Vance County Animal Shelter Groundbreaking

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Vance County is building a new animal shelter.  Vance County Commissioners, Vance County Animal Control, The Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society and The U.S. Department of Agriculture along with local volunteers and citizens celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony.  The ceremony began at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, January 21, 2016 on Brodie Road.

012116 New Animal Shelter (Ceremony)Vance County Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Gordon Wilder, welcomed those in attendance and introduced the speakers.  He said he was most grateful for the folks who have propelled this forward, especially Charles and Mary Boyd.  He said you have to give a lot of credit to Frankie Nobles, Chief Animal Control Officer, and how Nobles and his staff have fostered relationships in the community.  Wilder said the work of Nobles and his staff has helped our community stay out of trouble with state officials.  Wilder said this project is a “testament to how this area is moving forward and upward.”

Past-Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Archie B. Taylor, Jr., said the board had been working for nine years to reach this point.  He said the County’s existing shelter was far behind the shelters of neighboring counties.  Taylor thanked Charles and Mary Boyd, who were in attendance and who donated the land for the new shelter, and he thanked The Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society for dreaming up this project and all the volunteer work the society does in Vance County and Henderson.

Alan Hedgepeth of The Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society said it had been a long journey and thanked the commissioners for securing funding.  The USDA will be the long-term financier of the project.  Hedgepeth said the new shelter would greatly increase the care of animals while they wait for forever homes.  Ruin Creek Animal Protection specializes in fostering animals as well as seeing to it that animals are treated and adopted out to permanent and healthy homes.  Hedgepeth encouraged those in attendance to foster, to adopt and to give donations if they wanted to help.

Nobles indicated that the existing circumstances at the old shelter and that the knowledge that a new shelter would be open next year at this time were emotional for the shelter staff.  He said the support and donations were amazing, and it was amazing how much the community had gotten behind this plan and this dream.  Nobles said to those in attendance, “You are the ones that made this happen.”

Nobels described Dr. Patricia Norris, DVM as “the top lady at the shelter.”  Norris of NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services praised the shelter staff for the tremendous job it has done at the existing facility.  She said the new shelter “will benefit the animals (and in doing so) will improve the quality of life for every person in the community.”012116 New Animal Shelter Waste Industries $10k Check

Lee Bodenhamer with Waste Industries, Inc. presented a check towards the project for $10,000.00.  He spoke of Waste Industries’ work in the community and talked about how the company wanted to take part in the social responsibility aspect of helping building a new shelter.  He indicated that in 2014 Waste Industries started the “Full Circle Project.”  As he described it, Waste Industries customers were surveyed, and the top place they said to donate funds was animal rescue.  Over 26 percent of respondents indicated animal rescue.  Bodenhamer said he hoped this gift was just the beginning.

The official groundbreaking was then held and those in attendance socialized before departing.

012116 New Animal Shelter Groundbreaking (in post)

012116 New Animal Shelter Model

(Editor’s Note — WIZS is pleased to present this news story and to help recognize those in attendance and those who have worked so hard.  While the story was presented the same day on the radio, it has just now been published online.  We apologize for the delay.  Recent winter weather consumed extra time, and we had wanted this to be presented without distractions caused by the weather because the new shelter construction and the teamwork it has taken to get to this point are very important. — John C. Rose)

 

Vance County Economic Development Show 01/27/16

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News 01/28/16

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Granville Sheriff’s Office Release

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The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has recently made the following arrests:

Stephen Wade Padgett
Arrested early Saturday morning, charged with 3 counts Breaking and Entering and property damage on Cash Rd. and one count of Obstruction.
$80,000 bond

Gary Midgette
Charged with indoor marijuana grow operation and manufacturing non tax paid liquor.
$25,000 bond.

Home and Garden Show 01/26/16

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News 01/27/16

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Dr. Ben Currin Honored

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Former VGCC president honored with Community College System’s top award

The State Board of Community Colleges recently selected Dr. Ben F. Currin, the former president of Vance-Granville Community College, to receive the highest honor the board can bestow, the I.E. Ready Award, for 2016.

Named for Isaac Epps Ready, the first state director of the North Carolina Community College System, the prestigious award was created in 1983 to recognize individuals who have made significant, statewide contributions to the establishment, development or enhancement of the System.

Currin, now retired and living in Raleigh, has contributed over 40 years of service to North Carolina, including serving as president of VGCC for 18 years starting in 1981.

