Tag Archive for: #norlinancnews

Glen Raven joins VGCC as partner in Apprenticeship program

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The Glen Raven, Inc., site in Norlina recently became the third area manufacturer to join Vance-Granville Community College in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP), a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce.

Representatives of VGCC and of the two other local NCTAP members, Oxford-based Dill Air Controls Products and Revlon, recently visited Glen Raven’s Warren County location to discuss the partnership with Robbie Earnhardt, owner of Wake Forest-based Superior Tooling and chairman of the apprenticeship program.

Typically starting in the 11th grade of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ VGCC tuition will be covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.

NCTAP works to recruit, select and induct the participating students, Earnhardt explained. “This is a successful program at helping companies find the right people to fill their jobs because of the rigorous selection process,” he said. “We find students who are responsible and dedicated.”

Earnhardt said that NCTAP was inspired by a similar apprenticeship program in Charlotte. “Apprenticeship programs are really taking off all over the country,” he noted. “We’re currently trying to find more partners and to communicate the value of apprenticeships to high school students and their parents. We know that students who are accepted will eventually help spread the word to their classmates about this opportunity for a debt-free education coupled with a good job.”

Todd Wemyss has been the Norlina site manager for Glen Raven since 1998, and said that this would be his plant’s first experience with apprenticeship, but not his company’s. “The company has apprentices at other locations, both domestically and internationally,” Wemyss explained. Their plant in Burlington has an apprenticeship program, for example, and Glen Raven is interested in expanding such partnerships.

“We have very specific types of equipment here, so one advantage of the program is that an apprentice would be able to come in and learn how to use this particular equipment and be ready to work,” Wemyss said. “That kind of knowledge is difficult to find. This apprenticeship program would broaden our in-house technical capabilities.”

Wemyss serves on the VGCC Endowment Fund board of directors and lauds the longstanding partnership between his company and the community college. “Over the years, VGCC has helped us in numerous ways, including holding mini-seminars on site as well as both continuing education and curriculum courses that our employees attend.” He added that “Vance-Granville continues to help us move forward, and encouraging us to join the apprenticeship program is just the latest example. We’ve grown together.”

Wemyss said that September of 2017 is the earliest that an apprentice could begin the program. Shaler Chewning, a trainer/auditor for Glen Raven in Norlina, added that with many workers nearing retirement at his site, as well as broadly throughout the manufacturing sector, there is a growing need for new employees with various technical skills. Most likely, an apprentice at Glen Raven would enroll in the VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program, which focuses on advanced manufacturing, which is becoming increasingly computerized.

Glen Raven has 40 locations in 17 countries. Headquartered in Glen Raven, North Carolina, the company has grown from a small cotton mill in 1880 into a global leader in performance fabrics. The Norlina location proudly displays the name of the company’s flagship brand, Sunbrella. A strong corporate supporter of VGCC’s Endowment Fund, Glen Raven has endowed several scholarships for students as well as annual awards that recognize faculty and staff excellence.

“We are excited that Glen Raven is continuing to build upon its partnership with VGCC by joining us in NCTAP,” said Ken Wilson, project manager for the TechHire grant at the college and a driving force behind the VGCC “Vanguard Apprenticeship Collaborative,” which is designed to cultivate highly skilled workers for large and small companies in a number of industries. He added that VGCC recently joined the national Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium.

For more information about the apprenticeship program, high school students and their parents should talk with their school guidance counselors or contact Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259.

–VGCC–

Rance Richardson Withdraws Not Guilty Plea in 1st Degree Murder Charge

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Warrenton, NC  – Warren County Criminal Superior Court was held the week of March 6, 2017, with Judge Michael O’Foghludha presiding. The State called the case of Rance Richardson for trial. Mr. Richardson was charged with First Degree Murder in the October 11, 2014, death of Daniel Perez Martinez.

During jury selection, Mr. Richardson withdrew his not guilty plea and entered a plea of guilty to Second Degree Murder and Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.

Judge O’Foghludha sentenced Richardson to active consecutive sentences of 230 months minimum to 288 months maximum and 55 months minimum to 78 months maximum, to be served in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Corrections (DAC).

Mr. Richardson’s co-defendant, Luchano Johnson, was also sentenced during the term. Mr. Johnson pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in July 2016, and was also sentenced to an active term of 193 to 244 months in the DAC.

