Tag Archive for: #franklincountyncnews

Granville Chamber Requests Nominations for Small Business of the Year Award

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The four area Chambers of Commerce – Granville, Franklin, Vance and Warren, along with Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center, are sponsoring the annual Small Business Award Luncheon May 3rd at Henderson Country Club.

The criteria is as follows:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Chamber and located in the county
  • Viable, on-going business for three or more years
  • Provides critical service or product
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone may nominate a business they feel deserves recognition and meets the criteria.

Companies may nominate themselves.  Past Granville County recipients are:  Cardiovascular Care; Stovall’s Gifts;  Preferred Communications; Royster, Cross and Hensley; House of Ribeyes; Lewis Electric of Oxford; The School of Graphic Arts,  Express Employment Professionals, Oxford Ace Hardware, Creedmoor Drug Company, Whitco Termite and Pest Control, F. O. Finch Insurance Agency and Floyd Management and Realty.

Nomination forms are available from a Chamber office or from the website, www.granville-chamber.com and are to be returned to the Chamber by April 13th.

 

Middlesex Police Chief Arrested for Alleged Assault

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Chief William D. Murray of the Middlesex Police Department was arrested on Wednesday March 15, 2017 by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office and was turned over to Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Personnel. Chief Murray was arrested after warrants were obtained by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and communicating threats.

Mr. Murray is facing the following charges: Misdemeanor Assault on a Female and Misdemeanor Communicating Threats.

William Dennis Murray

3128 Prophecy Road

Middlesex, North Carolina

DOB: 07-06-1973

Mr. Murray is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Center with no bond.

 

Terry M. Wright

Chief of Staff

Boston University Students Dedicate Spring Break to Serving Franklin County

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Louisburg, N. C. — Ten students from Boston University have spent last week supporting Terrell Lane Middle School as part of the University’s Alternative Spring Break Program. The program, which has served the Louisburg community and Terrell Lane Middle School students for more than ten years, is focused on providing volunteer support and community service to rural and low-income areas across the country.

During their visit, the team of student volunteers worked to provide various forms of instructional support to the school. This includes: tutoring small groups of students, presenting to classes and grade levels on various subjects, including character education, and assisting with the middle school’s annual spelling bee.

According to Lisa Rocco, program coordinator for the University’s internship program and chaperone for this year’s trip to Terrell Lane, the alternative spring break program is not only a leadership opportunity for BU students, it also gives them a chance to better understand many of the needs facing similar areas throughout the country.

“For both [BU] students and communities, these trips are an opportunity for them to engage in service, engage with people in the community, and to really get a feel for the needs of the people they’re working with,” she says.

The team of students drove more than 15 hours from Boston, Massachusetts before arriving at the school. Rocco says the drive was more than worth it for these students to better understand rural life and some of the challenges students in Franklin County face each day.

“Walking away feeling enlightened, feeling so much more aware and seeing first-hand some of the issues affecting people, it helps ground you,” she says.

However, without the support of local philanthropist and school board member, Paige Sayles, the visit wouldn’t be possible. Sayles has opened her home to nearly a dozen college students each year as part of the program’s visit.

Devin Harvin, a sophomore and double major in Political Science and History at BU, is one of the student coordinators for this year’s group. He said the welcome that Sayles and other members of the community have provided to him and the student volunteers he’s traveling with has been unbelievably positive.

“I really like Louisburg,” he said, adding “It’s been such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere that seems really focused on community.”

Harvin is from Baltimore, Maryland, but members of the student group are from all over the world – ranging from Abu Dhabi to California, and from Thailand to Georgia. On Friday, Schools Superintendent Pascal Mubenga visited Terrell Lane to thank the visiting students for choosing to serve Franklin County Schools and to invite them to return as teachers when they graduate.

“Programs like this really make an impact on our student’s perspective,” he said. “I would encourage you to think about returning to Franklin County after you graduate – we’re always looking for great, dedicated teachers.”

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Patrick Glace

Director of Communications

Franklin County Schools

District Attorney’s Office Comments on Horrific Franklin County Murder

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Louisburg, NC – The District Attorney’s Office was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of 35 year old Yesenia Funes Machada on Monday, March 6, 2017. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Funes Machada family.

Shortly before 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6, 2017, deputies with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office were called to a home located at 90 Morgan Drive in Zebulon, North Carolina. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found the victim deceased. The suspect, her 18 year old son Oliver Mauricio Funes Machada, was taken into custody without incident.

A warrant was issued and served for the arrest of Oliver Mauricio Funes Machada on the charge of First Degree Murder. The Defendant is currently in the custody of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and is being held without bond.

