VGCC to hold 33rd benefit golf tournament on May 2

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Vance-Granville Community College’s 33rd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.

With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $750,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2016 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $104,160.

This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.

The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first net, second net and first gross. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”

A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2017 Cadillac XT5, courtesy of Charles Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC. A player who hits a hole-in-one (with a $10 donation) on Hole 16 will win $5,000, while another $5,000 will be awarded to the VGCC Endowment Fund.

The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag and practice balls.

A light breakfast, lunch and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.

For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–

Chris Denny Captures Late Model Stock Win at Orange County Speedway

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Orange County Speedway would like to thank all the fans and race teams that came out Saturday night for the 4th Annual Sherry Love Johnson Memorial Race. These are the unofficial top three finishers in each division.

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock

1) Chris Denny (Pole)

2) Brandon Setzer

3) Terry Dease

Limited Sportsman

1) Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton

2) Gary Young, Jr.

3) Tracy Chambers

Pole-Daryl Carver

Pure Stock

1) Danny Winstead

2) Chase Sandefur (Pole)

3) Jared Gillis

Smokey Dave’s BBQ Mod 4’s

1) Dennis Capps

2) Harold Summey, Jr. (Pole)

3) Corey Purnell

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks

1) John Comstock (Pole)

2) Kiser Martin

3) Wesley Martin

Allison Legacy Series

1) Justin Taylor (Pole)

2) Kyle Campbell

3) Jake Garcia

Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds

1) Gary Young, Jr (Pole)

2) Todd Massey

3) Richard Thomas

Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman

1) Dusty Wall

2) Wayne (the Flame) Smith

3) Jacob Clayton

Our next race at OCS will be Saturday, April 22nd as the CARS Tour returns!

Again special thanks to everyone coming out!

Cover photo courtesy of speed51.com, which is the premier source for short track racing news across the United States.

Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies

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Baseball and Softball Opening Ceremonies

ALERT!  ALERT! — Due to current forecast of a lot of rain today (Friday, March 31), the recreation department has decided to POSTPONE the Opening Ceremony to Sunday 4-2-17 at 3:00 p.m., according to Kendrick Vann, H-V Rec. and Parks Director.  Vann also provided the following information:

HENDERSON-VANCE PICTURE DAY SCHEDULE

The following chart will let you know when your team is scheduled for pictures.

Sunday, 4/2 2:00pm A’s
  2:00pm Astro’s
  2:25pm Royals
  2:25pm Braves
  3:00pm Opening Ceremony
  4:00pm Angels
  4:00pm Pirates
  4:30pm Phillies
  4:30pm White Sox
  5:00pm Golden Corral
  5:00pm Screen Master
  5:00pm Auto Connection
  5:30pm Deep South Tattoo
  5:30pm Carolina Cooling
  5:30pm CertainTeed
  6:00pm Advantage Ford BB
  6:00pm Kiwanis
     
Wed 4/5 6:00pm Hoyle’s Tire 10U SB
  6:00pm Steele Creek Marina
  6:30pm Hoyle’s Tire 12U SB
  6:30pm Rose Oil
  7:00pm Advantage Ford SB
  7:00pm Welcome Finance

New London’s Kevin Chandler Wins FLW Bass Fishing League Opener on Kerr Lake

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HENDERSON, N.C. (March 27, 2017) – Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, weighed a 20-pound, 14-ounce, limit Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division opener on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. For his win, Chandler earned $8,211.

Chandler said he split his day between fishing rocks in Grassy Creek, and docks and laydowns in the main-river channel. He said every fish he weighed in came on a ½-ounce green-pumpkin-colored Shooter Lures Jig.

“I flipped and made little underhand pitches with the jig because the fish were so shallow,” said Chandler, who logged his fifth career-win in BFL competition. “Every bite came in 1 to 4 feet of water. My medium-heavy Level rod was a big part of my success. It’s got the perfect tip for flipping. I could make soft presentations under everything I targeted.”

Chandler said he spent a lot of his day running, including making 30 to 40 stops in the afternoon.

