Matt Bowling had a big day in Saturday’s season-opening Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100’s racing program – a very big day.
The defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division champion swept both of the day’s 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races on a day that saw 31 cars take the green flag for the opening race, the largest field of cars for an opening-day race in several years.
Bowling survived a dramatic three-wide battle with South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton and C.E. Falk of Virginia Beach, Virginia to claim the first race after being in third place in the running order with seven laps to go.
Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina finished second, a scant .635-second behind Bowling, with Thaxton finishing third, Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs, Virginia finishing fourth and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.
In the nightcap, Bowling started sixth after a drawing for an inverted start and drove through the field to challenge Thaxton after the halfway point of the race. Twice Bowling appeared to have a run on Thaxton for the lead only to have his effort thwarted by lapped traffic.
Lapped traffic ultimately was Bowling’s friend as he was able to use the car driven by Charles Barnes as a pick to help him get by Thaxton on lap 93. Defending national champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia, who started 18th in the second race after having finished 18th in the first race as the result of a late-race tangle with Falk, also took advantage of the slower car to slip past Thaxton and took over second place.
Pulliam attempted to run down Bowling at the end, but came up short, finishing .685-second behind Bowling. Thaxton finished third, Josh Oakley of Rougemont, North Carolina finished fourth and Sellers finished fifth.
Throckmorton Wins Limited Sportsman race
Joey Throckmorton of South Boston, Virginia got his 2016 season off to a good start by winning the 50-lap NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division race.
Throckmorton won the pole, lost the lead briefly to Calvin Meadows of Martinsville, Virginia, but regained the lead from Meadows on the 20th circuit and held the top spot the rest of the way.
Mason Diaz finished second, just over a second behind Throckmorton, with David Latour, Jr. of Advance, North Carolina, Tommy Peregoy of Clarksville, Virginia and Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Layne Takes Win In Budweiser Pure Stock Division
Johnny Layne of Nathalie, Virginia got a leg up on the start of his season Saturday, taking the win in the 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.
Layne led all but the opening lap en-route to scoring his first victory of the season. Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia took the runner-up spot, with Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia, Tyler Conner of Scottsburg, Virginia and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Humblet Wins Modified Division Opener
Former South Boston Speedway Modified Division Champion Jimmy Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina won the season-opening 50-lap Modified Division race.
Humblet took the lead on lap 26 and drove to a 1.485-second win over Robert Conner of Colonial Heights, Virginia. Matt Slye of Williamsburg, Virginia finished third, with Robbie Babb of Chesapeake, Virginia and Chris Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina completing the top five finishers.
Kirstin Simmons Scores First Career Win In Hornets Division
For Kirstin Simmons of LaCrosse, Virginia, Saturday’s season-opening race at South Boston Speedway marked a milestone.
Simmons scored her first career win in the Budweiser Hornets Division, and did it in style, going flag-to-flag for the victory.
Justin Dawson finished second, with Kenny Mills, Jr. of Alton, Virginia finishing third.
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday afternoon, March 19, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program. A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division highlights the seven-race program.
The afternoon’s seven-race card includes twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman and Modified Divisions, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.
Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., pit gates open at 10 a.m. and practice runs from 11 a.m. until 12 noon. Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m., qualifying starts at 1 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. Adult admission is $10, with youths ages 7-12 admitted for $5. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
For additional information about the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.
(The preceding was a press release from South Boston Speedway)
Bowling Sweeps South Boston Speedway Opener
/by WIZS StaffMatt Bowling had a big day in Saturday’s season-opening Danville Toyota NASCAR Whelen Late Model Twin 100’s racing program – a very big day.
The defending South Boston Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division champion swept both of the day’s 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division races on a day that saw 31 cars take the green flag for the opening race, the largest field of cars for an opening-day race in several years.
Bowling survived a dramatic three-wide battle with South Boston, Virginia resident Austin Thaxton and C.E. Falk of Virginia Beach, Virginia to claim the first race after being in third place in the running order with seven laps to go.
Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, North Carolina finished second, a scant .635-second behind Bowling, with Thaxton finishing third, Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs, Virginia finishing fourth and Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.
