The Obamacare enrollment numbers were released last week and confirm what I have said all along— Obamacare was never ready for prime time. Reports are showing that enrollment numbers are only 1/5 of the previously stated White House projection, which isn’t nearly enough for the health care law to be sustainable, or affordable, long term. Only 1,662 people in North Carolina enrolled into Obamacare in October, and according to recent news reports, as many as 475,000 people in North Carolina …
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N.C. Forest Service accepting entries for 2014 Arbor Day Photo Contest
RALEIGH — The N.C. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is accepting entries for its 2014 Arbor Day Photo Contest through Feb. 28. The contest is open to North Carolina students in fifth through 12th grades, including public, private and home schools. The theme is “Young and Old.” “The theme reflects not just the beauty of North Carolina’s trees and forests, but also the values and benefits that many generations have enjoyed,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The competition …
Tuesday Open Line
What is widely considered the most memorable speech in all American history was given 150 years ago this month when President Abraham Lincoln delivered what we know as “the Gettysburg Address.” The brief speech dedicated 17 acres of the Pennsylvania battlefield as a national cemetery and is recognized as one of the most concise in the English language. Gettysburg National Cemetery continues to draw thousands of visitors each year. The three-day battle in 1863 involved some160,000 Union and Confederate soldiers …
Henderson City Council Boards and Commisions Meeting
The Henderson City Council Boards and Commissions Committee will meet Thursday, November 21 at 4:00 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue. The main purpose for the meeting is to consider applications for appointment to various committees. Other items may be discussed. The public is welcome.
Vance County Board of Education Upcoming Committe Meetings
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates: * Building & Grounds, Thursday, November 21st, 8:30 am * Curriculum, Thursday, November 21st, 9:00 am * Personnel Committee, Tuesday, December 3rd, 8:30 am Note: All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.
Attorney General Roy Cooper: As cold weather arrives, scammers threaten electricity shut off
Recent chilly temperatures remind us that winter is on the way. Now cold-hearted scammers are using the threat of a power cutoff to try to scare some consumers into paying bills they don’t actually owe. Not long ago we warned you about a similar scam aimed at customers of the state’s largest electrical utility company. Now, the crooks are targeting consumers served by North Carolina’s electrical cooperatives. The scammers tell customers that they owe money on their utility bill, and …
White House Weekly Address: Taking Control of America’s Energy Future
In his weekly address, President Obama discusses progress in American energy and highlights that we are now producing more oil at home than we buy from other countries for the first time in nearly two decades. We reached this milestone in part not only because we’re producing more energy, but because we’re wasting less energy, and as a result, we are also reducing our carbon emissions while growing the economy. Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything …
Monday Open Line
We still use the word “dial” to refer to the act of calling someone on the phone — even though several generations have not used a rotary phone — or maybe ever seen one, except in the movies. Push-button, or touch-tone, phones made their debut this month in 1963. At the time, the service was an extra cost option and was available only in two cities in Pennsylvania. It didn’t take long, however, for the speed of placing calls on …
VGCC Ambassadors pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child
Students who serve as ambassadors at Vance-Granville Community College recently packed shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, books and other useful items in order to bring some holiday joy to underprivileged children around the world, as part of the Operation Christmas Child Project. Pictured above, from left, student David Henry of Macon, VGCC endowment specialist (and advisor for the ambassadors) Kay Currin, and student Theresa Chiplis of Norlina prepare four boxes to be delivered. In each box, they included …
Chamber Ribbon Cutting – Lamplight Inn and Tobacco Farm Camp
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, at 2PM for Lamplight Inn and Tobacco Farm Camp to celebrate the addition of area to hold events – weddings, receptions, parties, etc. The Lamplight Inn is located at 1680 Flemingtown Road in Henderson. You can contact Shirley Payne, Innkeeper at 252-438-6311 or check them out on the web at www.lamplightbnb.net.
White House: Two Very Important Lines Crossed Last Month
For the first time in nearly two decades, we’re importing less foreign oil than we’re producing domestically — and we’re using less overall. That’s a really big deal. Get the facts below, and pass them on.
Friday / Weekend Open Line
Many people in the U.S. had not yet seen an airplane when the first municipal airport in the country opened this month in 1919 in Tucson, Arizona. The airfield was located where the rodeo grounds are today. A few years later, the airport moved to a larger parcel of land, part of which was given to the war department in 1940 to use as an aviation facility. A new civil airport was built in 1948, which still serves the Tucson …
Contest – Christmas With The Embers Tickets
We’re running a contest starting right now, November 14th , 2013 ending at 12 noon on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013. We’re giving away 3 pairs of adult tickets to Christmas With The Embers, which is the evening of Friday, December 6th, 2013 at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center. Each adult ticket is worth $10.00 To enter, simply make a comment on any article on our website during the contest running time. There will be 3 winners, each winner …
Deadline Nears for Henderson Christmas Parade Entries
The Henderson, NC Christmas Parade will be held Sunday, December 1st, 2013. Parade begins at 2:30pm Deadline for Entries and Fees: November 18, 2013 Download the entry form and view the parade rules for participants here: hendersonncdowntown.com/activities/christmas-parade/
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Give to real typhoon relief, not to scams
Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of the Philippines, and many people are eager to contribute money to help with recovery efforts. Unfortunately, some past catastrophes spawned scams that collected money that never reached the victims, and similar scams are likely following Typhoon Haiyan. Attorney General Roy Cooper encourages North Carolinians to give generously to relief efforts but to watch for charity scams. If you come across a potential scam, report it to us by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint …
N.C. ski resorts gear up for the season
Sugar Mountain Ski Resort in Banner Elk opened its slopes Wednesday for the winter season. Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley opens this Thursday with the other ski sites around the state scheduled with later dates. Each ski resort usually offers slope reports via their websites; also, the N.C. Ski Association also offers slope reports “at a glance.”
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Nov. 12 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, check out the offerings with Brunk Auctions in “Collecting Carolina.” Explore a bygone era at “The Tsar’s Cabinet” exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Discover the treasures at Spoon River Artsworks & Market in Belhaven. Enjoy music at White Horse Black Mountain in Black Mountain. And tempt your taste buds at Buku Restaurant in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is …
Boone area emerging as craft beer destination
For far too long, Boone, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, seemed like a barren desert for craft beer, a mirage compared to the oasis two hours south in Asheville. Earlier this year, the area’s image slowly began to change. The first craft brewery in Boone opened in February, another began pouring next door in Blowing Rock earlier this month and soon a third will start in nearby Banner Elk. Three more breweries are located a short drive down backcountry …
Thursday Open Line
Given what seems to be the ever-growing profusion of coffee vendors, imagine what a crisis it would be if coffee were suddenly rationed. That’s exactly what happened this month in 1942 because the war had interrupted shipments and people were hoarding coffee. But rationing lasted only until the next summer. It’s thought that coffee was introduced into America by Captain John Smith, one of the founders of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Its popularity jumped after both the Boston Tea …
VGCC Criminal Justice Students complete service projects
Criminal Justice Technology students at Vance-Granville Community College recently completed a pair of service projects, as they prepare for careers that involve giving back to their communities. First, the Criminal Justice Club continued its longstanding tradition of picking up trash along the whole length of the club’s adopted street, Poplar Creek Road, near the college’s Main Campus on Interstate 85 in Vance County. In a separate project, students collected, packaged and delivered bags full of candy as special Halloween treats …