When some local students return to their schools in August and are asked “What did you do this summer?” they will be able to tell classmates and teachers that they put together a computer, searched for minerals, made their own lip balm, constructed a house for bats and sent water rockets flying into the air. In fact, they did all of these things, and more, during a single week, at Vance-Granville Community College’s second annual Science Camp. A total of …
Category: News
Students explore careers at VGCC Health Sciences “boot camp”
Local middle school students received insights into possible career opportunities when they participated in the first-ever Vance-Granville Community College Health Sciences Boot Camp over four days, June 11-14. A total of 23 campers from Vance County middle schools learned about the important roles of various health-care professionals, including nurses and radiologic technologists, and about what it takes to succeed in those professions. The camp was supported by a grant worth $8,260 from the N.C. Community College System. The focus of …
Mother and daughter, both VGCC grads, complete bachelor’s degrees in same month
A local mother and daughter recently graduated from four-year universities within a month of each other, and they credit their previous education at Vance-Granville Community College with propelling them toward further success. Marinda D. Daye and her daughter, Marinda Latoya Daye Baker, both of Henderson, both earned degrees at VGCC. Daye first enrolled at VGCC in 2001 and eventually completed three degrees, in Medical Office Administration, Office Systems Technology and Office Systems Technology/Legal. She was a student ambassador, was inducted …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
GARDEN PATH NEWSLETTERThanks to the Kerr Lake Extension Master Gardeners, the latest issue of The Garden Path is available. Click the following link for lots of great garden tips and info.https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B07f_hboyfL2NWNrTXlJcThvSUE EMERALD ASH BORERPlease read the information at the following link to become informed about this new exotic pest which has been found in neighboring states.http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/pdf/FHN/FHN-10EAB01EAB80310.pdf INCREDIBLE YEARS PARENTING SERIESThis 13-week parenting class begins on August 23rd. For more information, contact Vickie Jones at 252-438-8188.
Statement from NC School Leaders Regarding Governor’s Budget Decision
STATEMENT FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT JUNE ATKINSON REGARDING GOVERNOR’S BUDGET DECISION “Come this August, almost 1.5 million students will enter North Carolina public schools, an increase of nearly 12,000 students from last year. The budget the Governor vetoed needs to include more resources for principals, teachers and other support staff to meet the needs of these students. If we are going to increase our graduation rate from its current all-time high and prepare all students for college and a career, the …
Heatwave Means Utilities Face Increased Power Demand
RALEIGH – Setting home and work thermostats up to two degrees higher, between 78 and 80 degrees, during the next few days can have a dramatic impact cutting electric demand and saving on utility bills as the current heatwave will spike demand for electricity. Jon Williams, N.C. Secretary of Commerce for Energy urges the state’s citizens to take some simple steps to conserve energy, stay cool and safe during this time of extraordinarily high temperatures. “If every customer adjusts the …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Feds Aren’t Going to Pay Your Utility Bills
Watch out for a new scam that touts a federal program that will supposedly pay your utility bills. The program isn’t real. Instead, it’s a ploy by scammers to steal your personal financial information and your money. The scammers tell you that to participate in the program, you need to provide your Social Security Number and bank account information. In return, they give you a bank account number that they claim will pay your utility bills—but the information is false …
N.C. Energy Office Wins Grant for Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects
RALEIGH – The North Carolina Energy Office has received a $532,134 U.S. Department of Energy grant to expand its award-winning Utility Savings Initiative to provide energy efficiency assistance to often overlooked or understaffed rural public school systems, community colleges and local governments. The grant will enable the Energy Office to work with eight public school districts, eight community colleges and six local governments to plan, implement and finance energy efficiency improvements to buildings and other public infrastructure. “Many of our …
Attorney General Roy Cooper Alert: Safe Summer Surfing
Students who attend traditional-calendar schools are out for the summer. For some youngsters, summertime can mean spending more time online, playing games or using social networks like Facebook. Kids may also use the computer to stay connected with their classmates. It’s a good time of year to remind young people, especially those who are relatively new to the online world, of some good safety tips: Don’t click on links you get in unsolicited emails. Don’t click on links in an …
VA Uranium Mining ‘Would Be a Huge Mistake’ for NC
Henderson, N.C. — As Virginia considers lifting a 30-year-old ban on uranium mining, some North Carolina residents have been crossing the border to share their concerns about the possible environmental effects on this state. Lifting the ban, which has been in place since 1982, would allow a Chatham, Va., company to tap into the nation’s largest undeveloped resource of uranium. The question is how that could impact Kerr Lake and surrounding bodies of water, which straddle both states. (read more)
