South Granville Senior Center Has New Program Coordinator

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The South Granville Senior Services center has a new program director on site at the Creedmoor Community Center.

Christy Southall brings almost two decades of experience to the job. She replaces Cheryl Carrier, who retired in July.

Southall has worked at Franklin County’s Department of Aging Services and Nash County’s Department of Senior Services, according to a press release from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood. She most recently served as the Senior Services Program  Supervisor for the Franklinton Senior Center, and before that filled roles as the Senior Center Coordinator for Nash  County and Senior Center Activity Specialist for the Louisburg Senior Center. She is a native of Nash County and spent her childhood in Rocky Mount. Southall  lives in Franklinton with her two daughters Halie and Michelle.

“We are thrilled to have Christy join us as program coordinator for the South Granville Senior Center,” said Senior Services Director Kathy May. “Our seniors in southern Granville County should know that they are in good hands with someone as experienced as Christy joining our team,” May said.

“The South Granville Senior Center is such a great asset for our residents by serving the southern Granville County population without always expecting our seniors to make a trip to Oxford,” May added.

The South Granville Senior Center is located within the Creedmoor Community Center, 114 Douglas Dr. in Creedmoor.  The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To learn more, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/senior-services/

Spiess Joins Granville Veterans Service Office

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U.S. Navy Veteran Albert “A.J.” Spiess has joined the Granville County Veterans Services Office as a Veterans Services Technician.

Spiess will work under the direction of Veterans Services Officer  (VSO) Chris Dethmers to assist local veterans and their families with navigating the complex processes to access  Veterans resources at the state and federal level.

The Lula, GA native retired from the Navy with 26 years of service and rose to the rank of Senior Chief Master at Arms  (Military Police). Spiess served on six ships (USS Butte, USS Simpson, USS Briscoe, USS Truman, USS Harpers  Ferry, and USS Wasp). Before reaching the rank of Senior Chief Master at Arms, Spiess also served as Deck Seaman and Signalman.

Spiess also has extensive experience serving as Anti-Terrorism Officer/Physical Security Officer conducing anti-terrorism training, Department Leading Chief Petty Officer/Lead Investigator where he investigated larcenies,  assaults, suicides, and other security violations, and Senior Master Training Instructor at the Navy Police Academy overseeing major curriculum changes and teaching students at all levels of experience.

In addition to his professional experience, Spiess previously volunteered with the Disabled American Veterans and, as chapter veterans services officer, helped veterans and their families  obtain benefits and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other government agencies.

Spiess has an associate degree in Criminal Justice and a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and  Emergency Management. He and his wife Corie have one child, Brooke, who is currently attending nursing school.

“I feel so privileged to serve veterans and their families in Granville County,” Spiess said. “I have always volunteered with various organizations throughout my life and when I retired and started volunteering with the DAV, I found my true passion. This position with the Granville County Veterans Services Office is a direct extension of my work with the DAV and I feel honored and privileged to speak with veterans from all branches and learn their experiences. I know that dealing with the VA can be difficult. Please come let the Veterans Services Office help ease the process.”

The Granville County Veterans Services Office is located at 141 Williamsboro St., Oxford. To learn more about the services and programs offered, visit (https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/veterans-services) or call Veterans Services at 919.693.1484.

TownTalk: NC Hospitals During The Civil War

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Wade Sokolosky has done a lot of research on the Civil War. He’s from Beaufort in Carteret County, so he’s familiar with nearby Fort Macon. In fact, his great-great uncle was an artilleryman who was captured at Fort Macon and later lost his life in the Battle of Goldsboro.

And when Sokolosky was in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, KY, he said he and a soldier friend visited the old battlefields that dot middle Tennessee, which further piqued his interest. So much so, that his master’s thesis was on Gen. Sherman’s Logistics, especially the Carolina Campaign and the March to the Sea.

All that research and searching through historical documents led him to be curious about hospitals that had been set up to treat and house soldiers. But he couldn’t find a single book about North Carolina Confederate hospitals.

In the last few years, Sokolosky, a retired Army colonel, has been working to change that. His first book, “North Carolina’s Confederate Hospitals 1861-1863” has been out since mid-July. But it will be Volume 2 that will have information about Vance County’s own Confederate Hospital, which was set up at Kittrell Springs.

Sokolosky spoke with Bill Harris and Mark Pace on Thursday’s tri-weekly history segment of TownTalk. He said that during the time he’s spent researching, he’s run across a lot of interesting tidbits of information about the hospitals, so he decided to organize the information he’d uncovered into a study of the Confederate hospitals and why and how they came to be.

