NEWS FROM RALEIGH… I always welcome your comments, project updates, suggestions, and visits. My office door and electronic door are always open to you! As always, thank you for your support!
NEWSLETTER NEWS
AROUND THE DISTRICT AND MORE
Warren and Henderson Affordable Care Act Forum September 4, 2014
Deltas and AKAs pictured with Sen. Bryant at the Affordable Care Act Forum
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!!!
On Saturday, November 8, 2014, at Halifax Community College, the RVBCC will host the area’s second breast cancer conference: “Saving Our Sisters: Supporting Our Women Along the Breast Cancer Continuum of Care in Northeastern North Carolina”. The Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition (RVBCC) aims to create a bold “Pink Print” across Northeastern North Carolina and boost our region’s capacity to improve breast cancer outcomes, especially among women who are medically underserved.
We need your help! There’s no special expertise required; only your willingness to bring awareness of breast cancer. We appeal to you to come forward and help us in a big way by volunteering to assist vendors with set up and removal, registration, decorations, and parking at this one day conference
You may obtain more information about our conference from http://www.gbdf.org/ccvoices2014/ . Please complete the volunteer application or feel free to contact one of the committee members at the contact information listed below to become a volunteer at this community awareness event. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Belinda Jones-Hill Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition Volunteer Committee Chair Cell number: 252-678-2249
Virginia McClary Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition Volunteer Committee Co-Chair Work number: 252-534-5841
STAY IN THE KNOW…
USDA recently published practical, science-based nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold to children at school during the school day. The standards, required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, will allow schools to offer healthier snack foods to children, while limiting junk food.
The health of today’s school environment continues to improve. Students across the country are now offered healthier school lunches with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The Smart Snacks in School standards will build on those healthy advancements and ensure that kids are only offered tasty and nutritious foods during the school day.
Smart Snacks in School also support efforts by school food service staff, school administrators, teachers, parents and the school community, all working hard to instill healthy habits in students.
Nutrition Standards for Foods
° Snack items: ? 200 calories ° Entrée items: ? 350 calories
° Snack items: ? 230 mg** ° Entrée items: ? 480 mg
° Total fat: ?35% of calories ° Saturated fat: < 10% of calories ° Trans fat: zero grams
° ? 35% of weight from total sugars in foods
*On July 1, 2016, foods may not qualify using the 10% DV criteria. **On July 1, 2016, snack items must contain ? 200 mg sodium per item
Other Requirements
You can find more information at: You’re The Cure
Childcare in Warren County
Download the KnowBullying App Parents and caregivers who spend at least 15 minutes a day talking with their child can build the foundation for a strong relationship, and help prevent bullying. KnowBullying, a new mobile app by SAMHSA, encourages dialogue between you and your children and helps you start a conversation. KnowBullying by SAMHSA includes:
The KnowBullying app is available for Android™ and iPhone®. It is a free resource for mobile devices provided by SAMHSA, in conjunction with the StopBullying.gov Federal partnership. Put the power to prevent bullying in your hand. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Congressman G. K. Butterfield: October 2014 Grants Workshop
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (EDT) Durham Armory Targeted to small business owners and non-profit organizations, the workshop offers access to grants experts through presentations and one on one sessions with grantors. Attendees will:
Continental Breakfast provided *Registration begins at 8:30AM; program begins at 9:00AM
Click here: To Contact The Office of Congressman G. K. Butterfield for more information.
Proposal Preparation and Development Workshops
The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) is pleased to host several Advanced Proposal Preparation and Development Workshops throughout North Carolina during the calendar year 2014.
ABOUT THE TRAINING. Each workshop session will consist of two days of lecture, discussion, extensive hands-on class exercises and homework.
This training, provided by Stover & Associates, Inc., will bring Proposal Development to life in a threat-free classroom environment. Participants will become members of a Capture and Proposal Development Team competing for a Federal Government contract.
Participants will build on prior experience to:
Participants should arrive expecting to work hard, learn by doing and have a little fun along the way.
Upon completion of this workshop students will be able to:
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Attendees must have working knowledge and experience with basic acquisition processes, federal government solicitations, basics of technical and price proposal preparation, federal source selection processes and applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
2014 DATES AND LOCATIONS: December 11/12 – Wilmington, NC
COST: $425.00 per person. This price includes the cost of instruction, exercises, materials, venue and catering (am snacks, lunch, pm snacks) throughout both days.
REGISTRATION. Limited seating will be available for each class. Save your space, register today!
