Sheriff offers tips for safe July 4th weekend
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 30, 2020
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Traditionally, highways experience one of the highest traffic flows of the year during the July 4th holiday. Sheriff Charles Noblin reminds all Granville County residents to be mindful of these safety tips when driving:
- Always shift attention every few seconds, constantly scanning the road ahead and behind. Never stare blankly ahead or fix your gaze on one point on the road.
- When passing a vehicle, always glance at the ground beside the front wheel of the car you intend to pass. That way, you will know instantly if the car is about to veer, giving you an extra few seconds to respond.
- Also when passing, pull out into the opposite lane of traffic while you are still well behind the car in front. This should give you some time and space to build up speed, and will enable you to pull back into your own lane, should the need arise.
- Never cut abruptly out of your lane into the opposite lane. Always signal your intentions with your brake lights, turn signals, horn and/or headlights so that other drivers will see you well before you change course.
- Always “aim high” in steering, glancing frequently at points well ahead. Not only will this help in steering, but will also help check the position of vehicles in front, as well as oncoming traffic.
- Never follow too close. Remember that, as speed increases, it takes substantially longer to stop. Also remember that it’s good to have an extra cushion of space in front if you are being tailgated, on a slippery road, or in low visibility conditions.
“I would like to remind all drivers to also practice the ‘Golden Rule’ when driving,” Sheriff Noblin said. “Be courteous and tolerant of other drivers. Let’s make this summer a safe one on our roads.”
TDA’s “Brides on Wheels” wedding tour rescheduled
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 29, 2020
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Brides planning a 2020-2021 wedding are invited to take a scenic caravan tour of Granville County to learn more about wedding locations and resources available to help plan their special day.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed from its original date in April and is now scheduled for July 26.
The day includes a stop at three wedding/reception venues (The Oaks at Oxford, Carlee Farm and Shadowing Oaks), as well as early access to a brand new venue, The Orpheum at Oxford, located in downtown Oxford. Florists, photographers, caterers, disc jockeys, rental companies, etc. will welcome brides and their guests throughout the tour as a variety of wedding service options are displayed.
Prior to the tour, registered participants will receive the tour schedule by email/text so that they can travel to each venue in the comfort of their own vehicles. The schedule is tentative and subject to change based on statewide restrictions and guidelines for events and social gatherings.
A number of venues have indoor and outdoor accommodations that will allow tour participants to move around freely. To ensure safety, each venue guide and vendor will wear face coverings and will practice social distancing. Each bride and guest should also wear a cloth face mask during the tour. It is also suggested that participants bring along hand sanitizer/disinfectant wipes for vehicle use. Sanitized restrooms will be available at each stop, and hand sanitizer will be provided upon entry and departure at each venue.
This annual event is presented by the Granville Tourism Development Authority (TDA). Interested brides should register online at https://granvillebows2020.ebentbrite.com. For more information about the Brides on Wheels Tour, please visit www.brides-on-wheels.com or contact TDA Director Angela Allen by phone at 919-693-6125 or by email at angela.allen@granvillecounty.org.
Notice of filing period, Soil and Water Conservation
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 25, 2020
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The filing period for Granville County’s Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor is now in progress and ends on Monday, July 6 at noon. Candidates may file their notarized notice of candidacy and filing fee by mail or come to the Board of Elections Office to file in person. Due to COVID-19, only one person is allowed in the office at one time. Candidates may call ahead (919-693-2515) to schedule an appointment to come in and file.
The filing fee is $5 and must be paid with an individual check, campaign check or money order. Business or corporate checks are not accepted.
The Granville County Board of Elections Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and will not close for lunch. Please note that the Board of Elections Office is now located at 208 Wall Street in Oxford.
Anyone with questions is asked to call 919-693-2515.
Note: The Board of Elections Office will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of Independence Day.
Public notice, Granville County Commissioners
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 22, 2020
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A quorum of the Granville County Board of Commissioners may be present at a walk-through of the Granville County Law Enforcement Center and Animal Shelter, 525 New Commerce Drive, Oxford NC, on Wednesday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact the County Manager’s Office at 919-693-5240.
