The deployments of laptop computers for high school students in Vance County Public Schools are scheduled to begin this week. Students at the Vance County Early College High School, located on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson, are scheduled to receive their laptops first. Early College freshmen (9th grade) and seniors (13th grade) are scheduled to attend sessions on Wednesday, August 1, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. Those students entering grades 10-12 can attend sessions …
Month: July 2012
VGCC Trustees take oaths, elect new officers
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees held its regular bimonthly meeting on Monday, July 16 at the college’s Henderson campus. North Carolina Ninth Judicial District Court Judge Randolph Baskerville administered oaths of office to three members of the Board who were recently reappointed — Dr. Doris Terry Williams, Donald C. Seifert, Sr. and Sara C. Wester, all of Henderson. Dr. Doris Terry Williams, the Executive Director of the Rural School and Community Trust, was appointed by Gov. Beverly Perdue …
Butterfield Commemorates the 47th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement on the 47th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid: “Today we proudly celebrate the anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid, and the security these two programs have ensured for millions of American families. Forty seven years ago, this nation pursued a bold mission to provide the most vulnerable people in our communities with an affordable path to health insurance that would help extend their lives and promote economic prosperity. Before …
Tuesday Open Lines
The U.S. Patent Office opened for business on this date in 1790, established to protect the work of young America’s inventors. The first patent granted was to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont, for a new method of making fertilizer. The office has been busy ever since. Annually, more than 244,000 patents are granted. The Patent and Trademark Office also is a partner in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Virginia. Among those inducted last year were Bob Silver and …
Western Vance High School Earns Accreditation
Eric Pierce, principal of Western Vance High School, has announced that the school earned continuing accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of AdvanceED. This action was taken at the national AdvanceED Accreditation Commission meeting recently. Western Vance has been accredited since 2004. SACS CASI provides nationally recognized accreditation, the purpose of which is continuous school improvement focused on increasing student performance. To earn accreditation, schools must …
Senator Richard Burr Updates
Haqqani Network Terrorist Bill Passes Congress, Goes to President to Become Law I am pleased to announce that last night, the Senate unanimously passed the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act, a bill I introduced that requires a report from the Secretary of State regarding the designation of the Haqqani Network as a terrorist organization. It also expresses a sense of Congress that the Haqqanis meet the necessary criteria to be designated a terrorist organization. This bill passed the U.S. House …
Vance County Unemployment Rate Increases to 14.2
RALEIGH — Unemployment rates rose in 84 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in June, fell in 11 and were unchanged in five. When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates declined in 91 counties, increased in six, and remained the same in three. “Over-the-year numbers are showing a positive trend compared to the June numbers,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “Since June of last year, rates are down in nearly all of North Carolina’s …
VGCC ranked among top N.C. Community Colleges in annual report card
Vance-Granville Community College passed all of the state’s performance measures with flying colors during the 2010-2011 academic year, according to this year’s Critical Success Factors report, which was recently released by the N.C. Community College System office. VGCC’s scores met or exceeded all of the state standards in the report. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the President of VGCC, summarized the report’s findings at the July 16 meeting of the college’s Board of Trustees. Of the 58 N.C. community colleges, 27 met …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Stop The Tax Hike
This week, the House took another step toward greater transparency and accountability by passing H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 327-98. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this important bill. The House also voted this week on the ‘Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act’ (H.R. 4078), a bill that will help “cut through the red tape holding back job creation” and hurting small businesses. Next week, …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
WEEKLY TIPS FROM THE GARDEN SHOW ON WIZS (Tues 4:30)1. Begin researching trees and shrubs to plant this fall.2. Check your local garden centers for plant and equipment specials. 3. Get rid of any vegetable plants that are no longer producing. 4. Continue planting your fall garden. 5. Avoid pruning until mid-winter at the earliest. 6. Make a note of how you can improve your irrigation system to do a better job NEXT summer. 7. Watch for stinkbugs on tomatoes …
Opposing Groups Plan Events at Chick Fil-A
