Archive for September, 2023

Board of Commissioners Meeting Notice – October 2, 2023

Posted September 29, 2023

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet at the Granville Expo & Convention Center, 4185 Highway 15, Oxford, NC on Monday, October 2 2023 at 7:00 p.m. for the regular scheduled meeting.   A copy of the agenda can be found at this link.     

Any questions should be directed to Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board, at 919-603-1307 or emailed to  debra.weary@granvillecounty.org 

Donique LaMar Joins Veterans Services Office

Posted September 29, 2023

Granville County recently welcomed Donique LaMar as the new Veterans Services Technician (VST). LaMar will work under the direction of Veterans Services Officer (VS0) Albert “A.J.” Spiess to assist local Veterans and their families with navigating the complex processes to access Veterans resources at the state and federal level.

Originally from Columbus, Georgia, LaMar comes to Granville County with five years of service in the United States Marine Corps along with sixteen years of experience in various public sector fields including electrical system maintenance, logistics, and customer service. He joined the Marine Corps in September 2001, just days before September 11^th and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom One and Operation Iraqi Freedom Two as Aviation Technician in Electronic Countermeasures. LaMar was deployed consecutively for more than twelve months during this time. LaMar spent most of his military career stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Onslow County, NC. He achieved the rank of Lance Corporal (LCPL) before leaving military service in 2006.

Since entering civilian life, LaMar has earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He currently resides in Butner and has a five-year old son.

“I am honored and privileged to serve the Veterans of Granville County as their new Veterans Services Technician,” said LaMar. “Serving and working with Veterans and their families has become my passion. I’m excited to work with VSO A.J. Spiess to continue to improve the critical services offered by the Veterans Services Office and make Granville County a top destination for Veterans to live. I know that my life experience, both successes and failures, has led me to this position where my life experience will enable me to help Veterans who have experienced similar moments in their life.”

The Granville County Veterans Services Office is located at 141 Williamsboro Street, Oxford with a satellite office at Creedmoor City Hall (111 Masonic Street, Creedmoor). The office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the Oxford location and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Creedmoor. To learn more about the services and programs offered, visit the Granville County website or call 919-693-1484.

Paws for Granville on September 30

Posted September 28, 2023

Tourism Spending Growth Reaches Top 10 of NC’s 100 Counties

Posted September 26, 2023

Domestic and international visitors to and within Granville County spent $58.92 million in 2022, an increase of 17.8 percent from 2021 exceeding the statewide average by over 2 percent. This increase in spending saw Granville move into the top ten of growth rate for visitor spending in the past year according to an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Granville is one of only two counties in the statewide top ten classified as rural along with Caswell County.

“Since the pandemic, Granville municipalities, organizations, restaurants, retail shops, recreation, and hotels have made a collaborative effort of improving and creating attractions, activities and events that would not only attract visitors, but keep them coming back for more,” said Angela Allen, Director of the Granville County Tourism Development Authority. “Granville has so much to offer to visitors year-round and our growth in spending shows the amazing progress and momentum for our local economy.”

Tourism impact highlights for 2022 for Granville County include:

• The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 311 in Granville County.
• Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Granville was $13.2 million.
• State tax revenue generated in Granville totaled $2.4 million. About $1.9 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.

The past year showed a strong resurgence of tourism spending across North Carolina. The overall growth rate statewide was 15.2 percent pushing visitor spending to a record of $33.3 billion. Forty-five of the state’s 100 counties had double-digit increases in visitor spending.

These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2022,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics in collaboration with the U.S. Travel Association.

To keep up with the latest events and activities happening in Granville County, subscribe to the Visit Granville County newsletter and regularly check the calendar of events on the Visit Granville NC website.

