Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

Golden Leaf Scholarship Application Period Open Now For 2024-25

/by

Applications are being accepted now for the 2024-25 Golden LEAF Colleges and Universities scholarships, which assists incoming college freshmen and transfer students pay for school.

There are more than 200 scholarships that will be awarded, according to information from the office of N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, whose District 32 includes Vance and most of Granville counties. Students in both counties are eligible to apply based on criteria that include being rural counties, economically distressed and tobacco dependent.

The scholarships could be as much as $14,000 – that breaks down to $3,500 a year for four years – for incoming freshmen attending a North Carolina college or university. Students transferring from a N.C. community college can get $3,500 a year for up to three years.

Students must be a graduating North Carolina high school senior or a currently enrolled North Carolina community college transfer student, enrolling full-time in the fall 2024 semester at a participating North Carolina public or private college or university. If a student intends to return to a rural North Carolina county after graduation, this can increase his or her chances of earning the scholarship.

Applicants must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate financial need as determined by the application process; have a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.5; and be a resident of a rural North Carolina county that is economically distressed and/or tobacco dependent.

For more information, visit CFNC.org or scholars.goldenleaf.org/apply/colleges-and-universities/.

NC DIT Survey To Collect Info About Internet Accessibility

/by

Granville County residents are being asked to take part in a survey about internet capabilities where they live and their accessibility to the internet with phones, computers, tablets and more.

Having reliable broadband internet continues to be an important factor facing communities across the state and nation, and Granville County is no exception.

“In an effort to bridge the digital divide and ensure that every resident of North Carolina has access to high-quality internet services, we have launched the North Carolina Broadband Survey,” according to information from the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s division of broadband and digital equity. The survey will help gather information about which areas throughout the region lack adequate internet access and high-speed connectivity, officials noted.

Access the survey at: https://ncsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9EpNXtAhUn7IOQS

SportsTalk: Alex Tharp Talks JF Webb Basketball

/by

Alex Tharp, J.F. Webb head basketball coach, discusses the current basketball season.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Public Schools: 2-Hour Delay Wednesday, Jan. 17

/by

Granville County Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Jan. 17. School officials made the decision because of the expected bitter cold temperatures predicted for overnight and Wednesday morning.

The delay is for students and staff.

Donate Blood In January And You May Win Tickets To Super Bowl LVIII

/by

 

 – Information courtesy of the American Red Cross of North Carolina

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold.

And anyone who comes in to give blood or platelets in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII.

The Red Cross and the NFL have partnered during Januaray – designated as National Blood Donor Month – to urge individuals to give blood or platelets and help tackle the emergency blood shortage. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Super Bowl.

Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40 percent. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products – among the most transfused blood types – to hospitals.

“Small changes in blood donor turnout can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of an emergency blood transfusion,” said Dr. Eric Gehrie, executive physician director for the Red Cross. “More challenges may lie ahead as the potential for severe winter weather and seasonal illness may compound the dire blood supply situation. Donors of all types – especially those with type O blood and those giving platelets – are urged to give now.”

Don’t wait – to make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Following is a list of upcoming blood donations in Vance, Granville and Warren counties:

Henderson

  • Friday, Jan. 19: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.
  • Thursday, Jan. 25: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 3892 Raleigh Rd.
  • Friday, Jan. 26: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Vance Charter School Henderson, 2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Oxford

  • Wednesday, Jan. 17: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. J.F. Webb High School, 3200 Webb School Rd.

Creedmoor

  • Friday, Jan. 26: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Ave.

Norlina

  • Wednesday, Jan. 24: 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 438 Ridgeway Drewry Rd.

The Local Skinny! Upcoming MLK Day Events

/by

A couple of free programs commemorating the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place Monday, Jan. 15 in Oxford.

The Granville County Human Relations Commission will host “Remembering the Dream by Calling for Unity and a Celebration of Diversity in our Community” beginning at 10 a.m. at Oxford Baptist Church, 147 Main St.

Winners of the annual essay contest will be announced and their winning essays will be read aloud during the program. Featured speaker for the program is the Rev. Dr. Brett Pardue, senior pastor at Oxford Baptist Church.