Register today online at: http://www.ncmbc.us/14AdvancedProposalWriting.php
MEET OUR LEGISLATIVE SUMMER PAGES
Thank you for all of your hard work.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS Board of Agriculture approves fees for woodland plansFees were required by legislature in state budgetThe N.C. Board of Agriculture recently approved fees for woodland management plans, following a directive from the state General Assembly. The state budget approved by the General Assembly directed the N.C. Forest Service to start charging for woodland plans, commonly referred to as forest management plans. The budget bill also allowed the Board of Agriculture to review and approve the fees. “The North Carolina Forest Service has been helping protect, manage and promote North Carolina’s forests for nearly 100 years,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “They have a lot of experience assisting woodland owners with valuable and tax-saving management advice. I believe the Board of Agriculture approved reasonable fees that will allow the N.C. Forest Service to continue delivering the professional services its customers have come to expect.” Woodland plans will have a base fee of $45. In addition, there will be a fee of $3 per acre for forest management plans and forest stewardship plans, both of which are comprehensive plans. Practice plans, which are simpler plans that usually address just one management practice, will cost $2 per acre in addition to the base fee. The NCFS offers a variety of forestry programs and services that are still free of charge. There are financial and environmental benefits to having a woodland plan, said Sean Brogan, director of forest management and development for the NCFS. Certain types of plans can qualify a landowner for participation in the state’s Forestry Present Use Valuation Program, resulting in significant property tax reductions. The tax savings realized in the first year alone are usually more than enough to cover the cost of a woodland plan, Brogan said. Woodland plan preparation fees can also be considered a deductible management expense for annual tax purposes. Woodland plans provide detailed forestry recommendations, but they can also advise landowners on wildlife habitat, soil and water protection, recreation opportunities and aesthetics. In addition, they can help qualify landowners for forestry recognition programs, including forest certification. Landowners interested in state or federal cost-share programs typically need an approved woodland plan. Participation in many of these programs results in a cost savings of 40 percent or more, depending on the program. Cost-share payments help to reduce the initial capital investment needed for many forestry projects, which leads to higher overall financial returns to the woodland owner.
Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas select Dominion to build 550-mile ‘Atlantic Coast Pipeline’ to transport natural gas from West Virginia to eastern North Carolina
Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas today announced the selection of Dominion to build and operate a 550-mile interstate natural gas pipeline from West Virginia, through Virginia and into eastern North Carolina to meet the region’s rapidly growing demand for natural gas.
Called the “Atlantic Coast Pipeline,” it also is expected to serve as a key infrastructure engine to drive economic development and create jobs, helping counties on the pipeline’s route attract new, energy-dependent businesses and industries – especially along the Interstate 95 corridor in eastern North Carolina.
Duke Energy and Piedmont selected Dominion’s project after reviewing submittals by five companies in response to an April 2014 solicitation for proposals to build North Carolina’s second major interstate natural gas pipeline.
The pipeline has an estimated cost of between $4.5 billion and $5 billion, an initial capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, and a target in-service date of late 2018. The project will require Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval, which Dominion will seek to secure by summer 2016.
The pipeline’s main customers are six utilities and related companies that collectively will purchase a substantial majority of the pipeline’s capacity to transport natural gas – Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress, Virginia Power Services Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Virginia Natural Gas, and PSNC Energy.
The purchases will be made through 20-year contracts, subject to state regulatory approval. The pipeline’s owners are negotiating with other potential customers, as well. Gas will be carried through a 42-inch-diameter pipe in West Virginia and Virginia, and a 36-inch-diameter pipe in North Carolina.
Four regional owners In addition to its role as builder and operator, Dominion will be one of the pipeline’s four owners – all based in the Mid-Atlantic or Southeast U.S.:
In a joint statement, the four companies’ CEOs – Dominion’s Thomas Farrell, Duke Energy’s Lynn Good, Piedmont’s Thomas Skains and AGL Resources’ John Somerhalder – said the pipeline represents a major step forward for the region’s energy security, economic future and carbon reduction:
“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a transformational project for our region. It will create thousands of construction jobs during development and significant new revenue for state and local governments throughout North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The expanded source of gas will also help fuel economic development across the region as businesses and homes rely more on natural gas.”
Natural gas is increasingly important for advanced electricity generation, contributing to significantly lower greenhouse gas and other emissions. The project will also provide more reliable access to new sources of natural gas, keeping consumers’ energy costs down – even during the coldest and hottest weather.”
