Thinking of heading out with the kids to celebrate the New Year? First Night Raleigh, the annual celebration of art and the New Year in downtown Raleigh, offers entertainment for families with kids of all ages on Dec. 31. Spread across several downtown streets, the celebration is free for those who simply want to enjoy the outdoor music, entertainers and fireworks, but a First Night Raleigh admission button or wrist band is needed for some performances and activities. The event …
Month: December 2013
Tuesday Open Line
On this New Year’s Eve, some 317 million Americans of all ages are ready to greet the year 2014. A hundred years ago, the U.S. population was just over 97 million. Fifty years ago, it was just over 186 million. The 2010 Census counted just under 309 million people. To show how the nation is growing, by this time tomorrow there will be 10,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year, the first of whom will be reported …
White House Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Wish Everyone a Happy Holiday Season
In this week’s address, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Monday Open Line
As a year draws to a close, it is common to reflect on the passage of time. How history will judge 2013 is not yet known, but this year’s anniversaries are woven into the fabric of today. Two-hundred years ago, a newspaper in Troy, New York coined the term “Uncle Sam” in reference to the United States. One-hundred years ago, Henry Ford unveiled the first moving assembly line. Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court issued the Miranda decision, mandating legal …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
The first successful organ transplant in the U.S. was performed this month in 1954 in Boston by Harvard’s Dr. Joseph Murray, who passed away just last year. He transplanted a kidney from one identical twin to another, who lived just over eight years longer. For his pioneering work on organ transplants, Dr. Murray received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1990. Now, there are nearly 17,000 kidney transplants each year in the U.S., the most common and successful of the …
White House: Politics
It’s not exactly a secret that Washington hasn’t worked as well as it should. Between the constant gridlock and partisanship, most people just tune this town out. That was especially true this year when the government literally shut down. Yet, even in spite of all that, thanks to the grit of the American people, this country continues to move forward. After the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, folks are getting back to work and the economy is getting …
The (Gingerbread) White House
As part of White House holiday tradition, the State Dining Room is home to the famous gingerbread house. Over the course of several weeks, Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and his talented team created a 300-pound, edible White House replica. This year’s creation features a mini Bo and Sunny sitting on the front steps of the house lit from within, and a functioning replica of the North Lawn fountain.
Richard Brand: Trickle Down?
The economic theory that if you give corporations more money, they will hire more people, invest in research, and open more stores continues to be a myth. The Trickle down politics of the Republican Party since Reagan forward has not happened, is not happening, and will not happen. The News and Observer from Raleigh on Sunday, December 22 has on page 1 of section E further evidence that trickle down does not happen. The article is entitled “Firms buy stock …
NC Cooperative Extension Farm Safety Field Day – Jan 14, Oxford
On January 14th, the Granville, Vance and Warren offices of Cooperative Extension are partnering with Farm Bureau to hold a farm safety event at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center (4185 US Hwy 15 S). We will have presentations by experts on safe use of chainsaws, tractors, lawn/garden equipment and much more! Please invest a few hours during this down time to come and learn and reflect on the safety practices at your operation. We can ALL make improvements. …
Senator Richar Burr Newsletter
This week the Senate considered several important issues before adjourning for the holidays. The issue foremost in the news was the Ryan-Murray Budget. As I announced earlier in the week, I voted against cloture and voted against the budget. While I commend Chairman Ryan in his efforts to prevent another shutdown, I could not in good faith support the budget bill. Included in the bill were retroactive cuts to military retiree’s cost-of-living adjustments. While I do agree there should be …
Senator Kay Hagan: Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season
I want to wish everyone in North Carolina a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year. For me, there is no better gift than the opportunity to be surrounded by my loved ones during these winter holidays. And this year is particularly special in the Hagan household, as it is our first holiday with a new addition – our first grandchild. This season, I hope that each of you finds joy – whether it is gathering close to your …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Happy Holidays to you and your family
I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you and your family are enjoying the holidays. As we continue throughout the holiday season, it is important that we give thanks and appreciation for our many blessings, as there are still so many Americans facing hardships each day. Many are beginning to feel the stress of losing their health insurance, while others are experiencing exponential increases in monthly premiums that are simply unaffordable. Americans are also under pressure to ensure …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Concerned about the Target security breach?
By now you may have heard the news that national retailer Target experienced a massive data breach that could affect approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts. A data or security breach happens when records containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers or credit card or bank account numbers, are lost, stolen or accessed improperly. Just because your information was part of a security breach doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become a victim of fraud or identity theft, but …
White House Weekly Address: Working Together on Behalf of the American People
In his weekly address, President Obama highlights the bipartisan budget agreement that unwinds some of the cuts that were damaging to the economy and keeps investments in areas that help us grow, and urges both parties to work together to extend emergency unemployment insurance and act on new measures to create jobs and strengthen the middle class. This week, the White House honored those lost at Sandy Hook on the one year anniversary. The President met with newly elected mayors …
Monday Open Line
An institution that has been in the news a lot these past few years, and which has come in for its share of criticism during the nation’s stubborn economic problems, observes the centennial of its founding today. The Federal Reserve System, known simply as “the Fed,” came into being on this date in 1913, with the job of keeping the nation’s complex financial system in tune. Acting as the nation’s central bank, “the Fed” influences the lending and investing activities …
City of Henderson announces Marcus W. Barrow as new Police Chief
Letter from City Manager Ray Griffin, Jr.: It gives me great pleasure to advise you of my appointment of Marcus W. Barrow as the new Police Chief for the City of Henderson, effective Thursday, 19 December 2013. Marcus, a native of Zebulon, NC, has served with the Henderson Police Department since 17 December 1998 and has steadily progressed through the ranks from Police Officer, Detective, Sergeant in Operations Division, Lieutenant in both Operations and Services divisions, Captain of both Services …
Poinsettia production is big business for North Carolina
RALEIGH – The bright red or frosty white leaves of a poinsettia are common decorations this time of year, and the six-week period leading up to Christmas is the busiest season for poinsettia growers. Last year in North Carolina, 4.4 million poinsettias were sold, generating $17.6 million in sales. “North Carolina not only ranks second in the country in Christmas tree sales, we also rank second in poinsettia sales,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Many people in our state and …
VGCC graduates 11 Law Enforcement Cadets in School’s 97th BLET Class
Eleven cadets graduated on Dec. 17 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Graduates of VGCC’s 97th BLET class included Andrew James Boos and James Thomas Rusher, both of N.C. Parks & Recreation; Keishawn Lamar Mayes of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office; Tevin Demetri Dixon, …
VGCC to host Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Celebration on Jan. 15
Vance-Granville Community College will hold a special program celebrating the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 at 11 a.m. in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. For the fifth year in a row, the program will feature contributions from several VGCC students as part of a competition. Students were invited to either write speeches, poems or short plays, create murals, collages or paintings, or produce short videos in response to this …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Throughout history, bachelors have had to put up with a lot of pressure from friends, family and society in general. They tend to be stereotyped, and many television sitcoms deal with their supposedly hapless lives. But no insult can rival that enacted in Missouri on this date 1820, when the legislature voted to tax bachelors between the ages of 21 and 50 $1 a year — just for being unmarried. Obviously, the tax did not stand the test of time …