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VGCC announces 2015-16 Vanguards Basketball schedule

October 22, 2015/by WIZS Staff

The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team is scheduled to play at least 30 games during the 2015-2016 season, including 12 home games. This is the program’s third season under the leadership of head coach Michael Woody.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes ten two-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

The regular season kicks off when VGCC hosts conference rival Wake Tech Community College on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. All home games are scheduled to be played at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson, and all are free and open to the public. The second home game, versus Bryant & Stratton College on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., will be recognized as Veterans’ Appreciation Night.

VGCC’s tough conference schedule is again highlighted by area rival Louisburg College. VGCC welcomes the Hurricanes to Aycock on Dec. 2, before the Vanguards return the favor in Louisburg on Jan. 18. VGCC also plays the defending national champion, Richard Bland College, in Petersburg, Va., on Nov. 24 and at home on Feb. 3.

The regular season will continue through Feb. 23, with VGCC’s final scheduled game at home, versus Guilford Tech Community College. The team will celebrate “Sophomore Appreciation Night” at that game. After the regular season ends, the Vanguards are scheduled to participate in the NJCAA Division II Region X tournament. The first two rounds of the tournament are to be played at Richard Bland on Feb. 27-28. The semifinals and finals will follow at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, on Mar. 4-5.

Vance-Granville Community College

Men’s Basketball Schedule

2015-16

Date Opponent Location Time

Nov. 6 Wake Tech CC Aycock 7 p.m.

Nov. 8 Univ. of Mt. Olive JV Mt. Olive 3 p.m.

Nov. 10 Bryant & Stratton Aycock 6 p.m.

Nov. 14 Davidson Co. CC Aycock 3 p.m.

Nov. 16 Saint Andrews JV Saint Andrews 6 p.m.

Nov. 18 Patrick Henry CC Aycock 6 p.m.

Nov. 20 Va. Univ. of Lynchburg Aycock 7 p.m.

Nov. 22 Central Carolina CC Sandhills CC* 3 p.m.

Nov. 24 Richard Bland College Richard Bland 7 p.m.

Dec. 2 Louisburg College Aycock 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 8 Central Carolina CC Central Carolina CC 7 p.m.

Jan. 5 USC-Salkehatchie Aycock 7 p.m.

Jan. 7 Lenoir CC Aycock 7 p.m.

Jan. 11 Methodist Univ. JV Methodist 8 p.m.

Jan. 13 Patrick Henry CC Patrick Henry CC 6 p.m.

Jan. 16 UNC JV Dean Smith Center 9 a.m.

Jan. 18 Louisburg College Louisburg 3 p.m.

Jan. 19 Lenoir CC Lenoir CC 7 p.m.

Jan. 23 Guilford Tech CC Guilford Tech CC 3 p.m.

Jan. 25 Pitt CC Pitt CC 7 p.m.

Jan. 27 Catawba Valley CC Aycock 6 p.m.

Feb. 3 Richard Bland College Aycock 7 p.m.

Feb. 5 Mid-Atlantic Christian Univ. Mid-Atlantic Christian 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 Wake Tech CC Wake Tech CC 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 Pitt CC Aycock 7 p.m.

Feb. 13 Bryant & Stratton Bryant & Stratton 3 p.m.

Feb. 15 Sandhills CC Sandhills CC 6 p.m.

Feb. 16 Catawba Valley CC Catawba Valley CC 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 19 Va. Univ. of Lynchburg Lynchburg 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 Guilford Tech CC Aycock 7 p.m.

Feb. 27-28 Region X Tournament Richard Bland TBD

Opening Rounds

Mar. 4-5 Region X Tournament Sandhills CC TBD

Semifinals & Finals

Bold = Home Game, to be played at Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson, N.C.

Schedule is subject to change.

*As part of the Region X Blast-Off Tournament.

Cooper Assistant Principal of Year

October 21, 2015/by John C. Rose

David Cooper, of Aycock Elementary School, has been named the 2015-2016 Assistant Principal of the Year for Vance County Schools.

Cooper was surprised Tuesday morning by members of the Vance County Board of Education and school system administrators while he was in a classroom at his school.

