Stories Across Granville

Library Receives Grant to Preserve African American History

Posted October 21, 2024

The Granville County Library System was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Council of Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to digitize and make publicly available interviews with twentieth-century Granville County African American educators. Recorded by local businessman and historian James Eddie McCoy between 1981 and 2016, the 240 hours of taped conversations explore the challenges and joys of teaching during the decades of school segregation and the coming of integrated public schools. Grant funds will enable the Library System to digitize and preserve McCoy’s interviews and circulate them to all users starting in 2025. Copies of these recordings will also be deposited at North Carolina Central University for the use of students and researchers there. This digitized content will be made visible and available nationally and globally through the Library’s partnership with DigitalNC and the Digital Public Library of America.

McCoy’s oral histories capture the story of Granville County’s African American educators, who like their counterparts in other areas, did much more than teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. They worked hard to foster individual pride and self-esteem, share African American history, stimulate civic awareness, and encourage political engagement. They also invested their own resources in local African American businesses and organizations. Having spent years getting undergraduate and advanced degrees at universities open to African Americans outside of North Carolina, these professionals were able to introduce opportunities and perspectives from well beyond the local area. Some teachers and principals became as close as family. Discriminatory school board policies pursued during the years of integration deliberately shut African American educators out of their profession, undermining their intellectual, social, economic, and political influence and leaving African American students without their encouragement and support in the new, integrated classrooms.

The preservation project runs from September 2024 through August 2025. Completed digitized materials will be turned over to the Granville County Library System as part of the 2025 celebration of Juneteenth, scheduled for Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Richard H. Thornton Library. The Library System will have the honor that day of hosting two important scholars of this period, Dr. Jarvis Givens of Harvard University, author of “Fugitive Pedagogy” (Harvard University Press, 2021) and Dr. Leslie Fenwick of Howard University, author of “Jim Crow’s Pink-Slip” (Harvard Education Press, 2022). Both books will be available in the Granville County Library System collection and for purchase and signing by the authors at that event.

The Granville County Library System has four branches serving all citizens of Granville County. For more information about services and programs offered at each location, visit the library website at www.granville.lib.nc.us 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).

Early Voting for 2024 Election Through November 2

Posted October 17, 2024

Early voting for the November 5 general election began today (Thursday, October 17) and ends on Saturday, November 2.

Granville County offers three early voting sites, which are open most days from 8 AM to 7:30 PM with the exception of Saturday, October 19 & 26 (8 AM to 6 PM) and Saturday, November 2 (8 AM to 3 PM).

View the full list of early voting dates and times here.

Rabies Vaccine Clinic – Cornwall VFD

Posted October 16, 2024

Vanness Taylor Named Deputy Director of Social Services

Posted October 15, 2024

Vanness Taylor was recently appointed to serve as the first Deputy Director of the Granville County Department of Social Services and officially took over these duties on Monday, October 14. Taylor brings over twelve years of experience to this role having previously worked for departments of social services in Granville, Durham, and Warren counties.

Taylor was chosen to serve as the first Deputy Director of the Granville County Department of Social Services following a national search with executive recruitment and assessment firm, Developmental Associates, LLC. The intense and rigorous process consisted of multiple rounds of interviews with county staff and members of the Social Services Board as well as assessment testing exercises carried out by other social services and local government professionals from across the state.

The Deputy Director of Social Services will oversee the child support, social work, program integrity, and economic services units of the department along with administrative oversight of human resources, policy development, and training. Before this promotion, Taylor served as Granville County’s Adult Medicaid Supervisor and has spent most of her career as a supervisor within economic services and quality assurance positions. In addition to experience within social work services and childcare subsidy.

“We are so excited to welcome Mrs. Taylor into her new role as DSS Deputy Director,” said Director of Social Services LaToya Toussaint. “This is truly a well-deserved promotion and Granville County is fortunate to have a leader as dedicated and supportive as her.”

A native of Warren County, Taylor graduated from Warren County High School and currently resides in Vance County with her husband Travis and their two children, Zoe and Cairo. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from North Carolina Wesleyan College as well as a master’s degree in social work from North Carolina Central University and a master’s degree in human services from Walden University. In her free time, Taylor enjoys reading and visiting museums with her family.

