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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Forest Incentives
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
The Local Skinny! Festival Of Lights At Aycock Moved To Tuesday Night
Join in the fun tomorrow evening (Tuesday) as Aycock Elementary lights up the night with its second annual Festival of Lights.
“Come experience the magic of the season and see just how much our teachers have put together for our small community,” said Aarika Sandlin, director of communications and marketing for Vance County Schools.
The drive-thru event begins at 5:30 p.m. and continues until 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to come visit and will get to tour through such themed areas as The Polar Express, Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Village, Winter Wonderland and Who-ville.
There is no charge for admission, but donations are gratefully accepted at the entrance. Vehicles will enter through the Aycock Rec Center driveway.
Filing Period For Mar. 3 Primary Elections Opens Monday, Dec. 6
UPDATED — The Vance County Board of Elections is making plans for the upcoming county and Henderson municipal primary elections, rescheduled from last month to March 3, 2022. The filing period for county or local offices begins at 12 noon on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 and closes on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021 at 12 noon, according to information from Melody Vaughan, board of elections director. Contests for the following offices will be on the Mar. 3 ballot:
- Vance County Commissioner-Districts 3, 4 and 7
- Vance County Board of Education-Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7
- Vance County Register of Deeds
- Vance County Clerk of Superior Court
- Vance County Sheriff
Filing for the city of Henderson will begin at 12 noon on Jan. 3, 2022 and will end on Jan. 7, 2022 at 12 noon. Contests for the following offices will appear on the Mar. 3 ballot:
- Wards 1 and 2, at-large seats
- Wards 3 and 4
The fee schedule for the various seats is set by the State Board of Elections.
The fees are:
- County Commissioners⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$ 98.72
- Board of Education⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$ 42.00
- Register of Deeds⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$ 529.56
- Clerk of Superior Court⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$ 998.00
- Sheriff⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$ 720.60
- City of Henderson⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅$10.00
Payment will be accepted in the form of a check or cashier’s check payable to Vance County Board of Elections.
The primary elections information will be updated in the next week to include any federal or state offices that will appear on the ballot, and again after the filing deadlines to include names of all candidates running for each office. Ballots are scheduled to be printed a couple of months before the election.
On Election Day, poll workers will mark buffer zones with signs to mark where electioneering may take place. State law requires that the limit be set at 50 feet from the entrance of the polling place, but no farther than 50 feet and at least 25 feet. Listed below are the precincts and polling places in Vance County:
- North Henderson 1 – County office building, 305 Young St. and Walnut St.
- South Henderson 1 – Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St.
- East Henderson 1 – Advance Academy, 219 Charles St.
- West Henderson – Central Fire Station, 211 Dabney Dr.
- Northern Vance – Vance County Middle School, 293 Warrenton Rd.
- South Henderson 2 – L.B. Yancey Elementary School, 311 Hawkins Dr.
- Hilltop – St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 3005 Oxford Rd.
- Kittrell – Kittrell Fire Station, 54 W Main St., Kittrell
- Middleburg – E. O. Young Elementary School, US 1 North, Middleburg
- Sandy Creek – Aycock Recreation Complex, 307 Carey Chapel Rd.
- Community College – Vance-Granville Community College, 200 Community College Rd.
- New Hope – New Hope Elementary School, 10199 NC Hwy 39 N
Contact the board of elections office at 252.492.3730 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. with questions.
South Granville High School To Remain Open Following School Board Reversal
The Granville County Board of Education has reversed its previous decision to consolidate southern-end high schools and voted unanimously at a Thursday work session to keep all three high schools in operation.
The school board also voted to cancel its previous plans for district consolidation and reorganization and instead will make all elementary schools K-6 next year. School attendance zones will not change; elementary-school students will spend an extra year at their current school before moving to a middle school, which will become Grades 7-8 schools.
By keeping South Granville High School at its Creedmoor campus, G.C. Hawley Middle School students will attend Butner-Stem Middle School, where school leaders say there is sufficient space to merge the two student groups, according to information from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer.
