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Latest Local Covid Data as of Friday from GVPH

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— courtesy of Granville-Vance Public Health

In the past 7 days, there have been 84 new cases in Vance County, a 22% decrease from the previous 7 days. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 5.7%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is high community transmission in Vance County.

In the past 7 days, there have been 171 new cases in Granville County, a 50% increase from the previous 7 days. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 4.6%. According to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, there is high community transmission in Granville County.

In Vance County, 57% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 52% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 63% of those over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 58% are fully vaccinated.

64% of the adult population in NC is at least partially vaccinated and 59% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.

It’s FGV Downtown Henderson DUCK DERBY 2021 BABY!

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The 12th annual Ducky Derby race is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 in downtown Henderson.

The race, which begins at 12 noon, will have a special twist – the winners will all be child care providers in the tri-county area, according to Garry Daeke, development coordinator for Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, Inc.

The event again will flood Garnett Street with rubber duckies to raise money for ongoing services for families with children ages 0-5.

“This year we are celebrating our child care professionals who have persevered through challenging times to continue to provide quality early childhood education, and the winner(s) of our prizes will be from the child care community,” Daeke said.

The public is still invited to attend, and Daeke said tickets will be sold online only. “Our idea is to honor our child care programs and workers who have had a most difficult year, as you can imagine,” Daeke told WIZS News.

Daeke said the support of sponsors will be especially important this year. Sponsorship levels are $500 – Super Duck, $250 – Feathered Friend, and $100 Quacker Backer

Call Daeke at 252.433.9110 ext. 227 to learn more.

Buy ducks online at https://fgvsmartstart-2021-ducky-derby.cheddarup.com

Henderson Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearms Offenses

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— press release

A Henderson man was sentenced to 101 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a felon.  On May 17, 2021, Kyree Leamon Williams pled guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Williams, 28, was being investigated by the Henderson Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for distribution of heroin in Henderson.  Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin laced with fentanyl from Williams on multiple occasions, leading to indictments in the Vance County Superior Court.  When officers attempted to serve arrest warrants on Williams, he tried to elude police, leading them on a high-speed chase through Henderson before he stopped the car and ran on foot.  After a short foot chase, Williams was apprehended.  A subsequent search of his car and a residence yielded additional amounts of heroin, a stolen firearm with an extended magazine, and ammunition.  Williams is a convicted felon, having prior convictions for Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Henderson Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney’s Office for the 11th Prosecutorial District investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-131-M.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Frances Excited About Fall Sports at Vance County High

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“I was surprised at the offer,” new Assistant Athletic Director Christine Frances said about Vance County High School after they contacted her about the position. In fact, the position didn’t even exist until recently.  With Athletic Director Joe Sharrow also taking on the Assistant Principal’s job at the school the athletic programs needed an extra set of eyes and Frances was chosen.

Frances says that in addition to football, which kicks off Friday night, the school has women’s volleyball, cross country, women’s golf, men’s soccer and cheerleading either underway or about to be.

“Coaches are thrilled to be back to something close to normal,” she said. Many sports last year struggled during a season dominated by Covid. She said this year should be better and that it will “feel more like a sports season.”

Fans will be allowed to games this year but Frances stressed that social distancing as much as possible is one way to keep everyone safe. She also said masks should be worn particularly in the ticket and concession areas. Safety is a top priority of the school.

Frances also took a moment during her appearance on SportsTalk with Trey Snide to congratulate Joe Sharrow.  Sharrow was named as a NIAAA Certified Athletic Administrator this week.

For complete details and audio click play.

Henderson City Council Adopted FY 21-22 Budget with No Budget Sessions or Public Discussion

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— This story is in audio form only. Click Play.

TownTalk: Henderson Fire Dept. Holds Its Own Despite Challenges

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Firefighters, just like everyone else, have been affected by COVID-19 and the restrictions that have been in place for the last year and a half. But unlike so many other workers, firefighters can’t work from home or respond to fire calls virtually.

Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell said his department has faced challenges during the pandemic but he praised his team of firefighters for their loyalty and dedication to their jobs.

“We’ve seen a lot of turnover here recently,” Cordell told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. Some staff have moved to jobs in related fields and others have decided to take a completely different line of work.

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After a dip in the number of calls at the onset of the pandemic, he said the department is again responding to an average of 250 calls each month – about 60 percent are medical-related and about 40 percent are fire and rescue calls.

Cordell said his firefighters get good information from the dispatchers, who know the right questions to ask to learn if anyone is COVID-positive that firefighters may come into contact with when they go out on a call.

