Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

School Board Begins New Term With Swearing-In Ceremony Dec. 12

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Four members of the Vance County Board of Education were sworn in  Dec. 12  – two newcomers and two who returning members.

Randy Oxendine and Omega Perry are beginning their first terms on the school board, representing District 2 and District 6, respectively. They join returning board members Gloria White and Ruth Hartness.

White, who has represented District 1 since 2002, will be the new board chair; Oxendine was selected to be vice-chair.

“It has been my pleasure to serve the citizens of Vance County.,” she said in written information provided by Vance County Schools. “I am very appreciative of the people in District 1, for their continuous support and confidence in me. I believe in education. I believe that receiving a quality education can change a person’s life and the world. Without a quality education the future of our nation will be very bleak,” White said, adding that she is proud to live in Vance County and to be a member of the board of education.

Randy Oxendine decided to run for the District 2 seat being vacated by his wife, Darlynn Oxendine, who decided not to seek another term on the board.

He is a retired educator with the school system and has coached a variety of sports over the years.

Perry, the other newcomer to the board, was elected to the District 6 seat, which previously was held by Margaret Ellis, who retired from the board after 32 years. He is pastor at Cook’s Chapel AME Zion Church in Henderson and St. Mary’s AME Zion Church in Kittrell, but he also is a substitute teacher in Warren County Schools.

“I am excited,” Perry said. “My motto is helping the community one person at a time,” he said.

Hartness has been the District 7 representative on the school board for 22 years. She said she enjoys her service on the board and wants to continue working with Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett, who she said done “a phenomenal job” leading the school district. “My mission is to support her in our efforts to educate the young people of Vance County so they will be prepared and be successful when they leave us.”

Outgoing members Oxendine and Ellis were recognized for their contributions to the school board during the meeting. In addition to receiving a rocking chair, Ellis was given a keepsake album filled with photographs taken at her recent retirement celebration; Oxendine was presented with a poster highlighting her career with the school district. It was announced that the first game of the 2023-24 volleyball season would be named for Oxendine, with proceeds going to her favorite charity.

 

Bill Stanley Moves Into Lead Superintendent Role At Kerr Lake State Recreation Area

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Bill Stanley has been named lead superintendent at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area in Vance and Warren counties, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. He has served as a superintendent I at Kerr Lake since 2018.

A state park superintendent manages the operations and administration of a park and has responsibilities that include staffing, planning, environmental education, natural resources management, law enforcement and visitor services.

Originally from Ramseur, N.C., Stanley has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Stanley’s years at Kerr Lake have inspired a number of goals for his first year as superintendent.

“I want to improve community engagement and complete projects that improve visitor experiences at the park,” he said. “I want Kerr Lake to embody our mission of conservation, recreation and education.”

Stanley began his career in state parks in 2010 as a seasonal employee at Raven Rock in Harnett County and then worked as an AmeriCorps educator at Carvers Creek in Cumberland County. He took a park ranger position at Dismal Swamp State Park in Camden County before moving to Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.

North District Superintendent Kristen Woodruff said she looks forward to Stanley’s leadership to direct the park through growth and change.

“Bill’s familiarity with both the challenges and opportunities at Kerr Lake provide a foundation for excellent leadership as the park continues to grow and change. He is setting a new standard for the visitor experience at Kerr Lake,” she said.

Kerr Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of eight access areas around the shoreline of the 50,000-acre reservoir built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven campgrounds with hundreds of campsites allow visitors lakeside camping, and numerous shelters and community buildings provide popular venues for local gatherings.

All eight recreation accesses provide boat access to one of the best fishing lakes in the eastern United States.
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 258,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 22.7 million visitors annually.

Lessons & Carols Service At Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church Sunday At 5 PM

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The historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro is the site for a traditional service of Lessons and Carols this Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.

The community is invited to the service, which is fashioned in the style of King’s College in Cambridge, England.

St. John’s is the oldest frame church in North Carolina, and celebrates its 250th year in 2023.

In the days before the American Revolution, Williamsboro held a prominent position in the state. At one time, it was considered the prime location for a university – which ultimately was founded in Chapel Hill.

Early members of the church included John Penn, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Although not considered an active parish, St. John’s is maintained and supported by the Diocese of North Carolina and a dedicated committee made up largely of parishioners of The Church of the Holy Innocents in Henderson and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oxford.

These churches, as well as the former St. John’s in Henderson and St. Cyprian’s, Oxford, are offshoots of the church in Williamsboro.

The service of Lessons & Carols is one of several held at the church each year, including a Homecoming service in October and an Easter service.