Superintendent Anthony Jackson made the announcement that Cooper had won the prestigious honor. He was presented balloons by Ruth Hartness, a member of the board, and a planted dish garden by Dorothy Gooche, another member of the board. Ed Wilson, also a board member, participated in the presentation.

Aycock Elementary Principal Kristen Boyd was on hand for the presentation as were several of the school’s faculty members. Following the surprise announcement, Cooper was greeted with cheers in a nearby hallway by students and teachers from the fifth, fourth and third-grade classrooms.

“I am so honored by this,” Cooper said. “I accept this award on behalf of our entire school.”

Cooper has been with Vance County Schools for more than 15 years. He began his career with the school system as a fifth-grade teacher at Dabney Elementary School. He was a teacher until 2012, when he became an assistant principal at Henderson Middle School. Cooper served as an administrator at the middle school until July of 2014, when he assumed his current duties at Aycock Elementary.

He earned the district’s Assistant Principal of the Year award following interviews done by a special selection committee. In addition to Cooper, other administrators nominated were Willie Fuller, an assistant principal at Eaton-Johnson Middle School, and Desmond Thompson, an assistant principal at Southern Vance High School.

Interview with Jo Dee Messina 10/20/2015

October 21, 2015/by Charlene

Jo Dee Messina will be performing in Durham at the Carolina Theater on Thursday October 22 at 8:00 PM. Be sure to check out the audio below of the interview on 10/20/15 with Jo Dee about her new album “ME” and her new song “He’s Messed Up”.

VGCC Drama students present Shakespeare spoof

October 20, 2015/by WIZS Staff

via Andrew Beal

Theatre lovers will soon be able to enjoy all 37 of William Shakespeare’s plays in one evening — sort of — at Vance-Granville Community College.

Drama students will present “The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)” on VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson, Nov. 5-8. Performances begin on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. All performances are in the small auditorium in Building 2.

The play features three overachieving actors attempting to perform the entire Shakespearean canon in 97 minutes. Fast-paced, witty and physical, it is an evening of laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike. The three actors play all of Shakespeare’s characters with help from numerous funny costume changes and props. Due to the nature of the humor, the play is recommended for ages 14 and over.

Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, founding members of the “Reduced Shakespeare Company,” “The Compleat Wrks” was first performed in 1987. The London Evening Standard called the play “wildly imaginative, thoroughly affectionate to its source material and, above all, infectious fun.”

Students in the cast are Jordan Bunting of Macon, Spencer Nunn of Warrenton and Lee Powell of Oxford.

Betsy Henderson, the VGCC Theatre Arts/speech instructor and department chair of Fine Arts and Humanities, directs the play. Jason Sharp serves as the technical director. VGCC staff member and alumna Tia Garren of Henderson is the assistant director. Other members of the crew include students Chris Nicholson of Bullock, Jerome Bulluck of Henderson, Brittany Patterson of Henderson, Helen Claiborne of Oxford and Jessie Hartley of Oxford.

Admission is $10 for the general public, and $5 for students and VGCC employees. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but attendees are encouraged to secure their seats by making reservations. For more information and to reserve seats, contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3371.

Vance County School on the Air 10/19/2015

October 20, 2015/by Charlene

Shoes for Rescues

October 20, 2015/by John C. Rose

You may notice a new billboard if you travel south on U.S. 1 Bypass in Henderson. Local business WW Properties has once again donated a billboard for a civic cause.

Tracy Dreibelbis of Animal Advocates Coalition tells WIZS News the billboard came about when the coalition “said yes to the kindness of a local businessman who had billboard space and a passion for the long overdue new (animal) shelter scheduled to soon break ground on Brodie Road.” She said photographer Tara Lynn of In Between the Blinks Photography and an unnamed professional designer helped with the billboard which “gives a hopeful glimpse into a brighter future for the homeless pets of Vance County.”

The present Vance County Animal Shelter stands today at 165 Vance Academy Road, much the same as it did when it was built in 1978. The shelter, according to Dreibelbis, has not seen any renovation, remodeling or expansion in the last 36 years. She said, “Charles Boyd and his family donated five acres of land to Vance County almost five years ago to house a new shelter. Soon, the vision and efforts of many will become a reality.”

