FM radio is 74 years old. In March 1941, the first commercial FM station went on the air — W47NV in Nashville, Tennessee. FM —standing for frequency modulation — was first proposed in a scientific paper written by Edwin Armstrong in 1922. By 1934, he was demonstrating to network officials how FM was unaffected by static, like all the radio stations then on the air, which used AM, or amplitude modulation. World War II interrupted the advance of FM broadcasting, …
Month: March 2015
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
A triumph of mobile computing was achieved on this date in 1961. A division of the Sperry Rand Corporation equipped a trailer truck to haul a UNIVAC I computer from New York City down to North Carolina to process data for the Douglas Aircraft Corporation. The UNIVAC I, fully assembled, weighed in at a nimble 7,237 pounds. In 2013, nearly 84 percent of America’s 116 million households had computers. Even the country’s seniors participate heavily. Nearly two-thirds of senior households …
Butterfield Statement on Republican-Passed FY’16 Budget
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) issued the following statement after voting against the Republican Fiscal Year 2106 Budget, which passed in the House today: “I’m dismayed that we find ourselves here yet again. The Republican majority, moments ago, passed their FY’16 budget which does little to address the concerns and needs of everyday Americans. Not only does their budget make drastic reductions in funding to important economic drivers such as education, research, and infrastructure, but it also …
Carowinds opens Fury 325 this Saturday
This Saturday, Carowinds in Charlotte will open its newest roller coaster, Fury 325, which the amusement park calls the “world’s tallest and fastest giga coaster.” The roller coaster lifts riders 325 feet up – more than 30 stories – before plunging them down at an 81-degree drop at almost 100 miles per hour. It contains three 32-passenger open air trains and 6,602 feet of track. The opening of Fury 325 gives Carowinds two of the 10 tallest rollercoasters in North …
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Update
The Building & Grounds Committee and the Curriculum Committee will not meet on Thursday, March 26th 2015
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of March 26 on North Carolina Weekend, join in the fun at the Easter Hat Parade in Dillsboro. Tempt your taste buds at Firewürst in Cary. Celebrate the visual, literary and performing arts at Palustris Arts Festival in Moore County. Lift a glass at Fair Game Beverage Company in Pittsboro. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Duke’s Grill in Monroe. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North …
EDPNC/Visit North Carolina promote partnership at N.C. Main Street Conference
Partner Relations Manager André Nabors and EDPNC Business Services Representative Bill Slagle promoted North Carolina as a retirement and business services destination and business services at the 35th Annual N.C. Main Street Conference last week in Morganton. The conference drew approximately 500 people from across the state, all there to learn and discuss ways to create and implement successful downtown economic development strategies for their respective areas. The EDPNC attended the conference to continue its efforts to promote the services …
Butterfield Remembers Legacy of Willie Bradshaw
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) issued the following statement today on the passing of Durham great, Willie Bradshaw: “I join the entire Durham community in expressing my deepest sorrow at the passing of Mr. Willie Bradshaw. Mr. Bradshaw is fondly remembered as an iconic athlete, coach, and educator, who committed his life to mentoring youth through sports and ensuring all kids had opportunities to reach their full potential. I have no doubt that his expansive legacy will …
Asheville Riverfront to get $50 million makeover
Public spending on greenways, road rerouting and other infrastructure upgrades in and around what has become known as Asheville’s River Arts District will reach $50 million in the next six years, municipal staff involved with the projects say. That infusion of public funding into a once-industrial district will be accompanied by about $200 million in private investment. The overhaul is being led by the city, though about 44 percent of public money is coming from federal and state sources. Some …
White House: Ensuring the Highest-Quality Health Care
The Affordable Care Act has been crucial to increasing the quality of health care for Americans. Over the past five years, the law has worked to make sure that Americans are: Healthier after hospital stays Getting more time with their doctor when they need it Paying less in health care premiums Seeing their tax dollars go toward better investments in education, roads, bridges, and lower taxes See how the Affordable Care Act is improving health care for you, and learn …
Thursday Open Line
Everyone who loves convenience in shopping can thank Edward Delk and J.C. Nichols. It was they who conceived, designed, and built the first shopping mall in the U.S. The Country Club Plaza, on the outskirts of Kansas City, opened this month in 1923 to wide acclaim. It was the first shopping area to have stores facing inward toward a promenade, rather than facing out toward a road. The mall had 150 stores, a 2,000 seat auditorium, and parking for 5,500 …
VGCC Warren Campus hosts one-day small business seminar on Hospitality
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has scheduled a free seminar, entitled “Hospitality Habits for Small Business,” on Wednesday, April 8, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the college’s Warren County Campus in Warrenton. The instructor will be Crystal Smith, Warren County Director for North Carolina Cooperative Extension, which is presenting the seminar in partnership with VGCC. “One of the keys to a successful business is hospitality,” Smith said. “From entrepreneurs to employees, we have all experienced the …
Section of Rolesville Road Closing This Weekend for Rolesville Bypass Work
RALEIGH — As progress on the U.S. 401 Rolesville Bypass project continues, the contractor plans to close a section of Rolesville Road this weekend to make the required connection for the upcoming bypass. The roadway will close Friday, March 27, at 10 p.m. and is expected to re-open by Monday, March 30, at 6 a.m. The closure is needed so crews can install new concrete islands, and pavement markings to put traffic into its new “superstreet” pattern. A superstreet keeps …
Tickets now on sale for VGCC Dinner Theater production held April 30th and May 1st, 2015
Vance-Granville Community College’s third annual Dinner Theater event, “Smoke on the Mountain,” is set for the evenings of Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1, 2015 in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. VGCC’s Drama and Culinary Arts departments are teaming up once again to present a delicious meal followed by an entertaining play, which this time will be the college’s first musical. Tickets for the event are $25 per seat and are now available online …
Plans set for Spring Litter Sweep and Recycling Day April 25th, 2015
The Henderson-Vance Recycling Day will be held for a third time on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the front parking lot of the City Operations Center on Beckford Drive. Previous Recycling Days were held in April and September last year. All items are accepted free of charge at the Recycling Day. The Recycling Day is the culminating event for the annual Henderson-Vance Spring Litter Sweep Week, sponsored again this year by the Vance County Appearance …
Wednesday Open Line
Two young women, who were the first Americans of their gender to enter their professions, are highlighted during this Women’s History Month. Lucy Hobbs Taylor was the first to receive a degree in dentistry, graduating from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866. And this month in 1883, Susan Hayhurst became the nation’s first woman pharmacist when she graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. She’s further distinguished by obtaining that degree while already being a physician. Now there …
Violence and Race Meeting March 24th, 2015 at Gateway Community Center
VIOLENCE & RACE Date: TUESDAY MARCH 24, 2015 Location: GATEWAY COMMUNITY CENTER 314 S. GARNETT ST. HENDERSON, NC Time: 6:00PM – 8:00 PM “A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON VIOLENCE AND RACE” JOIN US IN A STRUCTURED DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER TO REDUCE THE VIOLENT CRIME IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. ALL OF US CAN AND MUST HELP TURN THIS SITUATION AROUND TO ELEVATE THE DIGNITY IN PRESERVING AND RESPECTING OURSELVES!!!! Unity in the Community
19th Annual Vance County Storytelling Festival Tuesday March 25th, 2015
19th Annual Vance County Storytelling Festival Tuesday March 25th, 2015 starting at 6pm at the Perry Memorial Library Featuring Storytellers: Tyris JonesLloyd ArneachWright ClarksonCasey Nees
Vance County Board of Commissioners Special Called Meeting Notice March 30th, 2015
Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting on Monday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m. The purpose is to enter into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
Public Invited to Provide Feedback on Draft Schedule for Transportation Projects
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation wants your feedback on its Draft 10-Year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and how it was developed. This is the first STIP developed under the new Strategic Transportation Investments law, which established the Strategic Mobility Formula. NCDOT will hold a regional meeting on March 31 in Fayetteville for paired divisions five and six. Division five includes Durham, Franklin, Graham, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren counties. Division six includes Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett and Robeson counties. Editors Note – You may read …