Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Officials Brave Chilly Temps For Epsom Park Groundbreaking Dec. 6

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The long-awaited Epsom Park is one step closer to completion following a recent ground-breaking ceremony to turn over those first shovels full of dirt on the property of the former Epsom School.

Franklin County purchased the 7.62 acres at the corner of Eaves Road and N.C. 39 way back in 2006. A sign marked the site as the “Future Home of Epsom Park” for years, and that dream is becoming a reality some 18 years later.

Thanks to a $434,625 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority’s Trust Fund – which was matched by Franklin County – the park is embarking on Phase 1, which Franklin County Parks and Rec Director K.P. Kilpatrick said should be complete by fall 2025.

Phase 1 will feature paved walking loops, a multi-purpose field, sand volleyball, cornhole and playground, as well as a picnic shelter and restrooms.

Kilpatrick spoke to the group gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony that chilly, breezy Dec. 6 morning and said the park will stand as a symbol of what can be accomplished when people and entities work together.

“Creating a space for one another,” he said, “brings the promise for a brighter future.”

District 2 Commissioner Roxanne Bragg said the park has been a dream for the Epsom community for a long time, and she looks forward to having the community in her district be able to enjoy its amenities.

Visit https://www.franklincountync.gov/county_services/parks___recreation/index.php 

and click the Epsom Park link on the left side of the page to view site plans, maps and a video of the groundbreaking.

VGCC Logo

VGCC Community Band Winter Concert Dec. 16

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–information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

The holiday season has officially begun, and the VGCC Community Band is back in action this month to present its annual Holiday Concert.

This year’s event will occur on Monday, Dec. 16, at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last about an hour. Admission is free to the public.

“Nothing is better than a big old-timey band concert,” said band director Brian Miller, “and the Vance-Granville Band is delighted to present to you our Winter Concert in the heart of historic downtown Henderson. We invite everyone to this free event featuring Christmas music, band classics, popular music, and classical music!”

Concertgoers can expect to hear festive favorites like “Feliz Navidad” and “Good King Wenceslas” alongside music from blockbuster soundtrack composer Michael Giacchino.

Some songs will be performed by the entire 39-piece band, while others will feature smaller groups.

Betsy Henderson, department chair of Fine Arts at the College, echoes Brian Miller’s invitation to the community. “This concert always kicks off my holiday season; it’s a lovely way to spend an evening. I urge you to come get into the holiday spirit with me!”

The VGCC Community Band contains both VGCC students and non-student adult community members with a wide range of abilities and experience. Participants represent the College’s four-county service area and beyond, some traveling from as far away as Virginia. The VGCC Community Band rehearses every Monday evening at the College’s Main Campus Civic Center in Henderson, and there is no membership fee for participating.

To learn more about the band, contact Director Miller at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu.

(This story was originally posted Dec. 6, 2024.)

Clarke Elementary Family Resource Center Open For Business

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Clarke Elementary now has a Community Schools Family Resource Center, and school and community leaders celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting Tuesday morning.

The Family Resource Center will serve as a hub to connect families with resources ranging from academic support to access to health and community programs, according to information from school officials.

There’s a food pantry and a clothes closet, with all items free of charge to those in need.

Clarke Elementary Principal Dr. C’Monee Wilkins and Community Schools Coordinator Krystle Lindsey, along with Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott, Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson and others marked the official opening of the resource center.

The Family Resource Center is a one-stop shop to provide guidance, connect families to valuable services and strengthen community partnerships.

The resource center is located in Room 121, right across from the front office.

It’s open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but is also open by appointment. Please contact Lindsey at klindsey@vcs.k12.nc.us to learn more.

In addition to food and clothing, families can access other services, including laundry machines and access to shower facilities and computers.

‘Festival Of Trees’ Sign-Up Extended Through Dec. 12

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The City of Henderson’s Downtown Development Commission invites you to join in the fun and participate in the Festival of Trees that will be on display for the Very Merry Henderson Holiday Fest on Saturday, Dec. 7 and beyond.

Participation is free for businesses, organizations and individuals. The Festival of Trees will be held in the gallery between McGregor Hall and Perry Memorial Library. Reserve a space by contacting Tracy Madigan at 252.425.0844 or email tracymadigan@henderson.nc.gov.

Here are a few friendly guidelines to keep in mind:

  • No live trees – only artificial trees
  • Set up Thursday, Dec. 5 and Friday, Dec. 6 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon; Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 9-12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • If your tree is lighted, please bring your own 10-foot or 20-foot extension cord
Duke Energy

Duke Energy Customers Will See Slight Drop In Rate Prices

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The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the Duke Energy Progress request to lower customer rates by 4.5 percent.

The lower rates begin this month.  In a message to WIZS, Duke Energy’s Local Government and Community Relations Manager Beth Townsend said, “It’s important to note that with the cold snap we’re having right now, most customers are using more energy compared to last month – we had a very warm fall. If you’re running your heat around the clock, your next bill will be higher of course – but it will be 4.5 percent lower than what it would have been under the old rates.”

In a press release from Townsend, it’s indicated that Duke Energy Progress residential customer rates in North Carolina will decrease 4.5 percent as part of an annual adjustment for the cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the utility’s power plants.

The release said, “A typical residential customer in North Carolina using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see an overall decrease of $7.34, or about 4.5 percent lower than prior rates… That is 11 percent below the national average of $174.21 – a difference of approximately $235 per year.”

Commercial customers will benefit too, from an average decrease of about 6.3 percent, while industrial customers will see an average decrease of less than 0.1 percent.

Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.5 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina, including Raleigh, as well as the Asheville region.

VCS Student Spotlight Winners

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 — information courtesy of Grace Herndon, VCS Communication & Innovative Support

Vance County Schools recognizes two elementary school students for Student Spotlight honors in November. Kaylor Cross from Dabney Elementary and Ireana Tuck of New Hope Elementary each demonstrate strong leadership qualities and make exceptional contributions at their respective schools.

The Student Spotlight program, sponsored by Vance County Schools in partnership with the Vance County Public School Foundation, highlights students who go above and beyond and who embody qualities like kindness, dedication and a strong commitment to personal growth and service to others.

Kaylor Cross, 4th Grade

Kaylor is an excellent student who shows leadership skills and kindness at Dabney Elementary. Her teachers Justin Wrenn and Ginger Glover nominated Kaylor because of her dedication to learning, her positive attitude and the impact she makes on those around her.

Kaylor shines academically, especially in her favorite subject – math – which she enjoys for its challenges and fun. She recently loved learning about the Middle Ages through CKLA. Her self-motivation and maturity make her a model student, always eager to help classmates with their work and foster positive relationships. Kaylor is active in the AIG program and has previously participated in Robotics.

She spends her free time playing basketball, being outdoors and engaging with Girl Scout Troop 245. She also enjoys comic books, Hello Kitty, and Despicable Me. Kaylor dreams of becoming a math teacher or basketball player and credits her parents as her biggest inspirations, valuing their encouragement and support.

If given a superpower, she would choose to fly and travel anywhere. Her dream trip would take her to New York City to shop and visit the Statue of Liberty.

Kaylor’s advice to others is simple yet meaningful: “Work hard, focus, and be kind.” Congratulations, Kaylor, on being an exceptional leader and learner!

Ireana Tuck, 5th grade

Ireana stands out as a leader and role model. As president of the Beta Club and a member of the Robotics Club, Ireana is a shining example of commitment and excellence. Math is her favorite subject because it comes naturally to her, and she loves a good challenge—like recently mastering how to convert improper fractions to mixed fractions. Outside of school, Ireana cheers for Champions in Motion, sings at Huntsville Baptist Church, and enjoys making colorful bracelets.

Her kindness shines in everything she does, from helping her dad build bunk beds to supporting her classmates when they need assistance in class. Her future goal is to become a small-animal veterinarian, inspired by her love for helping others. She is very fond of animals, including her four dogs.