“I didn’t catch very many fish in one spot,” said Chandler. “My biggest bass – a 6-pound, 4-ouncer – came out of the rocks early on, but I got more bites in the afternoon. The water warmed up a couple of degrees when the sun came up, which helped.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 20-14, $6,211 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

               2nd:         Ray Griffin, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 20-2, $4,001

               3rd:          Mike Miller, Trinity, N.C., five bass, 20-0, $2,101

               4th:          Todd Harris, Clemmons, N.C., five bass, 18-7, $1,403

               5th:          Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 17-12, $1,202

               6th:          Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 16-11, $1,102

               7th:          George Lambeth, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $1,302

               8th:          Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., five bass, 16-1, $902

               9th:          David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $802

               10th:        Scooter Lilley, Williamston, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

               10th:        Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.  

Griffin caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $995.

Larry Freeman Jr. of La Crosse, Virginia, weighed in five bass totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and the top prize of $3,006.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., five bass, 14-11, $3,006

               2nd:         Derek Sewell, Forest, Va., four bass, 14-8, $1,503

               3rd:          Graham Burke, Clemmons, N.C., four bass, 13-0, $1,008

               4th:          Randy Ruffin, Norfolk, Va., four bass, 12-9, $1,198

               5th:          Bailey Hollingsworth, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 12-1, $601

               6th:          Jake Rowe, Selma, N.C., five bass, 11-11, $551

               7th:          Francis Andrews, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 11-8, $501

               8th:          Mark Whitman, Elon, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $651

               9th:          Scott Anderson, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $401

               10th:        Chris Tucker, Albemarle, N.C., three bass, 10-12, $351

Ruffin caught the biggest bass among Co-angler Division anglers, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $497.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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Duke’s Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

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Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

Courtesy: Duke Sports Information

March 22, 2017

DURHAM, N.C. – Following a freshman season in which he emerged as one of the nation’s top multi-dimensional players, Duke forward Jayson Tatum will enter the 2017 NBA Draft.

Tatum is the 10th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015) and Brandon Ingram (2016).

Each of the previous nine Duke freshman in the draft was a first-round selection, including eight lottery picks.

“I have absolutely loved coaching Jayson Tatum,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His skill set and work ethic will make him a star in the NBA. Whichever team selects him will be getting a humble, thoughtful and talented young man whom we are proud to call a member of the Duke Basketball brotherhood.”

Tatum averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Blue Devils in 2016-17, ranking second on the team and among ACC freshmen in both categories. He shot .452 from the floor and .849 from the free throw line in 33.3 minutes per game.

The St. Louis native currently ranks fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage, 10th in rebound average and 12th in scoring.

“I’m excited to take the next step in pursuing my lifelong dream of playing basketball at the highest possible level,” Tatum said. “With that said, I’ve loved my time at Duke. The Brotherhood is a real thing and I’ll always be part of the bond between former, current and future Duke players. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, family and friends for the unwavering support I’ve received as I pursue my dream.”

The ultra-versatile Tatum set a Duke single-season record with six games of at least 10 points/5 rebounds/3 assists/2 steals/2 blocks; those six occasions are also the third-most in Duke history for a career. He is just the third Duke player under Coach K, alongside Parker and Okafor, to average 16+ points and 7+ rebounds as a freshman.

On Duke’s single-season freshman charts, Tatum ranks fourth in free throws made (118), fifth in free throw percentage (.849) and rebound average (7.3), seventh in scoring average (16.8), eighth in blocks per game (1.1) and 10th in steals (1.3) and minutes (33.3) per game.

Tatum’s 26 double-figure scoring game and seven 20-point games are also both the 10th-most in Duke history by a freshman.

A three-time ACC Freshman of the Week, Tatum was a third-team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team. He is one of five final candidates for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as well a USBWA All-District III honoree.

Duke has produced at least one first-round NBA Draft pick in each of the last six years. Coach K has mentored 32 first-round picks, including a draft-record 21 lottery selections.

#GoDuke

Northern Vance Baseball vs. Orange

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Northern Vance Baseball vs. Orange can be heard this Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. on HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM.