The new shelter is expected to be about 8,000 square feet and will include more kennels, a separate intake/exam room, meeting and education space and a separate reception area. This, according to Dreibelbis, will give the present staff, headed by Chief Frankie Nobles, the needed room to work.

To learn more, visit Friends of the Vance County Animal Shelter on Facebook or go to www.vancecountyanimalshelter.com.

Animal Advocates Coalition Launches Shoe Collection Drive to Raise money for Homeless Pets

Shoe donations will also support micro-enterprises in developing nations and reduce what goes into landfills

The Animal Advocates Coalition is conducting a shoe collection drive from October 15 through December 14, 2015 to raise funds for homeless pets. Animal Advocates Coalition will earn funds based on the number of pairs of shoes collected as Funds2Orgs will purchase all of the donated goods. Those dollars will benefit the homeless pets of Vance, Granville, and surrounding communities. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used or new shoes at any of these drop off locations: WIZS Radio, 535 Radio Lane, Henderson; Butner/Creedmoor News – Creedmoor; Granville Sr. Center – Oxford and Shear Magic – Henderson. If you have a large quantity of shoes, the Animal Advocates Coalition will pick them up from your location. They will also have a collection barrel at the Nov. 14th Hazardous Material Collection Day at the Granville Convention & Expo Center – Oxford.

To help rescued cats and dogs, Funds2Orgs will donate $1,000 to the Animal Advocates Coalition if at least 2,500 pairs of shoes are collected.

All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise partners in developing nations. Funds2Orgs helps impoverished people start, maintain and grow businesses in countries such as Haiti, Honduras and other nations in Central America and Africa. Proceeds from the shoe sales are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send to her son to law school.

“We are excited about our shoe drive,” said Tracey Dreibelbis. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like donate to us and help those less fortunate become self-sufficient. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

By donating shoes to the Animal Advocates Coalition “Shoes For Rescues” the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives.

The Animal Advocates Coalition can be contacted via email at AnimalAdvocatesGC@gmail.com.

Local organizations interested in learning more about conducting a shoe drive of their own can visit Funds2orgs.com.

VGCC to hold Business Technologies Fair

October 19, 2015/by WIZS Staff

Vance-Granville Community College will hold its second annual “Business Technologies Fair” on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.

Attendees will learn about VGCC’s programs that provide training for careers in fields related to business and information technology, including Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Technology Integration, Entrepreneurship, Global Logistics & Distribution Management, Medical Office Administration, Office Administration, Paralegal Technology and Simulation & Game Development.

At the same time, visitors to the fair will have the opportunity to talk about career pathways with representatives of employers who frequently hire graduates from these programs.

For more information, contact Carl Hann at (252) 738-3295 or hannc@vgcc.edu.

VGCC names two educators to leadership roles

October 16, 2015/by WIZS Staff

via Andrew Beal

Along with the start of the fall semester at Vance-Granville Community College came new leaders for two academic programs.

William Clements of Raleigh became the new Program Head/Instructor for Criminal Justice Technology, while Faith Harris of Norlina, a Computer Education instructor, was promoted to the position of Program Head of Computer Education.

Clements came to VGCC from Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in Douglas, Ga., where he had been a Criminal Justice instructor since 2011. Previously, he worked in the correctional systems of both Georgia and North Carolina, as an educator, counselor and probation officer. Clements earned a bachelor’s degree in justice studies at Georgia Southern University and a master’s in forensic psychology at Walden University. He is currently continuing his studies at Walden to earn a doctoral degree in public administration.

The VGCC Criminal Justice associate degree program prepares students for careers in the local, state, and federal law enforcement, corrections, and security fields. Emphasis is on criminal justice systems, criminology, juvenile justice, criminal and constitutional law, investigative principles, ethics and community relations. Additional study may include issues and concepts of government, counseling, communications, computers and technology. VGCC also offers a certificate in Criminal Justice & Special Populations. For more information, contact Clements at clementsw@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3242.