You can follow St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamsboro on Facebook. (facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070992423730)

City of Henderson Logo

Council May Take Action Monday On Request For Motorsports Park

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UPDATE FROM WIZS RADIO – Click Here – wizs.com/henderson-zooms-ahead-with-racetrack-ordinance

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The Henderson City Council will hold a public hearing as part of its December meeting before possibly deciding whether to accept a request to allow a motorsports park within the city’s jurisdiction.

Included in the agenda packet for the Dec. 12 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., is an item from Devin Anderson and Justin Davis, who have submitted a request to open a race track. This request resulted in city staff drafting an ordinance that includes all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, automobiles and trucks. The planning board reviewed the information back in June, but member requested more time to review the ordinance.

In August, the planning board made a motion to deny the text amendment, and the council, at its October meeting, asked the land planning committee to review the information and recommend possible changes.

The committee met on Nov. 30 according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, and the council is scheduled to get an update and a possible recommendation before deciding whether to accept or deny the request.

According to the agenda packet, issues that were addressed by city staff include hours or operation, defining “racing event,” gravel parking and setbacks.

WIZS News asked Blackmon about the process, and in a reply by email, he said that the land planning committee had made minor changes to the ordinance based on recommendations from the city council’s October meeting.

“There is a revised text amendment that will go before council on Monday night,” Blackmon said, adding that the public hearing will be reconvened from October before council takes action.

Even if the text amendment is approved, Blackmon noted that there remain specific requirements to be met before a race track could be developed, including getting a special-use permit from the board of adjustment.

Check Receipts To Avoid Scanner Overcharges

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Four area stores in Vance County and one in Granville County have racked up more than $20,000 in civil penalties as a result of excessive price-scanner errors, according to information from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division.

These five area locations are among 70 stores in 38 counties across the state that were identified by the department’s standards division during the third quarter of 2022.

If it passes reinspection, the Raleigh Road Dollar General will not have to pay the $5,000 it was assessed. It has paid fines for excessive scanner errors earlier in the year. The other four stores – two Family Dollar stores and two Dollar Generals – paid fines ranging from $1,530 to $5,000.

“Our Standards Division continues to see a significant increase in stores with price scanner errors, as many stores continue to deal with staffing shortages,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a press release announcing the fines.

“During the holidays especially every penny counts, and we want consumers to pay attention during check out. Over the last year we have seen about 26 percent of price scanner inspections fail. It is always a good practice for consumers to check their receipts as well as the price on the shelf to make sure that they are paying the correct amount and alert managers if they are not correct.”

The department conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanner systems in businesses to check for accuracy between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2 percent error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection later. Undercharges are also reported, but do not count against a store.

Penalties are assessed if a store fails a follow-up inspection. In addition to the penalties paid, the store will be subject to re-inspection every 60 days from the last inspection until it meets the 2-percent-or-less error rate. Additional penalties may be assessed if a store fails a re-inspection.

Following is a breakdown of the information provided by the state:

• Family Dollar at 1414 East Andrews Ave. paid $3,715 in fines. An inspection in April found an error rate of six percent based on 18 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store also failed its previous three inspections and paid additional fines. The store passed inspection in June.

• Family Dollar at 901 South Beckford Drive, Henderson paid $5,000 in fines. An inspection in August found an error rate of 33.33 percent based on 100 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store also failed four previous inspections and paid additional fines. The store passed inspection in October with zero overcharges.

• Dollar General at 4500 N.C. Highway 39 South paid $1,530 in fines. An inspection in July found an error rate of 6 percent based on 18 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed inspection in September.

• Dollar General at 394 Raleigh Road was assessed a $5,000 fine. An inspection in October found an error rate of 27.67 percent based on 83 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store also failed three other inspections this year and paid additional fines. The store will be reinspected.

• Granville Dollar General at 108 Highway 15 North, Stovall paid $5,000 in fines. An inspection in October found an error rate of 17.33 percent based on 52 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store also failed and paid fines for three previous inspections this year. The store will be reinspected.

Consumers who would like to file a complaint about scanner errors they encounter can call the standards division at 984.236.4750.

State Highway Patrol

Single-Car Accident Claims Lives Of 2 Teenaged Sisters

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A single-car accident claimed the lives of two Henderson sisters late Wednesday evening.

According to reports from the N.C. State Highway Patrol, Zikera Kearney, 17, and her sister, Jaiah Kearney, 19, were traveling east on Hwy 158 Business near Pine Meadow Trail when the accident occurred about 11:45 p.m.

The younger sister was driving the Honda Accord, which ran off the right side of the road, struck a tree and overturned, striking another tree before coming to rest.

No other information was immediately available from the Highway Patrol.

