Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

VGCC Apprentice at Frigi-Temp Places Third in State Fair Contest

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Cyrus Jover of Henderson, the first participant in Vance-Granville Community College’s new apprenticeship partnership with Frigi-Temp of Youngsville, took third place in the North Carolina State Fair HVAC Apprenticeship Competition in October.

“I’m extremely proud of Cyrus and the way he represented the Frig-Temp team,” said Cory Thornton, chief operating officer of the commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company.

Jover joined the apprenticeship program earlier this year. Already enrolled in the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology program at VGCC, he had worked in the HVAC field for almost four years before he became an apprentice, but only in residential installation.

Cyrus Jover of Henderson, a VGCC student who participates in the VGCC apprenticeship program through Frigi-Temp of Youngsville, placed third in the 14th Annual Apprentice HV/AC-R Contest at the N.C. State Fair in October. In the photo above, Jover is being tested on his brazing skill level and safety precautions during one section of the day-long competition. Event organizers gave instructions and then, as shown in the background of the photo, judged students on how well they soldered while also observing their steps to follow good safety measures. (Photo Credit: VGCC)

The 14th Annual Apprentice HV/AC-R (Heating, Ventilation/Air Conditioning – Refrigeration) Contest was open to the first 20 applicants, registered in a program recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce, who have completed less than 8,000 hours of training. Eight apprentices participated and six were awarded prizes. Third place awarded a prize of $175 out of a total of $1,325 in prizes to the top finishers. The top three finishers received extra prizes with Jover winning a tool bag, hand tools, and a drill set in addition.

The contest was designed to promote interest among apprentices in the skilled construction trades, according to the NC State Fair organizers. “This contest dramatizes a ‘job training program’ through which ApprenticeshipNC has assisted voluntary efforts of industry to meet their needs for skilled workers,” apprenticeship director Kathryn Castelloes said. “These skilled craftworkers have contributed significantly to the economic growth of North Carolina.”

A program of the North Carolina Community College System, ApprenticeshipNC seeks to “ensure the state has an innovative, relevant, effective and efficient workforce development system that develops adaptable, work ready, skilled talent to meet the current and future needs of works and businesses to achieve and sustain economic prosperity,” NCCCS says on its website.

Jover’s entry into the competition came at the suggestion of NCCCS staff, Thornton said. “Cyrus was signed up for the event even before he knew about it,” Thornton added, noting that it was a great experience for Jover and the company.

“I was very nervous going in because I had never competed in a contest like this,” Jover said. “You do not know how skilled your competitors are because they are strangers. You have no idea what to expect from them or the contest. I was also nervous because I knew that Vance-Granville and Frigi-Temp were depending on me to represent them well.”

“Despite the pressure and nerves,” he added, “the competition was a fun learning experience because it shows you how you rank when up against your peers. It also shows you how much more there is to learn so that you can be the best.” Thornton added that the contest began at 8 a.m. and lasted until 3 p.m.

Cory Thornton, chief operating officer for Frigi-Temp in Youngsville, left, celebrates with Cyrus Jover, a student in the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology program at VGCC who is also an apprentice with Frig-Temp. Jover placed third in the 14th Annual Apprentice HV/AC-R Contest at the N.C. State Fair in October. (Photo Credit: VGCC)

“If I could hire five more team members just like him I would do so in an instant,” Thornton said. ”His drive to become a professional, his humility, his work ethic and the way that he chooses to work as a true team player is something I truly admire about him. I am humbled that I get to work at Frigi-Temp alongside Cyrus and many others just like him.”

Jover is originally from the Philippines, where he earned a college degree in Biology before coming to the United States seven years ago, at age 20. Here, he found that the HVAC field had numerous job openings. He enrolled at VGCC, first as a part-time and then a full-time student. Now, he is done with almost all of his classwork and spends most of his time working at Frigi-Temp. He sometimes works a full 40 hours per week at the company while continuing his studies.

Thornton said the apprenticeship program is going very well while “still in its infancy.” “We have high hopes for the future and look forward to hiring several more apprentices over the next year,” he said.

As for next year’s competition at the State Fair, Thornton says Frigi-Temp will be ready for another round. “We weren’t able to coach Cyrus prior to the event and, with this being the first time, none of us any idea what to expect,” he said. “He did an excellent job by placing in third and next year we are looking forward to him taking first place.”