Colorado Wild Fires Live Streams
A reader sent us some information on the Colorado wild fire situation. If you are interested in whats going on, or have friends and or family in the area, please check out these links: Live tv feed from a Colorado Springs tv station. Runs 24 hours no commercials. http://www.kktv.com/video/live If you have nothing except time this will give you the most information over time. Link to cams atop of Pikes Peak. http://www.springsgov.com/units/pikespeak/ Views change every five minutes. Link …
VGCC offers Administrative Assistant training at night
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for an upcoming “Administrative Assistant Essentials” course, starting July 30 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The popular course that trains people for jobs in today’s computer-driven offices will meet Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m., through Dec. 6. Classes will meet in room 7136 of Building 7. Students will receive a total of 144 hours of instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher, including practice projects …
NC To Create New “Pathways To Prosperity” For High School Students
Collaboration Among Employers, Educators and Policymakers Needed to Lead Students from Education to Careers Of the approximately 91,000 North Carolina high school students who received their diplomas this spring, more than three-fourths say they plan to move on to a two- or four-year college or university. But by the time they reach their mid-twenties, only about half of them will have earned a college degree if past trends continue. There are many reasons for this, but the college completion rate …
VGCC South Campus offers ServSafe course
ServSafe, the 16-hour food safety certification course, will soon be offered at Vance-Granville Community College’s South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner. Participants will meet on two days, Monday, July 16 and Monday, July 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in room G-120. Peter Lambert of Oxford will serve as the instructor for the course, which is designed for food service managers and supervisory staff in restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, child care facilities and other food service establishments. ServSafe …
VGCC Carpentry Students build Gazebo for Clarke Elementary School
Students in the Carpentry program at Vance-Granville Community College are completing a service project that will make a lasting impact on a local elementary school. A gazebo that students are building on the college’s Main Campus will soon be relocated to Clarke Elementary School in Henderson, where it will serve as an outdoor classroom. The construction is part of a unique community-wide partnership. The idea originated when retired farmer Pete Burgess of Henderson learned that Clarke Elementary, Vance County’s newest …
New Medical Billing & Coding course offered at VGCC Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is now registering students for a new continuing education course for medical billing and coding professionals. The “CPC Certification Boot Camp” will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 until 9 p.m., July 12 through Aug. 7, on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Marianne Durling is the instructor for this course. This new course, which has been pre-approved by the American Academy of Professional Coders for CEU credit, is designed to prepare pre-certification …
VGCC starts Fall Semester Registration online and on-campus in July
The Fall 2012 semester at Vance-Granville Community College begins Monday, Aug. 20, but college officials advise students to apply and register for classes as early as possible. New students may apply for admission at any time prior to the beginning of the term. The upcoming semester’s course schedule is now available on VGCC’s web site (www.vgcc.edu) by clicking on “WebAdvisor.” Printed schedules will also be available at all VGCC campuses and in boxes at various community locations. Orientation sessions for …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
Hope everyone saw the interesting hydrilla article in the Daily Dispatch this past week. As a followup, I thought I’d mention that there are actually five applicators approved by the Corps of Engineers to make treatments. They are listed on the following web page: http://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/91/Kerr%20Lake%20Vegetation%20Survey.pdf That same page also contains a link to the recently completed report of the lake-wide vegetation survey conducted last year. I would especially encourage you to look at the recommendations listed on pages 6 & …
Nurse Aide course scheduled at VGCC Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is now registering students for an upcoming Nurse Aide Level I (CNA I) course, which is scheduled to start soon at the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Classes will be held Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., starting July 18 and continuing through Sept. 21. This includes the required introductory course. The Nurse Aide I program prepares students to become Certified Nursing Assistants and to take the state CNA certification exam. VGCC’s certification programs offer …
City Considering Increasing Sweepstakes Locations
I know a lot of readers comment on the number of sweepstakes places in town, so I wanted to point out an upcoming vote that would allow more Electronic Gaming Operations in the city. The ordinance proposed states: “In June of 2010, Section 670B was added to the Zoning Ordinance to allow electronic gaming operations. The current language requires an operation to be 750 feet from of another electronic gaming operation, any school, church, daycare center, library, or public park. …