Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Upcoming Blood Drives In The Area

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May is Trauma Awareness Month, and American Red Cross encourages individuals to sign up to give blood at upcoming local drives as a way to help in situations where every second counts.

Blood products – blood, plasma and platelets – can provide lifesaving care, but hospitals often struggle to keep sufficient supplies on hand.

Did you know that Type O is the universal blood type? Donors who have Type O Negative blood are especially needed now, according to information from the local Red Cross office in Raleigh.

Type O Negative blood can be used in emergency situations when there’s no time to determine a patient’s blood type; Type O Positive blood can be transfused to Rh-Positive patients of any blood type.

As a thank-you, all donors who come in to give blood between now and May 19 will get a $10 e-gift card. And anyone who gives at any time during the month of May will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, WA.

The prize package includes two tickets to the 2023 MLB® All-Star Game® thanks to the support of Fanatics, round-trip airfare, four-night hotel accommodations, a $750 gift card and more. Additionally, those who come to give May 20-31 will receive an exclusive Red Cross beach towel, while supplies last.

The prizes are just a small way to say thank you to donors who give blood, but the larger reward is knowing that your donation helps keep hospital blood banks full and ready to help in the event of a medical trauma.

Visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1.800.733.2767).

 

Upcoming blood drives:

 Vance

Henderson

5/15/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.

5/23/2023: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Henderson Family YMCA, 380 Ruin Creek Rd.

5/30/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Central Baptist Church, 2574 Ruin Creek Rd.

Granville

Creedmoor

5/26/2023: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Ave.

Franklin

Louisburg

5/22/2023: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 279 S. Bickett Blvd.

 

VCS hosts Young Women’s Empowerment Conference

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-information courtesy of Brielle Barrow, VCS communication coordinator

A group of business leaders and professionals joined forces to share their knowledge, expertise and paths to success recently for the first Young Women’s Empowerment Conference sponsored by Vance County Schools.

The conference was designed “to inspire and empower middle and high school students to be their best selves and to prepare for their journey into young womanhood,” according to a press statement from Brielle Barrow, VCS Communication Coordinator.

The event was held Friday, April 28 at the Center for Innovation. More than 200 middle and high school students were on hand to hear from the six keynote speakers and to participate in a variety of mini breakout sessions with the women.

Among those present to speak at the conference were Margier White, KaKeasha Richardson, PA-C, Cameshia Gavin, Kayachtta Hawkins-Bullock, DDS, Heather Kenney and Kemira Venable.

MPH Earns Another Leapfrog “A” For Patient Safety

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-information courtesy of Donna Young, MPH Marketing & Communication Coordinator

Maria Parham Health has earned another ‘A’ in hospital safety from a national watchdog group that rates hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers for protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.

This latest grade from The Leapfrog Group is primarily for the time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. MPH received an A from the same group last fall.

“This outstanding result represents the work and collaborative efforts of our entire care team and partners over the years,” stated MPH CEO Bert Beard. “We are very proud to have sustained this high standard and will continue to work to provide access to high quality care for the region. With just over a quarter of the hospitals across the country receiving an A, we thank our communities for entrusting us with their care and for the opportunity to serve them at this high level.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an A despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible,” Binder said in a press release from MPH Marketing & Communication Coordinator Donna Young.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.  Grades are updated in the fall and spring each year.

To see Maria Parham Health’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HosptialSafetyGrade.org. and follow The Leapfrog Group ofn Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.

NC MedAssist Has $55,000 Goal To Provide Inhalers To Patients

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Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

The average person takes between 12 and 20 breaths each minute, which adds up to about 22,000 each day. This simple, but essential, action goes unnoticed by so many, until there’s a problem. Like asthma.

Asthma is a condition that makes that simple, but essential, action more difficult for 670,000 North Carolinians. May 2 was observed as World Asthma Day, and a non-profit agency has a campaign open through May 16 to raise money to help those who live with asthma.

NC MedAssist serves the uninsured and low-income residents of the state, providing free medications to treat chronic illnesses like asthma, COPD. About 17 percent of  patients currently need inhalers to treat these chronic respiratory conditions. “It’s not a luxury item, it’s an item that allows them to continue breathing,” stated Jessica Yarzumbeck, director of communications and marketing for MedAssist.

The Charlotte-based agency receives all of its prescription and OTC medicine through generous in-kind donations, but inhalers have recently been removed from the list of available items, which directly affects 3,236 of its patients, Yarzumbeck said.

The agency has an immediate to provide respiratory therapies like inhalers to the patients it serves. A gift of $111 can support one patient. The goal is to be able to support 500 – making the goal $55,000.

Donate at https://medassist.org/take-action-on-asthma/

 

VGCC Logo

VGCC Foundation Scholarship Priority Deadline May 31

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-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Scholarships offered through the Vance-Granville Community College Foundation for the 2023 Fall Academic Year are open for applicants. The priority deadline for full scholarship consideration for Fall 2023 is May 31, according to VGCC officials.