Under Currin’s leadership, VGCC grew from one campus to four, with a total of almost $18 million worth of new construction at all campuses. During his tenure, VGCC also reactivated the college’s Endowment Fund, which grew from $12,000 in 1982 to $5 million at the time of his retirement and provided scholarships for numerous students. In retirement, Currin continues to serve on the Endowment Fund Board of Directors.

“Dr. Currin is regarded not only as a leader who made a significant impact on the communities served by VGCC, but also as a trailblazer who created a model of success for community colleges everywhere,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the current president of the college. “His vision and innovation in establishing satellite campuses, building strong community partnerships and developing our scholarship program make him truly deserving of the I.E. Ready Award.”

A native of Granville County and a graduate of Oxford High School, Currin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1959. He earned his master’s degree in education in 1962 and his advanced graduate certificate in professional education in 1963, both from UNC. He received his doctorate in education from UNC in 1970 in education administration with a minor in political science.

Currin assumed the VGCC presidency after having served as a teacher, coach and public school administrator, including 11 years as superintendent of Rocky Mount City Schools. While in Rocky Mount, he also taught graduate courses at East Carolina University as an adjunct professor.

Currin earned high esteem from his peers in higher education. A University of Texas study in 1988-89 named him one of the “best of the best” among community college presidents across the nation, and he was given a National Leadership Award at the Leadership 2000 conference in San Francisco. He was also one of 75 participants chosen nationwide to participate in the Management of Lifelong Education Institute at Harvard University.

Deborah Brown, the current chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees, wrote in a letter of support for Currin’s nomination for the I.E. Ready Award that the college stood at a crossroads when he became its leader. “Dr. Currin took the right path through the crossroads and led Vance-Granville from a fledgling school into a powerful institution, demonstrating how rural colleges can deliver education to citizens effectively and efficiently,” Brown wrote. She also said he emphasized building the college’s public image and keeping VGCC on the cutting edge, both by introducing new training programs and incorporating new technology.

VGCC Board of Trustees member L. Opie Frazier Jr. also wrote a letter endorsing Currin’s nomination. The longest-serving trustee in VGCC history, Frazier chaired the board for many of the years in which Currin was president. “While I had only heard of Ben Currin prior to his coming to us as a candidate for president, I can say without question now that he was indeed a godsend for Vance-Granville,” Frazier wrote. “His greatest asset was his emphasis on students. The second was his enthusiasm. His successes are many – for example, the satellite campuses started under his leadership and the scholarship program that grew dramatically – because he wanted the best for students, and his enthusiasm helped him win friends at various levels to help him grow the college and serve more students.”

Currin received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Gov. Beverly Perdue. In remarks at the ceremony at which Currin was honored with that award, Dr. J. Reid Parrott Jr., retired president of Nash Community College, cited the positive impact Currin had on VGCC. “I want to tell you, I’ve been doing this community college stuff a long time, and there is no president of all 58 of our schools that has transformed an institution as quickly and as magnificently as Ben Currin did at Vance-Granville,” Parrott said.

After retiring from VGCC, Currin served on the state Charter Schools Advisory Committee for eight years and for a short period as interim headmaster of Kerr-Vance Academy.

Previous winners of the I.E. Ready Award include three former governors, three former state legislators, 14 former members of the State Board of Community Colleges, two former Council of State members, two former United States Senators, seven former college trustees, four former college presidents, four former System Presidents, two former System Office employees, and six former educators.

Only one other I.E. Ready Award recipient has been a VGCC official: the late John T. Church Sr. of Henderson, who chaired the college’s Board of Trustees and served in the General Assembly.

–VGCC–

(This VGCC Press Release was supplied to WIZS and was written by Andrew Beal, Public Information Officer of Vance-Granville Community College.)

Affordable Care Act Deadline

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Less Than a Week Left for North Carolinians to enroll in Affordable Care Act

January 31 is the final deadline to enroll in coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace and avoid paying a fine of $695 or more

RALEIGH – January 31 is the final deadline for North Carolinians to enroll in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace during the third Affordable Care Act open-enrollment period. With just six days left, the clock is ticking and North Carolinians should act now to make sure they have time to shop around, consider their options, and enroll in the plan that best fits their needs and budget.

The North Carolina Navigator Consortium and Enroll America are urging North Carolinians to check out Affordable Care plans, which cover what they need and meet their budgets so they can have peace of mind knowing that in an event of medical emergencies they would be covered.

