Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

H/V Chamber Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Maria Parham’s New Wound Center

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of The Advanced Wound Center’s new location with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, July 14 at 4:30pm at their Ruin Creek Road location.  “This is only one of more ribbon cuttings to come,” said Brian Sinotte, CEO, Maria Parham Medical Center.

Dr. Joseph Franklin, Medical Director, made remarks about the new advanced technology of the center and that his overall goal is to bring care to those that can’t go to larger healthcare facilities.  Remarks were also made by other representatives from the hospital, city, county and state officials about The Advanced Wound Center and how MPMC continues to grow and serve the needs of the community and surrounding areas.

At MPMC Advanced Wound Center, their team of providers help individuals struggling with wounds get on the fast track to recovery by managing their persistent wounds and ulcers with the latest technology and treatments.  In just the last five years, The Advanced Wound Center has had over 20,000 visits.

The new center offers two chambers for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), an advanced therapy for patients who suffer from chronic wounds that are not responding to traditional therapies. Patients are placed in a pressurized chamber where they breathe 100 percent oxygen. The treatment delivers more oxygen to the body’s tissues, helping to heal wounds, save limbs and repair extensive tissue or bone damage.

It is a pain free approach to treating more than a dozen medical conditions and is approved by Medicare to treat patients with a  variety of medical conditions.

For more information, please contact them at 252-436-1700

High School students explore health and science at two VGCC campuses

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High school students from across the region recently attended “Mini-Medical School” camps organized by the Wake Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in partnership with Vance-Granville Community College. The camp was held first in June at VGCC’s South Campus, located between Butner and Creedmoor, and in July at the college’s Franklin County Campus, just outside Louisburg. Between the two locations, 44 students completed the program.

This was the college’s third summer partnering with Wake AHEC on the Mini-Medical School, which is an intensive, week-long day camp that uses computational science (computer simulation) and hands-on activities to study key aspects of medicine.

Students learned about topics that included anatomy and physiology, bioprocessing, biochemistry, pharmacology, cardiology, epidemiology, medical genetics and genomics. The course was taught primarily by Becky Brady, a registered nurse and chemical engineer. VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head/instructor Dr. Tara Hamilton also taught a session at each camp.

Faculty members from VGCC programs that prepare students for health-related careers — including Nursing, Medical Assisting, Radiography, Pharmacy Technology, Human Services Technology, and the college’s newest program, Histotechnology — gave students information about academic pathways and employment prospects and conducted hands-on activities on the last day of the camp.

Students not only had a chance to learn about careers and hone their science skills, but they also became certified in CPR and Youth Mental Health First Aid during the course of the program.

The students who completed the school at South Campus included Naim Bell and Sai Dasari, both of Apex Friendship High School; Koen Winemiller and Kiran Winemiller, both of Cary Academy; Gracie Athus of Cary Christian School; Sarah Flexman of Cary High School; Britney Dyck, a home-schooled student from Cary; Leah Paul, a recent graduate of Crossroads Christian School in Henderson; Saarika Virkar of Enloe High School in Raleigh; Sarah Doherty and Ellie Smith, both of Holly Springs High School; Tanay Singhal of the N.C. School of Science and Math; Jordan Bell of North Raleigh Christian Academy; Sri Rayarao of Panther Creek High School in Cary; LeAnn Black and  Hannah Bonini, both of South Granville High School; Riley Valencia of Southern Wake Academy in Holly Springs; Aryan Jain of Wake Early College of Health & Sciences; Samaria Lynch and Javia Wilson, both of Warren County High School; Mariam Assaedi of J.F. Webb School of Health & Life Sciences in Oxford; and Rose Vaughan of Woods Charter School in Chapel Hill.

