Some Plants Are Up…Some Aren’t, Why??? When we planted in February our first 6 plots of our plot garden, we seeded Lettuce, Spinach, Bok Choy, Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas. We have two plots that are showing a good growth of plants right now, the others are very small and sporadic seedlings. This is not cause for alarm due to the different germination tables to the various seed varieties. It is always a good practice to keep your seed packaging …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Keeping the Promise to Our Seniors
With 3.8 million Americans unemployed for 27 weeks or more and the labor force participation rate at 63 percent – a 36-year-low– we are experiencing a “new normal” in this country that is simply unacceptable. It is hard to understand why after 2,000 days and more than 22,000 pages of review, the president has not yet approved the Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring jobs and greater energy security to America. On the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we continue to …
Legislative Update from Senator Richard Burr
This week the Senate passed S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014, legislation I co-authored with Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD). For years, I, along with some of my colleagues, have been calling for the Senate to return to regular order where legislation is introduced, considered through the committee of jurisdiction, and debated in the United States Senate with a full and robust amendment process. Although taking this legislative route can be time consuming and, …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Warm weather brings out driveway scams
Warm weather is just around the corner, and seasonal driveway scammers are already at work. These hit-and-run crooks knock on doors, usually saying they just finished a job nearby and have leftover materials. If your driveway is already paved, they may offer to “reseal” it at a bargain price. But the price turns out to be exorbitantly high, and the quality of the materials and the workmanship are rock-bottom. That “seal” will wash away with the next rain, and if …
Kerr-Tar Workforce Center Events
Boot camps are one-week pre-vocational sessions for new Workforce Investment Act customers. The goal of the one-week intensive sessions are to teach people how to interview, network, market themselves to employers, perform a self-assessment of strengths, and create a realistic job search. This unique approach to career employment readiness provides participants with lifelong tools for career advancement. After completion of boot camps, Talent Development Team members then work with the customers to connect them with available employment. The Boot Camps …
White House Weekly Address: Rewarding Hard Work by Strengthening Overtime Pay Protections
In this week’s address, President Obama highlighted the action he took this week to reward hard work by strengthening overtime pay protections. As part of this year of action, the President has ordered the Secretary of Labor to modernize our country’s overtime rules to ensure that millions of American workers are paid a fair wage for a hard day’s work. While our economy is moving forward, the middle class and those fighting to get into it are still struggling and …
Monday Open Line
This is a day when people of all ethnicities are cheerfully encouraged to wear something green. It is St. Patrick’s Day, a rare national holiday observed outside its native land. The day honors Bishop Patrick, born in England, who brought Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, using a shamrock to illustrate divinity. The celebration here goes back to colonial times. New York City’s parade has taken place every year since 1762, and today is the largest such event in …
VGCC schedules Summer Term New Student Orientation sessions
Orientation sessions start soon for new students at Vance-Granville Community College for the Summer Term, which begins on Tuesday, May 27. Attending an orientation session is required for all new students in any of the college’s curriculum programs, and for students who are returning to VGCC after being away for three or more years. Orientation sessions are scheduled to be held in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County on Thursday, March 20, at 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, …
Division of Aviation Awards $500,000 to Raleigh-Durham International Airport for Terminal 1 Tarmac Improvements
Raleigh —As part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s ongoing commitment to improving aviation in North Carolina, the N.C. Division of Aviation awarded $500,000 in State Aid to Airports funds to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for construction of Terminal 1 tarmac improvements. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is a commercial aviation facility that has an approximate $7.8 billion a year impact on North Carolina and supports more than 7,300 jobs, based on a 2012 statewide economic impact study. The State Aid to …
Butterfield Seeks Answers from NC Environmental and Natural Resources Department on the Dan River Coal Ash Spill and Other Potential Threats
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released a letter to North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary John Skvarla expressing grave concern over the Dan River coal ash spill in Rockingham County, North Carolina and seeking clarification on the potential threat of other coal ash ponds located near communities throughout the state. In his letter Butterfield writes, “The safety of coal ash ponds has concerned North Carolinians since long before the February 2, 2014 …
Vance County Schools Parent Surveys March 20th, 2014
Vance County Schools will be conducting very brief Parent Surveys during the evening of Thursday, March 20, through our Blackboard Connect calling system. The parents of each student in our schools will receive the survey call at their primary telephone number. We urge all parents to please respond to the five-question survey, which should take less than three minutes to complete. The call will be made by Terri Hedrick, the public information officer for the school system. She will ask …
Chamber Ribbon Cutting – All Safe Records Management Solutions, Inc.