The Kittrell Springs Hotel became the site for the Vance County hospital, known as General Hospital Number One.

“When it comes to hospitals, North Carolina didn’t have as many as Virginia,” Sokolosky said, but the state was in the top three or four. He said he hopes his books will help “fill a gap in our study of our state’s role in the war.”

He visited the National Archives in Washington, DC during his research phase for the first volume, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down hopes for a subsequent trip.

North Carolina only had two hospitals at the time of the Civil War – the marine hospital on Portsmouth Island was for seamen, not locals. And “Dix Hill” was the asylum in Raleigh.

Residents received medical care from physicians who made house calls, and only when the family remedies didn’t work.

The whole notion of hospitals to house wounded and sick soldiers during the Civil War was a novel concept. But Sokolosky said that it was during Gen. Grant’s Overlands Campaign that countless sick, wounded and recovering soldiers had to be evacuated away from battlefield hospitals to make room for new casualties.

“They were evacuated to Raleigh and (soon), they’re bustin’ at the seams,” he said. “All those Confederate wounded are coming South.” Thanks to the proximity of the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad, Kittrell seemed a fitting spot to transform a hotel into a hospital and soldiers didn’t have to go all the way to Raleigh.

The government paid rent to business owners or schools for use of the facilities for hospital space. Peace College and Wake Forest College also became sites for hospitals.

And the Confederacy maintained detailed records of what happened in those hospitals – who was treated, who died, which surgeons worked where. Sadly, most of those medical department records were destroyed by fire where they were kept in Richmond.

So Sokolosky has pieced together information by delving into the service records of individual surgeons.

He has found letters and other documents during his research, adding that when he’s able to connect the dots through his research, it’s very satisfying.

“I enjoy the research, especially when the dots come together.”

 

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The Local Skinny! Immunizations For Children Returning To School

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-information courtesy of N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

As children across North Carolina head back to school this month, the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services reminds families that vaccinations are an important part of back-to-school success and overall health and well-being.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes August as National Immunization Awareness Month to highlight the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life.

Whether children are homeschooled or attend a public, private, charter or religious school, state laws require they stay up-to-date for certain vaccinations based on their age, as recommended by the CDC.

Gov.Roy Cooper also proclaimed August as Immunization Awareness Month in North Carolina. Alongside the proclamation, the NCDHHS is partnering with health care providers and stakeholders in a statewide awareness campaign to help ensure school-age children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Following CDC recommendations to control the spread of all vaccine-preventable diseases is an essential piece of both child and family well-being,” said Dr. Zack Moore, state epidemiologist. “NCDHHS is helping health care providers, parents and guardians take this essential step to protect children’s health in school and at home.”

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as chicken pox, meningitis, measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and others are still seen across North Carolina. Keeping children up to date on vaccinations is the best way to keep them healthy and reduce unnecessary absences from school.

Children who are uninsured can still be vaccinated at low or no cost through the Vaccines for Children program which offers free vaccines to children through 19 years of age. “Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective and successful means available for preventing disease and death,” said Steven Gunn and Karin Szymanski, co-chairs of North Carolina Immunization Coalition.

“They help protect vaccinated individuals and our entire community by reducing and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.” Teens also face unique risks related to communicable diseases. “As children move into their preteen and teen years, they become more susceptible to certain diseases, making it especially important to stay current with immunizations. At the same time, preteens and teens tend to have fewer visits to their doctor’s office, increasing the chance that they are not up to date,” said Dr. Dimitrios Hondros, president of the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians. “This decrease in immunizations accelerated among adolescents during the pandemic, when stay-at-home orders went into effect.”

“You can use any health care visit, including for sports or camp physicals, school health assessments, checkups and sick visits to receive vaccines,” said Dr. Christoph Diasio, FAAP president of the N.C. Pediatric Society. “Talk with your pediatrician or health care professional to make sure your kids are protected against vaccine preventable diseases.”

NCDHHS encourages parents to talk with their child’s healthcare provider about recommended vaccinations. During that same visit, parents can talk with their physician about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for their children ages 6 months and older. Many pediatricians and family practitioners will provide the COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible family members, as well as teens, during that same visit.

Visit MySpot.nc.gov for more information about COVID-19 vaccines.

The CDC has more information and resources for parents and guardians, including a list of all vaccines required for school attendance from kindergarten through high school.

