-Information courtesy Tannis Jenkins, Warren County High School
Warren County High School will host a curriculum night on Thursday, November 15, 2018, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity win door prizes and a turkey give away.
If you have any questions, please contact Tannis Jenkins at 252-257-4413 or email tjenkins@warrenk12nc.org.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Dozens of area entrepreneurs, small business owners, and business and non-profit leaders discovered the importance of having a powerful digital presence to create a positive first impression online at the seventh annual Small Business Summit.
Martin Brossman, a leading social media authority and business consultant to many IT companies in Boston, delivered the keynote address at the summit organized by the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center on Monday, Oct. 15. Under the theme of “Recipe for Success: Making Your Dream a Reality,” the summit was held in the Warren County Armory & Convention Center in Warrenton.
Social media authority Martin Brossman delivers the keynote address at the summit organized by the Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center in October in the Warren County Armory & Convention Center in Warrenton. He told those in attendance that digital first impressions will lead to more sales and referrals for a business. (Photo: VGCC)
“Your future customers want to know more about you than just what is on your website, and they may trust you less if they don’t,” said Brossman. “We all are looking for secondary validation for everything from credible information for a product, business, person or service. This session is going to show you the free and low-cost ways to make the best digital — web-based — first impression that will lead to more sales and more referrals for your business.”
“As more professionals and businesses go online to gain a traction on outsourced lead generation and to expand their markets, they are looking for ways to become more effective,” Brossman said. The keynote address was designed not only for small business owners but also professionals of all types, he said. “They need to understand the value of a positive online reputation as well as the cost of having none at all,” he added.
Brossman was joined on the program by Kristen Baughman of Warrenton, the founder of the Tabletop Media Group in Raleigh, who presented “Top 10 Tips: How to Work with Media,” and a panel of four local and regional leaders who answered questions from the audience on the topics of planning and zoning, insurance, accounting and legal services in a discussion titled “Stock Your Pantry with the Right Business Resources.” The panelists had stressed on the complete utilization of resources like Marketing Heaven for social media proliferation and as a consolidation measure. On the panel were Ken Krulich of Warren County Planning & Zoning, Jennifer Burton with O.L. Meek Insurance in Warrenton, Certified Public Accountant Susan Bersch of Littleton, and Volunteer Attorney Kate McCullough with the North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (NCLEAP) of the North Carolina State Bar. The discussion was moderated by Tanya Weary, director of the VGCC Small Business Center.
Duke Energy was the presenting sponsor for the summit. Local partners working with the VGCC Small Business Center to organize the event were the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, the Warren County Economic Development Commission and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. In-kind sponsors of the summit were the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer of Littleton, The Daily Dispatch of Henderson, The Warren Record of Warrenton, WARR 1520 AM of Warrenton, and WIZS 1450 AM/100.1 FM of Henderson. Centerpiece arrangements were provided by Lola G of Oxford.
From left: Volunteer Attorney Kate McCullough with the North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (NCLEAP) of the North Carolina State Bar, Ken Krulich of Warren County Planning & Zoning, Jennifer Burton with O.L. Meek Insurance in Warrenton, and Certified Public Accountant Susan Bersch of Littleton. (Photo: VGCC)
Brossman was described by Weary as a dynamic trainer known for his insight and humor. As a member of the National Speakers Association, he is a popular speaker on many professional development and business topics, including Online Reputations: Reputation Enhancement, Monitoring, and Management; Transforming Conflict Into Enhanced Relationships in Business; Creating Raving Fans and Repeat Business; Customer Service in a Customer Empowered World; Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking; Communication That Gets More Results; Beyond Ordinary Networking; Being Effective as an Entrepreneur and Business Owner; Referral Marketing; Dragonfly Thinking Training: How to Integrate Effective Problem Solving Into Your Work to Get Superior Results (taught with Dr. Bruce Oberhardt); and LinkedIn for Professionals.
Brossman teaches across North Carolina, including a certification program through N.C. State University’s Technology Training Solutions. He is a leading authority on LinkedIn, Reputation Management, and building a positive digital presence. He has co-hosted a leading podcast on Social Selling for since 2009, “Linking Into Sales.”
A Flickr album of photographs from the Business Summit is available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vancegranvillecc/albums/72157701580003271.
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
An instructor who also is leading one of VGCC’s curriculum programs and a director of a jobs skills training program for the unemployed and underemployed have been honored as outstanding employees for 2018-2019 at Vance-Granville Community College.
