WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in support of the Veterans Education Equity Act of 2013. Butterfield introduced H.R. 595, the House version of the legislation, in February to reward equal educational benefits to veterans whether they choose to attend a private or public institution of higher learning. Today’s hearing is the first Senate hearing on S.262, the companion bill introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), and …
NCDOT hears from public on I-95 expansion, tolls
The N.C. Dept. of Transportation is holding public meetings in communities along the Interstate 95 corridor for attendees to learn about the results of the I-95 Economic Assessment, as well as the next steps in the process of improving the highway. Attendees will be able to discuss the study one-on-one with NCDOT officials in an informal setting and will also have the opportunity to submit written comments or questions. The hearings will be held next week at the Robeson Community …
Charities are the winners in Masonic Pig Jig Competition and Shriners Fish Fry at the Got to Be NC Festival
RALEIGH — The Masonic Pig Jig Competition will celebrate its ninth year of friendly competition for a cause on Saturday at the Got to Be NC Festival at the State Fairgrounds. The event has become a big draw for pork lovers, Masons and those who want to dine for a good cause. The Amran Shriners Fish Fry will also be raising money for charity Friday through Sunday, with proceeds from the sale of seafood plates benefitting Shriners hospitals and charities. …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 16 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, Relax with river cruise aboard the Catawba Queen off Queen’s Landing in Mooresville. Enjoy a stay at the Tapoco Lodge in Robbinsville. Take in a performance by the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh. Challenge your green thumb with Seagrove Orchids in Seagrove. And discover the art of The Creative Center in Greensboro. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. …
Ammunition Manufacturer to Create 150 Jobs in Robeson County, N.C.
RALEIGH — Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced today that Cape Fear Arsenal Inc. will locate a new manufacturing facility in Robeson County. The company plans to create 150 jobs and invest more than $15.2 million over the next three years in Lumberton. “Our state has a strong manufacturing legacy,” said Governor McCrory. “This new facility advances that legacy with an innovative process that will result in much-needed, well-paying jobs for workers in Robeson County.” Cape Fear …
Bluegrass Reverberates Across North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 15, 2013) – The music traditions that led to bluegrass have rung out in the North Carolina mountains for hundreds of years. With Raleigh’s selection as host of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in September, music lovers have more reason than ever to experience this living legacy in cities, towns and tiny communities across the state. Start mapping your journey with this sampling of settings. Find additional stops on VisitNC.com, which lists festivals and …
Amtrak’s Piedmont fastest-growing in U.S.; NCDOT, Amtrak Celebrate National Train Day
Amtrak’s Piedmont train service was number one in the nation in growth within the Amtrak system during fiscal year 2012. According to Amtrak reports, March 2013 saw a 10.3 percent increase in Piedmont ridership over March 2012, and a 21.7 percent increase in revenue over same period. The Carolinian, which saw a suspension of service for most of March last year for track work, had a 60.8 percent increase in ridership in March over last year, and a 90.1 percent …
Thursday Open Line
Flying became more comfortable — this week in 1930 — when United Airlines made the first flight with an airline stewardess, Ellen Church. She tended passengers on a May 15th flight from Oakland, California to Chicago. The criteria for the job was that she could be no older than 25, no taller than 5 feet, 4 inches, and weigh no more than 115 pounds and be a registered nurse. The idea caught on, and being a stewardess became one of …
VGCC starting three new Computer classes in June
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for three new computer-related courses that start in June on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. “Accounting Fundamentals” is scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 until 9 p.m., June 4 through June 27. This course is designed to help non-accountants learn about accounting principles, and it offers a foundation for students expecting to take a QuickBooks course. The course is also an excellent option for small business owners and others …
N.C. Forest Service finds laurel wilt disease in New Hanover County
RALEIGH — The N.C. Forest Service has confirmed that laurel wilt, a devastating disease of redbay and other plants in the laurel family, has been identified in New Hanover County in an area near the western edge of Wilmington. The disease has been identified across the Southeast in portions of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In North Carolina, it was first discovered in Bladen, Columbus, Pender and Sampson counties in 2011, and in Brunswick County in 2012. In North Carolina, …
N.C. Winery Guides now available
