Vance-Granville Community College celebrated employees who had retired from the college — and particularly those who retired in 2014 — during the holiday social for faculty and staff, held on Dec. 18 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked all employees, past and present, for their dedicated service to students and the community. “During this holiday season, we give thanks for the gift of education,” Williams said. “I’m also thankful …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Giving Back During the Holiday Season
Picture of the Week: I enjoyed serving as Grand Marshal in the Snow Camp Christmas Parade last weekend. It was a beautiful day that allowed for me to see familiar faces and introduce myself to new ones as well. It was such an honor to be a part of this tradition! I received thrilling news this past week regarding legislation, called the EARLY Act, that I introduced with Rep. Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). I learned on Tuesday that this bill …
Tuesday Open Line
An institution that has been in the news a lot these past few years, and which has come in for its share of criticism during the nation’s stubborn economic problems, observes the centennial of its founding today. The Federal Reserve System, known simply as “the Fed,” came into being on this date in 1913, with the job of keeping the nation’s complex financial system in tune. Acting as the nation’s central bank, “the Fed” influences the lending and investing activities …
Jason Brown encourages VGCC ag course grads to make a difference
The 14 graduates of the first-ever NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship class at Vance-Granville Community College received certificates and heard words of encouragement from former NFL-star-turned-farmer Jason Brown on Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the college’s auditorium. “Farmers are the backbone” of the local area, our state and nation, Brown, a former center for two National Football League teams, told the graduates. “All roads lead back to the farmer,” he said, describing the rewards for being involved in agriculture. After playing college …
Attorney General Roy Cooper Alert: Utility scammers now using email
We recently warned of scammers calling consumers, pretending to be representatives of Duke Energy and threatening to cut off your power if you don’t pay them right away. Now this scam, which can heat up as the weather turns colder, is taking a new route. Some North Carolina consumers have received phony emails that appear to be from Duke Energy. The email asks “Is Your Duke Energy bill due tomorrow?” and includes a link labeled “Pay Bill.” Don’t click on …
Legislative Update from Senator Burr
This week, the 113th Congress came to an end. When the Senate opens back up on January 6, it will be with a new majority. In the 114th Congress, I will be serving on three committees – the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (or HELP) Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee. I will be stepping down from the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee after having served seven years as the Committee’s Republican Ranking (or …
Monday Open Line
One of the most important inventions of modern times dates to this week in 1947. Three Bell Laboratory scientists successfully tested what would become the junction transistor, vital to our information age. The three shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1956. The transistor replaced bulky, fragile vacuum tubes, which generated a lot of heat as they amplified a signal. As a Bell colleague who coined the term “transistor” said, “nature abhors the vacuum tube.” The first application that caught …
OPHS Charter Amendment To Include 8th Grade Rollout Has Been Approved
Oxford Preparatory High School’s charter amendment request to restructure the offerings of the school by adding 8th grade in 2015-2016 and 7th grade in 2016-2017 has been approved by the Office of Charter Schools, per State Board of Education policy. As a result of the charter amendment, a school name change to Oxford Preparatory School was approved as well. Adding 40 students in 8th grade and 40 students in 7th grade will allow students and their families earlier access to …
White House: Charting a New Course on Cuba
The United States and Cuba are separated by 90 miles of water, but are brought together through shared relationships and the desire to promote a democratic, prosperous, and stable Cuba. Yesterday, President Obama spoke on our actions to chart a new course in our relations with Cuba, which will engage and empower the Cuban people: Today, America chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past so as to reach for a better future — for the Cuban people, for …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
One of the most familiar and cherished Christmas stories has been around a long time — 171 years in fact. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was published this week in 1843. Some sources say the publication was on this date. The first print run of 6,000 copies sold out in a week and the book has never been out of print. The tale about the reformation of Ebenezer Scrooge and his “Bah, humbug!” dismissal of the Christmas season became a …
VGCC Small Business Seminars
The Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College has many exciting seminars planned for 2015. We hope you will take advantage of these free seminars. You can find the complete list of seminars here. Our first seminar of the year is: Ten Steps to Starting a Business Register Tuesday, January 06, 2015 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM This seminar covers what you should know before you commit yourself and financial resources to starting your small business. The information discussed …
This Christmas will be the most traveled on record for Americans
Next week, Americans will hit the roads and skies to spend time with family and friends for the holidays, and AAA projects this Christmas will be the most traveled on record. A total of 98.6 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles away from home this year-end holiday period, which AAA defines as Dec. 23 to Jan. 4. This is an increase of four percentage points from last year’s 94.8 million travelers, and this is the sixth straight year …
Senator Kay Hagan: Thank you for the honor of serving
With the year coming to a close, I’d like to wish everyone in North Carolina a joyful holiday season and a happy New Year. For me, there is no better gift than the opportunity to be surrounded by my loved ones during these winter holidays. And as many of you know, the past six years have been full of exciting milestones and new additions for the Hagan family. Since my term in the Senate began, my two daughters have both …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Dec. 18 on North Carolina Weekend, lift your glass during a tour at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River. Take in a production of “Cinderella” by the Raleigh Little Theater in Raleigh. Experience New Bern’s charm with New Bern Trolley Tours. Explore wonders at the Children’s Museum of Alamance County in Graham. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Ella’s Seafood Restaurant in Calabash. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten …
NCDMV Announces Holiday Business Hours
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles’ driver license offices and license plate agencies will be closed from Wednesday, December 24 through Saturday, December 27 in observance of the Christmas holiday. All driver license office and agency locations will resume normal business hours on Monday, December 29. In addition, all office locations will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2015 in observance of New Year’s Day. Offices will reopen during normal business hours on Friday, January 2, 2015. …
VGCC History Club celebrates successful Food Drive
Vance-Granville Community College’s History Club recently conducted a food drive as its major service project of the fall semester. Students collected non-perishable food items, as well as paper products and hygiene products, all of which were donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. The Food Bank works with food pantries in all four of the counties in the college’s service area: Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren. The donations weighed in at 522 pounds, which translates to …
N.C. Museum of Art to remake Raleigh campus
The N.C. Museum of Art has received a $13 million anonymous donation to jump-start plans to remake its 164-acre campus in west Raleigh. The multi-phase plan calls for a new campus entrance and streetscape, more parking, woodland and meadow restoration, additional bike and walking trails and infrastructure, improved sustainability measures, and more outdoor works of art. The first phase of the plan is scheduled to begin next spring.
2015 N.C. Travel Guide now available in print, online
The Official 2015 North Carolina Travel Guide is now available. From quaint downtowns and inspired cuisine to hands-on history and dynamic culture, the Official 2015 North Carolina Travel Guide taps the rich experiences to be found from the mountains to the coast. Travelers can chart a course from a choice of two covers, one that captures the picturesque charm of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo, the other reflecting the monumental history of Bentonville Battlefield at the end of the …
Thursday Open Line
The satellite Atlas was launched from Cape Canaveral on this date in 1958. The spacecraft would make history the next day, beaming the first voice heard from space — a recording of President Eisenhower with a 58-word Christmas greeting. These words came at the height of the Cold War and the space race with the Soviet Union. Today, satellites daily perform vital functions — tracking the weather, relaying millions of telephone calls and computer links, as well as radio and …
Middle and High School News December 15-19, 2014
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS WEEKLY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 3, Issue 18 A Publication for Middle and High Schools December 15-19, 2014 The MISSION of Vance County Schools is to be committed to educating all students to prepare them for lifelong learning and productive citizenship. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS Wishing everyone a very safe and happy holiday! Elementary school groups attend performance of Eaton-Johnson Middle School Show Choir …