Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

Warren Co. Farmers Market to Open 2019 Season on Sat., April 20

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-Information and graphic courtesy the Warren Co. Growers Association Farmers Market Facebook page

The Warren County Farmers Market will open for the 2019 season on Saturday, April 20. Operating hours will be each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. through mid-October.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the market will continue to bring fresh and local produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, preserves, herbs, flowers, handmade crafts and much more.

The market is located in Historic Downtown Warrenton in the BB&T parking lot (corner of Macon & Bragg St.).

For more information, please call (252) 257-3640, visit the Warren Growers website, or check out the market’s Facebook page.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Desmarais Talks Economic Development, Ending the ‘Stigma’ of Community College

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Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of Vance-Granville Community College, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the college’s role in economic development and her vision for the future of the institution.

Beginning her tenure as VGCC’s seventh president in January, Desmarais brings with her over 20 years of experience in the community college system.

Once a community college student at Forsyth Tech herself, Desmarais said she never would have imagined that she would one day become the college’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

“I had a liberal arts degree already and needed real-world skills, and I got that at Forsyth Tech. I’m living proof of how you can transition from one to the other. Being able to use those skills to recruit students, recruit businesses, brainstorm with the best in town and make asks of large-name companies to try to recruit them to the area was a really valuable experience.”

It is this experience, in part, that Desmarais said she’ll draw on to help implement economic turnaround in the local four-county area.

Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of Vance-Granville Community College (Photo courtesy VGCC)

“Coming from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area, I have experience working with the transition from tobacco and old-style manufacturing into healthcare and biotech innovation,” Desmarais said.

For their part in this transition, VGCC will focus on building new relationships with businesses and organizations while strengthening relationships with current community partners. “We work with partners such as economic development and the Chamber to be the glue between people looking for jobs and people wanting to hire.

I’m going to leverage the gifts and talents that our people have here in the college to create more short-term workforce training to support our existing companies and to be a recruitment tool for economic development,” Desmarais stated.

To build the educated workforce best-suited for local employment needs, Desmarais said the college is reviewing its current offerings of programs and courses, including where courses are offered and program completion times.

“Our focus is on degree alignment, making sure we offer courses in the right format and in the right locations.”

According to Desmarais, other barriers to education – lack of transportation, extreme poverty and the general “stigma” of community college – also need to be addressed to ensure that everyone has an opportunity for educational advancement and/or career development.

“We have to end the stigma of community colleges. Community colleges are very valuable; if you want to go on to get a four-year degree, it’s cost effective. There is a lot of evidence that demonstrates that students from community colleges are just as successful as four-year college students, and in some cases, even better prepared.”

Desmarais said she also wants to work with four-year colleges on possible transfer credit agreements of Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees.

Similar to current agreements for Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degree credits, this type of agreement would potentially allow students with AAS degrees to more smoothly transfer their credit hours earned at a community college to a four-year college.

As for the immediate future, VGCC has several exciting events planned for 2019 in celebration of their 50th anniversary, including the college’s dinner theatre performance of “Company” by Stephen Sondheim April 25 – 26, the annual VGCC golf tournament to be held at Henderson Country Club on May 7 and open house events at all four VGCC campuses.

While excited to be joining the college in its 50th year, Desmarais said she is even more thrilled to see her passion for education and for the community college environment reflected in the community.

“I love the passion that I see here at the college; the love that people have for the college and what it has done in the community.”

To hear the Town Talk interview with Dr. Rachel Desmarais in its entirety, click here.

VGCC’s Dinner Theater Cast Features Students, Alumni & Community Actors

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Special events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vance-Granville Community College are set to kick off in April with the college’s seventh annual Dinner Theater event. Reflecting VGCC’s long history of fine arts education and community involvement, the cast for this production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy, “Company,” will include students, alumni and community members.

The dinner theater is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26, 2019. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. each evening in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus near Henderson. Tickets are available online for $30 each.

