Organic growers in North Carolina can apply for partial reimbursement of the cost of becoming certified or for recertification through a program offered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Growers who are certified or recertified between Oct. 1, 2015, and Sept. 30, 2016, can apply for assistance through the program. “This cost-share program will cover up to 75 percent of the cost of organic certification for a farm, up to a total of $750,” said Agriculture Commissioner …
Thursday Open Line
When something is proclaimed the best thing since sliced bread, that praise doesn’t encompass as much time as one might think. Sliced bread, wrapped for sale in wax paper, first appeared on store shelves on this date in 1928 in Chillicothe, Missouri. The Chillicothe Baking Company’s innovation of uniform, pre-sliced bread loaves remained local for a short while. By the 1930s, the obvious convenience of satisfactory sliced bread spread the practice nationally. In large part, this was due to the …
Henderson Water Main Break – Boil Water Advisory
The water consumers of the City of Henderson, in Vance County, in and around the South Beckford Drive and Dabney Drive area including Harrison Lane are experiencing periods of low pressure and outages in the distribution system due to a 10-inch line break. Periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increases the potential for back siphonage and introduction of bacteria into the water system. Therefore, the Division of Water Resources advises that when water is restored consumers …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Phony tech support and overpayment: two scams in one
For years, crooks have charged victims to repair nonexistent problems on their computers in order to gain access to sensitive personal and financial information stored inside. Now they’ve added a new scam: trying to talk you into long-term technical support that is actually just an excuse to swindle you out of as much as $10,000. It starts when you agree to charge the tech support membership to your credit card. The scammers call back a few days later to say …
Governor McCrory Announces More Than $10.4 Million in Infrastructure Funding Supporting 622 New Jobs Statewide
Governor Pat McCrory announced June 23 that the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 31 grant and loan requests totaling $10,433,899. The requests include commitments to create a total of 622 new jobs. “Job growth favors communities that have ready-to-go sites, buildings and infrastructure,” said Governor McCrory. “These grants will help provide the assets and amenities companies seek when growing their businesses and creating jobs.” Several categories of grants were used by the RIA to fulfill community requests. From …
Senator Angela Bryant Newsletter
Halifax, Nash, Vance, Warren and Wilson Counties District – 4 Senator Angela R. Bryant Volume 14, Issue IX July 5, 2016 To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please click here NEWS FROM RALEIGH… I always welcome your comments, project updates, suggestions, and visits. My office door and electronic door are always open to you! You are also invited to attend any and all Sessions and Committees. Visit the website for Session and Committee meeting times. As always, …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Happy Independence Day!
Photo of the Week Thank you to Miss North Carolina Jr. High, Caroline Marshall, for this lovely framed photo of the winning entry from the coloring contest she sponsored for fourth and fifth graders as part of her anti-bullying platform. Weekly Update North Carolina’s veteran population has grown consistently over the last four years—on average, between 7 and 8 percent a year. Knowing this trend makes it all the more pressing that we continue working to expand veteran-based healthcare …
Tuesday Open Line
The origins of the humble hamburger are unclear, but a precursor traces back as far as the fifth century in Imperial Rome. There are several claimants for the distinction of serving the first recognizable, made in the USA hamburger. One of them was Oscar Weber Bilby of Oklahoma. He is supposed to have served the first burgers at his Fourth of July cookout in 1891. Some forms of ground or chopped beef had previously been served on or between slices …
Monday Open Line
Today is the signature American holiday, celebrating the date in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Ours was the first successful colonial independence movement against a European power. Recognition of our nationhood came with the Peace Treaty of 1783. From sea to shining sea, there will be parades, concerts, barbecues, and, of course, fireworks. Among the celebrations is the Boston Pops fireworks spectacular, featuring Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” In the U.S. of 1812, the population of …
Downtown Henderson Independence Day Festival July 2nd, 2016
Come to Downtown Henderson on Saturday, July 2nd, 2016 for an Independence Day Celebration from 10am to 2pm! Watch the Parade from Rose Avenue to West Orange Street. Parade starts at 10am. After the parade, relax on Breckenridge Street in front of the Perry Memorial Library andMcGregor Hall Performing Arts Center, Bounce Houses by Character Antics Entertainment Company, Food Trucks, Farmer John’s Produce and Homemade Ice Cream, FrostBites and Childrens Games. For the adults we have Bid Whist & Spade …
