Tag Archive for: #franklincountyncnews

Local Teachers Attend Summer Professional Development Training

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Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

June 20, 2017 

Career and Technical Education teachers in Vance County Schools are joining their counterparts from Granville, Franklin and Warren counties in a three-day “AMSTA Summer Cruisers” professional development training this week.

The educators are shown in the accompanying photo as they worked on an activity during their “Lean Manufacturing” training today in the Vance County Schools’ Administrative Services Center.

They began the training on June 19 and toured the Dill Air Controls and Revlon manufacturing plants in Granville County. They also heard presentations on youth services and how to best prepare students to be career and college ready. In addition to the manufacturing training session today, they also are touring the bioMerieux plant in Durham County. They will conclude their participation in the AMSTA event tomorrow at Franklinton High School in Franklin County, where they will meet with state commerce officials and listen to educational presentations including a session entitled, “School Choice and the Impact on Public Schools.”

VGCC to offer Enrollment Day on June 29

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Vance-Granville Community College will hold “Enrollment Day” on Thursday, June 29, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., at all four of its campuses.

During those extended hours, VGCC admissions, financial aid and advising staff members will be ready to assist anyone who is interested in enrolling at the college for the Fall 2017 semester, which starts on Aug. 14.

Students are encouraged to pre-register at www.vgcc.edu/enrollmentday.

Refreshments and free VGCC t-shirts will be available for incoming students on Enrollment Day while supplies last.

VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209).

The Franklin County Campus is located just west of Louisburg on N.C. 56.

South Campus is on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.

The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.

Registration for classes at VGCC is ongoing, through Aug. 10. For more information on enrolling for the fall, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.

–VGCC–

Franklin County Approves Budget with Tax Reduction 

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Franklin County, June 9, 2017: With a unanimous vote Thursday night, Franklin County Commissioners voted to lower its ad valorem tax rate by three-cents. The 2017-2018 General Fund budget of $78,921,255 sets the new rate at 89.5 cents per $100 valuation from 92.5 cents.

The approved budget addresses the Board’s priorities of education, health and human services and public safety. Budget highlights include full funding of the Board of Education’s request and three-percent cost of living adjustment for county employees effective January, 2018.

On behalf of the Board, Chairman Cedric Jones thanked commissioners, county management and staff for working together to create a spending plan that provides tax relief while maintaining quality county government services for citizens.

For additional information, please contact Angela L. Harris, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Boil Water Advisory Lifted in Franklin County

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Franklin County, June 7, 2017: Franklin County Public Utilities has now cancelled its boil water advisory. Franklin County’s main water supplier, the City of Henderson, experienced pump failures on June 5, 2017 which led to low water pressure in their system and the subsequent boil water advisory. All water conservation measures have been lifted as well.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Boil Water Advisory in Effect in Franklin County

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Franklin County, June 6, 2017: Franklin County Public Utilities has issued a boil water advisory until further notice. Franklin County’s main water supplier, the City of Henderson, has experienced pump failures which has led to low water pressure in their system.

Customers and the general public will be notified when the boil water advisory has been lifted.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Franklin County Citizens are advised to boil all water used for human consumption

Recent VGCC Medical Assisting graduate first to take RMA exam on campus

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Troy Glover of Youngsville recently made history at Vance-Granville Community College, when he became the first person to take the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam at the college’s Franklin County Campus.

According to VGCC Medical Assisting instructor Patrice Allen, the college has been working for the past several years to become an approved testing site that could administer the certification examination, which was established by American Medical Technologists (AMT). “We were finally able to begin the testing process this spring,” Allen said. “This is a set-up that can be offered not only to our students but also to students from other accredited medical assisting programs who would like to sit for the test here in lieu of going much further out of the area for that same process.” Several graduates from other schools have visited the campus to take the exam since Glover did. 

By passing the exam, Glover, who graduated with his Medical Assisting diploma from VGCC in 2016, now holds the RMA title, which is less common in North Carolina than the title of Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). “This will help me to stand in the job market,” Glover said. “I want to thank Mrs. Allen for all her encouragement.” He said that the exam was certainly difficult, but being able to take it at VGCC made the process easier. “It’s less stressful being in familiar territory,” Glover noted.