Board of Commissioners Meeting Recap – October 7, 2024

Posted October 9, 2024

The Granville County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Monday, October 7 at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center. The meeting featured the recognition of Commissioner Tony Cozart for his lifelong service to Granville County and the State of North Carolina with the presentation of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, along with a recognition of service of Deputy Sargeant Craig Williams who retired in September after over twenty-six years of service to the Granville County Sheriff’s Office.

Chair Timothy Karan and NC Representative Frank Sossamon (Granville/Vance) presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award on behalf of Governor Roy Cooper and the State of North Carolina to Commissioner Cozart. Cozart was first elected to the Granville County Board of Commissioners in 1989 and has now served nine consecutive terms representing District 4, with his most recent term beginning in December 2020. Cozart received this distinction not just for his service on the Granville County Board of Commissioners, but also his years of service as an educator, a principal, Executive Director of Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, Pastor of Cooks Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity Board of Directors, Masonic Home for Children Board of Directors, Commissioner of Central Children’s Home Church Basketball League, Moderator of the United Shiloh Missionary Baptist Association, and many other achievements that have served this county and North Carolina.

“Being a County Commissioner is one thing that has never grown old for me,” said Cozart. “Growing up, I learned hard work in the tobacco fields and working as a bag boy at 7-11. To my fellow members of the Board of Commissioners, you are like family to me, and I am grateful to all of you. I had wonderful parents; and God gave me a wonderful wife, wonderful children, and grandchildren that have stolen my heart.  I love this county and have enjoyed all these years of service.”

Sheriff Robert Fountain, former Sheriff and Commissioner David Smith, and Lieutenant Todd Wilkins joined the Board of Commissioner in honoring Sargeant Williams. Sargeant Williams thanked former Sheriff Smith and Sheriff Fountain for their leadership and commended his fellow deputies that he served with over the years. Williams will stay on with the Sheriff’s Office in a part-time capacity and he also currently serves as the Chief of Police for the Town of Stovall.

Other business conducted on October 7 included:

 – Recognizing Granville County 4-H in honor of National 4-H Week. This year’s theme is “Beyond Ready,” which highlights the preparedness, determination, and resilience of 4-H youth and how the program prepares them to tackle the challenges of adulthood.

– Introducing Assistant Finance Director Lindsey Davidson. Davidson began her tenure with Granville County in July 2024 and most recently served as Controller for Granville Health System.

– Introducing Deputy Clerk to the Board of Commissioners Jessica Todd. Todd began her tenure with Granville County in September and most recently served as an Economic Development Specialist for Vance County.

– Receiving a presentation from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) regarding the Regional Transportation Safety Action Plan. CAMPO serves as the regional planning authority for much of southern Granville County.

– Approving a two-year contract extension with Aramark for meal services at the Granville County Detention Center at an estimated annual cost of $350,000.

– Approving the East Coast Greenway Feasibility Study that evaluates the feasibility of several future greenway routes that would connect Durham County to the Virginia State line through Granville.

– Approving the purchase of a laundry trailer by the Emergency Management Department using Capacity Building Grant Funding from the State of North Carolina at a cost of $109,377.80.

– Approving the purchase of a 25-ton HVAC unit by the Emergency Management Department using Local Emergency Shelter Capacity Grant funds from the State of North Carolina at a cost of $62,600.

– Approving a one-year contract extension with GFL for solid waste convenience site operations and the curbside, wase, collection franchise agreements for calendar year 2025.

– Appointing Laura Holden (Altec Industries, Inc.) to the Kerr-Tar Private Industry Council/Workforce Development Board.

– Approving Budget Amendment #4 for fiscal year 2024-2025 recognizing $15,180 in Library System revenue for the Recordings at Risk grant, recognizing $20,000 in Sheriff’s Office revenue for the Byrne Justice Assistance grant, carrying forward $98,539 in unspent Emergency Management revenue for the Emergency Management Performance grant, and appropriating $9,478 of fund balance to carry forward unspent budgeted Senior Services funds for the fiscal year 2023-2024 Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program.