 

6-Year-Old Victim Dies Of Gunshot Wound; Father Charged With Felony Child Abuse

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A six-year-old Vance County child is dead and his father has been charged with felony child abuse in connection with the weekend shooting death.

In a press statement from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, deputies were dispatched to 67 Hoyle Lane on Saturday afternoon. The boy, whose name has not been released, was taken to Maria Parham Hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit, with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into the incident.

During the investigation, the juvenile’s father,  identified as Eric Eugene Allen Rowe, 31, was arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Rowe was given a $90,000 secured bond for the charge and was bonded out a short time later.

No further details were made available.

The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200.

Rasheed To Receive Honorary Degree Dec. 10 From Alma Mater, Elizabeth City State University

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Abdul Sm Rasheed, current chair of the Vance-Granville Community College board of trustees, will soon add another accolade to his list of credentials.

Rasheed is scheduled to receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service from Elizabeth City State University during the university’s winter commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 10. A part of the ECSU Class of 1971, Rasheed has since served as president of the ECSU National Alumni Association, chair of the ECSU Foundation Board and chair of the ECSU Board of Trustees.

This latest honor marks a lifetime of service.

Rasheed founded and served as the CEO of the North Carolina Community Development Initiative and Initiative Capital. Across two decades, those efforts produced retail/commercial ventures, industrial projects, housing for seniors and families, jobs and services in low-income areas. From 2014 through 2016, he served as interim CEO of the Center for Leadership Innovation, managing a national grant and leadership development program for nonprofits. He then served as CEO of Wildacres Leadership Initiative from 2016 to 2017. Currently he serves as CEO and senior advisor to the board of Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity, Inc.

The honorary doctorate from ECSU is just the latest academic achievement for Rasheed. He already holds an honorary doctorate from Livingstone College, a bachelor of sciencedegree in basic business from ECSU, a master’s in education in counseling and personnel services from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and a master’s of science in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University. He is also a graduate of the senior executive management program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Rasheed lives in Henderson with his wife Marolyn; they have five children and seven  grandchildren.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

GVPH Community Assessment Released

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Every three years, health departments across the state evaluate community health priorities and create a community health assessment to guide their efforts and inform programs and projects that are important to the people they serve.

Granville Vance Public Health recently released its 2021 health assessment, in partnership with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, local agencies and Triangle North Healthcare Foundation. According to the document, the top three community health priorities in Vance and Granville counties are:

  • mental health and substance use disorder
  • access to health care – including affordability
  • engaging youth to advance community health and safety

“The CHA demonstrates synergy and informs Granville and Vance County residents about the strengths of our local community as well as opportunities for improvement,” said GVPH Director Lisa Harrison.
“The CHA results are used regularly by many groups in grant applications, program development, and can serve as an important consideration for economic development opportunities,” Harrison said in a press statement accompanying the health assessment document.

The CHA includes information collected from a variety of focus group meetings of area residents, as well as other data from agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau, local government agencies, school districts and the state and federal health agencies. A steering committee met regularly to guide the process and members of the community offered feedback throughout the process.

The Community Health Improvement Plan, conducted in October, engaged partners in the two counties to develop measurable objectives to address each priority, identify evidence-based strategies to achieve those objectives, and plan evaluation and accountability throughout the next three years.

Next steps include identifying specific evidence-based interventions and programs to incorporate into their overall plan for health services that address the three health priorities that were identified in the community assessment.

The comprehensive report provides a wealth of information about the two counties served by the health district, from high school graduation rates and access to grocery stores, to safety and recreational outlets.

View the full report at http://www.gvph.org/wp 

content/uploads/2022/09/GVPH-2021-CHA-Report_v2.pdf.

“American Pickers” Returning To NC, Looking For Local Collectors

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The TV show “American Pickers” is planning a return trip to North Carolina early next year and producers are already putting out feelers in hopes of turning up some unique finds to feature on the show.

Crews are planning to film episodes of the show in February 2023, according to information from Meredith Ball, one of the show’s producers. The show, which airs on The History Channel, is a documentary series that explores the world of antiques “picking.” Crews film “pickers” as they hunt for valuable antiques across the country.

“The way we find people and collections for our show is through spreading the word far and wide so that people know we’re coming to town,” Ball stated.

“…the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics,” she continued. “Along the way, they want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items (with the) hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.”
One important note to consider is that the show only chooses individual collectors and do not consider stores, flea markets, museums, auctions or other retail outlets open to the public.

Private collectors or others with an “accumulation of antiques” should contact show representatives at americanpickers@cineflix.com and make sure to include your full name, city/state, contact information and a brief description of items in your collection.

Phone 646.493.2184 or click here to find them on Facebook.