Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement on the appointment of Attorney Lamont Wiggins as Resident Superior Court Judge. Wiggins was today appointed to the court by Governor Roy Cooper to replace Judge Milton F. “Toby” Fitch, Jr., who retired from the bench after sixteen years of service: “Attorney Wiggins has demonstrated scholarship and integrity throughout his legal career. He will bring valuable experience to the Superior Court bench. Lamont is a community based leader who understands the …
New Heavy Equipment Course Scheduled at VGCC Warren Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is planning to offer a nine-week course to train Heavy Equipment Operators, beginning Monday, April 16, at the college’s Warren County Campus. A Short-Term Workforce Training Grant from the N.C. Community College System will be available to cover the cost of tuition and books for qualified students, said Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s director of occupational extension. “Students will have the opportunity to learn the techniques and safety aspects of operating heavy equipment while exploring the various types and functions …
Public Input Sought for Proposed Improvements for a Garner Intersection
A proposal to upgrade the U.S. 70/N.C. 50 intersection with Hammond Road/Timber Drive in northwest Garner will be the subject of a N.C. Department of Transportation public meeting on Tuesday, March 27. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which works with the NCDOT on the development of transportation projects in the Raleigh-Durham area, has proposed changes to the intersection to go with widening U.S.70/N.C. 50 to a six-lane highway between U.S. 401 and I-40. Planners are considering an interchange conversion or a reconfiguration …
This Warning of “Suspicious Account Activity” Is a Scam, Utilizing Landlines
Scammers have begun exploiting a quirk in landline technology to steal from consumers. They usually call early in the morning, claiming to be a law enforcement officer or a representative of a financial institution. They report that a suspicious charge was placed on your credit card the night before via an online purchase, an in-store transaction, or an overseas transfer. They need your credit card account information to cancel the transaction. For confirmation that what they are saying is true, …
Andrew Lynam of Youngsville Awarded North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2018
Vance-Granville Community College has named student Andrew Lynam of Youngsville as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2018. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. Lynam will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when he is scheduled to graduate from the college with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Welding Technology, around the same time that he graduates from …
Trustees OK Budget Requests For County Funding
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a proposed total budget request of $3,190,150 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year for Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties at its bimonthly meeting on the college’s Main Campus on Monday, March 19. In other action, the board also heard updates on the college’s recent grant success, the state’s audit of energy consumption, and the annual financial audit by the state. VGCC’s budget requests for plant operations and maintenance funding, which include $2,578,710 …
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates Curriculum – Thursday, March 22, 2018 Building and Grounds – Thursday, March 22, 2018 Personnel – Tuesday, April 10, 2018 Note: All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.
Trey Michael Named Director of Career & Technical Education
Atkins “Trey” Michael, a 17-year veteran of the Department of Public Instruction, has been named director of Career and Technical Education for the agency. A former teacher, Michael has served with the division of Career and Technical Education since joining DPI. He has served as the marketing education consultant for the division for eight years, special assistant for curriculum and assessment development for seven years, and section chief for two years. In these roles, he worked with business and industry …
VGCC honor society students collect supplies for seniors, pets
The Vance-Granville Community College Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recently conducted a service project in which they collected goods for home-bound seniors in need in Vance and Warren counties, as well as bagged and canned pet food and treats, to aid those seniors with pets. Donation boxes were placed at all four VGCC campuses. Also, in keeping with the theme of caring for pets, a number of donations were collected in November at performances …
Butterfield Honors the Life of Rev. James McKinnon
Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today spoke on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the life of Reverend James “Jim” Hawley McKinnon, Jr. of Wilson, North Carolina. He retired after serving as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wilson for almost 30 years. Reverend McKinnon died on Sunday, March 11, 2018 at the age of 77. Click here to watch Rep. Butterfield’s remarks.
