Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

GCPS 2020 Spelling Bee

‘Veteran’ Granville Speller Wins District Bee Again

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Schools held and sponsored the annual District Spelling Bee for Granville County on the evening of March 14, 2020, at Tar River Elementary School.

Ten elementary schools from around the county, both public and charter, had School Spelling Bees during the first semester of the 2019-20 school year. Each school had talented and dedicated staff that worked diligently to organize their Bee and award a top speller for their school. The District Bee allows those top spellers the chance to compete to win the trophy as best speller of the year for Granville County.

Joel Spelling Bee Champ

District Spelling Bee winner, Joel Jose, and GCPS Superintendent Alisa McLean (GCPS photo)

The ten winners, just by chance evenly divided between fourth and fifth grades, and their parents met at Tar River for a rehearsal the day before the contest. Amy Lue, Moderator, reviewed the rules and procedures with these sharp students and their families; then Dana King, Word Master, lead them through some practice words at the microphone.

“Holding a practice helps the children understand how the Spelling Bee works and gives them the confidence to perform on stage. This allows their nerves to be for spelling and not on how they need to comport themselves during the event,” commented Mrs. Lue, who was the organizer of the event.

Each contestant received a special t-shirt, provided by Granville County Schools, to wear the next night and keep as a memento of their experience. To prepare, the students studied the official Scripps National Spelling Bee word list of more than 4,000 words for several weeks ahead of the District Bee.

The students buzzed with excitement as they gathered on stage with Mrs. Lue the next night, while their families and teachers found seats in the multi-purpose room. Before the curtain rose, the judges were seated in front of the stage:  Mrs. Cathy Frizzle, community volunteer, and Dr. Michael Myrick, and Dr. Stan Winborne, both from Granville County Schools, and Dana King, retired Media Coordinator, as the Word Master. Then Dr. Tonya Thomas welcomed the audience and introduced the spellers.

Contestants were:

Cayden Middleton – fifth-grader from Butner-Stem Elementary

Joel Jiljo Jose – fourth-grader from C. G. Credle School

Belen Elizarraras – fifth-grader from Creedmoor Elementary

Payton Gary – fifth-grader from Falls Lake Academy Charter School

Jordan Hershberger – fourth-grader from Granville Academy

Aubrey Canada – fourth-grader from Mt. Energy Elementary

Jasper Luffman –  fourth-grader from Stovall-Shaw Elementary

Morgan Congleton – fifth-grader from Tar River Elementary

Dacari Burrell- fourth-grader from West Oxford Elementary

Bree Blackley – fifth-grader from Wilton Elementary

GCPS Spelling Bee Participants

District Spelling Bee participants pose for a picture with Granville County Schools leaders and staff. (GCPS photo)

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean greeted everyone for this annual event, praising them for already being school winners. Mrs. Lue reviewed the rules and explained that contestants would stay on stage for a practice round of spelling before the first round of the Bee began.

Each contestant approached the microphone center stage, the words were pronounced first, and the Word Master gave a definition, the part of speech, and a sentence before the student had a chance to spell. After the practice round, all ten contestants sat up straight and listened carefully as the official first round of the Bee began.

In Round One, two students missed their words, leaving the stage at the end of the round to sit with their families in the audience.  No one missed a word in the second round, so all eight contestants were still in the competition.  Two more students missed their words in Round Three, as the words became a little more difficult. One student missed in Round 4, and another missed in Round 5.

One student missed a word in each of the next two rounds, leaving Jasper Luffman, from Stovall-Shaw, and Joel Jose, from C. G. Credle, last on stage. Jasper missed his word, and Joel got his correct in Round 8. Then Joel was up for a word in Round 9 and correctly spelled, “culinary,” to win the District Bee. This was his second win, as he was also Granville County Schools’ District Bee Winner in 2019 when he was in the third grade.

All contestants returned to the stage to receive certificates and medals awarded by Dr. McLean and Dr. Thomas. Joel was called back up to receive the trophy, then participants and officials posed for photographs. The evening ended with a reception in the Professional Development Room, with cupcakes and juice provided by Superintendent McLean.

Our winner, Joel, is the son of Jiljo Jose and Sema Jose. He is a current fourth-grader at C.G. Credle Elementary School. He had a large group of family and school supporters in the audience that cheered loudly for him when he won.

Sherrie Burns, principal, and the staff at C.G. Credle were very excited and proud to have the winner for the second year in a row.

Unfortunately, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the National Spelling Bee, which was to be held the last week of May in Maryland was first postponed, then the decision was made to cancel for the first time since World War II.

GCPS winner, Joel, had registered for this event to proudly represent our county for the second time. He will be recognized by the Scripps Spelling Bee organization for his accomplishment in reaching the next level. He will also receive the prizes that would have been awarded to him at the event.