Alumni members of the cast include VGCC Business Administration graduate Angelica Bridges of Oxford, in the role of Kathy; Morgan McFalls of Oxford, a graduate of VGCC and UNC-Chapel Hill, as David; Peyton Grissom of Oxford, a VGCC Nursing graduate, as Joanne; and former VGCC student Sonya Holloway of Oxford as Susan. VGCC and William Peace University graduate Rachel Pottern Nunn of Raleigh plays the role of Amy, while VGCC graduate and current William Peace University Theatre Education major Spencer Nunn of Raleigh plays the role of Paul.

Cast members for the VGCC Dinner Theater production of “Company” include, on front row, from left to right: Evan O’Geary, Jadyn Jones, Angelica Bridges and Brian Westbrook; back row, from left to right: Rachel Pottern Nunn, Spencer Nunn, Jason Sharp, Betsy Henderson, Peyton Grissom, Jonathan O’Geary, Sonya Holloway, Rosemary Richards and Josh Glasscock; not pictured: Morgan McFalls. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

The cast will also include two current VGCC students: Evan O’Geary of Henderson as April and Jadyn Jones of Henderson as Marta.

Community members Josh Glasscock of Clarksville, Va., will play the role of Peter; Jonathan O’Geary of Henderson will appear as Larry; Rosemary Richards of Raleigh will play the role of Jenny; Henderson native and current Durham resident Brian Westbrook will play the role of Robert.

Rounding out the cast are VGCC Department Chair of Fine Arts and Humanities Betsy Henderson of Kittrell as Sarah and Jason Sharp of Kittrell as Harry.

Cook Shack Catering of Louisburg will cater this special event with a menu of prime rib, lemon rosemary chicken, roasted red skin potatoes with herb seasoning, roasted vegetables, dinner rolls, sweet and unsweet tea and citrus water. An anniversary cake prepared by VGCC Culinary Arts students will be served at intermission.

Tickets are now available through the VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/dinnertheater. Audience members will be able to choose the table and specific seats they want at the same time that they buy their tickets online. Patrons are encouraged to purchase their tickets early in order to have the best chance of getting the seats they want for this year’s show.

With Community Support, VGCC Plans to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

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-Press Release, VGCC 

During 2019, Vance-Granville Community College marks a half-century of excellence in education and training, and college officials are planning for events that tie into the celebration throughout the year.

These events include: the seventh annual VGCC Dinner Theater, set for April 25 and April 26; the 35th annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, on May 7; commencement exercises for VGCC’s 50th graduating class, on May 10; a formal inauguration of the college’s new president, Dr. Rachel Desmarais; and events at each campus on or around Sept. 4 – the date on the college’s original charter, which is traditionally observed as the college’s official birthday. A team of college faculty and staff are currently finalizing plans for additional events and activities.

“The 50th anniversary of VGCC provides numerous opportunities for us to celebrate the positive impact this institution has had on Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, while also renewing our commitment to our students and our communities,” Dr. Desmarais said.

Local citizens and businesses have stepped up to support the college’s anniversary celebration. The highest level of anniversary sponsorship is represented by the “Vanguard” sponsors. These include Bob Hubbard of Henderson, longtime vice-chair of the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors; Mr. and Mrs. Hutson “Hut” Wester of Henderson, who are also supporters of the Endowment Fund; and Mr. and Mrs. John Nelms, Jr., of Raleigh, the son and daughter-in-law of the late John K. Nelms, who served on both the VGCC Board of Trustees and the Endowment Board. Four businesses are also Vanguard sponsors: Duke Energy, Altec Industries of Creedmoor, the Guild Gift Gallery at Maria Parham, and Henderson Fruit and Produce.

Sponsors at the “Patron” level include Mr. and Mrs. Bob Nelson of Henderson; J.M. White Funeral Home of Henderson and Mr. and Mrs. Julius Banzet of Warren County.

“Benefactors” for the anniversary include Janet Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Tanner, Hicks and Wrenn, PLLC, the Honorable and Mrs. Randolph Baskerville, Mr. and Mrs. Josh Towne, Katharine Horner, Phillips Dorsey Thomas Waters & Brafford, P.A., CertainTeed, Ruth Brummitt, Nathan Fleming, and Mr. and Mrs. Jim Crawford.

“We thank these steadfast friends of the college for their commitment to helping us celebrate Vance-Granville’s rich tradition of service to our region,” said VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson.

The four-county educational institution that is today VGCC began in 1969 as Vance County Technical Institute. After offering classes in various community locations, VCTI moved into renovated quarters of the former Maria Parham Hospital building near downtown Henderson in January 1970.

Soon, phenomenal growth in enrollment made it clear that the school needed larger, more permanent facilities. Granville County leaders then joined Vance County in supporting a united effort to construct and maintain a brand-new campus.

With the institution renamed Vance-Granville Technical Institute, the new campus was built midway between Henderson and Oxford. It opened in August 1976, just six weeks after the legislature granted community college status, meaning that the school could offer students the first two years of a four-year degree. Accordingly, its name was changed to Vance-Granville Community College.

Under the leadership of Dr. Ben Currin, VGCC’s longest-serving president, the college expanded by establishing additional campuses: South Campus, a facility in southern Granville County, in 1982; the Warren County Campus in 1988; and the Franklin County Campus in 1991. Throughout the years, the institution has benefited from the strong support of citizens in all four counties, in the form of donors’ endowed scholarships and in the form of voters’ approval of bonds to build facilities.

In more recent years, VGCC has been transformed through the addition of online programs that can extend educational opportunities to even more students and through the establishment of four Early College high schools — one at each VGCC campus — in partnership with local public school systems.

“In the short time I have been at Vance-Granville, I’ve heard from so many people in the four-county area about how much pride they take in their community college. They want to see it grow while maintaining a focus on accessibility and preparing students for great careers,” added Dr. Desmarais. “In fact, VGCC Vanguards are all around us in the community, demonstrating the college’s excellence over the past 50 years. Our alumni are leaders in business, in health care, in education, in law enforcement and so many other fields.”

The college is interested in hearing from alumni about how their education at VGCC prepared them for success. To share such a story, or to find out more about supporting the college, contact Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264 or fergusone@vgcc.edu.

First Baptist of Roanoke Rapids to Present ‘The Joy of Easter’ Outdoor Play

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-Information courtesy Rev. Don West, First Baptist Church – Roanoke Rapids

“The Joy of Easter” outdoor Musical Passion Play will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21, 2019, at 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Becker Drive in Roanoke Rapids, NC. The musical Passion play takes place in the church’s amphitheater located on the back property of the church.

The story depicts the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Come experience the action, drama and emotion of the Easter story in an outdoor Biblical setting.

Admission is free, and donations are welcome. All are invited to this exciting outdoor event.

The church is located at 515 Becker Drive in Roanoke Rapids, NC at the corner of Old Farm Road and Becker Drive across from B & J’s Cash and Carry, the New Republic Bank and the BP Station.

For more information, please call the church at (252) 537-6171 or access the church website at www.fbcrrweb.org.

Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Dept. to Hold Indoor Yard Sale

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-Information courtesy Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department

There will be an indoor yard sale on Saturday, April 6, 2019, from 7 a.m. until noon at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department located on US Highway 1 in Ridgeway, NC.

Money from this sale will go to help high school youth from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

‘Charlotte’s Web’ to Delight School Children, Families Alike

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Part of the Educational Series

The heartwarming literary classic “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White comes to life on stage! Enjoy this beautifully staged production that will be presented by children for children.

Two performances will be available for schools at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, 2019. 

*Approximate length: 2 hrs, 15 mins, suggested grades: 2nd – 5th. $10 per student or parent. Add popcorn and bottled water for $3 more. Two free teacher/teacher assistant admissions with each class. For more information, contact info@mcgregorhall.org or call (252) 598-0662.

FAMILIES – make it a family night/afternoon at the theater by attending the shows on Saturday, April 6 at 8 p.m. or Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now available!

Tickets may be purchased by:

DROP IN: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m

CALL: (252) 598-0662 (M-F 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

CLICK HERE: www.McGregorHall.org  (Use the eTix official site, online fees apply)

(This is not a paid advertisement)

DA Waters: 16 & 17-Year-Olds to be Tried as Juveniles Effective Dec. 1

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District Attorney Mike Waters was on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the “Raise the Age” Initiative, an NC Legislature-passed law that will raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction for nonviolent crimes to age 18 effective December 1, 2019.

