RALEIGH — Unemployment rates rose in 84 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in June, fell in 11 and were unchanged in five. When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates declined in 91 counties, increased in six, and remained the same in three. “Over-the-year numbers are showing a positive trend compared to the June numbers,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “Since June of last year, rates are down in nearly all of North Carolina’s …
VGCC ranked among top N.C. Community Colleges in annual report card
Vance-Granville Community College passed all of the state’s performance measures with flying colors during the 2010-2011 academic year, according to this year’s Critical Success Factors report, which was recently released by the N.C. Community College System office. VGCC’s scores met or exceeded all of the state standards in the report. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the President of VGCC, summarized the report’s findings at the July 16 meeting of the college’s Board of Trustees. Of the 58 N.C. community colleges, 27 met …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Stop The Tax Hike
This week, the House took another step toward greater transparency and accountability by passing H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 327-98. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this important bill. The House also voted this week on the ‘Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act’ (H.R. 4078), a bill that will help “cut through the red tape holding back job creation” and hurting small businesses. Next week, …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
WEEKLY TIPS FROM THE GARDEN SHOW ON WIZS (Tues 4:30)1. Begin researching trees and shrubs to plant this fall.2. Check your local garden centers for plant and equipment specials. 3. Get rid of any vegetable plants that are no longer producing. 4. Continue planting your fall garden. 5. Avoid pruning until mid-winter at the earliest. 6. Make a note of how you can improve your irrigation system to do a better job NEXT summer. 7. Watch for stinkbugs on tomatoes …
Opposing Groups Plan Events at Chick Fil-A
Two events are targeting Chil Fil-A’s CEO’s admission of his marriage views regarding same sex not being in the Biblical image. The groups are organizing on Facebook, One approving of the views is August 1st, 2012 and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/266281243473841/ One opposing of the views is August 3rd, 2012 and can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/444598242237116/ In Support of Chik Fil-a https://www.facebook.com/events/266281243473841/ I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick Fil-A company because the CEO, Dan …
White House Weekly Address: The House of Representatives Must Act on Middle Class Tax Cut Extension
President Obama urges Republicans in the House of Representatives to act on his proposal to protect middle class families and small businesses from being hit with a big tax hike next year. West Wing Week 07/27/12 “A Brighter Day Is Going To Come”: This week, the President addressed the nation on the tragedy in Colorado and made Aurora his first stop on a four day trip out West, then continued to Reno to address the VFW, and to New Orleans …
Monday Open Lines
Today’s Profile America is missing from their distribution, so here’s Saturday’s and Sundays: Many places in the U.S. are well known for their mosquitoes, but only in Clute, Texas, is a whole festival devoted to them. It’s the 32nd annual Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which winds up a three-day run this weekend. The arts and crafts, entertainment and food are expected to have drawn some 17,000 visitors — human, that is — plus an unknown number of winged guests. Watching …
VGCC offers Administrative Assistant training
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for an upcoming “Administrative Assistant Essentials” software training course, starting Aug. 20 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The popular course, which trains people for jobs in today’s computer-driven offices, will meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon, through Nov. 12, in room 7136 of Building 7. Students will receive a total of 180 hours of instruction in the 2010 versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access, …
Butterfield Supports Consumer Product Safety Commission Complaint Against Manufacturer of Buckyballs
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, today issued the following statement on the administrative complaint filed by Consumer Product Safety Commission against Maxfield and Oberton, the manufacturer of Buckyballs: “I support the strong and rare action taken yesterday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission against the manufacturer of Buckyballs to stop sale of this dangerous product. I also want to commend the pediatric gastroenterologists that have been …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The governor continues to gradually sign new bills into law as her Aug. 2 deadline for action approaches. This week she signed three more bills into law and only a few remain for her consideration. She must sign the remaining bills, allow them to become law without her signature or veto them. If she vetoes any bills, the General Assembly could come back to Raleigh to consider whether to override them. New Laws Gov. Perdue has signed into law …
