RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking input from residents in Caswell, Currituck, Granville, Rockingham and Warren counties concerning treatment options for the non-native, highly destructive gypsy moth. Field monitoring activities conducted by the department in 2012 determined that reproducing populations of the gypsy moth exist in these counties and represent a threat to hardwood trees. Residents in or near the proposed treatment areas have been sent notices by mail. The following meetings are scheduled: …
VGCC offers Medical Transcriptionist Workshop
Vance-Granville Community College will offer a three-hour workshop to help area residents explore a career in medical transcription. “Work at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist” is scheduled to be held Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m. on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The instructor, Deborah Burns, has been a medical transcriptionist for more than 30 years. According to Burns, demand for full-time and part-time medical transcriptionists is soaring. “If you want to choose your own hours, …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Jan. 10 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” be en garde with the youth fencing tournament hosted by the Mid-South Fencers Club in Durham. Smile at the antics of those at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham. Get out in the great outdoors at Pettigrew State Park in Creswell. Enjoy a stay at the Burke Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Gibsonville. And experience fresh and unique dining at Youssef 242 in Hickory. (Please note: listings are …
N.C.-filmed ‘Banshee’ debuts this Friday on Cinemax
“Banshee,” the much anticipated new television series from creator Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under,” “True Blood”), debuts this Friday at 10 p.m. on Cinemax. The 10-episode series, which shot throughout the Charlotte region, was heavily recruited by the N.C. Film Office and began filming in April 2012 after opening offices in late February. The production is estimated to have had a direct in-state spend in excess of $35 million while creating approximately 4,200 job opportunities including 250 crew positions for …
Congressman Butterfield Launches New and Improved Website
WASHINGTON, DC – The Office of Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today announced the launch of their new website, complete with new user-friendly tools to track Congressman Butterfield’s activities and communicate with his staff. “This new website is a vast improvement over the previous one,” said Butterfield. “The site is visually appealing and makes it easier for residents of the First District to stay up-to-date with the work I am doing both in the district and in Washington.” The redesigned …
VGCC honors retired faculty and staff
Vance-Granville Community College celebrated employees who had retired from the college — and particularly the most recent retirees — during the holiday social for faculty and staff, held on Dec. 17 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked all employees, past and present, for their dedication to students and the community. “We have decided today, at a time of both joy and reflection, to recognize the remarkable work of our …
New VGCC classes offer instruction in Beekeeping and Raising Chickens
Vance-Granville Community College is offering two new Personal Enrichment courses to help area residents learn how to begin raising bees and chickens. Both are taught by local farmer Mike Holland and will be held in part at the Holland Farm on Lickskillet Road in Warren County. The one-day “Backyard Chicken Craft” class is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (including a one-hour lunch break), with a classroom component at VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County …
Author of historical novel featured speaker for upcoming Vance County Genealogy Society Meeting
David C. Reavis, author of the historical novel, “Upon These Steps,” will be the featured speaker at the Vance County Genealogy Society Meeting on Monday, January 14, 2013. Meeting location is Perry Memorial Library in Henderson, NC at 6:30 p.m. The novel is based on the Reavis Family and two Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. http://www.UponTheseSteps.com
White House: When Discussing the Second Amendment, Keep the First in Mind Too
By Jay Carney White House Press Secretary Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First. President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press — fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy. Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express …
Thursday Open Line
Legislation to grant women the vote was first introduced on this date in 1878, when a California senator proposed the necessary constitutional amendment. It was buried in committee for years, and defeated when finally put to a vote in 1887. But some decades later, the matter was settled rather speedily. The 19th Amendment enfranchising women was proposed in Congress in June 1919 and became law in August 1920. In the 2010 election, over 46 percent of female citizens 18 and …
Vance County DSS on Lockdown
According to WRAL: The Vance County Department of Social Services is on lockdown after Henderson police received a tip Wednesday of potential violence.