You can follow Visit Granville NC on Facebook or Instagram 

Library System Sees Large Increase in Residents Served

Posted September 26, 2023

The Granville County Library System IGCLS) continues to see a major uptick in residents utilizing library services, participating in programs, and checking out library materials. In the most recent statistical report (July 2022 through June 2023) GCLS shows a large increase in nearly every facet of patron services across all four library branches.

In the past year, Granville residents have checked out 88,779 print materials, a 17% increase from the previous year. This jump included a 14% increase in the circulation of children’s books alone. GCLS also saw huge jumps in library card registrations, with a current total of 12,183 registered users, also 17% increase from the previous year. These 12,183 library users shows that over 20% of Granville residents are active library users.

Throughout the year, GCLS recorded over 139,000 visitors across all four branches, an increase from the103,000 in 2021-22, equaling a nearly 35% increase. Access to technology continued to be a major draw to all GCLS branches as public computer use increased 35%.

All GCLS branches saw lots of programming activity and attendance throughout the year by hosting a total of 682 programs. Adult programing saw the largest boost this year with a more than 100% increase from 21-22. Attendance was strong at all library programs with an average of 19 people attending each activity.

“These statistics help tell the story about how critical the library is for Granville County residents,” said Granville County Library System Director Will Robinson. “We have seen a particularly high demand for in-person programs and services and these stats show that all our branches are busy and thriving. This is a testament to the hard work of our staff to provide a safe and welcoming environment along with programs and services that our users want. We believe the programs and services that GCLS offers provide a strong return on investment from the funding we receive from Granville County taxpayers, the State Library of North Carolina, and our other state and federal granting agencies.”

For more information about services and programs offered by the Granville County Library system, visit the library website. Or visit any of the four branches: Richard H. Thornton (210 Main Street, Oxford), South (1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor), Stovall (300 Main Street, Stovall), and Berea (1211 US Highway 158, Oxford).

Board of Elections Special Meeting Notice – September 26, 2023

Posted September 22, 2023

The Granville County Board of Elections will hold a special closed session meeting in the Board of Elections office at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 to discuss personnel  G.S. 143-318.11(a)(6) and to consult with counsel  G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(1),(3).

New Faces Join County Administration Office

Posted September 21, 2023

Granville County has welcomed two new additions at the Administration Office. Karen Evans joins the Administration Department as Deputy Clerk to the Board of Commissioners and Tammy McGhee comes on board as Recruitment Specialist for the Human Resources Department. Evans and McGhee bring significant experience and skillsets to Granville County as they begin their new roles.

Karen Evans joins Granville County for the second time after working from 2011 – 2015 as a Child Support Agent with the Department of Social Services before joining Cabarrus County Social Services in the same role. Following her time in Cabarrus County, Evans moved to a different career path and worked as Adult Literacy Director with Reading Connections in Greensboro. In her spare time, Evans volunteers as a tutor teaching English to adult immigrants and refugees. She is a native of Oxford and a graduate of South Granville High School. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Certificate in American Politics and Public Affairs from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Evans currently resides in Oxford.

Tammy McGhee brings a wealth of experience in private sector Human Resources and talent recruiting to her new role with Granville County. McGhee has worked for Reichold, Inc in Durham making her way to Human Resources Specialist before moving to Biogen in Morrisville to work in recruitment, talent acquisition, and onboarding. Most recently, McGhee specialized in training and development with GKN Automotive in Mebane. In her spare time, McGhee enjoys volunteering with the National MS Society, Stop Hunger Now, Habitat for Humanity, and the Boy Scouts of America where she served as Committee Member and Treasurer for Durham Lion’s Club Pack and Troop 17 where her son, Jordan, rose to the rank of Eagle Scout. McGhee currently resides in Durham.

Both McGhee and Evans work out of the Granville County Administration Office located at 104 Belle Street in Oxford. They can be reached at 919-693-5240.

