All four campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will take a break for the holidays, beginning Dec. 20, and then open for business again on Thursday, January 2, 2014. Late registration for spring semester classes will be held Monday, Jan. 6 through Wednesday, Jan. 8. The final New Student Orientation Session for spring semester is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at VGCC’s Main Campus. Spring semester classes will begin on Monday, Jan. 13. For more information, call VGCC …
Month: December 2013
Aluminum Boat Manufacturer to Create 200 Jobs in Onslow County
Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced on Dec. 17 that Armstrong Marine Inc. is building a welded aluminum boat manufacturing operation in Onslow County. The company plans to create 200 jobs and invest more than $8.4 million at the new facility near Swansboro. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Donna Phillips was the developer on this project. Armstrong Marine is a leading manufacturer of purpose-built welded aluminum boats, fire boats, dive boats, pilot boats, research vessels, interceptors …
NC Economic Development Board Wraps Up Strategic Plan Recommendations
The N.C. Economic Development Board convened on Dec. 11 to wrap up its six months of work on developing a 10-year Strategic Plan for economic development in the state. In addition to the research and planning of the board committees, N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker presented information gathered in a statewide survey during her listening tour across the state. Survey results were included in the draft strategic plan that Ted Abernathy, an economic development strategic planning consultant, presented. Detailed recommended …
USA InvestCo to Develop Cold Storage Project at Port of Wilmington
Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker recently announced that USA InvestCo plans to create 100 jobs and invest more than $15 million in a new cold storage facility at the Port of Wilmington. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Ken Allen was the developer on this project. The company is developing the Port of Wilmington Cold Storage facility, a 75,000-square-foot facility that will store locally produced pork, poultry, fruits and vegetables. PWCS could eventually be expanded to 300,000 …
Chapel Hill/Orange County VB utilizes book’s popularity to attract, assist visitors
The Chapel Hill/Orange County VB has adapted the popular local book Goodnight Carolina into a printed Family Fun Map and tour guide brochure as well as an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android. These new resources offer visitors a new way to explore UNC-Chapel Hill and the surrounding communities, in time for the holiday influx of visiting friends and family and beyond. Like the book, the Goodnight Carolina brochure/map and app spotlight the uniqueness of Chapel Hill and the …
Films, TV productions in N.C. generated $254M in 2013, created 25K job opportunities
Popular television productions fueled one of the strongest years experienced by the film industry in North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory announced Tuesday (yesterday). More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2013. Those productions amassed a record-high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties. “In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina …
Jones retires after 25-Year VGCC career
Vanessa R. Jones of Norlina is retiring, effective January 1, 2014, after more than 25 years of service at Vance-Granville Community College. Members of Jones’s family joined her VGCC colleagues at a reception held in her honor on Dec. 5, 2013 at the college’s Main Campus. Jones worked in the Vance County school system for five years before joining the VGCC staff in 1988 as assistant coordinator and advisor at the college’s Warren County Campus. In 1996, she became a …
Television Series Fuel Strong Year for Film Industry in North Carolina
Popular television productions fueled one of the strongest years experienced by the film industry in North Carolina. More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2013. Those productions amassed a record-high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties. “In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina an ideal place to produce quality …
N.C. among top 5 states in latest NCAA championships announcement
North Carolina was among the nation’s leaders in attracting NCAA championship sporting events in the latest round of site selections, announced last week. North Carolina was among the top 5 states, receiving 29 site selections. For Division I, the 2015 Women’s Swim & Dive National Championship will be at the Greensboro Aquatic Center; Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem will have the 2018 Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships. Regional championships include the 2015 Women’s Basketball at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, …
Veteran-owned Solar Energy Company to Create 50 Jobs in McDowell County
Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced on Dec. 17 that The Solar Connection will locate its manufacturing facility in McDowell County. The company plans to create 50 jobs and invest more than $500,000 over the next three years in Marion. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Cindy Messer was the developer on this project. “North Carolina will continue to embrace an ‘all of the above’ approach to energy development,” said McCrory. “We applaud The Solar Connection, a …
Expect more holiday travelers, AAA says