Find out more at immunize.nc.gov/family

 

 

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover Communication part 5

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Area Christians Together in Service Needs Short-Term Meal Delivery Drivers

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— submitted by The First Baptist Church of Henderson, NC

ACTS is in serious need of help delivering meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next couple of weeks. Their regular drivers are out with illness and such.

Please contact Lee Ann Peoples by phone (252) 492-8231 OR email lapeoples@actsofhenderson.org if you can help them out.

New Principal at Wilton Elementary School, New Assistant Principals

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The first day of the 2022-23 school year is less than a month away, and Granville County Public Schools has announced changes in leadership roles in a number of schools across the district.

Kristin Marks Wilson has been named principal of Wilton Elementary. Wilson most recently was assistant principal at Tar River Elementary, and has more than 12 years’ experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and administrator.

Wilson has undergraduate and master’s degrees from Old Dominion University and an advanced degree from Liberty University.

In addition to Wilson, the school board also named the following administrators to new roles within the district:

· Julian Champion, assistant principal, Granville Central High

· Clarencia Green, assistant principal, J.F. Webb High

· Leslie Magnanti, assistant principal, Stovall Shaw Elementary

· Andres Restrepo – J.F. Webb High

· Dwayne Waddey – Northern Granville Middle

Warren County Board Opens FY 23 Non-Profit Grant Funding Cycle

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Warren County is now accepting applications for its FY 23 non-profit grand funding cycle. The FY 23 budget allocates $50,000 for this program. The grant program is accepting applications until Aug. 31. Interested organizations are encouraged to apply.

Warren County adopted its current funding for local non-profit agencies policy in 2014. Funded services through this program must be equally available to all residents.

For more information, contact the Warren County Manager’s Office at 252.257.3115 or visit the website at warrencountync.com.

TownTalk: 911 Dispatchers Recognized For Their Role In Saving Woman In Burning House

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When we see firetrucks or emergency vehicles dashing down the road with sirens blaring and lights flashing, chances are that the men and women in those vehicles are on their way to help someone in distress. But an important group of people who aren’t on those trucks are vital team members – they are the 911 telecommunicators, stationed in front of computers and phones to receive and dispatch calls.

A team of Vance County dispatchers were recognized Monday during the county commissioners’ meeting for their life-saving role during a housefire earlier this year.

Emergency Services Director Brian Short presented Meritorious Service Awards to the dispatchers, who, on March 27, were able to stay on the line and help the victim – trapped in the burning home – find her way to a safer part of the house until firefighters could arrive.

Short and Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright spoke with John C. Rose during Wednesday’s Town Talk and offered praise and appreciation for the 911 dispatchers and the role they play in emergency services.

“We’ve got the best technology, we’ve got the best things money can buy to do our jobs, but all that is completely worthless without the people that actually do the job,” Short said.

The county’s dispatchers have completed emergency fire dispatch certification that equips them with a checklist of tools, suggestions and advice to help those who call 911 with an emergency.

“They gave this lady life-saving instructions,” Short said, adding that the situation was a perfect example of everybody working together and doing their best, which resulted in saving the woman’s life.

Seconds can seem like minutes when you’re in distress, and that also holds true when you’re a dispatcher receiving a call from someone in distress. Short said it was bound to be gut-wrenching for dispatchers to keep a victim focused while providing those step-by-step instructions that prolong safety until help arrives.

Those instructions and prompts, Wright said, are critical components. “It gives them an extra few minutes,” he said, “that could mean a life-changing experience for them.”

In this case, “the whole front end of the house was on fire,” Wright recalled. Dispatchers were able to get the woman to the back part of the house while firetrucks were en route. The front entry had a vaulted ceiling, which meant that the fire went up before spreading to the back of the house.

“That open floor plan and vaulted ceiling played a role in the fire behavior,” Wright said, allowing the woman to seek safety at the rear of the home.

But it was 911 dispatchers who started the process and then helped put the plan in place, all of which helps emergency responders on the scene. “The advice they were able to give her gave first responders the extra time that was needed to go in and make the save,” Wright said.

“Of course, they were overjoyed to receive the award, and to see that they were being appreciated,” Short said of the Monday recognition before the county commissioners. But in reality, dispatchers have to be able to pivot flawlessly from one call to the next.

“We do our very best with every call we take and then try to move on to the next one.”

The county reviews all multi-agency calls as a matter of course, and the March 27 housefire was no exception. In addition to ensuring that all agencies performed their duties in a satisfactory manner, Short said a review also can help determine if grief counseling is needed. “They’re not machines, they’re human beings,” he added. We have to be aware of their mental health, too.”

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