GCPS is proud of Joel and of all the students that competed in our District Bee. We want to thank Granville County Schools for being the sponsor for the Granville County District Bee and providing this opportunity to all Granville County elementary students.

McDonald's Logo

McDonald’s of NC, Granville Owners Donate 83,000 Pounds of Food to Community

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-Press Release, McDonald’s USA, LLC

McDonald’s of North Carolina and local area owner/operators Jeff & Ana Endrusick announced they will be donating 83,000 pounds of food to support the local Oxford community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

McDonald’s is partnering across its system amidst this crisis to help ensure that excess food and ingredients from menu items originally produced and destined for McDonald’s restaurants will serve its purpose in feeding communities nationwide.

Together, with longtime partner Food Donation Connection (FDC) and local charitable organizations, the extra food will be distributed via local charities and food banks including Area Congregation in Ministry (ACIM) of Granville County to those in need – including children and families.

This latest initiative builds on the McDonald’s commitment to be lockstep with suppliers and owner/operators to serve communities during this unprecedented time and beyond. Last week, McDonald’s announced it had donated $3.1 million dollars in food to support local communities nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

McDonald’s will continue to feed and foster the North Carolina community, remaining open to safely serve those who are essential and offer convenient, safe and contactless ways for customers to enjoy delicious favorites through drive-thru, carry out, McDelivery, and Mobile Order & Pay with McDonald’s App.

McDonald’s is led by its purpose to feed and foster community around the country by reliably providing delicious, safe food every day and particularly in times of crisis.

“We are so grateful to McDonald’s for their donation of food to our pantry. This donation will help ACIM provide food to our residents so that they will not have to worry about how to pay their grocery bill,” said Susan Hinman, Executive Director for ACIM. “We are currently seeing additional families who are seeking help because of the impact the COVID-19 virus has had on their lives and McDonald’s is playing a significant role in supporting these families.”

Granville County Logo

Granville County Commissioners to Hold Remote Budget Public Hearing

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

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet remotely by Zoom conference call on Monday, June 1, 2020, at 7 p.m. for the regularly scheduled meeting.

In order to adhere to the COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting may be accessed by utilizing the link and/or phone number included below.

Public comments will be accepted in written format and must be received by Monday, June 1 at 12 p.m. by mail to P.O. Box 906, Oxford, NC 27565 or email to grancomrs@granvillecounty.org

To join the Zoom Meeting:

https://granvillecounty.zoom.us/j/94148945996?pwd=N0dQQWJBZTdrYVFJQ0drUlVpWGxMQT09

Meeting ID: 941 4894 5996 ~ Password: 973170

Dial by your location: 877 853 5247 US Toll-free or 888 788 0099 US Toll-free

As part of Monday’s meeting, a public hearing will be held on the proposed FY 2020-2021 Budget. The proposed budget for Granville County has been submitted to the Granville County Board of Commissioners in accordance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act.

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk to the Board and at the Richard H. Thornton Library and other library branches if they are open to the public. 

The proposed budget can be found at https://www.granvillecounty.org/government/finance-department/comprehensive-annual-financial-reports-budget-documents/.

Public comments on the proposed budget will be accepted in written format and must be received by Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. by mail to P.O. Box 906, Oxford, NC 27565 or email to grancomrs@granvillecounty.org as required by the Act to Provide Aid To North Carolinians In Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Crisis, (S.L. 2020-3, SB 704, Section 4.31). The public comments will be included in the meeting minutes.

To view Granville Co. Board of Commissioner meeting agendas and minutes, click here.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Board of Education to Hold June Meeting Online

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-Information courtesy Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a regular board meeting on Monday, June 1, 2020, at 6 pm.  However, in observance of the Governor’s “Stay-at-Home” Orders, this meeting will be conducted electronically, with members of the public invited to view the live stream.

To join the live stream meeting, please use the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=Z3Nj&c=Z3JhbnZpbGxlMQ%3D%3D

The Board will also meet in Closed Session in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 for Personnel and Attorney/Client Privilege.

Public comments for this meeting will be accepted in writing by using this link: https://forms.gle/krHjyJg3JTwj7jt1A

Comments entered into this form between the hours of 12 and 4 p.m. on June 1, 2020, will be distributed to the Board of Education members before the meeting, and the first two minutes of each comment will be read aloud during the meeting.

A maximum of 30 minutes in total will be allotted for public comment.

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

Cow Tests Positive for Rabies in Granville County

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-Information courtesy Granville County Government

Granville County Animal Control reports a confirmed case of rabies. A cow has tested positive for the rabies virus near the intersection of Lee Yancey Road and Grassy Creek/Virgilina Road. Animal Control officers are posting notices on surrounding homes.

