LOUISBURG, N.C.—Louisburg College president Dr. Mark La Branche was surprised with a special honor at this year’s Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet and meeting, held January 16 at Green Hill Club. The Chamber awarded La Branche with its “Citizen of the Year” award, thanks in part to a nomination letter from the executive director of the United Way of Franklin County, Kathy Harrelson. “Mark’s vision, leadership, exceptional understanding and patience has transformed…Louisburg College into a force that is recognized within …
Vance County Board of Education Upcoming Committee Meetings
Vance County Board of Education Committee Meeting Dates: * Building & Grounds, Thursday, January 23rd, 8:30 am * Curriculum, Thursday, January 23rd, 9:15 am * Personnel Committee, Tuesday, February 4th, 8:30 am * Community Relations, Tuesday, February 4th, 5:30 pm Note: All meetings are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room.
Legislative Update from Senator Richard Burr
Last week, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the most detailed bipartisan report to date on the September 11, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The Committee’s report presents a wide range of declassified findings that will allow the public to more fully understand the deteriorating security situation in Benghazi leading up to the attacks and the lack of State Department recognition of the danger to our personnel. This bipartisan report is a step forward in our understanding of …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Congressional Update; My Take on President Obama’s Visit to NC
The president came to North Carolina last week to talk about jobs, and the state of our nation’s economy. As I mentioned in my interview with WRAL this past week, I was taken-aback by the president’s implication that he was responsible for the great things taking place in our state—especially considering that our state’s government is entirely Republican-controlled. The true credit for North Carolina’s improving economic condition should be accredited to Governor McCrory and the Republican-led General Assembly—not the president …
North Carolina Attorney General: Watch out for emails with fake Target websites
More fallout from that massive data breach from national retailer Target: fraudulent emails could be headed to your inbox. If you get an email asking you to click on a link with “Target” in the web address, be cautious. Soon after Target announced the security breach in December, dozens of new domain names were registered online that include “Target” along with words like “breach” or “credit cards” in the web address. Email addresses for as many as 70 million U.S. …
White House Weekly Address: Making 2014 a Year of Action to Expand Opportunities for the Middle Class
In this week’s address, President Obama said 2014 will be a year of action, and called on both parties to help make this a breakthrough year for the United States by bringing back more good jobs and expanding opportunities for the middle class. This week, the President sat down for lunch with young organizers who are working to help implement the Affordable Care Act, hosted the President of Spain and the Miami Heat, traveled to the home of the Wolfpack …
Monday Open Line
It’s purely coincidence, but nonetheless symbolic, that this date, the traditional presidential inauguration day, also happens to be the 231st anniversary of the end of hostilities in the American Revolution. This 1783 cease-fire, while throwing off a monarch, started us on the way to electing our head of state. Along with creating the office of president, the ensuing constitution of the new republic was unique in world history for requiring a regular, periodic census. Letting bygones be bygones, census figures …
2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Events
Courtesy of Senator Angela Bryant: 2014 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY EVENTS IN HALIFAX, NASH, WARREN, WILSON, VANCE, EDGECOMBE COUNTIES and SURROUNDING AREAS Monday, Jan. 20, 2014 – 12pm – Ridgeway Baptist Church’s MLK Program – Sen. Angela Bryant will be the keynote speaker at Ridgeway Baptist Church, 156 Wycoff Rd, Norlina, NC., in Warren County. For more information call the church at 252-456-3626. HALIFAX COUNTY EVENTS Monday, January 20, 2014 – 10:00am – Oak Grove …
North Carolina’s poorest hit by federal cuts: ‘Unless someone helps, we’re bust’
In February, in an attempt to address a $2bn debt that it owed the federal government, North Carolina passed a law that slashed both the number of weeks for which a job-seeker can receive state benefits and reduced the amount that it pays out in unemployment, from $535 a week to $350. In doing so, North Carolina knowingly violated a contract with the federal government, resulting in the automatic cutting off of federal assistance for the long-term unemployed. The changes, …
Designing Better Places – a new video and website on urban design and the importance of creating walkable communities
Raleigh – The N.C. Department of Commerce announced Thursday that a new video and website on urban design and the importance of creating walkable communities, Designing Better Places, is available for viewing and download on the Commerce website at www.designingbetterplaces.com Designing Better Places showcases numerous communities from across North Carolina that are developing public spaces where residents and visitors feel at ease. The website and video provide examples of basic design principles and building streets that work for everyone. “The …
VGCC students donate books to local elementary school
The Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE) chapter at Vance-Granville Community College held a children’s book drive during the month of December. The club placed donation boxes at all four VGCC campuses. Megan Sullivan of Oxford, a member of the club majoring in School-Age Education as well as a VGCC student ambassador, spearheaded the drive. The books that were collected were recently delivered to Dabney Elementary School in Henderson. Pictured above, from left: Dabney Elementary School media assistant Wanda …
Butterfield Cheers North Carolina Central University’s Receipt of a $5 Million Grant from the National Science Foundation
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) today cheered North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, North Carolina for receiving a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue development of its Computational Center for Fundamental and Applied Science and Education, known as NSF-CREST. The grant will help to improve research opportunities for students and solidify NCCU as one of the world’s preeminent research universities. “Never has education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics been as important …
Audio of City of Henderson City Council Meeting updated with times
Earlier, we posted the audio from Monday nights, January 13th, 2014, city council meeting. We’ve now updated that (thank you Mr. Bobbitt) the posting with at which time in the audio file you may find particular agenda items. We hope this encourages you to listen, if you don’t want to sit through the whole thing, to find the piece you’re interested in. See the updated posting here: http://homeinhenderson.com/2014/01/15/news/city-business/audio-city-of-henderson-city-council-meeting-from-january-13-2014/
NC Cooperative Extension Annual Respirator fit-test
This is a reminder that pesticide applicators who fall under the new fumigant management regulations should get their annual respirator fit-test prior to the 2014 production season. There will be an opportunity to get fit tested on Wed, Jan 22 at the Granville Extension office in Oxford. If interested, call the office at 919-603-1350 to request an appointment (limited spaces available). The cost is $75, and you will need to complete a health assessment form first. The form is available …
N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority Board Approves First Round of Grants
Raleigh, NC – N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker and Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Pat Mitchell announced today that the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 18 grants totaling $11,046,399. The RIA was established as part of the Rural Economic Development Division at the N.C. Department Commerce to assist with the review and approval of grants for rural areas in the state. The grants-making programs of the new Division include assistance for building reuse and restoration, water and sewer …
White House: A Wide Bandgap What?
Wednesday, President Obama visited Raleigh, NC to talk about making the area a magnet for the good, high-tech manufacturing jobs, as a manufacturing innovation hub. The hub will develop “wide bandgap semiconductors” — that use 90% less power than conventional ones, and will make everything from cell phones to electric cars smaller, faster, and cheaper. Hidden inside nearly every modern electronic is a technology — called power electronics — that is quietly making our world run. Yet, as things like …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
There’s been a lot of emphasis lately on making houses that are more energy efficient — with better insulation and windows that seal out heat and cold. Many feature the use of solar panels to capture the natural heat of the sun. The first house in America with solar heating and radiation cooling opened this week in 1955 in Tucson, Arizona. A large, slanting slab of steel and glass converted sunlight into heat, which was ducted into the house. In …
NCDA&CS schedules two public meetings on proposed gypsy moth treatments in Warren County
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking input from residents in Rockingham, Stokes and Warren counties concerning planned treatment activities for the non-native, highly destructive gypsy moth. Field monitoring activities conducted by the department in 2013 determined that reproducing populations of the gypsy moth exist in Rockingham and Warren counties and represent a threat to hardwood trees. Residents in or near the proposed treatment areas have been sent notices by mail. The following meetings are …
DPAC #4 in U.S. on Pollstar list
Pollstar named the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham #4 in the U.S. in its recent 2013 report Worldwide Ticket Sales – Top 100 Theater Venues, based on attendance at DPAC. The magazine named DPAC # 4 in the U.S. in its recent 2013 report of worldwide ticket sales of the top 100 theater venues, based on attendance. The top five theaters in the Pollstar survey, with their seating capacity, were Radio City Music Hall in New York City, N.Y., …
VGCC offers Woodworking class at night
Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a ten-week evening Woodworking course, open to all area residents, in the Carpentry shop on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The class will meet on Thursdays from 6 until 10 p.m., Feb. 6 through April 17 (with no class meeting on March 27 due to the college’s Spring Break). Teaching the class will be Keith Tunstall of Warrenton, VGCC’s program head and instructor for the Carpentry curriculum program. Tunstall will teach participants how …