Piedmont plans to make additional utility investment In conjunction with its investment in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Piedmont Natural Gas plans to make additional utility capital investments in its natural gas delivery system of approximately $190 million in order to redeliver Atlantic Coast Pipeline gas supplies to local North Carolina markets the company serves.
Natural gas’ growing role in North Carolina North Carolina currently is served primarily by only one major interstate natural gas pipeline which traverses the state’s western and central regions, transporting natural gas largely from the Gulf of Mexico.
To enhance reliability and energy security, Duke Energy’s and Piedmont’s solicitation sought proposals for a new, second natural gas pipeline that would transport additional large-scale supplies – from different sources – into the state.
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will meet those objectives by roughly paralleling the Interstate 95 corridor in eastern North Carolina, and transporting gas from a different natural gas source – the Utica and Marcellus shale basins located largely in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Duke Energy increasingly relies on natural gas to generate electricity after closing half of its 14 coal-fired power plants in North Carolina during the past three years. The company has opened five natural gas-fired power plants in North Carolina since 2011 to replace those coal plants, and plans to open a natural gas power plant in South Carolina in 2017.
Piedmont Natural Gas’ residential, commercial and industrial customer demand for natural gas also continues to grow. Additionally, Piedmont is a major retail transporter of natural gas to power plants operated by Duke Energy and other electric utilities. Last winter’s extremely cold temperatures – which resulted in high demand and high prices for natural gas across much of the U.S. – underscored the national need for more natural gas pipelines.
Pipeline route The pipeline will begin in Harrison County, W.Va., at an existing natural gas transmission facility, then travel southeast through four other West Virginia counties and 13 Virginia counties before entering North Carolina.
A separate, 70-mile extension pipeline will split off from the main pipeline at the Virginia- North Carolina border, traveling eastward through southeast Virginia to that state’s Hampton Roads region, which includes Norfolk and other cities served by Virginia Natural Gas, an AGL Resources subsidiary.
In North Carolina, the pipeline will enter the state in Northampton County, travel southwest through six other counties, then terminate in Robeson County at existing Piedmont Natural Gas transmission facilities.
Dominion is conducting land surveys along the proposed pipeline route. It will determine the final route based on landowner input; community meetings in counties on the route; consultation with government agencies and other interested stakeholders; and an environmental, historical and cultural impact assessment.
Dominion will build and operate the pipeline through a services agreement with its Dominion Transmission subsidiary, which will oversee siting, permitting, engineering and legal issues.
Read more at www.dom.com/acpipeline. BECAUSE YOU CARE – WE THANK YOU
Dear Senator Bryant,
On behalf of the City of Oxford, thank you for your recent work on the Kerr Lake Regional Water System Inter Basin Transfer (IBT). As you know, Oxford, Henderson, and Warren County own the Kerr Lake Regional Water System (KLRWS).
Your action in the legislature saved the Kerr Lake Regional Water System hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional expense in the permitting process, allowing partners in the KLRWS to refocus resources that would otherwise have been spent on permitting toward plant expansion, which will provide additional water for both residential and commercial/industrial growth in our region. Thank you for preserving on our behalf with this legislation in a most difficult season in Raleigh.
Sincerely yours,
Jacqueline vdh Sergent, Mayor
Senator Bryant was here (SEPT 8). We really enjoyed her message. The staff and students thought she was wonderful!
Thank you!
Shirley Morton
Senator Bryant,
Thank you for joining us for our dinner and conversation around our ALIGN4NCWORKS. Your feedback about our priority list was enlightening and encouraging. We appreciate the support you have shown NC community colleges during this past year. Best Regards,
Walter Bartlet Piedmont Community College
Dear Sen. Bryant,
I’m writing to thank you for everything you did to help insure funding for Family Court. You have been a veritable fireball of energy, information and commitment on so many important issues and Family Court was one of them. There are so many families who are better off today because these courts continue to exist.
Eliminating these courts when funding is tight may seem like an easy way to save money in the short run, but it would only have cost our state and our families more in the long run. Thanks so much for working however you could – and at every step along the way – to insure funding for these courts.
Thanks, too, to Karon. She is a terrific LA. I’m so grateful for your help and leadership.
Best wishes,
Lao Rubert Carolina Justice Policy Center
Contact: Senator Angela R. Bryant, North Carolina Senate • District 4• North Carolina General Assembly • State Legislative Office Building • 300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 520, Raleigh, NC 27603 • 919-733-5878-P • 919-754-3289-F •Angela.Bryant@ncleg.net or Karon Hardy, Legislative Assistant at bryantla@ncleg.net. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please click here |
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