Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

GVPH COVID-19 Update: Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths as of 9/21/20

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

The following is an update for COVID-19 spread and response in Granville and Vance County as of September 21, 2020. Granville Vance Public Health numbers correlate with the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS) data.

The county case numbers reported on the NC county map from the NC Department of Health and Human Services may differ from the ones reported locally as they are updated at different times and may change once residence is verified.

Granville County

1,702 positive test results for COVID-19.

Of those 1,702, 1,042 are community-spread cases located across Granville County. Of those 1,042, 935 have been released from isolation.

Of those 1,702, 523 cases are affiliated with the prison system in Granville County and 494 of those 523 have been released from isolation.

Of those 1,702, 137 are associated with outbreaks at long term care facilities including 30 at Murdoch Development Center, two at Central Regional Hospital, one at Brantwood Nursing and Rehab Center and 96 at Universal Health Care.

The outbreak at Granville House is no longer active.

After consultation with NC DHHS, Whitmore Retirement Center is not classified as a long term care facility and therefore, the cases will not be reported as an outbreak.

Of the 137 cases in long term care facilities in Granville County, 87 have been released from isolation.

8 individuals in Granville County are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 49 deaths in Granville County: five in the community, one associated with Central Regional Hospital, one associated with Murdoch Development Center, 20 associated with Universal Health Care and 22 associated with the Bureau of Prisons Federal Correctional Complex. Unfortunately, a recent death has been reported associated with the outbreak at the prison: a 62-year-old male passed away on September 17.

Vance County

984 positive test results for COVID-19.

Of those 984, 859 are community-spread cases located across Vance County. Of those 859, 713 have been released from isolation.

Of those 984, 125 are associated with outbreaks at congregate living facilities including 49 cases associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

The outbreaks at Alliance Rehabilitative Care, Senior Citizens Home, and Pelican Health nursing home are no longer active.

Of the 125 cases in congregate living facilities in Vance County, 96 have been released from isolation.

19 individuals in Vance County are hospitalized

There have been a total of 44 deaths in Vance County: 14 associated with the Pelican Health nursing home outbreak, 12 associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home, two associated with Senior Citizens Home and 16 in the community. Unfortunately, another recent death has been reported from the community: a 56-year-old female passed away on September 20.

WIZS Note: There are 146 total known active cases in the Vance County community and 107 in the Granville County community at large at this time (excluding congregate living numbers). One additional COVID-19 related Vance County death and one additional Granville County death have been reported in the last eleven days,.

Additional Information

The number of those who have been ‘released from isolation’ is determined by the CDC Guidance for discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19.

Please visit GVPH’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard (click here) for tables and graphs that are updated daily.

North Carolina will remain in Safer at Home Phase 2.5 through October 2, 2020. Face coverings are still mandatory in public places. To learn more about restrictions currently in place in North Carolina and the phased approach to lifting those restrictions, please visit Staying Ahead of the Curve.

Perry Memorial Library

Perry Memorial Releases Additional Info. on Library’s Reopening

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-Press Release, Perry Memorial Library

The Perry Memorial Library reopened to the public on September 21, 2020. The library will be open from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2 – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

There will be a number of measures in place to protect the safety of customers and staff, including:

  • Properly worn face coverings (over the nose and mouth) will be required;
  • Computer usage will be limited to 30 minutes a day with limited staff assistance available;
  • Curbside pick-up will continue and has been extended to 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday – Friday;
  • Browsing for materials will be available, but numbers allowed in the stacks at one time will be limited;
  • Some areas of the library, such as the history room, study rooms, and the quiet room will be unavailable;
  • There is limited seating available for Wi-Fi usage, however free Wi-Fi is available 24/7 in the parking areas of the library;
  • Programming will remain suspended and meeting rooms will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.

Protective barriers have been placed around the service desks and hand sanitizer is available in multiple locations in the library. Computer keyboards and mice will be sanitized between uses, and all library surfaces will be thoroughly cleaned during the midday closing and at the end of the day.

The library will continue to provide the Pop-Up Library in various locations throughout the community. People can check the library’s Facebook page for upcoming locations.

Visitors are encouraged to follow the “Three Ws” as outlined by the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services — wear a cloth face covering; wait in line at least six feet away from others; wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer. Library visits should be postponed if experiencing symptoms of illness.

