North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) English teacher Jennifer (Jen) Currin is one of three finalists for the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year Award. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) sponsor the award, which recognizes exceptional quality in online K-12 education. State Superintendent June Atkinson commended Currin on being named a finalist saying that her instructional style helps students who have struggled academically achieve success. “Jen modifies her instruction …
VGCC Psychology instructor offers seminars on Dreams
Peter Metzner, a Psychology instructor at Vance-Granville Community College, will offer a free seminar about understanding dreams, and the public is invited.In the “Dream Circles” seminar, Metzner will facilitate a discussion in which participants will learn how to better understand and work with their own dreams and each others’. This seminar is scheduled to be offered twice: on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. and on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. On both dates, the location is room 6116 …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: This Week in the Second District
It was great to be home in the 2nd District this week. I was able to connect with constituents across the district including those I met at a meeting of WakeMed’s Health Career Pathfinders and an Agribusiness breakfast in Raleigh, a meeting with town officials in Robbins, and during a tour of the LORD Corporation in Cary. Below you will find an update on the Keystone XL Pipeline, including a bipartisan letter I signed onto with 145 fellow Members of …
USED Report: NC is Ahead in the Race to the Top
Innovation in support for teachers and struggling schools, along with the infusion of new technology are among the reasons North Carolina is at the head of the pack at the halfway point of its Race to the Top initiative, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Education today. The four-year, $400 million Race to the Top grant, awarded in summer 2010, has entered its third year. North Carolina is one of 11 states, along with the District …
White House Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013
In this week’s address, President Obama calls on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. This week, the President announced his choice for his new Chief of Staff, pushed for comprehensive immigration reform, and invited the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, Presidential Innovation Fellows, law enforcement officials, 60 Minutes, and the Miami Heat to the White House.
Monday Open Line
Adding poignancy to Black History Month, today marks the centennial of the birth of Rosa Parks, a shy woman who became a symbol of the fight for civil equality. Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus to a white man. This sparked a boycott of the bus system by blacks, which greatly energized the ultimately successful civil rights movement. During her life, Rosa Parks championed the cause of increased opportunities for youth. …
Larry Elman: Unemployment Editorial
In answer to Friday’s The Daily Dispatch editorial on unemployment (2/1/2013): I do not know NC law because I moved here after retirement, but in most States during most of my life there have been two rules which totally eliminate your comments, as well as those of John Hood of the John Locke Society last week. First, most States required persons on unemployment to be able to show consistent job-search efforts, and those efforts were frequently checked. Second, in …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday, February 4th, 2013
Please download the full agenda packet here: 20130204_vcboc_agenda_packet Please also then download this supplement that changes the above original packet. The changes are: Revised agenda – Porcha Brooks has been removed.Two items have been added to the County Manager’s Report (see revised County Manager’s Report).Revised Committee Report which includes today’s Public Safety Committee meeting, along with back-up materials. Supplemental Packet download: 20130204_vcboc_agend_packet_supplement
NCDOT Awards $645,000 Contract for a Warren County Bridge Replacement
RALEIGH — A $645,000 contract has been awarded to the Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh by the N.C. Department of Transportation to replace a 55-year-old bridge in Warren County. The bridge on Burchette Road over Newman’s Creek is located near I-85 and the Virginia state line. It is considered functionally obsolete, which means it was built to standards no longer used for bridges. Construction can start anytime between Feb. 25 and April 15, with a new bridge open within 135 …
NC 2012 Main Street Award Winners Announced
SALISBURY – The North Carolina Department of Commerce presented 18 awards to participants in the N.C. Main Street and Small Town Main Street programs at the N.C. Main Street Awards Ceremony Thursday evening in Salisbury. Award winners were recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories that include promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring. “Main Streets are making a positive impact in their communities all across the state,” said Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker. “Downtown revitalization efforts are contributing to …
Butterfield to Visit Three Community Organizations, Friday
WASHINGTON, DC – Tomorrow, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will spend the day visiting three important community organizations, all fulfilling a great need in Durham. In the morning, Butterfield will meet with Dr. Sharon Elliott Bynum, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Case Management of AIDS and Addiction through Resources and Education (CAARE), to tour the construction of its new 15-bed dormitory. The 5,000 square foot dorm will provide transitional housing for homeless veterans, and will include private bedrooms and bathrooms, …
Medical Instruments Manufacturer to Create 44 Jobs in Durham County, N.C.
RALEIGH — Today, Governor Pat McCrory and Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker announced that bioMérieux Inc., a manufacturer of patient health diagnostics solutions, will expand its facility in Durham County. The company plans to create 44 jobs and invest $48.3 million over the next three years in Durham. The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $220,000. The grant is contingent upon proof of job creation and receipt of …
Butterball named N.C. Exporter of the Year
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services named Garner-based Butterball as the 2013 N.C. Exporter of the Year. “From 2009 to 2011, we saw turkey exports nearly double in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Butterball makes up a significant percentage of those exports and is deserving of this honor.” Company representatives were recognized at a presentation during the annual Ag Development Forum at the State Fairgrounds Jan. 31. The Exporter of the Year award acknowledges …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
February is Black History Month, a time to honor the many contributions to our nation’s history made by people of African descent. Started as a special week in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson, the observance is now a full month of activities across the country. African-Americans number nearly 42 million in the U.S., 13.1 percent of the total population. By 2050, this population is projected to reach nearly 57 million. Although New York has the largest number of blacks …
YMCA Father / Daughter Dance Friday, February 1st, 2013
Join the Henderson Family YMCA for their 6th Annual Father/Daughter Dance on Friday, February 1st from 6:00 – 9:00 P.M. at the YMCA. All Fathers, Grandfathers and Father-figures are welcome. Tickets are $15/couple and $6/each additional girl. Dinner will be served at 6:00 PM with the dance to immediately follow. Tickets are available at the YMCA, Member Services Desk. For more information call (252)438-2144.
Smokies landslide could affect tourism as road is repaired
A rain-induced landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park left a hole in U.S. 441, but its impact could also affect the local economy depending on how long the repairs take. VisitNC.com has the latest traffic updates, and the Division’s 1-800-VISITNC operators keep abreast of these updates to keep potential visitors informed. Repairs could be done by mid-May to early June at the earliest, according to an estimated construction timeline released by the park service this week. The cost …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Jan. 31 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” relax with a stay at the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville. Step back in time at the Old Mill of Guilford in Oak Ridge. Combine the best of both worlds at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar in Asheville. Take to the skies at the N.C. Aviation Museum Hall of Fame in Asheboro. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Mami Nora’s in Raleigh. (Please note: …
Vance County’s Public Safety Committee to meet Friday
Vance County’s Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet this Friday, February 1 at 12:00 Noon in the County Manager’s Office.
Wilmington’s mayor highlights film, tourism impacts in ‘State of the City’
During his annual “State of the City” address Monday, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo highlighted several important features and aspects for the area, one being the importance of film to the area. In the banner year that was 2012, North Carolina enjoyed $376 million in film-related spending – $240 million of which was spent in Wilmington, which leads the state in film production, said Saffo. That helped to create hundreds of jobs and gave the city national recognition, he said. Saffo …
New Data Highlight Need for Expanded Medicaid Eligibility
(Raleigh, NC) -New data show half of all North Carolina residents (49.9 percent) teeter on the edge of financial disaster with almost no savings to protect their families during a medical emergency or other financial crisis. The Assets & Opportunity Scorecard, an annual report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development, ranks states on more than 50 outcome measures across five issue areas. North Carolina ranks 45th in the nation for financial stability of residents, earning average marks in Education (C), …