Beginning January 1 2016, all North Carolina public school bus drivers will be required to use hand signals to help students safely cross the road to board the bus. The North Carolina State Board of Education approved this revision to its bus safety policy at its July meeting. In the 2014-15 academic year alone, five North Carolina students were injured by motorists passing stopped school buses. Since 1999, 13 students have been killed while boarding or exiting a school bus. …
Month: December 2015
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday January 4th, 2016
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday January 4th, 2016 Download the full agenda packet here: 20160104_vcboc_agenda_packet Invocation Chairman Gordon Wilder1. Public Comments (for those registered to speak by 5:45 p.m. – each speaker is limited to five minutes)2. Appointment 6:00 p.m. Tracy MadiganFarmers Market Update3. Appointment 6:15 p.m. Porcha Brooks, Tax AdministratorUntimely Exemption Application4. Appointment 6:30 p.m. Dean Horne, Carr Riggs & IngramFY 2014-15 Audit Report5. Appointment 6:45 p.m. Jordan McMillen and Joe ArmisteadAward of Bid and Adoption ofProject …
Thursday Open Line
On this New Year’s Eve, some 322 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds are ready to greet the year 2015. A hundred years ago, the U.S. population was just over 100 million. Fifty years ago, it was around 194 million. The 2010 Census counted just under 309 million people. To show how the nation is growing, New Year’s Day will be the birthday of about 10,800 newborns, the first of whom will be reported in the media. These new …
White House: An Update on Progress Toward Implementation Day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
Five months after we, the European Union, and our P5+1 partners finalized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, I remain so proud of our team in achieving what was truly one of our most important accomplishments of 2015 – ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful going forward. As we get closer to Implementation Day, the next major milestone in the JCPOA, I am pleased to report that we have seen important indications of significant progress towards …
N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative announces grant recipients
The N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative recently awarded $1 million in grants for 12 research projects to boost bioenergy opportunities and production in the state. “Exciting and promising work is happening in North Carolina in terms of bioenergy research, study and development, and I am pleased this grant funding is helping advance bioenergy opportunities and potential for farmers, agribusinesses, forestry industries and entrepreneurs,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. Below is a list of grant recipients and projects: $61,123 to N.C. State …
Wednesday Open Line
As a year draws to a close, it is common to reflect on the passage of time. Two hundred years ago, the Senate ratified the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. A week later, Congress declared war on Algiers. One hundred years ago, America’s first Jewish governor took office in Idaho, and AT&T became the first traded company with over a million shareholders. Fifty years ago, President Johnson proclaimed the “Great Society” and later signed the bill creating …
Tuesday Open Line
During the course of recorded history going back to ancient Egypt, men have felt cultural pressures to shave their facial hair. For centuries, their only recourse was the straight razor, which provided a close shave but had to be handled carefully to avoid cuts. Early this month in 1901, an American named King Camp Gillette applied for a patent for a safety razor with disposable blades. He began production in 1903, and received his patent in 1904. The electric razor …
Monday Open Line
The month of December has given Americans a lot to chew on, beyond holiday cookies, fruitcakes and candies. In December 1869, chewing gum was patented by Ohio dentist William Semple, who hoped that the flavored gum would help people keep their teeth clean. And the first bubble gum, created by Walter Deemer of the Fleer chewing gum company, was sold in a single Philadelphia location the day after Christmas in 1928. Both gum varieties have spread globally, which unfortunately includes …
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the President and First Lady
The President and First Lady wish Americans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays in a special weekly address. They celebrate the values of the season, and in that spirit of gratitude honor all the brave men and women in uniform fighting to keep us safe, as well as the families that stand by them. The President and First Lady ask that everyone take time this holiday season to visit JoiningForces.gov, and find out how to give back to the troops, …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, December 25th. Today is Christmas Day — a joyous religious observance for many, but for almost everyone, one of the happiest days of the year. Outside or indoors, whether in balmy or snowbound climates, children are busy trying out their shiny new treasures, ranging from traditional bikes to the latest high tech toys. Inside, others are busy with video games and other electronic marvels. Many will have attended church services to honor the day. And in many of the …
