Dear Friends: I invite you to join me along with faith leaders for Together in Prayer:One Community United in Faith, a vigil to unite people from across the First Congressional District around a common purpose of healing and understanding. The prayer vigil will be held on Tuesday, June 30th from 6:00 – 7:30 PM at the Church of God of Deliverance, 301 NE Main Street, Rocky Mount, N.C. My heart is saddened for the families who have lost loved ones in the …
Month: June 2015
Vance County Schools – HMS Students Meet Governor
A group of students and staff members from Henderson Middle School had a surprise visit by N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory during their tour of the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh in May. McCrory is shown in the photo standing in the back at center behind the group of students. The students also toured the old N.C. Capitol building and the N.C. Legislature building.
White House: Today’s decision
On March 23, 2010, I sat down at a table in the East Room of the White House and signed my name on a law that said, once and for all, that health care would no longer be a privilege for a few. It would be a right for everyone. Five years later, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law and multiple challenges before the Supreme Court, here is what we know today: This …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, June 26th. Whoever bought a pack of chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio on this date 41 years ago was making history. It was the first purchase of an item to be scanned into a cash register by using the Universal Product Code — better known as the bar code. Realizing the significance of the event, the buyer returned the item. The 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Scammers Try to Exploit Travel Season
Many people hit the road in the summer, and crooks know it. Watch out for scammers posing as loved ones who run into trouble while traveling and need your money. Emails from overseas You get an email that appears to come from a friend or relative who says they were traveling overseas when disaster struck. Lost or stolen bags, a car accident, or some other calamity means they’re stuck and need you to send them money. In reality, your friend …
Longtime VGCC Instructor now a U.S. Citizen
Vance-Granville Community College Spanish instructor Margaret Chaves-Smith of Oxford is one of the newest citizens of the United States. A native of Costa Rica, Chaves-Smith has lived in the United States for 21 years and has been a full-time faculty member at VGCC since 2000. In May, Chaves-Smith took the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Durham. “It was one of the happiest days of my life,” Chaves-Smith said …
Vance County Board of Education Called Meeting June 30, 2015
VANCE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Called Meeting Tuesday, June 30, 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. Personnel Recommendations (Attachment III) Finance: * A. Final 2014-2015 Budget Amendments * B. Adoption of Interim 2015-2016 Budget Resolution (Attachment IV.B) * C. Bank Signature Authority Change (Attachment IV.C) * D. Child Nutrition’s 2015-2016 …
N.C., Triangle outpace nation in tourism and travel spending for April
According to figures released Tuesday (yesterday) by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, tourism and travel spending across the U.S. “decelerated” during the first quarter of 2015, growing at an annual rate of just 2 percent. That’s down from the 4.9 percent increase the nation saw in the final quarter of 2014. BEA attributed the decline to reduced spending on food services and drinking places and “all other transportation-related commodities.” Meanwhile, North Carolina has seen no such slowdown. While figures …
NCDOT to Close I-85 Ramp in Vance County
Raleigh-N.C. Department of Transportation contractors will close the I-85 northbound on-ramp at N.C.39 (Andrews Avenue) on Friday, June 26. The closure, part of a project to improve 20.6 miles of I-85 in Vance and Warren counties, will remain in place until early 2017. Motorists traveling to I-85 North from N.C. 39 can use a signed detour along Beckford Drive to Garnett Street, and then use the I-85 northbound on-ramp at Parham Road. Also, on the weekend of July 10 and …
VGCC launches online scholarship application
A new online system is now available for Vance-Granville Community College students to apply for scholarships established by local citizens and businesses through the college’s Endowment Fund. The online application can be accessed at scholarships.vgcc.edu. To use the system, a student must already be admitted to VGCC and have been assigned a username and password, which they also use for other online college services. Using software from AcademicWorks, Inc., VGCC Endowment Office staff have set up an application that asks …
Thursday Open Line
