In 1940, a major problem facing the nation was finding a replacement for rubber. War clouds were gathering, and the supply of natural rubber from Asia was threatened. On this date 73 years ago, the first synthetic rubber tire was displayed in Akron, Ohio. It was made by the B.F. Goodrich Company from readily available ingredients — soap, gas, petroleum, and air, greatly helping the looming war effort. Now, natural rubber is used once again to make a huge variety …
Michael Bobbitt: Notes From The Peanut Gallery (VC BOC June 3rd, 2013)
Budget Hearing – FY 2013 – 2014 Proposed Budget The June Board of Commissioner’s meeting opened with a resounding public silence. This was the time the commissioners reserved to hear from the county’s taxpayers their suggestions, recommendations, ideas, objections, and overall approval or disgust of next year’s fiscal budget. Instead the commissioners heard not one word from any registered voter or taxpayer. Chairman Hester made it very clear that a copy of the draft budget is posted to the county’s …
Perry Memorial Library June Events
The Perry Memorial Library in downtown Henderson, NC is offering a number of free classes and programs in June. June 3 @ 1 p.m.Knitting Club June 3 @ 6:30 p.m.Basic Computer Skills Class June 5 @ 10 a.m.VGCC Job Search Workshop June 6 @ 10 a.m.VGCC Job Search Workshop June 6 @ 11 a.m.Mother Goose (Pre-K program) June 7 @ 10 a.m.VGCC Job Search Workshop June 10 @ 5:30 p.m.Summer Reading Program KickoffBig Bang Boom to play at 6 p.m.! June 10 @ 6:30 p.m.Basic Computer Skills Class June …
Research and Analytics Company to Create 400 Jobs in Wake County, N.C.
RALEIGH – Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced today that Evalueserve, a global company that provides custom professional research and analytics services to clients around the world, will establish a U.S. Center in Wake County. The company plans to create 400 new jobs in North Carolina by the end of 2017 and invest more than $5.9 million in its Wake County location. “Evalueserve has found a perfect fit for its Center of Excellence right here in …
Students present Quilt to VGCC President
Students in Quilting classes at Vance-Granville Community College recently surprised the president of the college with a unique gift. On May 29, students and their instructor, Peggy Stocks, presented an original quilt (complete with matching pillowcases), called “Very Good Color Combination,” to VGCC President Stelfanie Williams. Individual squares were quilted by various students and then assembled by Stocks. The instructor said the class wanted to make the quilt especially for Dr. Williams in commemoration of both her first year as …
The National Conference on Mental Health
Nationally, an estimated 45 million Americans suffer from illnesses like depression, schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress syndrome. Today, the White House hosted a day-long conference to kick off a national conversation about mental health in the United States. President Obama stressed the importance of a more open dialogue on mental health issues: “There should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We’ve got to get rid of that embarrassment; …
Tuesday Open Line
The Census Bureau has been producing estimates of health insurance coverage at the county level since 2005. These are broken out by sex, age, income, race and Hispanic origin. Known as the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, these statistics tell us how health insurance coverage varies by county across the country. The information allows providers in the health care field to target outreach activities to increase access to health care services nationwide. The program is partially funded by the Centers …
Vance County Schools – Free Physicals for Student Athletes
Free physicals for student athletes will be given Wednesday, June 5, at Southern Vance High School. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. The physicals are for interscholastic individuals and not recreational teams and are available to Vance County Schools’ student athletes, as well as student athletes from Kerr-Vance Academy, Crossroads Christian School and Victory Christian School. Students must pick up a physical form from their school and have the parent questionnaire (front side) completed before arriving for the …
VGCC Child Care Center Students Graduate
Thirteen graduates of the Vance-Granville Community College Child Care Center on the college’s Main Campus were honored in ceremonies on May 31 as they prepared to enter kindergarten this fall. The Class of 2013 included Koyant Lamar Billings, Jr., Layla Simone Burchette, Olivia Grace Morris, Annah Gayle Newman, Valentina Ortega-Mora, Ronald Edwin Pittman, III and Brielynn Grace Turner, all of Henderson; Nathan Scott Garlock of Macon; Henry Wentworth Hall and Maci Bren Satterwhite, both of Oxford; and Kate Nicole DeZurik, …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Broken Promises
When President Obama campaigned for his health care law he promised repeatedly: “If you like your current insurance, you will keep your current insurance.” Every day there is more evidence to the contrary — most recently news that the so-called “Cadillac tax” provision of Obamacare is already causing some employers to drop the high-end health care plans they currently offer their employees. In a blog post this week, I talk about some of the negative effects of Obamacare that we …
White House Weekly Address: Congress Should Take Action to Continue Growing the Economy
In this week’s address, President Obama says that the economy is moving in the right direction, but there is still more work to do. He calls on Congress to act to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save money on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low interest rates, put more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and fix our broken immigration system — so that we can continue to grow our economy and create good middle class …
Monday Open Line
This August, the Census Bureau will release health insurance estimates for each of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Known as the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, these are the only source of single-year estimates of health insurance coverage for every county in the nation. Recently, the Census Bureau began publishing specific estimates of the number of people ages 50-to-64 with health insurance coverage. This new inclusion allows tracking of the insurance status of this older population, which is more likely to …
City of Henderson – Budget Work Session #3 meeting scheduled for Monday, June 3 has been Rescheduled
The Henderson City Council Budget Work Session #3 meeting scheduled for Monday, June 3, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. has been CANCELLED. Council has RESCHEDULED Budget Work Session #3 for Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. This Work Session will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue, Henderson, NC. The public is invited to attend.