“We know our students are often already working, raising families, and going to college in their spare time,” VGCCF Executive Director Tanya Weary stated. “At VGCC, we work to help them graduate with as little debt as possible.”

The VGCC Foundation has more than 300 endowed scholarships based on a variety of factors – merit, financial need, degree choice and more. Scholarships are awarded individually to curriculum students based on criteria outlined for each award. Selection will be based on an overall assessment of academic performance, leadership skills, character and community service, according to a press statement from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

Scholarship funding is limited, and completion of the application does not guarantee an award. All applicants must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to be considered for a VGCC Foundation scholarship; many scholarships require a minimum 3.0 GPA. Scholarship recipients are selected by a scholarship selection committee unless otherwise stipulated in the criteria of the scholarship.

The scholarships are made possible through the generous support of private citizens, organizations and businesses. To apply for VGCCF scholarships, visit www.vgcc.edu/fao/scholarships. For additional questions, contact foundation@vgcc.edu.

 

Kerr-Tar COG Gets $200,000 To Promote Safety, Reduce Traffic And More Around School Areas

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-information courtesy of Kerr-Tar COG and NC DOT

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is among a dozen recipients who will share $3 million in grant funding for educational programs as part of the Safe Routes to School program. KTCOG will get $160,000 in federal funds, with an additional $40,000 in local matches for a total of $200,000, according to Kenia Gomez-Jimenez, KTCOG’s communications & administrative coordinator and SRTS coordinator.  Funding is for two years of Safe Routes to School program implementation and operates on a reimbursement basis, which means that once the funds are spent, NCDOT can reimburse the participating organization.

The grant funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration and the money will be used to develop creative and educational programs to teach community members about safe driving, walking and biking practices near schools.

Safe Routes to School promotes healthy and active lifestyles by encouraging children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike to school. Also, the program facilitates the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools.

“This is an important way to improve child safety and promote the healthy benefits of walking and biking,” said Ryan Brumfield, director of the Integrated Mobility Division.The local SRTS program began in 2019, when the organization was first awarded funds for this project. The Kerr-Tar COG will use funds from the new 2023 SRTS grant cycle to continue the programs endeavors within the region for K-12 students.  The project evaluates public, private and charter schools within the five-county region to address how SRTS programs could be implemented or improved.

Recommendations for education, activities and future infrastructure improvements will enhance walking and biking activities around the region, Gomez- Jimenez stated. The intent of these activities will be to make biking and walking fun for students and adults, encouraging healthy behaviors for a lifetime. The target audience for this project will include the following: School Personnel, Students and Parents, Law Enforcement, City/County Employees, Individuals who volunteer and otherwise assist with school activities.

The Kerr-Tar COG’s SRTS program is especially committed to ensuring that its initiatives are benefitting all demographic groups, with particular attention to ensuring safe, healthy and fair outcomes for low-income students, students of color, students of  all genders, students with disabilities, and others.

Collaborative partners for the Kerr-Tar COG’s 2023 SRTS grant application include: Franklin County Schools, Granville County Public Schools, Person County Schools, Vance County Schools, Warren County Schools, Henderson-Family YMCA, City of Oxford Parks & Recreation Department, 4-H Vance County, Turning Point Community Development Corporation & NCDOT Division 5 Office.

For more information, visit NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division’s Safe Routes to School.

Volunteers Join Voices To Read Bible Aloud From Genesis To Revelation May 3

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About a dozen local churches are taking part in this year’s Public Bible Reading Day. If everything falls into place like it’s supposed to, volunteers will have read the Bible – from start to finish – by the end of the day.

This special day happens Wednesday, May 3 and it is specifically timed to take place around the National Day of Prayer, which is observed on the first Thursday in May.

Lois Murphy told WIZS that the different churches in the area already have been assigned their books of the Bible.

COVID has thrown a monkey wrench of sorts into the plan that organizers have of reading aloud in public, Murphy said.

“We read aloud and we read publicly if we can,” Murphy said. “COVID has shut down some of the public reading, and some churches still have some COVID restrictions in place,” she said.

Because of this, volunteers have the option of reading in their church or from the comfort of their own homes.

“I would like to see people reading…at the plaza at the courthouse, maybe at a downtown location, even in stores or businesses, if they would permit us,” she mused.

The way it works is pretty simple: Each church gets a section of scripture that can be read in 15 minute increments. The whole Bible is divided into 15-minute segments. After a quick calculation, Murphy said it would take about four hours to read Genesis and another three to get through Exodus.

Here is a list of local churches that will be participating in the Reading Day:

First Baptist Church

First United Methodist Church

Union Chapel

Island Creek

Clearview Church

Harriet Baptist

Fuller Chapel

Cotton Memorial

Blessed Hope

West End

South Henderson

New Sandy Creek

Murphy suggested that anyone interested in joining in the read-aloud contact one of the churches listed above to get more information.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

“Spring Fling” At Vance Farmers Market Kicks Off New Growing Season May 6

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Join vendors at the annual Spring Fling at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Saturday, May 6 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Whether you’re looking for fresh-picked produce or any of the other items that the market offers, Market Manager Pat Ayscue invites everyone to come out and see what all the buzz is about.

