2018-12-12

Community Lenten Services

Luncheon will be served after each Wednesday Noon Service for a small donation.

March 20 - 12 Noon Monumental United Methodist Church Rev. Rick Franklin

March 27 - 12 Noon First Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Rick Hurst

April 3 12 - Noon Calvary Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Doretha Allen

April 10 - 12 Noon St. Richard’s Catholic Church Rev. Tom Durrance

April 18 - 7 pm Elnora Jarrell Worship Center Rev. Harry Zeiders

April 19 - 11 am Calvary Baptist Church (Radio Baptist) Various Pastors and Leaders Hour of Prayer

The offering: we have given two $500 scholarships to seniors in the past. We will contact these two students and if they are still at their schools with passing grades, we will give them another $500 each and any money above $1000.00 we be given to Thomas Family Boots On the Ground Outreach.

Clerk of the Circuit Court to Retire after 51 Years of Service

"After 51 years of serving Greensville County as its Circuit Court Clerk, I will retire effective March 1, 2019. I wish to thank the citizens who have supported me throughout the years, and the loyal employees who have served alongside me in the Clerk’s Office. When I first took office in 1968, we were still making entries with pen and ink, and we have now advanced to a mostly digital office. Though there have been many changes through the years, this office has kept up with the advances in technology, and continued to serve the public in the same courteous and efficient manner they have come to expect," wrote Bobby Wrenn in an email.

As provided by law, JoAnne Conner, Chief Deputy Clerk, will assume the position of Clerk effective March 1. She is qualified in every way to serve as Clerk, and has recently earned a certification from the National Center for State Courts as a Certified Court Manager. Previously she earned certification as Master Deputy Circuit Court Clerk.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Clerk, and I sincerely thank all of those who have made it possible for me to do so for over five decades."

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Beach Mold & Tool, Inc., Growing Skilled Workers through Apprenticeship

Celebrating a successful Apprenticeship Program at Beach Mold and Tool, Inc. are (l to r)Maynard Stowe, Department of Labor- Office of Apprenticeship, Joey Sims, Beach Mold and Tool HR Manager, Bryan Floyd, Apprentice, Edward (POP) Clements, Apprentice, Clarence Logan, Apprentice, David Batliner, Beach Mold and Tool VP of Operations, Mike Brockway, Beach Mold and Tool Operations Manager, Kelly Arnold, Apprenticeship Coordinator at Southside Virginia Community College.

In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, training skilled workers can be a challenge. For Beach Mold and Tool, Inc., located in Emporia, VA, this challenge was especially true. The company, which is currently expanding, was struggling to find qualified industrial maintenance technicians. With the current manufacturing boom, addressing this issue and formulating a solution was paramount.

For years, trade jobs were not promoted as viable career choices. While this is one factor, another contributor to the deficiency is an aging workforce entering retirement.

Joey Sims, Human Resource Manager, weighed his options and chose to look internally at a training strategy for the skilled worker shortage. To be successful, Joey collaborated with Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) to implement an industrial maintenance apprenticeship program. The company selected employees who were willing to attend classes one night per week at the Emporia training facility located at the Southside Virginia Education Center (SVEC). Through hands-on lab work and instruction, the employees are mastering electrical and mechanical concepts. The hard work recently paid off for three employees as they proudly received their machine operator apprenticeship certificate.

David Batliner, Vice President of Operations, for Beach Mold and Tool, congratulated each recipient and spoke proudly of the level of commitment the group had displayed. Speaking from experience, he noted that working full time and attending school is demanding but the rewards are life changing.

Evidence of the employees’ level of commitment occurred right after Maynard Stowe, Department of Labor, presented the certificates at the apprenticeship awards ceremony. Each employee signed up to embark on the next level of training as an Industrial Maintenance Technician.

This is confirmation that the apprenticeship model is the perfect training program to fix the shortage of skilled workers, stated, Kelly Arnold, apprenticeship coordinator for SVCC. When you combine on-the-job training with a few educational classes, the results are always positive and life changing.

Being able to train locally began when Dr. Chad Patton, Dean, for SVCC, started offering electrical classes at the SVEC in Emporia. Recently, SVCC collaborated with CCAM for a GO Virginia grant to outfit a mechatronics’ lab for workforce training. This lab has simulators that replicate a real-world scenario in an industrial facility. Classes are available every semester to fill the skills trade shortage.

Apprenticeship is the solution. Therefore, while others are sounding the alarm of a skilled labor shortage, Beach Mold and Tool is actively taking steps necessary to fill the gap, said Arnold.

If you are interested in finding out more about the programs, contact SVCC’s office in Emporia or visit our website, Southside.edu.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING COMBATS OPIOID CRISIS WITH INNOVATIVE NEW PROGRAM FOR TEENS

~ Herring has partnered with the Preventum Initiative to implement FEND, an opioid education and prevention campaign for teenagers; FEND will be an addition to the AG’s existing approach to the opioid epidemic ~

RICHMOND (December 10, 2018) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced a partnership between his office and the Preventum Initiative to implement FEND (Full Energy, No Drugs), an opioid education and prevention campaign for Virginia teenagers. FEND will engage youth by rewarding them for learning and taking action against opioids and other drugs. The program will be implemented in conjunction with the Attorney General’s existing multifaceted approach to the opioid crisis.

“The opioid epidemic has taken a devastating toll on communities across Virginia,”said Attorney General Herring. “Partnerships like this one with Preventum Initiative and programs like FEND are critical tools we can use to teach young people about the dangers of addiction, opioids, and prescription drugs so they are better equipped to handle situations. I will continue to make combating the heroin and opioid epidemic a top priority and I look forward to working with Preventum Initiative to help make our communities safer.”

Preventum Initiative developed the FEND Movement to educate young adults about the dangers of heroin and opioid use. FEND will roll out in three stages over a two-year period beginning in 2019. The first stage will engage youth across the state, the second will roll out into high schools with a school-based competition model, and the third will empower youth to take the messages of FEND into their local communities. Additionally, the FEND app, which will be freely available in the Apple and Google Play stores, will reward youth for engaging with the app with streetwear, concert tickets, athletic events and other experiences.

“FEND gives young people the facts about opioids, prescription drugs, and addiction so they can make informed choices about their health,” said Jacquii Burgess, Executive Director of the Preventum Initiative. “Understanding what an opioid is, why they’re so addictive, and how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose can potentially save a life. We are thrilled to partner with Attorney General Herring to educate Virginia’s young people about opioids and other drugs.”

Attorney General Herring has made combating the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic a top priority, attacking the problem with a multifaceted approach that includes enforcement, education, prevention, and legislation to encourage reporting of overdoses in progress, expand the availability of naloxone, and expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program. He has supported federal efforts to improve the availability of treatment and recovery resources and made prescription drug disposal kits available across the Commonwealth. Attorney General Herring recently outlined his recommended next steps for combating the crisis, focusing on law enforcement initiatives, support from the medical community, and recovery, treatment, prevention and education. He is also participating in a multistate investigation into the practices of drug manufacturers and distributors to determine what role they may have played in creating or prolonging the crisis. Most recently, Attorney General Herring announced he was suing Purdue Pharma for their role in helping to create and prolong the opioid epidemic in Virginia.