RALEIGH – A slight increase in the toll rate for the Triangle Expressway will take effect Thursday, Jan. 1, as required by the bond covenant created for the funding of the Expressway. The N.C. Turnpike Authority Board adopted a schedule of annual toll rate increases based on the financing requirements of the Triangle Expressway project, which set a 5 percent increase for 2015. The increase will be $0.14 for N.C. Quick Pass Customers and $0.22 for bill-by-mail customers traveling the …
Month: December 2014
Henderson, NC Area Man Winner of 2015 Bassmaster Classic in Lake Hartwell
Brandon Gray with Area Hearing Center of Henderson, NC is the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Berth. By winning the Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish Off, Gray earned the final 2015 Bassmaster Classic berth and accepted another “gift” — an $88,000 Skeeter FX20 bass boat/Yamaha 250 outboard rig for him to run in the Classic Feb. 20-22 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. The Bullock, N.C., angler caught five-fish limits both days and finished with 20 pounds, 3 ounces. …
Henderson Police Department and Bureau of ATFE Investigation Leads to Heroin Arrest
On Tuesday, December 30, 2014, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Unit arrested Neno King. King, 23, 516 Whitten Avenue, Henderson was charged with one count of sale and deliver of heroin after a Vance County Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment. The arrest, is another in the ongoing joint investigation of heroin trafficking and violent crime in the Henderson/Vance county area. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Henderson Police Department and members of the …
Louisburg Driver License Office Moving to New Location
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles will close its Louisburg driver license office on Tuesday, January 6, as the office is relocating. Currently located at 86 Tanglewood Drive, the office will open at its new location of 90 Tanglewood Drive at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7. Beginning on Thursday, January 8, hours of operation for this location will be from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Monday – Friday. The office can be contacted by phone …
Wednesday Open Line
On this New Year’s Eve, some 319 million Americans of all ages are ready to greet the year 2015. A hundred years ago, the U.S. population was just over 99 million. Fifty years ago, it was around 192 million. The 2010 Census counted just under 309 million people. To show how the nation is growing, by this time tomorrow there will be 10,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year, the first of whom will be reported in …
Vance County Schools Board of Education Committee Meeting Date
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Date: * Personnel Committee, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, 8:30 am Note: All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.
Tuesday Open Line
As a year draws to a close, it is common to reflect on the passage of time. How history will judge 2014 is not yet known, but this year’s anniversaries are woven into the fabric of today. Two-hundred years ago, we experienced a foreign invasion and occupation, as British troops captured Washington, DC and burned the White House. One-hundred years ago, Henry Ford set an eight-hour workday, while President Woodrow Wilson signed a Mothers Day proclamation. Fifty years ago, we …
White House: Happy Holidays from the President and First Lady
In this week’s address, the President and First Lady wished Americans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and thanked our brave troops for their service. Especially as our combat mission in Afghanistan comes to a responsible end in the coming days, we are reminded of all that military men, women, and families sacrifice to keep us safe. The President and First Lady asked everyone to take some time this holiday season to visit JoiningForces.gov and find out how to give …
Monday Open Line
Yesterday was the 33rd birthday of Elizabeth Comeau, formerly Elizabeth Jordan Carr. Her birth in 1981 was notable because her delivery by cesarean section marked the success of the country’s first in-vitro fertilization, so both her conception and birth involved technology. The in-vitro fertilization technique, sometimes described as implanting a test-tube baby, was first used in England in 1977, with Louise Brown being born in late July of 1978. Elizabeth Comeau is now a journalist and a mother herself. Her …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
The millions of Americans who for nearly a century and a half have enjoyed well-brewed coffee can direct their gratitude to James H. Nason of Franklin, Massachusetts. He received the nation’s first patent for a coffee percolator on this date in 1865. Now, not only does just about every home in the U.S. have a coffeemaker, but many also grind their own fresh from coffee beans. The percolator still has a market niche, but since the 1970s has been overtaken …
Thursday Open Line
Today is Christmas Day — a joyous religious observance for many, but for almost everyone, one of the happiest days of the year. Outside or indoors, whether in balmy or snowbound climates, children are busy trying out their shiny new treasures, ranging from traditional bikes to the latest marketing craze. Inside, others are busy with video games and other electronic marvels. Many will have attended church services to honor the day. And in many of the more than 115 million …
Downtown Henderson Christmas Decoration Contest Winners
The winners of the Downtown Henderson Christmas Decoration Contest 2014 has been announced! First Place – Emrose Art GallerySecond Place – Betty B’sThird Place – The Rosemyr CorporationFourth Place – Dataforge
White House: The Fastest Pace in 11 Years
America’s economy is growing at the fastest pace in more than a decade. New data out today shows that U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 5 percent in the third quarter of 2014. That’s the strongest single quarter of growth since 2003. The steps that we took early on to rescue our economy and rebuild it on a new foundation have also helped make this the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s …
Wednesday Open Line
This is Christmas Eve, a time of gathering families close together and to wind down from the hectic weeks of shopping and mailing. But it also a night of wrapping presents, especially toys — some of which have to be put together. Some parents will discover to their dismay that some treasure has been overlooked, or that batteries are not included with their purchases and head out into the cold, hoping to find an open store with the right solutions. …
NCDA&CS offers risk-management classes for farmers
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will offer a series of risk- management workshops across the state in January through March. The workshops will focus on managing price volatility and identifying macro indicators. The following topics will be covered: Introduction to grain hedging, basis trading, cost of carry, cotton futures, option trading on futures and equities, and macro forces. The principles of options, spreading strategies, using options to manage financial risk, and energy derivatives and how …
VGCC honors retired faculty and staff
Vance-Granville Community College celebrated employees who had retired from the college — and particularly those who retired in 2014 — during the holiday social for faculty and staff, held on Dec. 18 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked all employees, past and present, for their dedicated service to students and the community. “During this holiday season, we give thanks for the gift of education,” Williams said. “I’m also thankful …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Giving Back During the Holiday Season
Picture of the Week: I enjoyed serving as Grand Marshal in the Snow Camp Christmas Parade last weekend. It was a beautiful day that allowed for me to see familiar faces and introduce myself to new ones as well. It was such an honor to be a part of this tradition! I received thrilling news this past week regarding legislation, called the EARLY Act, that I introduced with Rep. Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). I learned on Tuesday that this bill …
Tuesday Open Line
An institution that has been in the news a lot these past few years, and which has come in for its share of criticism during the nation’s stubborn economic problems, observes the centennial of its founding today. The Federal Reserve System, known simply as “the Fed,” came into being on this date in 1913, with the job of keeping the nation’s complex financial system in tune. Acting as the nation’s central bank, “the Fed” influences the lending and investing activities …
Jason Brown encourages VGCC ag course grads to make a difference
The 14 graduates of the first-ever NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship class at Vance-Granville Community College received certificates and heard words of encouragement from former NFL-star-turned-farmer Jason Brown on Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the college’s auditorium. “Farmers are the backbone” of the local area, our state and nation, Brown, a former center for two National Football League teams, told the graduates. “All roads lead back to the farmer,” he said, describing the rewards for being involved in agriculture. After playing college …