Today is the anniversary of the first color television broadcast. In 1951, CBS transmitted the appropriately named program “Premiere” from New York City, and through stations in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The program was seen in color only at a few select facilities because color sets for the home weren’t available until 1954. Sales of color sets caught up with those of black and white sets around 1970. Shortly thereafter, American consumers began preferring foreign manufactured sets, and in 1995, …
New Round of Rural Grants Will Mean More Than 1,300 New Jobs
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 15 grants or loans on June 18, totaling more than $6 million with the commitment of 1,322 new jobs. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)/loans approved include: City of Lexington (Davidson County): $750,000 loan to Masterbrand Cabinets to support the reuse of a vacant industrial building located at the Sapona Business Park. The company will invest $8 million in the renovation and new equipment and has committed to creating 38 new jobs. City …
Henderson Police Department Recognizes Officer Ashton Mitchell for Officer of the Month
Chief Marcus W. Barrow of the Henderson Police Department is pleased to recognize Officer Ashton Mitchell as the Officer of the Month for May, 2015. The Officer of the Month recognition is a departmental award which is given to officers and Sergeants nominated by agency commanders for performance during the previous month which exceed the normal duties of a Henderson Police Department officer. On May 17, 2015 officers were dispatched to the area of Rockspring Street and Highland Avenue in …
NC Quick Pass Performing Maintenance Over Weekend
RALEIGH –Customer services for NC Quick Pass will be unavailable as maintenance is performed on the database system from midnight on Friday, June 26 through 9 p.m. Sunday, June 27. The Customer Service Center in Morrisville will also be closed, the myncquickpass.com website will be unavailable and the Interactive Voice Response system customers use to pay bills over the phone will also be unavailable during that time. This work is part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s continued focus on enhancing customer service and …
Town of Warrenton Receives Money from Main Street Solutions Fund
Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolina Commerce announced today that the Town of Warrenton has been awarded up to $50,000 from the Main Street Solutions Fund. “The North Carolina Main Street Center continues to be a great way to provide assistance to revitalize communities throughout the state,” said Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III. “We are pleased to not only preserve historic buildings in Warrenton but also to help create new jobs.” “The project in Warrenton expands an existing quilting shop …
Wednesday Open Line
In the past, hot summer days meant that some enterprising youngsters in the neighborhood would set up a lemonade stand or the family would share a pitcher of iced tea on the front porch to cool off. In recent times, we usually resort to something in a bottle or can to slake our thirst year-round. Today, the drink of choice is often a soft drink, usually carbonated. As a result, fizzy soft drink manufacturing is a $37 billion a year …
Detours Planned as Road Work Continues on Rolesville Bypass Project
Raleigh- As progress continues on the U.S.401 Rolesville Bypass project, NCDOT contractors have two closures planned, both starting this weekend, weather permitting. The first closure is scheduled to last 12 hours and will begin Saturday, June 27, at 10 p.m. Contractors plan to close a section of U.S. 401 between just north of Louisbury Road and Forestville Road. The road should re-open Sunday morning by 10 a.m. Motorists can follow a signed detour route along Forestville Road, Mitchell Mill Road and …
Henderson City Council Upcoming Committee Meetings
Boards and Commissions Committee The Henderson City Council’s Boards and Commission Committee will meet Tuesday, June 23 at 4:00 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting to consider appointments to various boards and commissions. Land Planning Committee The Henderson City Council’s Land Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday, June 24 at 1:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Downtown …
Butterfield’s Guide to Summer Preparedness
The summer is usually a time for fun and family. However, it is also a time for caution due to extreme temperatures. Included in this e-newsletter is a guide to help your family stay safe in hot weather Avoiding Heat Dangers When dealing with summer weather, the best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips: Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount …
NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Late July
Cooperative Extension in Vance and Warren Counties announces that the biennial Master Gardener Training Class will begin on July 28th. Participants will learn all they need to know to join this pre-eminent volunteer program. Prospective volunteers will receive 40 hours of instruction in all aspects of horticulture, including trees, lawns, flowers, vegetables, fruits, pest management and much more. Upon successful completion, participants are then required to provide 40 hours of volunteer service on community projects. Past projects have included demonstration …