Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Vance Co. Board of Education Approves Administrative Changes for 2018-2019

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-Press Release, Vance County Schools
The Vance County Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, May 14, approved several administrative changes in Vance County Schools for the 2018-2019 school year.

The changes involve new assignments for several principals and assistant principals in the school district.

New appointments for principals include:

  • Debbie Hite, current principal of Early College High School, to district administrator for Student Support Services in the Administrative Services Center
  • Andrew Markoch, current principal of Northern Vance High School, to administrator on special assignment at Vance County High School
  • Crystal Richardson, current principal of Clarke Elementary School, to principal on special assignment at Vance County Middle School
  • Travis Taylor, current principal at Eaton-Johnson Middle School, to principal of Early College High School
  • Kristian Herring, current principal of Zeb Vance Elementary School, to principal of STEM Early High School
  • Dr. John Hargrove, current principal of Henderson Middle School, to principal of Zeb Vance Elementary School
Administrative appointments for assistant principals approved by the board include:
  • Cassandra Evans to assistant principal at E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary School
  • Lemondre Watson to assistant principal at Vance County Middle School
  • Sandra Byrd to assistant principal at Vance County Middle School
  • Angela Pugh to assistant principal at Vance County Middle School
  • Kevin Ross to assistant principal at Vance County Middle School
  • Desmond Thompson to assistant principal at Vance County High School
  • McShell Edmonds to assistant principal at Vance County High School
  • Cyrus Waters to assistant principal at Vance County High School
  • Alice Hinson to assistant principal at Vance County High School
  • Mark Lawhorne to assistant principal at AdVance Academy/Youth Empowerment Academy
  • Edward Ortega to assistant principal intern at E.M. Rollins Elementary School
  • Melonee Hunter to assistant principal intern at Vance County High School and STEM Early College High School
  • Shannon Bullock to assistant principal at Vance County Middle School
All of the appointments are effective July 1, with the exception of the intern appointments which are effective August 1.

“With these administrative appointments, I am very pleased that we can utilize the outstanding talents of our district’s administrators to lead our schools,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “We are fortunate to have talented leaders who will work well with our educators and our students in the coming school year to provide quality educational opportunities.”

Vance County NC

Vance Co. Opioid Problems Growing, Moving Underground

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-Press Release, Karl Bates, Duke Office of News & Communications

DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina experienced an 800 percent increase in opioid drug deaths from 1999 to 2016, largely driven by a growth of illicit heroin use, according to a study of death certificates conducted by a team of Duke University students and faculty.

Heroin overdoses have grown 10-fold in North Carolina since 2010, says the study, which appears this month in the North Carolina Medical Journal. Before 2010, two-thirds of the state’s opioid deaths were the result of prescription painkillers, but since 2013, illicit heroin and fentanyl have become the dominant forms of opioid overdose.

The study found that the growing illicit drug problem is not evenly distributed across the state. Twenty-nine of the state’s 100 counties showed no changes in heroin deaths over the study period.  But while the study found that heroin deaths are mostly a problem of urban counties, four more-rural counties — Brunswick, New Hanover, Gaston and Vance — experienced a 13-fold jump in heroin deaths.

Proximity to bigger cities and major transportation routes likely account for the rise in those four counties, said Nicole Schramm-Sapyta, an assistant professor in the Duke Institute for Brain Studies, who led the North Carolina study. New Hanover County includes Wilmington, and its neighbor Brunswick County includes Southport. Both ports are probable points of entry for heroin smuggling, Schramm-Sapyta said. Gaston County is adjacent to Charlotte and spans I-85 at the South Carolina border, so perhaps it’s the proximity to an urban area that’s the connection, she said. And Vance County straddles I-85 at the Virginia border. (See your county’s overdose statistics:  https://www.injuryfreenc.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/Poisoning.htm)

The growing awareness of prescription opioid abuse and rising death rates has led to new policies and some self-regulation by prescribing physicians, Schramm-Sapyta said. “The early response worked against the early problem, but the illicit dealers have come in to fill that void.”

“What we’re seeing now is many people moving to illicit drugs,” said Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt, co-chair of the Opioid Safety Committee at Duke Health, who was not involved in the student study. “You can just text your dealer and they’ll deliver. It’s like Uber.”

By 2017, heroin and fentanyl played a role in 78.1 percent of opioid overdoses, said Greenblatt, who also chairs the North Carolina Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

The North Carolina Center for Health Statistics reported 1,300 unintentional opioid deaths in 2016.

During their 18-month project, which began in the summer of 2016, the Duke students, who were part of the Bass Connections program, assembled “rescue kits” with the overdose antidote naloxone that were distributed for free in at-risk areas of the state. They also developed a “mental health first aid” training program for undergraduates and medical and nursing students and successfully lobbied state officials to legalize syringe exchange programs.