North Carolina law mandates that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated by four months of age (N.C. General Statute 130A-185). Although cow-to-cow transfer of rabies is very rare, vaccines are available for cows and should be administered by a licensed veterinarian.

To learn more, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html or https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/rabies.html.

Oxford Prep Holds ‘Drive-In’ Commencement Ceremony for Class of 2020

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-Information and photos courtesy Oxford Preparatory School

Oxford Preparatory School (OPS) held a “Drive-In” Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 23, 2020, at 2 p.m. in celebration of the school’s 45 graduates.

OPS candidates for graduation, led by marshals McKayla Boyd, Bryce Garrett, Carla Rodriguez, Zach Biggs, Molly Thrift, Alex Rote, Caitlyn Williams and Nick Ellis, made their way past the vehicle of every family who came to honor the graduates as “Pomp & Circumstance,” played loudly through car radios.

OPS Executive Director Andrew Swanner welcomed seniors and their families to the commencement ceremony. 

Graduates included:

Wesley Chen Aitken, Ey’Mania Alston, Charles Ethan Ayscue, Lori M. Blanks, Rorie Samantha Brewer, Michelle Carlos-Tejada, Shannon Marie Edmondson, Lillian Marie Everly, Daniel Peter Gillis, Claire Noel Gordon, Emanuel Randy Gutierrez, Lindsey Grace Haley, Evelyn Kate Hann, Benjamin Thomas Hester, Maci Anna-Blake Hawks, Ashton Holloway, Robert Mark Hopper, Ridge Newell Huff, Emily Rose Iannuzzi, Jack Christopher Iglesias, Jordan Danielle Jones, Mackenzie Michelle Macon, Abbie Lee Mann, Nathan Robert Metcalf, Sophia Jean Metcalf, Kamarion Emmanuel Moore, Joel Parker Murray, Morgan Alexandria Nance, Emily Nicole Osborne, Alyssa Cameron Parker, Krystal Dawn Parrish, Alexandria Grace Reeder, Ashleigh Laureen Sarvis, Robert Hampton Short, Alexis Nicole Simmons, Ian Somod Simmons, Alexander Mitchell Slack, Catherine Elizabeth Slack, Sarah Jane Slack, Kaitlyn Diane Spain, Matthew Walter Spiers, Kathryn Marie Stock, Kayla Paige Tippett, Travis Alexander Wallace and Macy Cole Watson.

Summa cum laude graduates who maintained a four-year GPA greater than 4.5 were Wes Aitken, Ey’Mania Alston, Robert Hopper, Emily Iannuzzi, Abbie Mann, Nathan Metcalf, Sophia Metcalf, Kamarion Moore and Alexis Simmons.

In addition to the nine summa cum laude graduates, Lindsey Haley, Claire Gordon and Ian Simmons were honored as magna cum laude graduates for maintaining a GPA between 4.0 and 4.49.

Seniors Emily Osborne and Ashton Holloway were named cum laude graduates for maintaining a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99. 

98% of the students received acceptance to a four-year college and were offered more than $5.7 million in scholarships. 72% of seniors obtained some college credit hours, eight completed the CCP pathway with a minimum of 32 credit hours and one student earned a full AS degree.

 

 

 

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Local COVID-19 Report: 31 Deaths Reported in Granville, Vance Health District

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of May 26, 2020, there are 258 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 243 cases in Vance County, and 24,140 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are three outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, one at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC, and one at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 119 in Granville County are associated with the prisons, 45 in Vance County are associated with Pelican Health nursing home, and 22 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Of the 139 community-based cases in Granville County, 57 have been released from isolation and 4 are hospitalized.

Of the 119 cases in the prison system, 63 have been released from isolation.

Of the 243 cases in Vance, 98 have been released from isolation and 12 are currently hospitalized.

There have been a total of 31 deaths in the health district – 20 in Vance County and 11 with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

GCPS Surpasses Quarter Million Meals Served to Children During Pandemic

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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

Monday, March 16, 2020 marked the first day Governor Cooper ordered all public schools to be closed in our state due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the nearly 70 days since that time, Granville County Public Schools has delivered innovative and flexible services to meet the needs of our community.

We are proud to announce that this past week, the district surpassed the quarter-million meal count, and has now served 292,814 total meals to the children in Granville County during the pandemic. These high-quality, nutritional meals include many of the same items served in our regular school-based menus, including things like fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese sticks, breakfast bars, sandwiches, pizza, nachos, and of course, our beloved tater tots! Plenty of fruit juice and fresh milk help round out each meal served, with the occasional cookie as a treat for our children.