Founded in 1924, the Perry Memorial Library, located in downtown Henderson, serves as the only public library for the Vance County community. The library is located at 205 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, NC.  To learn more about the Perry Memorial Library, check the library’s website at www.perrylibrary.org, or follow the library on Facebook. You can also subscribe to library email updates on the website homepage.

I Voted Sticker

Middleburg’s St. United Church of Christ to Hold Voter’s Registration Drive

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-Information courtesy Diana Bobbitt, St. United Church of Christ

A Voter’s Registration Drive will be held in the fellowship hall of St. United Church of Christ on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, from 4 – 7 p.m. The church is located at 292 N. Lee Avenue in Middleburg, NC.

If you have not registered, this will be a good time to get registered to vote in the 2020 election.
Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health Nationally Recognized as a Best Maternity Care Hospital by Newsweek

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health was named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. The distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Best Maternity Care Hospitals is part of Newsweek’s Best Health Care series, powered by data from The Leapfrog Group.

“Best Maternity Care Hospitals showcases an elite group of hospitals from across the country,” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek. “These facilities stand out for the care they provide to women and families, and for giving babies a strong start to life. Particularly in these uncertain times, we are honored to share this list of top-ranked facilities with Newsweek’s readership.”

“The birth of a child should be a wonderful, life-changing time for a mother and her whole family. It is a time of new beginnings, of fresh hopes and new dreams, of change and opportunity” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “Our team works tirelessly to make sure every mother and child that we see receives the highest standard of care. We are extremely proud to be recognized as a leader in maternity care in our country.”

Hospitals named as a Best Maternity Care Hospital have fully met The Leapfrog Group’s standards for maternity care on evidence-based, nationally standardized metrics. This includes lower rates of early elective delivery, NTSV C-section, and episiotomy, as well as compliance with process measures including newborn bilirubin screening prior to discharge and blood clot prevention techniques for mothers delivering via C-section.

Maria Parham Health was one of fewer than 250 nationwide to receive the prestigious accolade. The full list of recipients appeared in the July 24 edition of Newsweek, available online and at newsstands nationwide.

Delivering more than 500 babies per year, Maria Parham’s team consists of OB-GYNs Dr. Weldon Hampton, MD and Dr. Emma White, DO, family medicine practitioners Dr. Vu, MD, Dr. Higgins, MD, and Dr. Dieter, MD, midwives Janice Martinez, MSN, CNM, and Karen Maclean, MSN, CNM, nurse practitioners, Estena Bradley, WHNP-BC, Crystal  Minor, WHNP-BC, pediatricians Dr. Sylvia, MD and Dr. Ahmed, MD and specially trained nurses and staff.

Maria Parham provides a variety of care and services for mother and baby, including prenatal care, education, labor & delivery, breastfeeding support by certified lactation consultants, and inpatient pediatric program.

To learn more about Maria Parham’s Mother & Baby services, visit MariaParham.com.

Perry Memorial Library

Perry Memorial Library Opens Doors With Limited Hours

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-Information courtesy the Perry Memorial Library

Beginning Monday, September 21, 2020, the Perry Memorial Library in Henderson will be open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. and 2 until 4 p.m. For everyone’s safety, masks are required to enter the building.

Visits are limited to computer use and material check out. Computer sessions will be limited to 30 minutes.

Curbside pickup will be available Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Fines are still suspended at this time.

Emiliano Dunton

VGCC Student Engages in Cutting-Edge COVID-19 Research

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College student Emiliano Dunton of Oxford has faced challenges in his life, and now, he is involved in research related to what is perhaps the world’s biggest challenge today: the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Dunton, a VGCC Bioprocess Technology student, is participating in a research externship program at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) through a partnership between the community college and the university. Through the externship, he gets practical experience related to his studies. Specifically, Dunton works with a team led by Dr. Weifan Zheng, an award-winning professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NCCU’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) program, along with research scientists Xialan Dong and Zheng Huang. Zheng and his team are currently using computer programming to identify drugs that may be effective in attacking COVID-19.

Vance-Granville Community College student Emiliano Dunton of Oxford is participating in a research externship program at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) through a partnership between the community college and the university. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

“I am currently learning a new computer language called Python, which is the most used computer coding language of 2020,” Dunton explained. “Our plan is to use the computer language to search for articles pertaining to biopharma research and information regarding COVID-19.”

Currently, due to that same global pandemic, Dunton is working and learning remotely with the professors at NCCU, but he looks forward to making an on-site visit to the Durham campus in November.