Those who completed the program at Franklin Campus included Edin Medrano and Iris Medrano, both home-schooled students from Creedmoor; Karson Turner of Enloe High School in Raleigh; Rachel Hortman, a recent graduate of Fuquay-Varina High School; Yvon’ne Lyle of Garner High School; Saikiran Devanga Chinta of Green Hope High School in Cary; Jacob Harris of Henderson Collegiate School; Sascha Anderson of Vernon Malone College and Career Academy; Autumn Boone of Middle Creek High School in Apex; Lizzie Leegins and Jillian Radford, both of North Johnston High School; Caroline Pruitt of Sanderson High School in Raleigh; Sabrina Bedard, Nadia Hodges and Amanda McPhatter, both home-schooled students from Wake Forest; Sarah Bryant, Victoria Michel and Malik Pettis, all of Wake Forest High School; Kendall Smith and Brandon Yarborough, both of Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy; Parker Stantz of Wakefield High School; and Bryson Vick of Warren County High School.

Wake AHEC serves nine counties in central North Carolina from its office in Raleigh: Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Lee, Person, Vance, Wake, and Warren counties. AHECs are located throughout North Carolina and are affiliated with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill School of Medicine. The mission of the statewide AHEC Program is to meet the state’s health and health workforce needs. NC AHEC provides educational programs and services that bridge academic institutions and communities to improve the health of the people of North Carolina with a focus on underserved populations.

News 07/28/16

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News 07/27/16

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Vance County Superior Case Management Court

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Henderson, NC– Vance County Superior Case Management Court was held during the week of July 18, 2016. Judge G. Wayne Abernathy of Alamance County presided over the session. The Office of District Attorney Michael D. Waters was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Stephen T. Gheen, Melissa D. Pelfrey, and William J. Williamson.

Francis Davis pleaded guilty to armed robbery and received an active sentence of 38 to 58 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction (DAC). The robbery occurred at the Marathon convenience store on Dabney Drive on August 31, 2015. This case was prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Kelly Hester pleaded guilty to Larceny by Defeating an Anti-Theft Device at Wal-Mart for a March 11, 2016 incident, and received a sentence of 8 to 19 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 24 months and the defendant was placed on supervised probation. This case was prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Anna Strain pleaded guilty to Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and was sentenced to 120 days in a misdemeanor confinement facility. The sentence was suspended and the Defendant placed on 30 months of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the Vance County Sheriffs Office.

Robert Speed pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a motor vehicle and for attaining habitual felon status, and received an active sentence of 48 to 70 months in the DAC. The conviction arose out of a string of motor vehicle break-ins occurring between December 1, 2015, and February 1, 2016. The cases were prosecuted by Melissa D. Pelfrey and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Michelle Spence pleaded guilty to Possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and received a sentence of 6 to 17 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 36 months of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the Henderson Police Department.

Darryl White pleaded guilty to Fleeing to Elude Arrest and Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and received a sentence of 24 to 41 months in the DAC. The sentence was suspended for 48 months of supervised probation after the defendant serves a 10 month active sentence. These charges arose out of a high speed chase that took law enforcement through four counties on March 1, 2016, before they could safely stop and apprehend the defendant. The case was prosecuted by Stephen T. Gheen and investigated by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

(Full Press Release from District Attorney Mike Waters)

VGCC student recognized as a Microsoft Office ‘Master’

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Andrew S. Dawson of Henderson recently became the first Vance-Granville Community College student to earn the “Microsoft Office Specialist Master” certification.

The certification is awarded to someone who successfully passes a set of certification exams that test proficiency in multiple Microsoft software applications. Dawson completed the Excel 2013, Excel 2013 Expert-level, Access 2013 and Word 2013 certifications, all during the spring 2016 semester. He said he hopes in the future to accomplish the same certifications for the newest (2016) versions of the Office programs.

VGCC offers a number of nationally-recognized Microsoft Office certifications, free of charge, to students, faculty and staff. The “Microsoft IT Academy” program helps ensure that test-takers have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills that are valued by employers. VGCC was one of the top five community colleges in North Carolina for the number of participants in the certification program in 2015.

Dawson is a student in the Computer Technology Integration – IT Support Track program. He is projected to graduate from the college in the spring of 2017 and plans to pursue an information technology career. A full-time student, Dawson is also a part-time tutor in the VGCC Academic Skills Center.

“Andrew is a very dedicated and knowledgeable student, and we’re so proud of his achievements,” said VGCC Information Technology program head Faith Harris. She added that Dawson’s certification will help him succeed in the job market.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling that this will be a great addition to my resume, and I got it for free as a student,” Dawson noted.

