Reporter – Leigh Hester – County Commissioners voted Monday night to approve plans that will move the water line to the Sandy Creek Township a bit closer to construction. Tim Carpenter of Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates stood before the Commission to unveil an ambitious plan that would place a bid opening on the project no later than January 31, 2012. The County already has an Option to Purchase secured on a potential tank site and is working on another site …
Month: December 2011
Butterfield Announces $1.3 Million in Funding for Greene County Health Care, Inc.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) yesterday announced the awarding of a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Greene County Health Care (GCHC). The grant will be used to provide primary health care services to underserved populations in Greene and Pitt counties, as well as migrant and seasonal farm workers in five adjacent counties. “For almost 40 years Greene County Health Care has provided valuable health care services to Greene and …
Students will build and troubleshoot Computers in new VGCC course
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for a new course that will teach area residents how to repair, upgrade, and troubleshoot personal computers. “Computer Electronics: Computer Repair & Troubleshooting” is scheduled to be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 until 10 p.m., Jan. 11 through May 9, on the college’s main campus in Vance County. Mitch Evans, the Director of Infrastructure Services in the VGCC Information Technology department, will serve as the instructor for the course. He said that …
Contract Worth $3.3 Million Awarded for Work on Warren County Roads
RALEIGH — A $3.3 million contract has been awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson for improvements over 20.5 miles of five Warren County roads. The contract calls for lane widening, resurfacing and shoulder reconstruction for the following roads: 3.5 miles of Vicksboro Road from U.S. 401 to the Vance County line; 5.4 miles of Axtell-Ridgeway Road from U.S. 158 to Mansion Axtell Road; 5.4 miles of Martin Luther King Road from U.S. 401 …
Manufacturer Asserts N.C.’s Skilled Workforce will make Expansion Successful.
RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that American Roller Bearing Industries Inc. (A.R.B.), a manufacturer of anti-friction bearings for industrial equipment, will expand its operations in Burke and Alexander counties. A.R.B. expects to create 231 new jobs over the next five years and invest between $3 million and $5 million per year in land, buildings, machinery and equipment. The announcement was made possible in part by a state Job Development Investment Grant. “My top priority is creating jobs, and our …
$2.8 Million Awarded to Improve 22 Miles of Granville County Roads
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $2.8 million contract for improvements to eight state roads in Granville County, covering 22.5 miles. The contract awarded Barrett, Irvin and Jordan Contractors, Inc. of Durham calls for milling, shoulder reconstruction and resurfacing of those roads. The improvements include sections of Certainty Road, Industry Drive, Certainteed Drive, Old Oxford Highway and Hillsboro Street in Oxford, as well as Brogden Road, Northside Drive and 33rd Street in the Butner-Creedmoor area. Construction …
North Carolina Shortchanged on Child Poverty Funding
Washington – First Focus and Action for Children of North Carolina released a new report today, showing that funding to help North Carolina manage the growing problem of child poverty lags behind that of other states like Massachusetts and Alaska. It also recommends concrete actions North Carolina’s Congressional delegation can take right now to give North Carolina leaders the resources they need to meet children’s needs. The report, TANF Supplemental Grants: Reforming and Restoring Support for Children Who Need it …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Thursday morning, Senate Republicans blocked the confirmation of Richard Cordray. Shortly after, President Obama walked into the briefing room here at the White House to address that vote — and the refusal of Congress to extend the payroll tax cut. The President spoke first about his nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Consumers across the country understand that part of the reason we got into the financial mess that we did was because regulators were not doing their …
Williams named next President of VGCC
Dr. Stelfanie Williams, currently the Vice President of Economic and Community Development at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, has been chosen by the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees to be the next president of the college. Pending final approval from the State Board of Community Colleges, Williams is expected to take office on Feb. 1. She is set to become the sixth president in VGCC history, as well as the first African-American and first woman to hold the …
Vance County Teachers Recieve Certificates from National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
Seven educators in Vance County Schools have earned certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and two more local educators have obtained recertification. Information on the national certification was released today by NBPTS. Those educators earning the 10-year certification include: April Andrews, Janette Johnson, Cynthia Simpson and Mary Willis, all of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Chris Leas of E.O. Young Jr. Elementary School; Amanda O’Connor of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; and Ann Behar of Northern Vance High …
