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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MONTH RECOGNIZED AT SOUTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
EMPORIA, VA - Founded in 1917 to represent the interest of occupational therapists, assistants and students nationwide, the American Occupational Therapy Association observed the first Occupational Therapy Day on October 27, 2010. Since that time, it was grown into a month-long celebration each year in April dedicated to raising awareness of the Occupational Therapy and its contributions to medicine.
The origin of occupational therapy (OT) can be traced back to the 1700's when views regarding the treatment of the mentally ill began to shift away from the prison ward approach to the more humane method of caring for the person using treatment based on purposeful daily activities known as Moral Treatment and Occupation. Since that time, the practice has experienced many changes on the path to what we recognize as OT today. Out of necessity, OT was thrust from obscurity during World War I as practitioners were faced with a multitude of patients suffering from a variety of war related illnesses and injuries. It was also around this time that occupational therapists (OT's) treated large numbers of patients with tuberculosis and polio.
Today, OT's work with patients of all ages who have mental, emotional and/or physical disabilities such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, repetitive stress injury, stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, arthritis, attention deficit disorder, and Parkinson's. The goal of occupational therapy is to maintain or reestablish the patients' independence by developing or regaining skills necessary for play, work, and self and home care, also known as activities of daily living. This work can be done in many different settings including long term care facilities, outpatient clinics, hospitals, home health agencies and school systems.
To become an occupational therapist, one must complete an accredited bachelor's degree program, a supervised fieldwork program and pass the national certification exam administered by the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center is please to recognize and thank Tamekia Donald, Occupational Therapist, for her contributions to the overall health and wellness of the patients she serves. For more information on occupational therapy services offered at SVRMC, contact Antwan Hatch, Director of Rehab Services, at 434-348-4875.
Photos: Temekia Donald, OTR/L, works with patient Lilly Mae Conner to improve strength and dexterity in her hands.
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VIRGINIA STATE POLICE INVESTIGATING FATAL OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN GREENSVILLE COUNTY
GREENSVILLE CO., Va. – The Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Wednesday evening (April 29) in Greensville County. The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is conducting the investigation, in coordination with the Greensville County Commonwealth's Attorney.
At 6:46 p.m. Wednesday, Virginia State Police responded to the 200 block of Elm Road to assist the Greensville County Sheriff's Office with serving an Emergency Custody Order for Jeffery O. Adkins, 53. When state police arrived on scene, Adkins was outside the residence and in possession of a sawed-off shotgun. When Adkins refused to comply with law enforcement's commands to surrender the weapon, state police dispatched negotiators to the scene to assist in negotiating with the visibly agitated subject.
Shortly before 10 p.m., state police utilized a diversionary device in an attempt to compel Adkins to comply and drop his weapon. Adkins then fired the weapon at law enforcement. A state trooper and a Greensville County deputy returned fire.
First aid was immediately rendered to Adkins, who was then taken to Southern Virginia Regional Hospital in Emporia, where he later died. His remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for examination and autopsy.
The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
In accordance with Virginia State Police policy, the state trooper involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave.
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NEW GENERAL SURGEON TO JOIN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA MEDICAL GROUP
EMPORIA, VA – Southern Virginia Medical Group is pleased to welcome Barton Smith, MD, General Surgeon, to their practice. Dr. Smith will join Southern Virginia Medical Group (SVMG), located at 317-A South Main Street in Emporia on May 4, 2015.
A lifelong resident of Virginia, Dr. Smith did his undergraduate work and earned Doctor of Medicine from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He then completed a one-year internship at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, and a five-year general surgery residency at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Smith is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Shortly after completing his training in 1988, he opened a practice in the Petersburg area, where he continues to practice to this day.
As a general surgeon, Dr. Smith treats people of all ages, and he is now accepting new patients. Dr. Smith will have office hours at SVMG every other Monday beginning at 8:30 AM. For more information on services offered by Dr. Smith or to schedule an appointment, contact Southern Virginia Medical Group at 434-336-1222 or 434-348-4680.
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MAY 4th TO MAY 15th 2015
Winter is over and our thoughts are turning to spring and summer. It is time to prepare our homes for the upcoming season.
The City of Emporia Public Works Department will conduct Spring Cleanup May 4th through May 15th 2015.
Residents are encouraged to use these two weeks to dispose of any residential household waste. All trash should be placed at the curb for disposal before 7:00 A.M. on your normal trash collection day.
Grass, leaves and yard or garden waste must be bagged and kept separate from other refuse.
Please take this opportunity to dispose of any bulky waste that may constitute a code violation. City Staff will have an increased focus on the beautification of our City in upcoming months and the property maintenance code will be strictly enforced.
If you have any questions about the Spring Cleanup weeks, please feel free to contact the Public Works Department at 634-4500.
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Ag Literacy Week celebrated with new book, My Virginia Plate
In celebration of "Agricultural Literacy Week" March 16-20, members of the Greensville County Farm Bureau Women's committee and the Wyatt Middle School FFA shared their time and a story, "My Virginia Plate", with area children at several public schools and at the YMCA. This annual event serves to educate the non-farming community about Virginia agriculture. National Ag Day, a program that encourages Americans to understand how food and fiber is produced, to begin to appreciate how safe, affordable and abundant these products are, and the value of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy is also a key component of the celebration week.
"My Virginia Plate", is the third book in the Farmer Ben series. The children's book was written to teach readers about nutrition and show how Virginia farmers produce a wide variety of foods that are a part of a healthy diet. One of the goals of the Greensville County Farm Bureau Women's Committee is to share their love and knowledge about agriculture and in doing so, have provided books to local schools, libraries and doctors office over the last five years Virginia has been celebrating Ag Literacy week. They also assist with many other local activities to educate about where our food and fiber comes from, including co-hosting a farm day event, participating at local health fairs and at the annual farmers market spring event.
Robin Tudor, member of the Greensville Farm Bureau Women's Committee, reads to Children at YMCA in celebration of Ag Literacy Week.
(Left) Robin Tudor by the mini book barn donated to the YMCA by the Greensville Farm Bureau Women's Committee to help children read and learn about agriculture. (Right) Robin Tudor with YMCA students in celebration of Ag Literacy Week, March 16-20.
Greensville County Farm Bureau
Ag Literacy Week
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Run For God Team Runs in YMCA 5K
Run For God Training Team celebrated their 12 week commitment by running the YMCA 5K !
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Obituary-Kay Gordon Davis
Kay Gordon Davis, 52, of Emporia passed away peacefully at her home on April 27, 2015. She is survived by her loving husband, Mike Davis; her children, Jeffrey, Joshua and Jessica; her parents, Linwood and Daisy Mae Gordon and her brother, Danny Gordon. A visitation will be held Tuesday, 6-8pm, in Echols Funeral Home Chapel. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, 2pm, in Echols Funeral Home Chapel followed by interment in Greensville Memorial Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to www.Echolsfuneralhome.com
Kay Gordon Davis
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MEDICAL LABORATORY PROFESSIONALS WEEK OBSERVED AT SOUTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Emporia, VA – In recognition of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (MLPW), April 19 - 25, 2015, Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (SVRMC) would like to recognize the Laboratory Staff, and thank them for the pivotal role they play in the delivery of healthcare within the organization.
Since the 1920's, the role of the medical laboratory professional has become increasingly important in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. A medical laboratory professional is a healthcare professional who performs chemical, hematological, immunologic, microscopic and bacteriologic diagnostic analysis on tissue, blood and other body fluids. Using sophisticated, biomedical equipment and complex analysis, laboratory professionals can detect cancer, identify viruses and bacteria, and measure glucose, cholesterol and drug levels to name a few. Even though doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals depend on laboratory professionals every day to perform tests and interpret the results for a better understanding of the patient's condition, many in the public fail to recognize the essential contributions of these dedicated men and women who are so often behind the scenes.
Celebrated annually during the last week of April, Medical Laboratory Professionals Week recognizes the more than 300,000 medical laboratory professionals across the country who perform and interpret more than 10 billion laboratory tests in the United States each year.
In the picture: Front row, left to right: Nancy Wells, Vickie Michael, Technical Supervisor, Kaitlin Rice, Gladys Bowser; Back row, left to right: Matt Tavenner, CEO, Sheila Crowder, Dana Musser, Martha Tranka, Jay Ewing, Administrative Lab Director. Not Pictured: Danielle Hunter, Cleo Clark, Arletha Young, Jennifer Smith, Elizabeth Ranes, Sherrasha Jones, Kristie Mitchell, Lynn Grant and Dr. John Summerville, Pathologist, Lab Director.
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New National Honor Society Members at BA
Brunswick Academy held their National Honor Society Induction Cermeony on Friday, April 24, 2015 in the school gym. 6 new students were inducted into this most prestigious academic soceity created to recognize outstanding academic achievement.
Pictured: Members on Front Row: Seniors, Lukas Curtis, Lauren Thompson, Lexi Smith, Cora Sadler, Brent Hoffman, Madison Lewis and Jessica Rivas. Back Row: Newly Inducted members: Juniors Garrett Ramsey, Ashley Clary, Grant Bradley, Dallas Hawthorne, Hannah Glenn and Senior Dell Conner.
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KAINE STATEMENT ON CONFIRMATION OF LORETTA LYNCH AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Senate confirmation of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General of the United States:
"In confirming Loretta Lynch as our next Attorney General, the Senate has chosen a distinguished legal mind and experienced public servant to lead the Department of Justice. Throughout her career, Lynch has developed a reputation for her integrity and trusted leadership, which will serve the nation well as she addresses recent tensions between law enforcement and communities across the country. While it is unacceptable that is has taken the Senate 166 days to act on such a well-qualified and highly-regarded nominee, I am proud that we have finally confirmed Loretta Lynch, and I am confident that she will work hard to ensure justice for all Americans."
On March 12, Kaine spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to swiftly confirm Lynch as Attorney General.
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Watchdog Group Blasts Assembly's 'Murky Practices'
By Michael Melkonian, Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Transparency Virginia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan legislative watchdog group, released a report Tuesday highlighting "murky practices" and "disturbing" findings from the 2015 General Assembly session with regard to unrecorded votes and short notices for committee meetings.
The principal author of the report, Megan Rhyne of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said the system is devised for insiders and "the short sessions and the rapid-fire scheduling of committee meetings undermine participation by and accountability to the citizens of Virginia."
Transparency Virginia formed in December to study legislative practices in three areas: advanced notice of committee meetings, consideration of bills and recorded votes on bills.
In the House of Delegates, Transparency Virginia's report revealed that 76 percent of almost 825 bills that died in a committee died without a recorded vote or without any vote at all. In the House's Rules Committee, 95 percent of bills died this way.
Ironically, that was the committee that could recommend changing the chamber's procedures.
No legislators were identified or chastised in the report, and political parties weren't accused of wrongdoing. Transparency Virginia said this was because all legislators should be held accountable for the practices.
Republicans have a majority in both the House and Senate. Consequently, one party controls who will chair committee and subcommittees.
The House Rules Committee, for example, is chaired by House Speaker Bill Howell, a Republican from Fredericksburg. The Rules Committee has three subcommittees: Joint Rules, Standards of Conduct and Studies. The subcommittees are chaired by Republicans Howell, Del. Barry Knight of Virginia Beach and Del. Bobby Orrock of Thornburg.
