It’s widely thought that the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after is the busiest travel day of the year. But figures from some of the biggest U.S. airports say it’s summer weekends that are the busiest. Even so, there will still be a lot of people traveling in the next few days. Most will be driving to visit friends and relatives for the festive meal tomorrow. But for those who live too far away, getting on an airliner is …
Elissa Yount: Thanksgiving Memories
I have great memories of Thanksgiving’s going to the Vance Hotel for lunch or going to the S&W cafeteria in Raleigh and eating upstairs. Then there was one Thanksgiving when I was invited to the mountains, my sister was invited to the beach, and my brother was on a hunting trip. When we got home, Daddy was complaining that all he had for Thanksgiving was Navy beans! For the next 30 years he reminded my mother of that and it …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: New Variation of Overpayment Scam Takes Aim at Small Business
A North Carolina small business was targeted this week by a con artist using a new twist on overpayment scams. A hair salon in Raleigh got an email from someone seeking to hire it for a big job right before Thanksgiving. The scammer provided a credit card number to pay for the services in advance, and asked the small business for a “favor”: add an extra $1,000 to the credit card tab, and then wire that money to a transportation …
N.C. Christmas trees and poinsettias perfect for holidays
RALEIGH – From the White House to your house, N.C. Christmas tree growers have something for everyone. A 19-foot Fraser fir left Peak Farms in Jefferson Saturday destined for Washington, D.C., as the official 2012 White House Christmas Tree. Additional trees from Cool Springs Nursery in Banner Elk were also chosen for the residence of the vice president. “This is the first time the White House tree and vice president’s tree have come from the same state,” said Agriculture Commissioner …
S&D Coffee to Expand in N.C., 200 New Jobs Announced in Cabarrus County
RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that S&D Coffee, a privately-owned manufacturing and distribution company that produces coffee, tea and other beverages, will expand its presence in Concord. The company plans to create 200 jobs over the next five years and invest $97 million. The project was made possible in part by state grants from the Job Development Investment Grant and the One North Carolina Fund award. “Creating new jobs is my top priority,” said Gov. Perdue, “One of the …
White House: A Historic Trip to Asia
Since taking office, President Obama has noted that the United States is a Pacific nation — and that Asia will play an increasingly important role in the future of world events. On a historic trip, his fifth to the region, President Obama is making the first-ever visit by a U.S. President to Burma and Cambodia. Before the trip, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes put together a video to give us an overview of President Obama’s trip to Thailand, Burma, …
Tuesday Open Line
November is set aside each year as National Diabetes Month. The goal is to make the public more aware of the serious nature of the disease and how to detect and control it. When our bodies are unable to maintain a normal blood sugar level, many complications may follow, including kidney failure. The disease is also the leading cause of new cases of blindness. Diabetes in the U.S. is on the rise, and some public health experts even refer to …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Searching for Answers
I started this week in Lillington at a Veterans Day award ceremony, then headed back to Washington to begin the final weeks of legislative work before the new session in January. This week my work included a hearing in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Benghazi where we continued to find answers to the White House’s handling of the 9/11 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. In this newsletter, you will find a link to my interview regarding that hearing, as …
White House Weekly Address: Working Together to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts
In this week’s address, President Obama urges Congress to act now on one thing that everyone agrees on — ensuring that taxes don’t go up on 98 percent of all Americans and 97 percent of small businesses at the end of the year. On Friday, the President had a constructive meeting with Congressional leaders on finding ways to reduce our deficit in a way that strengthens our economy and protects our middle class, and he looks forward to working together …
Monday Open Line
Whether it’s jazz, marching bands, or symphony orchestras, thousands of musicians and composers use saxophones to express their creativity. The family of brass wind instruments with Reed mouthpieces were invented by Adolph Sax of Belgium, whose birthday was noted earlier this month. Saxophones were first used in symphonic music but gained worldwide fame when American jazz artists such as Sidney Bechet, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker explored their sound and dynamic range. Today, saxophones are an important part of the …
Alan Pitts: Enemy in the Mirror