For more information on VGCC Information Technology offerings, contact Faith Harris at (252) 738-3235 or harrisf@vgcc.edu.

UNC Chapel Hill Gives Back, Benefits Vance

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UNC Chapel Hill: Giving back to the lower income counties of NC

By: Noah Whittacre – WIZS

Since 2014 Vance County has been a part of the recently-developed Carolina College Advising Corps program. The program at UNC Chapel Hill was created in 2007 to give lower income schools and areas the tools and resources to help students apply for scholarships, schedule testing, apply to the colleges that best suit individual needs and to encourage all to consider their future at college. The program at UNC Chapel Hill is part of a bigger organization called the College Advising Corps, and this program works in tandem with AmeriCorps, another national organization to aid the citizens of America.

Why do we need College Advisers in our High School?

College advisers play a huge role in the process of applying to college, according to the College Board. High-achieving students from low-income families have the same chance of enrolling in college as low-achieving students from high-income families. The Advising Corps was created to bridge the gap between college and these students from low-income families. Advisers work closely with school guidance counselors and other school staff to create programs that meet the needs of the students in the high schools they serve.

The advisers help students research and apply at a large range of two-year and four-year universities and seek to fit the student’s individual needs. The primary goals of the Advising Corps are to increase post-secondary enrollment rates of the schools served, create a college going culture within the schools served, and broaden the range of two and four year schools to which students are exposed. These advisers are essential for students who have no desire to look for what suits them best or those who just don’t know all of their opportunities.

The Impact at Northern Vance

When I started my freshman year, there was no college adviser at Northern Vance. The encouragement to apply for college and to achieve was there but the talk and buzz about college wasn’t. When our college adviser came in 2014, the entire atmosphere surrounding college changed. Students were excited to talk about their plans, to discuss scholarship information, to encourage other students to keep on applying. We started having college fairs where college representatives came and set up booths to give us information. The number of college visit field trips increased and students were shown opportunities that they didn’t know were there. From my own perspective, these advisers have a tremendous impact on the schools of North Carolina. I hope that all schools will have an opportunity to eventually receive a college adviser because the impact is really remarkable.

What impact has this program made in NC schools?

According to the Carolina College Advising Corps website, these are the impacts made in the 2014-2015 school year:

  • Held over 45,000 one-on-one meetings with students in grades 9-12
  • Organized and offered 283 college campus visits for students at partner high schools
  • Held 863 college representative visits to high schools, allowing 5,605 students to have direct interaction with a college representative
  • Held over 1,000 parent meetings
  • Directly assisted over 3,300 students with registering for a college entrance exam (ACT and/or SAT)
  • Supported over 3,600 eligible students in obtaining a fee waiver to take a college entrance exam
  • Helped students submit over 16,000 college applications to four-year and two-year institutions
  • Assisted students in earning over $109,405,000 in scholarships (not including federal Pell Grant awards)
  • Celebrated 4,630 students at Decision Day events across the state
  • Worked with 5 students who were awarded the Morehead Cain Scholarship
  • Supported and assisted with over 4,100 student submissions of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1, 2015
  • Collaborated with colleagues to offer 272 sessions on financial aid and financial literacy to their communities

These statistics are proof that the CCAC has made great strides from when they started to aid students on the pathway to success. When the CCAC started in 2007, they had four advisers serving eight schools. In the 2015-2016 school year, 45 advisers served 64 schools across 25 counties in North Carolina. These numbers will only continue to grow and the program will continue to serve the students of NC schools.

For more information you can visit:
CCAC Website – https://carolinacollegeadvisingcorps.unc.edu/
Advising Corps Website – https://advisingcorps.org/

Vance County Sheriff’s Department Press Release – Large Meth Bust

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Sheriff Peter White announces the following arrest by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit:

David Joshua Walker

537 South Cooper Drive

Henderson, NC 27536

Age: 25

Manufacturing Methamphetamine

Possession of Precursor chemicals for the Manufacture of Methamphetamine

Bond: $110,000

Court Date: 08/29/2016

The Vance County Drug Enforcement Unit arrested the above individual after discovering a campsite in the wooded area behind 600 South Cooper Drive in Henderson. The evidence that was recovered showed evidence of Methamphetamine production.