Sixty of the 63 bills killed in the Rules Committee and its subcommittees died without recorded votes or any vote at all.
The report is mostly anecdotal, with bullet points for the most dubious practices. Rhyne wondered what it must be like for citizens to try to participate in their government when even professionals like herself and her colleagues are confused by the procedural jargon.
"When engaged observers are physically present in the committee room and yet still cannot completely pick out which members of a 22-person committee shouted out aye or nay, imagine a citizen's confusion back home when the disposition of a bill is listed online only as 'subcommittee recommends laying on the table by voice vote,'" Rhyne said.
Michael Jackson, president of Richmond First Club, said that the system works – but only for those on the inside.
"It works if you're a legislator – maximum flexibility and minimum accountability. It works if you own a business – access and influence," Jackson said.
But it doesn't work for citizens because of a lack of predictability and consistency, Jackson said. Meetings can be called on a whim, or docket changes can be made without notice to the general public.
Though some committee rooms are equipped with electronic voting boards, they are often unused. Transparency Virginia brainstormed solutions to its complaints, including digital video streams for committees and subcommittees – something other state legislatures have introduced. House and Senate floor sessions already can be viewed online.
Jackson said Transparency Virginia is "simply holding up a mirror to the General Assembly legislators and asking them, 'Is this the form of democracy that the Virginia citizens elected you to uphold?'"
Anne Sterling, president of the League of Women Voters in Virginia, chaired Transparency Virginia. She said the group's mission is to open a dialogue.
"This is just the first volley. Now we are waiting for a response from citizens, from the press and from legislators," Sterling said.
Michael Melkonian
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70 Youth Pre-registered for Football & Cheer Camp
Southampton County, VA. The 6th Free Cover 3 Youth Football & Cheer Camp will be April 25 from 9 am – 3 pm. The camp will be held at Southampton High School, 23350 Southampton Parkway, Courtland, VA. The football & cheer camp is open to the first 200 participants, ages 6-14. Currently, 70 children have pre-registered for the camp.
Sponsored by the NFL Foundation, the camp is open to the public and directed by Southampton County native, Founder and Retired NFL Defensive Lineman, Greg Scott and his staff of League Representatives and coaches. In addition, members of the Hampton University Football and Cheer teams will be in attendance to lead portions of the camp.
Hampton University Coach Gary Lowery, who is serving his first year as assistant coach to the Pirates in the defensive lineman position, will be coaching at the camp. Within this position Coach Lowery is also responsible for day-to-day operations and recruiting. Coach Lowery has not only played the sport of football, he has coached at both the high school and college level prior to gaining his position with the Hampton University Pirates.
The participating football team members include: Ronnie Screen, Junior Offensive Lineman; TJ Mixson, Junior Wide Receiver; Rashawn Proctor, Junior Wide Receiver; Ray Riddick, Junior Wide Receiver; Charles Owens, Senior Defensive Tackle; Miles Grooms, Senior Defensive End; Joshua Thorton, Junior Linebacker; David Watford, Graduate student Quarterback; Ibn Wallace, Freshman Defensive Back; Christopher Dukes, Senior Running Back; Donovan Johnson, Sophomore Offensive Lineman; and Eric Carter, Freshman Running Back will be assisting with the football participants.
Cheer participants will be coached by Cover 3 Youth Cheer coaches and Hampton University's own Malani Mitchell, Hampton University Athletics Personnel. Malani's passion and love for the sport of Cheer dates back to her middle school days. She has led several of her teams to championships as a member of the cheering squad from 2005 through 2013. Malani served as the captain of her cheering squads in both her junior and senior year of high school. In addition to her cheering experience, Malani has a wealth of coaching experience to share. She has held several summer coaching positions dating back to 2008. Currently, Malani is working towards becoming a certified Coach in the State of Virginia.
Football and cheer drills and games will be non-contact and no tackling will be permitted. The camp will feature drills, fundamentals, motivational tools, inspirational messages, flag football competitions and games, free lunch and t-shirt for all participants. To register for the free camp, visit http://www.cover3foundation.org/cover-3-football---cheer-camp-registrati....
League registration is open now for board members, assistant coaches and volunteers for the 2015 Youth Football & Cheer League season. Registration to participate in the League will be every Monday through Wednesday from 3 pm – 5 pm at the Cover 3 Foundation, 125 S. College Drive, Franklin, VA. Registration will also be held on April 25 at the 6th Free Cover 3 Football & Cheer Camp. On May 9, registration will be held at the Courtland Community Center, 25499 Florence St, Courtland, from 9 am – 12 noon. On May 23, registration will be held in Holland at the City of Suffolk's Holland Park, 6720 Ruritan Blvd, Suffolk from 9 am – 12 noon. On June 6, registration will be held at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Grays Shop Rd, Newsoms from 9 am – 12 noon. There will also be a Saturday registration on June 20 at the Foundation headquarters from 9 am – 12 noon. Registration deadline for all coaches is June 1 and for players is June 30.
The teams for the 2015 season are as follows: Courtland Tide (Coach Dwayne Joyner), Holland Razorbacks (Coach Marcus Evans), Riverdale Chiefs (Coach Ray Tucker), Meherrin Pirates (Coach C.C. Cooper), Sussex Green Machine (Coach Jason Flowers). For the 2015 season, all children are allowed to play for the group of their choice without a release from their prior team. For questions concerning registration, please contact 757-562-2252. The Franklin Mustangs, Boykins Bulldogs and Windsor Knights are not participating in C3YFCL for the 2015 season. Players and cheerleaders from the Mustangs, Bulldogs and Knights are welcome to try out for any of C3YFCL 2015 teams.
The Cover 3 Youth Football & Cheer League is accepting sponsorship and donations for the 2015 season. If you are interested in sponsoring the program or making a donation towards a local team, please visit www.cover3foundation.org for more information. Sponsorship packages are available by emailing a request to info@cover3foundation.org.
Cover 3 Foundation
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Obituary-LeRoy Norman Clarke, Jr.
LeRoy Norman Clarke, Jr. age 72, of Jarratt, VA, passed away on April 21, 2015 at Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond, VA.
There will be a memorial service held at 6:00 PM on May 11, 2015 at Fountain Grove Baptist Church. This will be a family reunion style event with friends and family coming together to enjoy good food in remembrance of Lee.
Lee was born in Emporia, Virginia on December 9, 1942. He was married to Frances L. Clarke for 53 years. Lee is survived by his three children, David L. Clarke and his wife Kimberly P. Clarke, Lori C. Schaffer; Kimberly C. Williams and her husband Stuart W. Williams, his 4 grandchildren Jordan L. Clarke, Joshua P. Clarke, Mikayla L. Clarke and Corey J. Williams; his siblings, Angela Harvey and her husband Gerald, Bill Tudor and his wife Robin, Bruce Tudor and Don Tudor; his nieces and nephews; and the rest of his family and friends.
Lee is preceded in death by his father, LeRoy Norman Clarke, Sr. and his mother Elsie Allen Tudor and step-father Gene Tudor; as well as his sister, Connie T. Jones.
Lee retired from the Department of Corrections. He was passionate about genealogy, but was happiest spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
Lee was a transplant recipient and we would like everyone to consider becoming an organ donor in his memory. You can go to www.organdonor.gov and select your state to find out more information and to register.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Fountain Grove Baptist Church, 11539 Low Ground Road, Emporia, VA 23847. The family of Lee Clarke wishes to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support at this difficult time.
LeRoy Norman Clarke Jr.
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Track and Field Athletes Qualify for Regionals
Congratulations to the following student athletes from Greensville County High School Track Team they all have qualified for the Region 2A East Track Meet to be held in Oakton Virginia on May 27, 2015.
Markhail Mason: 200m Dash, 23.79
Deondre Porter: 110MHurdles, 16.70
Deondre Porter: 300mMHurdles, 43.92
Isaiah Brooks, Ahkeem Allen, Kijuan Harding, Markhail Mason: 4x100m Relay, 45.38
Cordarus Clayton: Shot Put, 44'2
Jalen Anderson: Discus, 124'8
Arianna Phillips: Long Jump, 16'1
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Eagles Take Sussex Central Meet
The boys and girls track team defeated Brunswick, Park View, Franklin, Southampton, Sussex, and Surry.
The boys score
155 GCHS
151.5 Brunswick
130.5 Park View
48 Franklin
45.5 Southampton
41.5 Sussex
2 Surry
Robert Sykes won both the 1mile (5:02.32) and the 800m (2:13.96), Cordarus Clayton won the shot put (44'2') Jalen Anderson won the discus 124'8" with a regional qualifier, Isaiah Brooks won the long Jump (19'2 ¾") Deondre Porter won the 300m Hurdles (43.92) and place second in the 110mhurdles (16.70) he qualified for regionals in both events. The boys 4x100m relay Ahkeem Allen, Isaiah Brooks, Kijuan Harding, and Markhail Mason finished second with a time of 45.38 which was a regional qualifier. Markhail Mason won the 200m dash (23.79) which was a regional qualifier.
The girls score
165.5 GCHS
99 Brunswick Senior High
98 Parkview
73 Sussex
50 Surry
34.5 Franklin
14 Southampton
Lindsey Gordon recorded two first place in the 2mile (14:38.67) and 1mile (6:43.06), Arianna Phillips won the long jump (16'1') which was a regional qualifier she also won the triple jump (31'5), Praisya Smith won the 300mhurdles (53.20), Tenisha Broadnax won the 800m (2:58.12) The girls 4x800m relay team of Brooklyn Mason, Haley Jones, Cahlia Allen and Tenisha Broadnax won in a time of 13:51.61
The track team will compete at Sussex Central High next Wednesday April 29, 2015.
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SVCC Students Named to the PTK All-Virginian Academic Team
The Phi Theta Kappa All-Virginian Academic Team Awards Luncheon was held on Wednesday, April 22 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Richmond, Virginia. Southside Virginia Community College student Debra Shifflett was honored at the Luncheon. SVCC students, Summer Fink and Heather Noe were also recognized at the event but were unable to attend
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges, symbolizing excellence in higher education and a commitment to students. Virginia is one of the 37 states participating in the State Academic Teams project introduced in 1994 as a way to provide scholastic recognition to Phi Theta Kappa members while promoting excellence at two-year colleges.
Pictured:(L to R) Dr. Tara Carter, SVCC Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Anne Holton, Virginia Secretary of Education, Debra Shifflett, SVCC Student, and Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System.
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Pueblo Viejo Cuts Ribbon at New Location
The Emporia-Greensville Chamber joined Mayor Mary Person and other City officials to cut a ribbon at Pueblo Viejo. The Mexican Restaurant recently moved to 103 B East Cloverleaf Drive (inside the Mahal Mart). Pueblo Viejo prepared several snacks for the group. The Restaurant is open Seven Days a week for Lunch and Dinner.
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SVCC Honors Corrections Employees
Southside Virginia Community College held its Seventh Annual Corrections Awards Banquet on April 16, 2015 at Christanna Campus in Alberta. Mr. Layton T. Lester, Virginia Department of Corrections presented the Keynote address. Officer and Employee of the Year from each institution were recognized and presented with an award to commemorate the honor. Alfonzo Seward, Assistant Professor of Administration of Justice at Christanna was emcee for the event.
