Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

Granville Co. Sheriff Brindell Wilkins Suspended From Office

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Statement from James C. Wrenn, Jr., Granville County Attorney:

Today I filed a petition to remove Sheriff Brindell B. Wilkins, Jr. as Sheriff of Granville County.

Immediately following the filing of the petition, a consent order was entered with the consent of Sheriff Wilkins and his counsel suspending him from office and staying further action on the petition for removal pending the disposition of the criminal charges contained in the indictments against him.

Until the appointment by the Granville County Board of Commissioners of some person to fill the temporary vacancy created by the suspension, Chief Deputy Sherwood Boyd shall perform all the duties of the sheriff.

Statement from Thomas C. Manning, Manning Law Firm PLLC, Attorney for Sheriff Brindell Wilkins:

Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins has consented to a court order suspending him from his duties pending resolution of charges contained in two indictments.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman is prosecuting the cases, having agreed to undertake the investigation when Granville County District Attorney Michael Waters had to step aside from the investigation due to a conflict of interest.

Sheriff Wilkins denies the allegations of wrongdoing and has agreed to the suspension while he prepares for trial.

A Granville County jury will hear and decide the case. Sheriff Wilkins looks forward to exoneration and resumption of his duties. In the meantime, he will prepare for trial and farm.

For more information on Sheriff Wilkin’s indictments, please click the WIZS post below:

Murder Plot of Former Granville Co. Deputy Results in Indictment for Sheriff

Late October Brings 9th Annual ‘Cluck ‘N Shuck’ Event to Granville Co.

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-Press Release, Granville County Chamber of Commerce

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring their ninth annual fall seafood event – “CLUCK ‘N SHUCK,” to be held Friday, October 25, 2019, from 5:30 until 8 p.m. at The Red Barn – Golf Course Road, off Lake Devin Road, in Oxford.

Caterer Leon Nixon’s dinner menu offerings include steamed oysters, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried chicken tenders, slaw, buttered potatoes, hushpuppies, tea, Pepsi-Cola products and cold beverages.

The event will be held at the venue – The Red Barn – where it has been held the past six years. This location provides an incredible setting for those desiring to eat on the decks overlooking Lake Devin. Inside seating on the ground floor of The Red Barn is also available.

Advanced ticket sales – $40 per person or two tickets for $75 – includes all-you-can-eat on the premises.

As this is a limited ticket event, those wishing to attend are encouraged to purchase tickets early from one of the Chamber’s offices – 124 Hillsboro Street in Oxford (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.) 919.693.6125 or the South Office – 1598 NC Hwy 56, between Butner and Creedmoor (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursdays) 919.528.4994.

A limited number of event t-shirts are also available at the Chamber’s offices for $5 each.

Event sponsors are: Duke Energy, Creedmoor Forest Products, Inc., Express Employment Professionals, Granville Health System, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Roxboro, Plastic Ingenuity, Union Bank, SERVPRO of Franklin-Vance and Granville, Carolina Sunrock, Granville County Farm Bureau/Jason Jones, Granville Insurance Agency, Inc., Shalag Nonwovens, The Pegram Agency/Nationwide, Touchstone Bank, Vino Oasi, Long Beverage, Butner-Creedmoor News, Oxford Public Ledger, The Daily Dispatch, US 98.3FM and WIZS 100.1FM 1450AM.

I Voted Sticker

Notice: Voting Precinct Changes for Stem & Stovall, NC

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-Information courtesy Granville County Government

Voters who reside in the Town of Stem should note that starting with the Nov. 5, 2019 election, the voting precinct has changed for all future elections. The new voting site will be Granville Central High School, located at 2043 Sanders Road in Stem. This site has changed from the Stem Fire Station.

On Aug. 14, 2018, the Town of Stovall adopted a resolution to rescind the previous resolution that authorized Absentee Voting for municipal elections. All voting which occurs prior to Election Day is considered Absentee Voting under North Carolina law. This includes Absentee By Mail and One-Stop Early Voting.

Due to this resolution, starting in 2019, ballots for future Town of Stovall Municipal Elections will only be available to voters on Election Day. Effective with the Nov. 5, 2019, Municipal Election, voters who reside in the Town of Stovall can only vote at their precinct on Election Day. They cannot vote by mail or at a One-Stop site. 