Herbalife to create 493 jobs in Forsyth County
Herbalife, a NYSE-listed company that manufactures and markets nutrition products, announced Jan. 19 that it will establish a manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem. The company plans to create 493 jobs over the next three years and invest approximately $130 million in the purchase and complete retro-fitting of an existing facility, to include the machinery and technology to create a world-class manufacturing facility which is in full compliance with U.S. Good Manufacturing Practices for dietary supplements and food products. The project was …
N.C. firm receives national Small Business Innovator Award
Phonebooth, a major cloud-based business VOIP phone provider, has announced the winner of a national Small Business Innovator Awards Program. Winning the grand prize of $20,000 was Simplicity Sofas, a High Point-based furniture manufacturer. Its highly innovative, yet stylish sofas are designed for ease of assembly and multi-functionality. The company’s products are made to order and can fit in and through tight spaces. Finishing third in the national voting out of 25 finalists for this award was another North Carolina- …
2012 a record-breaking year for film industry in N.C.
As in 2011, North Carolina witnessed another year of record-breaking film numbers in 2012. Year-end projections show productions had a direct in-state spend in excess of $376 million and created more than 4,100 well-paying crew positions for the state’s highly skilled workforce. All told, productions created nearly 20,000 job opportunities-including talent and background extra positions-for North Carolinians. These numbers eclipsed 2011’s record-breaking $220 million in spending and 3,300 crew positions. All told, nearly 50 productions registered with the state film …
Redesigned N.C. Travel Guide now available in print, online
The Official 2013 North Carolina Travel Guide is now available. A new photo-centric design and state-of-the-art digital options bring natural, manmade and historic attractions to life in a handbook that’s unique among state travel guidebooks. Two covers are available for the guide, which takes in more than 800 attractions, nearly 4,000 accommodations and travel resources in every county. One cover photo features mountain kayaking in recognition of the Nantahala Gorge as the site of the 2013 International Canoe Federation’s World …
Butterfield Applauds New State Representative Dr. Bobbie Richardson
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement regarding the selection of Dr. Bobbie Richardson to replace Angela Bryant as representative of the 7th district in the North Carolina House of Representatives: “Dr. Bobbie Richardson is an excellent choice to fill the state House seat representing Franklin and Nash counties. Over the years, Dr. Richardson has displayed extraordinary leadership in the field of education, and is a tireless fighter for the needs of children in …
NC Leads Nation in National Board Certified Teachers; Eight Universities Make Top 50 in Alumni Achieving First-Time Certification
Leading the nation in the number of National Board Certified Teachers is a trend worth boasting about, and it’s one that continues in 2012 as the state congratulates 636 newly-certified National Board teachers. This newest batch of credentialed teachers brings the state’s total number of National Board Certified Teachers to 19,799 – making North Carolina home to the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the country. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) this morning released the …
VGCC offers course on Video, Audio and Picture Editing
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for a new course that introduces tools that anyone can use to digitally edit videos, sound files and photographs, adding a layer of quality to the electronic files that record our lives. “Video, Audio and Picture Editing” is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m., Feb. 5 through March 28, in room 7239 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Mike Leonard, a computer services …
Wednesday Open Line
If you feel a special, hair-raising electricity in the air today, well that’s no wonder — it’s National Static Electricity Day. Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. These charges build up on the surface until they are discharged. This commonly happens when you shuffle about when the humidity is very low and then touch a conductor, such as a door handle or your pet’s wet nose. Static electricity has uses …
Michael Bobbitt: Notes From The Peanut Gallery (VC BOC 1/7/2013)
Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments Monday night’s Commissioners meeting opened with two separate public hearings both regarding changes, text amendments, to the County’s zoning ordinance. The first change, text amendment, was intended to allow the installation of accessory solar collectors and large scale solar farms. By definition solar collectors and solar farms are forbidden because they are excluded from the zoning ordinance. Mr. McMillen explained that the Planning and Environmental Committee met six hours before the Commissioners meeting and requested that …