Glover retired after many years of working in the Wake County Public School System in the special programs and technology departments. “I had always wanted to work in health care after I had the experience of being an athletic trainer when I was a student at Louisburg College and later at East Millbrook Middle School,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do after retiring. I thought, why not do something I wanted to do a long time ago?” Now, Glover is taking his new certification into the job market. “There are lots of diverse job opportunities for a medical assistant, many of which I didn’t even realize,” he said. He is particularly interested in working in physical therapy. Glover said that although he has completed his medical assisting training, he is still coming to VGCC for a CPR class.

VGCC offers both a one-year diploma and a two-year associate degree in Medical Assisting, an allied health profession whose multi-skilled practitioners perform administrative, clinical and lab procedures. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assisting continues to be projected as one of the fastest-growing occupations in America. As VGCC’s program is nationally accredited, graduates are eligible to sit for the AAMA certification examination to become Certified Medical Assistants.

For more information either about enrolling in Medical Assisting or about testing, contact Patrice Allen at allenp@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3631.

–VGCC–

VGCC graduates 11 cadets in school’s 104th BLET Class

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Eleven cadets graduated on May 16 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.

Graduates of VGCC’s 104th BLET class included Jill Nicole McLean of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Spencer Reid Warehime of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Shawn Maurice Brown, Jr., of the Henderson Police Department; Alonza Kyle Fitts of the Louisburg College Campus Police Department; Jacob Matthew Gardner, Thomas Sellers Marrow and Joshua Taylor Mills, all of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation; Kevin Wayne Murphy of the Oxford Police Department; Christopher Michael Agamaite of the Roxboro Police Department; Mark Donald McNamara of the San Jose (California) Police Department; and Kirk Richardson of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.

The ceremony began with a presentation of colors by students from the ROTC program at Northern Vance High School, and the singing of the national anthem by NVHS student Jaylen Webb.

In welcoming remarks, Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, thanked the many leaders from local and state law enforcement agencies in attendance for partnering with the college. “We are honored to work with you, and we thank you for supporting our cadets, providing many of our instructors, and hiring our graduates, as together, we promote increased safety and quality of life for the communities we serve,” Ballentine told the law enforcement representatives. “All of today’s graduates are either employed or have at least accepted conditional job offers from law enforcement agencies.” She congratulated the graduates on successfully completing the rigorous, 667-hour training program and encouraged them to continue their education. “I wish you success and safety as you protect and serve all of us,” Ballentine added.

Speaking as leader of the class, Cadet Jill McLean thanked the many instructors who had trained them, as well as the family members and friends who were there to support the graduates. “These past four months have flown by,” McLean reflected. “This class has taught us a lot about ourselves and what it takes to do this job. I could not have asked for a better group of guys to take on BLET with. We are a ‘family’ of eleven. These guys have made my job as class leader extremely easy.”

Graduates selected Sgt. Christopher Dickerson of the Roxboro Police Department, one of their instructors, to serve as their featured speaker. He is a 2006 graduate of the VGCC BLET program. “This profession is the greatest profession in the world,” Dickerson said of law enforcement. He noted that in 2016, a Gallup poll found that Americans had a higher opinion of their local police than in any survey since 1967.  Dickerson recalled, “I asked you why you wanted to be a police officer, as I do in every class. I heard ‘I want to help my community’ or ‘I want to make my family proud.’ Not a single one gave a selfish response, and that’s why you’re here today.”

He asked the graduates to “remember your drive and what put you in this class” and “never forget your first badge. By pinning that badge on your chest, you have joined the largest family in the entire world.”

Andrea Hyson, the training program coordinator, and instructor Glen Boyd presented awards to the top students in the class in three categories. Murphy won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in firearms qualification. Fitts earned the Physical Fitness Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo during physical training. McLean took home the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the written tests each cadet must pass.