Thursday Open Line
This is Christmas Eve, a time of gathering families close together and to wind down from the hectic weeks of shopping and mailing. But it also is a night of wrapping presents, especially. Some parents will discover to their dismay that some treasure has been overlooked, and head out into the cold, hoping to find an open store with the right solutions. Santa’s elves get plenty of help from U.S. toy makers. There are 545 enterprises across the country producing …
Top Five Job Creation Announcements for 2015
Local and state leaders work side by side to recruit companies to North Carolina and assist those already here to grow and expand. In today’s competitive environment, NC Commerce has several economic development programs, including our Job Development Investment Grant reimbursement program. 2015 represented a vigorous year once we hit July 1st when the NC Competes legislation cleared the way for more projects and offered businesses more certainty through 2020. Here is a snapshot of the top five job announcements …
Wednesday 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 anniversary 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 …
Light The Night 2015
On December 6th, 2015 the City of Henderson hosted its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The public is invited to gather outside First United Methodist Church on Garnett Street in front of Veterans Park. The mayor counts down and everyone yells Light That Tree! The tree is lit, and everyone is invited inside the church for a ceremony of song and prayer. Mayor Pete O’Geary presides the ceremony while numerous guests perform. This year there were performances by the Men’s Quartet, Henderson …
VGCC graduates 13 cadets in school’s 101st BLET Class
Thirteen cadets graduated on Dec. 15, 2015, 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 101st BLET class included Thomas Henry Turner III and Jason Tyler Wright, both of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Elliott DeVar Carver of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; …
NCDA&CS offers risk-management classes for farmers
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will offer a series of risk-management workshops across the state in January through March. The workshops will focus on managing price volatility and identifying macro indicators in marketing agricultural commodities. The following topics will be covered: Introduction to grain hedging, basis trading, cost of carry, cotton futures, option trading on futures and equities, and macro forces. The principles of options, spreading strategies, using options to manage financial risk, and energy derivatives and …
Local artists on display at VGCC Personal Enrichment Open House
The Continuing Education division at Vance-Granville Community College held an Open House to showcase the work of students in Personal Enrichment classes on Nov. 30, on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The open house offered visitors a chance to see the artistry of talented students and instructors from VGCC’s painting, ceramics, dollmaking and quilting classes. VGCC currently offers these types of classes at both the Main Campus and the Franklin County Campus near Louisburg. “The community members who …
Downtown Henderson Merchants Win Holiday Decorating Contest
The Henderson Vance Downtown Development Commission in partnership with the Vance County Arts Council held its annual downtown business holiday decorating contest again this year. The winners of the contest were: 1st place: The Screen Master 2nd place: Betty B’s 3rd place: Dataforge 4th place: Emrose Gallery 5th place: The Rosemyr Corporation Each business was given a prize, donated by other local merchants. Prizes were donated by WalMart, Cracker Barrell, and Golden Corral.
Tuesday Open Line
One of the most important inventions of modern times dates to this week in 1947. Three Bell Laboratory scientists successfully tested what would become the junction transistor, vital to our information age. The three shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1956. The transistor replaced bulky, fragile vacuum tubes, which generated a lot of heat as they amplified a signal. As a Bell colleague who coined the term “transistor” said, “nature abhors the vacuum tube.” The first application that caught …
Chamber Ribbon Cutting – Propel GPS, LLC
Propel GPS, LLC held a ribbon cutting on December 8th to celebrate the expansion of their offices at 946X Crossroads Shopping Center on Highway 39. A Chamber member for over 2 years, the company opened in Henderson over 3 years ago. Company owner and CEO Rick Burtner welcomed attendees to the event which was part of a Christmas Open House featuring catered refreshments and introductions of team members from various parts of the US. The company offers a one-stop …