Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

VGCC to hold 32nd Benefit Golf Tournament on May 3rd

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Vance-Granville Community College’s 32nd Annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, presented by Union Bank, will be held at the Henderson Country Club on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. All event proceeds support the mission of the college, the Endowment Fund and student scholarships.

With the support of numerous golfers and sponsors, the annual event has raised more than $650,000 since its inception in 1985. The 2015 tournament alone generated a record-breaking $100,318.

This year’s morning and afternoon rounds will begin with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The afternoon round is sold out, but there are openings in the morning round.

The format is four-person “Captain’s Choice Super Ball.” Golfers can form their own teams of four, or sign up and be put on a team. Teams will be handicapped based on handicaps supplied by each player. Trophies will be awarded for first through third place teams in both rounds. Other awards will be given for “closest to the pin” and “longest drive.”

A hole-in-one on Hole 9 will be rewarded with a 2016 Toyota Avalon, courtesy of Toyota of Henderson, while a player who hits a hole-in-one on Hole 16 will win a 2016 Mahindra 1533 Tractor with Loader, courtesy of Vanco Outdoor Equipment.

Other special bonus prizes for both holes-in-one include PING golf clubs and bag (Hole 4), an iPod Touch and gift card (Hole 9) and an HDTV (Hole 11). Even if there is no hole-in-one, there will be special prizes for the golfer who comes closest to the pin on these holes.

The cost for one golfer to enter the tournament is $150. In either round, that fee includes greens fees, cart, meals, gift bag, and practice balls.

A light breakfast, lunch, and dinner (immediately following the afternoon round) will be served in the HCC clubhouse. A silent auction and door prize drawings will be held in conjunction with dinner.

Businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorship opportunities at various levels. Businesses may also donate products or premium items featuring the company’s logo to be placed in golfers’ gift bags, or to be given as door prizes.

For more information, contact Kay Currin at currink@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3409.

Henderson Man Arrested on Federal Gun Charge

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On Monday, March 28, 2016, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Unit arrested a Henderson man on federal gun charges. Ismil Rasheed Jeffers, 22, 113 Breland Drive, Henderson was taken into custody on the outstanding warrant.

Jeffers has been charged after a federal grand jury handed down a one count indictment in this matter. The charges stem from an incident on October 19, 2015 in Henderson. Jeffers was placed into the custody of the United States Marshall Service pending a hearing in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

VGCC holds Summer Term New Student Orientation sessions

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 Registration for classes and orientation sessions for new students have begun for the Summer 2016 term at Vance-Granville Community College, which starts Monday, May 23. Students who wish to enroll at VGCC starting in the Fall 2016 semester may also attend one of the orientation sessions for summer.

Attending an orientation session is required for all new students who wish to enroll in any of the college’s curriculum programs, and for students who are returning to VGCC after being away for three or more years. Students must also meet with an advisor or academic/career coach before registering for classes.

To attend an orientation session, a student must sign up in advance by visiting orientation.vgcc.edu.

VGCC now offers orientation in both an online and a traditional face-to-face format. In either format, orientation sessions help students learn where to find resources on campus or online, including how to register for classes through WebAdvisor.

Face-to-face orientation sessions are scheduled at VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County on Tuesday, March 29, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, April 19, at 9 a.m.; Thursday, April 21, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, May 10, at 9 a.m.; and Thursday, May 12, at 2 p.m.

At the Franklin County Campus near Louisburg, orientation sessions are scheduled on Tuesday, March 29, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, April 12, at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, April 19, at 5 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 3, at 9 a.m.

Orientation sessions are scheduled at VGCC’s South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner, on Wednesday, April 6, at 9 a.m.; Thursday, April 14, at 2 p.m.; and Wednesday, May 4, at 9 a.m.

Students who want to attend a face-to-face orientation session at the Warren County Campus in Warrenton should call (252) 257-1900 for more information.

Registration for summer classes is set to end on Thursday, May 19. College officials encourage students to apply for admission, attend orientation/advising, and register for classes as early as possible. Course schedules are now available online at schedules.vgcc.edu.

All summer curriculum courses are eight weeks in length and will end on July 25. The VGCC course selection for this summer’s term is more robust than in years past, including a variety of online and on-campus sections.

Summer term offers opportunities for eligible high school seniors to get a head start on college by taking courses through the Career & College Promise (CCP) program. University students may also use the summer to earn transferable credits while they are at home.

The tuition payment deadline is Thursday, May 19, by 5 p.m., if paying in person, or by midnight, if paying online through WebAdvisor.

For more information, contact VGCC at studentsuccess@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3330, or visit any campus.

