Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

Sept. is National Preparedness Month: Does Your Small Business Have a Disaster Plan?

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s “Focus” newsletter – July/August 2018

September is National Preparedness Month. For small business owners, being prepared can mean the difference between staying in business or not following a disaster. The Small Business Administration can assist your business from the planning stages to recovery. Below are the steps they list for Emergency Preparedness. These are each covered at a more in-depth level on the SBA website at www.SBA.gov.

Disaster Planning

Small business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures successful, yet many owners fail to properly plan and prepare for disaster situations. According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. You can protect your business by identifying the risks associated with natural and man-made disasters, and by creating a plan for action should a disaster strike. By keeping those plans updated, you can help ensure the survival of your business. A great place to start is the SBA’s Small Business Disaster Preparedness Guide on the web.

Disaster Assistance

Disaster can strike at any time, and even the most prepared businesses can be adversely impacted. If your business has been impacted by a disaster, the SBA can help by providing disaster assistance.

Disaster Cleanup

Taking the proper cleanup precautions means you can get back to business sooner. Explore some important tips and advice to help you get back on your feet safely.

SBA’s Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan

This plan lays out an overall plan for the Disaster Loan Program, both for smaller scale events when ODA resources easily meet demand and for larger scale ones requiring greater participation from all agency resources.

State Government Information

State governments relay pertinent information to businesses affected by disasters and offer a number of services to help businesses prepare and recover from disasters. Learn more about your state.

Warren Co. Chamber to Host Business After Hours at Historic Jacob Holt House

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Kathleen “Rose” Deering, President~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

You’re invited to the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County’s free Business After Hours event on Thursday, September 13, 2018, from 6 to 8 p.m. This seasonal event, sponsored by members of the Chamber, will be held at the historic Jacob Holt House in Warrenton.

Hors-d’oeuvres, wine, beer and soft drinks will be served. Please RSVP by email to info@warren-chamber.org by September 7.

This is a wonderful opportunity to network with other businesses. There will be raffle tickets available for a chance to win a free dinner at one of our wonderful restaurants!

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Town of Warrenton to Hold Family Movie Night in Historic Courthouse Square

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Kathleen “Rose” Deering, President~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

The Town of Warrenton will hold a family movie night on Saturday, September 1, 2018, starting at 8:15 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse Square, 109 S. Main St., Warrenton. Disney’s “A Wrinkle In Time” (rated PG) will be the featured presentation.

Admission is free; popcorn and refreshments will be for sale. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy an evening of family fun.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

 

Davis Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder of Pressley

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-Press Release, Office of District Attorney Mike Waters

Warrenton, NC – Marquis Davis pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and Assault with a Deadly Weapon with the Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury, in the 2015 murder of Michael Pressley in Warren County. The acts occurred in the early morning hours of August 9, 2015, when six men from Oxford, including Michael Pressley and Jerry Henderson, traveled to the Connect 25 nightclub in Warren County.

As the six men were leaving Connect 25, they were fired upon by individuals traveling in a GMC Sierra truck driven by Marquis Davis and also occupied by Kadeem Grooms, Darren Alston and Montrell Davis. Michael Pressley, a passenger in a Chevy Tahoe, was shot and died as a result of his wounds. Jerry Henderson, the driver of the Chevy Tahoe, was shot in the back and was treated for his injuries at Maria Parham Hospital.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Henry W. Hight, Jr. sentenced Mr. Davis to 157-201 months active in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. This case was scheduled for trial the week of September 4, 2018, in Warren County Criminal Superior Court, however, the plea was entered in Vance County Criminal Case Management Court on Thursday, August 23, 2018. Darren Alston and Montrell Davis previously plead in the matter, and Kadeem Grooms was convicted by a Warren County jury of First Degree Murder and related charges during the week of April 30, 2018.

This matter was investigated by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

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NC National Guard Offers College Tuition & Loan Repayment Assistance

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Several members of the NC National Guard were on WIZS’ Town Talk program Thursday to discuss the requirements and process of becoming a “citizen-soldier” in the reserve branch of the U.S. Army.

According to Master Sergeant Key, a team leader out of the Raleigh/Cary area, the majority of young men and women who enlist in the National Guard serve in a reserve capacity consisting of service one weekend a month and annual training two weeks during the summer.

This schedule gives the recruit the flexibility to pursue college studies while receiving federal tuition assistance up to $4,000 per year. The Reserve Montgomery GI Bill will also pay approximately $373 per month to full-time college students.

Those who have already received a college degree may qualify for the student loan program for repayment up to $50,000 of total debt amount. They will also receive opos debt help along with the loan for easier repayments.

Potential recruits must pass an aptitude test, a physical and have limited law violations. Once passed, initial recruits participate in a Recruit Sustainment Program one weekend a month to prepare for success in the Army’s 10-week Basic Training.

The second phase of the initial training is referred to as Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and involves learning a specific job skill.