Board member Amanda LaBrecque shared a presentation that laid out plans the board ultimately supported, which called for adding sixth graders to all elementary campuses.
The presentation, titled “A Temporary Solution,” is a three-pronged approach to consolidation while addressing short-term and long-term needs.
Part 1 – K-6: Move all sixth-grade classrooms into the elementary schools, district-wide and include an district intramural sports league for sixth graders.
Part 2 – 7 & 8: As a result of this move, Butner-Stem Middle School can accommodate seventh and eighth graders from both G.C. Hawley and Butner-Stem, with room for growth
Part 3 – 9-12: Enrichment hub: Granville Central High School will act as an enrichment hub for students district-wide to attend advanced courses and additional electives – foreign language courses, for example. The plan proposes that buses shuttle students to minimize the need for student driving. Career Technical Education classes will not be part of the enrichment hub.
The proposed plan also looks at the short-term (3-5 years), 5-year, and 10-year intervals with various possible scenarios, depending on future growth in the county and student enrollment in the school district, Winborne explained.
Following LaBrecque’s presentation, Winborne stated “the board engaged in a thorough discussion regarding various aspects of (the) presentation, shared ideas and posed a variety of questions.” Following the discussion, two motions were approved, one for the reorganized schools and grade levels and a second to take a closer look at options for the closure of the Hawley Middle School campus.
The first motion passed 7-0 which basically restated the information detailed in the presentation regarding the school changes for the 2021-22 school year.
The board also agreed with the concept of making an “enhancement hub” at Granville Central High School for specialized courses offered in the school district. Winborne stated that this may allow students to cross-enroll in advanced placement and other specialized courses using innovation and creative instruction models.
View the full presentation HERE.
The second motion, which also passed unanimously, calls for creation of a formal study of the closure of Hawley Middle School and the merging of Hawley students to Butner-Stem Middle School.
“This motion does not result in any immediate actions that impact students or families,” Winborne stated. “Rather, it begins the process to direct staff to gather and develop information to create a formal study of the closure of G.C. Hawley, which may then be presented to the board, possibly in February of 2022. A public hearing must be held prior to any decision to close G.C. Hawley Middle School.”
Live streaming, video recordings, agendas and exhibits of all oard meetings, including full copies of all school closure studies may be found on BoardDocs HERE.
Vance Teen Court Club: Adult And Youth Volunteers Needed
The Vance County Teen Court Club is an organization designed to help young people understand the justice system while learning how to take responsibility for their actions. The club is looking for volunteers ages 12 and up to participate. Youth and adult volunteers are needed, according to Tara Goolsby with the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department.
The group currently meets at Aycock Recreation Center on Tuesdays at 4 p.m., according to Youth Services Program Coordinator Darius Pitt. The actual court sessions are held at the court house with real judges and attorneys, he said. “We are in the rebuilding stage right now because most of our volunteers have graduated and are gone off to college,” Pitt said.
Participants learn about the justice system through a variety of hands-on activities, and they provide an alternative system of justice which encourages young people to take responsibility for their actions and correct mistakes.
Student volunteers participate in the defense and prosecution of youthful offenders.
In addition to knowledge gained, volunteers also can earn community service hours toward graduation and improve their communication and problem-solving skills with their involvement in Teen Court Club.
Contact Pitt at 252.431.6099 or dariuspitt@henderson.nc.gov.
SportsTalk: Anthony And Miller Named WIZS Players Of The Week
Friday on “SportsTalk,” Trey Snide announced this week’s Players of the Week.
The men’s award goes to Shane Anthony of Crossroads Christian. He is a multi-sport player, a member of the state champion cross country team and the school’s basketball team. This week he scored 57 points in two games for the Colts. 27 in a triple overtime loss at Thales Academy and 30 in a blow out win over Cape Fear Christian. According to Scottie Richardson, Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach, Anthony excels not just in athletics but in the classroom as well.
For the women’s Player of the Week, the award goes to Aniyah Miller. Miller is the first and, so far, only female wrestler in the history of Vance County High School. She is a junior and has competed against males in the sport. She has made history at the school with her accomplishments this season.