(Front row, left to right) Lt. Linda Griffin, and Rosalee Stone of Lunenburg Correctional, Sargeant Wilson accepting for Officer William Medlin of Baskerville , Alfonzo Seward, SVCC Program Director, Shelia Monteria of Greensville Correctional and Julie M. Flowers of Nottoway Correctional.
(Back row, left to right) --Barry K. Williams and Officer Gene E. Eason of of Deerfield Correctional, Lt. Ralph Coleman of Greensville, Linda B. George of Baskerville Correctional, Officer Ernest H. Davis and Samantha Dunn-Miller of Halifax Correctional, Officer Shawn Haskins of Nottoway Correctional, Officer Danisha Baker of Lawrenceville Correctional and Layton Lester.
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SVHEC Designated as Area Healthcare Education Center
AHEC designation will expand healthcare education and training opportunities to 15 counties and 3 cities.
South Boston, VA--The Virginia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program, as part of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA), is pleased to announce a partnership with the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) to support an Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Through the Center of Nursing Excellence, the SVHEC will serve a vast AHEC region of 15 counties and three cities that extends to Danville in the west, Petersburg in the north, and Emporia in the east.
nn Switzer, MSN, RN, and SVHEC Center of Nursing Excellence Associate Director, will serve as Southern Virginia AHEC Director. "The Center of Nursing Excellence at the CNE already supports AHEC goals as a learning resource center for healthcare professions. We plan to build on our network of healthcare stakeholders throughout Southern Virginia to expand and coordinate healthcare education and training opportunities for our healthcare workforce. We will also initiate healthcare occupations recruitment efforts among high school students and non-traditional students throughout our rural, medically underserved region," said Switzer.
The Virginia AHEC Program is a federally funded initiative that aims to: (1) educate and train students to become culturally competent primary care health professionals who will provide healthcare in underserved areas and to health disparity populations; (2) increase the number and variety of primary care health professionals who provide care to underserved populations in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and other medically underserved areas; and (3) recruit into health careers individuals from underrepresented minority populations or from disadvantaged or rural backgrounds. AHEC and VHWDA goals are aligned with the SVHEC's mission to advance Southern Virginia's economic potential through education, innovation, and collaboration.
"Healthcare is one of the key job sectors identified by the Governor as being critical to developing the New Virginia Economy," said Dr. Betty H. Adams, SVHEC Executive Director. "SVHEC and our educational partners have been focused on healthcare for almost ten years through the Center of Nursing Excellence. Receiving the AHEC designation is an incredible honor and a logical next step in our established history of healthcare education," she said.
The Virginia AHEC Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Grant (#U77HP26289) for $815,999 (FY14). For more information on the AHEC at SVHEC, contact Ann Switzer 434-572-5443, toll-free 1-800-283-0098 ext 5443, or email annswitzer@svhec.org.
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Entrepreneur Bootcamp: Virginia's Growth Alliance Offers Free UpStart Business Class
KEYSVILLE, Va., April 10, 2015 — Maria Hamilton didn't intend to start her own business. A stay-at-home mom, friends began asking her to bake cakes and cupcakes like those she made for her children's birthday parties. Three years ago, on a whim, she started a Facebook fan page just to post pictures of her cupcakes. Before she knew it, Hamilton was in business.
But, while Hamilton had plenty of experience making delicious cupcakes, she was at a loss when it came to running a business. Last fall she registered for the UpStart Entrepreneur Bootcamp, sponsored by Virginia's Growth Alliance (VGA) and held at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.
"The bootcamp gave me the tools I needed to run my business," said Hamilton. Through Maria's Sweet Creations, Maria supplements her family's income. "The business means I don't have to work 9-5 in an office and can be there for my kids," said Hamilton.
VGA is offering the free bootcamp again this May. The course, available through the Longwood Small Business Development Center, includes six weekly meetings, online materials, one-on-one feedback and mentoring by teachers. Local business experts also share their knowledge with students, covering topics such as business plan development, finances, marketing and considerations for brick-and-mortar retail businesses. The final week of the course is spent crafting a compelling pitch and provides an opportunity to present to potential investors.
While Hamilton initially fell into business, the course gave her the tools she needed to grow and continue in business. Starting a business is tough and survival is not guaranteed. Fifty percent of new businesses close in less than five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only 30 percent survive 15 years. Before the bootcamp, the former teacher was on the fence about her business. "I was still looking at help wanted ads," she said. However, because of the course, she made the leap, finally buying her business license. "I realized I could make it," explained Hamilton.
This isn't just a course; it truly is a bootcamp designed to ensure business success. "Our emphasis is on the initial hypothesis," says facilitator Dr. Nicholas Langlie, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Longwood University. With a cohort of fellow entrepreneurs, students will craft an idea that people love. "It will always be about failing forward until you have passionate customers who are willing to pay for a product or service," explained Langlie. 'It is called 'product market fit' generally, and our take on it is unparalleled."
The bootcamp will provide resources that extend beyond the initial six weeks, including access to materials, continued instructor feedback and camaraderie. The bootcamp cohort works closely together to provide a support network and professional feedback.
Virginia's Growth Alliance is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed in south-central Virginia. It serves Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Greensville, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Lunenburg, and Prince Edward counties, and the City of Emporia.
"A recent study by Longwood University shows that nearly 80 percent of all business within the region employee five people or less," said Executive Director Jeffrey G. Reed. "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and entrepreneurs are the backbone of small businesses." In addition to the UpStart Entrepreneur Bootcamp, VGA offers mentoring, low-interest loans, and online storefront and marketing guidance for small businesses in the region. (For more information, visit www.vgagroundswell.com)
For more information on the UpStart Entrepreneur Bootcamp visit call 434-395-2360 or email Jennifer Baldwin at baldwinjr2@longwood.edu. The location of the bootcamp will be based on the highest concentration of interest in the VGA region.
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Truck Driving Returns to Greensville-Emporia
Southside Virginia Education Center (SVEC), an off-site campus of Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), serving Emporia, Greensville County, and the surrounding area will be holding an informational session for prospective truck driving students on Monday, April 27th. The informational session, followed by a video presentation, will be held from 5:30 pm until approximately 7:00 pm at the Southside Virginia Education Center, 1300 Greensville County Circle, Emporia. All interested candidates desiring to enroll in the Truck Driving program for the summer, 2015 semester should attend. The summer truck driving semester begins on Tuesday, May 12th and runs through Wednesday, August 5th. Classes will be held at the Truck Driver Training School by the Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport, 139 Airport Drive, Emporia, VA. Class meeting times are Mondays through Fridays from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm.
Please call 434-634-9358 for any additional information required.
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Truck Drivers Graduate
Southside Virginia Community College's Pickett Park Truck Driver Training School Graduating class on 4/17/15 are
(Pictured L to R)Willie Crawley, Instructor, Doug Kemerer, Instructor, Colton Kemerer, Preston Hardaway (Blackstone), Will Vick (Jetersville), Terry Hazelwood (Kenbridge), Andrew Blackwell (Freeman), Mario Nash (Petersburg), Tammareious Anderson (Emporia), Duncan Quicke, Instructor and Derrick Whittle ATA Road Captain. Preston Hardaway graduated with a 4.0 GPA.. For information on the six-week to CDL program, call 434-292-3101.
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USDA Reminds Farmers to Certify Conservation Compliance by June 1 Deadline
Producers May Need to Take Action to Remain Eligible for Crop Insurance Premium Support
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 16, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farmers that the 2014 Farm Bill requires producers to file a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form (AD-1026) with their local USDA service center by June 1, 2015, in order to become or remain eligible for crop insurance premium support.
Most farmers already have a certification form on file since it's required for participation in most USDA programs such as marketing assistance loans, farm storage facility loans and disaster assistance. However farmers, such as specialty crop growers who receive federal crop insurance premium support, but may not participate in other USDA programs, also must now file a certification form to maintain their crop insurance premium support.
"USDA employees are working very hard to get the word out about this new Farm Bill provision," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "While many producers will not need to take action, we want to help make sure that those who are required to act do so by the June 1 deadline. We want all eligible producers to be able to maintain their ability to protect their operations with affordable insurance."
Producers should visit their local USDA service centerand talk with their crop insurance agent before the June 1, 2015, deadline to ask questions, get additional information or learn more about conservation compliance procedures. Producers that file their form by the deadline will be eligible for federal crop insurance premium support during the 2016 reinsurance year, which begins July, 1, 2015. USDA will publish a rule outlining the linkage of conservation compliance with federal crop insurance premium support. Go to http://go.usa.gov/3Wy5Jto view a copy of the rule.
The Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form is available at local USDA service center or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/AD1026form. When a farmer completes this form, USDA Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff will outline any additional actions that may be required for compliance with highly erodible land and wetland provisions. USDA's Risk Management Agency, through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, manages the federal crop insurance program that provides the modern farm safety net for America's farmers and ranchers.
Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, USDA has implemented many provisions of this critical legislation, providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.
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Southside Regional Medical Center Awarded Certification from The Joint Commission for Hip and Knee Joint Replacement
Petersburg, VA -- Southside Regional Medical Center (SRMC) has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Hip & Knee Joint Replacement by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The certification award recognizes SRMC's dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the- art standards.
SRMC underwent a rigorous on-site review in February of this year. A Joint Commission expert evaluated SRMC for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
"In achieving Joint Commission certification, SRMC has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients undergoing joint replacement surgery," says Michele Sacco, M.S., interim executive director, Certification Programs. "Certification is a voluntary process and I commend SRMC for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."
"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence," says Douglas Moyer, SRMC's Chief Executive Officer. "Achieving Joint Commission certification in Hip & Knee Joint Replacement, for our organization, is a major step toward continuing our highly successful patient outcomes and improving the care we provide."
A major partner in the delivery of orthopedic services at Southside Regional Medical Center is Colonial Orthopaedics. Colonial Orthopaedics, with seven joint replacement surgeons, alongside Lisa Mears, Director of SRMC's Center for Advanced Joint & Spine Care, and her staff, are credited with the outstanding surgical results and patient outcomes in the program's orthopedic services.
The Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
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Emporia's Got Talent
Friday evening saw eight local artists trying for the grand prize in the First Emporia's Got Talent competition. The event showcased local performers and raised money for the Boys and Girls Club of Emporia-Greensville.
First up was Mr. Sakee Powell, performing "This Time" by John Legend. Mr. Powell showcased his voice by performing his selection acapella. Next up was Miss JaNayala Ashley with coreographed dancing to "Tramp Queen." Shameka Harvell then gave a powerful rendition of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me." The last performance, before the Call to Action, Mission Moment and one Special Performance, was Mr Jawan Lundy, who performed Feel Good Music" into Kanyee West's "All Fall Down Remix."
The second half of the evening began with some Gospel Music from the Rising Star Youth and Young Adult Choir. Misses Cymecca Powell, Markia Powell and Asic McNair them performed a choreographed dance piece. Third up in the second half was Miss Shantee Stukes singing Neyo's "So Sick" acapella. The last competitor of the evening was K. O. D., Gospel Hip Hop Mimes, who presented a choreographed dance piece.
The difficult task of choosing the top three performers was then in the hands of the judges for the evening: Mrs. Linda Richardson, Dr. Margaret Lee and Mrs. Mary Pearson.