– Approving a service agreement and support services with Motorola for the 911 Emergency Communications Department in the amount of $74,297.53.

– Approving a Mobile Communications America Vesta maintenance contract for the 911 Emergency Communications Department in the amount of $17,118.15.

– Approving the purchase of IT equipment for the 911 Emergency Communications Department primary and backup centers Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) equipment at cost of $34,865.58.

– Approving tax refunds, releases, and write-offs for August 22, 2024, through September 25, 2024.

– Approving revisions to the Travel Policy included in the Granville County Personnel Policy.

– Approving updates to the Emergency Management and Fire Marshal blasting permit application.

– Approving Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes from September 3, 2024.

The next meeting of the Granville County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Monday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center.

To stay informed about upcoming meetings of the Board of Commissioners, visit the Granville County website where you can sign up for the “Sunshine List” and follow the county on Facebook.

All meetings of the Granville County Board of Commissioners are now streamed live on YouTube! Subscribe to Granville County Government on YouTube to view the live videos on the county YouTube page. Archived recordings are available on the Granville County website.

Commissioner Tony Cozart Receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Posted October 8, 2024

Learn More About Disc Golf at the GAP

Posted October 4, 2024

Granville County Partners with Fybe to Expand Internet Access

Posted October 2, 2024

The Granville County Board of Commissioners recently approved a partnership that will provide fiber-optic broadband infrastructure to more than 1,697 addresses across the county. The NC Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) and Roanoke Connect Holdings (Fybe) have agreed to partner with Granville County as part of the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program. The State of NC and Fybe will invest at least $3.3 million in the project and Granville County has committed a local match of $1.8 million. As of this writing, there is a possibility that the North Carolina General Assembly will enact legislation to forgive the local match commitment at which point the entire project cost will be shared by Fybe and the State of NC. To be eligible for any public funding, Fybe will have two years to complete the required installation.

Granville County’s participation in the CAB program with Fybe is the latest initiative to ensure that all Granville citizens have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. The 1,697 new locations that will be serviced by Fybe are in addition to the previous CAB grant project with Spectrum for 1,530 locations that was announced earlier in 2024. Spectrum is also installing broadband infrastructure to an additional 1,120 addresses as part of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) project. Granville County also partnered with Brightspeed for a Growing Rural Communities with Access to Technology (GREAT) program grant to service 1,914 locations. Once all active broadband internet projects are completed, more than 6,261 homes and businesses in rural Granville County will have gained access to high-speed internet.

“We are pleased that this partnership with Fybe and the State of North Carolina will provide critical broadband infrastructure to even more of our residents,” said Granville County Board of Commissioners Chair Timothy Karan. “Receiving access to true high-speed internet can be life changing, and there are now thousands of residents across our county who are gaining access for the first time as part of these programs. The Board of Commissioners and county staff are dedicated to continuing this work until all residents of our county have access to this vital utility.”

Since 2019, Granville County has proactively sought methods to bridge the high-speed internet access gap for its residents. Various state laws and regulations prohibit county and city governments from providing internet service or installing infrastructure themselves, but if an ISP chooses to participate in an eligible project (like the NC CAB or GREAT programs) a local government may then incentivize the expansion of service access with the use of public funds. The NC CAB Grant Program utilizes funding that the State of North Carolina received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that allows ISPs to competitively bid and partner with counties to provide internet access to rural North Carolina locations that are “unserved” according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) definition of “high-speed” internet.

Additional information about RDOF, GREAT, and CAB projects, along with a full map of the awarded addresses, can be found on the county website or by visiting the NC Broadband funding map where you can enter an address to see if it has been included in one of the awarded projects.

Granville County Assists with Hurricane Helene Response

Posted October 1, 2024

Granville County government and community organizations local and across the state are assisting with the response to Hurricane Helene, which has created a catastrophic situation in western North Carolina. A major disaster declaration has been enacted for 25 western NC counties plus the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian, which allows resources to flow to this region much more quickly and providing reimbursements to local governments for disaster response costs.

