Students with Disabilities, American Indian Students Hit at Disproportionate Rates (Raleigh, N.C.)-A report examining the Department of Public Instruction’s inaugural release of corporal punishment data highlights some uncomfortable truths about who gets hit in North Carolina’s public schools. While local school districts have long since been required to keep records on their use of corporal punishment, recent legislative changes now require school districts to submit those data to the Department of Public Instruction for release in an annual consolidated report …
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Jay Carney Answers Your Questions on Energy and the Affordable Care Act
Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced the return of First Question, an online engagement series that utilizes social media to answer questions from people across the country. On a regular basis, the Press Secretary takes questions from the press – via First Question, he adds questions from citizens to that mix. Through Twitter and the White House Google+ page, hundreds of people submitted their questions for Jay. He responded to questions on gas prices, tax breaks for oil …
What Do 20.4 Million Women Have in Common?
Original Article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/03/20/numbers-204?utm_source=032012&utm_medium=photo&utm_campaign=daily President Obama’s health reform law requires that new health insurance plans cover preventive services with no co-pay or deductible. In the last 18 months, approximately 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive health services such as mammograms and pap smears at no additional cost because of this provision in the Affordable Care Act. Besides improving access to services that help women stay healthy and detect health problems early on, health reform helps women in many …
Offshore wind energy potential draws developer interest
Three hundred energy industry experts, government officials and wind energy developers gathered in Charlotte earlier this month to attend the first ever Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference. N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco participated in a keynote panel at the meeting along with Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce Jim Chang and other officials. The advantages of regional collaboration provided the focus for the two day conference. The potential for offshore wind energy along the nation’s East Coast has drawn growing interest …
Small Business is Big Business in NC
Governor Beverly Perdue: I am pleased to present the 2012 edition of North Carolina’s Annual State of Small Business, prepared by the Small Business and Technology Development Center, under the direction of our State Commissioner for Small Business. This report contains the most current information and data on small businesses in North Carolina. It is clear that small business is actually big business in our state, providing about half of all private sector employment, and accounts for roughly 45% of …
State Tourism Office and Time Warner Cable Media Partner to Increase Tourism Across the State
Raleigh, NC (March 20, 2012) – From the Outer Banks to the Southern Appalachians, getting to a North Carolina tourist destination is as easy as a few clicks away. In an effort to attract visitors, the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development has formed a partnership with Time Warner Cable Media to air long-form videos promoting popular North Carolina tourism destinations. The videos will be available to all Time Warner Cable Digital TV customers across the state through …
N.C. expects economic boost from ‘Hunger Games’ fans
North Carolina is poised to reap major dividends from tourism with the March 23 opening of “The Hunger Games,” the highest-profile movie ever made in the state. “The movie is already a winner for us,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco. “The filmmakers spent more than $60 million in North Carolina, and now fans are eager to come see the locations and go to the restaurants, neighborhoods and other places the stars visited. The money they spend here …
Using Technology to Help Homeless Veterans
Original Article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/03/19/using-technology-help-homeless-veterans?utm_source=032012&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=daily More than 67,000 veterans spent one night homeless, living in emergency shelters, transitional housing units or on the streets in 2011, according to last year’s “point in time” count conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in coordination with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It’s not always easy for volunteers and outreach workers to know where to send them to get help. That’s why the VA is excited to launch a competition to …
Wednesday Open Lines
Yesterday, March 20th. As of 1:14 Eastern time in the morning, it’s spring in the northern hemisphere. While celebrated by poets, composers, and artists, people of every age will also be glad to welcome a change in the weather after the long winter. While winter may hang on in spots around the country for a few weeks more, the time is coming for spring rains and soon afterward, a profusion of flowers in an infinite variety of colors. Those whose …
Relay For Life Yard Sale
The Vance County Relay for Life will hold a county wide yard sale on Saturday — April 28, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. until Noon at the Old Aycock School Gym on Vicksboro Road. For more information on attending please contact Jane Haithcock at 252-432-3778 or 252-492-8246