The first prize winner, Miss Shameka Harvell.
The second place winners were the Gospel Hip Hop Mimes, K. O. D. The third place winner, the Rising Star Youth and Young Adult Choir. Pictured with the winners are Ms. Stacy Gray, the Executive Director and Rev. Clifton Threat, President of the Board of Directors.
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New Director Brings Change to Pork Festival
This year's 42nd Annual Virginia Pork Festival promises to be better than ever. This is the first festival that will have a new President, Dan Allen and a new Director, Karen Hall.
The first big change that many of you may have already noticed, is the new website (http://www.vaporkfestival.com/). You can order your tickets right from the new site, using Eventbrite. There is no need to wait for your tickets to be mailed to you if you do order online, just print them out so that they may be scanned at the gate. Remember to purchase your tickets by April 30, after May 1the price goes from $30 to $35. VIP parking can also be purchased online for an additional $25. It is important to remember to print your tickets for admission to the festival and for VIP Parking.
There are many local locations where you may purchase tickets, the full list of ticket sellers is available on the website. Tickets may also be purchased by mail order, the order form is available on the website. If you would like to order by phone, you may do so by calling (434)634-6611 after May 15th.
This year, four of the five bands are new. Only The Embers is a returning act, and this year, Craig Woolard is back. Other groups providing entertainment this year are Blues Star Albert Castiglia, Steve Owens & Summertime, The Switch, and Exit 173.
In addition to the live entertainment this year there will also be a selection of Craft Beer
The Greensville County Ruritan Club, in addition to being host, is also now the sponsor. Over 40,000 pounds of Pork will be prepared on site, as it is each year, to serve the thousands that make this the largest single day festival on the east coast.
Virginia Pork Festival
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SAPPONY RURITAN CLUB HOLDS ANNUAL WING FLING
Sappony Ruritan Club held its annual Wing Fling on Wednesday, April 15th. Attendees enjoyed various kind of wings and all the fixings.
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Obituary-Betty McNeely Reynolds
Betty McNeely Reynolds, 95, of Martinsville passed away on Monday, April 13, 2015 at Blue Ridge Rehab Center. She was born on October 23, 1919 in Henry County to the late George Lester McNeely and Lena May Motley McNeely. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, H. Aubrey Reynolds; son, Barry B. Reynolds; grandson Troy Motley; sisters, Louise M. Harmon, Violet McNeely and Shirley M. Weddle and brothers, Glen McNeely, William McNeely, Walter McNeely and Bobby McNeely.
She was a member of Temple Baptist Church, Martinsville and was a homemaker/caregiver.
Surviving are her daughters and sons-in-law, Carolyn R. Koger (Robert) of Martinsville, Diana R. Blick (Earl) of Emporia and Margaret R. Mura of Danville; son and daughter-in-law, Donald "Don" A. Reynolds (Ruthie) of Callands; sisters, Roslyn M. Ashby of Axton and Aileen M. Eanes of Columbus, GA; brother, Billy McNeely of Martinsville; 11 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
The funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at Temple Baptist Church with son, Pastor Don Reynolds officiating. Burial was at County Line Christian Church, Axton.
The family received friends on Tuesday evening, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the church.
Norris Funeral Services, Inc. and Crematory, Martinsville is serving the Reynolds family.
Online condolences may be made at www.NorrisFuneral.com.
Betty McNeely Reynolds
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There Really Are Fairy Godmothers
Volunteers with the Fairy Godmother Project of Richmond provide the opportunity for girls at Jackson-Feild to "shop" for a beautiful prom outfit at no cost to them.
The Richmond program was established in 2006 at Collegiate School by Sloan Beaver. She served as chairperson of the project for two years and her sisters McKenzie and Ali carried on her legacy as chairpersons for the next seven years. Their mother, Sabet Stroman, serves as the parent liaison.
This year Caroline Pollard and Lauren Dickinson served as co-chairs of the project whose mission is to provide a special high school prom experience for girls whose financial situation would otherwise preclude them ability to attend the prom. Karen Albright and Toby Desch served as facility advisors for the 2015 project. SmartBox of Richmond and the Bostic family provide a free storage container for the prom gowns.
Collegiate students collect gently used prom dresses and have sponsored fund raisers to purchase additional dresses and accessories. Individual contributions, donations from area retailers and funding from a family foundation have also provided support for the project.
On April 11th twelve student volunteers served as Fairy Godmothers for the residents at Jackson-Feild Homes, a residential behavioral health organization serving boys and girls with severe mental health diagnosis. They were personal shoppers, helping girls select the perfect prom dress, shoes and accessories.
The volunteers believe every student should have the opportunity to attend their prom regardless of their personal or financial circumstances. It was rewarding and fulfilling to see the excitement and joy on the faces of the children as they selected the perfect outfit for their May prom.
Many thanks to the generosity and kindness of the Fairy Godmother volunteers and donors who care about the children at Jackson-Feild and want to be sure they experience the fun and excitement of prom night.
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Assembly Rejects McAuliffe's Drone Recommendations
By Cameron Vigliano, Ashley Jordan and Stefani Zenteno Rivadineira, Capital News Service
RICHMOND – The General Assembly has rejected Gov. Terry McAuliffe's recommendation to give police a freer rein in using unmanned aircraft.
Both the House and Senate rejected changes that the Democratic governor proposed to legislation regarding when law enforcement agencies must get a warrant to use a drone. McAuliffe's amendments drew opposition from members of both parties.
SB 1301, introduced by Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Richmond, and HB 2125, sponsored by Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge, originally said that government agencies would need a search warrant to use drones for "law enforcement" activities.
But McAuliffe changed "law enforcement" to "active criminal investigations." Some privacy advocates said this could open the door for law enforcement officials to use drones without a warrant for surveillance and other purposes outside of active investigations.
The House voted 28-69 to reject McAuliffe's amendments of HB 2125, and the Senate voted 12-27 against the governor's recommendations concerning SB 1301.
The votes occurred Wednesday as Virginia lawmakers gathered for a one-day marathon session to consider McAuliffe's vetoes and recommendations of legislation passed during the General Assembly's 2015 session.
Many of McAuliffe's amendments were meant to fix technical errors; they passed without debate. But bills involving personal privacy and new technology generated a lot of discussion in the House and Senate.
One such bill was HB 1673, proposed by Delegate Richard L. Anderson-R. Among other things, it sought to restrict law enforcement and regulatory agencies from using "any surveillance technology" to collect or maintain personal information without a warrant.
McAuliffe recommended replacing the term "any surveillance technology" with "license plate readers." That amendment had delegates reaching across the aisle to express disapproval.
"It's not often that Dels. Bob Marshall and Betsy Carr advocate on the same side of an issue," said Carr, a Democrat from Richmond. "However, there are some important nonpartisan principles that both ends of the political spectrum join to come together. Our right of privacy and maintaining a free democracy is one of these places."
But other delegates like fellow Democrat Vivian E. Watts of Annandale supported the governor's amendments. Watts said lawmakers should target how law enforcement officials use the data they collect – not whether they can collect it in the first place. The data "could be used for protecting our public safety," she noted.
The General Assembly should not legislate based on "the suspicion that if the data exist, it will be used for no good," Watt explained.
Both the House and the Senate upheld some of the governor's recommendations concerning HB 1673, while defeating others.
To the surprise of many, the General Assembly must reconvene Friday to consider changes McAuliffe made to the ethics reform package that emerged from this year's legislative session.
As passed, the ethics bill would prohibit legislators and other public officials from accepting a gift worth more than $100. McAuliffe wanted to make this a yearly aggregate cap, so that lawmakers couldn't take more than $100 in gifts annually from a single donor. However, his amendment was worded as a lifetime aggregate cap of $100.
Legislators hope to hash out the wording on Friday.
During Wednesday's session, the General Assembly upheld all 17 of McAuliffe's vetoes. As a result, these bills passed in January and February won't become law after all:
● SB 724 and HB 1752, which would have prohibited the State Board of Education from adopting any common core standards without approval from the General Assembly.
● SB 948, which sought to prohibit Virginia from sharing records of who holds a concealed weapons permit with certain out-of-state police agencies.
● HB 1628, known as the "Tebow Bill." It sought to allow home-schooled students to play sports and participate in other extracurricular activities at their local high school.
● SB 1059, which would have placed limitations on how the Office of the Attorney General or the governor hires special counsel.
Cameron Vigliano
Ashley Jordan and Stefani Zenteno Rivadineira
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Southside Native to Deliver Commencement Address at SVCC
Southside Virginia Community College is proud to announce the guest speaker for the 2015 Commencement is Dr. Dietra Trent who currently serves as Deputy Secretary of Education. The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 16, 2015 at the John H. Daniel Campus in Keysville, Virginia
Dr. Trent previously held this position during Governor Tim Kaine's administration. She joined the Administration of Governor Terry McAuliffe in January 2014. In this position she works collaboratively with Virginia's colleges and universities, libraries, museums, and the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV). Her primary responsibility is to promote the Governor's agenda for higher education. Prior to joining the McAuliffe Administration, Dr. Trent served as Deputy State Director for Senator Mark Warner. Having served in former Governor's Tim Kaine and Mark Warner's offices, as well as the Office of Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, she has a wealth of federal, state and higher education experience.
During her time in Governor Warner's office, Dr. Trent's proudest moment was establishing and obtaining state funding for the Minority Political Leadership Institute (MPLI), housed at Virginia Commonwealth University. MPLI is a six-week intensive program designed to promote leadership for aspiring individuals interested in running for elected office or assuming leadership roles in minority communities. She currently serves on the MPLI advisory board.
A native of Halifax County, Virginia, Dr. Trent earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Hampton University, and completed her master's and doctoral degrees in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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SOUTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER TO HOLD ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL WITH STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES
Emporia, VA– In 2014, Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (SVRMC) established an "Active Shooter – Code Silver" policy for the organization as a part of the overall High Reliability and Safety program for the facility, and in response to the growing number of active shooter incidences across the country. An active shooter is defined as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area. The purpose of the policy is to provide an emergency response plan that is designed to protect the health and safety of patients, staff and visitors in the event of an active shooter on hospital property. This policy provides SVRMC staff with detailed, step-by-step instructions with actions to take and how to respond in an active shooter situation. All staff has been trained on this policy andnew staff receive orientation on this policy during their initial orientation to the facility.
While having a policy in place to guide staff in the unlikely event of an active shooter at SVRMC is a great start, following the policy during an actual event might prove more difficult. For this reason, and because the hospital is required to conduct emergency drills annually to maintain regulatory compliance, SVRMC's emergency preparedness team recommended that one of the drills in 2015 be an active shooter scenario.
In the early stages of planning for the active shooter drill, it became very clear that a successful drill would require participation from, not only SVRMC staff, but a multitude of outside agencies that would respond in the event of an actual active shooter. On March 5th, staff from various SVRMC departments met with representatives from state and local law enforcement, City of Emporia and County of Greensville emergency management officials, local emergency medical services (EMS) and medical transport companies (Lifestar Ambulance Service and VCU Life Evac) and Greensville County Schools to discuss and plan for the active shooter drill to be held at the hospital.
In order to effectively evaluate the performance of all involved, only the heads of each agency will actually know drill scenario details in advance. Staff from various participating agencies will be staged throughout the facility to observe the drill events as they unfold. Following the drill, agency representatives will meet to discuss and critique the event, and to identify what went well and any areas for improvement.
While there are no plans to publicly announce the date and time of the drill, services at SVRMC will not be interrupted by drill activities. Additional staff will be on hand to explain what is happening, the necessity for the drill, and reassure patients and visitors that there is not an actual emergency.
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Obituary-Margaret Phillips Bradley
Margaret Phillips Bradley, 88, of Emporia, widow of Henry Bradley passed away Wednesday, April 15, 2015. She is survived by one son, R. H. Bradley, Jr. and wife, Rita of Emporia; daughter, Gail Bradley Edwards and husband, Dwight of Courtland; granddaughter, Jeanne Moseley and husband, Randy of Emporia; grandson, Jason Bradley; three great-grandchildren, Brendan, Joshua and Noah Moseley; three sisters, Elizabeth P. Seymour of South Carolina and Doris P. Clarke, of Lawrenceville and Peggy Byers of Emporia one brother, Virgil J. Phillips, devoted nieces Betsy Short and Melissa Whitlow, other numerous nieces and nephews and neighbor Marcy Woodruff. The family will receive friends Thursday April 16, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Owen Funeral Home in Jarratt,VA where services will be held Friday April 17 at 2 p.m. with interment to follow at Mount Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made at www.owenfh.com.
Margaret Phillips Bradley
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'It's All About Energy,' Governor Tells Symposium
By Margo Maier, Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Gov. Terry McAuliffe launched the 2015 Energy & Sustainability Conference on Tuesday with a briefing on Virginia's energy plan.
"My goal is to fund Virginia with clean, abundant and affordable Virginia energy," McAuliffe told the conference, which the Virginia Chamber of Commerce held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
McAuliffe said members of the General Assembly worked together this year to advance a number of energy-related projects in the commonwealth. "You want to talk about jobs, economic development – it's all about energy."
Last fall, McAuliffe unveiled his energy plan, which takes an "all of the above" approach to both fossil fuels and renewable energy resources.
"The first thing I stated when I announced my plan last October was that we need to grow, strengthen and diversify our economy," he told Tuesday's gathering. "That is crucial to my strategic vision."
That means diversifying energy sources as well.
McAuliffe noted that Virginia is the first state to receive a federal wind energy research lease in federal waters.
State officials are planning a wind farm 26 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The turbines and towers used in the project will be built in-state, providing economic opportunities for Virginians, the governor said.
Moreover, the General Assembly recently created the Virginia Solar Energy Development Authority, the governor said. Its purpose is to deploy solar energy initiatives throughout the state, boosting not only the environment but also the economy.
McAuliffe also recounted that last October, he signed an executive order titled "Conserving Energy and Reducing Consumption in the Commonwealth of Virginia." Under that order, he said, officials will do "everything we can to reduce energy consumption" and "promote energy efficiency in state government."
Margo Maier
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SOUTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER ANNOUNCES MARCH EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
(EMPORIA, VA) – Helen Wilson has been named the Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (SVRMC) Employee of the Month for March 2015. Ms. Wilson, who has been employed at SVRMC since June 1978, is a registered nurse (RN) who holds the position of Clinical Coordinator in the Outpatient Services Department.
Employees are nominated for demonstrating excellence in one of ten Standards of Behavior highlighted during that month. The highlighted Standard of the Month for March was Customer Waiting. Ms. Wilson was nominated by her manager who wrote, "Helen is the go-to person for service recovery and communication with family members and patients about delays. She has an excellent way of calming down patients and family members that may be upset about delays. Helen often reminds other staff to keep patients updated if we have told them that there is a delay. She always thanks patients for choosing our facility, apologizes if there have been any issues and always tries to ensure that patients are very satisfied when they leave. Helen does an excellent job in ensuring that all of our customer service initiatives are upheld each and every day. "
As SVRMC's March Employee of the Month, Ms. Wilson received a certificate, balloons, cookies to share with her co-workers in the Outpatient Services Department, a cash prize and a chance to be selected as SVRMC's 2015 Employee of the Year.
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The 42nd Annual Virginia Pork Festival
Karen Hall, the Virginia Pork Festival Director announced today that the 42nd Annual Virginia Pork Festival will be held on June 10, 2015 from 3:30 PM to 8:00PM at the Ruritan Club Grounds at 370 Ruritan Drive in Emporia, Va 23847. This years music will be provided by The Embers, Albert Castiglia, Steve Owens & the Summertime Band, The Switch, & Exit 173. There will be some vendors there as well as Discovery Channel's Tim Smith and his Climax Moonshine. This year there will be over 40,000 pounds of pork in over 30 different styles for you to sample at the event. This event is one of the largest single day events on the east coast. In the past the Pork Festival has had as many as 15,000 in attendances for the event. Included in your ticket price will be sampling of over 30 different pork dishes, a liquor and beer bar. There will also be side items and soft drinks.
The Virginia Pork Festival will have over 30 different pork dishes, close to 40,000 pounds of pork will be served! Some of those dishes will include Minced Barbecue, Pit Cooked Barbecue, Barbecued Spareribs, Barbecued Boston Butt, Barbecued Loin Chops, Grilled Loin Chops, Sausage Biscuits, Pork Burgers, Sausage Burgers, Bologna Steak Burgers, Italian Sausage, Pork Meatballs, BLTs, Hot Dogs, Chitterlings, Pigs Feet, Souse, Chitterling Fritters
Pork Skins, & a Pork Festival Stew.
Sides will include Black Eyed Peas & Stewed Tomatoes, Pork & Beans, Hushpuppies, & French Fried Sweet Potatoes.
Desserts will include Banana Pudding & Strawberry Shortcake.
Soft drinks, Water, Tea, Anheuser-Busch Family Beers, and a Liquor Bar will be included.
The Virginia Pork Festival was established in 1974 and has been growing every year. With 15,000 available tickets it is one of the largest events on the East Coast. The event raises funds for over 30 different Non-Profit Clubs & Organizations in the Southside Virginia Community. Its an event you don't want to miss!
The event does support several nonprofit organizations in the Southside Virginia areas such as: 4-H Emporia, Emporia Jaycees, Beta Sigma Phi, Cato Hill Hunt Club, Central Brunswick Ruritan, Coalition to Delay Parenthood, Colonial Heights Auxilary Police, Courthouse Hunt Club, Darvills Ruritan Club,Emporia Greensville Humane Society, Elks Lodge, Hospice, Greensville Ruritan Club, American Legion, Family Violence Prevention, Emporia Jr Women's. Club, Nurses Sorority Chi Eta Phi, Doodling Hunt Club, South Hill Jr. Women's Club, Petersburg Police, Black Pot Group, Oak Grove Methodist Church, Newsoms Ruritan Club, Meherrin Ruritan Club, Joyner Gray Yale Ruritan Club, Jarrett Ruritan Club, Surry 4-H, City of Emporia, Greensville Volunteer Rescue Squad, and the Franklin Sportsmen Association.
For Ticket Information and purchase visit www.VaPorkFestival.com
Tickets are $30 if purchased before May 1, 2015
Tickets are $35 if purchased after May 1, 2015.
VIP Parking is $25.
Vendors can also apply on the website
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GCHS Track Team Wins Second Meet at Home
Home Meet Vs. Franklin, Sussex and Dinwiddie
The boys and girls track team defeated Franklin, Sussex and in the second meet of the outdoor track season.
Robert Sykes won both the 1mile (5:09) and the 800m (2:13), Jordan Peebles won the high jump (5'8") 110mhurdles (16.43) 300m hurdles (44.75) Long Jump 20'7 Cordarus Clayton won the shot put (45'9) Stewart Dugger won the discus 123-6" Douglass Allen Jr won the 2mile (12:30), Kijuan Harding won the 100m (11.88)
72.5 GCHS
53.5 Dinwiddie
Lindsey Gordon won in the 2mile (16:13) and 1mile (7:07), Tenisha Broadnax won the 800m (3:04)
The track team will compete at Sussex Central High on April 29, 2015
"Practice is the key now we need student athletes who are willing to put in the time training for us to be successful", Coach Young
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Batting Averages Vary Among Virginia Legislators
By Janeal Downs, Capital News Service
RICHMOND – As baseball season gets underway, here's a question worth pondering: Who were the heavy hitters in the 2015 General Assembly?
For a lead-off hitter, your fantasy team might include Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg: He sponsored seven bills during the recent legislation session – and all of them passed. You can't bat any better than 1.000.
On deck might be Del. Thomas A. "Tag" Greason, R-Lansdowne. Eleven of his 12 bills passed, for a batting average of 0.917. A fraction behind was Del. Edward T. Scott, R-Culpepper: He batted 0.889, passing eight of his nine bills.
For a clean-up hitter, try Sen. Tommy Norment, R-Williamsburg, with a batting average of 0.833. Of the 24 bills that Norment filed, 20 passed – more than any other legislator.
Capital News Service calculated the batting averages for every Virginia legislator using data from the General Assembly's Legislative Information Service. CNS tabulated how many bills each lawmaker filed for the 2015 session and then computed what percentage of those bills passed.
Overall, the Senate had a batting average of 0.434: Of the 793 Senate bills introduced, 344 (or 43.4 percent) were approved by both the Senate and the House.
The House of Delegates had a batting average of 0.404. At the start of the session, delegates filed 1,125; by the end of the session, 455 (or 40.4 percent) of them passed.
CNS looked at only bills – not resolutions, which are often ceremonial. The comparisons are admittedly simplistic. For example, some bills technically failed, but their ideas were incorporated into other legislation that got passed by the General Assembly.
Moreover, the analysis did not distinguish between bills that addressed controversial issues and bills that addressed mundane topics. Certainly, it's easier to pass some bills than others.
Even so, the analysis revealed large disparities among lawmakers.
At one end were legislators like:
Republican Dels. Keith Hodges of Urbanna and Chris Jones of Suffolk, who each hit 0.833. (Both legislators sponsored 12 bills, and 10 passed).
Sen. Emmett Hanger Jr., R-Mount Solon, who had a batting average of 0.739 (17 of his 23 bills passed).
Sen. John Cosgrove Jr., R-Chesapeake, who hit 0.727 (16 of his 22 bills passed).
Sen. Ken Alexander, D-Norfolk, with a batting average of 0.667 (passing 10 of his 15 bills).
At the other extreme were legislators like Del. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg. He introduced 14 bills this session, and none of them passed.
The only other lawmaker batting 0.000 was Democrat-turned-independent Joe Morrissey, who recently quit his Richmond-area House seat to run for the Senate amid a scandal.
Morrissey sponsored 10 bills; they all died in committee. Where have you gone, Joe?
Not all of the bills passed by the General Assembly have been signed into law by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The governor vetoed 17 bills and recommended amendments to 68 others. Legislators will reconvene in Richmond on Wednesdayfor their "veto session" to consider whether to overturn or uphold the governor's actions.
