Tag Archive for: #countyofgranville

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Granville Task Force Steering Committee Formed to Address Opioid Epidemic

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-Press Release, Granville County

At the October 15 meeting of the Granville County Board of Commissioners, Chairman Edgar Smoak proposed the formation of an Opioid and Addiction Task Force Steering Committee. Appointed to serve on this committee are Commissioner Smoak, Commissioner Tim Karan, Commissioner Tony Cozart, County Manager Mike Felts, Granville County Sheriff BrinWilkins and Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison.

The North Carolina Department of Justice reports that more people die in North Carolina of an accidental drug overdose than any other cause of accidental death. On average, five people die from drug overdose in our state every day, with the rates of overall overdose increasing by more than 400 percent between 2000 and 2016.*

The majority of the rise has been attributed to unintentional overdoses of opioids, used for pain relief. While these prescriptions are generally safe when taken for a short time – as prescribed by a doctor – they can be misused, leading to harmful effects which can cause lasting chemical changes in the brain, reduced heart rate, breathing suppression or loss of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, North Carolina is one of 26 states across the nation reporting significant overdose death rates from 2015 to 2016.

Data shared by Granville Vance Public Health indicates that in Granville County alone, more than two million opioid pills were dispensed to residents in 2017, with 37 emergency visits by county residents that same year as a result of prescription misuse. Ten deaths have also been attributed to unintentional opioid overdose in Granville in 2017. A county-by-county report provided by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) indicates that there were two Granville County deaths in 2010, five in 2011, eight in 2012, four in 2013, seven in 2014 and five in 2015, all related to misuse of opioids.

“Even a single death resulting from this epidemic is one too many,” Comm. Edgar Smoak remarked.

The purpose of this local steering committee is to take a closer look at the issue in Granville County and to explore ways it can be addressed. The first meeting, chaired by Comm. Tim Karan, is scheduled for Thursday, November 8 at 10 a.m.

 *North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2017

Granville Athletic Park’s Outdoor Classroom Ready for Public Use

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-Press Release, County of Granville

Volunteers and local businesses have combined resources and efforts to complete an “outdoor classroom” space at Granville Athletic Park (GAP). The project was constructed through a partnership between Granville County, the Granville County United Way and the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford (MHCO).

“The United Way was proud to be a part of this project,” said United Way Executive Director Brenda Dickerson-Daniel. “We have been working in partnership with Granville County for the past several years in providing volunteers and funding for several projects at Granville Athletic Park, this being one of them. We have a great leadership team and some very dedicated community partners that helped make this possible.”

The space is intended for public use for outdoor presentations and programs and includes bench seating and a presentation board (secured) in a pavilion-type setting. Engineered drawings were donated by Drye-McGlamery while labor, materials and financial support were provided by Altec, Vulcan, Bridgestone-Bandag and Green Acres Lawn and Landscaping, as well as Tommy Keith and Sullins Engineering.

Spearheading this project for Granville County United Way was the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, who took the lead in construction, coordinated volunteer labor efforts and organized the delivery of materials. Vocational Counselor Gene Purvis supervised the project, on behalf of MHCO.

“The Masonic Home for Children is proud to have coordinated the planning and construction of the Outdoor Classroom Project at the GAP,” Purvis remarked.  “Our staff, with the assistance of other volunteers, was able to build something that we hope will provide an excellent venue for learning and discovery at the Park.”

Reservations are now being accepted for use of the outdoor classroom space. Those who would like to reserve this new addition to Granville Athletic Park should contact Raymond Allen, the GAP’s Parks and Grounds Director, at 919-693-3716.

“Gene Purvis and the volunteers from the Masonic Home and other partners in the community have constructed a beautiful addition to the GAP,” said Charla Duncan, Partnership Project Manager for Granville County Government. “We hope this project will serve as a reminder that outdoor recreation happens in many ways and that we can all come together to learn and create in a natural environment.”

Granville County Survey to Help Determine Tourism Strategies

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-Press Release, County of Granville

In an effort to distinguish Granville County in the marketplace, the Tourism Development Authority is conducting market research to develop a branding strategy and consistent message to visitors and residents. The Hughes Marketing Group of Matthews, NC has been retained to facilitate this process and will be collecting surveys from visitors and residents to learn more about the events and locales that attract visitors and have the most appeal to those who live in Granville County.

Surveys will be collected through Oct. 31 and are available online at www.granville-survey.com or through the offices of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce (Oxford and Creedmoor) and the Granville County Administration office at 141 Williamsboro Street in Oxford. An online survey is also available through the Visit Granville NC website at https://www.visitgranvillenc.com/win100.

Those participating in the survey are eligible for prize drawings such as a $100 Visa Gift Card, tickets to Granville Haunt Farm, gift certificates for Cedar Creek Gallery, Uptown 101, Java Dave’s, Owl House Café or Georges Restaurant and a Visit Granville gift bag.