The Granville County Human Relations Commission invites all the Granville County community to celebrate diversity and unity in Granville County while also honoring the academic achievement and writing talent of local  students. Please bring donations of canned and non-perishable food items for Area Congregations in Ministry food bank.

For more information about the program, please contact the Granville County administration office at 919.693.5240 or audrey.hill@granvillecounty.org.

Then, at 4 p.m., the Oxford-Granville Martin Luther King Celebration Committee is hosting “an evening of dialogue, tribute and celebration” at First Baptist Church, 320 Granville St.

Dorothy Wimbush said the committee sends out a special invitation to youth to attend the program, which will include special music and remarks by keynote speaker Granville County Sheriff Robert D. Fountain III.

Essay contest winners will read their winning entries during the program, and musical entertainment will be provided by “Covenant” of Roanoke Rapids and Devon Paylor and “Instrument of Praise.”

The committee chair is Larry Downey and members of the scholarship committee include Candice Sanford, Rev. Faye E. Thorpe, Linda Downey and Evangelist Renita Timberlake.

Donations will be accepted. Checks should be made payable to:

MLK Celebration

P.O. Box 441

Oxford, NC 27565

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Rise Against Hunger Pack-A-Thon Set For Monday, Jan. 15; Volunteers Needed

/by

Volunteers from area churches and other organizations are joining forces on the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to pack food that will be used to feed hungry people across the world.

Sandra Wiggins is one of the event organizers and she said that over the course of four hours or so on Monday, Jan. 15, she expects to be able to pack 60,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

“We did 30,000 in about three or four hours last year,” Wiggins said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We know we can definitely hit this mark this year – we’re just really excited to do this…on Martin Luther King Day,” she said.

The Rise Against Hunger pack-a-thon will take place at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wiggins represents The First Baptist Church of Henderson, but she said numerous churches and school groups from Henderson and Oxford are signed up to participate as well.

So far, the following groups are participating: First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Henderson, South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, Oxford Preparatory School, Flat Rock United Methodist Church, Fuller Chapel, Davis Chapel, South Henderson Church of God, Clearview Church and Cornerstone Christian Community Church. Wiggins said Vance Charter School and Oxford United Methodist Church plans to send volunteers as well.

“This is really a community event,” Wiggins said. About 100 people have signed up so far, and there’s still time to register – they need several hundred volunteers to sign up to work a two-hour shift. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the second shift is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants should report to the civic center and sign in, and from there, they’ll head to a packing station where they will help measure out individual bags of rice, seasonings and vitamins.

Most of the food packs will be transported overseas, but Wiggins said some are kept here in the U.S. for use when disaster strikes.

Register or give online at events.riseagainsthunger.org/VGMLK24. There’s a $25,000 fundraising goal that goes along with the pack-a-thon. Wiggins said $45 provides 100 meals.

But the event is about more than packing nutritional food and sending it to impoverished areas across the world.

Wiggins said next week’s event also shines a light on two local organizations that work to fight hunger right here in Vance and Granville counties.

She invites all participants to the Rise Against Hunger event to bring canned goods or other non-perishable items to be delivered to ACTS and ACIM, the food bank in Oxford.

Wiggins shared one of her favorite quotes attributed to King, the slain Civil rights leader whose work is honored and remembered on Jan. 15.

“Love has to be put into action and that action is service,” Wiggins said, adding that “when we have the ability to do, we should.”

The Local Skinny! ‘Next NC Scholarship’ Helps Students Pay For College

/by

When it comes to paying for a college education, one of the first things for parents and students to know is the difference between scholarships and grants versus loans. A loan has to be repaid; grants and scholarships don’t.

Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais said her school’s financial aid officers at each of the college’s four campuses are ready to help prospective students as they navigate the sometimes choppy waters of paying for post-secondary schooling.

The Next NC Scholarship is just one of the funding streams available to many state residents, Desmarais said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Students in households that make less than $80,000 are eligible for at least $3,000 an academic year at a community college under the Next NC Scholarship. There are several other criteria to be eligible for the Next NC funds, including being a state resident already enrolled in a program and taking at least 6 credit hours.

