Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! VGCC Helping Entrepreneurs

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Vance-Granville Community College’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) is open for business.    Students and community members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce recently to mark this momentous occasion.  The Nov. 9 event coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The EIC is located at VGCC’s South Campus in Creedmoor and serves all four campuses in the VGCC system.

The EIC supports VGCC’s mission of strengthening the state’s economy by helping students and clients living in rural areas achieve their entrepreneurial potential by exposing them to entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial opportunities, according to a press release from VGCC.

By educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success, VGCC and the EIC help N.C. entrepreneurs succeed by offering them the training and learning opportunities that prepare them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas. 

 This effort also enhances VGCC’s Small Business Center offerings of Ice House, Kauffman FastTrack and NC REAL Entrepreneurship training, among others. VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais recently joined other community college presidents in signing the national Entrepreneurship Pledge.

“I think that the Center is a great opportunity for networking, gaining business skills, and preparing for the future in business,” said Tanya Weary, dean of business & industry solutions. “I am really excited for VGCC. This is the start of something that will grow and develop.  The opportunities this innovation environment will create are endless.”   

Serena Aycock, one of the members of the newly formed Vanguard Entrepreneurship Club, was on hand to take part in the ribbon cutting.  “I am absolutely inspired and honored to attend this great community college,” Aycock said. “I feel the energy of success in this room during this unforgettable ribbon-cutting event.”

The Center has had support from NC IDEA.  NC IDEA is an independent private, 501(c)(3) foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies. NC IDEA fosters sustainable economic development with competitive grants and programs for entrepreneurs and funding to strengthen the North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Thom Ruhe, President & CEO was present to support VGCC’s continued entrepreneurial efforts.   Also present were Dr. Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship; Alyssa Martina, Director of Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Elon University; and Dr. Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs, UNC Chapel Hill were present to support VGCC’s entrepreneurial efforts;  and representatives from the four counties that VGCC serves.

To learn more about VGCC’s entrepreneurial endeavors, contact Tanya Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3521.

Grace Ministries

TownTalk: Grace Ministries Prepares 2000 Meals for Thanksgiving

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G.R.A.C.E. Ministries is partnering with several churches in Vance and Granville counties to distribute a couple of thousand plates of food Saturday, Nov. 20. Jamie Elliott, one of the founders of G.R.A.C.E. Ministries, said he welcomes the community to come join in, whether you’re interested in helping prepare the food or whether you want to come and pick up plates for you and your neighbors.

Elliott spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and he said the food has been purchased, but added that monetary donations surely would help replenish the coffers – checks written to G.R.A.C.E. Ministries may be mailed to P.O. Box 316, Henderson, NC 27536.

In addition to eat-in and take out plates at the G.R.A.C.E. Ministries location at 961 Burr St., Elliott said West End Baptist, Island Creek Baptist and West Oxford Baptist churches all will be distributing plates on Saturday as well. West End will be set up at Henderson Family Dentistry, 560 Dabney Dr., Island Creek will be distributing food at its location, 950 Stagecoach Rd. and West Oxford will be giving out plates from their location, 627 Hillsboro St., Oxford.

Plates should be ready for pickup around lunchtime, but volunteers should plan to arrive by about 8:30 a.m. “Those cooking will be on site about 3 a.m.,” Elliott said. “Grab some friends and come on out,” he said. “We’ll have a good time (while) serving the Lord.”

There will be little time for relaxing after the Saturday food event, Elliott said, because as soon as they wrap up the pre-Thanksgiving meal, “we’ll put all our attentions on the toy drive” for Christmas.

New or very gently used toys will be collected in advance of the Dec. 18 program at G.R.A.C.E. Ministries. Elliott said he sincerely hopes that, this year, children can return to the church, hear a Christmas story and receive a gift. Visit graceofhenderson.org to learn more about the upcoming events.

G.R.A.C.E. Ministries works in the four-county area to reach those struggling with addiction. Weekly recovery meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at 961 Burr St., Elliott said. Resources are available to help those in need.

Contact Elliott at 252.204.3617 or Bobby West at 252.432.7124 to find out ways to help with these holiday events.

 

Granville County Chamber of Commerce

John Penn Citizen Of The Year Nominations Open; Due To Chamber By Jan. 4, 2022

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce has opened nominations for the annual John Penn Citizen of the Year award, given to a local citizen for outstanding service to the community.

