One of the joys of summer and sins of consumption goes back to this date in 1786 when commercially made ice cream was first advertised in New York City. Until then, ice cream was a privately prepared treat. But the New York Post Boy announcement stated that anyone “may be supplied with ice cream every day at the City tavern by their humble servant, Joseph Cowe.” However, the supply was as limited as the technology of the age, and ice …
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State Board of Education Unanimously Approves Revised High School Math Standards
The State Board of Education at its June meeting unanimously approved revised high school mathematics standards for Math 1, 2, and 3, the key high school-level math courses required of all students. These new standards will go into effect in the fall of 2016. “Board members are very pleased to approve the revised standards,” State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey said. “There was an excellent standards revision process, and it was good to see the leadership role of our …
VGCC to offer Enrollment Day on June 16
Vance-Granville Community College will hold “Enrollment Day” on Thursday, June 16, from 9 a.m. until noon, and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., at all four of its campuses. During those times, VGCC counselors and other staff members will be ready to assist anyone who is interested in enrolling at the college for the Fall 2016 semester, which starts Monday, Aug. 15. No appointments are required. For new students, the process of enrollment begins with an application for admission and …
Tuesday Open Line
Dealing with one of the oldest challenges to house cleaning — dust — motivated Ives McGaffey of Chicago to patent the first vacuum cleaner in the U.S. this week in 1869. It was hand powered, made of wood and canvas, and sold under the name “Whirlwind.” Thirty years later, a motorized vacuum cleaner was patented. The problem with it was that the motor was gas powered, and thus had to run outside the house, using very long hoses for the …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Photo of the Week I toured Harnett County Head Start facilities in Dunn and Lillington with County Commissioner Jim Burgin Thursday afternoon. I enjoyed meeting with administrators, teachers and, most of all, some of the Head Start students. While touring the facilities I was able to talk with the county inspector and an engineer overseeing an environmental study regarding the state of the buildings and the needed remediation to deal with issues like asbestos and lead paint. Weekly Update I …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
JUNE EDITION OF GARDEN PATH NEWSLETTER Go to this link to download the latest issue of our Garden Path newsletter, written by your local Master Gardener Volunteers. As always, it includes lots of timely tips, a plant of the month, helpful gardening websites, and more! FUN SUMMER YOUTH ACTIVITIES THROUGH 4-H Are you looking for fun, educational and low-cost activities this summer for your children, granchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.? Look no further! Cooperative Extension has a wide variety of …
Senator Richard Burr: Disabled Americans Deserve The American Dream
I usually use this newsletter to share updates about Senate business. Since the Senate is not in session this week, I want to share an op-ed I wrote for the Independent Journal about the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act and the bipartisan legislation we are working on to give Americans living with disabilities an equal shot at the American dream. Every parent wants their child to have a fair shot at realizing the American Dream. That desire is …
Monday Open Line
A major pop culture phenomenon, lasting several decades, began on this date in 1933. With the automobile increasingly reshaping Americans’ habits, Richard Hollingshead opened the nation’s first drive-in movie theater in Camden, New Jersey. Soon, drive-in movies became a fixture across the country and a popular place for teenage dating and family outings. Drive-ins reached their peak in the 1950s. There were some 20,000 movie theaters then, and almost 5,000 of them were drive-ins. Now, there are nearly 4,500 movie …
Ballet Arts Dance Recital in Downtown Henderson June 4th, 2016 Free Admission
Here’s your chance to attend a free event in the new McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Downtown Henderson, NC. Ballet Arts, also based in Downtown Henderson, is holding their annual recital this Saturday (June 4th) at McGregor Hall. “Let’s Go To The Movies” Show Times broken up into age groups, with the younger kids first and older kids later. Show times are: 12:45p.m., 2:30p.m., 6:15p.m. and 7:00p.m. There is no charge for admission. Ballet Arts is beyond thrilled to be performing in …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday June 6th, 2016
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday June 6th, 2016 Download the full agenda packet here: 20160606_vcboc_agenda_packet.pdf Invocation Todd Stout, Carey Baptist Church 1. Public Comments (for those registered to speak by 5:45 p.m. – each speaker is limited to five minutes) 2. Budget Hearing FY 2016-17 Economic Development Appropriations 3. Budget Hearing 6:00 p.m. FY 2016-17 Proposed Budget 4. Public Hearing Rezoning Request – Case RZ1604-01 US 1 Hwy South 5. Appointment 6:45 p.m. Deryl Von Williams, Learning Center …
NC Cooperative Extension: Produce, Barley, Sheep & Goats!