Harris has been a community college instructor for the past 15 years, including service on the faculty at VGCC and at Piedmont Community College. She is also a graduate of VGCC, where she earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Business Computer Programming. Harris went on to complete a bachelor’s degree at Barton College and a master’s degree in Information Systems Security at Colorado Technical University. Before becoming an educator, Harris spent many years in management at Roses Stores. At VGCC, she has administered the Microsoft IT Academy program that allows students to earn a number of different industry-recognized certifications.

The Computer Education department provides instruction for students enrolled in virtually any program at VGCC, and offers the associate degree in Computer Technology Integration (with tracks in IT Support, Networking & Security Technologies, and Web Design & Support). VGCC also offers a degree in Simulation & Game Development in partnership with Wake Technical Community College. For more information, contact Harris at harrisf@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3235.

“We look forward to continuing to grow and develop the Criminal Justice and Computer Education programs under the leadership of William and Faith, who bring experience and enthusiasm to their students,” said Angela Gardner-Ragland, VGCC’s dean of business and applied technologies. “Their excellent programs provide students with the skills they need to succeed in career fields that are in constant demand, both locally and around the world.”

World Class

October 16, 2015/by John C. Rose

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Henderson will host the 14th Annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and The East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame & Reunion. These world class events are presented by The Vance County Department of Tourism, and director Nancy Wilson.

Follow the links, look at the pictures, go be part of it, and decide for yourself. Anywhere in downtown Henderson will do because nearly all of downtown Henderson will be engulfed with cars, people, food and entertainment. And don’t overlook Sunday’s East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame events at Vance Granville Community College. You could even argue without the hall of fame legends, this would be just another downtown car show.

It’s about fun, nostalgia and prestige, and it’s about tourism. As tourism in Henderson and Vance County continues to develop, citizens here are not only left with positive things to do, but the tourism dollars left behind by our guests. The hotel/motel taxes are huge to our County. Tourism can spawn economic development and accelerate the intense desires of many to revitalize historic downtown areas.

The party starts Friday, October 16 at 11:00 A.M. with a barbecue cookout at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake.

Saturday, October 17 is the big show day, when antique, classic and nostalgia drag cars line the streets downtown. Registration is from 7:30 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. and $25.00 for judged cars and $20.00 for non-judged cars.

Come see John Livingston and Tennessee Thunder, Larry Lombardo and his Jenkins car, Motown Missile, Sox Cars, fuel dragsters and many more.

Stay on Sunday, October 18, for the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Awards presentation ceremony from 10:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. where they honor drivers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

It’s all free and open to the public. Call 1-866-438-4565 for more information. Full schedules available in the links above.

Also, Friday afternoon at 2:00 P.M., the City of Henderson and the Corbitt Preservation Association will open the Bennett H. Perry Jr. Museum for the very first time. You can also listen to the Thursday, October 15th edition of TownTalk on WIZS for more details.

A full Corbitt display can be seen in downtown Henderson this Saturday, October 17 at the corner of Montgomery and Williams Streets, as part of the 14th Annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine presented by Vance County Tourism.

Team Spirit is High as the Henderson-Vance Chamber Gets Geared Up for Membership Drive

October 15, 2015/by WIZS Staff

The Henderson-Vance Chamber is gearing up for a membership drive. The drive, “Catch The Fever…Join The Chamber Team” will be held November 2 – November 6. The drive has a football theme and promises to be a week of competition between the Chamber Ambassadors and the Chamber Board members, fun, networking and prizes.

The goal of the membership drive is to promote a positive business climate in Vance County and strengthen the Chamber of Commerce.

This year is shaping up to be a great membership drive. “We have passionate, motivated and two dedicated teams to move us toward the goal of business success,” said Annette Roberson, Membership Director and Referee. “We are ready to kick-off the game, play four quarters to the Championship and name a Heisman winner!”

There will be lots of action to the final score as team members compete for recognition, prizes and giveaways. The top producer will be awarded a TBD.

Roberson said, “Membership in the Chamber of Commerce is both an investment in, and a commitment to the outstanding community we have. A larger and stronger member base is one way to facilitate our county’s efforts to attract new businesses and visitors, educate and train our workforce, and build a stronger community.”

Listen to WIZS on November 2nd from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. for live updates of the membership drive.