“The Affordable Care Act insurance continues to help many North Carolinians,” said Jennifer Simmons, North Carolina Navigator Consortium Director. “We have talked to consumers who have undergone life-saving surgeries using their coverage. The marketplace plans are affordable and meet consumers’ budgets. We encourage uninsured North Carolinians to check out their options before the January 31 deadline so they can get covered.”

“So far, more than 569,000 North Carolinians have signed up for coverage during this open enrollment period – but there are still many who stand to benefit and need to take action before January 31,” said Get Covered America North Carolina State Director Sorien Schmidt. “Last year, we saw an unprecedented surge of interest leading up to the final deadline, and we expect to see the same this year as we approach the end of the month. That’s why we are encouraging people to start the process now to make sure there’s plenty of time from them to find the best plan for their family.”

To help North Carolinians learn about their options, there is free, in-person enrollment help available in communities across the state. Consumers can sit down face-to-face with unbiased local experts who can answer questions and help them make the best coverage decision for them and their families. They can also help people change plans if they are already insured through the Affordable Care Act and want to explore the new options available to them this year. North Carolinians can find someone near them by calling 1-855-733-3711 or using the Get Covered Connector tool at www.getcoveredamerica.org/connector.

During this open enrollment period, there are new plans and new prices available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, so North Carolinians should shop the options available to them. All Marketplace health plans are required to cover the basics – from preventive care, emergency services, prescriptions, and more. And quality protection comes at an affordable price for most North Carolinians, thanks to the financial assistance available to lower the cost of plans. In fact nearly 9 in 10 of the North Carolinians who have signed up so far are receiving financial help.

Those who don’t have health insurance in 2016 may face a fine of $695 or 2.5% of their income – whichever is greater. And that’s on top of having to pay out of pocket for routine medical care and unexpected emergencies. North Carolinians shouldn’t delay and risk paying the fine and high medical bills when they can have quality, affordable health insurance that will cover the essentials and protect them from the unexpected.

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The NC Navigator Consortium is a group of 14 health care, social service and legal aid organizations that helps North Carolina consumers enroll in affordable health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. The consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to low-income North Carolinians. Members of the consortium are Access East, Capital Care Collaborative, Cape Fear HealthNet, Care Ring, Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Cumberland HealthNet, HealthCare Access, HealthNet Gaston, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, MDC, Partnership for Community Care, Pisgah Legal Services and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Enroll America is the nation’s leading health care enrollment coalition. An independent nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Enroll America works with more than 6,700 partners in all 50 states to create cutting-edge tools, analyze data, inform policy, and share best practices in service of its mission: maximizing the number of Americans who enroll in and retain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

 

(Information provided to WIZS in the form of a Press Release from Legal Aid of North Carolina.)

National School Choice Week

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Parents encouraged to apply for Opportunity Scholarships Now

Raleigh, NC – Parents of more than 280,000 students choose non-traditional education options in North Carolina.  This week is National School Choice Week.  “I have been a strong advocate for parental school choice during my tenure in the North Carolina General Assembly,” said Representative Paul Stam.  “I believe that parents should have school choice options among traditional public schools, public charter schools, private schools, and home schools,” he continued.  Competition and choice work for schools just like it works for any other business or industry.  Where school choice exists, all schools improve.

The legislature passed the Opportunity Scholarship program that allows families to receive up to $4,200 per year to attend a participating private school of their choice.  There are scholarships remaining for the spring semester of the current school year.  Applications for the current school year must be completed by January 31, 2016.

The application period opens for next school year (fall 2016- spring 2017) on February 1, 2016.  The priority application period for next school year ends on March 1, 2016.  The application period will remain open as long as funding is available.  There is funding for approximately 6,000 scholarships per year.  Parents may complete a scholarship application by going to the website of the North Carolina Education Assistance Authority at www.ncseaa.edu.

To be eligible for the scholarship the student must have attended a public school the previous school year. The prior public school experience is waived for students entering kindergarten or first grade.  Also, parents must meet income limits to be eligible for the scholarship.  The income limits varies based upon the number of people in the household.  For example, for a family of four the household income must be less than $59,667 per year.

“I encourage eligible families to apply now for the Opportunity Scholarships,” said Representative Stam.  If they have any questions, they may contact the North Carolina Education Assistance Authority at 1-855-330-3955 (toll-free).

(This information came to WIZS in the form of a Press Release from N.C. Rep. Paul Stam of Wake County.)

News 01/26/16

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