The circumstances of this crime are very unusual and horrific. While it is too early to know for sure what the Defendant’s mental state was at the time of the murder, it will be reviewed at the appropriate time and place.

In the meantime, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office will continue to prepare this case for trial. The probable cause hearing in this matter is scheduled for March 14, 2017, and the District Attorney’s Office will prepare the case to be presented to the grand jury on April 3, 2017.

The District Attorney’s Office has been and will continue to work closely with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in this ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative team at (919) 496-2186.

Michael Waters

Franklin County Sheriff: Suspect Arrested in the Death of his Mother

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On March 6, 2017 at approximately 12:47 p.m., the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office responded to 90 Morgan Drive, Zebulon after receiving a call from the alleged suspect that he had killed his mother with a knife.

Upon arriving on the scene a deputy encountered the suspect who was taken into custody without incident.

As a result of the investigation, the following individual was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder and Placed in the Franklin County Detention Center with no bond:

 

 

Oliver Mauricio Funes Machada

90 Morgan Drive

Zebulon, North Carolina 27597

DOB: 06/15/1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry M. Wright

Chief of Staff

VGCC awards top academic honor to Ivy League-bound student

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Vance-Granville Community College has named student Paul Caroline of Louisburg as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2017. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.

Caroline will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when he is scheduled to graduate from the college with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree. That same month, Caroline will graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. This is the second year in a row that the VGCC Academic Excellence Award has gone to a student at FCECHS.

The college partners with four Early College high school programs, one in each county of the VGCC service area. As Caroline has done, students typically finish the program in five years, simultaneously earning high school diplomas and college degrees, or up to two years of college-transferable credits.

In an essay that he wrote for the award nomination, Caroline put his academic experience into its historical context. “For my family, education has always been a privilege,” he wrote. “In the early twentieth century, laws prohibited my great-grandmother and many other African American students from advancing to the twelfth grade and earning a high school diploma. Since then, each new generation has attested to a strong commitment to the pursuit of educational opportunity.”

Caroline added that “education opens doors to a better life, and one of the greatest thresholds I have crossed on my journey thus far is the iconic archway of Vance-Granville Community College.”

He described the support he has received from faculty members at both the high school and the college as “transformative.” Caroline said that he found that learning “not only yields the power to better oneself, but the world as a whole.” He took the “Vanguard spirit” and VGCC’s commitment to students to heart, he said, by helping others as a Peer Tutor through the college’s Academic Skills Center, starting at the age of 17.

After he graduates, Caroline is set to study Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, the prestigious Ivy League institution, with a full QuestBridge scholarship, which he described as “a first” for his community. “In my personal journey, Vance-Granville Community College has been a stepping-stone to making an Ivy League education possible,” Caroline said.

His twin brother, Peter, is also a Franklin County Early College High School student. Peter is likewise set to graduate with both an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree from VGCC and will continue his education at Stanford University with a full QuestBridge scholarship.

“Paul’s hard work and dedication to excellence have earned him a place among the top community college students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “He is an outstanding representative of both Vance-Granville and Franklin County Early College High School, and we know he will continue to make us proud as a student at one of our country’s elite institutions of higher learning.”

–VGCC–

VGCC names 258 students to President’s and Dean’s Lists

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Vance-Granville Community College has announced that 126 students earned President’s List and 132 earned Dean’s List academic honors for the fall semester that ended in Dec. 2016.

The President’s List recognizes students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) while carrying a “full load” (of at least 12 credit hours) in 100-level or higher curriculum courses. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student had to earn a GPA that was at least 3.5 but less than 4.0, and have no grade lower than “B,” while carrying a “full load” of such courses.

Fall Semester President’s List honorees are listed below by program of study and then by residence.

Accounting:

Sarah J. Gabriel and Ciara S. Lynch, both of Franklinton;

Wannapha N. Robinson of Louisburg;

Elizabeth D. Elliott of Youngsville.

 

Associate Degree Nursing:

Madelaine L. Sachs of Henderson;

Renee Jackson of Kittrell.

 

Associate in Arts:

Samantha J. Shannon and Tamiya R. Thomas, both of Creedmoor;

Joshua Jacobs of Durham;

Ryan W. Sharp of Franklinton;

Cristin D. Abbott, Nancy C. Bonilla, Kourtney J. Cockrell, Ashlyn K. Collier, Chadstity V. Copeland, Caroline M. Oakley, Autumn G. Outlaw, Ebony S. Robinson Solomon and Janet Rodriguez-Morales, all of Henderson;

Leslie A. Leake of Kittrell;

Marshella D. Ashby and Makayla R. Williams, both of Littleton;

Loganne S. Driver, Blake A. Massengill and Joshua W. Moody, all of Louisburg;

Kristy R. Ball, Robin L. Hill and Sydney A. Towers, all of Oxford;

Amanda B. Miller of Warrenton;

Lindsay C. Henry of Youngsville.