Grant from GlaxoSmithKline Supports STEM Education for NC Students
RALEIGH – North Carolina’s growing network of innovative STEM-focused schools is getting a boost from a three-year, $750,000 grant from GlaxoSmithKline. The funding from GSK will support the professional development of teachers and principals in the schools, which emphasize science, technology, engineering and math. These schools are part of a statewide STEM network, developed by the North Carolina New Schools Project in partnership with local districts, the State Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction, higher education and businesses …
NC Wildlife Organization Seeking Opinions on Hunting at Night
There’s still time to share your opinion about proposed rules that will allow the hunting of feral swine and coyotes at night with a light. Public hearings are scheduled for this week and next week, or you can comment online. The proposed seasons would be year-round, seven days a week. All hunting on Sundays is allowed only on private lands and only with archery equipment. Night hunting is one means of controlling the population of coyotes and feral swine, both of …
VGCC holds Seminar on Getting out of Debt
Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center will soon offer a free seminar, entitled “Get Completely Out of Debt.” The seminar will be held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 19 in room 7107 of Building 7 on the college’s main campus in Vance County. “Being in debt and living from paycheck to paycheck does not have to be your way of life,” according to the seminar’s instructor, Greg Frank of Benson. This seminar will show participants how …
N.C.’s Skilled Workforce Integral to Manufacture of World’s Most Powerful Jet Engine
Last week, GE Aviation celebrated the shipment of its 1000th GE90-115B jet engine, the most powerful engine ever built. The engine earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2003. A sleek fan blade built for the GE90-115B is on display in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. As part of the celebrations of this important milestone, the company has been highlighting the role North Carolina and its talented aerospace workforce plays in its manufacturing prowess. Watch …
HelenCare: Giving Seniors Peace of Mind and More Money in Their Pockets
To mark the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is sharing personal stories of people who say the new law has made a huge difference in their lives. It isn’t just health care, it’s MyCare. Helen R. is a senior who likes to keep busy. From helping her grandson with his education, to assisting other seniors at a West Philadelphia senior center, Helen knows there are lots of people counting on her. …
Tuesday Open lines
One of the most remarkable piano players in jazz celebrates her 94th birthday today — Marian McPartland. Born in England, she married Chicago jazz cornetist Jimmy McPartland after the two met while performing at USO shows in World War II. Coming to the U.S., McPartland played a long engagement at the New York nightclub, the Hickory House. In the ’60s, she began a series of radio shows highlighting guest pianists, which led to her decades long program on NPR called …
WIZS Town Talk Guests
On TownTalk Monday, March 19, the soon to be retired Director of the Granville Vance District Health Department, Dr. Rodwell Drake, will be on WIZS Radio talking about Community related health issues, an overview of community health efforts and Dr. Drake will be available to take your call on the WIZS Hot Line 252-492-5594 At 4:30 PM on Wednesday, March 21, Dr. Bridgett Waters. from The Dabney Drive Animal Hospital, will be on the WIZS Animal Kingdom Show . Dr. …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers Message
It has been great seeing so many constituents and enjoying this beautiful weather in the Second District. This week in the district, I launched the first meeting of my Housing Advisory Council in Clayton, toured and spoke to students and faculty at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, visited the Caterpillar facility in Lee County and spoke to the Raleigh Kiwanis Club. In this week’s newsletter you’ll find updates on my work in the district, the latest on my opposition …
VGCC Psychology instructor invites public to Stress seminar
Peter Metzner, a Psychology instructor at Vance-Granville Community College, will offer a free seminar about stress management, and the public is invited. In the seminar, entitled “Practicing Safe Stress,” Metzner will help participants learn how to recognize stress and better manage stressors found in school and in life. He will also lead participants through an experiential relaxation exercise. This seminar will be offered twice: on Tuesday, April 17 from 1 until 2 p.m. in room 6116 (Building 6) on VGCC’s …
Senator Richard Burr Message
NAT GAS Act With traditional fuel prices on the rise and approaching $4 per gallon nationwide, the President blocking construction of projects like the Keystone XL pipeline (which I discussed with Bill LuMaye on WPTF on Monday), and dangerous unrest in the Middle East, it makes sense to do what we can to transition our commercial trucks and fleet vehicles to a cheaper, more stable, American-made energy source. That is why I introduced the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans …