Justin Bieber, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, was in Spencer over the holiday weekend doing a photo shoot for Teen Vogue at the N.C. Transportation Museum. Museum interim Director Larry Neal said a production crew from Greensboro photographed Bieber in several locations throughout the property. The magazine paid for the privilege of using the state-owned facility as a photo backdrop. “It’s very beneficial for the museum in showcasing the fact that our property does lend itself …
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‘Dawson’s Creek’ debuted 15 years ago
In January of 1998, a TV series that would become a national phenomenon burst onto the small screen and quickly stole teens’ hearts. “Dawson’s Creek” premiered on Jan. 20 to mixed reviews, but it struck a chord with high schoolers and young adults, earning it a spot as the most popular show in the WB network’s 10-year history. It also catapulted Wilmington’s film industry into the national spotlight and changed the way television executives planned scripted series, said Wilmington Regional …
Asheville distillery makes big expansion
The craft whiskey business is booming at Asheville’s first legal distillery, where a big, new custom-made German still is greatly increasing production. Asheville Distilling Co., makers of Troy & Sons high-end moonshine whiskey, has just installed a 5,000-liter still, the largest of its kind made in Germany, said Charlie Ball, who founded the company with his wife, Troy. The company’s old still, since dismantled, sold and shipped elsewhere, could produce one 53-gallon barrel, or 400 bottles, of whiskey a day. …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Jan. 24 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” take in a performance by the Burning Coal Theatre Company in Raleigh. Whet your appetite at The Weeping Radish Brewery and Restaurant in Grandy. Sample the fare at J. Betskis in Raleigh. Get your swing on at the N.C. Jazz Festival in Wilmington. And check out the scene at the Beyu Caffe in Durham. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is exclusively underwritten by the …
Thursday Open Line
Surgery has been practiced since the Stone Age, but the fearsome pain suffered by the patients of such procedures held back the practice for ages. This began to be resolved in the 19th century with the advent of anesthesia. Now anesthesia is an advanced and specialized component of the surgical process. In recognition, January 20 through the 26th is Nurse Anesthetists Week, celebrating the professionals that are the main provider of anesthesia in rural America. There are 2.7 million registered …
Elissa Yount: Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts
“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” This warning holds meaning for us in Henderson just as it did for the Trojans in ancient times. The first gift we should have been wary of was the gift of the warehouse on Zene Street that was accepted by the Downtown Development Commission. This commission is not elected and for the most part is funded by the taxpayers in Henderson. Why the DCC would accept such a large property that harbored vagrants and piles …
VGCC students discuss Service to Humanity at annual Martin Luther King celebration
Speeches by students on the importance of serving others and joyful music were among the highlights of Vance-Granville Community College’s annual celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, held on Jan. 16 in the college’s Civic Center. Attendees were welcomed by VGCC Early Childhood Education program head Tracey Bennett, chair of the college’s Global Awareness Committee, which sponsored the event. VGCC Publications Coordinator Elizabeth Gray, who chairs the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Subcommittee, helped Bennett preside over …
Free Seminar at VGCC Will Provide Business Owners Information About Taxes And Workers’ Comp
The Vance Granville Community College Small Business Center will host a seminar for business owners that deals with taxes and workers’ compensation insurance on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. The seminar, which is free to everyone, will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Building 7, Room 7107 at the Vance Granville Community College Henderson campus. The Henderson campus is located at 200 Community College Road, which is exit 209 off of interstate 85 onto Poplar Creek Road The …
Henderson Strategic Planning Retreat January 23, 2013
The Henderson City Council will hold its annual retreat meeting today, which is open to the public if you’d like to attend. The agenda is attached: Henderson City Strategic Planning Meeting
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Use caution when meeting people online
You may have seen recent news reports about a college football player’s involvement with an online girlfriend who turned out not to exist in real life. Regardless of what details ultimately emerge, this is a good reminder to use caution when getting to know someone online. The online world makes it easy for someone to hide their true identity, and easy for them to find and befriend unsuspecting people. Con artists and online predators will even use information you reveal about yourself online …
State to make global connections at Miami Boat Show
