October 16 is National Feral Cat Day. The Day promotes the humane population method of trap-neuter-vaccinate-return. J.L. Harris, who died in 2012, as you already know, single handedly carried t-n-v-r in Vance County from 1987. This event at Tractor Supply promotes t-n-v-r; our outreach through you and Mr. Rush and the Dispatch seeks to locate people who are already feeding free-roaming community cats, are interested in continuing to do so and also humanely controlling their numbers. Like any media outreach …
Month: October 2013
Henderson Vance Crimestoppers Crimes of the Month – Rewards Offered
Robbery Case On September 28, 2013 at approximately 9:44 P.M., members of the Henderson Police Department responded to Maria Parham Medical Center in reference to a robbery. The Henderson Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this case to contact Henderson–Vance Crime Stoppers at 492-1925 or you can leave anonymous tips on the web site atwww.hvcrimestoppers.com. Citizens with information can also contact the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 431-6063. Robbery Case On August 07, 2013 at approximately …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
SMALL GRAIN MEETINGWe will be having an area small grain production meeting on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at the Epsom Fire Department (8120 NC 39 HWY South, Henderson, NC 27537). The meeting will start at 6:00 p.m. with a sponsored meal. There will be production information presented by NCSU Extension Specialists. 1 hour of pesticide credit for categories NODX. To register, please contact your County Extension Office by October 18th. SMALL GRAIN VARIETY DATA BOOKSAvailable at your County Extension Center, or …
Monday Open Line
With a government shutdown nearing its second week, there were no signs of a new deal in Washington Sunday. But several leaders are speaking out about the impasse, even as they look ahead to the next battle: an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. When House Speaker John Boehner was asked on ABC’s This Week about the possibility that he might present a “clean” funding bill that doesn’t attack the new health care system in the Affordable …
Vance County Fair Opens October 9th
Vance County Regional Fair is October 9th through October 13th at the county fairgrounds. This year is the 96th year for the fair. They are sure excited to celebrate and have planned five big days of fun! From admission/ride specials and fantastic entertainment to a terrific midway and lots of opportunities to win great prizes, this year is sure to knock your socks off. You’ll find all this information and more right on their web site www.vancecountyfair.com. Of course, if …
Vance County Board of Commissioners meeting October 7th, 2013
AGENDAVANCE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSOctober 7, 2013 Download the full agenda packet here: 20131007_vcboc_agenda_packet Invocation Dr. Cassandra A. Sparrow, African Methodist Episcopal Church 1. Public Hearing 6:00 p.m. CDBG Scattered Site Closeout 2. Appointment 6:15 p.m. Pat Curl, American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study III 3. Public Hearing 6:30 p.m. Norman Tingen No Wake Zone Request – Kerr Lake 4. Appointment 6:45 p.m. Porcha Brooks, Tax Office Business Listing Penalty Appeal 5. Public Comments (for those registered to speak …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
SUMMARY OF COST SHARE UPDATE MEETING Thanks to all who participated, and apologies to those who were unable to register. For those who missed it, or if you want to review the material, I’ve prepared a short summary of the information. Here’s the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qehXe7MU98ozy1pUMkcwpy0HdIlxRjmZ2cerp9FhTBc/edit?usp=sharing VANCE COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION NEWSLETTER We do a lot more than forestry! Check out the latest news on all our great programs: http://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/09/september-2013-extension-newsletter/ FALL ISSUE OF UPLAND GAZETTE This fine newsletter of the NC Wildlife …
Winners of 2013 N.C. State Fair brewing contest announced
RALEIGH — Flagship IPA by Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill won Best of Show in the N.C. State Fair’s 2013 N.C. Brewers’ Cup competition. In the competition’s second year, the number of entries more than doubled. Carolina Brewery’s Sky Blue Golden Ale was tabbed second-best overall, and Durham’s Fullsteam garnered third overall with First Frost Persimmon Ale. In the home-brewer competition, Chris Creech of Durham won Best of Show for the second consecutive year. His winning beer was a sour …
VGCC Small Business Center Upcoming Classes
DEBT COLLECTION Wednesday, October 9, 2013 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Instructor: Harry Ponder Location: Bldg 7, Room 7107 Cost: FREE This seminar will help a small business owner understand the importance of having a meaningful collection policy and making sure their accounts receivables are not absorbing their working capital. This will also help them know what resources are available to assist in collecting their past due accounts. Register here. IS YOUR BUSINESS BANKABLE? Wednesday, October 9, …
Troxler calls on Congress to delay finalization of new food safety rules; asks for second draft that would be open for public comment