Michael Whittemore, program head for Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration at VGCC, shared in Thornton’s excitement about Jover’s accomplishment. “Cyrus is exactly as Cory describes him. He is an excellent student and he makes Vance-Granville proud, not only for this contest but also for the professional manner in which he performs as an apprentice at Frigi-Temp,” he said.

Students interested in enrolling in the program can contact Whittemore at whittemorem@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3214.

Employers who are interested in partnering with VGCC on apprenticeships are encouraged to contact Ken Wilson, project manager for VGCC’s TechHire grant program, at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259.

State Board of Community Colleges Approves Appointment of Dr. Desmarais

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The State Board of Community Colleges has approved the appointment of Dr. Rachel Desmarais as president of Vance-Granville Community College.

She will begin her tenure as the seventh president in the college’s history on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, according to Danny W. Wright, chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees. The action of the State Board came at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the North Carolina Community College System offices in Raleigh.

Currently the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, Dr. Desmarais was selected for her new position by the VGCC trustees on Dec. 5. She was among nearly 90 applicants for the post.

The new president succeeds Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left in August to become the vice president for Durham affairs at Duke University. Dr. Gordon Burns, retired president of Wilkes Community College, is serving as interim president for VGCC until Dr. Desmarais takes office.

The State Board of Community Colleges has approved the appointment of Dr. Rachel Desmarais as president of Vance-Granville Community College. She will begin her tenure as the seventh president in the college’s history on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019.

Woodhouse, Economic Development Director, Talks Growth in Warren Co.

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Stacy Woodhouse, economic development director for Warren County, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the strengths and challenges facing the rural area.

“When people ask me how do you market rural America and rural counties, I tell them it’s a very different story for every county,” Woodhouse said. “We have strengths and weaknesses. A lot of our weaknesses are the same: rural school systems and density by definition; we have a lack of density.”

What is unique about Warren County, according to Woodhouse, are the strengths. “Warren County has access to two beautiful lakes, a thriving downtown, a new brewery coming the first of the year and beautiful, rolling land that’s very comparable to the $30,000 an acre horse farms you see in Northern, VA.”

Woodhouse said people are often pleasantly surprised by the low prices in the area. “When people come down here from the North and see the value of land they get for the price, access and quality of life, they’re just shocked.”

Woodhouse himself was sold on the value when he was looking to relocate his family from bustling Charleston, SC six years ago. With a background in commercial real estate at his advantage, Woodhouse purchased a 90-acre farm in Warren County with the goal of raising his three children in a more rural setting.

As economic development director, Woodhouse’s responsibilities include tourism, recruitment and industry retention. Although he cannot release detailed information at this time, Woodhouse is encouraged by upcoming projects that will grow the area’s economic base and provide job opportunities.

One such project includes a manufacturing operation that will provide 10 jobs initially, with a total of 30 expected within a five-year time period. “For us, getting those jobs is a big deal. Us getting 30 jobs is like Raleigh getting Amazon,” Woodhouse laughed.

Other projects in the works include discussions with a medical firm and the construction of the brewery expected to open in downtown Warrenton early in 2019. According to Woodhouse, demolition for the brewery project began a few weeks ago.

Woodhouse emphasized the importance of retail, especially in a small community. “A lot of economic development directors in larger cities don’t even bother with retail, but retail is a big part of our community and sales tax.”

The group responsible for the future brewery, Table Top Media, is an example of Woodhouse’s next point of discussion, the importance of attracting entrepreneurs to the area. “Table Top Media is an amazing marketing company that does everything from high-end hotels to restaurants,” Woodhouse explained.

The company is a perfect example of the type of business Woodhouse hopes to attract to the area. “They were looking for quality of life and value around the Raleigh area and found Warren County!”

To continue the upward trend of business and industry moving to the area, Woodhouse said it is important to keep an open mind. “When you’re trying to create economic development in a small community you have to be very creative. You cannot take anything off the table.”

To listen to the interview in its entirety, please click here.

NC Dept of Agriculture

Reminder: Farmers Have Until Dec. 20 to Apply for Hurricane Disaster Relief

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Area Agent, Vance/Warren Co. Cooperative Extension 

Farmers have until 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 20, 2018, to begin an application for the NCDA&CS Hurricane Disaster Relief program. Assistance is available from both the Vance and Warren offices of NC Cooperative Extension, and also available through the NCDA&CS Agriculture Disaster Assistance Hotline (866-645-9403).