In the nightcap, Bowling started sixth after a drawing for an inverted start and drove through the field to challenge Thaxton after the halfway point of the race. Twice Bowling appeared to have a run on Thaxton for the lead only to have his effort thwarted by lapped traffic.
Lapped traffic ultimately was Bowling’s friend as he was able to use the car driven by Charles Barnes as a pick to help him get by Thaxton on lap 93. Defending national champion Lee Pulliam of Alton, Virginia, who started 18th in the second race after having finished 18th in the first race as the result of a late-race tangle with Falk, also took advantage of the slower car to slip past Thaxton and took over second place.
Pulliam attempted to run down Bowling at the end, but came up short, finishing .685-second behind Bowling. Thaxton finished third, Josh Oakley of Rougemont, North Carolina finished fourth and Sellers finished fifth.
Throckmorton Wins Limited Sportsman race
Joey Throckmorton of South Boston, Virginia got his 2016 season off to a good start by winning the 50-lap NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division race.
Throckmorton won the pole, lost the lead briefly to Calvin Meadows of Martinsville, Virginia, but regained the lead from Meadows on the 20th circuit and held the top spot the rest of the way.
Mason Diaz finished second, just over a second behind Throckmorton, with David Latour, Jr. of Advance, North Carolina, Tommy Peregoy of Clarksville, Virginia and Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Layne Takes Win In Budweiser Pure Stock Division
Johnny Layne of Nathalie, Virginia got a leg up on the start of his season Saturday, taking the win in the 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division.
Layne led all but the opening lap en-route to scoring his first victory of the season. Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia took the runner-up spot, with Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia, Tyler Conner of Scottsburg, Virginia and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Humblet Wins Modified Division Opener
Former South Boston Speedway Modified Division Champion Jimmy Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina won the season-opening 50-lap Modified Division race.
Humblet took the lead on lap 26 and drove to a 1.485-second win over Robert Conner of Colonial Heights, Virginia. Matt Slye of Williamsburg, Virginia finished third, with Robbie Babb of Chesapeake, Virginia and Chris Humblet of Shiloh, North Carolina completing the top five finishers.
Kirstin Simmons Scores First Career Win In Hornets Division
For Kirstin Simmons of LaCrosse, Virginia, Saturday’s season-opening race at South Boston Speedway marked a milestone.
Simmons scored her first career win in the Budweiser Hornets Division, and did it in style, going flag-to-flag for the victory.
Justin Dawson finished second, with Kenny Mills, Jr. of Alton, Virginia finishing third.
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway Saturday afternoon, March 19, with the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program. A 100-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Late Model Stock Car Division highlights the seven-race program.
The afternoon’s seven-race card includes twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman and Modified Divisions, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.
Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., pit gates open at 10 a.m. and practice runs from 11 a.m. until 12 noon. Grandstand gates open at 12:30 p.m., qualifying starts at 1 p.m. and the first race gets the green flag at 2 p.m. Adult admission is $10, with youths ages 7-12 admitted for $5. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
For additional information about the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.
(The preceding was a press release from South Boston Speedway)
News 03/14/16
/by LarryTown Talk 03/11/16
/by CharleneNews 03/11/16
/by LarryVGCC to host Afternoon Tea class
/by WIZS StaffVance-Granville Community College will offer a course on the “afternoon tea” party, the tradition that is enjoying a renaissance as fine hotels, inns and tea rooms across the country give guests an opportunity to retreat from the hurried pace of their lives.
The course, called “Let’s Have a Tea Party,” will meet on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m., starting March 29. The final class and “graduation” ceremony is an actual afternoon tea party planned and facilitated by the students at Magnolia Manor Plantation in Warrenton on April 19, thanks to the generosity of owners Sheila and Larry Carver.
The instructor will be Dr. B.K. McCloud of Oxford, a 2012 graduate of the course and historian for the Old North State Tea Society (ONSTS). McCloud has a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and retired as a full professor of education at North Carolina Central University. She is also a member of the Granville County Historical Society and a docent at the Granville County Museum.