In addition, the precinct for Stovall voters is being changed for all future elections, starting with the Nov. 5, 2019, Municipal Election. Voters will no longer vote at Stovall-Shaw Elementary School. but will now vote at the Stovall Library Conference Room, located at 300 Main Street in Stovall.

Any questions should be directed to the Granville County Board of Elections at 919-693-2515.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Education to Hold Special Meeting Sept. 23

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet on Monday, September 23, 2019, at 6 p.m. at the Granville County Public Schools Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The purpose of the meeting will be to receive and discuss information regarding long-range facility planning, the School Improvement Plan timeline and student and school performance.

The Board will also meet in closed session pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143-381.11(a)(1), (3) and (6) to discuss confidential matters and consult the Board attorney.

To view the agenda for this meeting, please click here.

Granville’s ‘Recycle Right’ Campaign Launched

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

Granville County has joined statewide efforts to help residents learn more about recycling more and recycling right.

“Recycle Right NC” officially launched on September 9, 2019, with a ten-week awareness campaign that will help inform citizens of the importance of single-stream recycling.

Did you know, for example, that plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars – as well as metal cans, glass bottles and jars – can be collected together, after being emptied and rinsed?

Or that all paper cartons and cardboard boxes should be flattened before adding to your recycle cart?

Weekly messages and helpful reminders are available on the Granville County Government Facebook page.

To learn more, you can also visit www.granvillecounty.org.

Be “Cart Smart!” Recycle more and recycle right!

‘Tar Heel Traveler’ Mason, Children’s Author Pendergraft to Present at Granv. Libraries

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

On Saturday, September 21, local and statewide authors will present programs at two branches of your local public library.

“Tar Heel Traveler” Scott Mason will present “Stories from the Road” at the South Branch Library in Creedmoor. Author and journalist Mason is well-known across the state for his televised reports from some of North Carolina’s most interesting places and landmarks.

Mason is the recipient of more than 100 journalism awards and recently published his fourth book, “Tar Heel Traveler: New Journeys Across North Carolina” in May of this year, which has been called “a blend of oral history and memoir with a good dose of quirky humor.”

The program is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

Also on Saturday, the Richard H. Thornton Library welcomes local children’s author Cameron Pendergraft. Pendergraft, who resides in Granville County, has penned two works, “The Story About Tigger” and “The Story About Tigger and Elsa,” both of which tell the story of adopted shelter dogs and the life-changing love of a family.

Therapy dogs will also be on hand at the library for 15-minute reading sessions during the “Paws to Read” event scheduled from 1 until 4 p.m. Online registration is required for the reading sessions with visiting dogs.

The meet and greet author’s program is open to the public as Pendergraft reads one of her children’s books to interested participants.

There are four branches of the Granville County Library System, which are located in Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall and Berea. For a listing of upcoming events at each location, please visit https://granville.lib.nc.us.

For more information about this weekend’s events, contact Penelope Mason at the South Branch Library, located at 1550 South Campus Drive in Creedmoor, at 919-528-1752 or Amy Carlson, Children’s Librarian at the Thornton Library, 210 Main Street in Oxford, at 919-693-1121.

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Granville Environmental Affairs Committee’s Oct. Meeting Canceled

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-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee meeting on October 14, 2019, has been canceled.

Members of the Environmental Affairs Advisory Committee have been invited to tour Product Recovery Management on October 7, 2019. A quorum of this committee may be present for the tour.

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Candidate Forums Scheduled Throughout Granville County

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

The Granville County Human Relations Commission, in partnership with the Sunrise Forum of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of Granville County, will sponsor a series of Candidate Forums for the upcoming municipal elections.

Beginning Monday, September 23, candidates running for office in the Town of Butner, the City of Oxford, the Town of Stem, the Town of Stovall and the City of Creedmoor have been invited to attend these forums and to answer questions presented by a moderator from each community.

Dates and times for each event are listed below:

  • Town of Butner, Monday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m., Butner Town Hall (Camp Butner Room);
  • City of Oxford, Monday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m., Oxford City Hall (Commissioners Meeting Room);
  • Town of Stem, Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m., Stem Fire Department;
  • Town of Stovall, Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., Stovall Library;
  • City of Creedmoor, Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor City Hall.

All of these forums are open to the public. Election day is scheduled for November 5, 2019.

Granville County Public Schools

GCPS is ‘On The Move’ With Technology in Schools

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Public Schools Technology Department is excited to share some updates regarding student devices, a special cohort of teachers, online professional development for our teachers, and some exciting enhancements to the Boardroom.

