On these scorching hot summer days, with the nation’s average warmest day of the year coming up shortly, most of us welcome ducking in from the heat into a cool office, business, or home. For this relief, we can thank Willis Carrier, who in the depths of winter in 1906 received a patent for what he called an “apparatus for treating air.” His idea has fundamentally changed the way most Americans live, and the Carrier name is still prominent among …
Month: July 2014
Greg’s Garden for July 21st, 2014 By Mari Miller
Tomato Harvest Starts Our tomato harvest has started. Greg brought in the first of our Roma variety of tomatoes yesterday. It will take about 2-3 weeks to be at peak production enough to start my canning, but it will be so nice to now go to the garden for my fresh tomatoes. My multi-color varieties that will make salsa and salads especially nice, are just now a hint of yellow. I look forward to having them on top of taco …
Legislative Update from Senator Burr
Last Monday, the VA Office of the Inspector General (IG) released a report on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) two-year-old claim initiative. This initiative was purportedly started by the Department to process long-pending claims more quickly. I requested this latest report, along with several other Senators. The IG report confirmed that VA’s ‘fix’ to its backlog process was just smoke and mirrors– another example of VA manipulating the data to make it appear as if veterans are being well …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Committed to Jobs
While the president continues to parade around the country boasting about his work, the House continues to pass bills that will create jobs and get our economy back on track. Yet there is still much more to accomplish, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that last month was the worst June on record for full-time employment growth. Rest assured, however, that the House of Representatives has been hard at work to put Americans back to work. Just this week …
White House Weekly Address: Equipping Workers with Skills Employers Need Now and for the Future
In this week’s address, the President discussed the importance of ensuring that the economic progress we’ve made is shared by all hardworking Americans. Through his opportunity agenda, the President is focused on creating more jobs, educating more kids, and working to make sure hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits. This week, the President will visit a community college in Los Angeles to highlight the need to equip our workers with the skills employers are looking for …
Monday Open Line
A substantial and recurring feature of national media reporting — on TV, in newspapers and on the Web — is devoted to nutrition and health. There, doctors and public health officials express concerns about obesity, diabetes, and the quality of the diet of many Americans. However, junk food shows no sign of waning in popularity. And every devil has its advocate, as today is National Junk Food Day, celebrating the naughty temptations on offer, including at the more than 216,000 …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday July 21st, 2014
Vance County Board of Commissioners called meeting scheduled for Monday, July 21 at 1:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room. Also, the Planning Committee is scheduled to meet Monday morning at 11:45 a.m. to discuss a Neighborhood Stabilization Program matter. This will be in the County Manager’s administrative conference room. This memorandum will serve as notice that Chairperson Deborah F. Brown has called a special meeting for Monday, July 21 at 1:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County …
VGCC launches Mechatronics program in August at South Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is introducing a new curriculum program that will provide training needed for highly-skilled jobs in advanced manufacturing. The new program of study is called “Mechatronics Engineering Technology” and, as the name implies, it combines mechanical engineering and electronics. Courses toward this new Associate in Applied Science Degree are set to start in August at VGCC’s South Campus, located between Butner and Creedmoor. VGCC is one of only nine colleges in the state approved to offer this program, …
Changes to High School Equivalency program include reduced testing fees
Vance-Granville Community College is spreading the word about changes in the program that allows area adults to take a set of tests to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma. Recently, the name “High School Equivalency” (HSE) replaced the program’s former name: General Educational Development, or GED ® — a registered trademark of the national testing company, Pearson VUE. To complete the current version of the HSE program, a student must pass four tests, in the subject areas of …
Natural Horsemanship program starting at VGCC Warren Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is introducing a new Horsemanship program, which will be based at the college’s Warren County Campus, and will provide the education and training for an individual to seek employment associated with the horse industry. The Comprehensive Natural Horsemanship Program will consist of four courses offered by VGCC’s Occupational Extension department, with the first course starting Aug. 14 and continuing through Nov. 22. That course, “Horsemanship I: Understanding, Communicating & Bonding with a Horse,” will be a prerequisite …