Delegate Roslyn Tyler submitted 5 bills, 4 of which passed. The passed bills are Special License Plates for Disabled Veterans, an amendment to the Branchville Town Charter, conveyance of DOC property to the Town of Lawrenceville (containing a water booster station and storage tank maintained by the Town of Lawrenceville) and a bill conforming the budgeting process of Counties to that of Municipalities. The failed bill would have increased the membership of the Broadband Advisory Committee. Delegate Tyler also authored four House Resolutions this session; two celebrating the lives of citizens of the 75th District (William Rohimbox Morrison, Jr., M.D. and Michael Trenton Rose), one commending the Mercy Seat Reformed Zion Union Apostolic Church and one commending the Improvement Association.
Senator Louise Lucas was Chief Patron of 17 Bills, six of which passed.
Janeal Downs
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Free Seminar on Arterial Hypertension
Petersburg, VA – Join Dr. Amin for a presentation on high blood pressure. Learn about dietary and lifestyle changes and treatment from a board-certified physician. Dr. Amin is a member of the Medical Staff at Southside Regional Medical Center.
This seminar will be held on Thursday, April 23 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the Petersburg Family YMCA located at 120 North Madison Street in the multi-purpose room. Light refreshments will be served. There is no cost to attend and RSVP is not required.
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KAINE DELIVERS ADDRESS AT APPOMATTOX SESQUICENTENNIAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, continuing his five-day swing through Virginia, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine traveled to Appomattox to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Speaking at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park's ceremony to recognize the anniversary, Kaine delivered a message of unity and the lessons our country can learn from the surrender.
"Is there any doubt that American leadership will be just as important in the future as it has been in the past?" said Kaine. "We are uniquely positioned to play a critical leadership role in addressing the many challenges that the world will face, but we must acknowledge that America cannot play the leadership role we are destined to play if we are divided against ourselves. That is the choice before us today as we think about the choice made here at this place 150 years ago."
In the Senate, Kaine has advocated for preserving Civil War sites in Virginia, recently introducing legislation to expand the Petersburg National Battlefield. At the end of last year, legislation Kaine introduced to reauthorize the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program (CWBPP)became law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015.
Following his address in Appomattox, Kaine traveled to Lynchburg where he met with local African-American leaders to discuss issues facing the community.
Later in the day, Kaine capped his five-day tour of the Commonwealth with stops in Hampton Roads.
Full transcript of Kaine's remarks at Appomattox is below:
Good morning. I am honored to be here with you today, joined by two congressional colleagues – Congressman Hurt and Congressman Goodlatte. As Governor and Senator, I have worked with these colleagues and others to preserve our nation's Civil War battlefields so that future generations can learn the great lessons of the War and how it shaped our nation. And there is no more sacred Civil War battlefield than the spot where we now meet. Other places were the sites of more momentous battles. But it is here, at Appomattox Courthouse, where the battles ended and a divided nation chose a path of unity, a choice that would profoundly change not only our own history, but the history of the world. We come to honor that choice and to acknowledge that the same choice lies before us now.
America, from its founding until April 9, 1865, had a deep internal contradiction, recognized by Jefferson and other Founding Fathers, between liberty and slavery. That contradiction, in which both North and South were complicit, grew until its terrible gravity warped virtually every aspect of national life. And the war came.
Four years of war, of unprecedented death and destruction, were visited upon our land and our ancestors. And Virginia felt the hand of war more intimately than any other state. But in this place, named for the Algonquin tribe that inhabited the region, we also provided a home for the birth of a far-reaching peace.
It was here that leaders negotiated a magnanimous surrender. It was here that battle-scarred soldiers laid down arms, saluted each other's' bravery and began their journeys home. It was here that General Lee, seeing Seneca Indian Union Officer Ely Parker, commented, "It is good to have one real American," only to hear him respond, "Sir, we are all Americans." We are all Americans.
The unification of the nation that began at Appomattox – a unification not based primarily in victory but instead in a commitment toward the universal humanity of all – is not complete. For all our progress in our quality of life, material wealth, scientific advancement and global influence, we are painfully aware each day of broad inequities among our people. In our United States, there are still obvious divisions based on race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, red-state and blue-state and region. America in 2015 is not as sharply split as during the time of the Civil War, but anyone watching the news knows that we are too divided. Each of us knows personally that we can do better. We also know that our failures are not an indictment of our national ideals, but instead of our very human inability to fully live up to them.
But, with humble acknowledgment of our faults, we must also recognize that the unification begun here one hundred and fifty years ago has been transformative. Within a few generations after Appomattox, the United States had the largest economy in the world, the most powerful military in the world and a confident global position as a diplomatic force for good. None of this would have been possible had we stayed a divided nation, split into two by a fundamental dispute about human equality.
Unknown to all who were here on April 9, 1865 was the fact that the future of the world depended upon a united America. It was America a few decades later that decisively entered the Great War to bring peace to an exhausted Europe. It was America that helped defeat global forces of fascism – warped by their own doctrines of racial superiority – in the Second World War. It was America that built a new order based on international institutions and rules protecting individual liberty and national sovereignty. It was America that helped shine the spotlight of truth on the dictatorial nature of Soviet communism, thus hastening its collapse. Throughout the 20th century and even with all of our human missteps, we played and play a major role in the advance of mankind across the globe in ways that would not have been possible had we not begun our national unification here at Appomattox.
Indeed, even the magnanimous nature of the surrender here—with soldiers from the North and South showing respect to each other and Confederates allowed to return home undisturbed with horses and, in some cases, weapons – set a pattern of magnanimity that has defined our subsequent history. After World War I, President Wilson tried to help victor and vanquished alike through establishment of the League of Nations, not because America needed it, but because the idea—ahead of its time—offered a better future for all of mankind. After World War II, America rebuilt the economies of its 2 principal enemies – Germany and Japan – through the Marshall Plan. These nations today are among our strongest allies.
The great effort of two of my colleagues, Senators John McCain and John Kerry, to normalize relations with Vietnam, 20 years after a war that cost 58,000 lives, has produced a close alliance between our two countries and provided an opportunity for veterans of that era to find better closure to their wartime service. Each of these gracious efforts of magnanimity at the close of war had their roots here in the spirit of Appomattox. And one lesson of this place – that an enemy need not always remain an enemy – continues to offer cautious hope even today as we contemplate new relationships with difficult historic adversaries such as Cuba and Iran.
Simply put, while all here 150 years ago understood the surrender was momentous, none could have imagined how the actual event, the reunification of our nation, would mean to the future history of the entire world. And that thought must challenge us today.
Is there any doubt that the 21st century will offer challenges to mankind as significant as those faced in the last century? We already see these challenges in the aggressive activities of authoritarian nations, the spread of non-state terrorist jihadism, and the expansion of technologies that intrude more deeply into our personal lives than ever in our history. At home and around the world, and despite our progress, old problems persist and new challenges proliferate.
Is there any doubt that American leadership will be just as important in the future as it has been in the past? With our ingenuity, our strength, our diversity and democratic principles, our vibrant and creative entrepreneurial culture, we are uniquely positioned to play a critical leadership role in addressing the many challenges that the world will face, but we must acknowledge that America cannot play the leadership role we are destined to play if we are divided against ourselves. That is the choice before us today as we think about the choice made here at this place 150 years ago.
So will we look for new opportunities to lay down arms – physical, verbal, spiritual – and unify one with another? The call of President Lincoln, slain a few days after the surrender here, still must be our call: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who has borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
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Obituary - Josephine "Queenie" Cicalese-Bost
Josephine "Queenie" Cicalese-Bost Passed peacefully in her sleep on April 8, 2015. Born and raised in Newark NJ to the late Teresina (Tomesetti) and Frank Cicalese, she moved to Emporia, VA 8 years ago. She was preceeded in death by her husband Robert Bost of East Newark NJ. She is survived by one brother, Frank Cicalese of Macon GA, 5 children; Tammy Greco, Theresa Hicks, Ron Edwards, Frank Edwards and Rob Edwards, 13 grandchildren; Phil, Chris, Charles, Autumn, Kayla, Jessie, Cassie, Gina, Frank, Anthony, Lane, Maddison and Chase. Special "adopted" family : JT, Squirrel and Derrick and beloved pets; Pepper, Shadow, Mozzie and Athena. Her ashes will be placed alongside her husband in Holy Cross Cemetary, North Arlington NJ on April 18, 2015.
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Delegate Tyler Appointed to Joint Commission on Health Care
Delegate Roslyn Tyler was appointed by Speaker of the House, William Howell, to serve on the Joint Commission of Health. The Joint committee on Health Care seek through its research, recommendations, and legislative action to "ensure the Commonwealth as provider, financier, and regulator adopt the most effective and efficacious means to delivery quality health care. " Delegate Roslyn is a physical therapist coordinator at Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center- CHS hospital. She has prior experience of serving on former Governor Kaine Healthcare Reform commission. She will be a vital experienced health professional on the Commission representing Southside Virginia and small hospitals.
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Senior Showcase this Evening!
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Free Programs To Help Entrepreneurs Use Their Minds In Their Business
April 6, 2015, Keysville, Virginia - Virginia's Growth Alliance economic development region has developed an innovative entrepreneurial initiative called Think Bigger, and businesses who participate in the following programs will automatically earn bonus points to qualify for funding from VGA's new revolving loan fund.
The failure to plan is at the root of most small business failures, where the old adage, "fail to plan, plan to fail," couldn't be truer. VGA is here to help.
The Think Bigger initiative kicks off for the Spring in mid-May with Longwood Small Business Development Center's bold new program, the UpStart Entrepreneur Bootcamp. This exciting series is designed for serious participants to learn from face-to-face, hands-on application through 6 sessions. Students will learn interactively using the best content from around the world, applying it locally with professional experts and peers in real time.
Real world experts will work with participants to create and test assumptions with real potential customers in a structured way, tracking their progress as they work to develop a meaningful business model.
A student from the Fall 2014 session said, "The UPstart class was ideal for me as it offered the tools that helped me see if my idea would make a good business or if it was more of a hobby. After working the Business Model I was given suggestions and information that took me down a path well suited to my goals. The information given in the class is invaluable to anyone who thinks they might want to go into business themselves. The speakers are well selected professionals offering information on marketing a business and financing. The teachers make the entire experience flow from the beginning to the end, always approachable, very supportive and enthusiastic."
Also beginning in May is the Think Bigger Marketing workshop series, produced by marketing and design firm Glerin Business Resources. Participants in these 6 workshops will learn how to combine social media with traditional marketing, create an easy-to-use marketing plan, and market their businesses and sell online for free through VGA's new websites, ShopLocalVGA.com and VirginiasGreatAdventures.com.
To top it off, one outstanding marketing workshop participant AND their VGA member community will win $750 in free design services from Glerin - $1500 total.
Businesses who combine the UpStart Entrepreneur Bootcamp with the Think Bigger Marketing workshops automatically position themselves to become more successful and build more value.
If you're serious about growing your business – or starting a new one - go to thinkbiggerVGA.com/grow and submit the form to let VGA, LSBDC, and Glerin know you're interested in participating, and in which locality you prefer to attend. Localities will be determined by the level of interest in each. For more information on UpStart, call 434-395-2086 or email baldwinjr2@longwood.edu.
These programs are FREE to businesses and residents within the VGA region, thanks to funding from VGA, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, in partnership with Southside Virginia Community College.