Ireana credits her family for teaching her to “do right by people” and her teachers, especially Mrs. Broughton, for making school a welcoming place. If given a magic wand, she would wish for money to support her family—a true reflection of her selfless nature. Ireana’s advice to others? “Do good things for others and lead by example.” With her leadership, positivity and drive, she is a true Spotlight Student!

Both students are exemplary representatives of Vance County Schools and the Student Spotlight program. They embody the values of kindness, dedication and a commitment to learning. They inspire others and are a source of pride for their school communities and the district.

Sossamon Requests Hand-To-Eye Recount In District 32 Contest

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From the N.C. State Board of Elections

After the initial machine recount, Republican candidate Frank Sossamon trails Democratic candidate Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, 21,215 to 20,987. State law permits a candidate to request a sample hand-to-eye recount within 24 hours after the initial recount. Sossamon requested the recount.

The State Board conducted a random drawing at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2 to determine the Election Day precincts or early voting sites that will be recounted by hand in Granville and Vance counties.

The Vance County Board of Elections will conduct its hand recount starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Henry A. Dennis Building, 300 S. Garnett St.

The Granville County Board of Elections will conduct its hand recount in the sample of precincts starting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Granville County Board of Elections, 208 Wall St., Oxford.

NC State Board of Elections

State Board Completes Canvass, Certifies Most Results Of Nov. 5 Elections

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The State Board of Elections on Tuesday unanimously certified the results of the 2024 general election in North Carolina, ensuring the ballots of more than 5.7 million voters were counted.

The bipartisan State Board voted 5–0 to canvass the votes cast in all ballot items within the jurisdiction of the State Board, including the presidential contest, and authenticate the count in every ballot item, except for contests under recount.

More than 5.7 million NC voters cast ballots in the November 5 election, a 73.7 percent turnout of registered voters.

“Today, the State Board made sure that the votes of more than 5.7 million North Carolinians who voted in the 2024 election were counted,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We appreciate the hard work of election officials and poll workers across North Carolina who helped make this election a success, despite the catastrophic Hurricane Helene, which struck just weeks before Election Day.”

According to information on the N.C. State Board of Elections website, certificates of elections will be issued to winning candidates 6 days after today’s canvass, except for the presidential race (determined by the Electoral College),  contests under recount and contests with pending protests.

The 10 contests currently under review include:

  • NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6 (Statewide)​
  • NC State Senate District 18 (Granville, Wake)​
  • NC State Senate District 42 (Mecklenburg)​
  • NC House of Representatives District 032 (Granville, Vance)​
  • NC House of Representatives District 105 (Mecklenburg) ​
  • Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners (Cabarrus)​
  • Pitt County Board of Commissioners District C (Pitt)​
  • City of Trinity City Council Ward 03 (Randolph)​
  • Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education Seat 05 (Salisbury) (Rowan)
  • Wilson County Board of Education District 04 (Wilson)​

The state certification came after the 100 county boards of elections recently certified results at the county level and after post-election audits conducted over the past couple weeks verified the counts. The State Board will issue certificates of election to the prevailing candidates in contests under State Board jurisdiction.

Vance County Logo

Program For Low-Income Residents Offers Help With Winter Heat Bills

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The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time annual vendor payment to help eligible families pay their heating expense.  If you received a LIEAP payment in 2023-2024, someone in the household was disabled and receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services OR households containing a person aged 60, an automatic payment will be generated to that same account this fiscal year. It is not necessary to re-apply. The state mailed notices in October 2024 to each family from the 2023-2024 pre-populated application information, according to Cassandra Hart with the Vance County Department of Social Services.

The notice contains instructions about how to report changes to the department. The recipient can contact or return the notice with changes to their local DSS office within 10 business days. If the recipient does not contact or report any changes to DSS, the information from the 2023-2024 LIEAP application will be used to approve the household for 2024-2025 benefits. The recipient will be informed that an automated LIEAP payment was approved.

Households not included in the target population will be able to apply following regular LIEAP application policy. Regular application policy is as follows:

  • Application period begins Dec. 1 for households with a disabled person who is receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services OR households containing a person aged 60 and above are potentially eligible during the month of December or until funds are exhausted.
  • Applications for general public will be taken from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31 or until funds are exhausted.