Butterfield to Announce $1 Million in Funding for Disadvantaged Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will be joined by U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White tomorrow to announce $1 million in available funding through an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) pilot project. Funding for the Irrigation and Conservation Efficiency Pilot Project, which is administered by NRCS, is available to farmers through an application process, with priority given to limited resource and socially disadvantaged applicants. “Too many farmers in North Carolina’s First …
New NC Small Town Main Street Communities Selected
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Commerce announced today that five new communities have been chosen to participate in the Office of Urban Development’s 2012 Small Town Main Street program. Cherryville, Elizabethtown, Richlands, Saluda and Spencer were selected through a competitive application process that included ten communities from across the state. Designation of these five new towns brings the total number of the state’s Small Town Main Street communities to 44. “We congratulate these communities for their commitment to their …
White House: Reason Why I’m Hopeful
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, taxes are scheduled to go up for 114 million middle-class families, leaving a typical family of four paying an extra $2,200 in 2013. Preventing this from happening is critical — not just for individual people but for our overall economic recovery — and nearly everyone in Washington agrees we need to do something about it. We saw that yesterday when Republicans and Democrats in the Senate — who almost never see …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
The world’s most prestigious sporting event, the Olympics, opens today in London for the 30th time in the modern era. Held every four years, this year’s Olympics will see athletes from an estimated 205 nations take part. Among the 26 official sports, some 300 events will be featured. Tonight’s opening ceremony is expected to be viewed by 4 billion people around the world. One of the most popular televised events is gymnastics. In the 2008 Olympics, the U.S. won 2 …
VGCC Student selected for Leadership Program
Vance-Granville Community College student Rachel E. Pottern of Wake Forest is among just 28 students from across the state who have been selected to participate in the 2012-2013 North Carolina Community College Student Leadership Development Program (SLDP). Since 1999, the program has been conducted by the N.C. Community College System to enhance the leadership quality of student participants and to better prepare them for professional and civic responsibilities. The SLDP kicked off this summer, when Pottern and her fellow participants …
VGCC Computer classes scheduled to start in August at Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for popular, short-term computer courses scheduled to start in August on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The “Beginner’s Guide to Computers & Internet” class is scheduled for Tuesday evenings from 6 until 10 p.m., Aug. 14 through Sept. 18. Exploring the Windows 7 operating system, novice students will be introduced to the common components and many uses of personal computers. Students will also learn effective ways to make the most of …
Travel and Leisure Magazine: RDU’s Terminal 2 among ‘Coolest New Airport Terminals’ and Terminal 1 Begins Makeover
In its July issue, Travel + Leisure shown its spotlight on the “Coolest New Airport Terminals.” RDU’s Terminal 2 was included on the list for its architecture, including long-span wood trusses (the first of their kind in any airport), a nod to the region’s heritage of furniture-makers and craftsmen, hanging artwork and abstract DNA sequences. Terminal 2 was also given kudos for the three ticketing counters, which reduce congestion at check-in. RDU breaks ground on Terminal 1 makeover Raleigh-Durham International …
First half of 2012 continues to show increases in N.C. lodging indicators
Lodging in North Carolina continues to improve, according to recent data received by the Division from Smith Travel Research. Hotel/motel occupancy was up 4 percent for the first half of 2012, just outpacing U.S. (+3.4 percent) and South Atlantic (+3.1 percent) levels. Since 2009, year-to-date occupancy through June in N.C. is up nearly 15 percent. As well, ADR in the state for the first half of the year had its largest growth since 2008, increasing 4 percent from 2011, and …
White House: New College Shopping Sheet Helps Students Know Before They Owe
Almost every day, President Obama gets letters from students who are swimming in student loan debt, and every week it seems we see another newspaper article about how the cost of college is becoming prohibitively expensive for too many American families. We know that college remains an excellent investment. Increasingly however, it is a financed investment, with the monthly loan payments to prove it. And, while we don’t want would-be students to be scared away from going to college because of the …
Congressman Butterfield to Join USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White to Announce Farm Bill Special Project
WHO: Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White WHAT: NRCS is inviting the media and members of the public to attend a special announcement regarding a $1 million special Farm Bill project for 23 counties in North Carolina. This pilot project will assist farmers in their voluntary efforts to address natural resource concerns such as water quantity and quality, as well as soil condition, air quality and on-farm energy use. Assistance is …