The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Chamber office for All Safe Records Management Solutions, Inc. to celebrate their membership with the Chamber at 10AM today. They offer on-site secure document destruction; digital imaging; retention schedules; offsite storage; virtual document management system; training; and software sales. The All Safe mobile shred truck will come to your office or the individual’s home. They are serious about your records security and privacy. All Safe is committed to …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
One of the most noted crime-fighting tools started because of a conversation at a card game between J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI and a newspaper reporter. The reporter wanted to profile some of the most wanted criminals the FBI was searching for. The resulting article caused a sensation, leading to the publication of the first “Ten Most Wanted” list by the FBI on this date in 1950. In the years since, 500 men and women have appeared on the …
VGCC Names 330 to Dean’s List
Vance-Granville Community College has announced that 330 students earned Dean’s List honors for the fall semester that ended in December 2013. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student had to maintain a 3.5 grade-point average and have no grade lower than “B” while carrying at least 12 semester hours, according to VGCC Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine. Fall Semester Dean’s List honorees are listed below by program of study and then by residence. …
VGCC invites Earth Day participants
Vance-Granville Community College is planning to hold Earth Day festivities at three campuses this year, and organizers are inviting members of the community to participate. Earth Day 2014 celebrations will be held on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County, South Campus (between Butner and Creedmoor) and Franklin County Campus (near Louisburg) on Tuesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at each location. Each year, these events seek to educate the college and community about conservation and the …
Vance County NC Cooperative Extension Updates
The March issue of our Garden Path newsletter is now available at the link below. It contains LOTS of timely tips, plus a variety of interesting garden-related articles. I hope you enjoy! Here’s the link: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MARCH-2014.pdf VEGETABLE DISEASE PROJECTIONS FOR 2014 From NCSUs Dr. Lina Quesada-Ocampo, an article on what to expect for the coming season: http://plantpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/02/what-to-expect-for-vegetable-diseases-in-2014/ RESOURCES FOR NEW FARMERS From the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, some resources on business planning, credit, marketing and more. http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/whatwedo/foodsystems/newfarmertoolbox.html HESSIAN FLY …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of March 13 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, step back in time at the Historic Train Depot in Burgaw. Enjoy the beauty of camellias at camellia shows in Wilmington and Charlotte. Marvel at the engineering of yesteryear during the Sandhills Antique Farm Show in Lillington. Lift a pint at Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton. And check out the scene at Vimila’s Curryblossom Café in Chapel Hill. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is …
Thursday Open Line
The first state college for women was created this month in 1884 in Mississippi. Known as the Mississippi Industrial Institute and College, classes opened in the fall of the next year on the campus of a former college in Columbus. Now called the Mississippi University for Women, it has been ranked as one of the top schools in the annual list of “America’s Best Colleges.” Now coed, the school has many of the buildings on its imposing campus on the …
Audio: Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday, March 10th, 2014
Open this article to listen to the Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting held Monday, March 10th, 2014 [jwplayer mediaid=”57303″]
Reps. Guthrie, Butterfield and Young introduce bipartisan bill to increase access to medical care
WASHINGTON, DC — In a bipartisan effort, Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Todd Young (R-IN) today introduced legislation (H.R. 4190) that will allow Medicare reimbursement for certain pharmacist services in medically underserved communities. Many states allow pharmacists to provide additional services, such as immunizations, diabetes management, blood pressure screenings and routine checks. However, there is currently no mechanism for pharmacists to be reimbursed by the Medicare program. This common-sense bill creates a means for pharmacists to be …