This program is being administered by:

Vance County Department of Social Services

500 N. Beckford Dr. Ste. C

Henderson, NC 27536

office 252.492.5001 ext. 3900

fax 252.438.5997

email Vance.County.DSS@vance.nc.gov

Applications may be submitted by mail, email, fax, dropped off, in person, or online (epass.nc.gov/),

When applying, the following information may be needed to determine eligibility:

  • Information about your household’s income. If anyone works, provide wage stubs for the month prior to the month of application
  • Recent statement for savings or checking accounts
  • Name, date of birth, and social security card or numbers for each household member
  • Account number for the heating source. Households that heat with wood/kerosene, will not have a bill to submit

Heating bill-If the bill is not in applicant’s or other household member’s name, the applicant must provide a written statement from the person whose name the bill is in (must be 18 or older), stating that applicant is responsible for payment of the heating expense.

(Originally published on WIZS.com on November 18, 2024.)

Longtime VGCC President, Dr. Ben F. Currin, Dies

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Dr. Benjamin Fleming Currin, long-time president of Vance-Granville Community College,  died on Nov. 23, 2024. Under his leadership, VGCC grew from a single campus to four campuses, doubled its enrollment and saw its Endowment Fund swell to $5 million. He was 88.

Ben was born on November 13, 1936 in Granville County to Sophia Hunt Currin and Elam Ray Currin. He attended the public schools of then Oxford City Schools. He graduated from Oxford High School in 1955 and earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is survived by his wife, Betsy, a son, George and a granddaughter, Catherine.

According to his obituary, “Ben was a man of the people and had the rare ability to relate to and care about people from all walks of life. He and Betsy devoted their lives to education—he was a teacher, school principal, school superintendent, and community college president.”

Current VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais sent a message to staff and board members on Sunday afternoon to share the news of Currin’s passing. “It is with sadness that I communicate with you this weekend,” the statement read. “I know that some of you worked with him or went to college when he was president,” Desmarais stated. He held a variety of positions in public schools systems across the state, beginning in 1959 in Durham as a teacher and coach. He rose through the ranks and became the youngest principal in the state just a couple of years later when he was named principal at Eureka Elementary in Wayne County. By 1970, he was named superintendent of Rocky Mount City Schools and led the school system for more than a decade.

Currin was named VGCC president in 1981 and retired in 1998. During that time, VGCC experienced exponential growth.

In 2016, Ben received the I.E. Ready Award, the highest honor given by the North Carolina Community College System, which recognizes individuals who have made significant, statewide contributions to the establishment, development or enhancement of the community college system. Currin also was a Mason and a Shriner.

A graveside service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery in Oxford, North Carolina, 530 Hillsboro St., at a date and time to be announced.

Brown-Wynne Funeral Home is handling arrangements. View the full obituary at dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/raleigh-nc/benjamin-currin-12104838. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dr. Ben F. Currin scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College, or to Transitions LifeCare.

In an article about the I.E. Ready award written in 2016, WIZS News spoke with L. Opie Frazier Jr. about Currin’s accomplishments. Frazier was chair of the VGCC board of trustees for many of the years during Currin’s tenure as president, and Frazier called Currin “a godsend” as part of the written nomination for the award. “His greatest asset was his emphasis on students. The second was his enthusiasm. His successes are many – for example, the satellite campuses started under his leadership and the scholarship program that grew dramatically – because he wanted the best for students, and his enthusiasm helped him win friends at various levels to help him grow the college and serve more students,” Frazier wrote.

In remarks at the 2009 ceremony at which Currin received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Dr. J. Reid Parrott Jr., retired president of Nash Community College, cited the positive impact Currin had on VGCC. “I want to tell you, I’ve been doing this community college stuff a long time, and there is no president of all 58 of our schools that has transformed an institution as quickly and as magnificently as Ben Currin did at Vance-Granville,” Parrott said.