“Needle exchange protects you from all kinds of things” that can be expensive health problems for society, Schramm-Sapyta said.

The opioid problem is putting a strain on health care systems and its workers, Greenblatt said. Some emergency departments are seeing three opioid overdose cases every day. The state is going to need to expand the availability of treatment resources, he said, and primary care and mental health professionals will be the front lines of getting people with addiction problems into care.

“What obviously should be done is setting up more addiction treatment clinics,” Schramm-Sapyta said. And those clinics ought to be targeted to the urban areas where the heroin problem is worst, she said.

CITATION: “County-Level Dynamics of Heroin Mortality in North Carolina,” Alexander H Gunn, Bryce Bartlett, Grace Feng, Matthew Gayed, Katie Kanter, Erica Onuoha, Madeline Thornton, Andrew Muzyk, Nicole Schramm-Sapyta. North Carolina Medical Journal, May-June, 2018.

News 05/15/18

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Henderson Man Drowns at Kerr Lake

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Henderson resident Robert E. Chism, 42, drowned at Kerr Lake, near Satterwhite Point, on Sunday evening. According to Doyle Carpunky, chief of the Vance County Rescue Squad, the dispatch for a possible drowning victim came in at 5:33 p.m. At approximately 10 p.m., Chism’s body was recovered from the water.

According to authorities, Chism is believed to have been with his family at the lake for a day of recreation when the drowning occurred. His family was later notified that his body had been recovered. It is still unclear what caused the drowning.

Henderson Police Department

Vance Co. Father, Son Charged with Murder

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-Press Release, Henderson Police Department 

On May 12, 2018, around 10:38 p.m., there was an argument in the 200 Block of Gary Street, Henderson that resulted in gunfire. Officers with the Henderson Police Department responded to the area and found Jaylin Jones, 25, of Macon, NC suffering from a gunshot wound. Jaylin Jones succumbed to his injuries.

During the course of the investigation, a suspect was developed and the following individuals were arrested and charged with the murder of Jaylin Jones:

Scottie Lee Bates II, 21, of Stagecoach Road, Henderson

Scottie Lee Bates, 59, of Sims Ave, Henderson

Both individuals received no bond pending a court hearing on May 14, 2018.

The Henderson Police Department is appreciative of individuals in the community that provided information that led to the arrest of the alleged offenders in this case.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow   

 

 

 

Suspect Scottie Lee Bates II, 21, of Stagecoach Road, Henderson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suspect Scottie Lee Bates, 59, of Sims Ave, Henderson

 

 

 

55th Annual Henderson Shrine Club Fish Fry, Wed., May 16

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The 55th Annual Henderson Shrine Club Fish Fry will be held Wednesday, May 16 in the Vance Square Shopping Center on Raleigh Road in Henderson, across from Supply Line Country Market and M.R. Williams, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Plates are $8 a piece and all proceeds go to support Shriners Hospitals for Children. The event is all-you-can-eat, eat-in or take-out. Delivery is also available for orders of 10 or more.

The group expects to serve a total of 2,500 plates overall, with 800 – 1,000 of those plates delivered by Shriners or volunteers to local businesses.

Volunteers are welcomed and may show up the day of the event to help.

Shriners Ray Fields and Donald Seifert were on “Town Talk” on Monday to provide details about the event. Fields said,  “The fish fry would not be possible or successful without the support of the businesses and people of Vance County.”

The pair reminded the public that this is just as much a positive social event as it is an eating occasion.

Fields informed WIZS listeners that the Shriners currently support 22 hospitals and three burn centers. The money raised from Wednesday’s event will go toward further supporting those efforts.

WIZS will be broadcasting live on location.

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market Wed. Sales Postponed to June 6

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-Information courtesy Tracy Madigan, VCRFM

Due to the cold spring weather, many of our produce vendors were unable to get their crops planted as early this year. As a result, our delicious locally grown summer produce will not be ready for consumption for a few more weeks. Therefore, we are moving the date for Wednesday sales to begin June 6, 2018.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market will continue to open Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Please visit us and fill up on fresh local spring produce, canned and baked goods, unique crafts, and plants and vegetables for your own gardens!

Please contact Tracy Madigan at farmersmarket@vancecounty.org or (252) 598-0814 with questions regarding this change.

VGCC Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Inducts 65 Students

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recognized 65 students who were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for students of two-year colleges, on April 17 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.

VGCC students honored with induction into Phi Theta Kappa must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 (3.75 for part-time students) in associate degree curriculum programs and have completed at least 12 credit hours toward their degrees.

PTK advisor Maureen Walters (left) presents VGCC student Pamela Campbell (right) with the chapter’s first-ever Excellence in Leadership Award.

Also honored at the ceremony were Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the college president, and Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, who were awarded honorary memberships for their roles in the success of the chapter, and Pamela Campbell, a student who is graduating with her degree in Human Services Technology in Gerontology in May, who received the chapter’s first-ever Excellence in Leadership Award.