Travelers on I-85 near North Carolina-Virginia State Line over Holiday Weekend Should Plan for Potential Backups
With potentially record volume on the highways over the July 4 holiday weekend, North Carolina motorists planning to travel on I-85 to and from Virginia need to be aware of the potential for heavy delays near the state border, where there are two sections of the interstate where four lanes of traffic are reduced to two for a construction project. For the most part, lane closures on the state’s interstates are halted over the holiday weekend, but in some cases, …
VGCC Male Mentoring students visit Atlanta
The Male Mentoring program at Vance-Granville Community College took a group of students on an educational trip to Atlanta as the spring semester drew to a close. The “mentees” who participated in the tour included Benjamin Marshall of Butner; Mikal Williams of Clayton; Cody Boylorn, Tyler Boylorn and Joshua Horton, all of Franklinton; Christopher Blue and Dajuan Harrison, both of Henderson; Matthew Jaurique of Kittrell; Miles Brown and Tyrese Perry, both of Louisburg; Bradley Gooch, Quincy Hart and Jonathan Williamson, …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Called Meeting July 5th, 2016
This memorandum will serve as notice that Chairman Gordon Wilder has called a special meeting for Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC. The purpose of the meeting is to: 1. Enter into closed session to discuss a personnel matter.2. Other items as necessary.
VGCC names 269 students to President’s and Dean’s Lists
Vance-Granville Community College has announced that 125 students earned President’s List and 144 students earned Dean’s List academic honors for the spring semester that ended in May. The President’s List recognizes students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) while carrying a “full load” (of at least 12 credit hours) in 100-level or higher curriculum courses. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student had to earn a GPA that was at least 3.5 but less than 4.0, and …
VGCC to receive federal grant funding for TechHire program
Vance-Granville Community College has been awarded nearly $1 million as part of a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to a consortium that involves three other North Carolina community colleges. The grant totals $4 million and will be split among VGCC, Alamance Community College, Halifax Community College and James Sprunt Community College. JSCC is serving as the lead institution in the consortium of colleges, called the North Carolina TechHire Alliance. Each college will use the funding for workforce …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, July 1st. “America runs on Bulova time.” That declaration was the entire audio portion of the first advertisement appearing on a commercial television station. The rather subdued ad was broadcast on New York station WBNT on this date in 1941, the first TV ad with the sanction of the Federal Communications Commission. The 10-second spot appeared in a Brooklyn Dodgers game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Consisting of nothing more than the image of a ticking clock, the ad cost …
Record travel projected for July 4 holiday
The lowest gas prices in a decade will fuel a record number of Independence Day holiday motorists, putting millions more behind the wheel than on Memorial Day, according to AAA. Nearly 43 million Americans will travel from June 30 through July 4, which would set a record for the holiday weekend and amount to 5 million more travelers than the Memorial Day holiday, according to AAA. More than 36 million people, or 84 percent, will drive to their destinations this …
N.C. Welcome Centers now provide free Wi-Fi for visitors
Just in time for the busy July 4 weekend, North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers now provide free Wi-Fi for visitors. Signs inside the Welcome Centers direct visitors to see a travel counselor for a password to gain access. “We’re pleased to provide this additional service to our visitors, both to welcome them to our state and to provide them with an easy way to get information about North Carolina,” said Bryan Gupton, director of visitor services for the NC Dept. of …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 30 on North Carolina Weekend, step back in time during “Liberty Mountain: The Revolutionary (Outdoor) Drama” in Kings Mountain. Sample the fun at the N.C. Blackberry Festival in Lenoir. Tempt your taste buds at Heirloom Restaurant in Charlotte. Talk to the animals at Aloha Safari Zoo in Cameron. And check out the scene at Aqua Restaurant and Spa in Duck. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North …
AVID Available in Middle Schools in 2016-2017
Local educators in middle schools have been training and preparing during the past school year to bring a special program to their students for the 2016-2017 year. In the new school year, educators at Eaton-Johnson and Henderson middle schools will offer services to their students through the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. AVID has been in local schools in previous years when it was offered several years ago at the high school level. School system officials made the decision several …