According to Waters, this change will significantly increase the juvenile court workload as the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds, currently tried automatically as adults in NC, will be tried as juveniles when the law goes into effect.

Under the new law, exceptions exist for 16 and 17-year-olds who commit felonies that are classified as A-D – including murder, robbery and burglary – in addition to DWI and other traffic offenses, firearm charges and gang-related offenses.

“North Carolina is one of the last two states in the nation to charge 16-year-olds as adults,” said Waters. “I want to reassure the public that, under the new law, the DA’s office will have the discretion to prosecute juveniles that commit serious crimes as adults.”

Waters also explained that, as of December 1, a 16 or 17-year-old convicted of a serious crime will fall under the “once an adult, always an adult” adage; once tried as an adult, any subsequent convictions will be tried as an adult as well.

As for the reason behind raising the age limit for juvenile prosecutions, Waters said research and statistics make a compelling case.

“Research shows that many 16 and 17-year-olds that get involved in the court system may not get involved with it again. Tracking someone forever and giving them a record at a young age creates a certain outcome. Also, 16 and 17-year-olds are not thinking the same way that 18, 19 and 21-year-olds are thinking.”

While juvenile court often results in some form of punishment, Waters said the primary purpose is “therapeutic” in nature. “In juvenile court, you’re trying to get the juvenile on the straight and narrow so they do not have to come back [into the court system].”

Waters and other district attorneys across NC will be asking state legislators for additional assistant district attorneys and support staff to help with the expected increase to the juvenile court workload.

“The NC Conference of District Attorneys will be asking the legislature for 54 additional assistant district attorneys across the state with the expectation that we will have one of those in our district,” Waters said.

Waters and his office serve Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren and Person counties. This five-county area compromises the 9th Judicial and the 11th Prosecutorial districts in North Carolina.

To hear the Town Talk interview with DA Mike Waters in its entirety, click here.

Update: No Serious Injuries Reported in Warren Co. Activity Bus Rollover

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Warren County Schools’ Assistant Superintendent Dr. Frank Polakiewicz contacted WIZS News Monday afternoon to follow up with information about the Warren County activity bus that rolled over this past Friday afternoon. Injuries were minor to all the occupants of the bus. Dr. Polakiewicz said everyone aboard was transported to nearby hospitals but all were released.

He said, “We had a bus that was returning from a field trip in Durham. They had been to a Microsoft establishment for a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) activity I believe. We had 14 students, two chaperones and the driver on the bus.  About five miles outside of (Warrenton) on route 1001, the bus swerved and tipped over on its side. Our team responded, and the principal, transportation and emergency services responded.”

Polakiewicz said, “Fortunately none of the students, chaperones or driver were seriously injured.”

The highway patrol is still trying to determine the direct cause of the accident, according to Polakiewicz. He said an individual claimed to have seen the accident and thought it was wind-related. “We reviewed the camera. There was nothing unusual going on inside the bus, so we are waiting for the final report as to the cause of the accident.”

VGCC to Offer Open House at All Four Campuses

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College will hold an Open House on Saturday, April 6, 2019, from 9 a.m. until noon, at all four of its campuses.

VGCC staff members and faculty will be available during those hours to provide information on the enrollment process, academic programs and student support services. Visitors will also be able to take campus tours.

The Summer 2019 term begins May 20, while the Fall 2019 semester starts on August 19.

Prospective students are encouraged to pre-register for Open House (and select the campus they plan to visit) at www.vgcc.edu/openhouse.

VGCC’s Main Campus is located at 200 Community College Road, Henderson (Exit 209 on Interstate 85, about midway between Henderson and Oxford).

The Franklin County Campus is located at 8100 N.C. 56., Louisburg (just west of Louisburg).

South Campus is located at 1547 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor (off of N.C. 56, between Creedmoor and Butner).

The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.

For more information on enrolling, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.