NV played at Orange yesterday and fell 9-8.  There are multiple articles available on HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM.

Since WIZS 1450 cannot provide the game this Friday, due to several prior programming commitments including the UNC Tar Heels vs. Butler in the NCAA Tournament starting at 6 p.m., we are promoting the fact that Northern Vance and Vance County fans can hear the baseball game online, along with the regular HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM listeners.

In partnership with Jeff Hamlin of HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM, Kevin Bullock of WIZS will provide the live play by play and John Rose will be the analyst and engineer.  This partnership came about because both media entities were in a position to complete the broadcast by working together.  Both HILLSBOROUGHSPORTS.COM and WIZS Radio are committed to providing professional local coverage of high school and local athletes.

(Orange Baseball Cover Photo Used With Permission)

New Season, New Pavement To Greet South Boston Fans Saturday

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (March 21, 2017) – The wait is almost over. South Boston Speedway swings open the gates on its 60th season and a brand-new racing surface Saturday afternoon.

The green flag flies on the Danville Toyota Twin 100s, featuring five races in four divisions, at 2 p.m.

The track was repaved in the offseason, part of a $1 million capital improvement program, and drivers have given rave reviews of the new racing surface.

“It’s unreal how smooth the track is,” said Danny Willis Jr., a Late Model winner a year ago who tested at the .4-mile oval last Saturday. “The track didn’t seem to have a lot of grip early on, but it got better as the day went on. The more rubber that gets down, the better it is.”

Peyton Sellers discovered quickly during his first test that all the history he had on racing at South Boston was just that: history.

“You can throw your book on South Boston out the window,” said Sellers, former track champion and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion. “You’ve got to start a brand new book. We’re racing on a different compound on a different surface. It’s a whole different track. The old setups won’t work. I think first through 15 are going to be dead even when the season starts.”

Sellers added “the track is smooth as glass. I think you are going to see a lot of side-by-side racing. You aren’t going to have to manipulate the cars through the turns like we did.”

Brandon Pierce, headed into his second full season of Late Model racing, said as good as the track has been in practice sessions the last few weeks, it’s going to be even better Saturday afternoon.

“I’m looking forward to the new pavement. I think so far there are still a lot of unknowns because most of the laps turned on the new pavement have been single car runs,” said Pierce. “So, when the track goes hot Saturday for practice that will be the first time that multiple cars have been on the track. I think the track is going to be awesome then.”

Willis, who made the move up to Late Models from Limited Sportsman a year ago, won a race in 2016 and wound up sixth in the season-ending points. That move was spurred on by an increase in the Late Model purse structure that guarantees a driver $500 per race. That purse structure remains in place for 2017.

“The five-hundred to start was big last year and it’s just as big this year for us,” said Willis.

South Boston Speedway’s 60th season opens Saturday afternoon with the Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100s, featuring two 100-lap races for the Late Model Stock Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race.

Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m. with qualifying set to start at 1 p.m. The green flag falls at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children seven to 12 and admission is free for children six and under.

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Mike Smith
Relevant Public Relations
423.914.3009
msmith@southbostonspeedway
msmith@prrelevant.com

Orange County Speedway Geared up for Season Opener this Saturday Night

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As Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model racers from across the Carolinas prepare for the series long awaited return to Orange County Speedway on Saturday, March 25th, a great championship battle is heating up following the first two races of the season.   Heading into the upcoming “Original” Orange Blossom Special, points leader Bradley McCaskill and former PASS South champions, Matt Craig and Tate Fogleman, are only separated by two points.   As a matter of fact, the top 11 drivers in points only have 42 points between them.

Following his recent win in the Dogwood 150 at Southern National Motorsports Park, Matt Craig looks forward to the next stop for a number of reasons, including the opportunity to get a guaranteed starting spot in the 44th Annual Oxford 250 with a win and a shot at the $25,000 top prize come last weekend in August.

“It was good to win with the new style Hamke car and be the first one to win with it,” says Craig.   “We broke something at Dillon and we just nursed it to the finish, so we know we have good speed.”

