Archive for February, 2021

Notice of rescheduled remote meeting

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will hold the second day of their annual retreat on Thursday, March 18 beginning at 9 a.m. This meeting was rescheduled due to inclement weather. 

Due to the continued COVID-19 State of Emergency, the meeting will be closed to the public. Please contact the County Administration Office at 919-693-5240 to receive the registration link for the Zoom meeting.

-Debra A. Weary
Clerk to the Granville County Board of Commissioners

Juvenile Crime Prevention Council requests proposals

The Granville County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) requests proposals for programs that will serve delinquent and at-risk youth for the fiscal year 2021-2022/23 beginning on, or after, July 1, 2021. Based on identified needs, programs to be considered include those that involve mentoring, mediation/conflict resolution, GED programs, vocational skills, crisis counseling, tutoring and other programs listed in the attached document.

The anticipated county allocation is $180,837, with a 20 percent required local match. Only local public agencies, 501(c) (3) non-profit corporations and local housing authorities will be considered for funding. Proposals will be accepted through March 31, 2021.

To view the Request for Proposals (RFP), please click here: Granville JCPC 2021-22-23

Partnerships help make our communities safer

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division recently combined forces with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Apex Police Department and the NC State Bureau of Investigation in a joint investigation that took 208 grams of cocaine, with an estimated value of $20,800, off the streets to make our communities safer.

“We would like to thank the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and other agencies involved in this operation,” said Granville County Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr. “We are grateful to have this cooperation between agencies to take drugs off our streets.”

Franklin County Sheriff Kent Winstead agrees. “We are grateful that our partnerships with other local and state agencies continues to be productive,” he said of the investigation. “Even though this type of drug activity occurs across jurisdictional boundaries, it poses the same threat to all of our citizens. This arrest and the removal of this amount of illegal drugs has made all of our communities safer.”

To view the press release from the Granville County Sheriff’s Office, please click here.

For additional information about this investigation, please contact Lt. Jonathan Collier of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 252-204-1822.

NC Cooperative Extension presents webinar series

Join NC Cooperative Extension online as the Piedmont Regional Beef Conference planning committee offers the Piedmont Regional Beef Conference Webinar Series.  

Four FREE sessions with a wide variety of topics have been scheduled through the month of March, via Zoom,  starting at 7:00 p.m. A  great lineup of speakers will take learning to the next level.

• * March 4: Reproductive Strategies
• * March 11: Finishing Beef Cattle on Forages
• * March 18: Evaluation of Carcass Quality in Live Cattle
• * March 25: Warm-Season Forage Options & Research Update

While the sessions are free, registration is required to receive the Zoom link information. Register online here: https://go.ncsu.edu/prbcwebinarseries21.

Sheriff’s Office provides tips to protect against scams

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports of scams victimizing residents of Granville County. Scammers have attempted to solicit information by phone, by mail and through home computers.

Some of the scams reported involve the following:

• * Computer virus protection services
• * Unemployment benefits
• * Counterfeit checks
• * Debt collections
• * IRS/NC Department of Revenue
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Sheriff’s Office Investigators have been working to resolve these reported incidents and offer these tips for your protection:

• * Don’t respond to unsolicited emails, phone calls or mail from an unrecognized company, or one that you do not do business with;
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• * Never share financial or personal information such as your birth date, Social Security number or bank account number, unless you are sure of where this information will be going;
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• * Regularly monitor your financial accounts to make sure there are no unauthorized charges;
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• * Beware of phishing scams. Don’t click on a link from an unknown email sender.
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• * Protect your PINs and passwords. Avoid using easily identifiable information as your PIN or password, such as your mother’s maiden name, your birthdate or your phone number. Change your passwords regularly.
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If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, please contact the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213.

Annual Commissioners’ retreat postponed

The Feb. 18 session of the Granville County Board of Commissioners’ retreat will be postponed until a later date, due to the threat of inclement weather.  

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will hold their annual retreat on Wednesday, Feb. 17 beginning at 5:45 p.m. and on Thursday, Feb. 18 beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Due to the continued COVID-19 State of Emergency, the meeting room will be closed to the public.  