We are thrilled that with Northern Granville Middle School going one-to-one, take-home student devices this year, all secondary schools in our district are now 1:1. Every student in a middle or high school within Granville County Public Schools is issued a Chromebook to be used at school and at home. We are so excited to offer this to our students as we extend learning through digital technologies.

When asked what technology devices they value and why, one teacher said, “One-to-one in the classroom. It makes teaching so much easier if everyone has their own device. Plus, with EOGs online, it just gets the students more prepared and comfortable.” Another added, “We are finally one-to-one with computers in the classroom. It is wonderful! There are so many more things you can do with the students when they all have access to technology.”

We also want to share with you about a special group of teachers that was made possible by an NCDPI Digital Learning Initiative Grant in the amount of $150,000 over the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years. This cohort consists of thirty teachers and administrators who are committed to transforming their teaching and learning to a digital-age culture where classrooms are student-centered and students exhibit digital literacy skills focused on collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication.

Our cohort participants were given the opportunity to visit model classrooms in Wake County and Rowan-Salisbury, attend NCTIES (a well-renowned technology conference in Raleigh) in March and participate in a digital immersion lesson by Beyond the Chalk in April. They also earned at least one micro-credential on a 4C awarded through Bloomboard.

Participants were asked to video themselves teaching a lesson aligned to the NC Digital Learning Competencies (DLCs).  These videos are compiled in an online repository to be shared out with other school districts across the state. These experiences allowed our STARS to increase their digital skillset. Each GCPS Digital STAR could earn up to $450 in stipends for their hard work and be provided $1,000 to spend on emerging technologies for their classroom.

Our STARS are working toward their classrooms becoming five-star digital-aged classrooms where technology runs seamlessly in the background. They will be available for site visits in the spring. We hope you’ll come by! To see pictures from our journey so far, please visit: https://goo.gl/mmpJn2

Our Instructional Technology department has worked hard to meet the needs of our GCPS staff members who are required to earn 20 hours of technology professional development CEUs in each five-year license renewal cycle. After surveying our staff and learning of their desire for more online options in addition to what we offer face-to-face, we have written over 20 online modules that range from two hours to ten hours and cover topics such as Seesaw: Student Driven Portfolios, Student and Staff Feedback Through the Use of Google Forms, Ways to Use QR Codes, and Connecting Students to Curriculum Through Google Tour Builder. These modules can be completed by educators any time during the school year, at their own pace and at a time and place of their choosing.

Finally, we have invested in some technical improvements to the County Office Boardroom which include improved audio with mixer board, amplifier, microphones and speakers in the gallery and integrated audio and video with new video cameras for recording or streaming events.

Our next phase of improvement plans include replacing the existing projector screen with an LCD panel. Board Meeting meetings are currently recorded and available for access after the meeting, but starting in October, Dr. McLean hopes to have our Board Meetings live-streamed. Be looking at our district webpage for more information on how to access these live-streamed events.

 

District Attorney Waters Addresses Granville Sheriff Investigation

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-Press Release, Office of District Attorney Michael D. Waters

Statement of District Attorney Michael D. Waters 

As reported, the Grand Jury of Granville County returned indictments on Monday, September 16, 2019, against Sheriff Brindell Wilkins for felony obstruction of justice. The investigation that led to these indictments has been led by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman at my request, beginning in November of 2018. My request of Ms. Freeman came following conversations with the State Bureau of Investigation and Ms. Freeman, with the intent of avoiding any conflict that may arise by my being involved in this matter as a witness. 

In 2014, while I was still in private practice, a client provided to me a recording that I immediately turned over to investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and subsequently provided to the State Bureau of Investigation.

At all times since then, I have cooperated with investigators, and once Ms. Freeman opened a criminal investigation, have urged that this matter be given investigative priority. I understand it is a matter of great importance to the people of Granville County, and it has been a point of frustration that the investigative process has not been more expeditious. 

As District Attorney for Granville County, I am concerned with the allegations set forth in the indictments against Sheriff Wilkins. Any allegations of wrongdoing by law enforcement are troubling, especially when they involve the elected Sheriff in whom the community has placed its trust. The justice system must be fair and impartial. No one is above the law. 

Over the next few months, my office will continue to aid the ongoing investigation as requested, while we continue to do our daily work of protecting victims, prosecuting those who violate the law, and seeing that justice is administered.