North Carolina horse owners are urged to vaccinate their equine after two horses in Horry County, South Carolina contracted Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis within the past three weeks. EEE is a mosquito-borne disease that is preventable in equine by vaccination. Horry County is the northern-most coastal county in South Carolina and borders Brunswick County in North Carolina. EEE causes inflammation or swelling of the brain and spinal cord and is usually fatal. Symptoms include impaired vision, aimless wandering, head pressing, circling, …
Butterfield Statement on the House Democrats’ Sit-In to Demand a Vote on Gun Laws
Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement in support of today’s sit-in staged by House Democrats to demand Republican leadership to hold a vote on legislation to address gun violence: “Today, history was made. Dozens of House Democrats staged a sit-in on the House Floor to demand a vote on legislation to address gun violence. In the wake of the recent shooting in Orlando that claimed 49 innocent lives, Republican leadership has failed to vote even on …
Vance County Board of Commissioners Called Meeting June 28th, 2016
This memorandum will serve as notice that Chairman Gordon Wilder has called a special meeting for Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC. The purpose of the meeting is to:1. Approve year-end closeouts2. Other items as necessary3. Enter into closed session for personnel matters
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of June 23 on North Carolina Weekend, step back in time at Historic Thompson’s Store in Saluda. Be transfixed at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras. Amuse yourself at Discovery Place Kids Rockingham in Rockingham. Relax at Inn on Little Pond Farm in Valle Crucis. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Pho Pho Pho in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In …
Schools and VGCC partner to discuss advanced manufacturing jobs
Educators, local industry representatives and community leaders shared ideas at a panel discussion organized on June 16 by the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of Vance-Granville Community College, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Warren County Schools and Vance County Schools. The event was part of “AMSTA Cruisers 2016,” a multi-day program that brought teachers from the four counties together to learn more about manufacturing and the regional economy. Held at Granville Central High School in Stem, …
Thursday Open Line
On this date in 1868, Christopher Sholes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin received a patent for the first practical typewriter. Produced in 1873, the Sholes machine even coined the term “type-writer.” It also featured today’s familiar but awkward placement of keys. The arrangement was specifically designed to slow down typing by widely spreading the most common letters, in the hope of preventing the keys from jamming. In the middle of the last century, about a quarter of all high school students were …
Governor’s Award for Public Transportation Presented to Kerr Area Transit Director
Kerr Area Transportation Authority Executive Director Robert Brink, Jr. was presented with the 2016 Governor’s Award for Public Transportation on June 14 by the N.C. Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division at its conference in Concord. The award, first given in 1988, is presented annually for outstanding service and contributions to public transportation services in North Carolina. Public Transportation Division Director Debbie Collins presented the award. Brink has served as executive director for Kerr Area Transportation Authority since 2006. As …
44 Communities Receive Marks for High Performance From the National Main Street Center
The National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has cited 44 North Carolina communities for economic vitality and fidelity in following the best-practice standards for historic preservation and community revitalization championed by the center. Eleven new communities joined the ranks of accredited North Carolina communities as compared to last year’s roster. The eleven communities newly appearing in this year’s list are: Cherryville, Hendersonville, Lexington, Lincolnton, Rocky Mount, Rutherfordton, Sanford, Shelby, Sylva, Waxhaw, and Williamston. …
Governor McCrory Signs Life-Saving Overdose Prevention Legislation
Governor Pat McCrory joined law enforcement officers, first responders, legislators and health care officials yesterday at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to sign legislation making naloxone, a life-saving opioid reversal drug that has already saved 3,300 North Carolinians, more accessible. “Addressing mental health, substance use, underage drinking and drug overdose have been primary focuses of our team since day one,” said Governor McCrory, who prioritized these issues in his first State of the State address. “Signing this legislation builds on our …
Wednesday Open Line
A musical instrument requiring much skill to play, but with few popular outlets for performing, is the spurned accordion. During June, fans of this neglected musical instrument have been celebrating National Accordion Awareness Month, with the idea of increasing its popularity beyond polka bands. The earliest ancestors of the accordion are traced to China of some 5,000 years ago, while the modern instrument had its beginnings in Germany in the 1820s. Older Americans might recall that the accordion was featured …
Butterfield Mourns the Passing of Durham Civil Rights Activist Ann Atwater
Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) Monday released the following statement after learning of the death of civil rights advocate Ms. Ann Atwater: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of Ann Atwater. While attending college at North Carolina Central University, I remember her as a powerful grassroots advocate who was a leader in the fight to end poverty in Durham. Her bold leadership forced many changes that continue today. Durham is better because of the tremendous contributions of Ann Atwater. I …
Tuesday Open Line
One man’s devotion to classical music led to a major advance in the music recording industry. Dr. Peter Goldmark of CBS Labs was fed up with the frequent record disc flips and swaps required to play a symphony in the then-current 78-rpm format, which held only three to five minutes per side. So he developed the 33 1/3 rpm long-playing record — first shown to the public on this date in 1948, and the standard for decades to follow. A …
VGCC students awarded Golden LEAF Scholarships
A group of 18 students from Vance-Granville Community College recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state’s community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The scholarship can be used to assist with tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation and childcare expenses related to attending classes during the 2015-16 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Let’s Play Ball!