MALTING BARLEY FIELD DAY, OXFORD, JUNE 14 With a growing interest from craft breweries, barley production may present a good opportunity for your farm enterprise. Would you like to learn more? Come visit our test plots on June 14th at the Oxford Research Station and learn from specialists from NCSU and USDA. Dinner will be provided afterwards! Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, June 7th. Click here for more information or to register, or call 252-257-3640. When: Tuesday, June 14, 2016 …
VGCC celebrates Male Mentoring students
The first-ever PRIDE awards were presented as the Male Mentoring program at Vance-Granville Community College recently held an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding students who have participated in the program. The ceremony, held May 2 in the VGCC Civic Center, began with welcoming remarks from the president of the college, Dr. Stelfanie Williams. “I want you to know how important you are to us as male leaders in our college and in our community,” Dr. Williams told the students being …
VGCC adding Histotechnology program, holding information session
New opportunities to train for medical laboratory technician careers will soon be available at Vance-Granville Community College through a new degree program in Histotechnology. The two-year program will start when the fall semester begins on Aug. 15, and enrollment is already underway. An information session about Histotechnology and the college’s other Health Sciences programs will be held on Wednesday, June 8, at 9 a.m. in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Attendees will …
Chamber Ribbon Cutting – Benchmark Community Bank
Henderson businesses take note: you now have a new local banking option! On Wednesday, May 25, Benchmark Community Bank held a grand opening celebration at its new office on Graham Avenue across from the Ribeye Steakhouse. With the help of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and representatives from Benchmark’s headquarters, Vice President and Business Banker, Kim Jordan, officially cut the ribbon and welcomed chamber members, Henderson officials, and area businesses. The Henderson location is Benchmark’s second in North Carolina. In …
Work Set to Start June 6 for New Granville County Bridge
The replacement of a 50-year-old bridge on Harper Renn Road over Owen Creek begins next week, southwest of Oxford in Granville County. The $673,437 project awarded Dane Construction means the roadway will be closed at that location on Monday, June 6. Replacing structurally deficient and functionally obsolete structures such as this is part of the Department of Transportation’s program to rehabilitate and replace substandard bridges across the state. Governor McCrory’s 2016-2017 state budget provides more than $450 million over two …
Vance County Schools Commencement Ceremonies Will Be Indoors
Commencement ceremonies for members of the Class of 2016 at Northern Vance, Southern Vance and Western Vance high schools will be held in the schools’ gymnasiums this weekend. The decision to hold the ceremonies indoors was made due to excessive rain and the poor condition of our fields, as well as the forecast for possible thunderstorms and rainy conditions on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Original plans called for the ceremonies at Northern Vance and Southern Vance to be held …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, June 3rd. Among the assorted observances in June is one that will be welcomed by a great part of the U.S. population — especially youngsters. It’s National Candy Month, although Americans consume about 22 pounds of candy year round, much of it is chocolate. There are about 1,200 firms in the U.S. making chocolate and cocoa products worth $14.5 billion a year. Another 420 locations make nonchocolate confections selling for $8 billion. Together, there are more than 56,000 Americans …
North Carolina’s Tourism Resource Assistance Center Free Marketing Event in Downtown Henderson, NC June 9th, 2016
Next week, on Thursday, June 9, tourism-related businesses in the Henderson/Vance County area – including the surrounding counties – will have an opportunity to work with Visit North Carolina staff to learn about its research, development and marketing services, and discuss best practices in reaching travelers, the media and increasing tourism visitation and spending. Visit North Carolina’s Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held 10 am – 2 pm atThe …
Thursday Open Line
On this date 91 years ago, Congress passed — and President Coolidge signed — the Indian Citizenship Act, which stated “all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby declared to be, citizens of the United States: Provided that the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.” Prior to this act, about two-thirds of American Indians …
North Carolina Surveys Franklin County To Determine Seat Belt Use
Franklin County is one of twenty-five North Carolina counties selected as a seat belt survey county to help determine North Carolina’s overall seat belt usage rate, as required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The seat belt usage rate is one of many metrics used by the Governor Pat McCrory’s Vision Zero project which aims to save lives on North Carolina roadways. The governor’s goal is to reach zero traffic-related fatalities through coordinated agency-to-agency efforts that helps reduce risky driving …