Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

G-V Public Health Recommends Canceling, Modifying Events of 100+ People

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville Vance Public Health

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Granville Vance Public Health recommends that organizers of events that draw more than 100 people cancel, postpone, or modify these events, or offer online streaming services beginning March 13, 2020, until further notice. These events include large gatherings where people are in close contact (less than 6 feet), such as concerts, conferences, sporting events, faith-based events and other large gatherings.

Organizations that gather up to 100 people should create an emergency plan and prepare for COVID-19 in their communities by taking the following steps:

  • Consider alternative options to gathering large groups of people, such as streaming video of the event or having patrons participate online.
  • Instruct participants to stay home if they are sick.
  • Encourage people who are at a higher risk for complications from COVID-19, including people over 65 and those with pre-existing medical conditions, to consult with their doctor before attending.
  • Have hygiene supplies available for employees and participants, including hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, tissues, and lined trash cans.
  • Promote behaviors that prevent the spread COVID-19 among participants and employees using the enclosed resources.
  • During and after the event, disinfect frequently-touched surfaces with a cleaning agent that is effective against coronaviruses.
  • Decrease close contact between attendees at the event. For example, place seats farther apart or reduce the number of attendees.

Please let us know if you would like additional educational information for distribution or you may access these materials online through the CDC website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html or through the NC DHHS website here: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina/materials-and

 The local risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low; however, we still encourage you to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 and any other flu-like illness by taking the following steps:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • If soap and water are not available, use a generous amount of hand sanitizer which is at least 60% alcohol on all surfaces of the hands and wrists.
  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
  • Stay away from sick people.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces – especially ones that are frequently touched – using regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
  • Stay home if you’re sick and don’t send sick children to school or childcare.
  • High-risk individuals should avoid large gatherings such as concerts, church services, and sporting events.

As questions and concerns about coronavirus (COVID-19) increase across North Carolina, we’d like to encourage the promotion of the statewide Coronavirus Helpline (1-866-462-3821) for the public, which is answered 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.

Raccoon Found on Currin Rd. Tests Positive for Rabies

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-Information courtesy Vance Co. Animal Services

Vance County Animal Services responded to a call on March 12, 2020, in reference to a possibly rabid raccoon in the 300 block of Currin Road in Henderson. The raccoon was sent off for testing and has tested positive for rabies.

At this time, Animal Services is asking residents to please make sure that all dogs and cats are up-to-date on their rabies vaccines. Even if your pet is up-to-date, a booster vaccine is recommended if you live on or near Currin Road.

The Vance County Animal Shelter offers rabies vaccines for $5. Hours of operation are Monday 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; and Saturday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Vance Co. Schools Announces Procedure Changes Due to Coronavirus Risk

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-Press Release, Vance County Schools

Over the past few days, Vance County Schools has been in close dialogue with the Health Department and can confirm that at the time of this writing there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 or Coronavirus in Vance County.

As such, our efforts will continue to be focused on prevention and following best practices to keep students and staff healthy. These include:

  • Regular, thorough cleaning in our buildings
  • Frequent hand-washing and use of hand sanitizer
  • Respecting personal space

Also, we ask that all students and staff who have cold or flu-like symptoms to stay home until fever-free for 24 hours and seek medical care as needed. These efforts will promote healthy school environments for everyone. Consistent with guidance from the Granville Vance Health Department, we are implementing the following:

School Closure: Currently, there are no plans to close schools. Should this change, we will alert you via our standard communications procedures (ConnectED, Twitter, Facebook, District Website).

Field Trips & Travel: Out of an abundance of caution, all field trips will be suspended for the next four weeks, effective immediately. We will attempt to reschedule these events at a later date if possible. While we make no promises, for those trips that may have involved fees or deposits, we will do our best to work with the companies to secure refunds and/or credits as allowed, given the uniqueness of the situation. We are also suspending all non-essential work-related travel for Vance County Schools staff, including professional development workshops and conferences.

School Events & Visitors: All school-based events that draw crowds will be evaluated by the district to determine the best scenario, as we gain an understanding of COVID-19 and its progression. We are also monitoring our volunteers and visitors on all campuses to reduce potential exposure to our students and staff.

Athletics: The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors decided to suspend all interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020, through Monday, April 6, 2020. This means that all workouts, practices, games and skill development sessions for all middle and high school athletics in the state of North Carolina must be suspended. The NCHSAA will continue to assess the situation with COVID-19 to determine the next steps and we will keep our community informed of new information.

This situation is very fluid and we will continue to post updates on our website at www.vcs.k12.nc.us.

Facility Rentals: All facility rentals for Vance County Schools will be canceled until further notice. This allows us to keep our schools disinfected, ensuring the safety of our students and staff. If you have a rental scheduled you will be contacted by the district on the next steps.

Proactive Steps: As previously shared, our custodians, maintenance and transportation are continuing to proactively disinfect frequently surfaces and buses. We will also continue sanitizing our buildings and provide hand sanitizing stations throughout every building in the district.

We realize these cancellations and changes will come as disappointments to many, but please understand our Vance County Schools family is of the utmost importance – and is what drives our decisions as we work to keep everyone safe.

We hope you will join us in taking precautions to keep our students, staff and schools healthy so we can continue educating our students. We will keep you posted with additional updates as needed.

NCHSAA

NCHSAA: Basketball State Championships, Interscholastic Athletics Suspended

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-Press Release, NCHSAA

Due to the threat from COVID-19, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has made the decision to postpone the 2020 Men’s and Women’s Basketball State Championships indefinitely.

“As much as we would like this opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, and their communities, we know that ultimately any decision we make must err on the side of caution,” said Commissioner Que Tucker.

The Board of Directors also moved to suspend interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020, through at least Monday, April 6, 2020. The NCHSAA Board of Directors will assess this situation regularly over the next few weeks. This includes all workouts, skill development, practices and contests.

Town Talk 03/12/20: Fourth Annual VCS Arts Alive! to Showcase Student Talent

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Aarika Sandlin, public information officer for Vance County Schools, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m. Discussing upcoming district events, Sandlin said students and staff are busy preparing for VCS’ fourth annual Arts Alive! talent showcase.

Arts Alive! will be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson on Saturday, April 25, 2020. The showcase will feature VCS student talent in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, dancing, singing and dramatic performance. All grade levels will be represented.

Parents, students, family, educators and community members are invited to view the artwork that will be on display in the McGregor Hall Gallery beginning at 3 p.m. Gallery viewing is free of charge.

New this year, a silent auction will be held to allow the public to bid on their favorite pieces of art.

In addition to the art gallery, performing acts ranging from large to small groups of vocalists, musicians, dancers and more will entertain on McGregor Hall’s stage beginning at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the Arts Alive! show are available for purchase at McGregor Hall’s box office beginning at 3 p.m. the day of the event. Tickets for adults and children are $5 each; all seating is general admission. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vance County Public School Foundation.

Returning this year will be a series of “master classes” offered in drama, art, dancing and musical instruments offered the morning of the Arts Alive! event. The classes, ranging in target age from Pre-K through 12th grade, will be offered by Hill’s Music Shoppe, Ballet Arts, Wolf Trap Education and Vance-Granville Community College. For more details on these classes, please visit VCS’ newly designed website at www.vcs.k12.nc.us.

Master classes are free of charge and are offered at McGregor Hall and across the street from the performing arts venue at First Baptist Church in Henderson.

“It’s a really exciting day for our district to come together and show what our students are capable of doing,” Sandlin said.

To hear the interview with Sandlin in its entirety, including a series of brief updates from the most recent School Board meeting, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Town Talk 03/11/20: Relay For Life Quarter Auction, Survivor Dinner

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Hope Breedlove, a social worker in the Cancer Center at Maria Parham Health and a member of the Relay For Life Survivor Committee, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

This year’s Vance County Relay For Life event will take place Friday, June 19 in downtown Henderson from 5 – 10 p.m. Relay For Life is a community event to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and fight back against a disease that has taken too much.

The Survivor Lap will take place at 6:30 p.m. and all cancer survivors are invited to participate. As a cancer survivor, you’ll be a guest of honor and cheered on by your community. Caregivers are also a major part of Relay For Life events and are honored for their support.

Quarter Auction

The Maria Parham Health Quarter Auction & March Madness Buffet fundraiser for Relay For Life will be held on Friday, March 27, 2020, at the Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson). Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for $20 per person and seating is limited to 100 attendees. The ticket price includes one paddle, buffet dinner, drink, dessert and door prize entry. Extra paddles can be purchased at the event for $5 each.

With over 100 items available for auction, including gift certificates, wreaths and televisions, Breedlove encouraged participants to bring plenty of quarters and make sure to purchase extra paddles to increase the chance of winning.

As this is a basketball-themed event, participants are encouraged to wear their favorite ACC shirt or jersey.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Kimberly Smith (252-436-1656), Hope Breedlove (252-436-1605), Amanda Wilkins (252-436-1615) or Cassidy Grissom (252-436-1544).

Survivor Dinner

The 2020 Relay For Life Survivor Dinner will be held on Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. at South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church (905 Americal Rd., Henderson). Cancer survivors in Vance and surrounding counties and their guests are invited to enjoy an evening of food and entertainment.

“Cancer survivorship is defined as the moment you are diagnosed with cancer throughout the remainder of your life,” explained Breedlove. “You do not have to be in active treatment or be in remission to be a survivor. If you fit into that category, you qualify to participate in the survivor dinner.”

Survivors are welcome to bring one family member to the dinner. Please RSVP on or before April 12 by contacting Sue Cain with Relay For Life at (919) 334-5221 or sending an email to Sue.Cain@cancer.org. If leaving a voice message or sending an email, please provide the following information:

  • Your name and phone number
  • Will you bring a guest?
  • Your t-shirt size

“Your prompt RSVP will ensure we have enough food and survivor t-shirts for everyone attending,” Breedlove said. “This is always a very special event in our community and we look forward to it each year.”