Virginia's Growth Alliance is a regional economic development marketing organization serving the city of Emporia, as well as Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Greensville, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties. www.vagrowth.com
Longwood Small Business Development Center provides professional business counseling, training, and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses. www.sbdc-longwood.com
Longwood University is a four-year public, liberal arts university located in Farmville, Virginia. www.longwood.edu
Glerin Business Resources is a Halifax-based design and marketing firm specializing in helping small businesses bridge traditional and digital marketing. www.glerin.com
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Richmond Reflects on Emancipation, 150 Years Later
RICHMOND – A day dedicated to the Fall of Richmond became one celebrating its liberation, and just as much about challenges in Virginia's future as celebrating its past.
More than 5,000 people gathered in Capitol Square on Saturday to watch Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Mayor Dwight Jones and several other speakers commemorate the liberation of Richmond by U.S. troops, the emancipation of the city's slaves and the end of the American Civil War.
"Richmond's Journey From the End of Slavery and Civil War to Today" was the theme for four days of events that ended Saturday. Capping off re-enactments, exhibits and ceremonies, a series of speakers on the steps of the Capitol building concluded Richmond's part in the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Most used the occasion to celebrate the end of slavery, commend progress made in civil rights and call for further progress.
McAuliffe began his speech by recalling some of the lesser-known stories of triumph from the Fall of Richmond, including tales of reunited slave families and a promise made by President Abraham Lincoln that was forgotten as segregation and Jim Crow laws took hold in the American South.
"Not 30 yards from this podium, President Lincoln addressed a crowd of freed slaves, telling them that now 'you belong to no one but God,'" McAuliffe said. "Those early ideals gave way to a system that was separate and clearly unequal, and thank goodness the civil rights era helped us move closer to those earlier ideals."
The governor was the first of several speakers to point out for all of the progress made, there is still more work to be done, with McAuliffe citing education and voting rights specifically.
"Today's ceremony is a reminder that we still have unfinished business in our nation and that we need to do a better job," McAuliffe said. "We need to think of what folks did here 150 years ago and have the courage to ask what kind of commonwealth do we want to be in another 150 years."
McAuliffe was followed by Jones, who commended the progress made by the city in the century and a half since it served as the capital of the Confederacy.
"We look back today at Richmond as a city transformed," the mayor said. "Where once there were antebellum houses and slave pens, our city now hosts restaurants, shops, schools and universities that serve all of Richmond's residents."
That last point was an especially personal one for Jones. He is an alumnus of Virginia Union University, a historically black college in Richmond whose origins trace back to the liberation of Richmond, when Lumpkin's Jail – where slaves were imprisoned before being sold – was converted into a school for Richmond's newly freed African-American residents.
"I stand before you today as testament to Richmond's journey, a product of my alma mater, Virginia Union University," said Jones, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of South Richmond.
"What began as a symbol of slavery became a place of education and has become an enduring symbol of emancipation."
A choir from Virginia Union University accompanied the ceremony. Its performance of "I Can Only Imagine" was referenced by several speakers.
Christy Coleman, co-CEO of the American Civil War Museum, spoke of the changing ways of remembering the war.
"It's about time that we found a way to tell our stories in truth, in wholeness and in togetherness," Coleman said. "We did that under a banner called 'the future of Richmond's past' because we believed that such a thing was important to the future of a city that we love."
Saturday's events were largely celebratory, focusing on the end of the Civil War and slavery, rather than on the defeat of the Confederacy as past commemorations might have.
John Coski, historian and vice president at the American Civil War Museum, said that the shift in focus from one of loss to one of liberation means Virginia and Richmond may have turned a corner.
"The idea of Blue Coats in a Gray City would have once elicited a good deal of anger," Coski said. "This event is a pretty good indication of how people feel today, and I could not have said that 15 years ago."
Sean CW Korsgaard
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Library Staff Development Day
The Brunswick County Library, Lawrenceville and the Richardson Memorial Library, Emporia will be closed Tuesday, April 21th for Staff Development Day. Meherrin Regional Libraries will be open regular hours on Wednesday, April 22nd. For more information please call 434-848-2418 ext. 25 or 434-634-2539.
Meherrin Regional Library
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SVCC Hosted SHARP Logging Course
Southside Virginia Community College Workforce Development in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension hosted a 16 hour, 3 day SHARP Logger Core program that was held on the Christanna Campus in Alberta. A total of 38 were in attendance and each participant either received credit or completed the Core program. A special thank you to: Scott Barrett, Virginia Tech, Jason Fisher, Virginia Corporative Extension, Trooper Coates, State Police Motor Carrier Units, Pipeline Group, Don Giegerich, Virginia Department of Forestry, Keith Biggs, Bryan Wagner and Eddie Campbell, Forestry Mutual Insurance and Bill Pownall, FRM Forester.
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Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center to participate in National Healthcare Decisions Day
EMPORIA, VA – Each year since 2008, Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (SVRMC), has joined other national, state and community organizations to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making, and ensure that all adults with decision-making capacity in our community have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their healthcare decisions through participation in National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).
Although Congress signed the Patient Self-Determination Act into law in 1990, which gives every person the right to set forth his/her future healthcare wishes in writing with an "advance directive", studies indicated that most American have not exercised this right or designate a person to carry out those wishes. Observed annually on April 16th, the mission of NHDD exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.
"As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known," said R. Matthew Tavenner, SVRMC's CEO. "Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient. Healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so."
With healthcare, Your Decisions Matter. Please join SVRMC in recognition of National Healthcare Decision Day. On Wednesday, April 15th, the public is invited to attend an advance directive informational meeting lead by Lindsay Lankford, Esq. of Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle, P. C. This complimentary educational session will begin at 6:00 PM in the SVRMC Classrooms. Additionally, complimentary advance care planning information and advance directive forms will be available throughout the day on Thursday, April 16th in the hospital's main lobby.
If you would like to attend the advance directives presentation, contact Sandy Webb, Director of Marketing at 434-348-4447 to reserve your seat. For more informationabout National Healthcare Decision Day, please visit www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org.
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CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT CELEBRATES NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK APRIL 6-12, 2015
Healthiest Nation 2030
(Petersburg, Va.)-The Crater District Health Departments celebrate National Public Health Week during the first full week of April each year. Local health departments recognize the significant contributions of public health, and inform the public of the variety of services available to each Crater community. Public health plays a role in helping to make healthy choices easier for all communities. Focusing on improving the health of Crater communities supports Virginia Department of Health's goal of being the healthiest state in the nation, and the American Public Health Association's goal of making the US the Healthiest Nation in One Generation by 2030. "Take time this week to stop by the displays we have set up across Crater to learn how your local health departments are working with community partners to help make Crater the healthiest district in the state," emphasizes Health Director Alton Hart, Jr., MD, MPH.
National Public Health Week Community Outreach Schedule
Emporia/Greensville YMCA, 212 Weaver Avenue, Emporia, VA 23847 (9am – 1pm)
Hopewell Department of Social Services, 316 Cawson Street, Hopewell, VA 23860 (1pm – 4:30pm)
Petersburg Transit Center, 100 W Washington Street, Petersburg, VA 23803 (9am – 4:30pm)
Petersburg Public Library, 201 West Washington Street, Petersburg, VA 23803 (9am – 4:30pm)
Great Valu, 608 County Drive, Wakefield, VA 23888 (9am – 1pm)
Hopewell Department of Social Services, 316 Cawson Street, Hopewell, VA 23860 (9am – 4:30pm)
Petersburg Harding Street Community Center, 453 Harding Street, Petersburg, VA 23803 (9am – 4:30pm)
Petersburg Transit Center, 100 W Washington Street, Petersburg, VA (9am – 1pm)
Waverly Drug, 328 West Main Street, Waverly, VA 23890 (9am – 1pm)
Food Lion, 4320 Westgate Drive, Dinwiddie, VA 23803 (9am – 4:30pm)
For more information about National Public Health Week, visit www.nphw.org. To learn more about public health efforts in Crater Health District, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/LHD/crater/ or call 804-863-1652.
Crater Health District
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Play a Role in Children's Lives in April and Year-Round
(reprinted from GFWC Clubwoman Magazine. submitted by Jean Cobb, President, Riparian Woman's Club)
During the month of April, our nation will mark Child Abuse Prevention Month. General Federation of Women's Clubs (locally, the Riparian Woman's Club) sees this as an opportunity to talk about the roles each of us can play in ensuring great childhoods for all children. To bring this discussion to life, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new child abuse symbol in April 2008. Most people view pinwheels as a fun toy from their childhoods and the very image creates an emotional attachment to a memory that we want as a reality for all children.
Since 2008, the organization has distributed more than 4 million pinwheels nationwide. Each of us has the opportunity to be the force that moves the pinwheel, from acts big and small, to bring about real change for children.
Take one of these steps in your community this month:
Spend time with the kids in your life: reading, playing, and creating games.
Give tired parents a break by offering to babysit or bring over dinner.
Volunteer for a local child-serving agency
Plant pinwheels in your front yard
The Riparian Woman's Club and our local Department of Social Services wants to honor children this month. We realize parenting is the toughest job there is! We have planted our own pinwheel garden across from the Farmer's Market. We encourage you, as you drive by, to give thanks for the children in your life.
Riparian Woman's Club
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Virginia Schools Kick Off Campaign to Encourage Safe Teen Driving During High-Risk Months
Salem, VA – With warm weather just around the corner, schools from across the commonwealth are kicking off a safety campaign for youth and teens to encourage safe driving behaviors and passenger safety. The campaign, called "Arrive Alive," focuses on the increased risk of teen driver crashes during the spring and summer months and during prom and graduation season. The campaign is sponsored by Youth of Virginia Speak Out (YOVASO) and the Virginia State Police. It is funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Highway Safety Office. Close to 60 high and middle schools are participating in Arrive Alive which kicks off April 6 and runs through May 8. During the campaign, students will work in peer-to-peer groups to develop programs and social media messages that influence their peers to be safer in a vehicle. Middle schools will focus their campaign on how to be a safe passenger, seat belt use, and learning about good safety behaviors and attitudes prior to the driving years. High schools will focus on the prevention of risky driving and passenger behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt, driver distractions, speeding, driving with too many passengers, drinking and driving, and joy riding or "cruising." "Through Arrive Alive, teens will take the lead this spring to make sure their friends and peers arrive home safely," said Mary King, YOVASO Program Manager. "Students all across the state will be using their positive influence to encourage each other to drive safely and make responsible decisions. We want to create that atmosphere of excitement in the schools for making safe choices." One way students will reach their peers is by creating a short video which emphasizes the risks associated with warm weather driving and how to be safer in a vehicle. The PSAs will be uploaded to YouTube and voted on by students statewide the week of May 8-14 on YOVASO's YouTube channel. Schools will be competing against each other in this phase of the campaign and the three high and middle schools with the most votes will win cash prizes. In addition, high schools participating in this year's campaign will hold pre and post distracted driving checks as students arrive at school to determine changes in the number of students who drive distracted. Middle schools competing will hold pre and post seat belt checks. Other activities will include signing of Arrive Alive pledge banners, distributing "Don't Text Me When You Drive" cards, organizing safety rallies, and other teen-friendly events. "Car crashes are not only the number one cause of injury and death for U.S. teens aged 15-20, they are also the leading cause of death for every age 11 through 14," explained Casey Palmer, YOVASO Program Development Coordinator. "We are excited to add the middle school component of the Arrive Alive campaign this year to get youth thinking about the importance of being safe in a vehicle well before they get a driver's license."
