RALEIGH – The Got to Be NC Festival returns to the N.C. State Fairgrounds with a full lineup of food, entertainment and family fun May 15-17. “The Got to Be NC Festival continues to get better and better each year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Last year more than 70,000 people attended, and I hope to see even more join us this May as we celebrate the best of North Carolina agriculture.” Lowes Foods is joining the festival as a …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
This date in 1961 saw the launch of the ill-fated invasion of Cuba by some 1,400 U.S. trained exiles. The attempt to overthrow the Fidel Castro dictatorship was crushed at the Bay of Pigs. A reverse amphibious operation began this month in 1980, when what’s known as the Mariel boatlift began. Castro had announced that any citizens wishing to leave the island could do so. Voluntary exiles embarked in the port town of Mariel, just west of Havana. Some 125,000 …
Chamber Ribbon Cutting – Kerr Lake Ministries, Inc.
A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday, April 9 to celebrate our membership with the Chamber. Our purpose in joining the chamber is to promote the Word of God to the children of the Vance County area. At summer camp we provide Bible studies, canoeing, crafts, swimming, hiking, and other activities available at the location of the Camp. This year celebrates our 10th year of summer camp in Vance County. In 2013 new Board members were appointed to continue and …
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Training April 20th, 2015
Fetal alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a brain based physical disability with behavioral symptoms. The brain based approach for living with, caring for, and working with individuals and families impacted by FASD acknowledges the source of behaviors: the brain, and provides a set of research based emerging best practices for helping people with fetal alcohol exposure. About the Presenter: Adrienne Ehlert Bashista is the mother of a 12 year old boy with FASD and has studied and been mentored by …
NCDOT Converting Intersection in Franklin County to All-Way Stop due to Weather
Raleigh-The N.C. Department of Transportation has postponed plans to modify the intersection of N.C. 98 and Pearces Road west of Bunn at Five Points in Franklin County to a permanent all-way stop today. Due to the rainy weather, it will now begin on Wednesday, April 22. The intersection currently requires vehicles to stop on Pearces Road, but traffic on NC 98 does not have to stop. The conversion is taking place following an NCDOT investigation determined that traffic volumes at …
Henderson Police Department Investigating Shooting on South Street, Rewards Offered for Information
On Monday, April 13, 2015, members of the Henderson Police Patrol Operations Division responded to 1004 South Street, Henderson in response to someone shot. When officers arrived, three individuals were found to be suffering from injuries. Shalonda Jones, 27, 1004 South Street, Henderson, Dondra Scott, 20 175 Welcome Avenue, Henderson and Daquon Jones, 23, 1751 Vicksboro Road, Henderson all reported injuries from gunfire. The affected individuals were transported to Maria Parham Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The …
VGCC Child Care Center celebrates Reading
The Child Care Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus recently participated in a nationwide initiative to promote reading aloud to young children. March was observed as National Reading Awareness Month. In conjunction with that celebration, the non-profit organization, ReadAloud.org, launched a campaign to promote reading out loud for at least 15 minutes to every pre-kindergarten child, every day. The movement hopes to make this the new standard in child care. In addition to the teachers at the VGCC child …
Butterfield Introduces Resolution Recognizing Duke Men’s Basketball Team and Congratulates Team on House Floor
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) was joined by 11 congressional colleagues to introduce a resolution urging the full House of Representatives to formally recognize Duke University’s Division I Men’s Basketball team on winning its fifth NCAA National Championship last week. Butterfield spoke on the House floor to announce the resolution’s introduction and personally congratulate the team and coaches. He said, “I rise to congratulate Duke University and its Division One Men’s Basketball team on winning …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of April 16 on North Carolina Weekend, “Fitness Files” visits the Riverwalk in Hillsborough. Get your toes a-tappin’ at MerleFest in Wilkesboro. Tempt your taste buds at The Cacalacky Where House in Pittsboro. Discover the French and Latin cuisine at La Guinguette Creperie in Black Mountain. And explore the Sanderling Resort in Duck. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of …
Cash Prizes Now Offered To Volunteers In Spring Litter Sweep Week
The Henderson-Vance Spring Litter Sweep Week will be observed Monday, April 20, through Saturday, April 25, with the week’s activities culminating with a Recycling Day event held on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot of the City Operations Center at 900 S. Beckford Drive in Henderson. Litter Sweep Week and Recycling Day are sponsored by the Vance County Appearance Commission and the Henderson Community Appearance Commission. All local residents are urged to get …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