News 07/25/16

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VGCC ranked as best online two-year college in North Carolina

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Vance-Granville Community College was recently recognized as the top two-year college in North Carolina for online programs, and, in a separate ranking, was named one of the top five two-year colleges in the state for the second year in a row.

In its list of the “Best Online Schools in North Carolina for 2015-2016,” the California-based organization, Accredited Schools Online (ASO), ranked VGCC first among all of the state’s two-year institutions of higher learning.

“Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) is one of North Carolina’s leaders in providing individual online courses, as well as fully-online degree programs,” ASO wrote in a summary on its website, www.accreditedschoolsonline.org. “Students are afforded the opportunity to complete course work in a way that meets today’s demanding schedules and fulfills the educational requirements of this challenging economy. For many students, a degree from VGCC is the first step to a four-year college or university degree. While online courses offer convenience, they are fully as comprehensive as on-campus courses and create unique challenges for students. Self-motivation, the ability to follow instructions, and basic computer skills are crucial for the successful distance learner.”

Accredited Schools Online is a comprehensive accreditation resource that provides prospective students and families with the tools needed to make well-informed decisions about their education.

ASO’s rankings took into account a number of factors, including the number of online programs and subject areas available, the percentage of students receiving financial aid, the academic/career counseling services offered, the cost of tuition, and the student-to-faculty ratio, which in VGCC’s case was 14 to 1. ASO awarded VGCC a score of 99.56 out of a possible 100.

“Vance-Granville continues to gain national recognition for excellence, thanks to the efforts of our innovative faculty and staff,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “We have taken a leading role in expanding opportunities for distance learning programs that are affordable, accessible and high-quality. Whether they take their classes online or on-campus, our Vanguards receive an outstanding educational experience that prepares them to achieve professional and personal success.”

VGCC has expanded its online course offerings in recent years. In 2015, the college launched the VOLT (Vanguard Online Learning through Technology) initiative, primarily with working adults in mind. Through VOLT, five two-year degree programs are now offered 100-percent online — Associate in Arts (College Transfer), Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Medical Office Administration – Coding Specialist, and Global Logistics and Distribution Management Technology. In addition, students can take online courses in combination with traditional face-to-face courses to complete any VGCC degree program. The fall semester begins on Aug. 15.

VOLT students enjoy several specific benefits, including priority registration and guaranteed course availability. They also have access to many online resources that are available to all VGCC students, such as library services, testing and the Bookstore. Courses offered through VOLT have the same low tuition as all other VGCC courses, making them more affordable than their counterparts at for-profit institutions. In addition, Duke Energy, a longtime corporate supporter of VGCC, has provided funds for scholarships specifically for VOLT students.

For more information about VOLT, visit volt.vgcc.edu or call Evelyn Harris at (252) 738-3254, Kathy Wolford at (252) 738-3335 or Melanie Copeland at (252) 738-3271.

Meanwhile, VGCC was also recognized by BestColleges.com for the second consecutive year as one of the top five two-year colleges in North Carolina.

Just as in 2015, VGCC came in fifth on the list, in which BestColleges.com ranked the top 25 two-year and top 25 four-year schools in North Carolina.

The BestColleges.com website notes that VGCC “offers a broad range of subjects” and goes on to highlight VGCC’s technological resources for students, including the Moodle learning management system for online courses, software like Microsoft Office 365, which is available to all students free of charge, and the college’s mobile app.

The organization’s school assessments start by regarding every college and university equally, no matter their size or brand popularity. Rankings are then determined based on acceptance, enrollment, retention, graduation and loan default rates. The last criterion is an indication of post-graduation employment, since those who have found work are less likely to default on their loans.

Texas-based BestColleges.com was founded in 2012 with the mission of helping prospective students find the college that best meets their needs. Visitors to BestColleges.com can find the tools and resources to succeed throughout their higher education career. Those in the college planning stage can take advantage of college rankings, a searchable database of schools, and financial planning guides.

–VGCC–