be Held Thursday In Creedmoor

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Kerr Tar Council of Governments, Granville County Senior Services and Granville County Department of Social Services are hosting an Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention Conference and commemorative walk Thursday, June 15. The event will be held at the Creedmoor Community Center on 108 East Wilton Street in Creedmoor, according to Kimberly Hawkins, regional ombudsman for the Agency on Aging and a key organizer of the day’s event.

The conference will include various workshops and information sessions on topics including avoiding scams, identifying and preventing financial abuse and much more, Hawkins said.

The walk is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served about 12 noon. The activities will be held at the Creedmoor Community Center on 108 East Wilton St. in Creedmoor. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration and end around 1 p.m. There will be more than 30 vendors onsite from a variety of agencies that support the prevention and mistreatment of our disabled adult population.

This is a free event open to the public of all ages. The first 200 people will receive a free t-shirt, a tote bag and lunch will be provided. There will be a contest with prizes for 1st,2nd and 3rd place to the individuals that show the most “spirit” or express their efforts to support the prevention of elder abuse, Hawkins said.

Even if you can’t attend, please support this international opportunity by wearing purple and silver on this day.

Community partners are very supportive of the event, from sponsoring meals and providing t-shirts to donating space to hold the event.

“By doing all that we can to strengthen the social support structure, we can reduce social isolation, protect communities and families against elder abuse, and build a nation that lives up to our promise of justice for all,” Hawkins stated.

There will be presentations on Financial Abuse by the NC Attorney General Office and the Butner NCSECU branch, Fraud and Scams by the Creedmoor Police Department, Healthy living thru exercise by Ms. Rumsey and Elder Abuse Trivia Bingo hosted by Mr. Ed Wilson. Staff from our local Departments of social services and senior centers will be on hand to answer questions about their services, several Long Term Care facilities such as Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab, Roxboro Healthcare and Rehab, Warren Hills, and Kerr Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation centers. Medicare service vendors, NC DOI/ SHIIP and United HealthCare, Granville Medical Center, NCDHHS Services for the Blind, The Help Center, Warren County Health Department, Land Loss Prevention Project, NC PACE, VGCC, SafeKey Staffing and Respite care and more.

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The Local Skinny! City Council Adopts 2023-24 Budget

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The Henderson City Council adopted the 2023-24 budget at its regular monthly meeting Monday evening, but it was not a unanimous vote. The budget was approved on a 3-2 vote, with three council members absent. Council members Jason Spriggs, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Lamont Noel voted to approve the budget, with Garry Daeke and Mike Rainey casting a ‘no’ vote.

Council members Melissa Elliott, Sara Coffey and Marion Brodie Williams were not present at the meeting. Daeke said Monday evening to WIZS after the meeting that although he was in favor of raising revenues, he thought the 3.8 cent tax increase was too much. Rainey said that the upcoming revaluation would bring extra revenue to the city’s coffers as well.

Mayor Eddie Ellington said if he had been called to break a tie vote, he would have voted against approval of the budget.

“The city’s budget is of the utmost importance and will have major consequences for the following fiscal year,” Ellington told WIZS News. “I have expressed my concerns during the budget work sessions and I am against raising our city tax rate and placing the burden on our taxpaying citizens, especially during this time of uncertainty with a county wide property value revaluation already underway.”

The budget includes a 3.8-cent tax increase and sanitation fee increases, but as of now, no increases in water and sewer rates.

The tax rate in the new budget is .75, up from .71 per $100 valuation, and the sanitation fee will rise to $32, up from $29.

The $23.4 million budget calls for a $1,500 bonus for all full-time employees of the city in lieu of a COLA (cost of living adjustment), except members of the police department, whose salary increases were approved in March.

The council received the budget on May 8,  and had several work sessions and offered at least one public hearing since then. The increases in the tax and sanitation fees is expected to add more than $500,000 to the city’s coffers.

These proposed increases would be the first since 2014, and Blackmon said there could be a slight increase in the water rate in the near future, now that financing for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System has been secured.

“Additional revenues will help sustain a stable fund balance to balance the budget and to help meet increased costs related to salaries, utilities, supplies such as chemicals, and other expenses impacted by inflation,” Blackmon told WIZS last week.

Some of the capital outlay expenditures budget highlights include IT upgrades police vehicles and equipment, fire truck upfitting and redevelopment.

Capital projects include McGregor Hall signage, Food Truck Court and redevelopment through land purchasing initiatives.

The Council also voted unanimously 5-0 to approve the request for purchase of bulletproof vests. Police Chief Marcus Barrow said the vests have a five-year life expectancy. The department has just hired four new officers, and the vests, which are custom made for each officer, will be provided. Barrow said the department is hoping to get additional funds from the N.C. League of Municipalities to help defray the cost of the vests.