N.C. Mountain State Fair celebrates 20 years of ‘Mountain Fun for Everyone’ Sept. 6-15
FLETCHER — Whatever your interests are, you’ll find something fun at the 2013 N.C. Mountain State Fair. Organizers promise “Mountain Fun for Everyone” during the fair’s 20th run, which will take place Sept. 6-15 at the Western N.C. Agricultural Center. The fair may be 100 days away, but organizers are encouraging visitors to start planning now, especially if they are entering one of hundreds of premium competitions. The entry department has already received dozens of entries for this year’s fair. …
VGCC celebrates another Record-Setting Benefit Golf Tournament
Vance-Granville Community College’s 29th annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament generated approximately $35,420 from entry fees and from sponsors to help fund scholarships for deserving students and support the mission of the college. That result set a new record as the highest-grossing golf tournament in VGCC history. A total of 132 players formed 33 teams to play in either the morning or the afternoon round on May 7, 2013 at Henderson Country Club. “We greatly appreciate the support of all the …
New trail segment at DuPont State Recreational Forest to open Saturday; trail volunteers will be recognized
RALEIGH — Staff and supporters of DuPont State Recreational Forest will open the High Falls Trail extension with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, June 1. Trail volunteers will gather at 10 a.m. at the High Falls access area on Staton Road in the forest to open the extension and recognize the many supporters who help to maintain the forest’s trails. Supporting groups include Friends of DuPont Forest, Pisgah Trail Blazers and Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA). Todd Branham with Long …
VGCC Small Business Center schedules Seminar on Certification
Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a free seminar, “Should Your Business Be Certified?” on Wednesday, June 20, from 1 until 3 p.m. in room 7107 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. During the seminar, instructor Alyssa Mako of The Women’s Business Center of North Carolina will discuss certification programs that can serve as useful tools for small business owners, particularly those who are female, members of minority groups or military veterans. Mako will discuss the “alphabet …
Vance County Properties Committee Meeting Notice
Tthe County’s Properties Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, June 3rd at 4:45 p.m. in the County Manager’s Office. Topics for discussion are: Henderson Collegiate Charter School Lease Extension David Street Park
VGCC starts Fall Semester New Student Orientation in June
Throughout the summer, Vance-Granville Community College is holding orientation sessions for new students who are enrolling for the Fall 2013 semester, which begins Monday, Aug. 19. All new students (as well as students who are returning to VGCC after being away for three or more years) in any of the college’s curriculum programs are required to attend an orientation session and meet with an advisor or counselor before registering for classes. Orientation sessions are scheduled to be held in the …
State Farmers Market to host Crawfish Day June 8
RALEIGH — Vendors at the State Farmers Market offer local produce, meats and cheeses throughout the year, but the best time for locally raised crawfish is Crawfish Day. The annual event, sponsored by the N.C. Crawfish Growers Association, will be held Saturday, June 8. N.C. crawfish are raised in earthen ponds from the Piedmont to the coast, and the season runs from the end of May to mid-July. Last year, crawfish growers raised about 9,000 pounds of crawfish. Sterling Davenport, …