To the Vance County Commissioners The first appointment of seven at Monday’s Board of Commissions meeting is the proposed zoning ordinance. To some in the community zoning is the great panacea of prosperity, well educated children, and manicured yards. To some in the community zoning is government incursion onto individual property rights and the ruination of a free civil society. We are poised on a historical moment in time not seen since one political group gerrymandered the formation of our …
Month: September 2011
Operation Soldiers Christmas
Well, it is that time of year again. The “Operation Soldiers Christmas” 2011 promotion is about to launch into the Vance County and Henderson community. We have grown some since last year when we received such a wonderful response from the community for the “Palladin” group, located in Afghanistan. Last year we sent 102 boxes of items to those soldiers to create a mini mart called the “Palladin Room”, where active duty members of the group could go to get …
Liberty Christan Church Fall Festival
Liberty Christan Church will be hosting a family activity day with Food, and Fellowship for a fundraiser event. The event is Saturday, October 1st, 2011. Breakfast starts at 7am until 10am featuring Sausage, Bacon, Eggs, Grits, Biscuits, Coffee and Juice for $6.00 A yard sale and bake sale event starts at 7am until done Youth activities begin at 9am and will include rides, games, face painting, moon bounce, barrel ride, slide, raffle, hay ride. Features a hot dog lunch as …
Vance County Public Safety Committee Notice
Vance County’s Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, October 3 at 12:00 noon in the County Manager’s Office. The main purpose is to discuss a proposed contract for volunteer fire departments.
Corporal Punishment in the Public Schools: A Practice on the Decline
Legislation passed during the 2011 session of the North Carolina General Assembly requires school districts that have not yet banned corporal punishment to send a form to all parents at the beginning of the school year allowing them to opt their children out of corporal punishment. The new law expands legislation passed in 2010 that allowed parents of children with disabilities to opt out of corporal punishment. The new legislation became effective at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year, …
Yard Sale this Saturday Morning
Yard sale at 139 Dorsey Place, Saturday, Oct 1 begins at 7am. Black futon, entertainment center, bakers rack, Harry Potter puzzles, misc. stuff!
Friday / Weekend Open Line
For those residents concerned with Vance County enacting or not enacting county wide zoning, pay attention. This coming Monday’s commissioners meeting will likely host a final vote on the matter. Vote passes, zoning is enacted. There are multiple ways you could participate… #1 you have to show up and sign up to speak before 5:45pm. Then, during the meeting you will have your 3 minutes to speak. You can express your support for zoning, express your disagreement with zoning, and …
Vance County Board of Commissioner Meeting
Monday, October 3rd 2011 Vance County Board of Commissioners will meet to discuss and possibly vote on county zoning. Agenda Items: Appointment 6:00pm Proposed zoning ordinance and related matters Public Hearing 6:30pm Timmy Baynes, Council of Governments, NC Tomorrow Grant Application Appointment 6:45pm Madison Bobbitt, NCACC 4-H Delegate 4-H program update Appointment 7:00pm Community Hero Recognition Appointment 7:15 pm Pete Burgess, Farmers market project update Appointment 7:30pm Kay Fields, Social Services, Year-End departmental report Appointment 7:45pm Harold Henrich, Fire and …
Thursday Open Line
This weekend several new laws will take affect in North Carolina. Limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, lesser restrictions on ATV helmet use among other things. Read up on some of the new changes here. Yesterday, there was mention of Perdue’s comment regarding suspending elections for Congress for 2 years so they can focus on their job and not on campaigning. Released today is audio from that speech, so we’ll post that here and let you make up your mind if …
International Walk to School Day
October 5 is designated “International Walk to School Day,” an event designed to bring attention to the number of child pedestrians hurt and killed on their morning walk to school. With 244 deaths and 13,000 vehicle-related injuries to child pedestrians in 2009, Henderson Safe Kids hopes the event will remind drivers to watch and drive carefully near school.
North Carolina Receives Grant to Increase Small Business Exports
RALEIGH –Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that the N.C. Department of Commerce is the recipient of a $603,442 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration that will help increase exporting by small businesses over the next year. SBA Administrator Karen Mills made the national grant announcement with Gov. Perdue in North Carolina. “I am focused on growing jobs; one of the ways we can do that is by helping our small and medium sized businesses increase their exports,” said Gov. …
Wednesday Open Line
Some commentators have talked about an issue in Harnett County regarding a zoning issue for a new landfill. At their Monday night meeting, the county Board of Adjustment held six hearings and heard 26 hours of testimony on the issue before voting 3-2 Monday night to reject the company’s application for a special-use permit for the landfill. You can read the whole story here. The recent attack at J.C. Penny against a Virginia leader has prompted discussion at the city …
Cooling Off at City Hall
Reporter – Leigh Hester – New business in the City Council Chambers Monday night (September 26, 2011) includes the appointment of Council member Michael Rainey as “Chairman Pro Tem,” an honorary title which places him third in line to fill in as acting mayor in the event Mayor O’Geary and his appointed Mayor Pro Tem are both unable to fulfill the duties of the office. With Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Lonnie Davis in a rest home recuperating from …
Crime Stoppers Anounces Additional Increase in Reward for Attack at J.C. Penney
Crime Stoppers has received from an anonymous donor additional funds that will match the $3000.00 reward for the robbery and assault of Mrs. Smiley. This will increase the reward to “up to $6000.00.” Please call Crime Stoppers at 252- 492-1925 or the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141 if you have any information related to this incident. All callers may remain anonymous.
State Superintendent Joins President/USED Secretary For NCLB Waivers Announcement
North Carolina State Superintendent June Atkinson on Friday joined President Barack Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other chief state school officers for the White House announcement that states can apply for waivers from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind. The waivers would be provided in exchange for more focused efforts at the state level to “close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability and ensure that all students are on track to …
Tuesday Open Lines
Today will mark a public viewing of the proposed Vance County redistricting maps for voting on commissioners. The event will be at the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library starting at 4pm to 6 pm. We’ll have reports to come regarding Monday nights city council meeting. In the meantime have at it!
Reward of $3000 For Information On Attack at J.C. Penney Last Week
Crime Stoppers and an anonymous donor have joined together in a one-time effort offering up to $3,000.00 for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of person/persons involved in the assault and robbery of Debra Smiley. On Thursday, September 22, 2011 around 8:25 PM, Smiley was accosted and robbed of personal property as she left the J.C. Penney department store in Henderson. Please call Crime Stoppers at 252- 492-1925 or the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141. All callers may …
Vance County BoC Zoning Work Session
The Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session on Monday, September 26 at 3:00 p.m. in the County Commissioner’s Meeting Room. This was scheduled in open session during the September 12th meeting. The purpose is for the Board to review/discuss the proposed zoning ordinance. Note that this is a Work Session, so no action will be taken. Public comment is not allowed, but the public can attend just to watch.
Congressman Butterfield Introduces Legislation to Encourage Development of Treatments for Rare Pediatric Disease
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), along with Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), today introduced the Creating Hope Act of 2011. The legislation is designed to promote drug development to treat rare pediatric diseases such as childhood cancers, sickle cell disease, pediatric AIDS and cystic fibrosis. More than 30 million Americans affected by “rare” diseases (diseases which affect less than 200,000 people), the vast majority of which are children. Despite the significant need, drug companies have been reluctant to …