After a tight battle throughout the season in 2016 with Kodie Conner, Craig was able to prevail and capture the championship.   But, he knows it will be no easy task to become the first two-time winner of the South’s oldest Super Late Model championship.

“Getting the PASS South championship was a big boost of confidence for all of us, but it’s a new year and we want more trophies,” said Craig.   “I hope that us, the 18 [McCaskill], Fogleman, Conner, and the 29 [Spencer Davis] can go at it all year and make it a good show, but we plan to run this well the whole season in PASS.”

In addition to the PASS South championship, the Orange Blossom Special will serve as the second race of the PASS National Championship Series.   4-time PASS National champion, Ben Rowe, is in contention once again, along with Davis, McCaskill, Sarah Cornett-Ching, and Fogleman, and fellow New Englanders Dave Farrington, Jr. and Derek Griffith.

Action gets under way on Friday, March 24 for the “Original” Orange Blossom Special with rotating practice from 3 – 6 PM for the PASS Super Late Models, Southern Modified Racing Series Tour Mods, and USAC Eastern Midgets.   On Saturday, March 25, pit gates open at 11 AM, with rotating practice for from 1 – 3:30 PM, qualifying at 4 PM, the Pit Party at 5:45 PM and feature racing set to begin at 7 PM.

Entry forms for the Orange Blossom Special, along with the 44th Annual Oxford 250 and upcoming events at Thompson Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Oxford Plains Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, can be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.  The 2017 license forms for the PASS Super Late Models are also available at ProAllStarsSeries.com.   Drivers purchasing licenses for the 2017 season will receive bonus points for each race they are pre-registered for and will also save money towards any events that they enter early.

The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America’s premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the Easter Bunny 150 and the Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 at Hickory Motor Speedway and the legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway. For media or marketing questions, please contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com. Please visit ProAllStarsSeries.com for more information and don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.

Kenneth Bullock Named South Boston Speedway Race Director

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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (March 20, 2017) – Veteran race official Kenneth Bullock has been named race director at South Boston Speedway, track officials announced today.

Bullock brings 27 years of experience working at weekly race tracks in many different capacities from his first job on a clean-up crew to almost three decades of experience as a technical inspector in many different divisions. He has also served as race director at other tracks.

“The new asphalt at South Boston provides a unique challenge to the competitors across all divisions this year,” said Bullock. “It is a huge honor to have this opportunity at one of the top weekly race tracks in the country. I will strive to be as fair and consistent as possible in my duties as race director.

Bullock, who is from Oxford, North Carolina, said over the years he “has had every job at South Boston but flagman, pace car driver and working the back gate.”

“We’re very excited to have Kenneth as our race director here at South Boston Speedway,” said Cathy Rice, the track’s general manager. “Kenneth has worked with us here so he is familiar with the track, our competitors and staff. With his knowledge and reputation, I think it’s going to be a great year for our competitors and the track.”

South Boston Speedway’s 60th season opens Saturday afternoon with the Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100s, featuring two 100-lap races for the Late Model Stock Division, a 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, a 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock race and a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race.

Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m. with qualifying set to start at 1 p.m. The green flag falls at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children seven to 12 and admission is free for children six and under.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Mike Smith
Relevant Public Relations
423.914.3009
msmith@southbostonspeedway
msmith@prrelevant.com

Kerr Lake Readies For T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Opener Presented by Navionics

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WHAT: The 2017 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament season will open Saturday, March 25, for Piedmont Division anglers with a tournament on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day tournament.

WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2017

Piedmont Division

Kerr Lake

Nutbush North

115 Jack Wade Farm Road

Henderson, N.C.

Hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism

NOTES: Piedmont Division anglers can expect Kerr Lake to produce some sizeable bass for this BFL opener. Fans following the action will likely see competitors flipping and pitching to flooded bushes with jigs and Texas-rigged soft-plastics. A variety of moving baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits and umbrella rigs may also play a role near wood. A five-bass limit nearing 18 pounds should be enough to take top honors at this late-March BFL event.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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