Debra Weary
Clerk to the Board
County continues partnership with Open Broadband, LLC
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 19, 2020
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Granville County residents in unserved/underserved areas continue to join the list for service and updates through Granville County Government’s broadband initiative. Partnering with Vance and Franklin Counties through a project developed by the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, Granville County Commissioners approved a contract with Open Broadband, LLC in June of 2019. Each county is working through separate contracts that will allow high-speed, wireless internet to become more obtainable, especially in rural areas.
Plans are now being developed for broadcast antenna locations, as well as a rollout schedule for Granville County. The entire network build will be taking place over a four-year period.
Those interested in the project should enter their name and address through the Open Broadband website (https://openbb.net) to be included on the contact list for updates and to be placed on the testing schedule. (There is no charge and no commitment to be included on this list.)
The North Carolina-based company is currently working with 19 counties across the state to provide fixed wireless internet service to unserved/underserved communities. Monthly newsletters and project updates are being made available to those who have signed up on the wait list.
To learn more about this ongoing project, please visit https://openbb.net or call 919-205-5400.
Click here to go to the Broadband Initiative page on Granville County Government’s website.
Changes coming for new construction and upfits
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 17, 2020
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Effective July 1, 2020, the Granville County Inspections Department will perform fire plan review and inspections for new construction and for upfit projects.
The General Contractor will need to submit three (3) sets of plans, along with the building and fire applications, to the Inspections office, located at 122 Williamsboro Street (PO Box 877) in Oxford, to begin the review process. Fire fees will be paid along with the building permit fees. All other related fire marshal inspections and permits will continue to be handled by the Granville County Fire Marshal’s office, located at 5662 Cornwall Road.
For questions, please call 919-603-1326.
Notice of Meeting and Public Hearing
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 15, 2020
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All interested persons, please take notice that the Granville County Tourism Development Authority will meet on Thursday, June 25 at 2 p.m. to conduct regular business and to hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2020/2021.
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the meeting will be held remotely. The meeting will take place in a Zoom phone/video conference. The public is welcome to attend, but participants will need to register with Tourism Director Angela Allen by June 24 to be given access.
Allen can be contact by email at angela.allen@granvillecounty.org or by phone at 919-693-6125.
Invalid absentee ballot requests reported
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 12, 2020
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| The State Board of Elections has learned that a voter advocacy group mailed about 80,000 absentee ballot request forms to North Carolina residents with voters’ information already filled out on the forms.
A state law passed last year prohibits election officials from accepting absentee ballot request forms pre-filled “partially or in whole,” and the State Board has instructed county boards of elections not to process such request forms.
The advocacy group, The Center for Voter Information (CVI) in Washington, D.C., halted additional mailings with pre-filled voter information after N.C. elections officials informed the group of the issue.
CVI plans to send about 400,000 additional mailings to N.C. residents, but they will include blank absentee ballot request forms, which are valid.
County Boards of Elections offices that receive an invalid absentee request form will send a letter to the voter informing them of the issue. The letter will include a blank request form for the voter to return.
The State Board urges voters to discard any absentee ballot request form they receive that includes pre-filled voter information.
CVI asked State Board staff to review a sample mailing in April, and State Board staff did not catch the pre-filled forms at that time; however, CVI sent some mailings before forwarding the final product to elections officials for review. Election officials discovered the issue after these mailings were sent to voters.
“We will do our best to review mailings and other voting information distributed by third parties when requested and when resources allow for it,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections. “However, it’s ultimately up to advocacy groups to ensure their mailings do not confuse voters or potentially affect their ability to vote in an election.”
All registered voters in North Carolina may request an absentee by-mail ballot. The official 2020 State Absentee Ballot Request Form is available for download from the State Board website. Voters may also pick up a request form from their county board of elections or call their county board to request a form.
For the November 3 general election, the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is October 27. Voters may request a ballot now. Starting in early September, ballots will be mailed to voters who request them.
For more information or if you have election-related questions, please contact the Granville County Board of Elections at 919-693-2515.
Visit the Board of Elections website page by clicking here. |
County-wide mailing to encourage completion of 2020 Census
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 11, 2020
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A local appeal from Granville County Government has been mailed out to encourage county-wide participation in the 2020 Census. As of June 9, roughly 60 percent of Granville’s population has responded.
Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census is used to determine how billions of dollars in federal funding is distributed. “We’d love to get as many people as we can to complete the census, and in turn hopefully see more dollars come to Granville County,” remarked Comm. Tony Cozart, who made the motion to approve this mailing at the June 1 meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
Census results will also determine the number of seats each state has in Congress, as well as political representation at all levels of government.
The 2020 Census can be completed by mail, by phone or online in thirteen languages. This is the first year that three options have been made available for convenient response. Completed surveys are kept confidential and are protected by law for 72 years.
Those responding by mail should complete and return the questionnaire received in their mailbox earlier this year, which includes a Census ID. Other options are to call 1-844-330-2020 to respond by phone (1-844-468-2020 for Spanish-speaking residents) or to visit my2020census.gov to respond online.
Those who do not have a Census ID should visit the my2020census.gov website, click on START QUESTIONNAIRE, and click below the login where the following prompt is displayed: “If you don’t have a Census ID, click here.” Then, simply answer the questions.
Granville County is currently ranked in the top 20 in the statewide response report, tying with Mecklenburg and Craven Counties. As of June 9, the statewide response rate is reported at 57.1 percent.
On a more local level, the Town of Stem continues to lead Granville County’s response rates at 67.7 percent, followed by the City of Creedmoor at 60.6 percent, the Town of Butner at 57.6 percent, the City of Oxford at 57 percent and the Town of Stovall at 18.1 percent.
Self response surveys will be accepted through Oct. 31, with Census workers scheduled to visit non-responsive households beginning Aug. 11. Those assigned to follow up door-to-door will be trained to practice social distancing and to follow health guidelines. According to an update sent through the North Carolina State Data Center.
Area Census offices in our state are now re-opening, with census workers currently in the field dropping off Update/Leave packets to households in remote and rural areas.
Appropriations for roads, schools, hospitals, emergency response and many other community needs are determined by ppopulation, which is reflected through Census data every decade. “We all know how important this is for federal and state dollars, as we’re seeing this through the COVID crisis,” reminded Granville County Board Chair David Smith. “Let’s all do our part to make Granville County count.”
The Census appeal, signed by Sandy Woody, Addressing/GIS Manager and the county’s liaison for the 2020 Census, was mailed out on June 10. To view the letter, please click here.
School Resource Officers meet the needs of our community
- Stories Across Granville
- Lynn Allred
- June 10, 2020
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Over the last three months, School Resource Officers (SRO’s) of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office have been providing assistance to local food pantries and area churches during the Covid-19 pandemic, packing, distributing and delivering more than 500,000 pounds of food to those in need.
Those receiving assistance by Granville County’s School Resource Officers include the following locations, with food distribution totals reported through these efforts:
- Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM) – 325,817 pounds of food, which included 522 Senior Boxes (Commodity Supplemental Food Program for Seniors) and 815 family boxes (Food Bank COVID Relief Boxes);
- Pleasant Grove Baptist Church – 2,500 cases (average 40 lbs. a box), totaling 100,000 pounds;
- Delrayno Baptist Church – 2,500 cases (average 40 lbs. a box) totaling 100,000 pounds; and
- FBC Food Bank, Creedmoor – 279 families served.
In addition, more than 24,000 boxes of breakfast, lunch and snacks through the BackPack Buddies program were delivered over a six-day period.
“Many of the volunteers we normally count on were not able to leave their homes due to the Stay At Home Order,” said Sue Hinman, Executive Director of ACIM. “If the SROs had not been there, we would not have been able to provide food to the many people who needed us. We truly appreciate their support and their help when we needed it most.”
The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has nine (9) School Resource Officers on staff. Following North Carolina school closure mandates – due to the COVID-19 pandemic – these SRO’s have assisted with food distribution since mid-March, making additional connections with families all over the county.
“Every single SRO was a part of this effort,” Chief Deputy Sherwood Boyd remarked. “The kids all know that our SRO’s are there to help, and now their parents do, too. We are proud to have assisted our community in this way, helping meet the needs of our residents.”