Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie 07/27/16

News 07/27/16

Vance County Superior Case Management Court

Henderson, NC– Vance County Superior Case Management Court was held during the week of July 18, 2016. Judge G. Wayne Abernathy of Alamance County presided over the session. The Office of District Attorney Michael D. Waters was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Stephen T. Gheen, Melissa D. Pelfrey, and William J. Williamson.

Francis Davis pleaded guilty to armed robbery and received an active sentence of 38 to 58 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction (DAC). The robbery occurred at the Marathon convenience store on Dabney Drive on August 31, 2015. This case was prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Kelly Hester pleaded guilty to Larceny by Defeating an Anti-Theft Device at Wal-Mart for a March 11, 2016 incident, and received a sentence of 8 to 19 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 24 months and the defendant was placed on supervised probation. This case was prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Anna Strain pleaded guilty to Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and was sentenced to 120 days in a misdemeanor confinement facility. The sentence was suspended and the Defendant placed on 30 months of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the Vance County Sheriffs Office.

Robert Speed pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a motor vehicle and for attaining habitual felon status, and received an active sentence of 48 to 70 months in the DAC. The conviction arose out of a string of motor vehicle break-ins occurring between December 1, 2015, and February 1, 2016. The cases were prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Michelle Spence pleaded guilty to Possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and received a sentence of 6 to 17 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 36 months of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Darryl White pleaded guilty to Fleeing to Elude Arrest and Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and received a sentence of 24 to 41 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 48 months of supervised probation after the defendant serves a 10 month active sentence. These charges arose out of a high speed chase that took law enforcement through four counties on March 1, 2016, before they could safely stop and apprehend the defendant. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

(Full Press Release from District Attorney Mike Waters)

Home and Garden Show 07/26/16

Town Talk 07/26/16

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 07/26/16

News 07/26/16

VGCC student recognized as a Microsoft Office ‘Master’

Andrew S. Dawson of Henderson recently became the first Vance-Granville Community College student to earn the “Microsoft Office Specialist Master” certification.

The certification is awarded to someone who successfully passes a set of certification exams that test proficiency in multiple Microsoft software applications. Dawson completed the Excel 2013, Excel 2013 Expert-level, Access 2013 and Word 2013 certifications, all during the spring 2016 semester. He said he hopes in the future to accomplish the same certifications for the newest (2016) versions of the Office programs.

VGCC offers a number of nationally-recognized Microsoft Office certifications, free of charge, to students, faculty and staff. The “Microsoft IT Academy” program helps ensure that test-takers have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills that are valued by employers. VGCC was one of the top five community colleges in North Carolina for the number of participants in the certification program in 2015.

Dawson is a student in the Computer Technology Integration – IT Support Track program. He is projected to graduate from the college in the spring of 2017 and plans to pursue an information technology career. A full-time student, Dawson is also a part-time tutor in the VGCC Academic Skills Center.

“Andrew is a very dedicated and knowledgeable student, and we’re so proud of his achievements,” said VGCC Information Technology program head Faith Harris. She added that Dawson’s certification will help him succeed in the job market.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling that this will be a great addition to my resume, and I got it for free as a student,” Dawson noted.

For more information on VGCC Information Technology offerings, contact Faith Harris at (252) 738-3235 or harrisf@vgcc.edu.

UNC Chapel Hill Gives Back, Benefits Vance

UNC Chapel Hill: Giving back to the lower income counties of NC

By: Noah Whittacre – WIZS

Since 2014 Vance County has been a part of the recently-developed Carolina College Advising Corps program. The program at UNC Chapel Hill was created in 2007 to give lower income schools and areas the tools and resources to help students apply for scholarships, schedule testing, apply to the colleges that best suit individual needs and to encourage all to consider their future at college. The program at UNC Chapel Hill is part of a bigger organization called the College Advising Corps, and this program works in tandem with AmeriCorps, another national organization to aid the citizens of America.

Why do we need College Advisers in our High School?

College advisers play a huge role in the process of applying to college, according to the College Board. High-achieving students from low-income families have the same chance of enrolling in college as low-achieving students from high-income families. The Advising Corps was created to bridge the gap between college and these students from low-income families. Advisers work closely with school guidance counselors and other school staff to create programs that meet the needs of the students in the high schools they serve.

The advisers help students research and apply at a large range of two-year and four-year universities and seek to fit the student’s individual needs. The primary goals of the Advising Corps are to increase post-secondary enrollment rates of the schools served, create a college going culture within the schools served, and broaden the range of two and four year schools to which students are exposed. These advisers are essential for students who have no desire to look for what suits them best or those who just don’t know all of their opportunities.

The Impact at Northern Vance

When I started my freshman year, there was no college adviser at Northern Vance. The encouragement to apply for college and to achieve was there but the talk and buzz about college wasn’t. When our college adviser came in 2014, the entire atmosphere surrounding college changed. Students were excited to talk about their plans, to discuss scholarship information, to encourage other students to keep on applying. We started having college fairs where college representatives came and set up booths to give us information. The number of college visit field trips increased and students were shown opportunities that they didn’t know were there. From my own perspective, these advisers have a tremendous impact on the schools of North Carolina. I hope that all schools will have an opportunity to eventually receive a college adviser because the impact is really remarkable.

What impact has this program made in NC schools?

According to the Carolina College Advising Corps website, these are the impacts made in the 2014-2015 school year:

  • Held over 45,000 one-on-one meetings with students in grades 9-12
  • Organized and offered 283 college campus visits for students at partner high schools
  • Held 863 college representative visits to high schools, allowing 5,605 students to have direct interaction with a college representative
  • Held over 1,000 parent meetings
  • Directly assisted over 3,300 students with registering for a college entrance exam (ACT and/or SAT)
  • Supported over 3,600 eligible students in obtaining a fee waiver to take a college entrance exam
  • Helped students submit over 16,000 college applications to four-year and two-year institutions
  • Assisted students in earning over $109,405,000 in scholarships (not including federal Pell Grant awards)
  • Celebrated 4,630 students at Decision Day events across the state
  • Worked with 5 students who were awarded the Morehead Cain Scholarship
  • Supported and assisted with over 4,100 student submissions of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1, 2015
  • Collaborated with colleagues to offer 272 sessions on financial aid and financial literacy to their communities

These statistics are proof that the CCAC has made great strides from when they started to aid students on the pathway to success. When the CCAC started in 2007, they had four advisers serving eight schools. In the 2015-2016 school year, 45 advisers served 64 schools across 25 counties in North Carolina. These numbers will only continue to grow and the program will continue to serve the students of NC schools.

For more information you can visit:
CCAC Website – https://carolinacollegeadvisingcorps.unc.edu/
Advising Corps Website – https://advisingcorps.org/

Vance County Sheriff’s Department Press Release – Large Meth Bust

Sheriff Peter White announces the following arrest by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit:

David Joshua Walker

537 South Cooper Drive

Henderson, NC 27536

Age: 25

Manufacturing Methamphetamine

Possession of Precursor chemicals for the Manufacture of Methamphetamine

Bond: $110,000

Court Date: 08/29/2016

The Vance County Drug Enforcement Unit arrested the above individual after discovering a campsite in the wooded area behind 600 South Cooper Drive in Henderson. The evidence that was recovered showed evidence of Methamphetamine production.