Questions for residents include a ranking of factors that may attract visitors to the area, as well as residential longevity in the county and personal opinions about reasons Granville County is a unique place to live, work and visit.

Granville County has much to offer not only residents but those who visit our communities for festivals, local attractions, sporting events and more. For more information, contact Angela Allen, Granville County Tourism Director, at 919-693-6125, or angela.allen@granvillecounty.org. The Tourism Development office is located at 124 Hillsboro Street in Oxford.

 About Granville County Government:

Granville County Government enhances the quality of life for the citizens of the County by providing an array of services through a responsive, effective, and efficient local government. Learn more at www.granvillecounty.org. Follow Granville County Government on Facebook @GranvilleCountyGov. 

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Several Granville Co. Meetings Canceled or Postponed

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-Information provided by Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County

The following Granville County meetings that were scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2018, have been canceled or postponed:

Granville County Library Board of Trustees – canceled

Granville Greenways – canceled

Granville County Animal Control Advisory Committee – postponed to Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 7 p.m. at the Expo Center.

Granville Co. Provides Relief to Hurricane Victims, First Responders

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-Press Release, County of Granville

Granville County emergency responders have been assisting storm-ravaged North Carolina areas as recovery efforts are underway.

Deployed to Jones County was Granville County Emergency Services Director Doug Logan, who is part of the N.C Emergency Management Central Branch Overhead Incident Management Team. This task force and public adjusters in Florida helped coordinate the disaster response in Jones County, based in the Trenton area, where there was record flooding along the Trent River. Many residents of the county had to be rescued by fire, EMS and Sheriff’s Office personnel, Logan reported, and emergency staff members had been on duty around the clock since before the storm even made landfall, making preparations and responding to calls for assistance.

The Central Branch Team was air-lifted into the area by helicopter to find the majority of Jones County cut off from surrounding areas by flood waters, without electricity or telephone service. The county water system had completely failed and the only food sources for the citizens were what little stocks they had left in pantries.

Jones County Task Force

“We had assets from all over North Carolina – as well as New York, California, Vermont, Arizona – all there to assist through the National Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC),” Logan noted. “Additional resources arrived daily to assist in the response and relief efforts, while military air assets dropped food and water supplies to be distributed to isolated communities.”

As of Wednesday, September 19, the rivers were starting to recede and approximately 60 percent of the county remained without power as water pressure made a slow and steady return. Local drinking water sources will likely remain unsafe for several weeks, due to flooded wells and contaminated water treatment plants.

“We are anticipating a need to provide intermediate and long-term sheltering, as well as disaster housing for residents who will return to their homes as the water continues to go away,” Logan reported on Wednesday. “The team is diligently trying to merge the operation into recovery instead of response.”

Logan returned home last Thursday, after being deployed for five days.

Also instrumental in the disaster relief efforts were Donnie Boyd, Fire Marshal for Granville County Emergency Services, who played an integral role in moving equipment to impacted areas where there was the greatest need – as well as Robin Edwards and Reba Duke, who were activated through the Regional Coordination Center (RCC) in Central North Carolina. Fire Inspector Joe Seagroves aided in moving staging equipment for RCC-Central, which was set up in Butner.

Meanwhile, Trent Brummitt, Manager of the County’s 911 Emergency Call Center, along with Shift Supervisor Matt Faucette, traveled to Morehead City to provide assistance to telecommunicators there through a request more specific than a normal Telecommunicator Emergency Response Task Force (TERT) request.

On Sunday, September 16, a call had been made for assistance from areas using the same Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system as Carteret County. With no time to train responders from out of the area on how to use their system, the goal was to have those familiar with their emergency procedures in place to offer relief. Brummitt and Faucette were quick to respond, leaving just a few hours after the request was made. Ice, coolers, water, snacks and extra cots were packed to take along with them.

According to Brummitt, first responders in that area had been working rotating 12-hour shifts, and most had not been home since before the storm.

“They were grateful we came to help,” Brummitt said, adding that the Morehead Police Department, where they were stationed, was the only building with power when they arrived.

After checking in, Brummitt and Faucette quickly went to work, manning Morehead City’s 911 system and taking emergency calls in twelve-hour shifts. By Tuesday, Brummitt said, power had been restored as shifts continued around the clock over a two-day period. The two arrived back to Granville County late Tuesday night.

The Morehead City area was pounded with more than 15 inches of rain as a result of Hurricane Florence, with severe flooding reported. Providing additional assistance in relief efforts there were telecommunicators from Richmond, Chatham and Johnson Counties, as well from the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“We learned a lot that will help us if we ever have a situation like that here,” Brummitt said. “Seeing the effects of Hurricane Florence first handmade us realize that Granville County was very fortunate.”

About Granville County Government:

Granville County Government enhances the quality of life for the citizens of the County by providing an array of services through a responsive, effective, and efficient local government. Learn more at www.granvillecounty.org. Follow Granville County Government on Facebook @GranvilleCountyGov. 

