RALEIGH – The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will hold six workshops across the state for those interested in protecting local agricultural lands. The ADFP Trust Fund will be collaborating with the state USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service staff to host these workshops. The Farmland Preservation workshops target non-profit conservation organizations and county agencies. Farmers, landowners and others interested in the preservation of working lands are also encouraged to attend. The workshops are highly recommended for all …
White House Update: Our Response to Ebola in the U.S.
After meeting with his Cabinet officials and Dr. Tom Frieden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the President updated the country on our comprehensive strategy to contain the Ebola disease, prevent its spread in the U.S., and combat it at its source in West Africa. “The dangers of a serious outbreak are extraordinarily low” in the U.S., the President said. “But we are taking this very seriously at the highest levels of government.” Get the facts on …
Thursday Open Line
Today marks an anniversary that should please America’s power shoppers. On this date in 1868, the first full-line department store in the U.S. was organized in Salt Lake City. Called “Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution,” it opened the next year. The idea of the department store soon spread around the country, hailed for the convenience such retail powerhouses offered consumers and becoming points of civic pride. The era of the classic, high-rise downtown department store has been eclipsed, but modern equivalents …
No Fortify Lane Closures During the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh
Raleigh— Good news for N.C. State Fairgoers. There will be no lane closures on the Fortify construction project in south and east Raleigh during fair hours so the increased traffic projected for the 11-day event will be as smooth as possible. From Thursday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 26, there will be no lane closures from 9 a.m. to midnight on the 11.5-mile work zone stretch of I-40/I-440. The N.C. Department of Transportation reminds drivers to use caution and obey …
White House: Within These Hills Lies Millennia of History
Last Friday, President Obama designated the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains in California as our newest national monument. “It’s not just the natural beauty of the San Gabriels that makes it invaluable. Within these hills lies millennia of history, including the ancient rock art of Native peoples — the first Americans,” he said. Protecting the San Gabriel Mountains also benefits area residents: More than 15 million people live within 90 minutes of the mountains, which provide residents with 70 percent of …
Congressman G. K. Butterfield: End of Summer Report & Launch of New Website
Washington Update End of Summer 2014 Report President Obama Signs Congressman Butterfield’s Bill President Obama signed H.J. Res 120, a bill Congressman Butterfield introduced to approve the site selected for a memorial that will recognize African Americans who fought for America’s independence during the American Revolution. The memorial will be a fitting tribute to the heroic actions of tens of thousands of slaves and free African Americans that helped shape the very foundation of this great nation. Learn …
Vance County Education Committee Meeting November 14th, 2014
Vance County’s Education Committee will meet with the Schools’ Education Committee on Friday, November 14th at 12:00 noon in the County Manager’s Administrative Conference Room to discuss school matters.
Vance County Schools – Teacher Participates in NELA Program
Letitia Fields, a teacher at Carver Elementary School, is now participating in the Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA) through N.C. State University in Raleigh. Fields teaches fifth-grade reading and social studies and is a leader among her colleagues on the faculty at Carver Elementary. The Northeast Leadership Academy is an innovative school leader preparation program designed to develop principals as instructional leaders who drive improvements in student achievement in northeast North Carolina’s rural, high need schools. In partnership with 13 local …
Wednesday Open Line
October is National Seafood Month, celebrating a nutrient rich food that is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Because it really does turn out to be brain food, government and health organizations recommend eating two seafood meals each week. Seafood used to be mostly confined to the coastal regions, but with advances in frozen food and the speed of distribution, just about every kind of fish and shellfish is available all through the country. Americans eat an average …
Vance County Middle and High School News October 13-17, 2014
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS WEEKLY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 3, Issue 9 A Publication for Middle and High Schools October 13-17, 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 The Vance County Board of Education meets on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administrative Services Center on Graham Avenue …
Time to Pay More Attention to Deer on the Roadways
RALEIGH — The arrival of the fall season not only means dropping temperatures and leaves, but also an increase in the chances of a collision with a deer across North Carolina. Between 2011 and 2013, nearly half of the more than 61,000 animal-related crashes took place in October through December. About 90 percent of those involved deer. A N.C. Department of Transportation study shows that in 2013, there were 20,308 animal-related crashes, a slight increase over the 2012 figure, but …
N.C. State Fair announces winners in annual wine competition
RALEIGH – Winners were recently chosen in the 2014 N.C. State Fair Wine Competition, and for the first time a muscadine wine earned top honors in the contest. Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level won over the panel of judges with Carolina Wildflower, its semi-sweet wine made from muscadine grapes grown in North Carolina. The competition awards two top prizes, the N.C. Winegrowers Cup for overall best in show and the N.C. Muscadine Cup for the best muscadine wine. This …
Vance County Elementary School News October 13-17, 2014
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 2 Issue 9 October 13-17, 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 The Vance County Board of Education meets on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administrative Services Center on Graham Avenue in Henderson Teacher Talk session on Tuesday from …
Water Planning Committee Meeting Notice October 22, 2014
Vance County’s Water Planning Committee is scheduled to meet with City representatives on Wednesday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m. in the County’s Administrative Conference room. The purpose is to discuss water project matters with the City.
Tuesday Open Line
This is National School Lunch Week — a name that probably conjures up visions of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and other, more mysterious substances. But it’s time to note the wholesome lunches being served every day to schoolchildren across the nation and to thank the many patient people who prepare and serve them. There is a recognized link between having a good meal and the ability of a child to learn. This led to the National School Lunch Act …
Vance County Homecoming Football Games Rescheduled to Tonight
The Homecoming Football Games at Northern Vance High and Southern Vance High have been rescheduled to tonight. Please attend the games and support our teams! Chapel Hill High School at Northern Vance High School 6 p.m. in Viking Stadium Bunn High School at Southern Vance High School 6 p.m. in Raider Stadium
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Leading the Discussion to Find New Cures
Photo of the Week: I hosted a roundtable discussion Thursday in Research Triangle Park on 21st Century Cures and Treatments, which featured federal and local representatives from the healthcare industry. It was an excellent way to discuss opportunities for accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of new treatments and cures for prevalent diseases. This event coincided with the Energy & Commerce Committee’s bipartisan 21st Century Cures Initiative, and I’m so glad we could continue the discussion in North Carolina. …
White House Weekly Address: America Is a Place Where Hard Work Should Be Rewarded
In this week’s address, the President made the case for why it’s past time to raise the minimum wage. Increasing the national minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would benefit 28 million Americans, and make our economy stronger. While Republicans in Congress have blocked this commonsense proposal, a large and growing coalition of state and local leaders and owners of businesses large and small have answered the President’s call and raised wages for their residents and employees. This progress is …
Monday Open Line
With the national median age being 37 years, a bare majority of the country’s population can remember life in what might strike young people as a bleak, dark and difficult age. Practically unimaginable today, there was a time when the ubiquitous cell phone didn’t exist. Around 45 years ago, Amtrak offered a version of cellular technology, using payphones on its Metroliners. The first modern cell phone was introduced on this date in 1983 in Chicago. It was demonstrated in a …
Vance County Ad Hoc Recreation Committee Meeting Notice Monday October 13th, 2014
Please be informed that the County’s Ad Hoc Recreation Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, October 13 at 8:15 a.m. in the County Manager’s Office. At 9:00 a.m., the Committee will meet with City representatives at City Hall.