More Americans will take a year-end holiday trip this year than last year — despite falling consumer confidence, but perhaps buoyed by lower gas prices — the auto association AAA said Tuesday (yesterday). AAA projects 94.5 million Americans will take a trip of at least 50 miles sometime during the holiday period — a 0.6 percent increase from the estimated 94 million last year. The motor club federation defines the holiday period as December 21 to January 1. The group …
2014 N.C. Travel Guide now available in print, online
The Official 2014 North Carolina Travel Guide is now available. A photo-centric design and state-of-the-art digital options bring natural, manmade and historic attractions to life in a handbook that’s unique among state travel guidebooks. Two covers are available for the guide, which takes in more than 880 attractions, nearly 4,000 accommodations and travel resources in every county. One cover photo commemorates the back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships on Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst and one features two …
FREE Seminar: Ten Steps to Starting a Small Business
Is your New Year’s Resolution to open a small business? If so, Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center is here to help you. We offer free confidential counseling and seminars like the one listed below (flyer also attached): TEN STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS WHEN: TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2014 FROM 6-9 PM LOCATION: MAIN CAMPUS, BUILDING 7, ROOM 7136 INSTRUCTOR: JESS MCLAMB COST: FREE This seminar covers what you should know before you commit yourself and financial resources to starting …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Dec. 19 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, top off the holiday season with a performance of “The Nutcracker” by the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh. See what’s new at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson. Explore the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science in Fayetteville. Enjoy the great outdoors at Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area in Hiddenite. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Midwood Smokehouse in Charlotte. (Please note: listings are subject to …
White House: Hanging Out for the Holidays
This year, the White House holiday theme is ‘Gather Around’ in celebration of the stories and traditions that bring people together at this time of year. Over the course of the season, the President and First Lady will welcome 70,000 visitors to tour the “People’s House” and take in the holiday decorations. For the first time, we’re hosting a Holiday Google+ Hangout to open the doors of the White House to even more people can “gather around” virtually from around the …
Thursday Open Line
One of the most familiar and cherished Christmas stories has been around a long time — 170 years in fact. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was published this week in 1843. Some sources say the publication was on this date. The first print run of 6,000 copies sold out in a week and the book has never been out of print. The tale about the reformation of Ebenezer Scrooge and his “Bah, humbug!” dismissal of the Christmas season became a …
VGCC History Club celebrates successful Food Drive
Vance-Granville Community College’s History Club recently conducted a food drive as its major service project of the fall semester. Students collected non-perishable food items, as well as paper products and hygiene products, which were donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. The donations weighed in at 372 pounds, which translates to 313 meals according to the food bank’s formula. Club members expressed their appreciation for the support they received from students, faculty and staff on all …
VGCC Criminal Justice Students conduct food drive
Students in the Criminal Justice Club at Vance-Granville Community College responded to growing concerns about the effects of hunger on local communities by conducting the club’s annual food drive in December. Members collected over 200 pounds of food, filling six large boxes. These donations were distributed to needy families in Granville, Warren and Vance counties. Pictured here, from left: two VGCC Criminal Justice students, Taylor Lawrence of Kittrell and Brittney Randolph of Oxford pack boxes to be delivered. For more …
Vance-Granville Community Band kicks off holiday season with free concert
The Vance-Granville Community Band presented its sixth annual free Holiday Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 10 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The program was entitled “Christmas Around the World,” and it featured a variety of music representing holiday traditions from several different countries, along with American favorites. VGCC music instructor Ivory Brock (pictured above, right) is the band’s primary conductor. Associate conductor Brian Miller, the band director at Louisburg High School, also directed the …
Beyond the Trail of Tears: A view from the Cherokee homeland
Beyond the Trail of Tears: A View from the Cherokee Homeland, is a Summer Institute for K-12 school teachers and eligible graduate students. The Institute is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and hosted by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement in Teaching (NCCAT). This three-week Institute will be located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and surrounding locations from Sunday, June 29 to Saturday, July 19, 2014. In this Institute, participants will examine the removal, its causes, …