The National Guard is currently offering up to $20,000 in enlistment bonuses for specific jobs including transportation specialist, engineer, military police, artillery and supplies specialist.

Fully-trained soldiers in the National Guard have the distinction of being able to return to their own hometown to serve. “What is unique about the National Guard is that those that complete their training return to their own community where they serve in a traditional guard setting as a citizen-soldier,” said Key.

The National Guard has a dual-obligation to the state and to the Federal Government. “As far as the state mission, we could be called to respond to hurricanes, floods, other natural disasters and civil unrest. The governor could call us into action to support our local community and state,” Key said.

“The federal component is tied to the U.S. Army, if they needed assistance with missions overseas, they could call on the NC National Guard.”

Each state and U.S. territory has a National Guard, with the NC branch being 10,000 soldiers strong. For more information, please contact the local recruiter at (919) 622-1327 or visit the NC National Guard website.

Warren Co. Wildcats 8u Softball to Hold 220 Fundraiser, Mon., Aug. 27

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The Warren County Wildcats 8u Softball Team will hold a fundraiser at 220 Seafood Restaurant on Monday, August 27, 2018, from 4 to 7 p.m.

$7.00 per plate. Eat in or take out.

Dinner includes fried trout, french fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies. Drink included for eat-in only. Glad to serve walk-ins.

Proceeds to benefit the Warren County Wildcats 8u Softball Team.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Wilson Re-Elected President of Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

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-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

Randolph Wilson of Kittrell was re-elected president of Rebuilding Hope, Inc. (RHI).

Also re-elected were Bill Overby of Warrenton, secretary; and Walt Slaton of Oxford, treasurer. Overby also was elected to a second three-year term on the board of directors.

Vann Wester of Louisburg was elected vice president and to a first three-year term on the board.

Robert Burnett of Manson was elected to a first three-year term on the board, and Steve Timberlake of Oxford was elected to serve out the unexpired term of a board member who recently moved from the area.

The officers and directors took office August 14, 2018.

RHI, headquartered in Henderson, is a faith-based ministry that uses home repairs to meet physical needs and shares the love of Christ.

Randolph Wilson of Kittrell was recently re-elected president of Rebuilding Hope, Inc.

VGCC Joins Achieving the Dream to Improve Student Success

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-Press Release, ATD Network and Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College today announced it has joined Achieving the Dream (ATD), a network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success.

As an ATD Network institution, VGCC will innovate to implement, align, and scale cutting-edge reforms, work with ATD coaches to build institutional capacity and connect with peers to foster learning and share information, according to college and ATD officials.

“We are already making a difference in the lives of students,” said Dr. Levy Brown, Vance-Granville’s vice president of academic affairs. “Now as a college, it is time to take the next step in our work to improve student learning and success.” Dr. Brown is the leader of the college’s ATD Core Team.

Dr. Joanne Bashford, left, and Dr. Linda Hagedorn of Achieving the Dream make a presentation to Vance-Granville Community College’s administration, faculty and staff at the college’s fall convocation in the Civic Center on Main Campus. VGCC today announced it has joined the network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success. (VGCC Photo)

“The strength of local and regional economies, our ability to rebuild the middle class, and the possibility that a new generation will achieve their goals depends on community colleges,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “Colleges that join the ATD Network show an exceptional commitment to becoming the kind of institution that will lead the nation into the future.”

“Achieving the Dream will serve to accelerate and advance Vance-Granville’s ongoing efforts to assist students in achieving their goals,” said Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC’s interim president. “Participating in Achieving the Dream with its holistic approach to student success will result in Vance-Granville identifying college strengths, prioritizing areas needing improvement and systematically determining and implementing actions that will lead to greater numbers of students and graduates achieving their personal and career goals.”

ATD offers a capacity-building framework and companion self-assessment that allow colleges to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement across seven institutional capacities in areas such as leadership and vision, teaching and learning, and data and technology.

With the capacity framework as a guide, ATD’s approach integrates and aligns existing college success efforts and offers valuable support in preparing for accreditation, fostering conversation about goals, and making bold, holistic institution-wide changes because initiatives that don’t reach most of a college’s student body have not shown strong results.

A team from Vance-Granville and teams from the other colleges joining ATD this year met in June to plan for the launch of their ATD work, which will initially focus on student learning and success.

Dr. Joanne Bashford and Dr. Linda Hagedorn were on VGCC’s Main Campus on Thursday and Friday to meet with the Core Team, administration, staff and faculty for Vance-Granville’s launch of the initiative. Dr. Bashford serves as a Higher Education Services Consultant and Leadership Coach for ATD. Her career in community colleges spans 25 years and includes serving as the President of Miami Dade College’s InterAmerican Campus, a diverse campus of 19,000 students located in historic Little Havana, until retiring in 2017. Dr. Hagedorn is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity and Equity, and Community Program at Iowa State University and a data coach for ATD. As an Achieving the Dream Data Coach, Dr. Hagedorn has been consulting with community colleges since the initiative’s inception and is currently working with six community colleges.

