Vance-Granville Community College has named student Paul Caroline of Louisburg as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2017. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.
Caroline will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when he is scheduled to graduate from the college with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree. That same month, Caroline will graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. This is the second year in a row that the VGCC Academic Excellence Award has gone to a student at FCECHS.
The college partners with four Early College high school programs, one in each county of the VGCC service area. As Caroline has done, students typically finish the program in five years, simultaneously earning high school diplomas and college degrees, or up to two years of college-transferable credits.
In an essay that he wrote for the award nomination, Caroline put his academic experience into its historical context. “For my family, education has always been a privilege,” he wrote. “In the early twentieth century, laws prohibited my great-grandmother and many other African American students from advancing to the twelfth grade and earning a high school diploma. Since then, each new generation has attested to a strong commitment to the pursuit of educational opportunity.”
Caroline added that “education opens doors to a better life, and one of the greatest thresholds I have crossed on my journey thus far is the iconic archway of Vance-Granville Community College.”
He described the support he has received from faculty members at both the high school and the college as “transformative.” Caroline said that he found that learning “not only yields the power to better oneself, but the world as a whole.” He took the “Vanguard spirit” and VGCC’s commitment to students to heart, he said, by helping others as a Peer Tutor through the college’s Academic Skills Center, starting at the age of 17.
After he graduates, Caroline is set to study Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, the prestigious Ivy League institution, with a full QuestBridge scholarship, which he described as “a first” for his community. “In my personal journey, Vance-Granville Community College has been a stepping-stone to making an Ivy League education possible,” Caroline said.
His twin brother, Peter, is also a Franklin County Early College High School student. Peter is likewise set to graduate with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree from VGCC and will continue his education at Stanford University with a full QuestBridge scholarship.
“Paul’s hard work and dedication to excellence have earned him a place among the top community college students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “He is an outstanding representative of both Vance-Granville and Franklin County Early College High School, and we know he will continue to make us proud as a student at one of our country’s elite institutions of higher learning.”
–VGCC–
Henderson Land Planning Committee to meet Thursday
/by WIZS StaffThe Henderson City Council’s Land Planning Committee will meet on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss policies and receive updates, along with other issues associated with City owned properties.
The public is welcome.
Esther J. McCrackin
City Clerk – City of Henderson, NC
134 Rose Avenue
P.O. Box 1434
Henderson, NC 27536
Henderson Wellness Center Celebrates 15 Years with Ribbon Cutting
/by WIZS StaffOn February 16, 2017 Henderson Wellness Center celebrated its 15th year in business with a Business After Hours event followed up by a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, February 21 assisted by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, which was held at the center’s office location on Dabney Drive. Family, friends, staff, business owners, and associates joined together to commemorate the growing practices’ success in treating and restoring a wide range of health and spinal conditions.
Dr. Brandon Taylor opened the practice originally as “Taylor Chiropractic” in February of ’02, later incorporating medical and massage services through KaKeasha Richardson, P.A.C. and Holly Nix, L.M.B.T. The addition of providers proved not only to be auxiliary but key, which he emphasized in a brief speech. “I want people to know that as a team we understand every patient’s complaint is specific to them, and those individual needs are better managed by independent or unified provider care. There are not any pre-requisites needed to see just one of us. Our goals would not be achievable without the helpful support of this community.”
Guests spent time catching up with friends, making new business contacts, enjoying some awesome food and beverage, and winning some great prizes.
For more information, please contact the Henderson Wellness Center at 252-430-8000 or check them out on the web at www.hendersonwellnesscenter.com.
News 02/28/17
/by LarryCooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland 02/27/17
/by CharleneTown Talk 02/27/17
/by CharleneWake Forest Police ask for Public’s Help locating suspect
/by WIZS StaffWake Forest Police are asking for the public’s help locating Jared Timothy Knaus, 204 Plantation Dr., Youngsville, whose photo is shown (below).
At approximately 12:18 a.m. Monday, police were conducting a driver’s license checking station along East Wait Avenue at the entrance of the Bowling Green subdivision. While speaking with Knaus, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana. After initially consenting to a search and exiting his vehicle, Knaus, 28, jumped back inside the car and struggled with officers before driving away – briefly dragging Officer J.L. McArthur and knocking him down in the roadway. Officer McArthur suffered a minor injury to his knee.
While attempting to elude police, Knaus turned into the Bowling Green subdivision where his vehicle got stuck in a wooded area behind Gracie Girl Way. The subject exited the vehicle and fled on foot. A short time later, a homeowner along Deasley Drive reported that the subject entered their home through the front door, then ran out the back door when confronted. A Wake County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit arrived and tracked Knaus but ultimately proved unsuccessful. Officers have also been unable to locate the subject.
Warrants have been obtained for Knaus for felony flee to elude, felony assault on a law enforcement officer causing injury, and assault on a law enforcement officer. Additional charges are pending.
Anyone who believes they may know the whereabouts of Knaus are urged to call the Police Department Tip Line at 919-435-9610. All calls are confidential.
H-V Chamber Kicks off Leadership Vance 2017
/by WIZS StaffThe Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 2017 Leadership Vance Program with an orientation breakfast at Vance-Granville Community College on February 7. The group also held its team building and challenge course retreat on February 23 at the Fred G. Bond Metro Park.