After completing the tea class at VGCC under the instruction of Constance Lue of Oxford, McCloud has continued her education in the world of tea by attending meetings of the ONSTS, frequenting tea rooms, reading, building her personal tea library, and attending classes. In 2013, she attended the International World Tea Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2015, McCloud participated in a tea master-class with international tea expert Jane Pettigrew in London, under the auspices of the U.K. Tea Council. That same year, she received her certification as a Tea and Etiquette Consultant after studying with Bruce and Shelley Richardson in Lexington, Kentucky.
McCloud’s students will learn about the history of tea; the difference between an afternoon tea party, a royal tea party and “High Tea”; and the proper way to make the best pot of tea. They will have tastings of a wide variety of teas (black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal) at each class meeting. Beyond the specifics of teas, students will consider qualities of grace, civility and etiquette. Participants might use what they learn to hold their own tea parties for children as well as their adult friends. Afternoon Tea also can be a way to raise funds for churches and clubs.
The cost of the course is $60 for four class sessions, plus $20 for the final tea at Magnolia Manor. Students will receive a valuable resource manual with recipes for tea time, tips on flower arranging, and a section on etiquette.
The deadline to register for this class is March 26. Prospective students can register online at www.vgcc.edu/ped or in person at Main Campus, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.
Cooperative Extension with Jean Bell 03/10/16
/by CharleneTown Talk 03/10/16
/by CharleneNews 03/10/16
/by LarryTown Talk 03/09/16
/by CharleneDropout Rate Declines 6th Straight Year
/by John C. RoseFull VCS Press Release
The dropout rate in Vance County Schools for 2014-2015 declined for the sixth consecutive year with data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction indicating that 68 students or 2.28 percent left school early.
The 2014-2015 rate was a decrease from 83 students or 2.71 percent dropping out in 2013-2014.
In 2012, Vance County Schools implemented “Destination Graduation” one of the National Dropout Prevention Network Center’s model programs that addresses prevention, intervention and recovery. The program highly emphasizes parent participation, community involvement and student recognition for behavior and academic success. Having an eye on the data and focusing on trends have given the district an advantage, according to Dr. Ralphel Holloman, Sr., dropout prevention specialist, and Dr. Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent for Student Services.
The district did experience a slight increase in the number of short-term suspensions for students in 2014-2015. While most student code of conduct violations are lesser offenses, when students have second and third violations, this causes the number of short-term suspensions to increase, Holloman and Bennett noted.
“In order to keep students in the educational process, we are focusing on more options for students that will engage them in better decision making,” they said. “Many schools are using Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). Support is given to teachers via behavior support specialists in the form of strategies that will de-escalate and redirect actions of students in the classroom. Should there be a need for other options, ISS, or In-School Suspension, is an attempt to get those students who have violated some behavior rule time to rethink their actions and regroup before returning to class. It is our goal to keep all students in class all of the time; however, we cannot allow the educational process to be diminished, so there are times when suspensions are necessary.”
Steps being taken to stop the number of reportable crimes in our schools involve using data to show early warning signs of students at risk of being suspended due to incidents already accruing in the fourth and fifth grades. These indicators will enable the district to implement effective strategies to address these issues. The PBIS programs in schools are also factors to decrease reportable crimes. Enhancing parent and community engagement in our schools also will help. Implementation of research based programs that address the risk factors allows students to find a way to manage their tempers, attitudes and behaviors as they transition through the program. The school system also is working with the Vance County Sheriff’s Department to implement a School Resource Officers program in which officers are trained to work with students, build relationships and focus on accountability and responsibility for their actions.
The school system uses the data in the state’s annual report on school dropouts and crime and violence to determine how some students may not be completely engaged in the educational process. The schools are working with social workers, counselors and nurses to collaborate and identify students with at-risk factors that may be displayed in inappropriate behaviors and begin early intervention and identification of systems of support for these students, Holloman and Bennett added.
The school system also is currently developing systems of support for elementary, middle and enhancing high school supports for students in order to get them on track academically and behaviorally.
“Vance County Schools has recognized that if we want different results, we have to do something different,” Holloman and Bennett said. “Doing something different means careful and deliberate steps to analysis of data, identification of root causes, then strategically developing a plan for changing the trajectory to one that will lead to success for all children. We are addressing prevention and intervention strategies, so that we are ahead of the curve with a goal of offering the best possible education to all students.”
(Information provided by VCS by press release — full release link listed at the top)