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VGCC Drama Dept. Opens “Agnes Of God” Thursday For Weekend Run

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— Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

 

VGCC Drama returns to the stage Thursday with a three-member cast performing “Agnes of God,” the award-winning 1979 play by John Pielmeier.

Vance-Granville students Saylor Gray, JayAnn Gupton and KB Wiggs make up the all-female cast who take the stage for four performances. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 24.

The story is about a young novice, Agnes, who has been accused of killing her newborn child. A court-appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Martha Livingstone, is summoned to the convent to assess the young woman’s sanity. Miriam Ruth, the Mother Superior, determinedly keeps young Agnes from the doctor, further arousing Livingstone’s suspicions. Who killed the infant, and who fathered the tiny victim? Livingstone’s questions force all three women to re-examine the meaning of faith and the power of love, leading to a dramatic, compelling climax.

Because of the adult themes and language, the performance is suggested for audience members 16 and older or children accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Tickets for “Agnes of God” are on sale now. The cost is $20 General Admission, $15 for Seniors/Military, and $10 for Students and VGCC Faculty/Staff.

Purchase tickets online at www.vgcc.edu/vgcc-drama-agnes-of-god.

Headed to the opening night show? Stay afterward to participate in a “talkback” discussion led by VGCC psychology instructor Dr. Kristie Polk.

All shows will take place in the Small Auditorium on VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson. The venue is located on the lower level of Building 2 (Room #2105), which is accessible from the campus’s central courtyard.

Some audience members may be triggered by content such as abuse, religion, death, and use of cigarettes. Disclaimer: the theatrical cigarettes used in the production contain no harmful ingredients for either the audience of the actors.

VGCC Drama presents “Agnes of God” by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

To learn more VGCC Drama or Fine Arts at Vance-Granville Community College, contact Betsy Henderson, Department Chair of Fine Arts & Humanities, at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or 252. 738.3371.

North Henderson Baptist

North Henderson Baptist Church In 20th Year Of Support For Operation Christmas Child

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North Henderson Baptist Church is celebrating 20 years of being a local drop-off site for the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox ministry.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, which send the showbox-sized packages to children across the globe each Christmas.

Church members began collecting the packed boxes on Monday when the Naitonal Collection Week began, and they’ll continue through Monday, Nov. 25.

North Henderson Baptist Church is located at 1121 N. Garnett St.

  • Wednesday, Nov. 20 – 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, Nov. 21 – 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 22 – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 23 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 24 – 12 noon to 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Nov. 25 – 10 a.m. to 12 noon

There are more than 4,700 drop-off locations open around the country.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts to children worldwide for more than three decades. In 2024, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoeboxes to reach another 12 million children. The project of Samaritan’s Purse partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage.

Participants can use the online lookup tool to find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. It is searchable by city or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the drop off.

 

For more information, call 704.583.1463, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

 

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.

WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 11-19-24 Noon

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For additional coverage about Frank Sossamon asking for a recount, please also review our other web post about this story linked here – TownTalk: Sossamon Calls For Recount – WIZS

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TownTalk: Sossamon Calls For Recount

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Vance and Granville counties will conduct a recount in the too-close-to-call contest for House District 32, which has Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn leading Republican incumbent Frank Sossamon by 233 votes.

Because that margin is less than 1 percent of the voting totals – .53 percent, to be precise – the challenger (in this case, Sossamon) was entitled to ask for a recount by 12 noon today. Vance County Board of Elections Director Haley Rawles told WIZS News Tuesday that she received a notification of the recount from Raleigh shortly before 11:30 a.m.

Sossamon spoke with WIZS News this morning as he was waiting for the General Assembly to convene and confirmed that he would be seeking a recount.

“It hasn’t been filed, but it will be filed before 12,” Sossamon said by phone shortly before 11 a.m. He said he’d waited until now to let the process play out, which included the Nov. 15 canvass and certifying and counting provisional and absentee ballots.

“A lot of elections are cut-and-dry,” he said. “Close elections are different…and there are options that candidates have,” including filing protests if there are “anomalies,” and filing a lawsuit.

Rawles said Vance County elections officials will begin the recount at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 for two races – the District 32 contest and a statewide recount for a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court between sitting Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.

Rawles expects the recounts to take the majority of the day to complete, if not longer.