The Leadership Vance program is designed to inform, challenge and educate participants on the opportunities and needs of the community and to strengthen their leadership skills while teaching about the social, economic, and political dynamics that shape our community. The intensive training and exposure to all aspects of the community will provide participants with the historical background and the skills necessary for civic and community positions. The program is ultimately designed to create a group of informed and dedicated leaders who will contribute to the community.
Participants are exposed to various aspects of Henderson and Vance County, specifically in regard to city and county government, health and community resources, economic development, agriculture and natural resources, history and media and criminal justice and law.
Participants in this year’s class include: Lisa Bender, Capital Campaign Coordinator-Vance Charter School; Desiree Brooks, Advertising Director-The Daily Dispatch; Norwin Fischer, Systems Operations Manager-Walmart DC 6091; Krystal Harris, Director-Vance County Dept. of Social Services; Jennifer Jones, Sales Manager-US Cellular; Sara Lloyd, Director of Customized Training-Vance-Granville Community College; Marty McGraw, Asset Protection Manager-Walmart DC 6091; Sheri Moss, Social Worker II – Work First-Vance County Dept. of Social Services; Jason Spriggs, Water Treatment Operator-Kerr Lake Regional Water System; Paylor Spruill, Assistant to the City Manager-City of Henderson; Joy Suther, Assistant Principal – Dabney Elementary School; Tremanisha Taylor, Youth/Adult Sports Coordinator-Henderson Family YMCA; Ursula Kennedy, Director of Nursing Operations-Maria Parham Health; Tonya Verzaal-Harris, QA Area Manager-Walmart DC 6091; Jessica West, Community Services Sergeant-City of Henderson Police Department; Sallie White, Market Leader-BB&T; Chambers Williams III, Managing Editor-The Daily Dispatch.
VGCC awards top academic honor to Ivy League-bound student
/by WIZS StaffVance-Granville Community College has named student Paul Caroline of Louisburg as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2017. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.
Caroline will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when he is scheduled to graduate from the college with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree. That same month, Caroline will graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. This is the second year in a row that the VGCC Academic Excellence Award has gone to a student at FCECHS.
The college partners with four Early College high school programs, one in each county of the VGCC service area. As Caroline has done, students typically finish the program in five years, simultaneously earning high school diplomas and college degrees, or up to two years of college-transferable credits.
In an essay that he wrote for the award nomination, Caroline put his academic experience into its historical context. “For my family, education has always been a privilege,” he wrote. “In the early twentieth century, laws prohibited my great-grandmother and many other African American students from advancing to the twelfth grade and earning a high school diploma. Since then, each new generation has attested to a strong commitment to the pursuit of educational opportunity.”
Caroline added that “education opens doors to a better life, and one of the greatest thresholds I have crossed on my journey thus far is the iconic archway of Vance-Granville Community College.”
He described the support he has received from faculty members at both the high school and the college as “transformative.” Caroline said that he found that learning “not only yields the power to better oneself, but the world as a whole.” He took the “Vanguard spirit” and VGCC’s commitment to students to heart, he said, by helping others as a Peer Tutor through the college’s Academic Skills Center, starting at the age of 17.
After he graduates, Caroline is set to study Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, the prestigious Ivy League institution, with a full QuestBridge scholarship, which he described as “a first” for his community. “In my personal journey, Vance-Granville Community College has been a stepping-stone to making an Ivy League education possible,” Caroline said.
His twin brother, Peter, is also a Franklin County Early College High School student. Peter is likewise set to graduate with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree from VGCC and will continue his education at Stanford University with a full QuestBridge scholarship.
“Paul’s hard work and dedication to excellence have earned him a place among the top community college students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “He is an outstanding representative of both Vance-Granville and Franklin County Early College High School, and we know he will continue to make us proud as a student at one of our country’s elite institutions of higher learning.”
–VGCC–
News 02/27/17
/by LarryVGCC to host free Dementia Awareness programs
/by WIZS StaffVance-Granville Community College will soon host a pair of free programs for the public to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. These educational programs are being facilitated by the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter.
Both events are set to be held on Tuesday, March 21, in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County (located at exit 209 on Interstate 85). First, “The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease” will be offered from 10-11 a.m. “Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors” follows from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The first workshop is designed for anyone who would like to know more about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, which are not a normal part of aging.
The second workshop focuses specifically on behavior, one of the primary ways for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings as their ability to use language deteriorates. Some behaviors can present challenges for caregivers to manage. Attendees will learn to “decode” behaviors, identify common behavior triggers and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease.
VGCC Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas and Human Services Technology (HST) program head Tracy Wallace have collaborated with the Raleigh-based Alzheimer’s Association chapter to bring these programs to campus. The HST program, accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education, is based at VGCC’s South Campus between Creedmoor and Butner. The curriculum prepares students for entry-level positions in institutions and agencies which provide social, community, and educational services. In addition to a general HST track and a Substance Abuse track, VGCC offers a Gerontology track, which prepares students to specialize in direct service delivery work to older adults and their families.
To register for one or both of the free March 21 programs, visit bit.ly/2lyqCIp for the first and bit.ly/2lrBB9V for the second, or call 1-800-272-3900.
For more information, contact the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter at 919-803-8285 or Tracy Wallace at (252) 738-3519.
–VGCC–