Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

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Raccoon Tests Positive for Rabies in Granville Co.

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-Information courtesy the Granville County Government’s Facebook page 

Granville County Animal Control reports that a raccoon has tested positive for rabies. The animal was reported in the area of Hancock Street at the intersection of East Front Street and Leak Avenue.

All pet owners are advised to be sure rabies vaccinations are up to date, in accordance with North Carolina Law. One-year rabies vaccinations are available at the Granville County Animal Shelter from noon until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Shelter is located at 5650 Cornwall Road in Oxford. Call (919) 693-6749 for details.

Oxford Board of Commissioners to Hold Goal-Setting Retreat

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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The Oxford Board of Commissioners will be attending a two-day goal-setting retreat on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Vino Oasi in Stem, NC.

Commissioners will meet with City Staff to discuss operational issues and priorities for 2019 during this time. Agenda items include:

March 1

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:15 – 9:30 a.m. Welcome/Overview/Review of Retreat Agenda

9:30 – 10:00 a.m. Expressions of Expectations of Retreat by Mayor and Commissioners

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Review/Status Report of Prior Year Priorities

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 12:30 p.m. Departmental Reports

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Angela Allen, Granville County TDA & Corey Hughes, Hughes Marketing Research

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Break

2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Departmental Reports

5:00 p.m. Recess

March 2

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Reconvene Retreat & Breakfast

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Board Review of Core Priorities & Annual Strategic Visioning

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 12:00 Continuation of Board Review of Core Priorities & Annual Strategic Visioning

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Wrap Up

12:30 p.m. Adjournment

Granville County Public Schools

Restorative Justice Practices Coming to Granville Co. Public Schools

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Restorative Justice Practices Coming to Granville County Public Schools

Restorative practices is a social science that studies how to improve and repair relationships between people and communities. The purpose is to build healthy communities, increase social capital, decrease crime and antisocial behavior, repair harm and restore relationships.

Restorative justice gives victims the chance to meet or communicate with their offender to explain the real impact of the crime – it empowers victims by giving them a voice. It also holds offenders to account for what they have done and helps them to take responsibility and make amends.

Granville County Public Schools is ready to embark upon this new initiative this summer by partnering with Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute Inc. CTRI will conduct two 3-day workshops on Restorative Justice Facilitator Training, for a group of up to 30 participants per session.

At the end of the two 3-day sessions, Granville County Schools will have 60 Restorative Justice trained Facilitators. The workshop will be held in Oxford, NC, on mutually agreed upon dates in June 2019. The 60 facilitators will then work on a plan of getting all of our employees trained. That will mean that our teachers, administrators, bus drivers, TAs, Child Nutrition, custodians, etc. will be trained.

Workshop Description Restorative Justice Facilitator Training

Restorative justice is a response to harmful incidents that seeks the direct inclusion of all involved. The goal is to meaningfully address the harm and foster renewed relationships. Drawing on the work of Canada’s original restorative justice pioneers and best practices around the globe, this training will deliver the essential skills of convening harm-focused dialogue processes within community, organizational and educational settings.

This is a highly interactive workshop where participants will practice and gain confidence in facilitating a model of dialogue that is participant-driven, culturally sensitive and empowering for all involved.

Granville Board of Education to Hold Academic Performance Committee Meeting

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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will hold an Academic Performance Committee meeting on Monday, February 25, 2019, from 9 – 10 a.m.

All committee meetings are held at the Granville County Public Schools Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

These meetings are open to the public

NCDOT

North Carolina to Eliminate Duplicate Driving Records

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-Press Release, NCDOT

The N.C Division of Motor Vehicles will start using new technology to protect people from identity fraud by making sure people have a driver license in only one state at a time.

Beginning Feb. 25, NCDMV will start using the State-to-State Verification Service to confirm a person’s identity and driving history from other states. The service, which is outlined in the federal REAL ID Act, requires a person to have only one driver license or ID card in one state at a time.

With State-to-State, NCDMV can determine if applicants already hold a driver license or ID card in another state and verify important driving information such as suspended licenses. After a North Carolina driver license or ID card is issued, any out-of-state issuances will be canceled. If an applicant does not want to cancel the out-of-state issuance, they will not be issued a North Carolina driver license or ID card.