WIZS News reached out to Granville County Board of Elections Director Tonya Burnette Tuesday afternoon to find out when the recount would begin in that county and we will update the story if that information becomes available.

In a concise letter sent via email to N.C. State Board of Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell, Sossamon requested the recount.

It reads:

Executive Director Brinson Bell,

As a candidate for North Carolina House District 32 in the 2024 General Election, I her3eby submit my written demand for a mandatory recount pursuant to the N.C. Gen. Stat. 163-182.7(c) and 163-182.4(b)(3). Please confirm receipt of this timely written demand at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Frank Sossamon

Sossamon expressed frustration when it came to finding out what his options were regarding a recount and said he felt voters weren’t adequately inform about redrawn district lines that removed a portion of Vance County from District 32.

Nobody said “Mr. Sossamon, you can call for a recount,” Sossamon said. “I had to find that out for myself – I find that quite alarming.”

Sossamon also said he was concerned to learn that voters in Vance County showed up to vote and noticed that the District 32 race wasn’t on their ballot.

“They were thinking they could vote for me, but I wasn’t on their ballot,” he said, adding that “people who are already skeptical of the voting system are getting even more skeptical.”

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Cohn said he was pleased with the overall process but acknowledged that the campaign was “long and expensive, and, at times, a rather dirty campaign. I don’t think anybody is happy about any of that.”

(This text and story developed more after the embedded audio below.)

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library

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So far, Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters has resisted the urge to get the library festooned in red and green for that big December holiday – she said she wants Thanksgiving and Native Peoples Month to have their moments to shine, too.

In fact, next Tuesday afternoon’s activity will feature a story celebrating Native Peoples Month. Participants will surely enjoy the associated craft activity – making “corn” using pipe cleaners and beads.

Once Thanksgiving has come and gone, the library will surely shift its attention to December when thoughts turn to snowflakes and gingerbread men and Christmas decorations.

Peters invites folks of all ages to come out on the first official day of winter to the library’s “Winter Celebration” on Saturday, Dec. 21. Activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include make-and-take crafts for all ages, from kiddos and teens to adults.

And bring your photo-taking device to snap some family selfies in front of a beautiful holiday backdrop, she said.

There are plenty of activities before Dec. 21 to enjoy, too, Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

For starters, there’s Pajama Story Time on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Then on Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., bring the family to watch the film Polar Express while sipping hot chocolate and nibbling sweet treats.

Youngsters will enjoy hunting for hidden gingerbread people cookies around the library. No, they’re not edible – these are made of felt – but Peters said the children enjoyed looking for them hidden throughout the library.

Sometimes, you’ll find Peters or other library staff out in the community, too.

Visit the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Saturday, Dec. 7 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for a special Market Story Time, which may include decorating some gingerbread cookies that ARE edible, Peters said.

And then later that afternoon, the library will have a float commemorating its 100 year-anniversary in the Henderson Christmas Parade, which begins at 3 p.m.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services the library offers.

 

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The Local Skinny! N.C. House District 32 Contest

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Incumbent N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon has until noon tomorrow – Tuesday, Nov. 19 – to put the wheels in motion to call for a recount in the contest to retain his District 32 seat.

Both Vance and Granville’s boards of elections completed the canvass on Friday, Nov. 15 to certify results of the Nov. 5 general election, including the District 32 race, in which challenger Bryan Cohn holds a 233-vote lead over the incumbent Sossamon.

The N.C. State Board of Elections website lists vote totals as 21,213 for Cohn, a Democrat, and 20,980 for the Republican Sossamon. Cohn won handily in Vance County, taking 60.55 percent of the vote to Sossamon’s 37.26 percent; Sossamon won among Granville County voters by a 52.67 percent to 44.53 percent margin.

State law states that a recount can occur in non-statewide contests where the margin of victory is 1 percent or less of total votes cast. The 233-vote margin is .53 of 1 percent of the total vote.

“In contests under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections (including General Assembly seats in which the district lies in more than one county), the recount demand must be in writing and received by the State Board of Elections no later than noon on Tuesday, Nov. 19,” according to the state board of elections website.

There has been no indication about whether Sossamon will make a recount request.

The District 32 race is one of two key contests yet to be decided – the other is District 25 in Nash County – which will determine whether Republican keep their supermajority in the N.C. House.