Patricia Crute, Child Nutrition Director, Granville County Public Schools (Photo courtesy GCPS)

The district’s meal service has shifted to meet demand and to minimize the risk to staff and volunteers, and in recent weeks has ramped up production to provide more than 40,000 meals a week.

Currently, the district provides drive-up service at 26 sites, and door-to-door delivery to the homes of disabled and medically fragile children. It is important to note that service is provided to ALL children aged 2-18 who request meals, regardless of which school they might attend. Students enrolled in charters, private schools or who are homeschooled are welcomed with open arms to any meal service site. Our goal is for no child in our community to be hungry while school is not physically in session.

Leading this effort across the county is Child Nutrition Director, Patricia Crute. A native of Granville County and veteran GCPS employee of 29 years, Ms. Crute offered her thoughts on the program thus far, stating, “Child nutrition has always been my passion. Being able to provide meals to our children during this time is what I feel I am supposed to do. I love knowing that my staff and I, with the help of all of the volunteers and the staff from our Transportation and Maintenance departments, are making a difference in the lives of our children.”

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean offered her perspective on the effort, sharing, “I could not be prouder of our team. While we couldn’t control the challenges brought on by this pandemic, we can control how we respond and continue to meet our children’s needs. I am truly grateful to the hard-working and dedicated staff in our Child Nutrition, Transportation, and Maintenance Departments, as well as our Teacher Assistants, Custodians and all of the other employees who have helped make this meal service possible. I also want to send a special ‘Thank You’ out to the countless volunteers who have also been on the front lines with us in helping make sure our children do not go hungry. We truly are blessed in this community for how we all join together in taking care of our children and making their welfare the top priority.”

The current meal service will continue through the end of the regular school year. The last day for drive-thru and delivery will be provided on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

A modified summer feeding program is currently being planned to help meet the nutritional needs of children while school is not in session. Details about that program will be provided to families soon.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Local COVID-19 Report; NC Moves to Phase 2 of Lifting Restrictions

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health and Brian Short, director of H-V Emergency Management

As of May 21, 2020, there are 222 known COVID -19 cases in Granville County, 194 cases in Vance County, and 20,860 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are three outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, one at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC, and one at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 99 in Granville County are associated with the prisons, 45 in Vance County are associated with Pelican Health nursing home, and 18 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Of the 123 community-based cases in Granville County, 54 have been released from isolation and five are hospitalized.

Of the 99 cases in the prison system, 67 have been released from isolation.

Of the 194 cases in Vance County, 75 have been released from isolation and 11 are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 26 deaths in the health district – 19 in Vance County and seven with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

In state news, Governor Cooper and DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen issued Executive Order 141 announcing that North Carolina will move into “Safer At Home” Phase 2 of lifting COVID-19 restrictions today, Friday, May 22, 2020, at 5 p.m.

Phase 2 lifts the Stay At Home order moving into a Safer At Home recommendation, especially for people at high risk for serious illness. Teleworking is also urged when possible.

Mass gathering limits in Phase 2 will be no more than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors in most circumstances. These limits apply to the following: event venues; conference centers; stadiums and sports arenas; amphitheaters; and groups at parks or beaches.

Some businesses will remain closed in Phase 2 including bars, night clubs, gyms and indoor fitness facilities and indoor entertainment venues such as movie theaters and bowling alleys.

Certain businesses will be open at limited capacity with other requirements and recommendations, including restaurants at 50% dine-in capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements; personal care businesses, including salons and barbers, at 50% capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements; pools at 50% capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements.

Childcare facilities, day camps and overnight camps will be open with enhanced cleaning and screening requirements.

Retail businesses allowed to open in Phase 1 at 50% capacity will continue at that level.

Public health recommendations are provided for worship services to practice enhanced social distancing and other cleaning and hygiene practices.

The Safer At Home Phase 2 runs through at least Friday, June 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Justice

Butner Inmate Sentenced for Possession of Narcotics at Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A federal inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner was sentenced to 12 months in prison and an additional two-year term of supervised release for possession of the opiate buprenorphine, a Schedule III narcotic commonly referred to by the brand name Suboxone.

The 12-month term of imprisonment is in addition to, and consecutive to, his current term of imprisonment, and the two-year term of supervised release is in addition to and consecutive to his 3-year term of supervised release on his current sentence.

According to court documents, while Aaron Trujillo, 57, was serving a federal sentence for multiple bank robbery convictions, he was found in possession of multiple sublingual film strips containing buprenorphine. The Bureau of Prisons’ investigation also revealed a large cache of stamps and a debt ledger suggesting that he was involved in the sale and distribution of buprenorphine for several months.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Agents investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bredenberg prosecuted the case.