 

Associate in General Education – General Science:

Tyler A. Thorp of Henderson;

Rachel H. Allen of Stem.

 

Associate in Science:

Jordan S. Ligon of Bullock;

Michael T. O’Donoghue of Fredericksburg, Va.;

Lucas R. Hamrick and Elizabeth R. Twisdale, both of Henderson;

Sovanny Taylor of Louisburg;

Alana W. Towles of Oxford;

Skylar L. Davenport, Nicholas J. Didonna, III, and Joseph A. Moore, all of Youngsville.

 

Automotive Systems Technology:

Michael L. Wright of Durham;

Jeremy D. Lemay, Kenneth S. McConnell and Jacob F. Mosley, all of Henderson;

Jordan A. Alston of Louisburg;

Travis L. Keeton of Oxford;

Stephen B. Ray of Wake Forest.

 

Business Administration:

Korena L. Weichel of Creedmoor;

Roy A. Satterwhite of Henderson;

Stacy T. Hicks, Latosha C. Hunt, David L. Nicholson and Meghan J. Rossi, all of Oxford;

Jason L. Thompson of Stem.

 

Computer Technology Integration:

Andrew S. Dawson of Henderson.

 

Computer Technology Integration – IT Support Track:

Tristin McClay of Creedmoor;

Max N. Moore, Jr., of Henderson.

 

Computer Technology Integration – Networking and Security Technologies Track:

Andrew A. Dadson of Butner;

Christina D. Manz of Creedmoor.

 

Computer Technology Integration – Web Design and Support Track:

Angelica M. Garcia-Avelar of Durham;

Rowan M. Morris of Warrenton.

 

Cosmetology:

Cassie A. Shaffer of Butner;

Christianne Combs of Durham;

Katrina W. Collie of Franklinton;

Micaela B. Crowder of Henderson;

Kristina M. Brantley and Kathryn L. Overby, both of Louisburg;

Kierra N. Richardson of Macon;

Myranda L. Carroll of Norlina.

 

Criminal Justice:

Christopher L. Davis of Bullock;

Martin A. Spencer of Creedmoor;

Monica A. Williams of Franklinton;

Andrew J. Shultz of Henderson;

Benjamin B. Layton of Kittrell;

Safwan A. Ali of Louisburg;

Chance S. Hayes of Louisburg;

Alissa J. Cheek of Wake Forest.

 

Culinary Arts:

Rebecca N. Groover of Franklinton;

Randy D. Bullock and Dejah Davis, both of Stem.

 

Early Childhood Education:

Kimberly C. Cagney of Creedmoor;

Bianca E. Garrett of Franklinton;

Jacquella S. Jones of Henderson;

Brooklyn E. Mason of Louisburg.

 

Electronics Engineering Technology:

George C. Williams of Louisburg.

 

Entrepreneurship:

Raeann Johnson of Henderson.

 

Global Logistics and Distribution Management Technology:

Charles Braswell of Raleigh.

 

Human Services Technology:

Fredesvinda C. Euceda-Col of Creedmoor.

 

Information Technology:

Andrew B. Benedict and Dustin L. Starnes, both of Henderson;

Cody R. Parrott of Kittrell;

Austin H. Smith of Oxford.

 

Mechatronics Engineering Technology:

Charles J. Nordcliff of Creedmoor;

Thomas K. Boyd of Henderson.

 

Medical Office Administration:

Cassidy B. Lucas of Franklinton;

Morrisha K. Alston, Tranita N. Brown and April B. Peoples, all of Henderson;

Beverly K. Ellis of Kittrell;

Kristie L. Brough of Oxford;

Amber S. Carey of Stem;

Rebecca T. George of Warrenton;

Julia A. Rhodes of Youngsville.

 

Office Administration:

Angela M. Hayes of Louisburg.

 

Paralegal Technology:

April M. Thompson of Henderson;

Holly H. Cashwell of Wake Forest;

Heather C. Bryant of Youngsville.

 

Pharmacy Technology:

Tommy L. Hicks of Franklinton.

 

Radiography:

Anna P. Tilley of Creedmoor;

Sabrina D. Johnson of Louisburg;

Kristel L. Dehart and Aaron J. McNeill, both of Oxford;

James A. Lea of Timberlake;

Jamisha D. Twitty of Warrenton.