The District Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Onica F. Fuller and Melissa D. Pelfrey. The case was investigated by the Warren County Sheriffs Office and Detective David Brown under the direction of Sheriff Johnny M. Williams along with Agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

 

Warrenton Man charged with Discharging Weapon into Occupied Property

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The Warren County Sheriff’ Office Criminal Investigations Division, arrested Allen Brown of 231 Hester Road, Warrenton, NC on 2/2/2017. Brown was charged with one count of Discharge of a weapon into occupied property stemming from a December 2016 incident involving a shooting into a Warren County EMS ambulance traveling on Hester Road. Bond was set at $10,000 secured, with a court date of 2/22/2017.

Sheriff Williams would like to thank the citizens of Warren County for their continued support in the ongoing efforts of The Sheriff’s Office, in the fight against drug and criminal problems in our county. Anyone with information on this or any other matter is asked to contact investigators at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 252 257-3364, M-F, 8 AM – 5 PM, or 252 257-3456 after 5 PM. Callers can also contact the Sheriff’s Office ANONYMOUSLY on our Tip Hotline 252 257-1356 or by email at Eagleeye@Vance.Net.

Silver Alert Issued for Warren County Resident

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MISSING PERSON

Warren County Deputies are currently searching for:
Arnold Lee Henderson
67 year old, Black Male, 5′ 9″, 200 lbs, brown eyes, grey hair.

Last seen walking away from Moore’s Rest Home on Rabbit Bottom Road in Arcola wearing camoflauge jacket with floral patterned sweater underneath and black or blue pants.

Anyone with information on this or any other matter is asked to contact investigators at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 252 257-3364, M-F, 8 AM – 5 PM, or 252 257-3456 after 5 PM. Callers can also contact the Sheriff’s Office ANONYMOUSLY on our Tip Hotline 252 257-1356 or by email at Eagleeye@Vance.Net.

Red Cross critically needs donors after winter weather adds to severe blood shortage

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RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 18, 2017) – Following several rounds of severe winter weather in many parts of the country, the American Red Cross urges eligible blood and platelet donors to help restock its shelves to overcome a shortage.

Since Dec. 1, about 300 blood drives across 27 states have been forced to cancel due to inclement winter weather, resulting in more than 10,500 blood and platelet donations going uncollected. Despite the weather, hospital patients still rely on transfusions.

Blood donor Jim Taylor knows how it feels to have a loved one waiting for a transfusion. His son Aaron was born with a rare liver condition. In the short two months of his life, he received 115 blood products. Taylor said each transfusion gave his family more time with Aaron, so he encourages others to give.

“When the Red Cross says there is a shortage, they are not exaggerating,” said Taylor. “I now know from experience that what they are saying is somewhere there is a father waiting on the donation that will save his son’s life. When the Red Cross asks for help, what that means is a new dad is praying for a miracle.”

To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Franklin

Franklinton

1/28/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Franklinton Baptist Church, 102 West Mason St.

Granville

Creedmoor

1/27/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Avenue

Oxford

2/10/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Granville County Shrine Club, 706 Roxboro Road

Stem

2/7/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Granville Central High School, 2043 Sanders Rd

Person

Roxboro

1/26/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., National Guard Armory, 605 Burlington Rd

1/29/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Theresa Baptist, 3919 Chublake Rd

2/10/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Roxboro Police Department, 109 Lamar St.

Vance

Henderson

1/28/2017: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. James Catholic Church, 3275 US 158 Bypass

2/14/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Vance Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road

Warren

Norlina

1/25/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., St. Pauls Lutheran Church, 438 Ridgeway Drewry Road

How to help

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

(Press Release)

Warren County NAACP to Lead March to the Polls

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On Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. the Warren County Branch of the NAACP will lead a March to the Polls and celebrate their voting rights victory in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. They will be joined by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the North Carolina NAACP.

The March to the Polls is part of the statewide “It’s Our Time, It’s Our Vote” campaign to register, educate, mobilize and protect the vote in North Carolina. The Warren County March is one of more than 55 marches across the state during Early Voting.

Warren County March to the Polls is to heighten awareness as we elect county commissioners, judges, senators, governors, president and other officials. These offices are so important that full participation of every eligible voter is recommended.

Before the march, Dr. Barber will discuss the importance of this election and the historic voting rights victory in the case of “NC NAACP vs McCrory” when key portions of House Bill 589 were overturned by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.