Vance County Board of Education Approves Plan Consolidating Middle and High Schools
The Vance County Board of Education approved at its March 19, 2018 meeting a plan to combine the middle schools and the high schools for the 2018-2019 school year. With the board’s action, Eaton-Johnson and Henderson middle schools will be combined and serve middle school students in the facility currently housing Northern Vance High School and Northern Vance and Southern Vance high schools will be combined to serve high school students in the facility currently housing Southern Vance High School …
VGCC scholarship endowed by Ardagh
Ardagh Group, a global leader in packaging solutions with a facility in Henderson, has established a new scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College. Once fully endowed, the Ardagh Academic Achievement Scholarship will be awarded to a VGCC student each year. Ardagh Group manufactures packaging for some of the world’s biggest brands. The company operates 109 glass and metal manufacturing facilities in 22 countries, employing approximately 23,500 people. Ardagh has won over 100 international awards related to innovation and has been granted …
Butterfield Announces 2018 Congressional Art Competition
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today announced the 2018 Congressional Art Competition for the First Congressional District. Since 1982, over 650,000 high school students across the country have participated in this nationwide event showcasing the artistic talent of our nation’s young adults. “The First District is home to so many talented young people,” said Congressman Butterfield. “Each spring, I look forward to seeing the creativity displayed by the students across the First District. This is a unique opportunity for students to …
VGCC instructor’s children donate pieces of history to library
The children of a longtime Vance-Granville Community College instructor who qualifies as one of the “founding mothers” of the institution recently donated historical records and other items to the college library. The late Frieda Bender Haun of Kittrell, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 95, became well-known in the community in part for the “personal enrichment” classes she taught at VGCC. Her involvement in the school started long before it opened in 1969, however. In 1965, Haun …
Butterfield Demands Congressional Hearings to Address Gun Violence Epidemic
Today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), joined by his Democratic colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) urging him to hold hearings as soon as possible to address gun violence in America. The letter requests the Committee hold hearings on the gun violence epidemic in America, including explorations of: who gun violence hurts; whether mass shootings are becoming increasingly deadly; the distribution of guns, ammunition, and accessories through e-commerce, and …
Exit 233 On I-85 Closing (Again)
Work on the Interstate 85 rehab project in Vance and Warren counties will require the closure of a pair of ramps on the northbound side at exit 233 (U.S. 1/401), the closest North Carolina exit to the Virginia state line. The initial closure was supposed to be this week, but poor weather postponed that move. Instead, both the on and off ramps for Wise Road are now scheduled to close on Monday, March 5. The closures are needed for ramp …
Get A Game Plan for Game Day Drinking!
With the Super Bowl on Sunday, now is the time for drivers to get a game plan in place if they’ll be drinking. NCDOT and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program are reminding motorists to celebrate responsibly by designating a sober driver and always buckling up, every seat, every time. In addition, those watching the game: Should ask a sober friend for a ride home or use a ride sharing app, if no designated driver is present; If hosting a party, …
How to Report Potholes
While snow and ice from the recent winter storms has melted, one of the side effects drivers may now encounter is increased potholes in roadways. Potholes are common during the winter months when water seeps into cracks in the road and ice forms. Those cracks widen, causing the asphalt to rise and then traffic loosens the pavement, eventually creating a pothole. Safety is the number one priority at the Department of Transportation. With 80,000 miles of state roads, drivers, law …
Artist Leslie Johnson Teaching VGCC Portrait Painting Class
Vance-Granville Community College will again offer a “Portrait Painting” personal enrichment art class on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until noon, March 7 through May 9. Classes will be held in room 5223 (Building 5) on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Leslie Johnson of Oxford, instructor for the course, has been teaching art classes like this one for VGCC for more than 20 years. She studied the arts at UNC-Greensboro. Her career as a piano teacher and art instructor …
Retiring VGCC Employee Honored by Governor
Longtime Vance-Granville Community College Child Care Specialist Deborah J. Harris was recently honored with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as she prepared to retire. The award was presented to her on the governor’s behalf by the president of VGCC, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, at a holiday social in December, at which Harris and other recent retirees were recognized. A resident of Oxford, Harris retired on Dec. 31 with a longer tenure than any …