Close to one-third of VGCC’s traditional student population use some type of financial aid to pay for their tuition and fees, she said.

Whether students are in a path for a certification, a two-year associate degree or want to transfer to a four-year college or university, Desmarais said it’s important to keep student loan debt as low as possible.
“The less debt you can accumulate during that time is important,” she said, adding that scholarships like the Next NC Scholarship and Pell Grants from the federal government both help students be able to afford college.

“They help individuals get that good job and not be stacked with debt,” Desmarais said.

“If you’re spending all your money repaying student loans, you’re not really getting ahead,” she noted.

Many high school seniors and their parents are in the process of completing the all-important Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which opened on Dec. 31, 2023.

VGCC will host a FAFSA Day on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on the Main Campus in Henderson, Desmarais said. This is a time when families can learn more about the financial aid process and get help completing the online documents. The event will take place in Building 7, with check-in in the front lobby. There is plenty of nearby parking to accommodate participants.

“We’re here to help,” Desmarais said. “We enjoy meeting new folks and helping them walk through the financial aid process. We’re excited about helping people plan for college.”

Click Play

 

Wreaths Across America Mobile Museum Plans Stop In Oxford Jan. 26-28

/by

The City of Oxford is one of the scheduled stops for a Wreaths Across America tour, whose mission is to recognize military veterans and remember those who died in service to the country.

The organization’s Mobile Education Unit will be set up at 105 Lewis St., Oxford from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 28, according to information from Karen Worcester, the group’s executive director.

“The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember the fallen, honor those who served and teach the next generation the value of freedom,” Worcester said in a press statement.

“The Mobile Education Exhibit provides the unique opportunity for communities to come together and share the stories of those who served and sacrificed. Through our partnership with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, the exhibit also serves as an official ‘Welcome Home’ location for our nation’s Vietnam veterans,” she said.

The exhibit will be set up for two days in the northeastern part of the state before it comes to Oxford; from there, it will continue to stops in Havelock, New Bern and Mooresville. Each stop will allow the community, veterans, active-duty military and their families to engage in interactive exhibits, view short films, share stories and educate visitors who come to the exhibit.

When the mobile exhibit arrives, all veterans, active-duty military, their families, and community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour and speak with WAA representatives and volunteers. They can also share more about the national nonprofit and its volunteer work to support our heroes and their communities year-round.

To host the MEE in your community, whether it be for a parade, a school-related or veterans’ organization, or a public or private event, visit https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/About/MobileEducationExhibit to make a request.

You can sponsor a veteran’s wreath anytime for $17 at www.wreathacrossamerica.org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live balsam wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero as we endeavor to honor all veterans laid to rest on Saturday, December 14, 2024, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery which was begun by Maine businessman Morrill Webster in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, and thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

Granville County Animal Shelter

Granville Animal Shelter Short-Staffed By Illness, Resulting In Limited Services

/by
  • Information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Due to illnesses among many staff members, Granville County Animal Shelter will have limited public services available over the coming days. The shelter will be open from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28 through Saturday, Dec. 30 for adoptions, return to owners and rescue pulls. Existing appointments for rabies vaccines will be honored, but no new appointments will be scheduled until Jan. 2, 2024, at the earliest.

While the shelter is short-staffed, the following policies will be in effect:

  • Surrenders of cats or dogs will be suspended. The public is encouraged to utilize Rehome by Adopt a Pet at https://rehome.adoptapet.com/. The site is free and trusted by animal shelters and rescues across the United States. The Granville County Animal Shelter utilizes this site to advertise adoptable pets.
  • If you locate a stray animal, do not confine the animal yourself unless you are willing and able to hold it until at least Tuesday, Jan. 2.
  • Report all stray animals directly to Granville County Animal Management via email at   https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/granville-county-animal-management/animal-shelter/ with a photo of the animal, the street address if known, or at least the name of the city and street and the closest cross street. You may also send the same information to the volunteer-run Granville County Animal Shelter Friends Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/granvillecountyanimalshelterfriends.