For more information about the campaign or the YOVASO Program, call Mary King, Program Administrator at 540-375-9581, or Casey Palmer, Program Development Coordinator at 540-375-3596, or visit yovaso.org. YOVASO is Virginia's Peer-to-Peer Education and Prevention Program for Teen Driver Safety. It is sponsored by the Virginia State Police and funded by grants from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Highway Safety Office. Membership is free and open to all Virginia high schools and middle schools. YOVASO currently has 137 member schools. Here are some tips for teen drivers as the high-risk warm weather season approaches:  Buckle up every time you get in a vehicle.  Slow down and obey posted speed limits.  Limit the number of teen passengers in the vehicle and obey Virginia's passenger limitation law for teens. Remember, teens under 18 are only allowed to carry one passenger under age 21 for the first year of licensure unless accompanied by a licensed adult.  Drive distraction-free. It's illegal for teens under 18 to use a cell phone while driving.  Drive alcohol and drug-free. Virginia's Zero Tolerance law makes consuming alcohol or driving under the influence of any amount of alcohol a serious criminal offense for teens under the age of 21. (Va. Code 18.2-266.1)  Avoid "cruising" and joy riding with friends. This leads to an increased risk for teen crashes.  Obey Virginia's midnight curfew which restricts teens under 18 from driving between midnight and 4 a.m.  Celebrate responsibly during prom, graduation, and summer celebrations. Make a commitment to being safe and arriving alive.
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Hardee's Executives Visit Jackson-Feild Homes
Mayo Boddie, co-founder of Hardees, his sons Bill and Mike, and his grandson, Bunn, visited Jackson-Feild Homes on March 30th. Boddie-Noell Enterprises (Hardee's) has been a very loyal and faithful supporter of Jackson-Feild for over 20 years.
Mayo's brother, Nick, who was a co-founder of Hardee's had a very special spot in his heart for the children served at Jackson-Feild. Nick passed away three years ago. This was the first visit for the senior management to the Home.
They met with the staff and had a tour of the campus. They asked very insightful questions concerning funding, management, programs and services.
In addition to providing cash contributions Hardee's has donated chairs for the dining hall and an ice machine, deep fryer and meat slicer for use by our kitchen staff.
JFH residents created a paper mache' cheeseburger and French fries as a gift to thank Hardee's for their loyal and generous support. The artwork will be displayed at Boddie- Noell's corporate headquarters in Rocky Mount, NC.
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Administrative Professional's Day Luncheon
Wednesday, April 22nd
Golden Leaf Commons
Great Entertainment
Incredible Shopping Raffles & A Delicious Buffet.
Back by popular demand….Jonathan Austin will be joining us with "all new shenanigans".
Emporia-Greensville Chamber
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Obituary-Robert Sterling Peebles, Sr.
Robert Sterling Peebles, Sr., age 64, of Lawrenceville, Va. passed away April 4, 2015. Robert is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Marie Peebles and his brother, James Peebles. He is survived by his wife, Trena Davis Peebles; three children, Robert S. Peebles, Jr. and wife Jennifer, Kevin E. Peebles and wife Ashley, and Tara L. Peebles; grandchildren, Robert Tiler Peebles, Aaron Winn Peebles, Haley Elizabeth Peebles, Kullen Edward Peebles, and Annsley Sterling Peebles; his brothers, John C. Peebles and wife Cheryl and Maxie Peebles and wife Wanda; and his sister, Emily P. Mayton. Funeral services will be conducted 2:00 p.m. Monday at Williams Funeral Home Lawrenceville, Va. with interment in Oakwood Park Cemetery, Lawrenceville. The family will receive friends Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department, 400 N. Main Street, Lawrenceville, Va. 23868 or Central Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 386, Gasburg, VA 23857. Online condolences may be made at www.wmsfhva.com.
Robert Sterling Peebles Sr.
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Commemorating the End of Civil War, and Slavery
RICHMOND – It was the night they drove old Dixie down, and the American Civil War came to a close.
After four years of bloody fighting, the war that had torn apart the United States and Virginia finally reached its conclusion in the commonwealth. In one of the most eventful and fateful months in American history, April 1865 would see the fall of Richmond to Union troops, Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Confederacy, the Civil War and slavery.
Now, 150 years later, the sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War is reaching its own closing days in Richmond and across the state. Virginians are once more reflecting on the end of the war and how it shaped the state's history and culture even to this day.
Not surprisingly, Richmond, as both Virginia's capital and the former capital of the Confederacy, finds itself at the center of many of the commemorative events.
"Richmond was more than the capital of the Confederacy – it was where both United States and Confederate soldiers fought throughout the entire war," said Edward L. Ayers, president of the University of Richmond and a historian of the American South.
"Think of Richmond as the Normandy of the United States, for over 40 percent of the men who died in the Civil War died within 150 miles of Richmond."
This week, Richmond has been hosting a series of events commemorating the fall of the city to U.S. troops – and the liberation of African Americans from slavery.
For example, a "Living History Public Theatre" was held Thursday at various sites in downtown Richmond. The event was called "A Scene of Indescribable Confusion." Small teams of living history interpreters appeared at various sites in the city depicting what was happening in that place 150 years earlier. The interpreters represented evacuating Confederates, civilians caught in the turmoil and slaves hopeful for emancipation.
On Thursday night, the buildings in downtown Richmond were illuminated with projected images to represent the evacuation fires. Lantern tours took visitors through the heart of the burned district; along the way, living historians shared the stories of individuals who experienced the fires first-hand.
More events were scheduled on Friday and Saturday. (They are listed athttp://richmondsjourney.org.) Participating groups range from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the White House of the Confederacy, to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the Elegba Folklore Society and the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project.
Other participants include the American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, the Library of Virginia, the National Park Service, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the Virginia Historical Society and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
On Saturday at the state Capitol, Gov. Terry McAuliffe and others "will join together to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us and to recognize our own responsibility to protect and foster freedom, opportunity, and equality in our own time."
More events are planned April 8-12 in Appomattox, about 90 miles west of Richmond, to commemorate the surrender of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. The American Civil War Museum is sponsoring those events, which are listed at www.tredegar.org.
"We've gone to great detail to ensure the surrender is depicted as close to it actually would have happened as possible," said Sam Craghead, the museum's public relations manager. "In terms of even the Civil War re-enactment community, there's been a scale of attention to detail that's never been done before that makes the events at Appomattox of particular interest."
Other commemorative events are being held across the state:
● Events in Petersburg and Hopewell, just south of Richmond, will focus on the end of slavery, including Juneteenth celebrations on June 19. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the date when slaves were belatedly told that Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation and that they were free.
● Exhibits in Danville, near the North Carolina line about 150 miles southwest of Richmond, will highlight that city's role as the last capital of the Confederacy.
● Re-enactments and demonstrations will be held at several national and state parks through October.
The Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration will come to an official close with the Sesquicentennial Finale Concert at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond on Memorial Day (May 25). The event will be free to the public, with a performance by the Roanoke Symphony and narration by historian James I. Robertson Jr.
Beginning in 2011, the sesquicentennial commemoration has been a boost not just for history but also for tourism in states such as Virginia. Craghead said the American Civil War Museum estimates that Virginia's Civil War sites have experienced an average increase in visitors of more than 30 percent.
Nobody knows whether those tourism numbers will hold as the sesquicentennial itself fades into memory. But Craghead believes the commemoration has served a far more important purpose.
"The sesquicentennial, just like the centennial did, has ensured another generation remembers this critical chapter of American history – the good parts and the bad parts both," Craghead said. He then quoted an Italian historian who wrote insightfully about the U.S.:
"Raimondo Luraghi perhaps said it best when he said, 'If you don't understand its Civil War, then you don't understand anything else about America.'"
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BA Middle School Forensics Competition
On Friday, March 20th, Brunswick Academy's fifth, sixth, and seventh grade Middle School Forensics Team participated in the AVA Forensics Competition at Amelia Academy. This exceptional group of students left the competition with first place in both the fifth and sixth grades and second place in seventh grade. Also, Brunswick Academy came home with first place overall thus acquiring the Robert B. Crawford Memorial Award. To add to Brunswick Academy's success, they also received the James T. Davidson Memorial Award. This award is given to the school with the highest number of quality points. The students who participated and their rankings are as follows:
Fifth Grade Seventh Grade
Girls' Prose – Emily Roberts – 2nd Place Girls' Prose – Logan Hyde – 1st Place
Boys' Prose – Vincent Edmunds – 2nd Place Boys' Prose – Jacob Farmer – 3rd Place
Girls' Poetry – Alora DeCorte – 1st Place Girls' Poetry – Morgan Jamison – 3rd Place
Boys' Poetry – Brett Allen – 1st Place Boys' Poetry – Davis Roberts – 1st Place
Girls' Monologue – Alyssa Rivas Girls' Monologue – Rachel Rego – 2nd Place
Boys' Monologue – Matthew Moseley – 1st Place Boys' Monologue – Seth Rawlings – 1st Place
Serious Speech – Everett Lynch – 2nd Place Serious Speech – Olivia Combs – 2nd Place
Humorous Speech – Harrison Harper – 3rd Place Humorous Speech – Sadler Lundy – 3rd Place
Spelling – Sydney Paul – 1st Place Spelling – Leiara Butler – 3rd Place
Girls' Prose – Brysen Diefert
Boys' Prose – Sam Capps
Girls' Poetry – CJ White – 1st Place
Boys' Poetry – Cole Owen – 1st Place
Girls' Monologue – Naomi Sadler – 1st Place
Boys' Monologue – Kennedy Greene – 2nd Place
Serious Speech – Amanda O'Berry – 1st Place
Humorous Speech – Nelia Washburn – 1st Place
Spelling – Brady Talbert – 3rd Place
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Kindergarten Orientation
On Thursday, May 7, 2015, Greensville Elementary School will have a kindergarten orientation from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. This orientation is open to parents and guardians of all children eligible to attend kindergarten at GES for the 2015-2016 school year.
The purpose of this orientation is to inform parents about what is needed for kindergarten registration. Information will also be provided that will help incoming kindergarteners transition to the school setting and have a more successful kindergarten year. Parents will also learn what today's expectations are for kindergarten.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Kindergarten registration will be held at Greensville Elementary School on Friday, May 15, 2015 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm in the auditorium foyer.
Greensville Elementary School
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BOATING SAFETY COURSE OFFERED
Southside Virginia Community College is offering a boating safety course in Mecklenburg County. Cost is $30 and pre-registration is required.
The course will be offered at Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center in South Hill on April 29 and April 30, from 5 to 9 p.m. (Must attend both days). Also offered at Clarksville Enrichment Complex in Clarksville on May 16, 2015 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. This is a non-credit course limited to 30 students.
For information on registration, contact Angela McClintock at 434-949-1026 or email angela.mcclintock@southside.edu
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Third Graders Take Field Trip
The third grade students at Greensville Elementary School recently traveled to Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. The students were able to participate in a hands on educational workshop where they touched a goose, swan, and duck. In a different area of the park, students were engaged in feeding flamingos and parakeets. Teachers, parents and students enjoyed a picnic lunch as well. Students were able to see birds from around the world throughout the rest of the park. It was an educational and fun experience for everyone.
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