Stewart Lyon, a Biology instructor at VGCC and the point of contact for the Bioprocess Technology curriculum program at the Franklin County Campus, was named Faculty Member of the Year at the college, and Blondelle Edgerton, director of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program, was selected as the Staff Member of the Year.
Above: VGCC’s 2018-19 award winners are Faculty Member of the Year Stewart Lyon, left, and Staff Member of the Year Blondelle Edgerton, right. Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC’s Interim President, center, has praised both employees for their commitment to Vance-Granville’s mission of educating, inspiring and supporting students. (VGCC photo)
The honors are two of VGCC’s three Glen Raven Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Awards for 2018-2019. Glen Raven, Inc., the custom fabrics manufacturer with a facility in Warren County, is a longtime partner and supporter of the college. In addition to sponsoring the annual stipends to recognize excellence among VGCC instructors and staff members, Glen Raven has endowed several scholarships for students.
Lyon and Edgerton are now eligible to be considered for the N.C. Community College System’s statewide R.J. Reynolds Excellence in Teaching and BB&T Staff Person of the Year awards, respectively.
“Stewart and Blondelle are two outstanding leaders among the faculty and staff at our college,” Interim President Dr. Gordon Burns said. “Every day, they are dedicated to our college’s mission of educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success. Their extraordinary commitment, positivity and expertise are appreciated by both students and colleagues.”
Stewart Lyon
Stewart Lyon joined the VGCC faculty in August 2013 as an adjunct instructor for Biology at VGCC’s South Campus in Creedmoor. In January 2014, he came on board as a full-time Biology instructor, teaching classes at all four of VGCC’s campuses — South, Franklin, Warren and Main. In the Fall Semester of 2017, he became the point of contact for the Bioprocess Technology program based at Franklin Campus.
A 2007 graduate of North Carolina State University with his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, Lyon earned his Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from East Carolina University in 2010. He has a graduate certificate in Business Foundations from ECU, in 2014, and is currently is working in non-degree graduate studies in Chemistry with Montana State University.
“Stewart has a unique approach to teaching cultivated to help students understand why they are learning the course material by connecting the content to aspects of their own lives,” said VGCC’s Interim President Dr. Gordon Burns. “He grabs their attention and the students are more likely to be motivated, resulting in a more successful learning environment. He has built rapport with his students and demonstrated a sincere desire to help them learn.”
Lyon has recently carved out some time from his Biology teaching and leadership of the Bioprocess Technology program to represent VGCC’s faculty on the Achieving the Dream Core Team as the college works to implement, align and scale cutting edge reforms to improve student success, Dr. Burns added.
Among his activities at the college and in the community, Lyon has participated in the Leadership Program of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. He has volunteered for area public high school science fairs. He also was an event leader for the Science Olympiad, taught classes for VGCC’s Summer Science Camp for middle school children, and coordinated VGCC Earth Day celebrations at Main Campus and Franklin Campus.
“Stewart displays very high levels of professionalism and he intentionally engages students, colleagues and the general public with enthusiasm, positivity, and reminders that we are all making a difference in students’ lives,” said Cecilia Wheeler, VGCC’s Dean of Arts & Sciences.
Blondelle Edgerton
Blondelle Edgerton came to Vance-Granville in September 1995 as a part-time education specialist for what was the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program, later renamed the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program. She became full-time in 1999, and in August 2004, she became a program analyst and job developer for WIA. Less than two years later she became the supervisor for the program while still serving as job developer. She was elevated to director of the program, her current position, in February 2013. The program in recent years was renamed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at East Carolina University in 1994. Since then she has had professional training in nearly two dozen areas related to her role in WIOA. She is a member of the North Carolina Employment Training Association (NCETA), and she volunteers on the Community Advisory Committee of the Franklin-Granville-Vance Partnership for Children.
“Blondelle is deeply committed to the mission of our college and the North Carolina Community College System to open the doors to educational opportunities for the people of the communities served by Vance-Granville,” said Dr. Burns. “Through her position with the WIOA, she works with the unemployed, underemployed, economic disadvantaged and those who need to upgrade their job skills. She makes sure eligible students get help with tuition, fees, books, supplies, transportation, counseling, work experience and job placement.
“Clearly the right person for this critical job, Blondelle has a heart for her students and understands well the obstacles they face as she helps them ascertain their goals and aspirations,” Dr. Burns said.