Photo of the Week In Wednesday night’s Congressional Women’s Softball Game, we came up a bit short in the score, but not in the effort for the Young Survival Coalition. Roll Call reported the game raised $215,000, crossing “$875,000 in total donations to the charity since the event began in 2008.” It was a great time for a great cause. Weekly Update Before heading back to D.C. this week, I headed to a batting cage near my house to get …
Monday Open Line
This week 50 years ago, the Beatles’ song “Paperback Writer” topped the pop music charts in America. This ode to middlebrow writing aspirations followed by 106 years the introduction of paperback books by some earlier Beadles — the brothers Erastus and Irwin Beadle. In early June 1860, the New York City publishers issued the first paperback, called Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter. Termed a “dime novel” for its price, the title seems to foreshadow two common subjects …
Butterfield Statement on Wildin Acosta’s Release from Restricted Housing
Thursday, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the following statement following confirmation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Wildin Acosta was released from restricted housing at Stewart Detention Center: “After nine days in restricted housing, Wildin Acosta has been returned to the general population at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. While I am relieved that he has been released from restricted housing, I remain deeply concerned over his continued detention. He has now been in detention for …
Community College System’s top honor presented to former VGCC president
Dr. Ben F. Currin, the former president of Vance-Granville Community College, formally received the highest honor bestowed by the North Carolina Community College System, the I.E. Ready Award, at a recent ceremony. Held on May 27 at the Brio restaurant in Raleigh, the luncheon marked a VGCC “family reunion” that brought together longtime college trustees, Endowment Fund Board members and senior administrators. Exactly half of VGCC’s six presidents were in attendance, including Dr. Currin; Robert A. Miller, who succeeded Currin; …
Next Step in Traffic Shifts for the I-40 Fortify Project Planned for Friday Night
The next shift onto newly built inside lanes of the Fortify I-40 rebuild project is expected late this week. The contractor plans to move about two miles of I-40 West traffic onto three new lanes from west of Lake Wheeler Road (Exit 297) to west of the Avent Ferry Road bridge overnight Friday, weather permitting. A similar shift for I-40 eastbound traffic in the same area took place last month. Crews have spent this week preparing for the move by …
NCCU staffer on VGCC campus to coordinate new Criminal Justice bachelor’s degree
An advisor is now in place on the main campus of Vance-Granville Community College to facilitate the new “Eagle Voyage” partnership that offers area residents an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice through North Carolina Central University. Keana Williams, a Raleigh resident, recently became the first member of the NCCU staff to be permanently housed on the VGCC campus. As the university’s transfer academic advisor and Eagle Voyage academic & career coach, Williams will help …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, June 17th. America’s first accident insurance company was chartered on this date in 1863 in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the Travelers Insurance Company — still with us today as the Travelers Companies — and its first policies insured against loss during periods of travel only. In 1864, the charter was amended to cover all manner of accidents. The first such rider, sealed with a handshake, was to insure James Bolter of Hartford for $5,000 against accidents on his walk …