Two events are targeting Chil Fil-A’s CEO’s admission of his marriage views regarding same sex not being in the Biblical image. The groups are organizing on Facebook, One approving of the views is August 1st, 2012 and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/266281243473841/ One opposing of the views is August 3rd, 2012 and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/444598242237116/ In Support of Chik Fil-a https://www.facebook.com/events/266281243473841/ I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick Fil-A company because the CEO, Dan …
White House Weekly Address: The House of Representatives Must Act on Middle Class Tax Cut Extension
President Obama urges Republicans in the House of Representatives to act on his proposal to protect middle class families and small businesses from being hit with a big tax hike next year. West Wing Week 07/27/12 “A Brighter Day Is Going To Come”: This week, the President addressed the nation on the tragedy in Colorado and made Aurora his first stop on a four day trip out West, then continued to Reno to address the VFW, and to New Orleans …
Monday Open Lines
Today’s Profile America is missing from their distribution, so here’s Saturday’s and Sundays: Many places in the U.S. are well known for their mosquitoes, but only in Clute, Texas, is a whole festival devoted to them. It’s the 32nd annual Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which winds up a three-day run this weekend. The arts and crafts, entertainment and food are expected to have drawn some 17,000 visitors — human, that is — plus an unknown number of winged guests. Watching …
VGCC offers Administrative Assistant training
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for an upcoming “Administrative Assistant Essentials” software training course, starting Aug. 20 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The popular course, which trains people for jobs in today’s computer-driven offices, will meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon, through Nov. 12, in room 7136 of Building 7. Students will receive a total of 180 hours of instruction in the 2010 versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access, …
Butterfield Supports Consumer Product Safety Commission Complaint Against Manufacturer of Buckyballs
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, today issued the following statement on the administrative complaint filed by Consumer Product Safety Commission against Maxfield and Oberton, the manufacturer of Buckyballs: “I support the strong and rare action taken yesterday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission against the manufacturer of Buckyballs to stop sale of this dangerous product. I also want to commend the pediatric gastroenterologists that have been …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The governor continues to gradually sign new bills into law as her Aug. 2 deadline for action approaches. This week she signed three more bills into law and only a few remain for her consideration. She must sign the remaining bills, allow them to become law without her signature or veto them. If she vetoes any bills, the General Assembly could come back to Raleigh to consider whether to override them. New Laws Gov. Perdue has signed into law …
Butterfield to Announce $1 Million in Funding for Disadvantaged Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will be joined by U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White tomorrow to announce $1 million in available funding through an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) pilot project. Funding for the Irrigation and Conservation Efficiency Pilot Project, which is administered by NRCS, is available to farmers through an application process, with priority given to limited resource and socially disadvantaged applicants. “Too many farmers in North Carolina’s First …
New NC Small Town Main Street Communities Selected
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Commerce announced today that five new communities have been chosen to participate in the Office of Urban Development’s 2012 Small Town Main Street program. Cherryville, Elizabethtown, Richlands, Saluda and Spencer were selected through a competitive application process that included ten communities from across the state. Designation of these five new towns brings the total number of the state’s Small Town Main Street communities to 44. “We congratulate these communities for their commitment to their …
White House: Reason Why I’m Hopeful
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, taxes are scheduled to go up for 114 million middle-class families, leaving a typical family of four paying an extra $2,200 in 2013. Preventing this from happening is critical — not just for individual people but for our overall economic recovery — and nearly everyone in Washington agrees we need to do something about it. We saw that yesterday when Republicans and Democrats in the Senate — who almost never see …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
The world’s most prestigious sporting event, the Olympics, opens today in London for the 30th time in the modern era. Held every four years, this year’s Olympics will see athletes from an estimated 205 nations take part. Among the 26 official sports, some 300 events will be featured. Tonight’s opening ceremony is expected to be viewed by 4 billion people around the world. One of the most popular televised events is gymnastics. In the 2008 Olympics, the U.S. won 2 …