Tag Archive for: #GranvilleCounty

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Opioid Abuse In Our Area

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If you live in Vance County or the surrounding area, then you know that opioid abuse, addiction and overdose is a real issue.

Tuesday at Vance Granville Community College, leaders and interested parties gathered to discuss awareness and prevention.  It was put on by Granville Vance Public Health and other agencies.

There are stats everywhere which show the sharp increase in overdose deaths nationally too, especially when you look at heroin and the misuse of prescription drugs.  You won’t search long before you see headlines that drug overdoses kill more people annually that car crashes or gun violence.

At the forum Tuesday, Dr. Anderson Brown with Cardinal Innovations spoke and said it all starts with prevention. It’s at different, earlier ages and with different outcomes that we see young adults becoming addicted now.

Dr. Shauna Guthrie, the Granville Vance Public Health Medical Director, said the right amount of prescription is where we need to start. Just a few pills can cause a young to middle age adult to be addicted.

Over prescribed drugs, in terms of the number of pills given for example just in an initial prescription, are a problem.  Problems arise when the intended recipient of the drug uses too much and also when the pills are not completely used and then fall into the wrong hands.

Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt, the Northern Piedmont Community Care Medical Director, said there are patients out there that need prescriptions but to a certain point. Cutting back on the amount of prescriptions is something that is needed.

A big issue is how early children are affected, including the fact that some children are born with a drug addiction because of the habits of the mother.  In other cases, it was stated that children as young as 10 years old now experiment with drugs.

What are we doing locally?  Educating youngsters at an early age, making sure treatment is available for those in need and making the public aware of treatment options.

There is improved access with 24 hour hotlines like 1-800-939-5911, which is Cardinal Innovations 24-hour crisis line.

There are more drop boxes for unused medications.  Most any local pharmacy has one or will take the unused meds during normal business hours.  October 28th is National Drug take back day.  https://takebackday.dea.gov/

Resources are being provided, and there are free training options.  Nidhi Sachdeva, with the N.C. Division of Public Health, works closely with the local community.

 

Daymark Recovery – 5 Counties but focus on Warren, Granville and Vance.

https://www.daymarkrecovery.org/locations/vance-center

 

Vance Recovery – all age groups

https://www.facebook.com/Vance-Recovery-951367328271418/

 

Back on Track – Group Therapy, Transportation, Medicaid.

https://www.substancerehabcenter.com/outpatient-substance-abuse-treatment/north-carolina-nc/?city=Henderson

 

Mens Halfway House – Staffed 24/7

https://www.substancerehabcenter.com/halfway-house/North-Carolina-NC/?city=Henderson

Granville Superintendent Howard Announces Retirement

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Granville Superintendent Howard Announces Retirement

At the regularly scheduled January Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Dorwin L. Howard, Sr. informed Board members that he had made the decision to retire from employment with the State of North Carolina as Superintendent of Granville County Public Schools effective July 1, 2017.

Dr. Houlihan, Chairman of the Board of Education, offered his reaction to the news, “Speaking on behalf of the Board of Education, we were certainly saddened to hear about this announcement, but at the same time we congratulate him on the remarkable 37-year career he has had serving the students of Granville County Public Schools and we wish him and his family the very best in the future.”

Dr. Howard began his career in public education when he took his first job as an Agriculture Teacher at JF Webb High School in 1980.  Since then, he has served as a vice-principal, principal, Director of Secondary and Career and Technical Education, Assistant Superintendent of Operations, and as Superintendent.  All but six months of his career in public education has been spent serving the students of Granville County.

Dr. Howard shared the news with staff members across the district, offering  some thoughts about this important announcement, “I am appreciative of the opportunities which Granville County Public Schools has given me since I began teaching.  As I reflect on my experiences, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with others throughout my career.  Each and every one of the employees has been, and I am sure will continue to be, instrumental in creating the type of school environment which fosters learning at the highest levels.”

Dr. Howard, a native of Granville County, and a graduate of JF Webb High School, attended NC A&T for his undergraduate degree, and NC State University for his master’s and doctoral degrees in Educational Administration.  He will have completed his third year serving as Superintendent upon retirement.

Dr. Howard concluded his remarks to staff by saying, “I trust that during my remaining five months with you as Superintendent, we all will continue to work together, giving our best for the good of all students throughout the district.  I pray that the future of the students of Granville County Public Schools will be bright.”

(Granville County Schools Press Release and Picture)

Granville County needs your help

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In an effort to improve the user experience on the Granville County website, we have partnered with North Star Marketing in Burlington, NC. We are inviting you to participate in a brief online survey that will take approximately 10 to 12 minutes to complete. Your feedback is anonymous, and we value your input as we work to enhance our website.

The survey will close Friday, March 25, at 11:59 p.m.

Please click the link below to access the survey.

https://northstarmarketing.typeform.com/to/aZxXRN

Thank you for your participation,

Granville County

Michael S. Felts

Granville County Manager

141 Williamsboro Street

P.O. Box 906

Oxford, North Carolina 27565

Phone:  919-693-5240

Fax:  919-690-1766

 

E-mail:  michael.felts@granvillecounty.org

Web:  www.granvillecounty.org

 

VGCC to offer Biotech Workshop to high school students

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Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled its fourth annual Biotech Workshop for local high school students, as one of a series of VGCC Arts & Sciences camps and workshops being held this year.

All tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders who have taken or are currently taking biology and chemistry are invited to attend the workshop, which is set to take place over the course of two Saturdays: April 2 and April 9, each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students must attend on both days.

Sessions will be taught by VGCC faculty in the state-of-the-art biotech lab in Building 8 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. “This workshop will give students a great opportunity to build their résumés and gain hands-on experience in a real laboratory with advanced equipment,” said VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head Dr. Tara Hamilton, who will oversee the workshop. “You can develop lab skills here that you can use in college and in various STEM careers, whether it’s in scientific research, high-tech manufacturing or medicine.”

Students will be introduced to Biotechnology, which is broadly described as using living organisms to develop and manufacture products for human use. This can range from making yogurt and cheese to producing human proteins in bacteria. This workshop will focus on the manipulation and use of various cellular molecules and the techniques commonly employed in a biotechnology laboratory.  Participants will separate proteins and DNA on gels, learn how to culture bacteria for use in obtaining a useful product, and become accustomed to utilizing common laboratory equipment.

The cost to attend the workshop is $50, which includes lunch each day.

This opportunity is one of a number of initiatives by the VGCC Arts & Sciences division to reach out into the community with unique learning activities. The annual VGCC Science Camp for rising sixth, seventh and eighth graders and the Teenworks Drama Camp, which targets rising eighth graders through high school seniors, will both be held this summer.

Registration for the Biotech workshop can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/camps. For more information, contact Dr. Hamilton at (252) 738-3285 or hamiltont@vgcc.edu.