RALEIGH — Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is calling on Congress to delay finalization of new federal food safety rules until more public input can be factored into developing a final comprehensive program. “The Food Safety Modernization Act will be one of the most sweeping food policy changes enacted in my lifetime, and we need to be sure we get it right,” Troxler said. “We can all agree on the merits of needing a comprehensive program, but we also need a …
State Board of Education Approves Higher Student Proficiency Standards
North Carolina students now have a higher proficiency standard to meet on the state’s end-of-grade and end-of-course tests. New standards today were approved by the State Board of Education to bring expectations for student performance in line with current career and college expectations. When the 2012-13 test results are provided to parents, schools and districts in November, results will be much lower than North Carolina has seen for a number of years. Local school and district scores will be released …
White House: Just vote
We’re now three days into a shutdown of the federal government. Real Americans are being hurt, and our economy is paying the price. Reports have come out detailing how hundreds of thousands of people don’t know when their next paycheck will come. Millions of Americans, including veterans and seniors, are at risk of losing the benefits they’ve paid for, earned, and rely on. For all that, we’re exactly where we were Monday night: If Speaker Boehner dropped his demands to …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Tourism in North Carolina could be particularly hard hit by National Park Services closures. NPR Host Frank Stasio speaks with News & Observer reporter Martha Quillin; and Phil Francis, former superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway about the effect of the shutdown on tourism along the coast and in the mountains. http://wunc.org/post/shutdown-slams-north-carolina-tourism
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Oct. 3 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, “Collecting Carolina” visits the wares offered at the Cameron Antiques Festival in Cameron. Step back to simpler times during the Pamlico County Heritage Day in Grantsboro. Enjoy a scenic cruise aboard the Solomon T in Southport. Relax with a stay at the Esmerelda Inn in Chimney Rock. And whet your appetite at the Plank Road Steakhouse in Farmville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is …
NC Tourism Division responds to minimize U.S. government shutdown’s impact on fall travel
With one of the most appealing and important travel seasons well underway all across North Carolina, the Division responded quickly this week to help industry partners minimize the impact of the federal shutdown on visitation. On the eve of the shutdown, the Division released a statement encouraging visitors to use VisitNC.com to take extra care in planning their fall visits. This release was picked up by the Associated Press and ran in numerous outlets nationally including The New York Times, …
More Than 8,500 Residents Attended Butterfield’s Telephone Town Hall on Obamacare
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) held a telephone town hall meeting to answer First District residents’ questions on the Affordable Care Act and on open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which began on October 1. The live telephone town hall started at 6:30 p.m. and lasted over an hour with more than 8,500 district residents joining the call. “The high number of participants shows that people are eager to get the information they …
Vance County Schools Announcement on Changes to Competency and Computer Skills Standards
Effective July 1, 2009, students not enrolled in a public school who have met all state and local graduation requirements, except for achieving proficiency on the N.C. Reading and/or Mathematics Competency Test and/or the N.C. Computer Skills Test and/or their alternate assessments, are no longer required to meet the competency or computer skills standards and may petition their former high school for a diploma. Prior to petitioning the high school, these affected former students need to come to the Vance …
Annual tournament draws visitors, dollars to Rocky Mount
For 15 years, the Down East Viking Football Classic has drawn thousands of Elizabeth City State University alumni and football fans to Rocky Mount, filling up hotels and packing restaurants. Delicious barbecue, football and a series of events acclimating youth to the college atmosphere have been the classic’s mainstays, and the event continues to have a large economic and social impact on the area. The Classic draws an estimated 15,000 visitors to Rocky Mount, providing an economic impact in the …
Thursday Open Line
The shutdown is affecting more than 800,000 federal employees across the country. Governor Pat McCrory told the Council of State Tuesday thousands of state employees could also face furloughs. As many as 4,500 workers with the Department of Health and Human Services are totally or partially funded by the federal government. Read the full article here http://wunc.org/post/shutdowns-reach-north-carolina
With fall fire season approaching, N.C. Forest Service offers tips to prevent wildfires
RALEIGH — As fall wildfire season approaches, the N.C. Forest Service encourages North Carolinians to heed the call of National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6-12, and take steps to ensure careful burning of leaves and yard debris. Fall wildfire season typically lasts from mid-October until mid-December, the time of year when people do a lot of yard work that may include burning leaves and yard debris. These fires sometimes escape and start wildfires. There are many factors to consider before …