 

Welding Technology:

Nicholas Keeton of Bullock;

Cedric J. Rodebaugh, II, of Franklinton;

Galen D. Wilds of Granville County;

Donnie S. Ayscue and Eduardo Ibarra-Renteria, both of Henderson;

Ethan T. Bailey, Christopher M. Kearney and Robert L. Mallory, all of Oxford;

David A. Jeanblanc of Raleigh;

Jared Q. Siemers of Wake Forest;

Andrew Lynam of Youngsville.

 

Fall Semester Dean’s List honorees are listed below by program of study and then by residence.

 

Accounting:

Holly A. Waddell of Henderson;

Jennifer M. Burton of Norlina.

 

Associate Degree Nursing:

Caitlin E. Moen of Cary;

Heather J. Floyd of Franklinton;

Rachel A. Edwards of Louisburg;

Talia M. Dyce and Sharon N. Ray, both of Oxford;

Sandra H. Enloe of Stem;

Brooke A. Hursey and Kayla D. Roberson, both of Wake Forest.

 

Associate Degree Nursing LPN to ADN Program:

Ashley B. Jones of Bullock.

 

Associate in Arts:

Kaleb S. Williamson of Bullock;

Tiffany Martinez of Butner;

Farrah B. Foster, Robert C. Hurt, Janella A. Mendivil and Owen T. Mettam, all of Creedmoor;

Poppy T. Boze, Rebekah H. Glasheen, Robert D. Osborne, Benjamin P. Taylor and Richard K. Washington, all of Franklinton;

Celene Acuna, Jasmine N. Allen, Anthony M. Henderson, Lynn M. Henderson, II, Alexandra J. Saravia, Brian J. Stevenson, Jakayla M. Thorpe and Bailee E. Tippett, all of Henderson;

Lillian D. Kanouff and Allie R. Beach, both of Kittrell;

Asia M. Green of Norlina;

Cecilia E. Barrenechea, Sonia M. Hernandez, Emely K. Ovando, Kimberly M. Spence and Thomas S. Thompson, all of Oxford;

Ashleigh V. Dannemiller of Raleigh;

Kamden E. Thompson of Stem;

Casey P. Hunter and Clay D. Walters, both of Wake Forest;

Sarah A. Boone of Warrenton.

 

Associate in General Education – General Science:

Paige D. Snider of Creedmoor;

Taylor M. Moseley of Henderson;

Danny W. Ayscue of Kittrell;

Stormi M. Abernathy of Leasburg;

Megan I. Proctor of Macon;

Marina E. Rombout of Stem.

 

Associate in Science:

Lindsey R. Perry of Henderson;

Kia S. Brodie of Louisburg;

Sara A. Abdulla, Nicole F. Bowman, Zakaria I. Kassim and Francis C. Scotland, all of Oxford;

Micah C. Roberts of Stem;

Kellyann M. Cook of Stovall.

 

Automotive Systems Technology:

Blake A. Larcade of Oxford.

 

Bioprocess Technology:

Kimberly A. Prevette of Oxford.

 

Business Administration:

Andrew J. Cagney and Bobbie J. Wilkerson, both of Creedmoor;

Angela Burrell    and Alfredo Picaz, both of Henderson;

Mark A. Alston of Manson;

Jason D. Hester of Oxford;

Dar-Neshia S. Williams of Warrenton;

Ashley M. Kinton of Youngsville.

 

Computer Technology Integration:

Steven J. Lynch of Norlina.

 

Computer Technology Integration – IT Support Track:

Quinton McDonald of Henderson.

 

Computer Technology Integration – Web Design and Support Track:

Amie E. Hilton of Oxford.

 

Cosmetology:

Jessica K. Lovegrove of Creedmoor;

Brittany D. Pickering of Durham;

Davis B. Moore of Franklinton;

Hannah C. Beckwith of Henderson;

Angela M. Alexander of Kittrell;

Melissa D. Sweeney of Louisburg;

Crystal L. Carrington, Loukita C. Meadows and Katy S. Perdomo, all of Oxford;

Jordan G. Reina of Roxboro;

Maria G. Ordonez Santiago of Warrenton;

Kristina F. Graham and Nancy H. Paduchowski, both of Youngsville.

 

Criminal Justice:

Tyler L. Hughes of Bullock;

Charmaine A. Sutton of Louisburg;

Dustin L. Hodnett and Harold T. Todd, both of Oxford;

Vickie A. Crawley of Roxboro.

 

Early Childhood Education:

Jessica R. Bolton and Makala West, both of Henderson;

Catherine G. Jones of Youngsville.