As advisors for VGCC’s PTK chapter, instructors Maureen Walters, Isaac Talley and Karen Feezor conducted the ceremony. Walters, the head advisor, told the new inductees and their families and friends in attendance that since VGCC’s chapter of PTK, “Alpha Sigma Chi,” was chartered in 1991, more than 2,040 students have been selected for induction. She said that while scholarship is the first aim of PTK, the society also encourages fellowship, leadership development and service to others, and she noted that the letters Phi Theta Kappa stand for the Greek words for “Wisdom,” “Aspiration” and “Purity.”

Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of academic affairs at VGCC, addresses the crowd at the Phi Theta Kappa ceremony

Dr. Brown served as the guest speaker for the event. “When I think about everything that college students need to navigate in order to experience academic success, I am reminded that it takes a village to help students be successful,” Dr. Brown said. “In many ways, our families and college campus are the village supporting you as you have experienced success both academically and personally.”

Noting that the inductees were selected because of the significant amount of time they have spent attending class, studying, working and managing various circumstances in life, he encouraged the honorees to “keep on moving,” citing the lyrics from a song by Soul to Soul. “Keep progressing and moving forward,” he said. “Do not lose momentum. Keep on moving, and do not forget about that village. Help pull others up academically and in other ways.”

Campbell, who introduced Dr. Brown on the program, was given the Excellence in Leadership Award for being “the driving force behind many of our successful projects in the last year,” said Walters. “She is an individual who I have had the privilege to watch grow during her time in Phi Theta Kappa into a successful leader. Even though she says she doesn’t like speaking in front of people, she was quick to ask if there was some way she might speak at the induction ceremony today since she was working on that skill. In addition to helping in many different groups on campus, she also finds her passion in helping our aging population.”

Certificates were awarded by VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams with assistance from Walters and Feezor.

This year’s inductees into the Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa are:

From Vance County:

Sonya Barnes, Jessica Bolton, Zenee Davis, Nealee Fisher, Tamara Glover, Cassidy Grissom, Kaitlyn Harris, Fatima Hawter, Wesley Hight, Brandon Hughes, Tim Jiang, Wendy Jordan, Evan O’Geary, Amal Saleh, Timmara Smith, Dustin Starnes, Raini Williams, and Kianna Wills of Henderson; and

Lastacey Burwell and Tara Burwell, both of Kittrell.

 

From Granville County:

Courtney Crute and Andrew Tinsley, both of Bullock;

Matthew Grooms of Butner;

Tyneshia Brackett, Delaney Edwards, and Iris Medrano, all of Creedmoor;

Monica Botros, Savannah Brogden, Brittney Darnell, Aivy Derry, Ker’Telian Fields, Penny Glover, Alyssa Gupton, Isom Hodges, Frances Wheeler, and Hanna Williams, all of Oxford.

 

From Franklin County:

Alexis Barton, Robert  Davis, Caitlin Harris, Michelle Medina, Grace Ohlandt, Amanda Ramos and Caitlyn Rudd, all of Franklinton;

Sara Cheek, Trina Leapley, Rachel Munson and Shalinda White, all of Louisburg; and

Michelle Harris-Evans, Allison Thurkill and Megan Whitman, all of Youngsville.

 

From Warren County:

Sherese Hicks of Macon;

Shimeka Kearney of Norlina;

Edgar Arrieta-Reyes, Isaac Barnett, Heidy Labra, Kimberly Labra-Franco and Giovanni Reyes, all of Warrenton; and

Thomas King of Wise.

 

 

From Wake County

Robert Hill of Raleigh; and

Jessica Baker, Kynleigh Holley, and Lorie Shepherd, all of Wake Forest.

 

From other area counties:

Wendy Boncek of Hollister in Halifax County,

Lisa Glover of Bracey, Va., in Mecklenburg County, and

Kaitlyn Wilson of Roxboro in Person County.

 

Vance County PTK inductees (VGCC Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granville County PTK inductees (VGCC Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Franklin County PTK inductees (VGCC Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warren County PTK inductees (VGCC Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wake County PTK inductee, Kynleigh Holley (VGCC Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mecklenburg County, Virginia PTK inductee, Lisa Glover (VGCC Photo)

NC Coop Extension

Vance Co. Cooperative Extension – Weekly Parenting Tip

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-Weekly parenting tips provided courtesy of Jean Bell, Parenting Education Coordinator, Vance County Cooperative Extension

Parenting tip week of 5/14/18

The Power of Hugs

Hugs are wonderful. It’s great to get a hug and even better to give one. Every parent knows that hugs can help make things seem better and can help you connect with your child.

There is even research that hugs can deliver important health benefits. Hugs can boost the release of the hormone oxytocin and can help reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Hugs can help reduce stress! This is a great reason to make giving your child a hug part of your day.

News 05/14/18

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