Congratulations to Crossroads Christian’s Shane Anthony and Vance Co. High School’s Aniyah Miller, WIZS Players of the Week.
NC DOT Awards Contracts For Vance, Warren Road Improvements
More than 20 miles of state-maintained roads in Vance County will undergo resurfacing and shoulder improvements, according to information from NC DOT.
Carolina Sunrock of Raleigh was awarded a $2.7 million contract to mill, resurface pavement and improve shoulders along 21.4 miles of Vance County roads, including Tungsten Mine, Jacksontown and Morgan roads.
ST Wooten Corporation of Wilson was awarded a $2.1million contract to make similar improvements along 16.5 miles of roads in Warren County. Roads to be resurfaced under this contract include Slick Williams, Baltimore and Parktown roads.
The work may begin in spring 2022 and must be completed by the end of summer 2023, according to the NC DOT press release.
VGCC To Launch New Technology Platform To Support ‘Modern Learner’
Vance-Granville Community College plans to launch a new technology platform for student services that school officials said will help students across the four campuses whether they are taking in-person classes, virtual classes or a combination of the two.
The school is partnering with software company ConexED, whose technology is intended to promote student success, according to information from VGCC’s Chris LaRocca.
“ConexEd provides a unified student services platform, eliminating the need for multiple platforms and logins while reducing ‘roadblocks’ for students, so they can reach the appropriate college personnel,” according to the statement. Faculty and staff also will benefit from the new platform as they work with students to handle scheduling, reporting and other support services.
Dr. Levy Brown, vice president of learning, student engagement & success, said the partnership will aid VGCC’s efforts to connect with the “modern learner” and called the upgrade “a positive step that will help VGCC students achieve their goals.”
VGCC offers classes at four campuses, as well as online. ConexED will help all students, regardless of location, to, for example, schedule appointments and conduct meetings over video-conferencing.
“Enhancing technology for students has become even more important since the pandemic began, so we are excited to implement new solutions that can help VGCC students access a number of different resources, no matter where they are or how they’re attending classes,” said Dr. Ken Lewis, VGCC’s vice president of institutional research & technology.
Advising and registration for the college’s Spring 2022 semester are currently ongoing. For more information on enrolling at VGCC, visit www.vgcc.edu and click on “Admissions.”
More than 210 educational institutions and 1,100 tutoring centers across 12 countries use ConexED. For more information, visit www.conexed.com.
SportsTalk: Crossroads Christian To Face Its Biggest Rival On Friday
Trey Snide welcomed Crossroad Christian’s Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Coach Scottie Richardson along with the team’s Shane Anthony to Sports Talk today (Thursday). Anthony has been named player of the week after scoring 27 points in a 99 – 93 three overtime loss to Thales (Thay-lees) Academy and 30 points in an 88 – 44 blow out of Cape Fear Christian this week. The win this week also marked Richardson’s 350th victory. “It just means I’m getting old,” said Richardson of his achievement. Richardson is well on his way to catching his father who notched 422 wins in a career that lasted 40 years. Richardson credited great players and great assistant coaches in earning his 350th win.
Crossroads is 2 – 2 on the season and has struggled with some injuries so far but “when we are healthy, we are hard to beat,” Richardson said.
Anthony said one of the strengths of this year’s Colts team is that he and his teammates are great friends and spend weekends hanging out and talking more than basketball. He also feels the team has great leadership from the team and the coaching staff.
Friday night they take on their biggest rival in Grace Christian. With a 7 – 1 record, Grace Christian will prove to be the toughest challenge of the Colt’s season. It’s the first game of the Mid Carolina Conference schedule and will be made even tougher as the Colt’s have to travel to Sanford for the contest. Both Anthony and Richardson says the crowds at Grace Christian are very active and it can get very loud. “It’s a hostile environment. A great basketball atmosphere,” Richards said. Anthony added, “I want to silence the crowd.” Anthony also says that his expectations are for the team to win a state championship this season. A victory tomorrow night over Grace Christian would be a step in the right direction.