Stewart Lyon, head of the Bioprocess Technology program at VGCC, said Dunton is perfect for this research opportunity because of his interest in not just biotechnology but computers. “Emiliano has found a niche in science in the growing field of bioinformatics,” Lyon said. “Bioinformatics essentially uses computer programming languages to analyze large biological data sets.”

Dunton recalled, “I enrolled at VGCC because I did some research on good biotechnology programs and found out VGCC had one of the best around.” He said that the Bioprocess program appealed to him “because I’ve always been intrigued with technology, and the ever-growing science/information-driven era we live in calls for that type of background.”

Dunton said his excitement about learning a new computer language led him to participate in the NCCU externship program. “I also want to inspire more minority youth in my community to strive for excellence and let them know that no matter where you’re from, or what type of background you came up from, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to,” he added.

Lyon said that Dunton is an inspiration to his instructors and classmates because of his determination to overcome obstacles in order to achieve success. Due to injuries sustained from a gunshot wound years ago, Dunton uses a wheelchair. Though he has use of his arms, Dunton also relies largely on touch-screen computers and has recently learned to code using speech-recognition software.

“After I’ve completed my studies at VGCC, my goal is to continue my education and obtain a bachelor’s of science degree,” Dunton added. He has an interest in the intersection of pharmaceuticals and agriculture and would like to learn more about North Carolina’s growing hemp industry and related pharmaceutical extracts. “I also would like to empower and educate people on methods to generate generational wealth for minority youth in the surrounding communities, as well as inspire academic excellence,” Dunton said.

According to Lyon, Dunton “serves as an example of resilience and that great opportunities in life are available.” He recalled seeing how excited the student was “to find out that he was going to be actively contributing to a research team with the goal of helping to resolve a global health crisis….I think his time with VGCC and Bioprocess Technology, and now linking back to the UNC system, has been transformative for him. Emiliano also balances his obligations as an outstanding student with his familial and community responsibilities.  He is a father as well as a student, and seeks to be a role model both at home and in the classroom.” Dunton said his seven-year-old daughter is one of his greatest “sources of strength.”

Dunton is the recipient of the Donald and Betsy Seifert Presidential Excellence Award this year. That is VGCC’s highest scholarship level.

Lyon said he is also pleased with the partnership with NCCU that allows Dunton to have such an interesting experience. The externship program is largely supported by a grant from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) to NCCU.

“VGCC is listed as a participant in NCCU’s initiatives under the grant,” Lyon explained. “NCCU uses the funds to accomplish two major goals: develop and implement the research externship experiences for our students, and to create stackable program credentials. This ultimately helps to increase the number of students entering the industry employment pipeline. The partnership between VGCC and NCCU now allows for our students to transfer from VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology degree to NCCU’s bachelor’s degree program in Pharmaceutical Sciences.”

VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology program is open to everyone, including current high school students through the North Carolina Career & College Promise (CCP) program. In fact, through NC CCP, the program is tuition-free for eligible high school students who want to get an early start on their college education.

For more information on VGCC’s biotech programs, contact Lyon at lyons@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3632.

Redeem The Teens

Register Now: All-Boys Teen Leadership Academy to Hold Orientation This Weekend

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-Information courtesy Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department

ENROLLING NOW!

All-Boys Saturday Leadership Academy

Saturday Leadership Academy provides small group instruction, coaching, mentorship and leadership development for teen African American males ages 12-18 residing in Vance County, NC.

ELIGIBILITY: African American males ages 12-18 residing in Vance County, North Carolina.

WHEN DO WE MEET: Saturday beginning September 19, 2020, and ending Saturday, December 12, 2020, from 1-2:30 p.m. at Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road, Henderson, NC.

Orientation: We will meet parents, students, and coaches on Saturday, September 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the Aycock Recreation Center.

Social distancing will be required. Please wear your masks.

READY TO REGISTER? Complete the registration form below and click SUBMIT.

Registration Form Link: https://forms.gle/YCiKmURuwfNYgWuH8

QUESTIONS: Contact redeemtheteens@gmail.com or call (919) 807-1329.

The Drifters

McGregor Hall: ‘The Drifters in Concert’ Rescheduled for Next Fall

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-Information and featured image courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center has rescheduled “The Drifters in Concert” to Sunday, October 3, 2021, at 3 p.m.

