The nation’s first college for deaf students traces its beginning to this date in 1857, when Congress incorporated the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind. In 1864, the school was federally chartered to confer degrees, the first three of which were awarded in 1869. Those diplomas were signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, and all subsequent diplomas awarded by the school bear the U.S. President’s signature. In 1954, the name of the institution was changed …
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Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Punching Back
Photo of the Week This week I visited Ft. Bragg to meet with officials regarding the deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing. This decision to deactivate is beyond disappointing — it’s irresponsible to our paratroopers, and I’m punching back. Scroll down to read more. Weekly Update On Monday, I visited Fort Bragg and met with military officials regarding deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing. Included in these meetings were Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Lt. Gen. James …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
FOOD SAFETY FOR FARMERS MARKET PRODUCE VENDORS If you sell produce at a local farmers market, please don’t miss this opportunity to learn about how to make sure your produce stays safe from farm to table. Registration required (call 252-438-8188). Take your pick of the following dates: Wed, Feb 17, 4:30 pm, Vance County Regional Farmers Market Fri, Feb 26, 9-10:30 am, Vance County Reginal Farmers Market FRANKLIN COUNTY SMALL FARMS CONFERENCEDon’t miss this unique learning opportunity! Get all the …
Microsoft Office and IT Academy courses scheduled at VGCC
New training courses in computer software and hardware are set to be offered soon at Vance-Granville Community College, and grant funding can help eligible area residents pay for them. All of these courses will be offered in a “hybrid” format, with some coursework online and some on VGCC’s Main Campus during the evening. The “Microsoft Office Specialist” course will be offered March 8-May 13, with the in-class component on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 until 8 p.m., taught by …
Vance County Early College Recognitions
Administrators and faculty members at the Vance County Early College High School hosted their annual “Leading the Pack” celebration for outstanding students on February 9, in the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College. There were 18 students honored during the celebration as they near the end of their fourth year in the five-year program and are on target to complete their high school education and have two years of college course credits when they graduate in May of 2017. The …
Cast, crew announced for VGCC Dinner Theater production
Vance-Granville Community College has announced the cast and crew for “Deathtrap,” a comedy-thriller that will be the college’s fourth annual Dinner Theater event. The dinner theater is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. each night. Then, on Saturday, April 30, at 2 p.m., there will be a special encore matinee performance of the play, without dinner, at the …
Monday Open Line
For many Americans nowadays, it’s hard to conceive of life without computers. But such a life is within the living memory of America’s seniors. The first electronic computer was publicly demonstrated on Valentine’s Day 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania. Inventors J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly developed the computer to help calculate the proper ballistic trajectory for artillery shells. It filled a large room with 18,000 vacuum tubes and the resulting heat. Eckert and Mauchly went on to develop …
N.C. pecan growers to meet in Greenville March 5
The N.C. Pecan Growers Association will hold its annual conference March 5 at the Pitt County Cooperative Extension office in Greenville. The event is open to current pecan growers and those interested in learning more about pecan production in the state. The meeting includes workshops and an orchard tour. Dr. Lenny Wells, a pecan horticultural specialist at the University of Georgia, will discuss varieties and successful production practices. Other pecan production and business topics will be covered, including crop growth …
Evening introductory Carpentry course offered at VGCC
A course that introduces students to the carpentry trade will be offered soon by Vance-Granville Community College. “Carpentry I” is scheduled to be held on Monday through Thursday evenings from 6 until 10 p.m., March 16 through June 28, on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. Students will learn about proper safety techniques, equipment and building materials, blueprint reading, floor systems, wall systems, ceiling and roof framing, ceiling joists, and envelope systems. The 235-hour course includes both classroom instruction and …
Vance County Schools Recognitions
Vance County Schools is proud to announce that Marion Perry, an outstanding volunteer in our school system and particularly for Carver Elementary School, was named the Citizen of the Year for 2015 at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on February 4, 2016. Our school system also is proud to announce that Flat Rock United Methodist Church in Vance County has been named the recipient of the school system’s Shining Moment in Education Award for 2015-2016 as the most …