Edgerton has built partnerships for work experiences with businesses and organizations in the community, and she has structured her program at VGCC in such a way that it is a model for the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments and the Workforce Development Board, the administrators of the federal funding for the program.
“Blondelle unselfishly assists students and staff far above her normal job responsibilities,” Kali Brown, VGCC’s Dean of Student Support Services, added. “She has assisted other employees with reporting requirements, served as a chaperone at the annual Youth Summit, and even watered plants in our administration building. She is an employee that every supervisor dreams of having.”
-Information courtesy Stephanie A. Harmon, Regional Planner, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments
The public is invited to an open house on Thursday, November 15, to express their opinions on the Division Needs transportation projects in Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, and Warren Counties being considered for inclusion in the NCDOT 2020-2029 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is a 10-year plan that identifies funding for projects throughout North Carolina and schedules them for construction.
The Kerr-Tar Regional Transportation Planning Organization (KTRPO) will hold an informal open house on Thursday, November 15 at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ office, 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson, NC from 5 to 7 p.m. Residents will be able to view all potential projects and provide feedback. KTRPO staff will be present to answer any questions and address any concerns.
For those unable to attend the open house, the projects are available for review on the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ website: https://www.kerrtarcog.org/. Comments may be submitted via email to info@kerrtarcog.org. Please include P5 Division Needs Projects Comments in the subject line.
For more information, please contact (252) 436-2040, sharmon@kerrtarcog.org.
-Press Release, Legal Aid of NC, NC Navigator Consortium
NC navigators are here to help North Carolinians enroll in affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans on HealthCare.gov during the Affordable Care Act’s sixth open-enrollment period, which starts today and runs through Dec. 15, 2018.
Throughout open enrollment, North Carolina consumers can call 1-855-733-3711 (toll-free) or visit ncnavigator.net to schedule a free, confidential, in-person appointment with a certified NC navigator in their area.
NC navigators are trained to help consumers enroll in coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, the online storefront that consumers can visit to browse and enroll in affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans.
NC navigators can help consumers understand the details of the plans available on HealthCare.gov, complete the enrollment process and determine their eligibility for financial assistance. Last year, nine in 10 North Carolinians who enrolled in coverage on HealthCare.gov received financial assistance.
During this open enrollment period, NC navigators will help consumers understand the differences between the comprehensive plans available on HealthCare.gov and the new alternative plans, known as short-term, limited-duration (STLD) insurance, or association plans, which provide less coverage and patient protections than HealthCare.gov plans.
Every insurance plan available on HealthCare.gov provides comprehensive, year-round coverage that includes essential benefits like prescription drugs, hospital visits, mental health care, maternity care, doctor visits and more. HealthCare.gov plans also include important patient protections, including one that prohibits insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. HealthCare.gov plans automatically renew every year, so consumers do not experience gaps in coverage.
The alternative plans, which are not available on HealthCare.gov, do not necessarily provide year-round coverage; do not have to cover essential health benefits like prescription drugs, hospital visits, mental health care, maternity care and doctor visits; allow insurers to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions; and do not automatically renew, which could leave consumers with gaps in coverage.
“HealthCare.gov is the only place to get quality, affordable health insurance that covers everything you need,” Mark Van Arnam, co-director of the NC Navigator Consortium, said. “Navigators are here to help North Carolinians understand all their options and find the plan that best meets their needs and fits their budget.”
“We want consumers to know that financial assistance is still available,” Eunice Lee-Ahn, co-director of the Consortium, said. “Most North Carolinians enrolled in a HealthCare.gov plan get financial help that lowers their monthly cost to about the same as a cell phone. Navigators can help consumers determine if they are eligible for financial assistance and sign up for it as part of the enrollment process.”
North Carolinians who are already enrolled in a HealthCare.gov plan will automatically get re-enrolled in 2019 coverage, but navigators are urging consumers to check back in to see if a more suitable plan is available. Rates have dropped in some areas, so consumers might be able to find a plan that offers equivalent or better coverage for cheaper.
(This is not a paid advertisement)
-Information and weather charts courtesy Brian K. Short, Director of Emergency Operations, Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations
According to the National Weather Service, there is a marginal risk for severe weather Thursday evening through Friday evening.
Severe weather may include isolated thunderstorms that develop late tonight and toward daybreak on Friday across the Coastal Plain and the eastern Piedmont. A strong to severe storm is possible with a primary threat of wind gusts in excess of 50 MPH, which may produce downed trees and power outages.