“We treat everyone as if they are a positive case,” he said, and his firefighters will wear a mask when they are off duty and in public, just to make sure that everyone is staying safe.

As the fire department works to recruit and retain firefighters in the short-term, Cordell said he is hopeful that plans for construction of a third station in west Henderson also will come to fruition.

“We’re still on the table,” he said of the plans for the new station. He and others have been taking with developers and looking at different spots to purchase.

He also said plans to reorganize and reclassify some departments and positions within the department should be brought to City Council for consideration next month.

Battalion Chief Joel Bartholomew is leaving after 15 years of service to become director of emergency services in his native Warren County, a move Cordell called “bittersweet.” He called Bartholomew a loyal and dedicated employee, and added “watching him develop and grow has been a blessing and an honor.”

One step toward “normal” for the department involves Capt. Lee Edmonds, who works with fire prevention education. The pandemic put the brakes on firefighters getting into schools to talk with children about fire prevention. With the start of school just around the corner, Cordell said everyone’s looking forward to restart the “Read A Book With A Firefighter” program. Firefighters read with kindergartners, help them with homework and just enjoy time with young learners.

Cordell said he has a great team who is working hard every day “to keep our feet grounded and trucks staffed and moving to help the people of Henderson.”

LEAP Grants Awarded for the 2021-2022 Year; Funded by VCPSF & Mako Medical

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— submitted by Vance County Schools

Learning Extending Actual Performance, also known as Leap Grants, were established through the Vance County Public School Foundation as a way to assist teachers in goal oriented projects to extend and enrich the lives of our students.

This year, we were fortunate to have Mako Medical match the $5,000 that the Vance County Public School Foundation earmarked for the LEAP grants, extending the ability to provide $10,000 in LEAP grants. A committee was formed to evaluate the applications, with all names and schools redacted. Each application was reviewed carefully and looked over with fidelity to ensure that those being awarded met all of the criteria and goals. After careful evaluation, 5 projects were selected to receive a 2021-2022 LEAP Grant.

Vance County Schools is extremely grateful for both the Vance County Public School Foundation and Mako Medical for making this possible!

Our first educator honored is for a project entitled, Operation Ukulele! Operation: Ukulele! is a project for a class set of twenty-five ukuleles that involves the entire student population of Aycock Elementary (K-5). A class set of ukuleles will not only increase the knowledge, wealth, and importance of learning an instrument but it will also strengthen sight-reading and rhythmic skills week after week! My classroom instruction not only enhances because of them, but as a result, music classes immerse themselves in collaborative music ukulele ensembles! Congratulations to Mr. Matt Moore of Aycock Elementary.

The second educator being awarded is for a project known as Fitness Drumming. Fitness Drumming is a highly engaging, non-traditional fitness activity. Students use rhythm sticks or drumsticks to drum out beats and patterns on stability balls while also performing exercises. It is a great way to get student’s heart rates up while also having fun improving coordination with musical beat and rhythm development. The cross curricular activity incorporates music and physical education. Congratulations to Mr. Dan Sandlin of Dabney Elementary.

The next educator awarded is for the Angelfish Bloggers project. Angelfish Bloggers welcome writers “under the sea” to learn the process of writing as a vital part of communicating. This theme will promote the joy of organizing topics and information to develop digital platforms to communicate clearly and coherently as 21st Century learners. Blogging will be a primary publishing platform along with emails, Google docs, and Google slides. The Simplify Writing Comprehensive Writing Program will be the primary tool of assessment and daily instruction along with a few mentor texts splashed in to keep students engaged and “swimming with the flow”! Congratulations to Mrs. Rachel Brown of Aycock Elementary!

Our next awardee is for a project entitled Modern Spaces, which is the alignment of researched based best practices and innovative technological tools in the classroom, maximizing student achievement. This project will foster an environment of inquiry and ultimately improve students’ achievement in English Language as they prepare for college & career in the 21st century. Ultimately, as a modern teacher, teaching has to be about helping students make connections to the real world and there is no better way to help them to do that than through the use of instructional technology. Congratulations to Ms. Marsha Harvey of Vance County High School.

Our last awardee is for a Modern Physical Learning Environment project. The goal of this project is to transform a classroom from an old-fashioned, teacher-centric space to a versatile, functional, modern learning environment by replacing student desks with a set of tables and chairs that connect and separate to adapt to varied learning tasks and modalities. Congratulations to Peter Hasselberg of Vance County High School.

We are excited for each of our awardees and how their projects will make a difference in the lives of our students!