This week the Senate considered several important issues before adjourning for the holidays. The issue foremost in the news was the Ryan-Murray Budget. As I announced earlier in the week, I voted against cloture and voted against the budget. While I commend Chairman Ryan in his efforts to prevent another shutdown, I could not in good faith support the budget bill. Included in the bill were retroactive cuts to military retiree’s cost-of-living adjustments. While I do agree there should be …
Senator Kay Hagan: Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season
I want 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 this year is particularly special in the Hagan household, as it is our first holiday with a new addition – our first grandchild. This season, I hope that each of you finds joy – whether it is gathering close to your …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Happy Holidays to you and your family
I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you and your family are enjoying the holidays. As we continue throughout the holiday season, it is important that we give thanks and appreciation for our many blessings, as there are still so many Americans facing hardships each day. Many are beginning to feel the stress of losing their health insurance, while others are experiencing exponential increases in monthly premiums that are simply unaffordable. Americans are also under pressure to ensure …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Concerned about the Target security breach?
By now you may have heard the news that national retailer Target experienced a massive data breach that could affect approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts. A data or security breach happens when records containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers or credit card or bank account numbers, are lost, stolen or accessed improperly. Just because your information was part of a security breach doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become a victim of fraud or identity theft, but …
White House Weekly Address: Working Together on Behalf of the American People
In his weekly address, President Obama highlights the bipartisan budget agreement that unwinds some of the cuts that were damaging to the economy and keeps investments in areas that help us grow, and urges both parties to work together to extend emergency unemployment insurance and act on new measures to create jobs and strengthen the middle class. This week, the White House honored those lost at Sandy Hook on the one year anniversary. The President met with newly elected mayors …
Monday 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 …
City of Henderson announces Marcus W. Barrow as new Police Chief
Letter from City Manager Ray Griffin, Jr.: It gives me great pleasure to advise you of my appointment of Marcus W. Barrow as the new Police Chief for the City of Henderson, effective Thursday, 19 December 2013. Marcus, a native of Zebulon, NC, has served with the Henderson Police Department since 17 December 1998 and has steadily progressed through the ranks from Police Officer, Detective, Sergeant in Operations Division, Lieutenant in both Operations and Services divisions, Captain of both Services …
Poinsettia production is big business for North Carolina
RALEIGH – The bright red or frosty white leaves of a poinsettia are common decorations this time of year, and the six-week period leading up to Christmas is the busiest season for poinsettia growers. Last year in North Carolina, 4.4 million poinsettias were sold, generating $17.6 million in sales. “North Carolina not only ranks second in the country in Christmas tree sales, we also rank second in poinsettia sales,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Many people in our state and …
VGCC graduates 11 Law Enforcement Cadets in School’s 97th BLET Class
Eleven cadets graduated on Dec. 17 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Graduates of VGCC’s 97th BLET class included Andrew James Boos and James Thomas Rusher, both of N.C. Parks & Recreation; Keishawn Lamar Mayes of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office; Tevin Demetri Dixon, …
VGCC to host Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Celebration on Jan. 15
Vance-Granville Community College will hold a special program celebrating the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 at 11 a.m. in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. For the fifth year in a row, the program will feature contributions from several VGCC students as part of a competition. Students were invited to either write speeches, poems or short plays, create murals, collages or paintings, or produce short videos in response to this …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Throughout history, bachelors have had to put up with a lot of pressure from friends, family and society in general. They tend to be stereotyped, and many television sitcoms deal with their supposedly hapless lives. But no insult can rival that enacted in Missouri on this date 1820, when the legislature voted to tax bachelors between the ages of 21 and 50 $1 a year — just for being unmarried. Obviously, the tax did not stand the test of time …
VGCC announces holiday schedule and late registration dates
All four campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will take a break for the holidays, beginning Dec. 20, and then open for business again on Thursday, January 2, 2014. Late registration for spring semester classes will be held Monday, Jan. 6 through Wednesday, Jan. 8. The final New Student Orientation Session for spring semester is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at VGCC’s Main Campus. Spring semester classes will begin on Monday, Jan. 13. For more information, call VGCC …
Aluminum Boat Manufacturer to Create 200 Jobs in Onslow County
Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced on Dec. 17 that Armstrong Marine Inc. is building a welded aluminum boat manufacturing operation in Onslow County. The company plans to create 200 jobs and invest more than $8.4 million at the new facility near Swansboro. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Donna Phillips was the developer on this project. Armstrong Marine is a leading manufacturer of purpose-built welded aluminum boats, fire boats, dive boats, pilot boats, research vessels, interceptors …
NC Economic Development Board Wraps Up Strategic Plan Recommendations
The N.C. Economic Development Board convened on Dec. 11 to wrap up its six months of work on developing a 10-year Strategic Plan for economic development in the state. In addition to the research and planning of the board committees, N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker presented information gathered in a statewide survey during her listening tour across the state. Survey results were included in the draft strategic plan that Ted Abernathy, an economic development strategic planning consultant, presented. Detailed recommended …
USA InvestCo to Develop Cold Storage Project at Port of Wilmington
Governor Pat McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker recently announced that USA InvestCo plans to create 100 jobs and invest more than $15 million in a new cold storage facility at the Port of Wilmington. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Ken Allen was the developer on this project. The company is developing the Port of Wilmington Cold Storage facility, a 75,000-square-foot facility that will store locally produced pork, poultry, fruits and vegetables. PWCS could eventually be expanded to 300,000 …
Chapel Hill/Orange County VB utilizes book’s popularity to attract, assist visitors
The Chapel Hill/Orange County VB has adapted the popular local book Goodnight Carolina into a printed Family Fun Map and tour guide brochure as well as an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android. These new resources offer visitors a new way to explore UNC-Chapel Hill and the surrounding communities, in time for the holiday influx of visiting friends and family and beyond. Like the book, the Goodnight Carolina brochure/map and app spotlight the uniqueness of Chapel Hill and the …
Films, TV productions in N.C. generated $254M in 2013, created 25K job opportunities
Popular television productions fueled one of the strongest years experienced by the film industry in North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory announced Tuesday (yesterday). More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2013. Those productions amassed a record-high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties. “In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina …
Jones retires after 25-Year VGCC career
Vanessa R. Jones of Norlina is retiring, effective January 1, 2014, after more than 25 years of service at Vance-Granville Community College. Members of Jones’s family joined her VGCC colleagues at a reception held in her honor on Dec. 5, 2013 at the college’s Main Campus. Jones worked in the Vance County school system for five years before joining the VGCC staff in 1988 as assistant coordinator and advisor at the college’s Warren County Campus. In 1996, she became a …
Television Series Fuel Strong Year for Film Industry in North Carolina
Popular television productions fueled one of the strongest years experienced by the film industry in North Carolina. More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2013. Those productions amassed a record-high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties. “In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina an ideal place to produce quality …
N.C. among top 5 states in latest NCAA championships announcement
North Carolina was among the nation’s leaders in attracting NCAA championship sporting events in the latest round of site selections, announced last week. North Carolina was among the top 5 states, receiving 29 site selections. For Division I, the 2015 Women’s Swim & Dive National Championship will be at the Greensboro Aquatic Center; Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem will have the 2018 Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships. Regional championships include the 2015 Women’s Basketball at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, …