Kristy Wins Shamrock Contest

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Kristy from Vance County found the Shamrock this year. The Shamrock was hidden on the very far point past the glass house under some of Kerr Lake’s famous shells. Didn’t win this year? You only have 350 days until the start of the next WIZS Shamrock contest. The prize this year was $400. Congrats goes to Kristy!

AT&T sponsors new VGCC Summer Bridge program

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AT&T North Carolina has made a $10,000 contribution to Vance-Granville Community College to support a new student success initiative. For the first time, the college will offer a “Summer Bridge” program this year for incoming first-year students. With AT&T’s sponsorship, the program will be available at no cost to participating students.

“Thanks to the strong support of AT&T North Carolina, in a few months, our faculty and staff will be able to offer some extra help to students to prepare them to succeed as scholars at the college level,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC.

Robert Doreauk, AT&T’s regional director of external affairs, formally presented the donation in February at a luncheon honoring donors to the college, held at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.

“We understand that there is no better way to make a lasting difference in a community than by helping support the education of its young people,” Doreauk said. “Through our signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, we support opportunities to foster skills that will meet the needs of the future workforce while helping all students make their biggest dreams a reality. We appreciate the opportunity to support the Summer Bridge program and are excited about the impact it will have on students’ lives and futures.”

VGCC Dean of Arts and Sciences Cynthia Young explained that Summer Bridge will be a comprehensive, two-week program with two overarching themes. “The first theme is providing targeted support, supplemental instruction and skill-building to help students accelerate their pathway from developmental education to regular curriculum courses,” Young said.

Most VGCC students take placement tests as part of the admissions process to evaluate their current skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Placement test scores are used for academic advising and correct course placement. Students may be placed in a developmental math course, for example, to build math skills before moving on to more challenging college courses that are required for diploma and degree programs.

“The second theme of the program is college readiness,” Young said. “Students will participate in orientation and meet with faculty from various curriculum programs so that they understand the opportunities that are available to them here at Vance-Granville. In addition, our coaches from the Student Success Center will help students in the program to create academic plans in line with their career goals.” Young said that the program will serve North Carolina residents who are high school or high school equivalency graduates, are entering VGCC for the first time, and have placed into developmental education.

“We are excited about introducing this program,” said Young. “It will give students more tools to be successful.”

The Summer Bridge initiative is being developed as Dr. Williams and other college leaders across the country are increasingly focused on bringing students up to speed quickly, so that they can start their college-level coursework earlier and graduate on schedule. According to a new report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement, 86 percent of students nationwide believe they are academically prepared to succeed in college, but 67 percent test into developmental coursework.

For more information on the Summer Bridge program, contact Cynthia Young at youngc@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3424.

City of Henderson demolishes abandoned home

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The Citizens Aligned To Take Back Henderson won a victory today as one of the 400 reported homes in the city was destroyed. The home was located at 910 West Andrews Avenue in Henderson. Heidi Owen, who is one of the instrumental leaders of Citizens Aligned To Take Back Henderson, told WIZS news, “What a huge difference taking down this one small structure makes. Imagine if the county and city can work together to remove all 400! We encourage supporters to contact our local leaders and and ask them to do the right thing for Henderson…for Vance County.”

To find out more about Citizens Aligned To Take Back Henderson be sure to like the group on Facebook, and listen to TownTalk on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

VGCC to host Afternoon Tea class

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Vance-Granville Community College will offer a course on the “afternoon tea” party, the tradition that is enjoying a renaissance as fine hotels, inns and tea rooms across the country give guests an opportunity to retreat from the hurried pace of their lives.

The course, called “Let’s Have a Tea Party,” will meet on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m., starting March 29. The final class and “graduation” ceremony is an actual afternoon tea party planned and facilitated by the students at Magnolia Manor Plantation in Warrenton on April 19, thanks to the generosity of owners Sheila and Larry Carver.

The instructor will be Dr. B.K. McCloud of Oxford, a 2012 graduate of the course and historian for the Old North State Tea Society (ONSTS). McCloud has a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and retired as a full professor of education at North Carolina Central University. She is also a member of the Granville County Historical Society and a docent at the Granville County Museum.

After completing the tea class at VGCC under the instruction of Constance Lue of Oxford, McCloud has continued her education in the world of tea by attending meetings of the ONSTS, frequenting tea rooms, reading, building her personal tea library, and attending classes. In 2013, she attended the International World Tea Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2015, McCloud participated in a tea master-class with international tea expert Jane Pettigrew in London, under the auspices of the U.K. Tea Council. That same year, she received her certification as a Tea and Etiquette Consultant after studying with Bruce and Shelley Richardson in Lexington, Kentucky.