-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robin Pendergraft, Chief of the Criminal Division will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections. AUSA Pendergraft has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of any complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said United Staes Attorney Higdon. “The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise may exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Higdon stated that AUSA/DEO Pendergraft will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 919-856-4530.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Raleigh FBI field office can be reached by the public at 919-380-4500.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Higdon said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
News releases are available on the U.S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on twitter @USAO_EDNC.
-Information courtesy Michael Kelly, Regional Planning Director, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments
The KTRPO has proposed the following division needs transportation projects to be considered for inclusion in the 2020-2029 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Aerial maps of the projects are available for public viewing at the websites below.
The points assigned by the KTRPO were done in accordance with the adopted Local Input Methodology. Public comments will be open for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. Comments may be sent to the following: info@kerrtarcog.org with the phrase ‘KTRPO Division Needs Project Comments‘ in the subject line. Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments at P.O. Box 709 Henderson, NC 27536
https://www.kerrtarcog.org/departments/transportation/meetings/announcements/
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College honored 10 students who completed the college’s Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic program in August.
The graduates included Kaylee Bradsher of Roxboro, Joseph Carpunky of Henderson, Reginald Collins of Henderson, Paul Currin of Norlina, Lawrence Green of Wake Forest, Kaylelynn Grindstaff of Louisburg, William Holder of Roxboro, Abigail Milton of Henderson, Aaron Porterfield of Wake Forest, and Mario Wright of Henderson.
The class, which began in August 2017, was instructed by Vivian Loyd, a Registered Nurse and Paramedic Level II instructor.
Above: Seated, from left, are Mario Wright, Paul Currin, Kaylelynn Grindstaff, Abigail Milton, and William Holder; standing, from left, instructor Vivian Loyd, Aaron Porterfield, Lawrence Green, Kaylee Bradsher, Reginald Collins, Joseph Carpunky, and EMS Coordinator Stephen Barney. (VGCC photo)
EMT-Paramedic instruction includes 660 hours of didactic (classroom) training and 400 hours of clinical education, or field internship. To be eligible to take the EMT-P course, students had to have already completed a 203-hour EMT-Basic course and passed a state exam.
An EMT-Paramedic has enhanced skills beyond the EMT-Basic level, including being able to administer additional interventions and medications. The EMT-P delivers the highest level of pre-hospital medical care in North Carolina.
Students had to pass several different exams, including a “scope of practice” exam, in order to successfully complete the EMT-P course. The scenario-based evaluation tested the hands-on and critical thinking skills of students as they delivered the appropriate treatment to multiple trauma patients and dealt with pediatric, environmental, and mental illness situations. Each student also had to complete an 80-hour Anatomy and Physiology course.
With the completion of the EMT-P course, the students take the 100-question North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services credentialing exam to become state-certified.
VGCC offers Emergency Medical Services training from the basic to the Paramedic level, in addition to continuing education, with most of the classes being taught in Building 10, the new home for Emergency Medical Services training, located on Main Campus across from the main entrance to the college. For more information on enrolling in these courses, call EMS Coordinator/instructor Stephen Barney at (252) 738-3273.
-Press Release, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. will be visiting the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Branch of the State Bureau of Investigation on Tues., Nov. 13, to inspect aspects of the agency’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services.
The purpose of the assessment is to ensure ALE meets approximately 180 CALEA standards to achieve accredited status.
“By undergoing this voluntary submittal of intense scrutiny and peer review from the commission, ALE will demonstrate to the citizens of North Carolina that their state law enforcement agency is among the finest in the nation, exemplifying professionalism, accountability and transparency,” said Kelton Brown, ALE Branch Head.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the public are invited to offer comments directly to the assessment team during a public information session. They will be also focusing on providing addicts with options for rehab by finding the best christian drug rehab facilities near me and other centers for the ones who are interested in a different environment for detoxification. The event will be held on Tues., Nov.13, at 4 p.m. at the State Bureau of Investigation auditorium, 3320 Garner Road, Raleigh. Anyone unable to attend the public information session may address the assessors by calling (919) 582-8403 on Tues., Nov. 13, between 2 and 4 p.m. Comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the ALE Branch’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission for Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155, or call (703) 352-4225.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., the public may write the Commission at the above address, call, or visit their website at https://www.calea.org.
For more information on the ALE Branch’s accreditation process, please contact Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Professional Standards Angela Hayes at (919) 662-4500.