A new N.C. Winery Guide is in print and available free of charge. The winery guide is funded and produced by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, but it will now be distributed through the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. The guide can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-VISITNC or 1-877-3NC-WINE. Winery guide orders, whether through VisitNC.com or by phone, are fulfilled at the Division’s Call Center, located at the N.C. …
Butterfield Applauds DOT’s Decision to Keep Kinston and New Bern Airport Towers Open
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision to continue the Federal Aviation Administration Contract Tower (FCT) Program at the Kinston Regional Jetport at Stallings Field (ISO) and Coastal Carolina Regional (EWN) Airport through the remainder of fiscal year 2013, ending the threat of closures and employee furloughs. Butterfield said, “I applaud the DOT’s decision to continue the FAA Contract Tower Program at the Kinston Regional Jetport, the Coastal Carolina Regional …
Wednesday Open Line
This week, we honor those civil servants to whom we owe much, including the peace and safety of our neighborhoods. It’s National Police Week, signed into law in 1962 by President John Kennedy, designating this day as Peace Officers Memorial Day. Nationwide, hundreds of police departments will have held observances during the week leading up to today, when a memorial service is held on the west front of the U.S. Capitol. Each year in the U.S., there are about 1.3 …
City of Henderon Special Called Council Meeting Monday, May 20th
In compliance with North Carolina General Statutes 160A-71 and 143-318.12, I, Mayor James D. O’Geary, do hereby call a Special Meeting of the Henderson City Council for Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. The location of this meeting is the City Hall Council Chamber, 134 Rose Avenue,. Henderson, NC. The purpose of this meeting is for City Council to hold preliminary discussions related to the City of Henderson’s annual operating budget for fiscal year 2013-2014. Other issues may also …
Vance Granville summer courses
Vance Granville is currently registering for three new courses to be offered on the main campus in Henderson. Please call 252.738.3417 for additional information or to register for one of these classes. Registration Fees are waived for NC seniors who are 65 or older for one Course per semester. New Courses iPad Basics M 9:00-1:00 6/10/01 7/22/13 $65+$4 Accounting Fundamentals T&Th 6:00-9:00 6/4/13 6/27/01 $65+$4 Windows 8 Th 5:30-9:30 6/13/13 7/25/13 $65+$4 Microsoft Outlook 2010 M 5:30-9:30 6/24/13 8/5/13 $65+$4 …
Tuesday Open Line
This week is the 94th annual Children’s Book Week –encouraging the joy of reading for young people. The idea began in 1913 with a drive by the librarian of the Boy Scouts, Franklin Matthiews, to promote higher standards in children’s books. He got two other key people to join him — the editor of Publisher’s Weekly and the head of children’s works at the New York Public Library. Children’s Book Week began in 1919, and over the years, its efforts …
NC Cooperative Extension Events
GARDENING SYMPOSIUM, MAY 18, HENDERSONKerr Lake Extension Master Gardeners present GREAT GARDENING…GET IN GEAR, our first ever gardening symposium. The event will be held from 9 am to noon at First Presbyterian Church in Henderson. Advance registration is $5 (extended to May 17), or $7 at the door. Come and hear from expert speakers on vegetable production, soil preparation/raised beds, and growing daylilies. Complete details at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/symposium2013.pdf COLLECTION DAY FOR UNWANTED PESTICIDES, 5/30, HENDERSONDo you have old weed killers, insecticides, …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Healthcare and Families
This week, the House passed an important piece of legislation to give working moms and dads more options. The Working Families Flexibility Act ends an outdated provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that prohibits the private sector from using “comp time.” Below you will find my statement on the bill along with links to video of my speech on the House floor and comments from a press conference with Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Thank you for subscribing to …
Senator Richard Burr Newsletter
This week, the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform held a hearing that shed new light on the attack on our embassy in Benghazi and the Obama administration’s subsequent handling and response. For the first time since the tragic events last September that resulted in the death of four Americans, we heard witness testimony from officials on the ground confirming that it was clear from the outset this was a pre-planned terrorist attack despite the White House and State …
Triple Bridge Replacement Project Starts Monday in Granville County
RALEIGH — Work gets under way on Monday, May 13, on an N.C. Department of Transportation project to replace three bridges just 2/10ths of a mile apart over Beaver Dam Creek on Brassfield Road, southeast of Creedmoor. Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh was awarded the $1.1million contract as the low bidder. The oldest bridge of the group was built in 1950, while the other two were constructed in 1964. They are each concrete-surfaced structures on timber pilings. The original bridge …