Approximately 35 North Carolina companies will be exhibiting at the Miami International Boat Show Feb. 14-18. At the show the N.C. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Division will partner with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program and the National Marine Manufacturers Association to host trade delegations from Japan, Costa Rica, Brazil, Panama, Chile, and Turkey. For the first time, the boat show has been chosen to be a part of the International Buyer Program, which was created to …
N.C.-filmed ‘Homeland’ strikes gold again
The North Carolina-filmed series “Homeland” once again walked away the big winner in television from the Golden Globe Awards, presented on Jan. 13 in Los Angeles. The series brought home the honor of Best Television Series-Drama for the second consecutive year. In addition, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis each won for Best Performance by an Actress and Actor, respectively, in a Television Series-Drama. In addition, the series was also once again named one of the top productions of the year …
State Board of Education to Consider a Vote on Corporal Punishment in North Carolina Schools
Two decades ago, most school districts in North Carolina allowed the use of corporal punishment as an acceptable form of student discipline. New data released by the Department of Public Instruction earlier this month shows that corporal punishment is now on the decline. Twelve school districts used corporal punishment last year, three of which have since banned the practice. Research has shown corporal punishment is not effective to improve student behavior or academic outcomes, and yet, nine districts continue to …
N.C. World Trade Association hosts ambassadors in Wilmington
The Cape Fear chapter of the N.C. World Trade Association is kicking off 2013 with visits and presentations in Wilmington by distinguished international guests based in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 10, Ambassador Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy of Oman presented at an NCWTA-sponsored event in Wilmington to an audience interested in learning how to do business in Oman. N.C. Department of Commerce International Trade Division Director of Foreign Operations Derek Chen joined in the discussion to remind North Carolina business owners that …
Oxford’s Biofuels Center expands sector development capabilities in WNC
As a chief component of its 2012-2013 grants award process targeting biofuels development in the western part of the state, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina will award $766,256 to a consortium of partners led by AdvantageWest Economic Development Group to fortify the biofuels sector and trigger its expansion in the region. The project, “Planting the Seeds for a Robust WNC Biofuels Sector,” will be collaboratively executed by AdvantageWest and 13 other entities, including: N.C. State University Mountain Horticultural Crops …
Job fair in WNC attracts 86 employers with 1,200 to 1,500 openings
On Jan. 3, the 7th Annual Homecoming Job Fair was held in Asheville. The job fair attracted 86 employers from across the region, who identified about 1,200 – 1,500 openings available in the first quarter of 2013. The Economic Development Coalition of Asheville-Buncombe County and the N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions estimated more than 2,000 job seekers attended the job fair.
Troxler announces availability of WNC agricultural development and farmland preservation grants as part of TVA settlement
RALEIGH – County governments and nonprofit conservation groups pursuing agricultural development and farmland preservation projects in 17 western N.C. counties can apply for funding assistance from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation-Tennessee Valley Authority grant program. The N.C. General Assembly appropriated a portion of the state’s TVA Settlement Fund to support this grant program, and legislators restricted use of the money to projects benefitting one or more of the following counties: Avery, Buncombe, …
Wednesday Open Line
Many sumptuous foods get their day, or month, in the sun by way of some commemoration. But January celebrates a very basic, traditional dish. This is Oatmeal Month, recognizing the long-term favorite for its up-to-date health characteristics — low fat, no sodium, and the ability to help lower the risk of heart disease. Oatmeal also fits today’s time pressures, since a bowl can be made in seconds in the microwave. And, of course, oatmeal cookies are among the nation’s favorites. …
White House: The Next Four Years
From Vice President Joe Biden: Taking the oath of office is a serious piece of business. And being part of an inauguration has a way of focusing the mind on what’s to come. That’s what President Obama meant earlier today when he said, “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.” In the months ahead, we’re going to be tested, and nothing about the challenges we …
Tuesday Open Line
An innovation in product packaging — and a staple of TV advertising — is having its 78th anniversary this week. The first canned beer was put on sale in 1935 as a marketing test in Richmond, Virginia, by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey. Experiments with putting beer in cans had taken place as early as 1909 but the technology of the time couldn’t stop the beer from interacting negatively with the metal of the can. Prohibition …