April Crimes of the Month
Fraud Case:
On February 05, 2016 at approximately 11:30 a.m., Henderson Police Officers received a call from Mr. Anderson who stated that someone had used his personal and corporate credit cards at several locations within the city. The Henderson Police Department encourages any person with information related to this case to contact Henderson – Vance Crime Stoppers at 492-1925 and also you can leave anonymous tips on the web site www.hvcrimestoppers.com. Citizens with information can also contact the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 431-6063.
Shooting into a Occupied Dwelling & Property Damage Case
On March 30, 2016 at approximately 6:47 p.m., officers responded to North Clark Street and Charles Street, in reference to shots fired. Upon arrival, officers talked to Ms. Hargrove of North Clark Street who stated that someone fired shots into her residence and caused damage to the fence around the house. The Henderson Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this crime to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141 or Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925. You can put anonymous tips on the web site www.hvcrimestoppers.com. Callers may remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers offers a reward up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Breaking & Entering & Larceny Case
On March 20, 2016 at approximately 2:41 p.m., the Vance County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 420 Greystone Road Henderson, NC in reference to a Breaking and Entering. Upon arrival, deputies talked to Patricia Alston who stated that someone had broken into her house and removed items. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office encourages any person with information related to this case to contact Henderson – Vance Crime Stoppers at 492-1925 and also you can put anonymous tips on the web site www.hvcrimestoppers.com. Citizens with information can also contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 738-2200.
Armed Robbery Case
On February 08, 2016 at approximately 9:15 p.m., Vance County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 141 Begonia Lane Henderson, NC in reference to an Armed Robbery. Upon arrival deputies talked to Randolph Scott who stated that a black male tall and skinny wearing all black tried to (commit) robbery. The suspect did not get any money and the subject ran from the scene. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office encourages any person with information related to this case to contact Henderson –Vance Crime Stoppers at 492-1925 and also you can put anonymous tips on web site www.hvcrimestoppers.com. Citizens with information can also contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 738-2200.
Note: Crime Stoppers will pay rewards up to $2,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of persons responsible for this and other criminal offenses. All information received is kept confidential. The Crime Stoppers phone number is 492-1925. Callers do not have to give their name.
Butner-Stem Elementary Google EXPEDITIONS @GCPSchools
Butner-Stem Elementary School Participates in Google EXPEDITIONS Pioneer Program
Students at Butner-Stem Elementary School are taking part in a pioneer program from Google, called Expeditions. Butner-Stem Elementary teachers, Carolyn Vickers, a 4th grade teacher and Teacher Technology Leader and Shannon Norton, a 5th grade teacher, signed up for this program. The program allows students to take virtual “Expeditions” around the world, using Google Cardboard and a mobile device. On Monday, March 21st, a Google expedition team member, Brendan Dermody, came to show the teachers and classes how Google Cardboard can take them to places they could not otherwise visit. The Google representative indicated that high interest is what brought the program to Butner-Stem Elementary.
The fifth grade classes visited monuments around the United States just before they take a field trip to Washington, D.C. Fourth grade classes visited the moon and some went to the Galapagos Islands and explored under the sea. Third grade classes explored exciting places around the world like Thailand, Antarctica, and Egypt.
The teachers guided the tours with an iPad as helpful facts are presented on their screen, meanwhile the students see the location through the cardboard viewers in a 3D virtual world. Students learn about the world while seeing it virtually. It is the next best thing to being there. Students were engaged and excited to be going on these virtual tours from their classrooms. The excitement was contagious. Besides the constant “Oohhs” and “Aahhs”, we overheard one student shout, “I can’t believe my eyes!”.
Expeditions, a virtual reality platform built for the classroom, are guided tours of places school buses can’t go. They are comprised of virtual reality panoramas, which are led by a guide or teacher. Using a tablet, teachers can guide up to 50 students wearing virtual reality viewers. Teachers can guide their class and point out highlights while referring to editable notes.
Google worked with teachers and content partners from around the world to create more than 100 engaging journeys – making it easy to immerse students in entirely new experiences.
Expeditions teams visit selected schools around the world, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Denmark and Mexico. Each team brings a complete Expeditions kit with everything the teachers need to take their students on journeys anywhere. The team or representative shows teachers how Expeditions works and helps set it up before class.
(Information received in a press release from Stan Winborne, Ed.S., Director of High Schools, Director of Career & Technical Education Program, Public Information Officer with Granville County Schools.)
STEM Grant for Summer Programs
Granville County Public Schools Receives STEM Grant for Summer Programs
Cognizant recently announced it is awarding 40 grants to expand afterschool, in-school, and summer programs across more than 60 sites in 25 states through its Making the Future education initiative. Designed to promote creativity and inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young learners, the initiative supports fun, hands-on “making” programs for students from grade school through high school. The 2016 grants will provide approximately 175,000 hours of making activities, including projects on electronics, robotics, computer programming, digital fabrication, 3D printing and wearable technology.
Granville County Public Schools will be using the $25,000 to hold a summer STEM camp for elementary, middle and high school students. Details and registration information about the camp will be released soon. “We are super excited to once again offer creative and cutting-edge technology projects to our students this summer. Last year’s camp was a huge success, and we look forward to serving even more students this summer,” said Brynn Pendrak, District Math Specialist. “Giving our students the opportunity to collaborate with hands-on projects develops math and science concepts, critical thinking skills, problem-solving techniques, and is just plain fun!”