Granville Street Library Historic Marker Dedication

Posted September 21, 2023

Community leaders gathered on September 15 to honor the history of the former Granville Street Colored Library with the dedication of a new historic marker. Former US Representative G.K. Butterfield, who represented North Carolina’s 1^st Congressional District from 2004 to 2022 was joined by Granville County District 4 Commissioner Tony Cozart, Reverend Edward Davis, Jr. of First Baptist Church, City of Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent, former CEO of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company James Speed, Reverend Willie Darby, Reverend Floyd Greenwood, Granville County Library System NC Room Specialist Mark Pace, and former Granville Street Library Branch Manager Helen Currin Amis to dedicate the historic marker.

“This marker represents the importance of literacy for generations of Granville residents,” said Commissioner Cozart. “My hope is that when people see this marker, they will strive to educate themselves and others. Literacy is how we continue to strive for equality and justice while also enjoying all of the resources that this county offers. We were so blessed to have people in this community who understood how important it was for all residents of Granville County to have access to literacy resources. I hope all those that see this marker will realize the work and sacrifice that so many were willing to put forth the to open and operate this facility that served so many members of Granville’s African American community.”

G.K. Butterfield recalled the rich history of the Granville Street Colored Library not just as an educational resource, but as a community gathering place by stating “I began my political career by meeting with Granville residents right here in this building. I was working on Howard Lee’s congressional campaign while I was a student at NC Central University and our goal was to increase African American voter registration in this district. I would meet with local community leaders to organize and register voters in Granville County where only ten percent of African American voters were registered to vote at that time. Now we have voter rolls that truly reflect Granville County’s diversity, and this is reflected in the elected officials that you see on the Board of County Commissioners, Board of Education, and cities and towns throughout this county.”

The Granville Street Colored Library opened its doors to the African American community on June 12, 1942. Maude Warren Lassiter served as the library’s director for many years and she and the library hold a special place in the history of Oxford and Granville County. The Granville Street Colored Library received visits from numerous African American leaders throughout its history including poet and social activist Langston Hughes, educator and President of Howard University Mordecai Johnson, and historian and longtime Duke University professor John Hope Franklin. In 1965, the Granville County Library System integrated and added the Granville Street Library as a new branch. Helen Currin Amis served as Branch Manager until 1975 when the Granville Street branch closed and was merged with the Richard H. Thornton Library.

The historical marker was made possible by a partnership between the Granville County Library System Board of Trustees and First Baptist Church of Oxford. Funding for the marker came from the Granville County Library System Memorial Fund. The marker can be viewed at the site of the former Granville Street Library located at 314 Granville Street in Oxford.

A video of the event can be viewed on the Granville County YouTube page by visiting www.granvillecounty.org/youtube or the Granville County Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GranvilleCountyGov

Sheriff’s Office Announces Citizens Academy Dates

Posted September 20, 2023

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office is now taking applications for a new Citizens Academy scheduled to begin Monday, October 2, 2023.  This Academy is offered to Granville County residents that are 18 or older.  It will provide a GENERAL OVERVIEW of the Sheriff’s Office, including duties, functions, responsibilities, crime prevention, community involvement, as well as other topics of interest to our community.  Classes will be held on Mondays primarily from 6pm-9pm at the Granville County Sheriff’s Office

Applications will be taken until Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Come by and submit your application today!  Space is limited.

Granville County Sheriff’s Office
525 New Commerce Drive, Oxford, NC 27565
For more information, please call 919-693-3213

The Citizens Academy offers classes to provide a general overview of law enforcement issues, crime prevention, patrol procedures, and additional topics of interest regarding law enforcement for the community. This program will build a better understanding between law enforcement and those served by the Granville County Sheriff’s Office.  Classes will begin in September of 2023 and typically meet once per week at the Granville County Sheriff’s Office (525 New Commerce Drive, Oxford), and registration is required.

The Academy is open to all persons age 18 and older. For more information, please call 919-693-3213 or click here for a downloadable brochure and application.

Granville County Celebrates the Career of Harry Mills

September 15, 2023