John Penn was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and he lived in Granville County and was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775.

Chamber members are invited to nominate individuals who have contributed to the local community. According to the nomination form, the nominee’s employment may be related to the individual’s accomplishments, but they should be separate and apart from their work duties.

Nominations are due to the Chamber office no later than Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. A committee will review all applications and the winner will be announced at the annual Chamber banquet.

The nomination should contain evidence of the nominee’s positive impact on the community and should contain the areas that the nominee is active – town, county, church, civic group, schools, recreation – as well as any specific action and involvement that is directly related to the nomination.

Download the application at https://granville-chamber.com/member-services/john-penn-citizen-year/ or contact the Chamber at 919.693.6125.

Vance County Schools Logo

VCHS Theater Arts Class Creates Winning Video For Statewide Contest

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A team of theater arts students at Vance County High School won first place in a statewide video contest sponsored by the N.C. School Boards Association.

Board of Education Chair Linda Cobb and board member Ruth Hartness recently accepted the award on behalf of VCHS.

Teacher Samantha Campbell and her theater arts class produced the video, titled

Each year, the NCSBA gives a theme upon which school districts develop the video, according to Aarika Sandlin, director of communication & marketing for VCS.

“Vance County High School theater art students were up to the challenge and worked together to create a video that encompassed the theme, but also elements of our district,” Sandlin told WIZS via email.  We are elated that our theater arts class has once again come out on top! Ms. Campbell’s class developed an idea and worked together to make it come to life. We are elated that our theater arts class has once again come out on top!” she added.

The students’ video was among 31 videos submitted. VCHS has brought home top honors in 2018 and 2019, Sandlin noted.

The video borrows from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and features a parent struggling to decide whether public schools can overcome challenges, from integration to COVID-19.  She is visited by ghosts of education past, present and future before making her decision. The video is 1:34 minutes long and uses silent-movie techniques of mood-setting music and alternating script and film to create a vintage feel. In the end, the parent, Yvonne Vance, makes her decision about her daughter’s education.

View the video: https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=25&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=6505&PageID=1.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Pender Reflects On First Season At VCHS

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Wilbur Pender was hired as Vance County High School’s head football coach only four weeks before the season started, and the team’s season was disrupted for two weeks due to Covid but none of that really mattered as the Vipers posted a 7-3 record this season making it to the state playoffs. They lost in the first round 48-6 to Westover High School in Fayetteville. Pender says that game, “Let us know where we are, I saw a lot of deficiencies show up.”
The Vipers, according to Pender, are a close team but, “We just didn’t play good enough to win that game. I hate to say it but the best team won,” Pender added. Looking back on the season Pender said the Vipers did their best to control what they could control, and he tried to give his team the best chance at a positive outcome.
While losing seniors like Omari Allen, who will be moving on to East Carolina next season, Pender says there will be a good group of players returning and he is encouraging his players to play other sports that will help make them better athletes when next season begins.
He expects to continue to grow the program at Vance County and would like to see a rebuild of the Jay-Vee program which, because of the pandemic, did not happen this year.

 

South Granville Rotary Collecting Items For Holiday Gift-Giving To Senior Adults

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The Rotary Club of South Granville County needs the community’s help to bring some holiday cheer to senior adults in the area.

The goal is to distribute 125 gifts at a drive-thru event on Dec. 3 at the Granville County Senior Center. The event is for senior adults who attend South Granville Senior Center activities, according to Club President Angela Allen.

Sign up to collect one or more items (in increments of 25) on the club’s Signup Genius page:

www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4aaeac23aafc1-granville1

All donations must be collected and delivered by November 30, 2021. Donations may be dropped off on Tuesdays at the weekly Rotary Club meeting. The club meets at 6:30 p.m. at South Granville Country Club, 2539 Sam Moss Hayes Rd., Creedmoor.

Other drop-off locations in Creedmoor include:

  • Creedmoor Community Center, 108 E. Wilton Ave., Tuesdays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Instructions for dropoff will be posted at the entrance.
  • Mule Town Veterinary Hospital, 413 N. Main St., Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesdays 12 noon to 8 p.m.

For more information, email angela.allen@granvillecounty.org or phone 919.725.6486.

