A new Vance-Granville Community College Personal Enrichment course on raising chickens has been rescheduled. The one-day “Backyard Chicken Craft” class is now set to be held on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (including a one-hour lunch break), with a classroom component at VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County and a hands-on component at instructor Mike Holland’s farm on Lickskillet Road in Warren County. Holland will help participants understand if keeping chickens in their own backyards is …
Month: February 2013
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Postcard promises gift, delivers a scam
Several North Carolina consumers have reported getting postcards in the mail in the past month that say they’ve been “selected to receive $100.00 in gift rebates good at Wal-Mart, Target, and more.” Consumers are told to call a toll-free number to learn how to claim their reward. If you call the number, you’ll be asked to provide your credit card number, supposedly to cover shipping or processing fees of $6.95 or less. But once you’ve shared your credit card number, there’s little …
Board keeps 2013 N.C. boll weevil assessment at 70 cents per acre
RALEIGH — The board of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of North Carolina voted to keep the boll weevil assessment rate at 70 cents per acre of cotton for 2013. That amount is the same as it was for 2012. The fee supports the foundation’s efforts to monitor cotton acreage for any re-introduction of the boll weevil, which was eradicated in the state in 1986, and to respond promptly with eradication treatments if necessary. “Eradicating this pest was the first …
Tuesday Open Line
On this date in 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring Japanese-Americans living along the Pacific Coast to be relocated inland. This order affected some 77,000 citizens and 43,000 resident aliens. The internment lasted throughout the war, and the camps closed by early 1946. The dislocation caused by the internment order singling out an ancestry group came to be widely regretted and led to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, formally apologizing for the action and offering financial …
Michael Bobbitt: Federal Rental Assistance Programs in Henderson and Vance County
As a reminder, this inquiry into our county’s and city’s “Section 8” housing started with a request from mingo and Elmwood. Before starting my inquiry I posted six questions that I would seek answers and mingo added a question about inspections. Several weeks ago our intrepid editor submitted a list of eight suggestions for the County Commissioner’s to consider during their annual retreat. One of those suggestions was to establish a county housing authority. At the annual retreat a summary …
National Touring Production of George Washington Carver and Friends to Perform Locally
Bright Star Touring Theatre, a national professional touring theatre company based in Asheville, NC, is visiting the area with their production of George Washington Carver and Friends. George Washington Carver and Friends gives students a fast-paced and accessible introduction to many influential black Americans who have shaped our nation over the last 150 years. The lives and accomplishments of Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, Madame C.J. Walker, and other famous leaders are brought to life in this empowering …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: State of Denial
Four years ago, President Obama addressed the state of our union. In 2009, our country was facing an economic crisis with trillions of dollars in debt, rising unemployment, and an uncertain future. Four years later, little has changed. We have a $16 trillion national debt, having added $5.8 trillion of it in the past four years. Yet some Democrats in Congress are still denying we have a spending problem. Below you will find my response to the president’s State of …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
FUMIGANT TRAINING A Phase II requirement of the new fumigant regs is for applicators to receive product safety training and pass a test. You can do this on-line through the EPA website, or attend an in-person training/testing provided by NCDA&CS. We have scheduled an in-person option on 3/13, details to follow. Note that either option entitles you to 2hrs X & 2hrs V, which satisfies the Private Applicator recert requirements. If you do the on-line version, you have to present …
Senator Richard Burr Updates
On Tuesday, the President delivered his State of the Union Address to the American people. The address sounded a lot like rhetoric we have heard from him in years past, but as we have learned, actions speak louder than words. Words alone will not turn our economy around and put America back on the right track. I hope the President will work with Congress to reform our entitlement programs so they are viable for future generations of Americans and fix …
VGCC Board Holds Meeting
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees held its regular bimonthly meeting on Monday, January 28 at the college’s Henderson campus. At the meeting, the Board voted to approve a mid-year amendment to the 2012-2013 Budget Resolution, which increased the college’s budget by $1,331,728. The College’s total combined amended 2012-2013 budget is now $47,271,031. The Board also heard an update on Capital Building Projects from Building Committee Chair John M. Foster. The renovation of the library at VGCC’s South Campus …
Cleaning Products Manufacturer to Locate in Surry County, N.C.