The city is a step shy of designating a “social district,” which allows for public consumption of alcohol within a specifically defined area of downtown. The council approved giving the city manager authority to say “yay” or “nay” when event organizers request permission for the public to consume alcohol during particular events, upon his first receiving a recommendation on the request from a committee comprised largely of public safety officials.

Council also approved a request from Recreation and Parks to pursue a $150,000 grant from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation as it continues with construction of the new park at William and Montgomery streets, on property that once was the site of the Vance Hotel.

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TownTalk: Discussion Continues On County Budget And Fire Services

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All sides of the current debate over county fire protection should be able to agree on one thing: the end goal is to provide the county with the best services with the resources that are available.

Resources include money, of course, as well as equipment like fire trucks and the people needed to work – either paid staff or volunteers – at the 10 departments that cover the whole county.

What is at the center of the debate, however, is which path to take to arrive at that goal.

The county’s Public Safety Committee has presented a plan to the full board of commissioners set to be reviewed on Wednesday, June 14, as part of the budget approval process.

At stake, it seems, is the future of the Vance County Fire Department/Golden Belt: Will it continue to be the only independent fire department or will commissioners adopt the committee’s proposal to have it be staffed with paid staff and volunteers, like the other nine fire departments that serve the county?

Commissioner Dan Brummitt insists that the Golden Belt district will not be dismantled; rather, it simply will add volunteers to existing paid staff. The staff would be reduced by attrition – positions would not be filled when people retire, resign or otherwise leave their jobs.

The proposal includes having four departments respond to structure fires, a move that Brummitt said would help departments that may not have a full complement of firefighters during all shifts.

“The avenue that this committee and board are approaching is being reactive instead of proactive,” said Chris Wright, chief of the Vance County Fire Department. Wright also serves as the county’s fire marshal.

And there is little support among the volunteer departments for the committee’s proposal. Many of them submitted written statements to the county to express their opinions, wishes and needs.

Cokesbury Volunteer Fire Chief Adam Pegram said his department is not in favor of the restructure plan. The commissioners’ decision to allocate part-time positions for all volunteer fire departments has had a positive impact on the county’s ability to provide fire services, Pegram noted in a letter submitted to the county. He and his team “would like to see an increase of personnel to build on to the Fire Service instead of taking away from the force that’s already in action. I believe we should take the recommendations of the County Administration to look at increasing part-time funding in an effort to increase personnel to add to, versus stretching it thinner and keeping the allotted funding and increasing the pay rate of hourly staff,” he stated. He favors a longer-range plan over 5-10 years to ease into 24-hour staffing while maintaining the current county fire department as it is.

“The Vance  County Fire Department is a big supporter for all other departments in many ways and delivers great support to all volunteers,” Pegram said.

The Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s board of directors weighed in and, instead of coming down on one side or the other, offered a series of ideas for the commissioners to consider, including paying part-time staff $17/hr. to be competitive with surrounding counties and increasing the $100,000 county allotment to help with equipment expenses.

“Our department has taken the burden of purchasing a ladder truck to better serve our industry and community and to lower our ISO rating at the time of the next inspection. We have more industries in our district than any other department,” the letter stated. Bearpond is the busiest department in the county, which translates to higher fuel costs, maintenance and upkeep. And if more firefighters complete more shifts, costs for utilities and more will increase as well.

If the county decides to place county personnel at Bearpond, “they must fall under Bearpond Rural Fire Department’s personnel policy and shall answer to the Chief and Assistant Chief.”

Powell Wilkins is the chief of Epsom Fire and Rescue and said he and his team are not in favor of the restructure plan, but do advocate for the $17/hr pay rate. They also like the idea of increasing staff at Hicksboro and Bearpond to attain 24/5 coverage. Wilkins stated that a long-range plan should be drafted to support the growth and work toward giving each county department 24/5 coverage.

Chad Blake, chief at Hicksboro, said his department wants more funding for the Thomas Road substation, which Blake said they’ve been asking for since 2009. So far, they have gotten a single $10,000 allotment. The Satterwhite Road substation, meanwhile, receives $33,000.

“We would  like to  request the same figure as them because we see it as the same. They are both substations and insurance rates will triple if they were not there,” he noted

Blake said the four-department response may be something that could work within the county. “This would be a start and then each year (we) build off of it.”

The firefighters at Drewry are “adamantly opposed” to the restructure plan, according to the letter they submitted to commissioners and said it is “clearly detrimental to the citizens of Vance County due to the lack of emergency responders that would be dispatched to assist at any given time.”

What they would support, said Chief Charles Holtzman, is a plan that would put in place 24-hour staffing in all volunteer departments and leaving the Vance County Fire Department as it is.

According to the letter from Drewry, a committee formed in August 2020 was given the task to develop a strategic plan for the departments. Having part-time staff in all departments was one item within that plan, and “it is time to continue moving forward with staffing our volunteer departments with 24-hour staffing. The safety of our community and the citizens and residents of Vance County will always be a top priority for the Drewry Volunteer Fire Department and we sincerely hope that the Board of Vance County Commissioners will strongly consider the information we have provided regarding our position with respect to the restructuring of the Vance County Fire Department.”

The 28 members of the Watkins Volunteer Fire Department along with its board of directors are not in favor of the proposed re-structure, stating that it would “severely disrupt” services and would make community members and visitor vulnerable. “We feel strongly that such drastic changes should be phased in over time and until the phase in is  complete, the Vance County Fire Department should continue to operate and provide services” as it has for many years.

They advocated for a $17/hr. pay rate for part-timers and an increase in the $100,000 allotment from the county.

Watkins Chief Brian Clayton and Board President Joel Harris signed the letter to commissioners, which also included a suggestion that more a than one representative from the  Vance County fire service should have a seat on the Fire Commission as well as on the Public Safety Committee

“We believe that the process of putting paid staff in the stations should continue as was started in 2012. During this time two departments were strategically picked to house personnel from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Several years later in 2019 all the departments were approved to have the same amount of staffing. To continue this trend with the goal of 24/7 staffing we believe that the next phase should be 24/7 people in two selected departments while maintaining the integrity of the Vance County Fire Department until ALL stations have 24/7 staffing. The remaining stations will receive 24/7 staffing over the next 10 years. “

In Kittrell, Chief Tony Dement said there is a need for updated living quarters, a kitchen remodel and a dedicated training room. The paid staff need a place that is apart from the common dayroom space.

That’s just for the employees – Dement said his department needs additional equipment, including an engine, a brush truck, pagers, a tanker and more to “give my citizens the coverage they need.”

 

 

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Vance County Appoints Interim Manager with Over 20 Years Experience

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Vance County appointed D. Scott Elliott as the interim county manager. He started working on June 1, according to information received today.

Elliott recently retired as Pitt County’s manager and had more than 20 years in that county. He also serves as a senior advisor to local government managers across the state through professional organizations of the ICMA and NCCCMA.

“We are delighted to welcome Scott Elliott as our interim county manager,” said Yolanda Feimster, chair of the board of commissioners. “His extensive experience and proven leadership will be instrumental in advancing our county’s strategic objectives and meeting the needs of our residents. We have full confidence in his ability to drive operational excellence and build strong partnerships within our community.”

In his role as interim manager, Elliott will oversee the day-to-day operations of Vance County and work closely with elected officials, department heads and staff to ensure the delivery of high-quality services to residents.

Nowell Brooks Principal of Advance Academy for the 2023-2024 School Year

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Vance County Schools has named Nowell Brooks as the principal of Advance Academy for the 2023-2024 school year. Brooks began his educational career as a social studies teacher in Granville County Schools in 2006 and joined Vance County Schools as an assistant principal in 2014.

Most recently, Brooks served in Franklin County Schools as an assistant principal and the director of Alternative Programs. While there, he also served as an interim principal and Summer Learning principal. As he begins his 17th year in public education, Brooks said “I have high aspirations to lead while providing strategic paths for the development of students’ academic, social and emotional needs.”

Brooks received his undergraduate degree from N.C. Central University and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. Brooks lives in Henderson with wife Stephanie and will begin his new position effective July 1.

June Blood Drives in Henderson and Oxford

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There’s just no way to say it any plainer: The American Red Cross needs donors to sign up and give blood. The need is great and ever growing.

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, a day that focuses on raising awareness of the need for a safe, diverse and stable blood supply. This simply is not possible without blood donors.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion.

The Red Cross collected 26,000 FEWER blood donations than it needed last month alone to meet patients’ needs. Platelets are especially needed at this time.

Please take a moment to find a donation site in your area and sign up to give the gift of life.

In thanks for taking time to help, all who come to give blood, platelets or plasma June 1-30 will receive a $10 gift card by email to a merchant of their choice. Those who come to give throughout June will also be automatically entered for a chance to win a backyard theater package. Details for both offers can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/June.

Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS 1.800.733.2767 to schedule a time to give now.

Upcoming drives are listed below:

Oxford

6/16/2023: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Oxford United Methodist Church, 105 W. McClanahan St.

Henderson

6/23/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.

6/29/2023: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Kerr Lake Country Club, 600 Hedrick Rd.