 

Entrepreneurship:

Austin R. Lovegrove of Franklinton.

 

Human Services Technology:

Sonya J. Barnes of Henderson.

 

Human Services Technology/Gerontology:

Larecia R. Bullock of Oxford.

 

Information Technology:

Mitchell L. Greene and Nathan E. Johnston, both of Creedmoor;

Brandon J. Carver of Durham;

Genifer R. Gibson of Fayetteville;

Kasey R. Owens of Henderson;

Kassidy L. Holtzman of Norlina;

Tina M. Kreidler and Alisha M. Prevette, both of Oxford;

Nathan L. Garrard of Stem.

 

Medical Assisting:

Dajane G. Johnson of Henderson.

 

Medical Office Administration:

Melanie Lugo-Nieves of Creedmoor;

Raven K. Kay and Raini Williams, both of Henderson;

Brianna N. Lynch of Hollister;

Misty R. Grabowski of Louisburg;

Tina M. Hatcher and Anthony M. Wade, both of Oxford;

Thomas M. King, Jr., of Wise.

 

Office Administration:

Mary A. Elberson of Henderson;

Mary Cox of Oxford.

 

Paralegal Technology:

Kelly D. Persinger of Louisburg;

Lindsay E. Brown of Oxford.

 

Radiography:

Ashley B. Storer of Creedmoor;

Trevor M. Houston of Durham;

Mary E. Brewer, Kelsey P. Hight, Kara Siena S. Reese and Madalyne N. Woods, all of Henderson;

Kaitlyn B. Sumner of Hurdle Mills;

Chelsea J. Flaxcomb of Kittrell;

Maricela Carbajal, Mary D. Currin and Jonathan T. Liddane, all of Oxford;

Jaime L. Wilson of Raleigh;

Morgan H. Keith of Stem.

 

Welding Technology:

Hernan J. Hernandez of Castalia;

Eric L. Clayton and Keodric D. Grant, both of Oxford.

 

–VGCC–

Franklin County Man Allegedly Shoots Two in Stolen Gun Argument

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Press Release

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit issued warrants on a Franklin County resident. On 02/10/2017, warrants were issued on Jon Edward Check with Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. On 02/10/2017, Jon Edward Check was arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit. He is under a $40,000 bond.

This incident is alleged to have occurred on 02/09/2017.

Mr. Check is alleged to have shot two victims at his home.

This incident was alleged to been an ongoing dispute over a gun someone had stolen from Mr. Check.

Four individuals came to Mr. Check’s home, an apparent fight ensued and the end result was Mr. Check shooting two victims. One in the legs and the other in the arm.

Both victims were transported by private vehicle to WakeMed North.

Suspect:

Jon Edward Check

136 Elsie Marie Drive

Youngsville, NC 27596

This matter remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone should have any additional information pertaining to this investigation, please contact Detective JC Senter at 919-340-4344.

Franklinton Man Allegedly Pours Gas/Sets Fire to Victim

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Press Release:

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Unit arrested William Thomas Hester, a Franklin County resident on February 5, 2017 and charged him with: First Degree Arson and Felony Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury.

The incident is alleged to have occurred on February 5, 2017 at 17 Highland Way, Franklinton. The suspect, William Hester, is alleged to have thrown gasoline on the victim (Adrian Mayo) and set him on fire. Mr. Mayo is currently in the Burn Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Mr. Hester is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $503,000 secured bond.

William Thomas Hester

17 Highland Way, Franklinton

11-07-1971

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terry M. Wright

Chief of Staff

VGCC presents free seminar to help small businesses “hit the ground running”

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The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a free seminar, entitled “Hit the Ground Running in 2017,” on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at CenturyLink in Wake Forest.

Mike McConchie of Creedmoor will serve as the instructor. The owner of M&M Consultants, Inc., McConchie is a Certified Business Coach and a Senior Business Consultant. He has over 36 years of retail management experience and is the past president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce.

According to McConchie, the seminar will help small business owners “create their own destiny for 2017.” Among his topics will be “how to set up your business for success, establish and clarify your 2017 goals, and establish a plan of attack.” He added that attendees would “learn how to identify gaps in performance and results and develop a plan to close the gaps and achieve your goals.”

In addition to CenturyLink, the seminar is presented by VGCC in partnership with the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Economic Development Commission, and North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation.

Lunch will be provided at no charge to attendees who register in advance. To reserve a seat, contact Lori Duke at lduke@franklincountync.us or 919-554-1863. The deadline to RSVP is Jan. 6, 2017.