Car Show Added At Least $2.5 Million to Local Economy
Reporter – Leigh Hester – Numbers from the “Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Weekend” held on October 14th are in. In a report Monday night by Tourism Director Nancy Wilson, the event was billed as “the largest event we’ve had” in the ten years the event has been held in Henderson. With a staff of two as well as fifty-two volunteers, Wilson estimated that between 42,000 and 45,000 people attended the …
Thursday Open Lines
We have a story today regarding Vance County School teachers achieving National Board of Professional Teaching Standars certification. Those educators earning the 10-year certification include: April Andrews, Janette Johnson, Cynthia Simpson and Mary Willis, all of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Chris Leas of E.O. Young Jr. Elementary School; Amanda O’Connor of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; and Ann Behar of Northern Vance High School. Here is Gov. Perdue’s statement on the 1,244 North Carolina teachers who earned National Board Certification. “National …
VGCC offers BioWork training program at night on Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a “BioWork” Process Technician training course to prepare area residents for jobs in the growing biotechnology manufacturing field, starting in January on the college’s main campus in Vance County. BioWork will be held in the state-of-the-art biotechnology lab on Main Campus on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 until 10 p.m., beginning Wednesday, Jan. 18 and continuing through Monday, May 7, 2012. BioWork is a training course that prepares men and women for employment as process …
Henderson-Vace Community Give Back
Businesses in the area are teaming up with our local police force to help with the Henderson Vance Community Giveback. This project is seeking new toys and new or gently used coats for children within the community. Drop off locations include Charles Boyd Chevrolet and Vanco Outdoor Equipmet. With your donation, you will receive a ticket for a free “Thank You” lunch on Wednesday, December 21st from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm held at Vanco Outdoor Equipment at 296 US …
North Carolina is Open for Business
North Carolina is one plane change away from virtually any major city in the world. The state is home to the sixth-largest major airline hub in the nation. At the recent IEDC conference, U.S. Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker stated Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, “is as good as it gets.” Corporate leaders agree. “Charlotte is the optimal location for our business,” Chiquita chairman and CEO Fernando Aguirre said during remarks on November 29, when it was announced that the company …
Wednesday Open Lines
We’re starting to get reports in from the Monday night county commissioners meeting. We’ve posted an article by our reporter already, and also an opinion piece by reader Michael Bobbitt. More articles will follow later this week as well. Mr. Garrisson has stepped up to the Chairman position at the Board of Commisioners, any thoughts or ideas for Terry on how to get the jobs to Vance County? Are there changes you’d like to see from under the old chairman …
Garrison and Hester to head the 2012 County Commissioners
Reporter – Leigh Hester – Terry Garrison was elected the new Chairman of the Vance County Commissioners in a motion presented by Deborah Brown and Tommy Hester. After a ritual “switching of the chairs” by Eddie Wright, the former Chairman, and Garrison, Tommy Hester was then elected Vice Chair in a motion headed by Wright and seconded by Brown. Following, current staff were re-appointed their positions, including Kelly Grissom as Clerk, Jerry Ayscue as County Manager, and Steve Stanton as …
Michael Bobbitt – Notes From The Peanut Gallery
Regarding the Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting held on December 5, 2011 Reorganization of Board Commissioner Garrison was elected Chairman and Commissioner Hester was elected Vice-Chairman. Chairman Garrison listed his seven goals for the Board. The first goal is jobs, jobs, and more jobs for our area. (I have heard this refrain before and do not recall who said it. If you the reader know the origin of that refrain, please share.) The other six goals include supporting schools, …
Henderson City Council Special Called Meeting
Notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting will be held by the Henderson City Council on Friday, 9 December 2011 at 12:00 p.m. (noon), in the City Council Chambers in City Hall located at 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson, North Carolina. The purpose of the meeting is an update on the design contract for the Henderson Water Reclamation Facility. The public is welcome to attend.
First Baptist Church Bell Ringers Leads Worshop at Duke University Chapel for 38th Consecutive Year
The middle and high school youth handbell group, The Bell Ringers of the First Baptist Church (Henderson), led worship at Duke University Chapel this past Sunday for a 38th consecutive year. Only four outside musical groups are invited annually to lead worship in the chapel. A webcast of yesterday’s service is available at http://youtu.be/UWAMZJXq9O4. The twenty-seven seventh through twelfth grade ringers have between two and seven years’ ringing experience. Many Henderson residents may not know that The Bell Ringers is …