Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

WIZS Continuing Coverage For Local Elections

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With early voting now underway for the upcoming March primary elections, WIZS continues to provide comprehensive coverage to give listeners information about candidates in local contests.

On Monday, Feb. 19, hear from the two candidates vying for the District 2 seat on the Vance County Board of Commissioners. Democratic incumbent Archie B.Taylor, Jr. faces opposition from Democratic challenger Valencia Perry. Their interviews were recorded and will be aired – unedited – in their entirety.

The other contested race is for the District 5 seat on the Board of Education – incumbent Democrat Linda Cobb faces challenger William Earl Purvis, also a Democrat. Find interviews with Cobb and Purvis on wizs.com, as well as a write-up on the WIZS webpage. The interviews were aired on TownTalk Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Stay tuned to wizs.com for complete election coverage.

Vance County Logo

Bigelow Out As County’s Chief Finance Officer

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Vance County Deputy County Manager/Chief Finance Officer Katherine Bigelow was relieved of her duties last week, according to County Manager Renee Perry, for fraud and falsification of records for personal profit.

“Katherine was terminated as of Feb. 9 – last Friday,” Perry told WIZS News.

Perry said Bigelow, who had said she was a licensed certified public accountant, used a license number that does not belong to her. “Katherine is not licensed as a CPA,” Perry said.

“The county has to go through an audit every year,” Perry explained, adding that “if a person identifies as a CPA, then auditors request copies of your certification.”

She said Bigelow, who has been the finance director since 2019, submitted “a certification for a CPA licensure that did not belong to her…she misrepresented herself with someone else’s licensure as a CPA.”

Just last month, Perry announced that county commissioners had agreed to a $25,000 bump in pay for Bigelow, bringing her salary to $136,503. That’s when her title was updated to Deputy County Manager/Chief Finance Officer.

Perry said the job posting was put on the county’s website after Bigelow was terminated.

“I wasn’t playing,” Perry said. “I couldn’t wait.”

Chuck Murray, who served as interim finance director before Bigelow came on board, will again serve as interim, beginning Monday, Perry said. He will help out two or three days a week.

A CPA licensure is not a requirement for the position of county finance director.

Perry cited the section in the county personnel policy that refers to “detrimental personal conduct for fraud and falsification of records for personal profit, to gain special privileges or to obtain employment” as the basis for the termination.

Early voting begins Thursday, Feb. 15 For March 5 Primary

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Early voting begins Thursday, Feb. 15 for the upcoming March primary elections, and there are two contested local races on the ballot for Vance County voters to consider, according to information from Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin.

There are a total of four seats on the board of commissioners, as well as three seats on the board of education; District 2 Commissioner Archie Taylor faces challenger from fellow Democrat Valencia Perry to determine who will be on the November 5 ballot.

In the District 5 School Board race, Democratic incumbent Linda Cobb faces Democratic challenger William Earl Purvis in the primary election.

The other seats on the ballot include Districts 1, 5 and 6 for the board of commissioners and seats for Districts 3 and 4.

Each candidate is running unopposed in the primary election; however, there are two candidates – one Republican and one Democrat – in the race for the District 1 seat on the board of commissioners.

The incumbent, Democrat Carolyn Faines, faces opposition from Republican challenger William Heitman.

Gardening “Organic” Topic Of Feb. 19 Cooperative Extension Workshop

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If you like the idea of growing your own vegetables without having to use pesticides and fertilizers, there’s a workshop coming up at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market just for you.

The class, presented by Vance County Cooperative Extension technician Wayne Rowland, will be held on Monday, Feb. 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

This workshop will benefit beginner gardeners as well as those with years experience growing fruits and vegetables.

You’ll learn how to increase your crop production and how to provide plant nutrients and manage pests that satisfy the principles of organic vegetable production.

Please register for the workshop by calling Rowland 252-438-8188 or via email at dwrowlan@ncat.edu.

Maria Parham Health Recognizes Directors, Employee Of The Year

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Maria Parham Health staff, administrators and community leaders gathered Wednesday to honor several hospital employees for their contributions.

Shannon Satterwhite, director of the Medical and Surgical Unit, and Travis Thompson, director of Imaging, received Director of the Year awards in the clinical and ancillary fields, respectively.

Amy Darnell was named Employee of the Year for her “unwavering dedication and positivity” that makes a “profound difference every day,” according to social media posts about the event.

The winners are determined by the votes of MPH employees and providers, which hospital officials say make these awards meaningful recognitions of the recipients’ accomplishments in the workplace.

Arts Alive 2024 Comes To McGregor Hall Mar. 16

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Arts Alive 2024 is gearing up to showcase the varied talents of students across Vance County.

This year’s event will take place Saturday, March 16 at McGregor Hall in downtown Henderson and will include singers, artists, dancers, musicians and actors from across the school district who will share their creativity and talent with the community.

The Art Gallery will open at 3 p.m., followed by Heart of the Art at 3:30 p.m.  and the Talent Showcase will begin at 5 p.m., according to information from the Vance County Public School Foundation. The event is free.

Show your support by purchasing an Arts Alive  t-shirt and wearing it the day of the show- but hurry, you need to order by Saturday, Feb. 10 to receive it before the show.

Visit www.vcs.k12.nc.us,  locate the box for K-12 Payment Center on the right side of the page and follow the prompts. You’re just a few clicks away from purchase.

Contact VCS Director of Fine Arts and Physical Education Andrew Markoch at amarkoch@vcs.k12.nc.us or 252.739.7110 to learn more.