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Salvation Army

TownTalk: Annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Season Kicks Off

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As if on cue, November 15 provided a crisp backdrop to the morning’s Red Kettle Season Kickoff, and dozens from the community showed up outside Belk to take the opportunity to drop in the first donations of the Christmas season.

The Vance County High School chorus provided several seasonal and inspirational selections for the Salvation Army kickoff event to add an air of excitement and joy to the chilly morning’s festivities.

Whether you’re someone who hauls out the holly and puts up the tree before Thanksgiving or you’re one of those die-hards who prefers to wait until December to think about Christmas plans, you’re likely to run across a few Red Kettles and bell ringers during the next 40 days.

Alongside the iconic Salvation Army symbol of giving, the bell ringers invite shoppers to donate during the holiday season to help provide food and gifts to seniors and children across Vance County and the surrounding counties it serves.

Kettle donations “help us provide clothing and toys for children at Christmas time,” said Maj. Beth Mallard. But more than 200 senior adults also have signed up to receive food baskets, Mallard said Friday, and the funds are used to feed more than 500 people each month, all year long.

“When you walk by, make sure you drop something in the bucket,” she said.

The kettles ignite a spirit of generosity in our community, said Margier White, chair of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce board. “Each bell that rings this season (is) not just signalling a donation,” White said, “it’s a connection that we make with people who are in need.

Placing any donation – coins or bills – represents love, kindness and community support, she said.

The Salvation Army kettle is “more than just a container – it represents hope for families facing hardships.”

Call Mallard at 252.438.7107 if you’d like information about volunteering to be a bell ringer during the holiday season. You, your church or civic group can also sponsor a kettle, or participate in the Angel Tree project at https://www.tsamm.org/angeltree.

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TownTalk: ‘Shop With A Cop And Friends’ Reception: Fun With A Purpose

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Wednesday’s celebratory reception for the Shop With a Cop and Friends program was sprinkled with laughter, music and levity, but the underlying message shone clearly in remarks by everybody from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson on down to local law enforcement leaders – it’s all for the kids.

“This is what we do and what we get excited about,” Wilkerson said as she kicked off the official part of the program, thanking sponsors and providing details about the actual shopping day – Friday, Dec. 20.

Shopping Day is a special, special day, she said, adding that law enforcement officers and others will join “the other million people” taking care of last-minute shopping at the Henderson Walmart.

But Vance County Schools students don’t start their holiday break until lunchtime on that day, so Wilkerson said they’ll get going about 3 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to deliver you a check like we did last year,” Wilkerson said to Sheriff Curtis Brame, Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, referring to the $15,000 that the program got to share with children on their shopping spree.

Shop With a Cop is a memorable experience for the children, but it’s also something adults are sure to remember as well, Brame said, “to see the excitement in children’s eyes” as they stroll the aisles.

But it’s also a humbling experience, he said, to see kids who want to buy gifts for their parents and siblings instead of for themselves.

Chief Barrow recalled that the department started the program some years ago, a small-scale effort to give back to those in need. When the Chamber president approached the department with the idea of forming a partnership, it was a no-brainer. The first year of that partnership raised about $6,000, he said, and has ballooned to $15,000 under Wilkerson and her team.

“We’ve gotten so much support,” Barrow said. “It’s more than Shop With a Cop – it’s a partnership” that involves the Department of Social Services, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks, the City Council, city manager, county manager, among all the other community supporters.

A highlight of the event was finding out who won the cash prizes associated with the 180 raffle tickets that were sold – four cash prizes were awarded – $200, $500, $1,000 and the top prize of $2,000.

As each name was drawn, Wilkerson easily called them out:

Juanita Sommerville, Kendrick Vann, Hal Muetzel. (Congratulations, by the way!)

But the $2,000 winner had her puzzled, and she may have not wanted to admit it, but she said she didn’t recognize the name: Sam…Citgo?

After a few failed attempts from the gathering to claim the prize, however, the picture became clear. HPD’s Tony Mills spoke up from the crowd to say he stopped by the gas station, “and the rascal bought three tickets.”

Citgo wasn’t the person’s last name – it was his place of business. So, Sam from Citgo, the purchase of three tickets paid off.

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