An Afternoon at DaVita By Alan Pitts, Community Activist, Artist, Disabled Individuals Advocate, Political Analysis The people around me are always asking ‘how’s the dialysis going.’ A couple of weeks ago I didn’t even know how to spell dialysis. It’s Halloween and my mind is on my eldest son who was living just one block away from the Ocean on Bath Avenue in Long Branch, New Jersey. In our last conversation, I scolded him for not evacuating to Monmouth …
Vance County Schools’ Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year
Laura Rigsbee, principal of Aycock Elementary School, was honored as the 2012-2013 Principal of the Year for Vance County Schools at the school system’s annual recognition banquet Thursday night, while Marylaura McKoon, assistant principal of Zeb Vance Elementary School, earned top honors as the system’s first Assistant Principal of the Year. Rigsbee and McKoon were joined at the banquet by their friends, family members and colleagues during a lovely evening in the cafeteria at Northern Vance High School. Rigsbee led …
Henderson Police Department Offering Rewards For Info On These Crimes of The Month November 2012
Armed Robbery Case:On November 01, 2012 at approximately 4:17 am the Henderson Police Department received a call from the Waffle House, 942 W. Andrews Ave of an armed robbery. Upon arrival Officers talked to two victims. They stated that two black males entered the business with hand guns and demanded the money. The two suspects got and undetermined amount of money and left running from the building. The Henderson Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this case to …
Senator Hagan visits VGCC Franklin Campus
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan held one of her “Conversations with Kay” events at Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin County Campus near Louisburg on Nov. 12. Hagan, the junior senator from North Carolina, and members of her staff were available to talk with constituents about their concerns, and in particular to help citizens navigate issues with federal agencies, such as the VA, IRS or the Social Security Administration. The event was the senator’s 97th “Conversations with Kay” meeting, as she neared completion …
VGCC Culinary program announces upcoming dates for The Vanguard Café
The Vanguard Café in Oxford, where students in Vance-Granville Community College’s Culinary Arts program prepare and serve lunch for the public, is inviting the public to participate in developing culinary students’ kitchen and hospitality skills by dining there on scheduled Thursdays during the upcoming spring 2013 semester. “This gives students an opportunity for realistic training, while offering unique cuisine to local diners,” said VGCC Dean of Business Technologies Bobby Van Brunt. “Vance-Granville can achieve its educational goals with a minimal …
College introduces “Ask VGCC” online service
Vance-Granville Community College has introduced a new online tool that aims to help current and future students find the answers to their questions, with a few clicks of a mouse. “Ask VGCC,” powered by software called IntelliResponse, is a repository of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Students and visitors to the VGCC web site (www.vgcc.edu) will type in a question, such as “How do I get a parking permit?” or “When is the deadline to pay tuition?” An answer will be …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
Oklahoma joined the Union as the 46th state on this date in 1907. Its name comes from the Choctaw words “okla,” meaning “people,” and “humma,” meaning “red.” And the state’s rich history is intertwined with that of the American Indian. As the nation grew westward, Oklahoma hosted a cattle boom, cowboys and Wild West shows, and then an oil boom. Famous Oklahomans include Will Rogers, Jim Thorpe, cowboys Gene Autry and Tom Mix, author Ralph Ellison, jazz pioneer Charlie Christian, …
Christmas With The Embers December 7th, 2012
Christmas With The Embers, A family sit-down concert to be enjoyed by all ages comes to town on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7:00pm at the VGCC Civic Center Ticket pricing:Adults $10.00Children $5.00 Tickets are available at the chamber of commerce at 414 South Garnett Street, Henderson, NC. Call 252-438-8414 for more information! Presented by Centurylink
Autumn Arts 2012 Winners named, on display at VGCC
Entries in Autumn Arts 2012, the 37th annual juried art show sponsored by Vance-Granville Community College and the Kerr Lake Art Society, have been judged and are on display at VGCC. The public is invited to view the artwork on the second floor of Building 7 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County through Nov. 20. Viewing hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. This year, cash prizes were awarded …
Congressman Butterfield Elected First Vice Chair of Congressional Black Caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) was unanimously elected by his colleagues as First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). As First Vice Chair, Butterfield will hold the number two position in the Caucus for the duration of the 113th Congress, which begins in January. Butterfield is presently Second Vice Chair of the CBC and has faithfully served the organization since 2004. “I thank my colleagues for electing me as First Vice Chair of …