Kansas Animal Rescue Organization Provides Assistance to Granville

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-Press Release, County of Granville

Weather conditions across the state led to some unexpected assistance in Granville County this week as a Kansas animal rescue group provided relief to the animal shelter.

In an effort to assist those impacted by Hurricane Florence, Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption of Mission, Kansas – with assistance from Polk County SPCA of Livingston, Texas and Paws4Life of Shreveport, Louisiana – reached out to North Carolina animal shelters who were at or near capacity, arriving with transport units to take animals back to safer areas.  According to Granville County Animal Control Director Matt Katz, there was room for several more animals on the return trip. This was a welcome relief locally, as kennels were already pressed for space before the storm even made landfall on our coast.

Over the weekend, several more pets had been surrendered to the Granville County shelter and no more kennel space was available, Katz explains. When volunteer Roxanne Blackburn was contacted by Sherry Davis with the Polk County SPCA about pulling animals on their way out of North Carolina, the offer couldn’t have come at a better time.

Granville County’s Animal Shelter’s save rate is 80 to 90 percent, Katz noted, but the “tough decisions” sometimes have to be made. Not this time, however, as 26 animals were rescued.

Unleashed Pet Rescue is a licensed, nonprofit animal shelter that works to save the lives of rescued pets, pulling them to safety. The organization works to find homes for pets of all ages, health, temperaments and history, giving each animal an opportunity for a better life. During Hurricane Harvey, Unleashed Pet Rescue was an integral part of the animal rescue efforts along the Gulf Coast, as well as offering assistance during other emergencies across the nation.

Katz says that this will be the first time all year that the shelter has had this many open kennels.

“These folks also pulled dogs from Franklin and Vance Counties on their way out of the state,” Katz said. “This may lead to another avenue for placement of our dogs.”

Katz credits Roxanne Blackburn for taking the initiative and “jumping on this opportunity,” and asks anyone interested in the welfare of local animals to thank these groups for their assistance.

“We are grateful to Roxanne for all her help in this, and ask everyone to please take a moment to thank these groups on their Facebook pages. This opens up so many opportunities for us, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

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Six Granville Co. Roads Currently Closed Due to Flooding

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-Press Release, County of Granville

After torrential rains in the area, six Granville County Roads have been closed by the N.C. Department of Transportation due to hazardous driving conditions. Residents traveling in these areas should expect to be detoured onto safer roadways until conditions improve and/or roadwork has been completed.

Affected roads are Aaron Creek Church Road, Tom Hunt Road, Enon Road and Tar River Road, which will be assessed by DOT later today.

Closed due to washed-out pavement are Community Road and Smart Road.

Drivers in these areas should plan for extra travel time, due to detours, and are urged to use extreme caution.

*WIZS Note – After consulting with Emergency Management, Granville County Public Schools (GCPS) made the decision to operate on a two-hour delay for all students and staff Tuesday morning. According to GCPS, this decision was made based on the high water and flooding of local roads.

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Granville Co. Will NOT Open Public Shelter at Northern Granville Middle

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-Information courtesy Lynn Allred, Public Information Officer/Grants Coordinator, County of Granville

Notice from Granville County Emergency Management:

In discussion with National Weather Service officials, based on the latest forecast for minimal impacts here in Granville County, and the need for resources elsewhere in harder hit areas, we have decided to suspend our current plans for the shelter at Northern Granville Middle School.

If predicted conditions change, we can quickly set up sheltering capacity locally again, but for now, there WILL NOT be a public shelter opened in Granville County. We feel that everyone will be safe to stay in their own homes for the duration of this event.

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Granville Co. Offices To Close at 12:30 p.m., Thurs. Sept. 13

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-Information courtesy Michael S. Felts, Granville County Manager

As a precaution, Granville County Government declared a State of Emergency effective this morning, September 12, 2018.  This is a measure that allows government officials to enact specific emergency plans and to take additional measures to move resources more freely to ensure the safety of our citizens.

In order to allow Granville County employees time to take care of their personal property and prepare for the potential impacts of this storm, Granville County offices will close at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 13 and will remain closed on Friday, September 14 due to impending inclement weather. The libraries will close on Saturday and Sunday also.

The 5 a.m. advisory now indicates the storm may come on shore at the NC/SC border and track along our southern NC border or just south of the border. A word of caution at this point, though….do not get confident of a lesser impact to our area.

Granville County Emergency Management

Granville Co. Emergency Management Urges Preparedness During Peak Hurricane Season

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-Press Release, County of Granville       

You can’t predict when weather-related emergencies will occur, but you can plan on how to respond when disasters strike. September is National Preparedness Month and Granville County Emergency Management urges all residents to follow these helpful tips:

Make a plan and practice it routinely with family members or employees – know where to meet, how and when to evacuate and how to reconnect if you become separated.

Put together a disaster supply kit with items needed during an emergency.

Remember to plan for your pets as well – include them in your readiness plan to keep them safe.

For more information, go to readync.org or visit granvillecounty.org for a complete list of tips to help prepare for any emergency.