ATD Network colleges report data using metrics that answer critical questions about who attends college, who succeeds in and after college and how college is financed. To advance goals of social mobility and equity, the metrics provide information on how low-income and other underserved students fare. These metrics are categorized into performance metrics, efficiency metrics and equity metrics at points during the student experience from access through post-college outcomes.

As colleges in the new cohort progress, they may apply to participate in initiatives supported by philanthropic funding and managed by ATD. These initiatives help incubate new ideas that help colleges refine practices based on evidence of what works and allow ATD to disseminate knowledge to the broader network and the field.  New initiatives address the challenge of engaging adjunct faculty more deeply as key members of colleges’ workforces and implementing degree programs using only open educational resources (OER).

Achieving the Dream, along with more than 100 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with ATD Network colleges to reach more than 4 million community college students.

Davis-Royster Funeral Service Endows VGCC Scholarship

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., of Henderson has endowed a new Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund scholarship to help area students pursue an education.

The Davis-Royster Funeral Service Academic Achievement Scholarship is named for the family-owned and operated funeral service that has been operating in Vance County since 1991. The company, founded by James H. Royster and owned by Mary Davis-Royster, provides a variety of funeral and memorial services and resources customized to meet the needs of families.

“We have demonstrated through our funeral business a commitment to service based on sensitivity and integrity,” said Mary Davis-Royster. “The people of our service area have been so supportive of us for nearly three decades. We want to give something back to these communities through this educational opportunity to show our appreciation.”

Members of the staff of Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., celebrate their new scholarship with representatives from Vance-Granville Community College. From left are James H. Royster, founder of Davis-Royster Funeral Service; Mary Davis-Royster, owner; Paul Crews Jr., director’s assistant; Robert L. Wright II, funeral director; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Vance-Granville’s president; the Rev. Richard Henderson, member of the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors; and Eddie Ferguson, director of VGCC’s Endowment Fund. (Photo VGCC)

Through the new scholarship, preference will be given to students enrolled for nine credit hours or more in the Business Administration curriculum program at Vance-Granville. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 will be required.

“The leaders of tomorrow for our community are turning to Vance-Granville today and will be doing so for years to come to secure the education and skills training they need to run area businesses. Our scholarship will serve as an encouragement and a valuable means of support,” Mrs. Davis-Royster added.

Mrs. Davis-Royster also serves as the licensed mortician for the company, and Mr. Royster is the funeral service assistant. Also leading the staff are Paul Crews, Jr., who is the director’s assistant, and Robert L. Wright II, licensed funeral director and embalmer.

“We are appreciative of the extended Davis-Royster Funeral Service family for their support of Vance-Granville’s students,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president. “Their gift today will be meeting the needs of future business leaders for generations to come.”

Eddie Ferguson, the director of the VGCC Endowment Fund, added, “The funeral service has chosen a meaningful way to honor their legacy of decades of service to the community. We are proud they have chosen to partner with us to help our students succeed.”

The new scholarship will add to the more than 9,000 scholarships that have been awarded to students since 1982, funded by interest earned on the Endowment Fund and Scholarship Program. Scholarships have been established by individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff to assist deserving students. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business, industry or organization with a lasting gift to education. In the Fall of 2017, Vance-Granville awarded scholarships to 306 students.

For more information, the Office of the Endowment can be reached by calling Endowment Specialist Kay Currin at (252) 738-3409.

Dunlow Honored by Guardian ad Litem Program for 9th Judicial District

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-Information courtesy Melanie Griggs, program supervisor for Guardian ad Litem 

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District which includes Granville, Franklin, Person, Vance and Warren Counties on August 7, 2018.

At the lunch event attended by his peers, District 9 Guardians and GAL staff, Mr. Dunlow was recognized for faithfully serving as the GAL Attorney Advocate in Granville County for over twenty years.

Mary Jo Van Horne, GAL District Supervisor, shared a message from North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper commending Mr. Dunlow:

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District at a lunch event on August 7, 2018.

“On behalf of the State of North Carolina, it is a pleasure to congratulate you on your 20th anniversary of service as attorney advocate to the Guardian ad Litem Program of Judicial District 9.   This is certainly a special occasion, and I know that the entire community appreciates your many contributions over the years.

I join your family, friends and colleagues in wishing you an outstanding anniversary celebration.  You have my best wishes for continued success and happiness in all your future endeavors.”

A commendation for Attorney Advocate Longevity from Cindy Bizzell, North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Administrator, was also presented to Mr. Dunlow.

The Guardian ad Litem program’s mission is to provide trained independent advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in the state court system and to work expediently toward a plan that ensures these children are in a safe, permanent home. For more information about joining this crucial organization, visit  www.volunteerforgal.org.