“Spring is such a topsy-turvy season with a bit of late frost and high temps that spin up, thunderstorms bringing inches of rain and high winds,” Ayscue stated.

“Hats off to the farmers who always put their best foot forward in all kinds of weather to bring you their best farm-raised produce and products. The bounty of strawberries makes all the pollen we experience well worth it.

Come experience the market as it comes alive to begin another season, filled with farmers’ harvests and craft vendors.

“It’s so good to hear the chatter among vendors and customers filling the air,” Ayscue said.

“I look forward to welcoming our new vendors to our farmers market family and the community,” she said.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson. Contact Ayscue at 252.598.0814 or farmersmarket@vancecounty.org. To learn more, visit http://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfm.

Vance Charter FFA Students Attend AgFest, Set Goals For Future

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Members of Vance Charter School’s Future Farmers of America were among the more than 1,800 FFA and 4-H’ers who attended the 8th annual AgFest recently at the University of Mount Olive in Wayne County.

The club’s advisor, Kelly Dixon, said Vance Charter is one of only four charter schools in the state with an FFA chapter. Since its inception in 2019, Dixon said the local FFA has grown and will continue to add programs.

“I am excited for our future and proud of the progress we have made,“ Dixon said. “In the near future we will have students raising and showing livestock. We will have a running greenhouse and a great laboratory facility for our students to learn in.”

AgFest, a daylong event to celebrate and promote agriculture, is just one way for FFA chapters like the one at VCS to meet other FFA members from across the state, participate in activities and educational opportunities to learn about more about career paths in agriculture and related fields.

“My favorite aspect of FFA is … being able to learn new things about doing what I love while doing it with hands-on opportunities,” said Katelin Guerrant, a VCS 9th grader who attended AgFest. Guerrant and fellow FFA’er Haleigh Burnette spoke about their experience at AgFest.

Burnette, a senior at VCS, reflected on her time in FFA.

“FFA prepares kids for success, whether they travel the country in their corduroy jackets or never leave their high school shops.”

The event included music and line dancing, friendly games of corn hole, spike ball and chicken slinging BINGO. Lambs from UMO’s Kornegay Student Farm were a big hit with the crowd, as were horses from the Wilson County Mounted Search Team, Horseback Heroes and the N.C. Troopers Association Caisson Unit.

High school students had the chance to test their skills in archery, bull riding, log rolling, virtual welding, and on a zero-turn lawnmower course.  Country music artist Drake White performed an afternoon concert, along with others who took the stage during the day.

“This by far has been our biggest and best AgFest to date,” said Dr. Sandy Maddox, dean of the School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.  “The purpose of this event is to introduce FFA members and advisors to what the University of Mount Olive has to offer academically and to what the agriculture industry has to offer (for) career opportunities.”

“Many of these students have never been on a university campus,” said Edward Olive, director of the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center.  “Our UMO students in the School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences and other departments across campus enjoyed hosting these high school students and sharing what life is like at UMO.”

The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists.  For more information, visit www.umo.edu.

VCS Honors Middleburg United Methodist Church As District Partner Of The Year

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Middleburg United Methodist Church was awarded the 2022-2023 District Partnership of the Year by Vance County Schools for its support of E.O. Young Elementary School.

The announcement was made on April 19 during a partner recognition ceremony to thank all 15 community organizations who have made commitments to schools in the district.

Middleburg United Methodist Church has supported the E.O. Young Elementary School community by supplying their food pantry and clothes closet, installing a washer and dryer for student use, as well as giving laundromat gift cards for students and their families, according to information from VCS Director of Communication and Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

The event was held at the Center for Innovation’s Atrium, and community partners were recognized for the lasting impacts on the students, families and educators in their school communities.

“Our district is grateful for every partnership within our community,” Sandlin stated. “The lasting impact being made goes beyond the present moment. These organizations are making a difference in the lives of our students for years to come and for that, we are truly humbled for the support and love shown to our students, staff and district as a whole.”

The 2022-2023 School Partnerships of the Year are:

  • First Baptist Church of Henderson – Aycock Elementary School
  • New Life Baptist Church – Carver Elementary School
  • First Baptist Church of Henderson – Clarke Elementary School
  • First United Methodist Church – Dabney Elementary School
  • Clearview Church – E.M. Rollins STEAM Academy
  • Middleburg United Methodist Church – E.O. Young Elementary School
  • ACTS of Henderson – L.B. Yancey Elementary School
  • Mt. Zion United Church of Christ – New Hope Elementary School
  • Gang Free, Inc. – Pinkston St. Elementary School
  • Union Chapel United Methodist Church – Zeb Vance Elementary School
  • First United Methodist Church & The Garden Club – STEM Early High School
  • Dickies Grove Missionary Baptist Church – Vance County Middle School
  • SEANC District 21 – Vance County High School
  • 4 Point 0 Mobile Tutoring, Inc. – Vance Virtual Village Academy
  • NC Cooperative Extension 4-H – AdVance Academy