Raleigh, N.C. — Today, Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced that Awesome Products Inc., a laundry detergent and cleaning products manufacturer, will locate a facility in Surry County. The company plans to create 90 jobs and invest $22 million over the next three years in Mount Airy. The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $300,000. The grant is contingent upon proof of job …
White House Weekly Address: Following the President’s Plan for a Strong Middle Class
In this week’s address, President Obama calls for quick action on the proposals he made during the State of the Union to grow our economy and create jobs, including making America a magnet for manufacturing, strengthening our education system through high-quality preschool for every child, and raising the minimum wage This week, the President delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term, and then brought his proposals to factories in North Carolina and a school in …
Monday Open Line
Black History Month highlights not only past achievements, but continued progress in the African-American community. There are just under 2 million black-owned businesses, representing a gain of more than 60 percent in just 5 recent years. These businesses employed more than 920,000 people — a growth of more than one-fifth in the same period. Retail trade, health care and social assistance sectors account for 27 percent of black-owned business revenue, which totals more than $137 billion. Among cities, New York …
Reward Offered for Info on Assult in Downtown Henderson Thursday
On February 14, 2013 members of the Henderson Police Department received a report that a 35 year-old female victim was kidnapped around 5:55 AM while getting out of her vehicle in the downtown area of Henderson. The victim was taken in her vehicle to another location where she was assaulted. The Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigations Division is investigating the incident. The Henderson Police Department encourages citizens to check their surroundings prior to exiting their vehicle to enter places of …
New Vance County Schools Bullying Hotline
Vance County Schools has established a hotline for persons to call to report instances of bullying in our local public schools. The hotline can be reached by calling 252-431-3682. Persons calling should state their name and the school in which the bullying is occurring. Reports received through the hotline will be investigated within 12 hours. Information about the hotline and how to report instances of bullying can be found on the school system’s website homepage at www.vcs.k12.nc.us. http://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/parents_students/v_c_s_bullying_hotline
Congressional Democrats Urge McCrory to Veto Bill That Would Disrupt Unemployment Benefits for Thousands of North Carolinians
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, North Carolina Representatives G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), David Price (NC-04), and Mel Watt (NC-12) sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory strongly urging that he veto House Bill 4, a bill that would block funding of federal emergency unemployment benefits to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. In their letter, the congressmen wrote, “As members of North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation, we do not routinely express our views on legislation presented to the Governor. However, …
School Bus Driver Training March 18-20
Vance County Schools will be conducting school bus driver training sessions Monday, March 18 through Wednesday, March 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day in the Drama Room at Southern Vance High School. All interested persons are urged to register for the sessions. To receive certification, participants must complete all three sessions. Interested persons must register prior to the training sessions. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 8. To register, interested persons should call the Vance County …
Vance County Planning Committee Meeting – Water Matters
The Vance County’s Planning Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m. in the County Manager’s Office. Water project matters will be discussed.
Overnight Lane Closures can be Expected on I-40/85 and I-85 in Orange, Durham and Vance Counties for Digital Message Sign Replacement Project
RALEIGH — Motorists traveling overnight on sections of I-40/85 and I-85 in Orange, Durham and Vance counties tonight and next week can expect some lane closures. Digital message signs are being replaced at four locations, and the closures are required for safety reasons. The nightly intermittent closures will occur between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., as follows: Tonight, Feb. 14: Eastbound I-40/85 between exits 157 (Buckhorn Road) and 160 (Mt. Willing Road), just west of the I-40/85 split in Orange …
VGCC Child Care Center kids learn about Dental Hygiene
Children enrolled in the Child Care Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus recently enjoyed a visit from Suzanne Cheever, a dental hygienist from the office of Dr. Wilson Hoyle in Henderson. Cheever’s visit on Feb. 6 was planned in conjunction with a unit of study on Dental Health. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Cheever brought in special dental equipment and gear which she demonstrated for the children, along with tips on brushing techniques, flossing, caring for their …