Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

VGCC Community Band Presents Holiday Concert Dec. 11 At McGregor Hall

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-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

 

On Monday, December 11, the VGCC Community Band will present its annual Holiday Concert at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. There is no charge for admission.

 

The public is invited to this performance, which will feature a variety of seasonal music and non-holiday favorites. Selections will include patriotic music, a medley influenced by the popular sea shanty genre, and holiday songs ranging from “Mary, Did You Know?” to “Santa at the Symphony.”

 

“I always see the VGCC Community Band concert as the start of my holidays,” said Betsy Henderson, department chair of Fine Arts and Humanities for Vance-Granville Community College. “It’s a great tradition for the whole family! You’ll be entertained with some classic holiday music, and your spirits will be lifted.”

Directed by Brian D. Miller of Louisburg, the VGCC Community Band is comprised of both VGCC students and non-student adult community members. Band members have a wide range of abilities and experience and come from the college’s four-county service area and beyond; some members are from Virginia. Contact Director Miller at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu to learn more about the band program.

 

 

Celebrate Christmas Bluegrass-Style At Sunday Concert At Clearview Church

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Join Jimmy and the Sound Barriers this Sunday at Clearview Church for a special holiday performance, Bluegrass style.

“Christmas Time’s A-Comin’” will begin at 6 p.m. at Clearview Church, 3485 Hwy .158 Business in Henderson.

The event is free and open to the public. A love offering will be taken to benefit Anchor of Hope, a women’s ministry whose mission is to provide for those in need with gifts of gas cards, food and blankets.

“Their mission is to make Christ visible to all, and to let them know they are not alone in the storms of life,” Barrier stated. The group donates blankets to children and to the sick as a reminder that they are being covered with the grace and love of God.

Vance County Logo

Elevated Lead Levels Found In Two Recent County Water Samples

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Some county water customers may find some information in their upcoming water bills letting them know that some recent samples have tested high for lead.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners heard from Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles during the Monday work session, who outlined the next steps required to address the violation. The county must comply with nine steps set out by the N.C. Division of Enviornmental Quality in a report Nobles received on Nov. 2.

He singled out two locations, one on Warrenton Road and one on Vicksboro Road, that were found to be at .030 MG/L (milligrams per liter) – double allowable threshold of .015 MG/L.

“It’s not a concern that’s affected our whole system,” Nobles told commissioners.

Vance County Manager Renee Perry said that, in addition to informing the public in a variety of ways about the levels,  Envirolink – the county’s contracted water department – would perform more sampling to determine the source of the lead.

In an email to WIZS News Wednesday, Perry said the county has to perform a lead inventory to identify all the existing piping that contain elements with lead in it, and therefore need replacing. Pipe replacement is not part of Envirolink’s activities, she said.

There could be several possible causes, she said, including the source of water, the distribution system (material with lead components) and the sample point itself.

“Due the monitoring results, the lead was not detected in the majority of the sites, so we can conclude that neither the water source, nor the distribution system have these implications,” she said, which means the community is not exposed to a potentially harmful situation.

Perry said that once additional samples are analyzed, the county will get the results and send to the affected locations a consumer notice of lead tap water results.

 

Henderson Police Arrest Two On Drug Charges; Heroin, Cocaine, Marijuana, Oxycodone Seized At Local Motel

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Henderson police arrested two individuals on a variety of drug charges including manufacturing cocaine and trafficking heroin Tuesday at a local motel.

After serving a narcotics search warrant at the “121” Motel, Room 232, located at 197 Parham Rd., officers of the Henderson Police Department approximately 450 dosage units of heroin, 12.9 grams of marijuana, 14.7 grams of cocaine, 38 Suboxone Strips, oxycodone, drug manufacturing equipment, $1,512 in U.S. currency, and one semi-automatic pistol, according to information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

Arrested were Devon Blake Rhodes, 27 and Dylaney Darnes, 21, Barrow stated.

Both Devon Rhodes and Dylaney Darnes each were charged with:

  • two counts of trafficking heroin
  • two counts of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver heroin
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver cocaine
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver Schedule II
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver Schedule III
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver marijuana
  • manufacture cocaine
  • possession of drug paraphernalia
  • possession of drug paraphernalia not marijuana

Rhodes received an additional charge of possession of firearm by a felon. Both were remanded to the Vance County Detention Center. Darnes received a $580,000 secured bond; Rhodes received no bond due to being on pre-trial release.

Chamber “Shop With A Cop” Fundraiser Nets $15,000

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The Shop With A Cop fundraiser sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce was a huge success, and Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson said law enforcement officers and first responders were going to have about $15,000 to spend on their upcoming shopping spree with area youngsters.

A celebratory reception held last week for all the sponsors went great, Wilkerson said Monday. About 100 people attended the event, which included a 50/50 raffle. Between the proceeds of the raffle and a couple of last-minute sponsors, Wilkerson said the fundraiser exceeded her initial expectations of $11,000.

According to Wilkerson, Barrow commented that it’s the most money he’s heard any program in the area getting for a Christmas shopping program.

The shopping spree will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 19 at the Walmart in Henderson.

Rebuild Communities NC Teams Up With AARP To Host Computer Classes Beginning Dec. 5

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Join Rebuild Communities NC at Perry Memorial Library for a Digital Skills Ready@50+ program to learn more about navigating an increasingly digital world.