The Drifters linked Fifties rhythm and blues with sweet Sixties soul music. They have enjoyed a string of honey-voiced lead singers, including Henderson native Ben E. King. Hit after hit followed, including “There Goes My Baby,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Up on the Roof,” “On Broadway,” and many, many others.

All tickets purchased for the original 2020 concert date will be honored. Additionally, reserved seating will remain the same from the original ticketing orders. If you have purchased tickets for this event, a McGregor Hall representative will be in touch with you via email or phone.

If you have further questions regarding this concert, please contact McGregor Hall:

Email: info@mcgregorhall.org
Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/McGregorHallHenderson/
OR
Leave a voicemail on the McGregor Hall Box Office phone line at (252) 598-0662

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/11557/mcgregor-hall-performing-arts-center

Thank you for your patience as McGregor Hall endeavors to navigate this unprecedented, challenging time in the arts industry, and ultimately, in world history.

McGregor Hall

Vance County Allocates $50,000 to McGregor Hall; City Considers Funding Request

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The Vance County Intergovernmental Committee (Taylor[C], Feimster & Kelly) met on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, to review a request from McGregor Hall for funding assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the County’s write-up of the meeting, the committee discussed the impact of COVID-19 on McGregor which includes a $100,000 overall decrease in revenue compared to last year (from March 16 – July 10) and recognized the County could not provide the requested funding level of $250,000.

The committee recognized the local economic impact of McGregor ($2.34 million according to a 2019 economic impact study) and discussed the importance of McGregor to the continued growth and success of downtown Henderson and Vance County.

The committee discussed a recommendation from Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen to allocate $50,000 in one-time funding to McGregor from the County’s Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF). Two of the three committee members were in agreement and recommended supporting McGregor with $50,000 in CRF funds. The third committee member mentioned a concern with allocating all of the remaining CRF funds and suggested providing $30,000 to McGregor.

According to McMillen, following the committee report, the Vance County Board of Commissioners approved the County’s updated plan for allocating the remaining CRF that came from the Federal Government through the state. The vote was 4-2 with Commissioners Dan Brummitt and Carolyn Faines voting against the final allocation of CRF. (Commissioner Yolanda Feimster was absent.)

McMillen said the $50,000 to McGregor Hall was one of the final allocations approved and funds will be distributed to the performing arts center over the next few months.

Henderson City Manager E. Terrell Blackmon said McGregor Hall reached out to the City to request a financial contribution at the same time they contacted Vance County, which was shortly after the City’s FY 2020-2021 budget had been adopted.

“Council does have an opportunity to consider making a contribution to McGregor Hall utilizing CARES Act funding similar to what Vance County Government has recently done,” Blackmon stated in correspondence with WIZS News. “The City’s pot of funds is much smaller than that of Vance County since we are only a sub-recipient of a portion of the County’s funds. Our first priority with the funding is to up-fit our facilities to make them more COVID-friendly, improve technology for virtual meetings/teleworking and purchase additional PPE. Up-fitting our facilities will take up the lion’s share of the $459,733 we received from Vance County. However, in my proposed budget activities, I have recommended that the Council consider a contribution to McGregor Hall.”

Blackmon stated that he could not provide a specific funding amount at this time, citing the need to await quotes and finalized numbers, but anticipates a final decision could be made at October’s City Council meeting after the presentation of the final CARES Act budget. Ultimately, he explained, the final decision of the City’s contributions to McGregor Hall’s funding request will be up to the Henderson City Council.

H-V Rec Parks Reopen

Most Parks & Playgrounds Open; Aycock Rec. Center to Reopen Next Week

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department

With North Carolina moving into Safer at Home Phase 2.5, the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department’s parks and playgrounds opened on Friday, September 11, 2020, with the exception of Fox Pond Park (may still access trails through Aycock Recreation Center) and Jackson Street Park.

Aycock Recreation Center will be opening on Monday, September 21, 2020, with the following operating hours:

  • Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1 – 5 p.m., 6 – 8 p.m.
  • Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., 2 – 5 p.m.
  • Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.

Chestnut Street Basketball Court will be operating daily between the hours of 4 p.m. – dusk.

All patrons must adhere to the following guidelines at indoor and outdoor facilities:

  • Social Distancing
  • Wear Face Coverings
  • Mass gathering limits of 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors

Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks will closely monitor and follow guidelines set by the City of Henderson, State of North Carolina and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Any changes or updates about facilities, classes/programs and events will be available on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter) and website at http://ci.henderson.nc.us/departments/recreation_and_parks/.