Golden LEAF Scholarships Awarded

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A group of students from Vance-Granville Community College recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state’s community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation and childcare related to attending classes during the 2014-15 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that address skill gaps upon course completion. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need and reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed. Scholarships for both occupational and curriculum students are available during the fall, spring and summer semesters.

The VGCC students who were awarded Golden LEAF scholarships for the summer 2015 term (with their respective programs of study) include:

Jerrell Branch of Norlina (School-Age Education);
Tanita Canty of Kittrell (Early Childhood Education);
Shakeeta Garland of Henderson (Nurse Aide I);
Jerri Hunter of Henderson (Nurse Aide I);
Diandra Hyman-Graham of Warrenton (Health Unit Secretary);
Amanda Lewis of Henderson (Nurse Aide II);
Brandy Lynch of Hollister (Pharmacy Technology);
Samantha Patrick of Henderson (Associate Degree Nursing);
Cheryl Reddrick of Henderson (BioWork Process Technician);
Callie Whittaker of Henderson (Nurse Aide I); and
Jasmine Williams of Henderson (Nurse Aide I).

“The Golden LEAF Foundation is proud to have awarded over 8,000 Golden LEAF Scholarships to help North Carolinians attend our state’s community colleges,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF President. “Our hope is that these scholarships will help build the talent, knowledge and skills of our current and future workforce, especially in the rural areas of our state.”

The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina’s economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina’s funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,275 grants totaling more than $561 million since its inception. For more information, about the foundation, visit www.goldenleaf.org or call (888) 684-8404.

Students interested in applying for a Golden LEAF Scholarship should contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at (252) 738-3280.

Rain Barrels and Tall Fescue

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Rain Barrel Seminar at Warren County
Thu, August 27, noon

Learn all you need to know about how to build, install and utilize a rain barrel! Rain barrels are a great way to supplement the water supply for your garden and landscape. To be presented by Paul McKenzie, Vance-Warren Agricultural Extension Agent. Please register by calling 252-213-6095 or e-mail paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu.

 

Tall Fescue Season Just Around the Corner!

Do you plan to over seed or re-seed your tall fescue lawn this year? Early to mid September is the preferred time to do so. When shopping for seed, look for a blend of at least three cultivars of turf-type tall fescue. Read the seed tag to get valuable information about quality (germination percent, weed seed, other crop seed, etc.). If you have compacted soil, you may want to aerate as well. A core type aerator that pulls plugs is best. Early September is also a good time to fertilize with a slow release type.

 

Do You Have Backyard Poultry? Please register
NC is at risk for an outbreak of Avian Influenza

In order to prepare for a possible outbreak of Avian Influenza (which affects POULTRY not people!) the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is asking all poultry owners to register their flocks. This includes “backyard” poultry flocks. Doing so will allow for a more rapid, comprehensive and effective response should this devastating poultry disease strike our state. For more information, including a link to an on-line registration form, visit https://www.ncagr.gov/avianflu/

Fallen Soldier’s Family creates VGCC Scholarship in his memory

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A new scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College will bear the name of a Vance County native who lost his life in combat during the Iraq War. The Lunsford B. Brown II Memorial Academic Achievement Scholarship was recently established by members of his family, including his mother, Deborah F. Brown of Henderson, who chairs the VGCC Board of Trustees.

Deborah Brown said that the family had talked for several years about creating a scholarship in memory of Lunsford, who was killed in action on Sept. 20, 2003, in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, at age 27. He held the rank of Specialist in the U.S. Army and was an electronic intelligence interceptor/analyst, assigned to A Company, 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion.

In addition to his parents, his wife, Sherrie Wheeler Brown, and daughter, Amber (now 12 years old), Lunsford Brown II was survived by a sister, Dana Brown Simpson, and a brother, former NFL player Jason Brown.

Lunsford Brown Family 2015Members of the Brown family gathered for this photo to celebrate the creation of the new Lunsford B. Brown II Memorial Scholarship. They included, in front, from left to right: J.W. Brown Jr., Alexandria Williams, Michael Simpson Jr., Noah Brown and Naomi Brown; in back, from left to right: Lunsford B. Brown, Lunsford B. Brown III (“Tre”), being held by his mother, Tay Brown, Jason Brown, Deborah Brown, Amber Brown, Sherrie Brown, Dana Simpson and Michael Simpson. Young “Tre” was named in honor of his uncle, the namesake of the new scholarship. (photo provided by Brown family)

Deborah Brown remembers her son as both “an artist and an athlete.” After graduating from Northern Vance High School, he enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University, where he met his future wife and was a member of the ROTC.

In awarding the new VGCC scholarship, preference will be given to students who are from Vance County and who are enrolled in the Simulation and Game Development degree program. “Lunsford loved video games, so I could see him enjoying and excelling in a program like that,” Deborah Brown said.