Survivors, caregivers and walkers are welcome to register for June’s Relay For Life event online at www.RelayForLife.org/VanceNC or by calling 1-800-227-2345 (choose option #2 from the menu). Paper registration forms will also be available at the survivor dinner.

With additional questions regarding these Relay For Life events, please call (252) 436-1605.

To hear the interview with Breedlove in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

 

Vance County Logo

AARP to Discuss Free Income Tax Return Service at Vance Co. Senior Center

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-Information courtesy Arline Richardson

AARP will present a tax counseling session for the elderly at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at the Vance County Senior Center in downtown Henderson.

The guest speaker will be Phyllis Hicks. Hicks will speak about the free income tax return service that she and other trained volunteers provide to the public. Refreshments will be served.

MPH Volunteer Services to Hold $5 Masquerade Sale

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-Information courtesy Lisa Radford, Volunteer Coordinator, Maria Parham Health

Volunteer Services of Maria Parham Health announces its March fundraiser. The exciting $5 Masquerade Sale will be held in the John T. Church Classroom at MPH in Henderson on Wednesday, March 25 from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursday, March 26 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Come experience the frenzy…. EVERYTHING is only $5. Earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches, scarves, lunch totes, bags, umbrellas, flashlights, leggings, phone accessories and so much more. Gifts for children, men and women of all ages.

Terrell Blackmon

Town Talk 03/10/20: New Henderson City Manager Edward ‘Terrell’ Blackmon

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Edward “Terrell” Blackmon, Henderson’s new city manager, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

A native of Smithfield, and now a resident of Henderson, Blackmon brings over 25 years of economic development experience gained in various planning positions in Monroe, Raleigh, Garner and Tarboro, NC.

Blackmon received his MBA from Montreat College and his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a licensed real estate broker in North and South Carolina, in addition to being recognized as a certified housing development finance professional by the National Development Council.

He is married to the former Akenna Vaught of Lenoir, NC and they have two adult sons: Edward Terrell Blackmon, II and Robert Kennan Blackmon.

Blackmon said it was the area’s potential and the “hard sell” of the Henderson City Council that ultimately led him to the decision to call Henderson home. “I saw Henderson as a great opportunity for me personally and professionally. The City Council really sold me on the potential of the community; there’s a lot of opportunities for this community to grow.”

Arriving a few weeks prior to the official retirement of Henderson City Manager Frank Frazier on January 31, Blackmon said he was fortunate to have Frazier, a 35-year City veteran, available in the transition period.

“I can’t say enough how helpful he [Frazier] was during that period of time, and still makes himself available now,” said Blackmon. “The City Council, Mayor Ellington and Frank all did an excellent job of developing a plan to help make my transition here as city manager a little easier.”

In discussing areas of focus moving forward, Blackmon said officials are working on reestablishing Henderson as a designated Main Street City, enforcing residential and commercial codes, planning larger-scale redevelopment projects, identifying ways to attract private investment and expanding the Kerr Lake Regional Water System (KLRWS).

A 60-percent majority partner of the KLRWS (other partners include the City of Oxford and Warren County), Henderson City Council members approved a rate structure at their Monday meeting that would allow the city to upgrade the water output from 10 million to 20 million gallons a day, Blackmon reported.

Explaining that the KLRWS provides water to other municipalities and county systems in the four-county region, Blackmon said the expanded output would ‘increase the capacity to sell water to our customers, improve our water quality and allow the City to set rates and keep rates affordable for the citizens of Henderson.”

Impressed with the way the various entities have worked together on the KLRWS, Blackmon said he is happy to report a similar “collaborative spirit” in his dealings thus far with both City of Henderson and Vance County officials.

“I am already meeting and working with City and County officials on strategies that will hopefully benefit not just the City of Henderson but benefit all of Vance County,” said Blackmon. “We definitely want to be a partner with the County as it relates to economic development. The City has a lot of value that we can add to the economic development conversation as we are looking to create more jobs, retain the industries we do have and try to attract new industries to our community.”

To hear the interview with Blackmon in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

H-V Chamber Logo

H-V Chamber Seeks Nominees for 2020 Small Business of the Year Award

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominees for the 2020 Small Business of the Year. This is your opportunity to recognize an outstanding business in the small business community.

You are encouraged to nominate chamber member businesses that are deserving of this recognition.

 2020 Small Business of the Year Criteria:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and must be located in Vance County
  • Must be a viable, on-going business for three or more years, experiencing growth or stability over its business life
  • Provides critical service or products, fills a void in the business community, or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth and sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone can nominate a business they believe deserves recognition and meets the criteria. Companies may also nominate themselves.

All nominated companies will be required to submit a written application and return it to the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020, to be considered. All applications are confidential.

For a nomination form or if you have questions, please email michele@hendersonvance.org or call the H-V Chamber at (252) 438-8414.