For more information on the BLET program, contact Hyson at hysona@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

SCAM JAM Planned In Person County on June 14

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Henderson – A recent survey shows that nearly all North Carolinians 50 years and older worry about being a victim of fraud. On June 14, the Kerr Tar Area Agency on Aging with the Person County Senior Center has scheduled a Scam Jam to help educate seniors to protect themselves from frauds and scams.

The Person County SCAM JAM is a free educational and entertaining forum where seniors will learn to avoid today’s scams and frauds, from identity theft to telemarketing and consumer and Medicare frauds.

Elder Abuse takes many forms and it is not always immediately apparent. In fact, many of the signs and symptoms of elder abuse mimic symptoms associated with aging, but should not be ignored. Failure to recognize and avoid fraud and exploitation can ruin one’s financial security. Financial abuse involves unauthorized use of an elderly person’s funds or property, either by a family member, caregiver, or an outside scam artist. Signs of financial abuse may include: significant withdrawals from accounts, missing cash or items from household, suspicious changes in wills, power of attorney, titles, and policies, unpaid bills or lack of medical care, although the elder has enough money to pay for them and unnecessary services, goods, subscriptions.

The SCAM JAM is designed to empower citizens to protect themselves and their families. Scheduled speakers include representatives from the Senior Medicare Patrol from the North Carolina Department of Insurance, North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State as well as local Law Enforcement.

This free half day seminar will begin at 1:30 p.m. ending at 4:30 p.m. and will be held at the Person County Senior Center, 87 Semora Road, Roxboro.

The Kerr Tar Area Agency on Aging leads and is involved in the efforts that provide for the development and enhancement of comprehensive and coordinated community based systems of services, opportunities, and protections for older adults which assist them in leading independent, meaningful and dignified lives in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

We serve five counties, Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren.

For more information about the Kerr Tar Area Agency on Aging, please call 252-436-2040.

Franklin County Finance Team achieves another honor

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Franklin County, NC May 25, 2017: For eighteen years, Franklin County’s Finance Department has been recognized nationally for their excellence in financial reporting. Once again, the team has achieved the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

The Finance Department was recently notified by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) that its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report was awarded the Certificate of Achievement.

The Certificate of Achievement is awarded by the GFOA of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).

Attainment of the certificate of the achievement represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

For additional information, contact Franklin County Finance at (919) 496-3182 or visit www.franklincountync.us. The Finance Office is staffed by Interim Director Chuck Murray, Mattie May, Lisa Medlin, Tracy Stevenson and Samantha Sanchez.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Franklin County Commissioners Fully Fund District Request

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Louisburg, N. C. —  At their meeting on Monday, May 15th, 2017, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners agreed to fully fund Franklin County Schools’ 2017-18 current local budget request. The total request for more than $16.3 million dollars is a $1.1 million dollar increase over the District’s 2016-17 local funding allocation.

Throughout the year, Franklin County school officials have been working to offer competitive salaries for some of the most critical positions within the district. With increased pressure from charter schools and neighboring districts, competitive pay for principals and certified staff members is a top priority and, according to school leaders, this local funding increase will provide Franklin County Schools with more financial flexibility as they seek to increase student proficiency and school performance grades.

“This is a breath of fresh air amidst a difficult budget year,” says Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga. “We are incredibly grateful for this funding opportunity and we will continue to work diligently to provide the best education possible for our students.”

School Board Chair, Dr. Elizabeth S. Keith, said that the local allocation for the upcoming school year is the most generous she’s seen in more than 30 years of public education service in Franklin County.

“On behalf of the school board, we are truly appreciative of our Commissioner’s dedication to education in Franklin County,” she says, adding, “Our stewardship of these resources will be evident in the continued success of our schools.”

Franklin County Schools’ total locally allocated current expense budget for the 2017-18 school year is $17,056,554.00. The District’s capital outlay budget, which is also locally funded, remained the same at $1.4 million.

The school board is scheduled to approve a complete 2017-18 school budget at its annual year-end budget meeting on June 29th.

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Patrick Glace

Director of Communications

Franklin County Schools