Rebuild Communities NC is again partnering with AARP’s Senior Planet to help senior adults learn more online skills.

Whether you want to learn how to participate in a Zoom call or host your own, the classes will have something for anyone interested in honing their computer application skills.

Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the library’s Farm Bureau Room.

Whether you’re hoping to stay connected with family and friends, interested in learning new technologies, exploring  entrepreneurship, or looking for a job, the classes offer trainings technologies like video conferencing and accessing online job search.

The first two classes – Tuesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 7 – will discuss using Zoom.

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, the topic will be “Exploring & Downloading Apps;” the topic for Thursday, Dec. 14 is a lecture on Cloud Storage.

The classes will resume in January.

 

 

Churches Sponsor Camp Meeting Dec. 4-8 At McGregor Hall

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Henderson’s second annual weeklong Camp Meeting will be held Dec. 4-8 at McGregor Hall.

Each evening will feature preachers and musical performances. The public is invited to attend – admission is free, but an offering will be taken up each night, according to information from Andy Matthews, one of the organizers.

The nightly meetings begin at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Scott Matthews, who also will be the guest preacher on Wednesday, along with evangelist Dale Vance.

Other preachers include Kenny Baldwin (Monday), Joe Arthur (Tuesday) and C.T. Townsend (Thursday).

Nightly musical entertainment will feature The Matthews Family. The Morrison Sisters will take the stage Wednesday through Friday and special guests Andy Leftwich & Friends will conclude the weeklong activities with a special Christmas show on Friday evening.

The camp meeting is supported by more than half a dozen churches across Vance County, Scott Matthew said. His father, Ronnie Matthews is pastor of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Henderson.

For more information, call Scott Matthews 864.490.0852 or Ronnie Matthews 252.425.9035.

NC Forest Service

Veterans Can Get Seedlings At Discount From N.C. Forest Service

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The N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20 percent discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel during the month of November. Beginning Nov. 13, the discount applies to the first $500 of all new orders, up to a $100 discount.

“Many forestland owners in this state are veterans and current military members who choose country before self to the benefit of us all,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I am proud to offer a discount that not only shows appreciation for their brave service but that also assists them with keeping forests healthy, another act that provides us all with numerous benefits.”

To be eligible, veterans must show a valid military ID, Department of Defense Form 214/215 or National Guard Bureau Form 22/22A is acceptable. Standard shipping rates still apply. Tree seedlings may be ordered by calling 1-888-NCTREES or by visiting www.buynctrees.com.

The N.C. Forest Service Nursery and Tree Improvement program ensures that residents of North Carolina have access to the best native trees and genetics available for use on their land. Current available inventory includes southern yellow pines, native oaks and hardwoods, native understory grasses and Christmas tree species. For a complete list of available species and pricing, visit https://www.ncforestservice.gov/nursery/NurseryandTreeImprovement.htm.

NC State Board of Elections

State Elections Officials Want Input On New Voter Photo ID Rule

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Now that voters have had a chance – or two – to cast their ballots in municipal elections, the N.C. State Board of Elections wants to hear comments about the new photo ID requirement. A public comment period opened today and runs through Jan. 16, 2024 to allow the public to comment on the rule, which the General Assembly passed into law in 2018.

There are several ways to send comments:

An in-person public hearing will be held on Dec. 13, 2023 at 11 a.m. State Board of Elections Office on the Third Floor of the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Granville Vance Public Health Launches Tooth Club To Promote Oral Health In Children

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Thanks to a $50,000 grant, Granville Vance Public Health is launching a school-based oral health program called the Tooth Club to support and improve dental health among children.

The grant comes from the Triangle North Health Care Foundation and the GVPH Carolina Fellows Family Dentistry clinic will oversee the program to provide preventive and restorative care in various school settings, including Headstart, Henderson Collegiate and Vance County Schools, according to information from GVPH Workforce Development Jesus Peralta.

Regular preventive dental care is essential for good oral health, and early childhood tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States. Not all children in Vance and Granville counties have access to dental care. If left untreated, tooth decay can lead to infection and pain that can inhibit a child’s ability to eat, sleep, speak, play, and learn, as well as cause chronic childhood health challenges such as diabetes, heart disease and malnourishment.

The Tooth Club will offer preventive oral care, such as cleanings, x-rays, fluoride, sealants and oral health education to uninsured students enrolled in the SBOH clinics. Services are provided at no cost to the student or family – regardless of insurance status, household income or immigration status. Student participants can also receive restorative oral health care services at no cost.

Dr. Navid Nesab, the dentist at Carolina Fellows Family Dentistry, stated: “Our School Based Oral Health clinics allow students to receive preventive oral health services within a familiar school environment, reduce the amount of time students are absent from school for oral health appointments, and keep parents from having to miss work to take their child to the dentist for needed oral health services. Triangle North Health Care Foundation’s grant also allows us the ability to perform restorative care for uninsured SBOH patients at no cost to the families.”

Any child attending HeadStart, Henderson Collegiate, or Vance County Public Schools is eligible to enroll for the SBOH clinics, held at each school location periodically. To enroll your student, please contact the School Nurse at your child’s school to obtain the consent form or contact the dental clinic directly at 919.693.8797 or by email at dental@gvph.org. Visit  https://www.gvph.org/clinic/dental/ to learn more.