Last night’s City Council meeting was the first meeting for this new year of 2013. If last night’s meeting set the tone for this year, then an Americanized Chinese dish best describes the coming year. Last night the City Council served up a great plate of sweet and sour government. The City Council did one man’s bidding and allowed gambling dens (internet cafes) to be located next door to a barber college. As it was explained to me after the …
Month: January 2013
New Charter High School Names Swanner Executive Director
At Thursday’s board of directors meeting for Oxford Preparatory High School, the Board named Andrew Swanner as Executive Director of the school. Swanner is one of the founding educators of the school and led the writing of the extensive charter application. Board Chair, Shawn Spence, said, “The Board voted unanimously to offer Mr. Andrew Swanner the position and is confident that he is best suited to lead the school. He has shown himself to be instrumental in the charter application …
Study: Most N.C. Winery Customers Are In-State Tourists
RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 14, 2013) — A new research study on visitation to North Carolina wineries revealed that 80 percent of winery customers are visitors to the community, with more than 70 percent coming from inside the state. Most overnight visitors went to North Carolina wineries as an activity during their vacation while only 12.4 percent indicated that visiting the winery or a winery event was the primary reason for their trip, according to research funded by the North Carolina …
NC Cooperative Extension Class Cancellation
From Paul McKenzie: Due to low registration, the produce safety meeting for Thursday, 1/17 has been cancelled. We will send out a notice if we decide to reschedule. If you were planning to register, but had not yet done so, please let me know as that will help me gauge interest for a possible future meeting. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Ag Forum will offer economic and policy outlook Jan. 31 at State Fairgrounds
RALEIGH — The economic and policy outlook for North Carolina agriculture will be on the agenda at the eighth annual Ag Development ForumThursday, Jan. 31, at the State Fairgrounds. The forum will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Holshouser Building. Dr. Nick Piggott, an agricultural economist at N.C. State University, will be the keynote speaker. The forum also will feature Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler’s annual State of Agriculture address, and representatives of N.C. agribusinesses will share …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Don’t respond to alarming security system pitch
A call reporting that burglaries are on the rise in your neighborhood would be enough to get anyone’s attention. But if the call includes a pitch for a new home security system, don’t fall for it. More than 600 North Carolina consumers contacted us last year to report telemarketing calls pitching alarm systems. The calls often start with an alarming recorded message that says the FBI or SBI has noticed a spike in burglaries and “reports a break in every …
White House: President Obama Holds Final Press Conference of His First Term
Today President Obama invited the White House Press Corps to the East Room for one last news conference as his first term comes to an end. Before taking questions from the assembled journalists, the President took a moment to reflect on the past four years, and look ahead to his agenda for the next term. President Obama today invited the White House Press Corps to the East Room for one last news conference as his first term comes to an end. …
Tuesday Open Line
Dr. Martin Luther King would be 84 years old today. The civil rights leader, minister, and recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize was born in 1929 and assassinated in 1968. Next Monday is a national holiday, honoring his memory and life’s work, appropriate in a month that also sees the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. America’s diverse population of some 308 million enjoys the civil rights Dr. King advocated, including 224 million whites, more than 42 million African-Americans, over …
Vance County NC Cooperative Extension Updates
MUSCADINE GRAPE WORKSHOP January 25, 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m., Registration Fee: $10. Sponsored by Center for Environmental Farming Systems near Goldsboro. Featured Speaker: Dr. Sara Spayd, NCSU Department of Horticulture and Linda Hall, A Secret Garden Winery. This workshop will cover the basics of Muscadine Grape production.Registration Forms at: http://go.ncsu.edu/muscadine. GRANVILLE COUNTY COGGIN’S CLINICS FOR HORSE OWNERS Feb 2, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at Flat River Vet Feb 8, 2-4 pm, Large Animal Vet Services Feb 9, 8:30 am to …
Butterfield Mourns the Loss of NCCU’s Brooklyn T. McMillon
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today expressed condolences to the family of Brooklyn T. McMillon, a dedicated and long-serving employee of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). A two-time alumnus of NCCU, McMillon served the university for more than 60 years as an instructor, director, registrar, historian, and as chair of health education. Butterfield released the following statement regarding McMillon’s death: “I am saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. Brooklyn McMillon. I fondly remember him as …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: We Have a Spending Problem
Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem — it has a spending problem. To illustrate just how serious the problem is, below you will find a chart prepared by House Republicans that shows how dramatically our national debt has increased over the past 4 years. Also in this newsletter, you will find links to a couple of articles that have appeared this week regarding the Medical Device Tax and costs of Obamacare. Please share this newsletter with your friends and family …
White House Weekly Address: Ending the War in Afghanistan and Rebuilding America
President Obama hosted Afghan President Hamid Karzai this week at the White House for talks on the partnership between our two nations and the role of U.S. troops in that country. In this week’s address, President Obama discusses how we will end the war in Afghanistan and how our goal of ensuring that al Qaeda never again uses Afghanistan to launch attacks against America is within reach. Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at …
Monday Open Line
January is Financial Wellness Month, appropriately timed to the confluence of New Year’s resolutions and holiday bills. It’s a time to set new goals for financial freedom and moderation in spending; for people to understand the benefits of “paying yourself first.” A financial advisor can help shape money management goals, pointing out the power of compound interest to work for you in savings, and against you in debt. Americans have a per capita income average of nearly $27,000 or $81,000 …
City of Henderson City Council Meeting Monday January 14th, 2013
Download the full agenda packet here: 20130114_coh_agenda_packet
Update on Department of Social Services Threat
On January 11, 2013 the Henderson Police Department received two additional tips that a crime of violence would be occurring at one of the Vance County Department of Social Services locations. Upon further investigation by members of the Henderson Police Department, detectives were able to determine the location where the tips were being transmitted from. Detectives obtained search warrants for 1409 Reservoir Street and 707 S. Carolina Ave, Henderson. Search warrants were executed. Sharon Marrow, 38, of 707 S. Carolina …
Home in Henderson Sends Reader Comments to VC BOC for Annual Retreat
This week, we sent the attached letter to Vance County Board of Commissioners of your suggestions to be discussed during their annual retreat in the upcoming weeks. Download the letter here: hih_vcboc_retreat_2013 Last year, we sent a list of reader suggestions as well, however we were told it was too late for us to get them in on the agenda, so we’re trying a little earlier this year. We never did get any response from last years letter, maybe this …
Vance County Schools Drop Out and Suspensions
Vance County Public Schools had fewer drop outs in 2011-2012 school year than the 2010-2011 school year. The 2010-2011 was 129 drop outs, with 2011-2012 having 127 drop outs. However, the rate of drop outs increased from 2010-2011 of 5.55% to 2011-2012 of 5.70%. Previous stats are 2009-2010 drop outs counted 153, 2008-2009 drop outs were 171 and 2007-2008 were 145. North Carolina school systems with the largest high school dropout rates were Person County, Vance County, Halifax County, Roanoke …
NC Public Schools Dropout Rate Trends to Another Record Low
Last school year, 3.01 percent of high school students dropped out of school, according to the 2011-12 Consolidated Data Report today presented to State Board of Education members. This rate represents a .42 percentage point decrease from the previous year’s rate of 3.43 percent and another record low. “High school students understand the connection between a diploma and the ability to reach their goals,” State Superintendent June Atkinson said. “Principals, teachers and support staff should be praised for their efforts …
North Carolina’s innovative schools continue progress in eliminating dropouts
North Carolina’s innovative schools continue to demonstrate strong results by ensuring that students stay in school and on track to graduation. The latest dropout data released today by the State Board of Education show that schools that partner with North Carolina New Schools in 2011-2012 lost comparatively few students. More than a third of the 99 schools which NC New Schools helped support last year had no dropouts from any grade, and eight of every 10 of the schools had …
Progress Energy continues support of VGCC with $7,500 contribution
Progress Energy recently presented a $7,500 contribution to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund. That brought the total donated by the company to the college over the past decade to $56,250. The funds support VGCC scholarships as well as other projects. Pictured, from left, Jo Anna Jones, the Executive Director of the VGCC Endowment Fund, and Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, formally accepted the newest donation from Progress Energy District Manager Tanya Evans on Dec. 14, 2012. Progress …