All existing North Carolina driver license and ID card issuances will be checked for duplicate issuances in the 21 states already participating in the program. More states are expected to join the program through 2022. NCDMV estimates more than 210,000 North Carolina customers have duplicate issuances in other states.

NCDMV will reconcile duplicate issuances with each state using the service to determine which issuance will be canceled. The state with the most recent issuance will hold the valid license or ID card.

Currently, the following states are using the service:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

To update the NCDMV system for State-to-State implementation, all driver license offices will be closed on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Online driver services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. Saturday, February 23 until 3 p.m. Sunday, February 24.

State-to-State is administered by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. For more information on State-to-State, visit the AAMVA website.

Granville Co. Public Schools Invites Community to ‘Lunch & Learn’

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Public Schools invites you to a Community “Lunch & Learn” on Friday, March 1, 2019, from 12 – 1 p.m. The event will be held at the Granville Co. Schools Administrative Building, 101 Delacroix St.  in Oxford.

Participants will receive updates on GCPS and have an opportunity to engage with district leaders about new initiatives.

Please bring your own lunch.

Recycling Bins are New Addition to Granville Athletic Park

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 -Press Release, Granville County Government

The addition of thirty (30) recycle containers to the Granville Athletic Park (GAP) in Oxford will help keep the area clean and educate the public about the importance of recycling.

The bins were funded through a grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and are being paired with existing outdoor trash containers. With a clear recycling message on each bin, the goal is to provide collection sites for plastic bottles and aluminum cans for visitor use at the GAP, which is one of the largest public spaces in Granville County.

The GAP is currently used by thousands of walking enthusiasts, high school sports leagues, traveling sports teams, daycares (playground equipment) and families who meet for local gatherings, competitions and for exercise.

“That’s thousands upon thousands of bottles and cans that have gone to one of two places at the GAP – in the trash can or on the ground,” says Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker. “We hope that these new containers will prompt park visitors to choose recycling over garbage disposal, and will remind them to keep our park ‘green and clean.’”

Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker is pictured with one of the new recycling containers recently installed at Granville Athletic Park. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)

Before the installation of the new containers, the GAP had only two outdoor athletic bins that housed six 96-gallon recycle carts. Located near the baseball tournament fields, these bins filled up quickly in just one weekend – and even more often during tournament season. It is expected that the addition of thirty more containers throughout the 69-acre site will positively impact waste collection.

Baker notes that a tracking system will be put into place to monitor the waste stream and that an increase in tonnage recovered by Waste Industries is expected, decreasing input in the local landfill, as well as the associated costs that come with solid waste disposal.

Over the last seven years, a renewed effort has been made to address the litter issue in Granville County. According to Baker, progress has been made as there has been a push to increase the county’s recycling yield. Granville County has grown from having one of the lowest collection rates in the state to being among the top 20 counties with high recycling yields in North Carolina.

As the GAP works towards an eleven-acre expansion, recycling efforts will become even more significant as a targeted recycling program will carry over into the newest phase.

“The county must be a leader in recycling to encourage residents to be better environmental stewards,” Baker adds. “We want to remind park visitors to keep their trash off the ground and to put it in an appropriate location.”

These new recycling containers have a life cycle of 8 to 10 years and are placed in high-traffic locations throughout Granville Athletic Park. To learn more about recycling efforts in Granville County, contact Baker at (919) 725-1417.

Granville County Logo

Granville Co. Commissioners to Hold Two-Day Retreat at Expo Center

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

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will hold their annual retreat on Thursday, February 21 and Friday, February 22, 2019, at the Granville Expo & Convention Center in Oxford. Thursday’s meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.; Friday’s session begins at 8:15 a.m.

Board discussion will focus on the following objectives:

Strategic Plan Objective #1: through economic development activities and efforts, increase the county-wide tax base by approximately $80 million annually.

Strategic Plan Objective #2: improve inter-local government relationships through partnerships and shared services.

Strategic Plan Objective #3: educate the community to improve public awareness of local government issues, activities, benefits and opportunities.

Strategic Plan Objective #4: reduce the County’s annual personnel turnover rate due to resignations and terminations to 6% or less by 2020.

Strategic Plan Objective #5: improve employee recognition and boost morale through the implementation of an Awards and Recognition Program (A&R).

Strategic Plan Objective #6: improve and increase the number of volunteer programs, sites and opportunities within the County Government.

Strategic Plan Objective #7: identify public safety requirements and improve communication of services with the public.

To review the complete agenda, please click here. 

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Eastern N.C. Attorney’s Office Collects Over $13 Million in Civil/Criminal Actions

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-Press Release, U.S. Dept. of Justice

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States criminal defense Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced today that his office collected over $13.5 million in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2018. Of this amount, $8,410,643.89 was collected in criminal actions and $5,113,040.40 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, over $4.6 million was collected in asset forfeitures.

The Eastern District of North Carolina also collaborated with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $13,983.13. Of this amount, $5,733.13 was collected in criminal actions and $8,250 was collected in civil actions.

Overall, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in Fiscal Year 2018 collections is nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, reported this site of a top attorney firm.

“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.

In the past fiscal year, the Eastern District of North Carolina has returned millions of dollars to crime victims. For example, in United States v. Justin Lawrence Daniel, over $2.3 million was recovered for victims of the defendant’s criminal conduct. In United States v. Mittesh Das, $750,000 was recovered for victim restitution and paid at the time of sentencing.

The District has also recovered significant taxpayer money lost to fraud or other misconduct, collected civil fines imposed for violations of federal law, and collected civil debts owed to various federal agencies. For example, in United States v. Physicians Pharmacy Alliance, $1.7 million was recovered for the Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and for the North Carolina Medicaid Program. The United States has recovered an initial payment of $750,000 from Rouseco, Inc, toward a $5.8 million judgment in United States v. Rouseco, Inc.

“We will use every available tool to aggressively collect victim restitution and criminal fines, and recover a lot more taxpayer dollars that are either lost to fraud or otherwise owed to government agencies,” said Mr. Higdon. “Asset forfeiture also serves important law enforcement interests, and we will continue to aggressively forfeit the proceeds of crime and the assets used to facilitate it. We are proud of the men and women in our office who dedicate themselves each and every day to ensuring justice through their collection efforts. They are to be congratulated for their tremendously successful efforts.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Public Schools: ‘It’s Kindergarten Registration Time’

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

It’s Kindergarten Registration time! 

Do you know a child that will be 5 years old by August 31, 2019? If so, it’s time to register for Kindergarten!

Granville County Public Schools is excited to welcome new kindergarteners to our district. Though the new school year doesn’t begin for a few more months, now is the time to register your child and to get excited about school! We have three easy ways to register:

Visit your neighborhood GCPS school

Attend a GCPS Kindergarten Registration Fair:

  • February 12th – West Oxford Elementary from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • February 19th – Mt. Energy Elementary from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Visit one of the GCPS Registration Centers:

  • Northern Granville Middle School (3144 Webb School Rd, Oxford, NC 27565)
  • Energy Elementary School (2652 NC-56, Creedmoor, NC 27522)

At registration, you will be asked to complete enrollment forms for your child. Please bring personal identification, proof of residency, the child’s birth certificate, and any immunization records currently available.

Families have a choice in where their child attends school in GCPS.

  • Would your child benefit from attending school on the year-round calendar, enjoying a 3-week break after every 9 weeks of school?
  • Would you like your child to participate in:
    • a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program?
    • a Leadership program?
    • a Character Education program?
    • an Arts program?
    • a Healthy Living program?
    • a Global Studies program?
  • Would your child benefit from a blended learning schedule, learning with others at school part of the week and learning at home part of the week?

All of these options are available in Granville County Public Schools. School tours are available if you would like to see these programs in action and learn more about them. Visit our website (www.gcs.k12.nc.us) and scroll down to select the “GCPS School Choice” link, or talk with any of our staff to learn more about these choices for your child.