McCloud’s students will learn about the history of tea; the difference between an afternoon tea party, a royal tea party and “High Tea”; and the proper way to make the best pot of tea. They will have tastings of a wide variety of teas (black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal) at each class meeting. Beyond the specifics of teas, students will consider qualities of grace, civility and etiquette. Participants might use what they learn to hold their own tea parties for children as well as their adult friends. Afternoon Tea also can be a way to raise funds for churches and clubs.

The cost of the course is $60 for four class sessions, plus $20 for the final tea at Magnolia Manor. Students will receive a valuable resource manual with recipes for tea time, tips on flower arranging, and a section on etiquette.

The deadline to register for this class is March 26. Prospective students can register online at www.vgcc.edu/ped or in person at Main Campus, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu.

VGCC installs first officers for SkillsUSA chapter

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The Vance-Granville Community College chapter of the national SkillsUSA organization, established only a few months ago, now has its first official student leaders.

On Feb. 29, four students signed their contracts and took their oaths as chapter officers. They included President Benjamin Layton of Kittrell (a Criminal Justice Technology student), Secretary/Treasurer Ashley Allen of Henderson (Office Administration), Reporter Harold Todd of Oxford (Criminal Justice Technology) and Parliamentarian Daniel Johnson of Louisburg (Paralegal Technology).

Performing the installation was Steve Hargrove, who chairs the Public Services department at VGCC and serves as lead advisor for the chapter. VGCC Paralegal Technology program head Antoinette Dickens, Office Administration program head Christal Thomas, Office Administration instructor Candy Parker, Medical Office Administration instructor Hollie Garrett and Business & Applied Technologies administrative assistant Kimberly Elliott also serve as advisors. Other faculty members are also helping to support and advise various committees for the organization.

At the installation ceremony, Hargrove played a video message that was recorded specifically for the historic occasion by Peyton Holland, the executive director of SkillsUSA North Carolina.

In closing remarks, VGCC Business Technologies department chair Spring Tucker thanked the students for taking on their new leadership roles.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations excel. Founded in 1965 as V.I.C.A. (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA has served nearly 12 million members in its 50-year history. Today, the organization has more than 360,000 students and instructors as members nationwide.

Among the benefits to VGCC students are opportunities to participate in competitions at the local, state and national levels, which are designed by industry experts and showcase the nation’s top career and technical education students. The chapter also provides students with opportunities for leadership, professional development, community service and social activities.

VGCC will soon send a delegation to the 50th annual SkillsUSA North Carolina State Leadership and Skills Conference, which will be held in Greensboro on April 19-21. Over 2,500 students, instructors, industry members, and volunteers will be on hand for the largest showcase of career and technical education in the state.

For more information on SkillsUSA at VGCC, contact Public Services department chair Steve Hargrove at hargroves@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3467.

Tobacco Trust Fund awards grant to VGCC

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The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has awarded a $25,000 grant to Vance-Granville Community College to support students in a pair of training programs.

The grant, for a project entitled “Cultivating and Growing Agricultural Communities,” will help cover the cost of tuition and other fees for eligible students in the “NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship” and “Heavy Equipment Operator” courses offered by VGCC. Grant funding will also support instructional staff, marketing and supplies related to the programs.

VGCC has offered the Agricultural Entrepreneurship program at various locations, most recently at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and the Granville County Expo & Convention Center. Heavy Equipment Operator training is held at VGCC’s Warren County Campus.

While this is the first grant of its kind awarded to VGCC, the college has previously received grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission as part of “Project Skill-UP.” As in those previous grants, the commission’s goal is to help individuals and communities adversely affected by the decline of tobacco-related employment in the region.

“We appreciate that the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission chose to support our agricultural efforts to help adults in our service area to gain new skills and in some cases, to start new careers or businesses,” said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s coordinator of Human Resources Development.

The seven-week NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship course is designed specifically to help local farmers and budding entrepreneurs succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound small farms or agricultural businesses.

One of VGCC’s newest programs, Heavy Equipment Operator training takes approximately 13 weeks to complete. During the course, students gain a general understanding of the requirements necessary to operate equipment such as a motor grader, a four-wheel drive loader and backhoe, which are used both in construction and in agriculture.

Students receiving grant funding must meet certain eligibility requirements and must be residents of Vance, Granville, Franklin or Warren counties. Each student can receive up to $250.

For more information on receiving assistance and the opportunities available at VGCC, contact Kyle Burwell at hrd-wk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3276.

For more information on the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, visit www.tobaccotrustfund.org.