Please contact the County Administration Office at 919-693-5240 or grancomrs@granvillecounty.org  to receive the registration link for the Zoom meeting.   

To view the agenda, please click here.

                                                                                                                                                 Debra A. Weary
Clerk to the Granville County Board of Commissioners

Power outages impact much of Granville County

Granville County Emergency Management continues to relay information to residents regarding weather updates. Working with local power companies, information is also being shared regarding power outages, as work continues to restore power to much of the area. Accumulations of ice over the weekend, coupled with heavily saturated ground and the extent of damage reported, have delayed progress as special equipment is being brought in.

Duke Energy reports that repairs continue as crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power outages after the storm. Nearly 800 additional workers have traveled to the region to assist the more than 600 line workers currently working to restore power.

As crews add updates while they are making repairs, estimated restoration times will become more specific by device for the customer, so please check your specific address on the map for the most recent information at www.duke-energy.com/outages. 

Granville County residents who are customers of Duke Energy and experience a power outage can report it the following ways:

• * Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
• * Use the Duke Energy mobile app (download the Duke Energy App on your smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play).
• * Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
• * Call Duke Energy’s automated outage-reporting system:
  • Duke Energy Carolinas: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
  • Duke Energy Progress: 800.419.6356 
  •  

If enrolled in outage alerts, messages will be sent out when additional updates are available.

An open letter from Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr.

 

Greetings Citizens of Granville County,

 

County Ranger Rob Montague named 2020 Employee of the Year

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) recently honored Robert “Rob” Montague of Granville County as its 2020 Employee of the Year. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler presented the award during a virtual online meeting.

Montague, an area ranger with the N.C. Forest Service, was honored for going “above and beyond” in his daily work, for personally responding to many of the emergency calls in his area, and for being a valued resource in the local community. 

During the last fiscal year, Montague wrote management plans for 96 tracts of land, which help citizens care for their land while potentially creating a financial resource. Montague says completing these plans give him a sense of pride, knowing it’s a way to make a difference in people’s lives.

“Rob’s commitment to helping people is evident in the number of forest management plans he helps create,” said Commissioner Troxler. “Many area rangers prepare an average of 10 to 30 plans each year. Rob knows those plans help people use their forest resources to pay for things like their retirement or their children’s educations, so I’m proud to know it’s one of the many ways he serves the people of his community.”

Montague also responds to wildfires and many other local emergency calls where he can help – often during nights and weekends. As a result, local emergency responders have come to count on him for assistance. 

“Rob is a valuable part of our NCFS workforce,” said Assistant Commissioner Scott Bissette. “He brings enthusiasm and dedication to his role as the area ranger in Granville and Vance counties. He is extremely proactive, personally responding to 65% of emergency response calls in those counties, and he leads a sharp team of NCFS professionals who serve and fulfill the mission of this agency. I’m proud of his outstanding leadership as an NCFS area ranger.”

Outside of forest management and emergency response, Montague holds a great number of education and outreach events to inform the community of how the N.C. Forest Service can assist them. His commitment and service to the community also earned him the distinction of being named the November Employee of the Month.

“This is not just me,” Montague says of the award. “It’s all the people in our organizations who support the Forest Service. These accomplishments for citizens couldn’t happen without a team effort from employees at the local to regional and state level. I’m very proud to wear the uniform and be part of the organization.”

For more details about this award, please click here.

More information about the NC Forest Service can be found here.

Special meeting notice, Granville County Commissioners

Please take notice that the Granville County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center, located at 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford, NC 27565.

Due to COVID and holding virtual meetings, Granville County has not held a closed session to update new commissioners on various items. The meeting will consist entirely of a closed session pursuant to G.S. §143-318.11(a)(3), (4) and (5):  to consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged; to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body, including agreement on a tentative list of economic development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiations; and to establish, or to instruct the public body’s staff or negotiating agents concerning the position to be taken by or on behalf of the public body in negotiating (i) the price and other material terms of a contract or proposed contract for the acquisition of real property by purchase, option, exchange, or lease.

– Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board