Although statistically speaking we use late April as our “frost free” date for Vance and Warren Counties, a peak at the ten-day forecast suggests we may be in the clear! No guarantees of course, but I would call it a low-risk bet. As you begin making your spring planting list, please consider your local nurseries and farmers markets for your shopping! Both the Warren and Vance markets will open THIS SATURDAY, April 18th and should have a selection of vegetable …
Three VGCC campuses will celebrate Earth Day April 22, 2015
Vance-Granville Community College will hold Earth Day festivals on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County, South Campus in Granville County, and the Franklin County Campus. The public is invited to attend events at any location, which are free of charge and are designed to educate the college and community about conservation and the natural world in a fun, informative setting. At Main Campus, activities will take place outside …
White House: Here’s Where Your Taxes Are Going:
In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama promised that American taxpayers would be able to go online and see where their federal tax dollars are going. That’s why, for the fifth year in a row, we’ve released a taxpayer receipt calculator on WhiteHouse.gov — an easy-to-use tool that breaks down how your tax dollars will be spent. From funding for our schools to funding for our veterans, it’s important to know how your taxes are being used …
Thursday Open Line
Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of a small hamburger restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois — the first of what would become one of the world’s best-recognized brand names — McDonald’s. The franchise shop belonged Ray Kroc, whose main interest at the time was selling the machines that mixed milkshakes. The name came from two McDonald brothers who ran a hamburger shop in California. The first day’s revenue at the Illinois outlet was $366 and 12 cents. That …
VGCC Paralegal student co-authors handbook
A student in the Paralegal Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College is already making her mark in the legal world. Megan N. Finch of Louisburg is the co-author of the new “Practitioner’s Handbook for Civil Superior Court” for North Carolina’s Division III, an area that includes 11 counties around the Research Triangle region. The handbook, which is the first of its kind in the state, is designed to inform attorneys and their paralegals of the proper protocols for legal filings, …
Congressman George Holding: Two sides to every argument
President Obama supports the agreement with Iran. He argues it means: Iran will reduce the number of centrifuges it has (to enrich uranium) from 19,000 to 6,104. And Iran’s heavy water reactor will only be used to produce low grade plutonium, so that it cannot be used to make a nuclear weapon. There will be inspections. And, even if Iran breaks its word, it will require a year to build a nuclear weapon. So there will be time to stop …
Greenhouses extend growing seasons for N.C. farmers
RALEIGH – For many, summer is not complete without the taste of a field-ripened tomato, sliced and placed between two pieces of bread, with a dash of salt and pepper and a helping of mayonnaise. Thanks to greenhouse technology, consumers don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy a fresh N.C. tomato sandwich. Consumers will have a chance to taste that freshness during Greenhouse Vegetable Day on Thursday, April 16, at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh or Friday, April …
City of Brevard Awarded $200,000 for Downtown Renewal Project
A new office and retail facility is on tap for downtown Brevard, thanks to an award from North Carolina’s Main Street Solutions Fund. The N.C. Department of Commerce has awarded Brevard up to $200,000 to construct a new office and retail facility located at 43 South Broad Street for phase two of the Aethewold Development. Phase one of the development rehabilitated the historic Aethewold hotel, transforming it into residential units and retail space. “We applaud the city of Brevard for …
VGCC schedules workshop for Afterschool professionals
Vance-Granville Community College is offering a continuing education opportunity for local afterschool care program administrators and staff members. “Upping Your Afterschool Game,” a one-day (six-hour) North Carolina Afterschool Professional Development Competency Training session, is scheduled to be held in Room 7239 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County on Saturday, May 9. The workshop lasts from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. VGCC School-Age Education Program Head/Instructor Jacquelin Heath will be the presenter. Heath, who holds …
White House MAP: How Two Tax Plans Would Impact You
President Obama’s budget helps working families make ends meet. This is an essential part of middle-class economics — the idea that the economy works best when it’s working for everyone. Unfortunately, House Republicans have a different idea for America. Their budget gives an average tax cut of more than $3 million to 5,400 of America’s wealthiest households — costing taxpayers $270 billion over the next 10 years. Under the President’s budget, 44 million middle-class families would get an average tax …