Farmers that START an application by the deadline will have a few extra days to complete it.

To recap, the program is designed to provide assistance to farmers with losses to nursery products, turf, select specialty crops, livestock, poultry, standing forage and field crops. The program will cover losses from Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael.

Agricultural products raised in Vance and Warren ARE ELIGIBLE. The application should take about 30 minutes to fill out. Complete program details and a link to the application are available by clicking here.

NCDOT

NCDOT to Suspend Most Construction During Holidays Beginning Dec. 21

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-Press Release, N.C. Department of Transportation

With a busy Christmas and New Year holiday travel week being predicted, the N. C. Department of Transportation is suspending most road and lane closures on interstates, U. S. and N.C. routes across the state from Friday, Dec. 21, to Wednesday, Jan. 2.

There will be some exceptions where construction conditions make it unsafe to open all lanes, such as where a bridge is being replaced, or lanes are being constructed or rebuilt. Drivers need to be alert for any lane closure signs.

To help make trips safer and cut back on distracted driving, NCDOT and GEICO are teaming up to provide “Safe Phone Zones” throughout the holiday and into 2019. While GEICO sponsors the initiative, NCDOT has designed all 58 rest areas across the state as Safe Phone Zones to encourage drivers to take advantage of their use.

These facilities are strategically located along major highways, so accessing them is very easy to allow drivers to get out of traffic and safely use their smartphones and tablets to access information or even to send text messages, which is illegal while driving in North Carolina and 46 other states. Even a glance at a cell phone while driving is considered distracted driving and could easily lead to a tragic crash.

Travelers can also make their trip better by checking on the status of their planned route in advance by going to DriveNC.gov to see if it will be clear. Once underway, a stop at one of the Safe Phone Zone locations provides a chance to check the route again to see if anything has changed.

DriveNC.gov provides road condition updates by route, county or region, updated 24 hours a day with possible changes, including the travel impact of a crash or bad weather. In addition to checking the DriveNC website, another option to get updates during daytime hours is to call 511 to get live operators to provide travel assistance.

Here are some additional tips for safe driving during the holiday season:

  • Leave early to get a head start, and travel at non-peak hours if possible, as the weekends before Christmas and New Year’s Day will be the heaviest traffic congestion periods for most of the state, especially on interstates such as I-95, I-77, I-85, I-40 and I-26;
  • Use alternative routes if possible to avoid traffic congestion;
  • Allow extra time for your trip, regardless of the route you choose;
  • To avoid drowsy driving, travel at times you are normally awake and take frequent breaks, taking advantage of the state’s rest areas;
  • Pay attention to your surroundings and other vehicles nearby, and avoid distracted driving; and
  • All drivers and passengers must be wearing their seatbelts; it’s the law.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

VGCC Announces Four New Classes for Food Truck Entrepreneurs

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College’s Mobile Food Truck Entrepreneurship classes return to the college’s Main Campus in Vance County starting in January with four new seminars on food service.

Sponsored by VGCC’s Small Business Center, students can take all or as many of the classes they choose. Each of the free classes is scheduled in Building 7 on Main Campus on a Monday evening in the months of January through April.

Above: Ray Chow is the founder of Hibachi Xpress and Catering by Ray.

Ray Chow, founder of Hibachi Xpress and Catering by Ray, will again serve as the instructor for the series. A graduate of N.C. State University, Chow started Hibachi Xpress restaurant in Cary and expanded to three locations, as well as managing some of his family’s other restaurants in the Raleigh and Wilmington areas. He has worked in restaurants since he was seven years old.

Seven years ago, Chow expanded his restaurant and catering business with the addition of a food truck to participate in different festivals and large gatherings. The popularity of food trucks has grown, and, in 2014, Hibachi Xpress shifted focus towards catering and the food truck business, moving away from the brick and mortar stores.

Chow is also a co-founder of “foosye,” a startup tech company building innovative technology applications tailored to the food truck industry.

The first in the series — “Let’s Get Cooking:  Food Truck or Restaurant?” — will explore the differences in what it takes to start a food truck or a restaurant and continue operating one successfully. The Jan. 14 seminar is designed for those who want to realize their passion to be a small business owner in the food service industry.