ACTS in the Community
Who We Are ACTS of Vance County was ?established?in?1985 by more than 40 local churches, local businesses, individuals, and the United Way. ACTS is committed to providing daily hot nutritious meals to the low-income and homeless population in the Vance County community. It is our mission to provide an effective Christian focus for directing all the resources of the community toward transforming human lives. We serve our community through the operations of soup kitchen, food pantry, community garden, brown bag …
Week-long Side Street Closure for NCDOT Tryon Road project in Raleigh Starts Feb. 15
The contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation Tryon Road realignment and bridge replacement project in south Raleigh plans to close a portion of Junction Boulevard/Ileagnes Road between the current Tryon Road and what will be the new alignment of the road, starting Monday, Feb. 15. The week-long closure will allow workers to safely continue getting the area ready for a shift to the new alignment. A signed detour will have drivers using Grenelle Street, Olympia Drive and Ileagnes Road …
Redrawing of NC Congressional Maps
A federal three judge panel ruled Friday, February 5, 2016, that NC Congressional Districts 1 and 12 were unconstitutional. US District Judges William Osteen of Greensboro, Max Cogburn of Asheville and US Circuit Judge Roger Gregory of Virginia have given lawmakers until February 19th to redraw the flawed election map for the 1st and 12th districts. The 12th Congressional district, which is represented by Alma Adams, falls within a stretch along Interstate 85 and is 120 miles long but only …
Butterfield Praises Passage of Bill to Honor Service of World War II Merchant Mariners
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Heroes COLA Act (H.R. 677), which contained key provisions authored by Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) that will simplify the process for Coastwise Merchant Seamen who served during World War II to be recognized for their service to the United States. “For decades, many of these mariners have never been recognized for their contributions to the war effort because the documents required to prove their service have either not survived …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Public Safety and Human Resources Committee Meeting Notice
Please note that the County’s Public Safety Committee and also the Human Resources Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, February 25 at 12:00 noon in the administrative conference room. The purpose is to discuss Fire/EMS matters. All commissioners are invited to attend.
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, February 12th. One of the nation’s major civil rights organizations is 107 years old today — the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Founded to combat lynching and segregation, the NAACP continues to work toward greater opportunities for minorities. One of its most telling moments came with the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education, which desegregated the nation’s schools. The lawyer who argued that case, Thurgood Marshall, became the first African-American Supreme Court …
NCDA&CS to host workshops for farmers market managers March 4 and 18
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will host workshops for farmers market managers March 4 in Winston-Salem and March 18 in Mount Olive. “With more than 250 farmers markets across the state, it is easy for consumers to connect with local farmers in their community,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Our farmers market workshops make it easy for local managers to learn best practices, share success stories and discover new resources to make their local markets even better.” …
Attendance at State Parks sets record with 17.3 million visitors in 2015
Gov. Pat McCrory announced this week that attendance at North Carolina’s state parks set a new record in 2015. More than 17.3 million people visited the state’s 39 parks, up from 15.6 million the previous year, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. “An 11 percent increase proves that nothing compares to the enriching experience of a visit to a North Carolina state park,” Gov. McCrory said. “North Carolina’s natural beauty is an important part of our …
National changes by GED may affect some VGCC test takers
The national GED Testing Service recently announced revisions to the “cut,” or passing scores, as well as performance levels for its High School Equivalency (HSE) test, and is making those revisions retroactive to January 1, 2014, when the 2014 GED Test series was first released. North Carolina will join 32 states in recognizing these changes immediately, possibly resulting in as many as 700 new HSE diploma holders in the state. GED Testing Service is contacting those affected by the changes …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Feb. 11 on North Carolina Weekend, take in a show at the Cape Fear Community College Humanities & Fine Arts Center in Wilmington. Enjoy a tour of Granville County. Tempt your taste buds at La Guinguette Creperie in Black Mountain. Lift a glass at Fair Game Beverage Company in Pittsboro. And check out the scene at Plank Road Steakhouse in Farmville. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In …