“The heroic service and sacrifice of Lunsford B. Brown II will serve as an inspiration to VGCC students and our community for years to come,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “We extend our appreciation to the entire Brown family for their leadership and their support of our students. Their beloved son, brother, husband, father and uncle will forever be remembered through this fitting tribute.”

Deborah Brown, who is also a Vance County commissioner, has served on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2009, and as its chair since 2012. She is also a member of the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors.

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,000 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

WIZS – Business Spotlight

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I was visiting one of our latest marketing partners the other day when I noticed a small building in the corner of the lot. I nosily drove over and discovered that a brand new embroidery place had opened. Their hours were unusual, so I knew there had to be a story. The next day I dropped in on Sew Goes It! Embroidery in Oxford, and met Kelly and Dawn Johnson. Kelly and Dawn both have day jobs, but also decided to do some embroidery work on the side at night. They did not seem to have been open long, and yet they also appeared to have a lot going on.

Asking about someone’s goals as a business owner is not exactly the easiest thing to do, but Kelly and Dawn were open with me. Henderson and Oxford are their primary focus, and we found a way to help each other.

Since I started at WIZS back in May of 2011, I have always wanted a 1450 WIZS polo (golf) shirt. I told them that, and Kelly and Dawn found a way to help. The next time you see a member of the WIZS staff there is no need to ask them where they got their golf shirt from because we all got them from Sew Goes It! Embroidery at 911 Williamsboro Street in Oxford.

To learn more about Sew Goes It! Embroidery log on to sewgoesit.com or call 919-691-5151.

Vance Farmers Market Parking Lot To Be Paved

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Since the June, 2014 grand opening of The Vance County Regional Farmers Market, market goers have enjoyed a very good gravel lot.  Now, the word it out that pavement is coming, and soon.

In an email from Vance County Cooperative Extension Agent Paul McKenzie, WIZS News has learned that by next Friday, August 28, a new asphalt lot should be installed.

McKenzie wrote, “If all goes as planned, our parking lot will be paved next week with NO disruption to Farmers Market hours! By Tuesday, 8/26, the contractor should have the finish grading complete. And by Friday, 8/28 the asphalt should be installed! Vendors and customers are requested to drive extra slowly on both market days next week and as much as possible avoid ‘turning the wheels while not moving’ (which we all do when trying to park!). We will send an update if the schedule changes. Thanks to everyone for all you do to make our Farmers Market great!”

Warren County Man Sentenced for 2013 Murder

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WARRENTON – A Warren County man took an Alford plea for second degree murder on Wednesday.

William Henry Hunter Jr., 27, of Manson, was sentenced to 144 to 185 months for his role in the 2013 death of Royvitt Lawedy Fortson.

William Henry Hunter Jr. 27 of MansonFortson, a resident of Norlina, died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during the evening hours on Tuesday, January 1, 2013.

The shooting occurred at the BP gas station at 927 Oine Road in Norlina and was investigated by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.

Typically, an Alford plea is chosen by a defendant who maintains their innocence but admits the State has sufficient evidence to convict and agrees to be treated as guilty.

VGCC names new Dean of Warren Campus

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Lyndon Hall was recently named Dean of Vance-Granville Community College’s Warren County Campus. In his new leadership role, Hall is responsible for supervising all operations at the satellite campus in Warrenton, including both the curriculum and continuing education courses offered there.

A Durham resident, Hall has been a member of the college’s staff since 2009. In fact, his new posting marks a return to the location where his VGCC career began, as the Warren Campus Coordinator and college liaison for Warren Early College High School. From 2010 through 2015, Hall served as director of Joint High School Programs for VGCC. In that capacity, he supervised all VGCC programs offered to high school students in four counties through Early College partnerships with local school systems as well as Career and College Promise (CCP) pathways. Hall also advised individual students and served as an adjunct instructor at times.Lyndon Hall VGCC Warren

“This is truly an exciting time at Vance-Granville Community College, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead an outstanding group of individuals at the Warren Campus as we serve our community,” Hall said. He noted that he had been in positions of service for practically his entire working life, “serving first our country as a member of our armed forces and now our Warren County community as a member of the team at Vance-Granville.”

Hall served for over 21 years in the United States Air Force, including stints at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas and at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where he was Director of Personnel for the 33rd Fighter Wing. He moved to North Carolina to become an Air Force Junior ROTC instructor at Northern Durham High School.

Hall holds an associate degree from Texas Lutheran College, associate and bachelor’s degrees in Human Services from Wayland Baptist University, and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the same university. Hall is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration through Northeastern University.

“Every student who comes to us has a dream,” Hall said. “It is my desire to meet them where they are and support them in their efforts to design a plan that helps them discover all of the possibilities that await them.”

VGCC’s Warren Campus is home to Warren Early College High School and also offers Adult Basic Skills classes, Occupational Healthcare programs, Small Business Center seminars, Heavy Equipment Operator, Horsemanship, and curriculum courses in subjects that include Cosmetology and Office Administration.

“I am excited to have Mr. Hall serving in this capacity,” said Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs. “He continues to positively contribute to the Academic & Student Affairs team, as he leads our efforts to educate, inspire and support students in the Warren County area.”

Vance County Friday Night Football is ON THE AIR

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The return of local, high school football is now!  Now for more than 50 consecutive years, WIZS will once again broadcast our local games live this season.

The first of 12-straight weeks of regular season action begins this week, August 21.  The WIZS game of the week features Northern Vance hosting East Chapel Hill.  We will also have play by play and live reports from the Southern Vance at Ravenscroft contest.  Pregame airtime is 6:45 P.M., and the NV game kicks off at 7:00 P.M.  The SV game will not kickoff until 7:30 P.M.

Not only are the games available on 1450 AM, but you can also listen live here on wizs.com by clicking on the Listen Now link on the top left of your web browser.

Northern Vance High School and Southern Vance High School will meet each other in the Optimist Bowl on Friday night, September 4, at 7:00pm.  The gridiron match up will take place at Viking Stadium this season.  Although the two schools previously played the bowl as the regular-season finale, and did so since Southern opened its doors in the fall of 1990, the game has been played the last couple of years much earlier in the schedule because they are no longer in the same conference.

Bonner Bridge Replacement A Reality

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Raleigh, N.C. — Governor Pat McCrory announced the final roadblocks were cleared Friday allowing the N.C. Department of Transportation to proceed with construction of a new Herbert C. Bonner Bridge on N.C. 12 over the Oregon Inlet in Dare County.

Completing the terms of a settlement agreement reached in June, environmental groups represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center have dropped all remaining lawsuits that prevented NCDOT from replacing the 52-year-old Bonner Bridge with a new bridge parallel to the existing one.

“This marks another historic milestone in finally replacing the critical lifeline bridge for residents and visitors of the Outer Banks and supporting our continued efforts to connect North Carolina,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “I want to thank the entire team of NCDOT employees, state, and federal attorneys who have worked so hard to make this possible and find a solution for the Bonner Bridge project which had been stalled for more than 20 years.”

With the final dismissals, NCDOT and the contractor expect to complete final design and preconstruction work in time to begin building the new bridge in Spring of 2016.

In addition to replacing the Bonner Bridge NCDOT will also:
* Construct a new interim bridge over the breached inlet on Pea Island
* Construct a 2.5 mile-long Pamlico Sound bridge, known as a “jug
handle,” from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
into Rodanthe

Bonner Bridge Replacement
NCDOT awarded a $216 million design-build contract for the 3.5 mile-long
Bonner Bridge replacement to the team of PCL Constructors Inc. and HDR
Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas in 2011. This contract is still in place
and the final contract amount will be adjusted to meet current costs
associated with the construction delay.

Pea Island
NCDOT will move forward with plans to construct an interim bridge on Pea
Island at the location of the existing temporary bridge that was
constructed after Hurricane Irene formed a breach in 2011. The interim
bridge will be easier to maintain than the existing temporary bridge. It
will provide safe access for the area while the department studies options
for a long-term solution at this location.

NCDOT expects to award a contract for this project in the fall, with construction starting as early as the end of this year.

Rodanthe Long-Term Bridge
With the preferred design officially approved by the project merger team,
NCDOT can also proceed with constructing the long-term bridge for N.C. 12
from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge south into
Rodanthe.

By replacing the existing stretch of N.C. 12 with a bridge in the Pamlico Sound, NCDOT will be able to maintain safe and reliable access for residents and visitors of Rodanthe and southern Hatteras Island. This area includes a section of N.C. 12 north of Rodanthe known locally as the “S-curves” also damaged by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

The bridge is estimated to cost between $178.8 million and $197.8 million. Before a design-build contract is awarded and a timeframe for construction can be set, final documentation must be completed.

The department chose this design over a bridge along the existing route of N.C. 12 because it minimizes impacts to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the ocean shoreline and the Rodanthe community.

NC State Budget $21.735 Billion

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Raleigh, NC – Governor Pat McCrory announced today that he has reached an agreement with Senate and House leaders on the spending amount for a revised state budget. At a morning breakfast meeting with the Governor at the Executive Mansion, House and Senate leadership agreed upon a budget spending amount of $21.735 billion.

 “This agreement is the result of ongoing dialogue during the last several weeks. We remain committed to working with the House and Senate to find common sense solutions that create jobs, strengthen education and fund critical infrastructure in North Carolina,” said Governor McCrory.
Last week, the Governor signed a Continuing Resolution giving the General Assembly until August 31 to reach an agreement.