Follow updates to the annual arts showcase at https://sites.google.com/vcs.k12.nc.us/artsalive2024/home?authuser=0

The foundation also is seeking sponsors for the event, and all donations support the foundation’s work within the county to provide students and staff enriching experiences as they grow in their educational journey.

Sponsorship levels range from $25 to $2,000. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support this annual event by Mar. 1. All sponsors will be listed in the Arts Alive  program.

Here’s a breakdown of the sponsorship levels:

Friend – $25-$50

Bronze – $51-$150

Silver – $151-$250

Gold – $251-$499

Platinum – $500-$999

Diamond – $1,000-$1,999

Pinnacle – $2,000+

TownTalk: Applications For VCS Innovative Schools Due By Feb. 29

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Parents of students in Vance County Schools have until Feb. 29 to submit applications for their children to attend any of five Innovative Schools in the district.

VCS Communication & Innovative Support liaison Aarika Sandlin and Rey Horner, chief officer for Student Services, were guests on TownTalk Wednesday to provide details about the programs each school offers as well as the process for applying.

The application is available at the district website, https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/

and Sandlin said registration can be completed entirely online for parents’ convenience. If, however, a parent needs to access the application another way, please contact Horner at rhorner@vcs.k12.nc.us or phone 252.492.2127.

The five schools cover PK through high school, Sandlin said. The five schools are E.M. Rollins STEAM, STEM Early High School (grades 6-8), Vance County Early College High School, AdVance Academy and Vance Virtual Village.

Horner said each site offers something a bit different for its students, but they all focus on student-centered and student-driven learning. Applicants to STEM Early High School, AdVance and Vance County Early College must include an essay along with their applications, he noted.

The STEM Early High School will accept 100 students for next year; the Early College will cap its incoming class at 60, Horner said.

There is no cap for E.M. Rollins, so whoever applies most likely will be accepted to the program, which operates on a modified year-round schedule.

Sandlin said the goal is to provide education in an innovative way, “meeting kids where they are, to get them where they need to be.”

Families will get notification by mail on Mar. 28.

Visit https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/to download the application and to learn more about the Innovative Schools.

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Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

TownTalk: Rec. Dept. Sponsoring Trivia Competition, Spring Break Bash For Tweens, Teens

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Amid the sports leagues, yoga classes, chess clubs and bingo that the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department offers throughout the year, there are a couple of events aimed directly at youth in middle and high school that are coming up, and Youth Services Outreach Specialist Lauren Jones said they’re both going to be a lot of fun.

There’s always something going on that is offered through the rec and parks department, Jones said, but teams are forming now for a Teen Trivia competition, scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Five-member teams will square off to answer questions about R&B and hiphop music from 2023, she told WIZS co-host Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Middle school teams will compete against each other and high school teams will do the same.

“We hope to have at least six teams – three per age group,” Jones said, “but we’ll make it work with however many we get.” The trivia competition will take place at the Youth Services Building, which is housed in the former Eaton Johnson gym.

Winners will get to choose gift cards as prizes, she said.

The rec and parks department has hosted a similar trivia event before, but there’s a new event planned for April 6 that Jones said she hopes will fill a void in the social lives of middle- and high school-aged students.

It’s called the Spring Break Bash and the theme is a Hawaiian luau. The middle school luau will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the luau for high schoolers is from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To be admitted, each student must present his or her third quarter report card.

“We’re not worried about the grades,” Jones said, adding that the report card simply verifies that the person is enrolled in school. And it’s not just for Vance County students, she added. Anyone can attend, so long as they present their report card.

Rec and parks program planners had noticed a lack of school-sponsored parties and social gatherings (prom and athletic events notwithstanding), and Jones said this is one outlet for young people to come together in a safe environment to socialize.

Visit https://henderson.nc.gov/departments/recreation_and_parks/index.php for details on all the programs and events the HVRPD offers.

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VGCC Logo

VGCC President Rachel Desmarais Among TBJ ‘2024 Women In Business’ Honorees

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Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais was recently recognized by the Triangle Business Journal as a recipient of its 2024 Women in Business Awards.

Desmarais’s inclusion in the 2024 Women in Business Awards underscores her commitment to supporting local communities and economies through a highly skilled workforce, according to a press release from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Desmarais took the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge through the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, which included specific action steps to advance entrepreneurship and create jobs across the country. The college was so successful in these initiatives that NACCE named it the Entrepreneurial College of the Year in October 2022.

In late 2023, VGCC launched the AdvanceNC partnership. Described as “an innovative workforce development ecosystem developing a robust talent pipeline to support unprecedented economic growth,” the AdvanceNC initiative is made up of 10 community colleges, two state universities and six regional workforce development boards which collaborate to meet the industry needs of major international companies operating in the state.

For nearly three decades, the Women in Business Awards have celebrated women in the Triangle region who are dynamic and outstanding leaders, with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and community service. Triangle Business Journal honored a total of 25 winners this year.

Dabney Drive

NCDOT Sets Feb. 13 Meeting To Discuss Plans For Dabney Drive’s Future

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Area residents are invited to a public meeting with the N.C. Department
of Transportation to discuss the proposal to upgrade Dabney Drive from
Coble Boulevard to U.S. Hwy. 158 Business in Vance County. The revisions
include a roundabout at the intersection with Dorsey Avenue.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at E.
M. Rollins Elementary School, 1600 S. Garnett St. Extension, in Henderson.