One of the most versatile and gifted people in American history revealed the invention of bifocal eyeglasses this month in 1785. Benjamin Franklin had been using one pair of glasses to read with and another for distant vision. Writing of this from France to an acquaintance, Franklin said he had the two pairs of lenses cut in half and mounted in the same frame. The idea of these split lenses, or bifocals, was slow to be adopted because of the …
Month: May 2015
VGCC offers Health Unit Secretary job training course
Vance-Granville Community College will soon begin a certificate program that provides students with the skills and knowledge to succeed as a Health Unit Secretary. The course is scheduled to be held Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., June 1 through July 23, in room 7335 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. There will be no classes during the week of June 29 through July 3. This 168-hour course is designed to introduce a variety of clerical and managerial …
VGCC awards 574 degrees and diplomas to 2015 graduates
Vance-Granville Community College’s commencement exercises on May 15 awarded a record 574 degrees and diplomas, according to an announcement Monday night from VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams. Dr. Williams made the report to the VGCC Board of Trustees at the board’s bi-monthly meeting at the main campus on May 18. She noted that the registrar is still processing graduates as well as grade changes and expects additional completions. Marking perhaps the largest graduation attendance in college history, too, 18.5 percent …
Vance County Board of Education Called Board Meeting
VANCE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Called Meeting Wednesday, May 27, 2015 5:30 p.m. Administrative Services Center Superintendent’s Conference Room 1724 Graham Avenue Henderson, N. C. 27536 AGENDA Call to Order * II. Approval of Meeting Agenda * III. Executive Session * IV. Personnel Recommendations * V. Adjournment * Requires Board Action
Vance County Public Safety Committee Meeting Notice
Vance County’s Public Safety Committee (Brummitt, Brown and Wilder) is scheduled to meet Wednesday, May 27 at 12:00 noon. The purpose is to discuss Animal Shelter matters. Note: All Commissioners are invited to attend.
City of Henderson 2015-2016 Proposed Budget
This is a DRAFT of the City of Henderson 2015-2016 Proposed Budget Download here: FY 15-16 Recommended Budget.pdf
Celebrate Piedmont Train’s 20th Anniversary with Special Station Events, Discount Memorial Day Weekend
Raleigh— Looking for a fun family activity this Memorial Day weekend? Come to your local Amtrak Station to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Piedmont train, which runs between Raleigh and Charlotte! Watch the trains roll in, enjoy some cake and refreshments, enter raffles to win roundtrip train tickets and a special commemorative anniversary coin, and hop on board to take advantage of our special Kids Ride for $5 discount. The Kids Ride for $5 discount will be valid all …
Wednesday Open Line
Gas prices are a frequent cause for consumer complaint — but at least purchases aren’t restricted, as they were beginning this month in 1942. That’s when 17 states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort. By December, rationing was nationwide and remained in effect until the end of World War II, along with a national speed limit of 35 miles an hour, which was promoted as “Victory Speed.” Now, there are more than 114,000 gas stations across the country. …
Middle and High School News May 18-22, 2015
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS WEEKLY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 3, Issue 37 A Publication for Middle and High Schools May 18-22, 2015 The MISSION of Vance County Schools is to be committed to educating all students to prepare them for lifelong learning and productive citizenship. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS ? The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2015 at the Early College High School will be held Friday at 6 p.m. in …
Elementary School News May 18-22, 2015
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 2 Issue 37 May 18-22, 2015 The MISSION of Vance County Schools is to be committed to educating all students to prepare them for lifelong learning and productive citizenship. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS Monday, May 25, is the Memorial Day holiday. All schools and school system offices will be closed. State end-of-grade tests will be administered …
Clarke Elementary Girls on the Run Donation
The Girls on the Run program members at Clarke Elementary School on May 14, presented representatives of the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society with a check for $109 to go towards the construction of a new Vance County Animal Shelter. The 17 female students in the girl’s healthy activities and good character building program conducted a coin drive of a two-week period to collect the funds for the donation. They easily surpassed their goal to raise $50. A Girls on …
VGCC Students Awarded Golden LEAF Scholarships
A group of students from Vance-Granville Community College recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state’s community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation and childcare related to attending classes during the 2014-15 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that address skill gaps upon …
Memorial Day Festivities Mark the Start of Maximum NC Summer
RALEIGH, North Carolina (May 18, 2015) ? Travelers will find a harmony of patriotic and festive events across North Carolina to mark Memorial Day weekend, the traditional kickoff of summer. With everything from a symbolic homecoming at Duke Homestead State Historic Site to the inaugural WRAL Freedom Balloon Fest and the 56th running of the Coca-Cola 600, destinations across the state present spirited reasons to observe the holiday and celebrate summer. “Memorial Day falls on the earliest possible date and …
Senator Richard Burr: Student Loan Interest Rates, National Police Week, Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
Last week, students and parents received good news: federal student loan interest rates are set to drop for the upcoming school year to 4.29 percent, down from 4.66 percent. I am thrilled students in North Carolina, and all across our nation, will see the interest rates on their student loans drop for the next year, in addition to over $8 billion in savings from the past year. When I introduced the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act two years ago, I knew …
Vance County Schools Upcoming Committee Meetings
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates: * Building & Grounds, Thursday, May 28, 2015, 8:30 am * Curriculum, Thursday, May 28, 2015, 9:15 am * Personnel Committee, Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 8:30 am Note: All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.
Vance County Board of Commissioners Special Called Meeting May 26th, 2015
Chairman Archie B. Taylor, Jr. has called a special meeting for Tuesday, May 26 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC. The purpose of the special meeting is to enter into closed session to discuss a personnel matter. Following the closed session, the Board will enter into its budget work session.
Tuesday Open Line
By presidential proclamation, this month recognizes one of the nation’s fastest-growing population groups — those of Asian and Pacific American heritage. The observance began in 1978 with a joint congressional resolution honoring the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the 1840s and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1870 with the help of Chinese immigrants. The occasion was extended to the entire month in 1990. Now, over 19 million people in the U.S. are of full or partial …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: My Votes to Protect Life & Save the 440th Airlift Wing
Video of the Week: This week Time Warner Cable News did a report on my most recent efforts to save the 440th Airlift Wing. Click here or on the image above to watch the video. Weekly Update: This week the House unanimously passed my 440th AW Amendment to the NDAA. My amendment is simple and straightforward: it will prohibit deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing until the Secretary of Defense personally certifies that this proposal will – in no …
White House Weekly Address: Creating Opportunity for All
In this week’s address, the President highlighted the importance of expanding opportunity for all Americans — a principle that has guided his work throughout the past six years. This past week, the President attended a summit at Georgetown University where he discussed issues like poverty and inequality, and what we can do to ensure everyone gets a fair shot. We’ve seen real results in this area, but there is still more that can be done. And lack of opportunity is …
Monday Open Line
The New York Stock Exchange, by signaling business prospects through share prices, has long been a bellwether of the nation’s economic health. The exchange started this week in 1792, as some two dozen merchants and brokers established an organized approach to their buying and selling. In good weather, they operated under a Buttonwood tree on Wall Street. Otherwise, they moved to the shelter of a nearby coffeehouse to continue their trading. This makeshift setup eventually evolved into an economic powerhouse, …