The second seminar — “The 10 Hats of a Food Service Entrepreneur” — is being held on Feb. 11. Just because a person has a passion for cooking doesn’t mean he or she will be successful at owning a food truck or restaurant business, Chow said. This seminar will detail the many roles or “hats” entrepreneurs have to be able to juggle to succeed in business.

Above, the Hibachi Xpress food truck is owned by Ray Chow, who will be the instructor for the four VGCC Mobile Food Truck Entrepreneurship classes in January through April.

The March 11 workshop will be devoted to “Food Service Marketing: Your Customers Can’t Buy From You If They Can’t Find You.” Those exploring the food service industry will have an opportunity to learn various ways to market their food business to improve their chances of success.

On April 8, the topic of “Keeping Your Food Truck Business Running” will take a closer look at the need for flexibility and proper planning. “Imagine putting wheels on a restaurant you built,” said Chow. “There are things that will fall, slip, break down, move or not work when you add in the mobility of a food truck operation. Learn how things will end up on the floor when you arrive at your destination when not properly secured or planned.”

Participants in the program will also be required to sign up as clients of the VGCC Small Business Center, which is free of charge.

The deadline to register for each class is one week prior to the date of the class. For more information and to register, contact the VGCC Small Business Center at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.

NC Dept of Agriculture

NC General Assembly Approves Deadline Extension for Agricultural Disaster Program 

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-Press Release, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

The N.C. General Assembly has approved extending the deadline for the agricultural disaster relief program to Dec. 20. The bill now awaits Governor Roy Cooper’s signature.

Eleven additional North Carolina counties have received secretarial disaster declarations based on agricultural losses from Hurricane Florence or Tropical Storm Michael. These counties are Anson, Avery, Dare, Person, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga and Yadkin. With these additions, 65 counties are now eligible for agricultural disaster relief through this program.

Six counties are still awaiting a secretarial disaster declaration, which would make them eligible to participate in the disaster assistance program. These counties are Davie, Franklin, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes and Surry.

“We don’t want to miss any farmers that are eligible for help through this program,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “To qualify for assistance, a farmer only needs to farm in a disaster-declared county. Payments from this fund will be based on county averages for loss and yield rather than individual losses.”

This assistance is available to farmers who suffered crop losses including apples, barley, corn, cotton, hay, industrial hemp, nursery crops, specialty crops, tobacco, peanuts, sweet potatoes, livestock, aquaculture and more.

“I urge farmers to go online and fill out an application as soon as possible,” Troxler said. “You can find the application as well as other information about the program at www.ncagr.gov/agriculturaldisasterprogram or call 1-866-645-9403.

National Weather Service

Elevated Flood Risk for All of Central NC Through Early Next Week

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-Information courtesy Brian K. Short, Director of Emergency Operations, Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations and Ready NC

Flash flooding and river flooding are expected for all of central North Carolina through early next week.

Periods of heavy rain are expected during this time. Flash flooding will be possible, especially in urban areas and the usual poor drainage areas.

River flooding is possible on many of the main stem rivers. Melting snow may aggravate the situation and increase the risk of flash flooding and subsequent river flooding.

Storm total rainfall amounts of 1.5” to 2.5” are expected, with locally higher amounts possible Friday through Saturday. The heaviest rain is expected Friday evening through Saturday morning.

Overall, minor flooding is expected on most main stem rivers, with the potential for the greatest rises along portions of the Neuse and the Cape Fear Rivers.

Hebron Methodist Church Holding Annual Christmas Candlelight Service

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Hebron Methodist Church at 1361 Wise Five Forks Rd. in Macon, NC is holding their annual Christmas Candlelight service on Thursday, December 20, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Contact Al Fleming at (252) 257- 1779 for more information.

H-V Emergency Operations

State of Emergency Declared for Vance County; Area Braces for Inclement Weather

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Updated – 12/07/18:

You may report weather delays and cancellations by email to news@wizs.com or by text at 432-0774. Delays and cancellations will be posted on WIZS’ Facebook page.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and Archie Taylor, chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners proclaimed a State of Emergency for the City of Henderson and County of Vance beginning Friday, December 7, 2018, at 5 p.m. The State of Emergency will be in effect for a period of four days unless rescinded by authorities.

General Emergency Protective Measures are in place. No public restrictions are in place at this time.