Friday, January 15th. The contemporary habit of adjusting TV viewing to your own convenience got its sputtering start 50 years ago. The Sony Corporation began marketing its open-reel videotape recorder in 1966 to individual consumers. The black and white system didn’t make much of an impression. But the Japanese company did far better in 1975 with the introduction of the Betamax VCR for home recording and playback. Although Betamax quickly lost out in the market to the competing VHS format, …
Month: January 2016
Spots Available for Leadership Vance 2016
The spots are filling up for this year’s Henderson Vance Chamber of Commerce Leadership Vance class! Now is the time to get your application in to take part in one of the most comprehensive, enriching and beneficial experiences available to business professionals looking to take the next step as tomorrow’s leaders of the Vance County region. The 10-session program begins in February with orientation and concludes in June. The cost for participating is $325 for members and $400 for …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Jan. 14 on North Carolina Weekend, enjoy a number of activities at the Riverwalk in Hillsborough. Give your taste buds a workout during Queens Feast – Charlotte Restaurant Week. Go kayaking along the Pamlico River with Inner Banks Outfitters in Washington. Step back in time via the Statesville Historical Collection in Statesville. And check out the scene at Lou Redas: An American Table in Rocky Mount. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is …
Butterfield’s Statement on the State of the Union Address
Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address: “Tonight, President Obama delivered a message to America that makes us proud of what we’ve accomplished as a nation under his leadership and gives us hope about the future of our country. In his final State of the Union address, President Obama reminded Americans that there is far more that unites us than divides us. Congressional Democrats are eager to …
Inaugural volleyball tournament expected to bring $700,000 to Raleigh region
The inaugural City of Oaks Challenge volleyball tournament at the Raleigh Convention Center debuts this Saturday (Jan. 16), and runs through the holiday weekend. According to the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, the event will feature 141 teams playing on 20 courts in the Raleigh Convention Center’s 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The City of Oaks Challenge is expected to generate approximately 2,200 hotel room-nights and $700,000 in direct visitor spending.
Thursday Open Line
January is Financial Wellness Month, appropriately timed to the confluence of New Year’s resolutions and holiday bills. It’s a time to set new goals for financial freedom and moderation in spending; for people to understand the benefits of “paying yourself first.” A financial adviser can help shape money management goals, pointing out the power of compound interest to work for you in savings and against you in debt. Americans have a per capita income average of just over $28,000 and …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Phony State Treasurer’s inspector threatens arrest
Scammers will sometimes try to frighten you by pretending to be a law enforcement officer or a government employee. In a recent incident, a man claimed to be an inspector with the State Treasurer’s Office, likely to try to trick someone into giving up their money or personal information. The scammer was able to manipulate Caller ID to make it look like he was calling from the Treasurer’s Office. He claimed to be inspector “Henry Jordan” and threatened the consumer …
Senator Richard Burr: No 2nd chances for misconduct
Now that the excitement of the holiday season is over, Americans are collectively dreading a much less joyful occasion – tax season. Thoughts of the IRS may conjure images of accountants dutifully processing paperwork. However, recent investigations have uncovered misconduct at taxpayer expense. Did you know, that under current policy, an IRS employee that gets fired for misconduct can be rehired and continue working for the agency? A recent Inspector General Report found that employees who were fired for offenses …
City of Henderson Loose Leaf Collection Extended to January 29th, 2016
Loose leaf collection within the City of Henderson has been extended until January 29, 2016, at which time the leaves will need to be bagged prior to pick up. If leaves are not bagged after January 29, 2016, there will be a $75.00 fee added to your utility bill. Leaves must be in clear bags so that it is not confused with regular trash. Please visit http://ci.henderson.nc.us and search Muni-code for a copy of the Sanitation Code. Any questions should be directed to Jeanetta …
Henderson Police Department Arrest Fugitive
On Friday, January 8, 2016, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Unit, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency, and the United States Marshalls arrested a Henderson man for parole violation. The suspect was wanted by the state of New York. Leon Vaughan, 45, 1001 Hargrove Street, Henderson was charged with being a fugitive from justice. Vaughan was placed in the Vance County Jail without bond pending extradition to New York.