Listed below are ways that local community groups and Granville County government are assisting our neighbors in western NC, as well as ways the community can be involved with donations and volunteer opportunities:

– The morning of September 27, Granville County 911 Emergency Communications Center was notified that emergency calls from western North Carolina were being routed to 911 centers across the state due to the significant damage these counties were experiencing. Granville County 911 has been receiving all 911 calls from Mitchell County and has been dispatching critical life-saving emergency response to Mitchell’s 15,000 residents. On that first day, approximately 25% percent of calls fielded by Granville County 911 were from Mitchell County. In the following days, the calls have slightly decreased to approximately 15% of incoming calls for Granville 911. Mitchell County is still waiting for power restoration, so their calls will continue to be routed to our 911 center.

– On September 29, the Granville County Sheriff’s Office began collecting supplies requested by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. The GCSO was able to fill a large vehicle full of needed supplies and began the journey west the morning of September 30.

– On September 30, the Granville County Fire Chief’s Association and the Granville County Firemen’s Association began collecting supplies in large trailers at the EmergeOrtho parking lot at 107 East McClanahan Street in Oxford, across from the Oxford Fire Department. Volunteers are collecting supplies until each trailer is full, which will then be transported to wherever it is most needed by emergency responders. The items of greatest need include bottled water, prepackaged food, baby food, baby formula, pet food (dog and cat), diapers, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, toiletries, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and hand sanitizer.

– North Carolina Emergency Management issued a call for qualified emergency responders to take volunteer shifts in the disaster areas. Granville County Emergency Management Director Jason Reavis travelled to McDowell County on September 30 as part of an Incident Management Team composed of emergency responders from Granville, Alamance, Currituck, and Johnston counties along with staff from the City of Wilmington and the Town of Oak Island. Deputy Animal Management Director Carlos Landreau will travel with a group of animal rescue staff from Person County to be deployed where they are needed the most.

– Governor Roy Cooper has activated the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund in conjunction with North Carolina United Way. Funds will only be used for disaster response and recovery in North Carolina. Visit the United Way website to securely donate to the rescue and relief operations. Funds can be targeted to a specific county or used wherever they are needed the most.

-The State of North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund is also accepting donations at this link.

– VolunteerNC is looking for volunteers to serve North Carolina in the disaster areas. Those interested in volunteering at shelters, home repair/rebuilding, receiving and organizing donations, and/or registering volunteers can supply their information to the NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD) registry at this link.

– To donate funds to the NCVOAD, visit their website.

– To donate food or volunteer at a food bank in the disaster areas (or locally), visit the volunteer opportunities for feeding assistance website from the State of North Carolina.

LaToya Toussaint Recognized by UNF Black Alumni Association

Posted September 30, 2024

Granville County Department of Social Services Director LaToya Toussaint was recently honored by the University of North Florida (UNF) Black Alumni Association for achievement as a non-profit professional. Toussaint was presented with her award at a ceremony in Jacksonville, Florida and was honored along with other alumni who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health science and a dual master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from UNF.

Toussaint began her current role in Granville County in 2023 and has more than 18 years of experience in Human Services in North Carolina and Florida, both in the public and private sector. Prior to becoming Granville County’s Director of Social Services, Toussaint served as the Senior Deputy Director of Health and Human Services with Wake County.

Prior to her relocation to North Carolina, Toussaint had extensive experience in the public and private sector in Florida as the Broward County Human Services Administrator and a Case Manager with the Florida Department of Children and Families, in addition to various leadership roles within child welfare, early childhood education, and mental and behavioral health programs. Toussaint’s time in Florida allowed her to collaborate with agencies across the state along with a diverse group of community providers. She also served on local and statewide committees and work groups that continue to influence decision making across Florida today.

In addition to this latest recognition from the UNF Black Alumni Association, Toussaint has been a National Peer Reviewer with the Council on Accreditation (COA) since 2018, was recognized by Nonprofits First of Palm Beach County as a Rising Leader in 2016 and honored on Legacy Magazines’ 40 Under 40 list of recognized professionals from across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties in 2017.

The University of North Florida Black Alumni Association focuses on financial contributions, direct personal involvement, and engaging the current minority population at UNF. The organization advocates for the needs of  minority alumni and current students to university administration and the broader UNF alumni organization.