Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Alston Signs With South Carolina

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Taeshawn Alston has one more season to suit up in the green and white uniform as a Vance County Viper before he trades those colors for the garnet and black of the University of South Carolina.

As of Tuesday, Alston has committed to play football for the SEC school located in Columbia, SC.

Alston and Vipers Coach Aaron Elliott were on Sports Talk Wednesday to talk about the recruiting process and what led to Alston’s decision to become a Gamecock.

“Coach Beamer is amazing,” Alston said, referring to Head Coach Shane Beamer, son of legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, adding that it “felt like home, then and there,” when he paid a visit to the school. “It just clicked with me.”

He’d been on their radar since April 2023, and Alston said he liked everything about the coaching staff – how they treat the players and how, in turn, the players treated recruits like him who were visiting.

And then there’s the “Game Day atmosphere,” he said, surrounding the famed Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the Gamecocks.

Being the focus of coaches’ attention during the recruiting process was fun, Alston said. “It was good, (but) sometimes it was stressful.” He named UNC-CH, Virginia Tech and Rutgers as other schools that were interested in what he could bring to their programs.

As a coach, Elliott said he encouraged Alston to “find a place that best fits him – a place that’s going to show him love, that wants him to be there…and wants him to grow as a player.”

When schools contact Elliott about his players, it’s always “measurables” that they want to know about: How fast can he run? How tall is he? How does he move? What are his grades like?

“Taeshawn checks all those boxes,” Elliott said. “It was easy for me to talk to coaches about Taeshawn,” he explained, which shows “he’s doing what he needs to be doing on the field and in the classroom.”

When Alston takes the field this fall for his final season as a Viper, he’ll be playing linebacker and EDGE. He likes both positions, so he’s happy to go in any direction his coaches decide.

The coaching staff at USC has said they’d like for him to get a little bigger, something that Alston has taken to heart. For the record, he’s listed now at 6-foot-4 and about 230 pounds.

Alston has a good idea about what USC will give him – a chance to play against top-level opponents in the SEC and a quality education. But what are the Gamecocks getting from him?

“They’re getting a great athlete, a great academic student,” Alston said. “I feel like they’re getting a monster, on the field and in the classroom.”

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Barberio Named To Lead Granville Senior Center’s CLL Program

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-information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Russ Barberio has been named the new coordinator of the Creative Lifelong Learning (CLL) program run by Granville County Senior Services. Barberio takes over for Marilyn Howard who is retiring from Granville County at the end of June.

Barberio came to North Carolina in 1982 to be the plant controller at Max Factor Cosmetics in Oxford and stayed in the area after leaving that job to work as a computer software consultant.

In retirement, Barberio had the chance to focus more on his hobbies, including working with the North  Carolina Genealogical Society to promote the organization while working to educate genealogists on research techniques. He also enjoys camping, reading, classical music, Shakespeare, and North Carolina history (particularly the Revolutionary War). After experiencing the rich array of classes available through the Granville County CLL program, Barberio jumped at the chance to lead the program upon Howard’s retirement.

“This program has been administered so successfully by Marilyn for the last six years,” said Barberio.  “She will be sorely missed, but she has left such a solid foundation for us to continue to build on.”

He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in Management from Utah State University. Barberio lives in Henderson with his wife of 57 years, Diane. They have three children and four grandchildren.

The Creative Lifelong Learning program was established in 2017 through a generous endowment and is modeled after the OLLI programs at Duke and N.C. State universities. The program is committed to offering opportunities to stimulate the mind, uplift the spirit and enhance the well-being of adult learners through a wide range of  educational programs, physical activities and social events.

For more information about CLL and all of the programs offered by Granville County Senior Services, visit the  Granville County website at this link https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/senior-services/ or follow  Granville County Senior Services on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064457631282.

The Granville County Senior Center is located at 107 Lanier St. in Oxford and the South Granville Senior Center is located at 114 Douglas Dr. in Creedmoor. The North Granville Senior Center is currently located at 318 US Highway 15 South in Stovall but construction is scheduled to begin this summer on a new center located in downtown Stovall on Oxford Street.

TownTalk: GPS In County Vehicles

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As of just a few weeks ago, vehicles that are owned by Vance County are now equipped with GPS tracking devices.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said installing the devices is being done “as a matter of safety and for fleet tracking.” The cost is roughly $9,300 a year, but that doesn’t include vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office. They don’t have the equipment – yet.

There is some debate between Sheriff Curtis Brame and other county officials about whether the county has the authority to place the GPS trackers on vehicles used by the Sheriff’s Office.

Brame has said he is not in favor of putting the devices on his patrol cars, even though they are county-owned vehicles.

There was discussion at a June 13 county budget work session, during which Perry stated that County Attorney Jonathan Care said the sheriff’s vehicles could be included, but Brame read a statement that supported his claim that the county doesn’t have jurisdiction over the vehicles in his fleet.

The county doesn’t have power over the sheriff’s office or of its personnel; Perry said the board of commissioners “is still considering attorney guidance” in the matter.

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The Local Skinny! County Budget Includes $60K For McGregor Hall

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The newly adopted FY 2024-25 Vance County budget includes a $60,000 appropriation for McGregor Hall, which represents the full amount requested by the performing arts venue. Executive Director Mark Hopper told WIZS News earlier today that he is “absolutely elated” with the commissioners’ action.

“It’s the first step toward making this facility function in a way that every other facility functions in the state,” Hopper said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning. “It’s a really important first step.”

Commissioner Archie Taylor is also on the board of the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation. He said Tuesday that McGregor Hall attracts tourism dollars to the county each time an event is held there.

“As a commissioner, I look at our community as a whole, what is beneficial for Vance County, not for any particular organization,” Taylor said. He referred to a recent economic impact study completed by N.C. State University, which concluded that McGregor Hall has a multi-million dollar impact on the county, bringing outside dollars through sales tax and hotel/motel tax revenues.

The Henderson City Council included a $5,000 one-time grant to McGregor Hall in its recently adopted budget, representing just more than 6 percent of the total amount – $75,000 – that was requested.

City leaders have discussed the purchase of a downtown property currently owned by McGregor Hall for a price in the range of $255,000. When asked whether the sale would move forward, Hopper said “the city has not contacted us.”

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Cooperative Extension With Michael Ellington: Japanese Beetles

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Cooperative Extension With Wayne Rowland – Blossom End Rot

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Vance Charter Student Completes Week As Page In N.C. House Of Representatives

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— Courtesy of the Office of N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon

Noah Bean, a rising senior at Vance Charter School, got to see the legislative process “up close and personal” recently as he participated in the N.C. House Page Program.

Bean, son of Ashley and Michael Bean of Henderson, is also the school’s Student Body President. He was sponsored by N.C. House Rep. Frank Sossamon to participate in the page program. High school sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for the program, designed to provide students with an educational experience while connecting them directly with elected leaders and offering an inside look at the workings of state government, according to a press release from Clai Keel, a staffer in Sossamon’s office.

“The House Page Program is an incredible opportunity for young minds to immerse themselves in the legislative process,” Sossamon said. “It equips them with knowledge and experience that go beyond textbooks, preparing them for active citizenship and leadership roles in the future.”

Pages get to see how a bill becomes law, gain insights into the structure of state government and understand the legislative process.

Reflecting on his experience, Bean shared, “I gained an inside look and a deeper understanding of how our state’s legislative branch operates. We performed various tasks, assisted with voting sessions and committee meetings, and more. It was an incredibly valuable experience, and I feel immensely grateful to have participated!”

Students from District 32 and beyond are encouraged to consider this opportunity for the long session in 2025. The weeks available for service during the long session (odd-numbered years) are from February through August, while in the short session (even-numbered years), the weeks begin in mid-April/May through August. Pages serve for one week and must be sponsored by a Member of the N.C. House of Representatives.

During their week of service, Pages attend sessions in the House Chamber where bills are introduced, debated and passed. They are assigned to strategic stations throughout the Chamber, assisting House Members by delivering messages, bills, amendments, committee reports and other documents as needed.

Applications will be available online prior to the start of each session. The selection process for this program is highly competitive and appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the application process, visit the North Carolina House Page Program website.