Vance-Granville Community Band preparing for new season
The Vance-Granville Community Band started rehearsals again on Monday, Jan. 11, but it is not too late for musicians to join the group, according to Carl Cantaluppi of Butner, clarinet player and music librarian for the ensemble. Cantaluppi said that band members are preparing for their spring season with great enthusiasm, and are scheduled to play more concerts this year at several local venues. Rehearsals are held at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, on the Main Campus in Henderson, …
Motivational speaker challenges VGCC students
Students at Vance-Granville Community College recently heard from motivational speaker Tawan Perry. His presentation on the college’s Main Campus was sponsored by the VGCC Male Mentoring Club and the Student Government Association. A resident of Raleigh, Perry started his own higher education at a community college in Maryland before eventually earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees and becoming a nationally-known speaker and author focusing on college student success. In a keynote address attended by a large number of VGCC students, including …
VGCC to offer Craft Artists Entrepreneurship program in Oxford
Vance-Granville Community College is offering a course designed specifically to help creative local residents with skills in arts and crafts to succeed as entrepreneurs. The “NC REAL Professional Craft Artists Entrepreneurship” program will be conducted at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center in Oxford on Tuesdays from 6 until 9 p.m., Feb. 9 through March 29. “If you are considering starting your own business selling your handmade items, then the NC REAL Professional Craft Artists Entrepreneurship program is just …
Wednesday Open Line
Couch potatoes can trace their roots to this date in 1928 when three experimental television sets were installed in private homes in Schenectady, New York. Not that there was much to see, the test broadcast by General Electric and RCA being of a person smoking, followed by a man playing a ukulele. The first home receivers’ screens were only 1½ inches square; a far cry from today’s theater-sized flat screens. And in another departure from 1928’s lonely three, the number …
Southern Vance High School Student Nominated to Play in All-American Games
McDonald’s is pleased to announce the 750 high school seniors who have been nominated to play in the 2016 McDonald’s All American Games. This year’s list includes players from 49 states and the District of Columbia who have been selected by high school coaches, athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. Five players hail from Central N.C. – one male and four female players. The local players nominated for the 2016 Games include: Jalen Harris, Word of God …
N.C. tobacco growers to vote on export assessment Jan. 27
Flue-cured tobacco growers in North Carolina will have a chance to vote Jan. 27 on whether to continue their self-assessment to support export promotion and expansion programs conducted by Tobacco Associates for the next three crop marketing years. The exact assessment will be approved by the N.C. Tobacco Associates Board of Directors, but the amount will not exceed one-fifth of 1 cent per pound of tobacco sold. The assessment would be in effect for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Ballots will …
Henderson Police Department Seize Heroin, 3 Arrested
On Saturday, January 9, 2016, members of the Henderson Police Department Special Operations Unit and the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at 838 Eastside Drive, Henderson. Officers seized 47 bricks(2350 dosage units) of heroin, a firearm, and U. S. currency. The heroin seized in this matter had a street value of 23,500.00. Vondell Tyshang Gregory, 27, 838 Eastside Drive, Henderson was charged with three(3) counts of trafficking heroin, possession of a controlled substance within 1000 …
Tuesday Open Line
Protests by college students in America have a long pedigree. In fact, this year marks the 250th anniversary of the first such action. In 1766, there were just seven colleges in Colonial America. The students at Harvard—the first college– were unhappy with on-campus dining, specifically, the rancid butter. The so-called Butter Rebellion began with the cry “Behold, our butter stinketh!” About half the student body supported the complaint, and they found safe spaces for dining in nearby taverns. The administration …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Delivering on Promises
Photo of the Week Since I first came to office, I have promised the Second District that I would work for a repeal of Obamacare and a patient-centered replacement plan. This week, House Republicans delivered on that promise. On Wednesday we voted to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. On Thursday, House and Senate leadership signed this legislation and it went straight to the President’s desk. Weekly Update: Our first legislative priority of 2016 was to vote on a …
Monday Open Line
In the depths of winter, many Americans find soothing warmth in a cup of hot tea, be it herbal, ginseng, black, green or some exotic specialty blend. Lumped together, this appreciation of the brew underlies January’s National Hot Tea Month. Tea is the only beverage commonly served either hot or iced and in any season. While tea has been consumed for thousands of years, Americans made two important contributions — inventing tea bags and iced tea — both in 1904. …