Cognizant’s Making the Future initiative, part of the company’s overall efforts to promote skills that help ensure a competitive American workforce, was launched in 2011. Through the annual grants and other programs, Making the Future has introduced more than 260,000 children nationwide to over 1.9 million hours of making activities focused on STEM disciplines.
“Numerous studies show that in addition to developing their creativity, confidence and motivation, making is an excellent way for children to gain exposure to the STEM disciplines and gain experience with the types of workforce skills required to succeed in our evolving digital economy,” said Steven Schwartz, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Cognizant. “The talent shortage in the STEM fields is real. Through Making the Future, Cognizant is giving young learners an avenue for developing interest and passion for STEM subjects across socio-economic barriers and stereotypical gender divides. As a U.S.-based company and technology leader, Cognizant is committed to developing and supporting education initiatives that promote skills for the 21st century knowledge economy, helping American workers thrive today and in the future, and preparing our youth to capitalize on STEM career opportunities going forward.”
Making programs continue to be facilitated predominately by museums, libraries, Makerspaces and youth-focused non-profits. However, the 2016 Making the Future grant applications indicated increasing interest from a broader set of stakeholders, including: schools seeking to incorporate making as an integral part of classroom instruction; non-profit real estate development corporations investing in making incubators to grow creative economies; and colleges committed to collaborative projects with youth organizations in underserved neighborhoods.
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp is an American multinational corporation that provides custom information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. It is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. www.cognizant.com
(Information received in a press release from Stan Winborne, Ed.S., Director of High Schools, Director of Career & Technical Education Program, Public Information Officer with Granville County Schools.)
Orange County Speedway Media Day 2016 Press Release
Welcome to Orange County Speedway. We are starting our 10th season under the current management, and are pleased to announce exciting renovations that are underway. The main office is being renovated as well as the souvenir stand. OCS will have a new walk-in souvenir stand to offer fans the opportunity to have easy access to touch and feel the products they may want to purchase. We will also be offering a better selection of merchandise to appeal to all ages.
Track owner Melvin Stanley, and Operations Manager, Terry Deal, are making several upgrades to the track to make it a place where fans will have the most enjoyable experience and competitors will appreciate and enjoy their experience as well. “We want to make it a place enjoyable for everyone and a place where everyone will want to return,” said Deal.
Many local favorites are returning in 2016, such as 2014 Late Model Champion Chris Denny. Former champions Chuck Lawson and Terry Dease will throw their hat into the mix in 2016. Also returning is former Late Model competitor Tripp Massengill. Defending champion Craig Moore will be making periodic appearances throughout 2016, along with Layne Riggs.
Chris Elliott, Daniel Schadt, Dennis Sargent, Daryl Carver, and the Gray brothers are just a few names which will be running in the Limited Sportsman division. Defending Street Stock champion Jared Gillis will be returning to run for another Street Stock championship. Other Street Stock notables are the Purnell brothers and Jeffrey Martin, who is moving up from Super Mini Trucks, along with local favorite Scoot Hayden.
The Pure Stock and Super Mini Truck classes are growing and Orange County Speedway is expecting new competitors from Virginia and North Carolina. Danny Winstead has announced that he will be defending his Pure Stock title.
OCS is pleased to announce that the Modified Four Cylinder division will be running seven races this year with series sponsorship from Smokey Dave’s BBQ.
We are also running an open-wheel modified division with series sponsorship to be announced soon.
With new divisions, sponsorships, staff members, competitors, and renovations, everyone at OCS is excited about the 2016 season.
The first race of 2016 for Orange County Speedway is this Saturday, April 9th. Qualifying begins at five, and the first race begins at seven.
VGCC Student recognized for Academic Excellence
Vance-Granville Community College has named student Elizabeth M. Caulfield of Louisburg as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2016. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.
Caulfield will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when she is scheduled to graduate from the college with an Associate in Arts degree. That same month, Caulfield will graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. She is the first student from an Early College high school to receive the Academic Excellence Award in VGCC history. The college partners with four Early College high school programs, one in each county of the VGCC service area.
Caulfield said that her high school experience has been “unorthodox” but “thrilling.”
“I would never change my decision to attend the early college,” she said. “With the help of counseling and advice from VGCC staff and teachers, as well as some tutoring here and there, I was recently accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Looking back, I know my solid foundation at VGCC has set me up for success when I transition into university-level classes. I have learned to manage stress, stay organized, communicate with instructors, take notes, and above all, make the most of my college experience.”
Caulfield was inducted into the college’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society last year, and has made the Dean’s List and the President’s List. She has excelled in both her high school and college classes while also working part-time at a local restaurant and taking part in student organizations. At the high school level, Caulfield is a member of the National Honor Society and the Early College student newspaper staff. As a VGCC student, she has participated in the campus Earth Day cleanup for several years and is helping to establish the Equality Club. Outside of school, Caulfield has volunteered with the Franklin County Animal Shelter and Clearview Baptist Church.
She plans to major in Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“We are proud to recognize Elizabeth among the top students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “She is an excellent representative of both Vance-Granville and Franklin County Early College High School, and we know she will continue to excel as she completes her baccalaureate degree.”