Crossroads Christian School

SportsTalk: Richardson Tips Off Crossroads Basketball Season Friday

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Scottie Richardson has two hats. One hat is his Athletic Director’s hat and the other is his Head Basketball Coach hat.  Friday night he will be wearing his basketball hat as Crossroads Christiam kicks off the 2021 basketball season against Oxford Prep.  In his 4th year as coach Richardson says there is a system in place for the team which will have 14 players including five seniors, anchored by All State player Andreas Prince who averaged 22 points per game and made 44% of three point attempts last season. On Tuesday Crossroads will face Henderson Collegiate in a game that can be heard live on WIZS beginning immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast.

Richardson says that he is expecting good things from the basketball program but also praised other sports at the school, “It’s the best athletic season in school history,” Richardson stated on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. The school’s soccer team, which started 0-4 on the year finished the season with the most wins in school history for the program with 15. The previous record for men’s soccer was four. The soccer team finished ranked 3rd in the state losing in the final four by one point.  The cross country team, which had not had a full roster in nine years, won the state championship this season. Girls volleyball posted 10 wins this year, the most victories since 2010.

“We got the right coaches on the bus and the wrong ones off,” Richardson said of the success of the school’s athletic programs.

 

The Local Skinny! Youth Interested In Showing Dairy Calves Can Attend Meeting Nov. 16 At Warren Armory

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Youngsters who want to learn more about the 2022 Dairy Calf project of the Warren County Extension 4-H program are invited to a meeting next week, according to information from Matthew Place, Warren livestock agent.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Warren Armory Civic Center. The civic center is located at 501 US Hwy. 158 Bus E, Warrenton, NC 27589.

Participants do not have to live in Warren County; Place said he welcomes youngsters and their parents to the meeting to learn details.

The eight-week project will take place next summer. The 4-Hers will work with their assigned Guernsey calf weekly to get them ready for the Central Carolina District Junior Dairy Show.

The 4-H program is for young people ages 5 to 18.

For more information, contact the Warren County office of N.C. Cooperative Extension at 252.257.3640.

 

TownTalk: Louisburg College Oral History Project Tells Students’ Stories

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Louisburg College alumni have an opportunity to record their favorite memories of their days on campus as part of an oral history project underway now.

So far, the college has received close to 600 entries, and Alitha Palich tells alums there’s still time to send in submissions.

Palich is vice president of institutional advancement at Louisburg College and works with donors and alums. She and her team are coordinating the project with a company that specializes in oral history projects.

She told Bill Harris Thursday on Town Talk that they kicked off the project in September and hope to have the final publication available in September 2022.

The two-year college enjoys a long history in the area, dating back to 1787. The majority of students come from Franklin and nearby counties in North Carolina and Virginia.

“My favorite thing to do is hear their stories,” Palich said. She said she listens to alumni reminisce about their time on campus and recall lasting friendships made while students there.

“We’re a small college – that’s part of our charm.” Small college equals small staff, but it also means that students get the chance for more individualized attention from faculty and instructors.

Although the alumni stories span decades, Palich said common themes of special coaches or teachers have emerged in the stories submitted thus far.

And Fried Chicken Thursday.

Palich said she didn’t truly understand just how long the tradition of “Fried Chicken Thursday” had been around until she heard alum after alum recall fondly the weekly cafeteria treat.

“It’s one of the things they mention quite often,” she said. “Most people have a story about that – it’s funny to me that (it) popped up so many times, but it was quite the tradition on campus.”

The plan is to collect stories for a few more months and then begin the process of transcription. Alums may submit photos as well, Palich said. The book that will be created will probably be pretty hefty, and she hopes to get 700 submissions or more. The book will be available for purchase to alumni only; there is no obligation to purchase a book for those alumni who do submit stories. There will be a digital format available as well, she said.

One of the oldest alums to submit his story is a gentleman in his 90s who would have attended Louisburg College in the late 1940’s, she said.

Palich noted that the oral history project is a way for the school to collect stories and share them with others. “We want what their best memories are, their funniest stories…what changed their life,” she said.

In addition to preserving the school’s history through stories for others to read and enjoy now and in the future, Palich said the project also helps to bring up some school pride and strengthen the bond between different years and classes.

Call Palich at 919.496.2521 to learn how to submit stories for the project.