News and Notes about Vance County Regional Farmer’s Market by Mari Miller
Vance County Regional Farmers MarketMarket hours are 7:30 am to 1:00 pm, Wednesday and Saturdays. What’s at the market – Saturday July 19th Blackberries Cucumbers Muscadine Juice & Salsa Okra… Onions Peas Peppers Squash Tomatoes (Lots) Zucchini Also at the market will be vendors selling crafts and flowers. Master Gardeners Seminar set fr July 19th at the Farmers Market July 19th “Garden Photography for Beginners” @ 10:00am in the Farmers Market Classroom will be taught by Paul McKenzie NC …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
On this date in 1955 in West Milton, New York, a species of turning swords into plowshares was realized. That was when the Atomic Energy Commission sold electric power from a General Electric nuclear reactor to the Niagara-Mohawk Power Corporation for civilian distribution. Some 10,000 kilowatts were supplied from the reactor, which was a prototype for the one used in the submarine USS Seawolf. Last year, 789 billion kilowatt hours were generated at nuclear plants — about 19.5 percent of …
Vance County Schools – Summer Technology Work
Personnel in the Technology Department of Vance County Schools are busy this summer preparing over 2,800 laptop computers for high school students and teachers to use during the 2014-2015 school year which begins on August 25. Once the Technology personnel have completed work reloading operating systems on all of the laptop computers, they will turn their attention to installing over 1,000 new desk top computers in classrooms in the 10 local elementary schools and two middle schools. Six technicians with …
VGCC Scholarship honors longtime educator Sue Grissom
Students who want to continue their education at Vance-Granville Community College now have another means of support, in the form of a scholarship that honors one of the college’s retired educators. The new scholarship fund has been established by Lelia Brigham of Henderson in honor of Sue Wooten Grissom of Creedmoor, who retired in 2012 as Director of Basic Skills for VGCC. In awarding the Sue Wooten Grissom Academic Achievement Scholarship, preference will be given to students who first came …
Granville / Vance County Lines Discussed July 22, 2014
A meeting has been scheduled with Granville County officials to discuss county line matters. There may be three Vance County commissioners present at the meeting; to comply with open meeting laws, this notice is publically given. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 22 at 3:00 p.m. at the Perry Library Board Room. The public is invited to attend.
2014 N.C. State Fair Premium Book is online
RALEIGH – Every year, thousands of North Carolinians show off their talents by competing at the N.C. State Fair. State Fair competitions began with the intention of encouraging advances in agriculture, but gradually, more categories were added, leading to the variety of competitions available today. With contests ranging from baked goods and horticulture, to poultry and graphic design, there is sure to be something for everyone, including children. More than $600,000 will be awarded this year in prize money, along …
Thursday Open Line
Harvard University, founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Thus, it was already a bit long in the tooth when on this date in 1867 when it opened the first dental school associated with a medical school. It was also the first to be permanently established by a university, making the full scholarly and scientific resources of a university available to dental education. The first class commenced on November 4 …
Weekend Alcohol and Drug Patrol Nets 77 Charges
On Friday and Saturday, July 11th and 12th, members of the Henderson Police Department and the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency participated in a join operation in the Henderson area. The purpose of this operation was to focus on nuisance type open air alcohol and drug violations. Officers in unmarked vehicles patrolled the city streets and parking lots looking for violations. During the campaign, there were a total of 77 charges brought against various individuals for drug, alcohol, and traffic …
McCLAIN including China Anne McClain to round out 2014 N.C. State Fair concert lineup
RALEIGH – Pop trio McCLAIN including China Anne McClain, with special guest Before You Exit, has been added to the 2014 N.C. State Fair concert series for a show Thursday, Oct. 23. Coming from a family of singers, songwriters and musicians, the sisters grew up in a house filled with music. They formed their singing trio at the ages of 9, 7 and 5. In addition to singing, China Anne McClain also is an actress known for her role as …
NCDA&CS to host food tasting event for NC Food Entrepreneurs Registration deadline is Sept. 9
RALEIGH – The Taste of Something Good event, aimed at helping individuals or businesses that have been selling a food product for at least 12 months, will take place in Charlotte and Burlington in October. The cost of the event is $20, which covers lunch and handout materials. Space is limited to the first 16 people registered, and all food products must be branded and processed under all applicable regulations. The events are sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture …