North Carolina is making great strides as the state approaches the halfway mark of its four year Race to the Top implementation. A recent federal report commends the state for its strong support of schools as they prepare for both new instructional standards that will better prepare students and the new assessments that will better measure what students know and are able to do. The U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) Race to the Top North Carolina Progress Report, Winter/Spring Year …
Nurse Aide, Medication Aide training scheduled at VGCC Warren Campus
Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for a pair of training courses for health-care occupations, which are scheduled to start soon at the college’s Warren County Campus, located at 210 West Ridgeway Street in Warrenton. A Nurse Aide Level I (CNA I) course will be held Monday-Thursday from 5 until 9 p.m., starting Aug. 20 and continuing through Nov. 21. This includes the required introductory course. The Nurse Aide I program prepares students to become Certified Nursing Assistants and …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
It’s clear that the folks who live in Wayne, Nebraska have a sense of humor, tending to the pun side of things. Their annual chicken show starts today and runs through Sunday. With all the usual trappings and family fun of such local events, plus the National Cluck-Off and a hard-boiled egg eating contest. The theme for this year’s edition of the award-winning festival is “Nightmare on Egg Street,” and souvenirs for sale are called “Clucktibles.” The residents of Wayne …
Henderson Police Department Seeking Agencies and Business to Participate in Night Out Against Crime
The Henderson Police and Vance County Sheriff’s Departments are putting a project together called “Henderson/Vance Night Out Against Crime.” This is actually a nation wide program. This will be our 14th annual Night Out. We would like for your agency or business to be a part of the effort to help our community put a stop to crime. Most agencies display a vehicle and or equipment and provide information to the community. Some agencies even set up booths and hand …
Vance County Appearance Commission Recognitions
The Vance County Appearance Commission has recognized the support of five local businesses for their assistance in the 2012 Henderson-Vance County Spring Litter Sweep held in April. Certificates of appreciation were presented to Charles Boyd Chevrolet, John Foster Homes, Kittrell Grocery, Williamsboro Grocery and Gillburg Best Bet. Each of the businesses assisted with the local clean-up effort by serving as a distribution site for volunteers to pick up supplies including large orange trash bags, gloves and orange reflective safety vests. …
Project 543 features unique N.C. destinations
Project 543, an all-new blog dedicated to the stories of unique destinations across North Carolina, debuted online last week. Why 543? Because that’s the number of miles from Manteo, on the coast, to Murphy, in the mountains, and is traditionally considered the width of the state. Watch a preview of some upcoming entries below. During the past year, the Division has gathered these stories from partner input on the people, places and experiences visitors can only find in North Carolina. …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of July 12 on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” take to the water on the Belle of Washington in Washington. Enjoy a tour of historic Tarboro. Get back in the saddle with Dutch Creek Trails in Vilas. Celebrate Appalachian heritage at the Franklin Folk Festival in Franklin. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Dish in Charlotte. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) “North Carolina Weekend” is exclusively underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. In …
Thursday Open Lines
A romantic period of American history that still intrigues us officially ended on this date in 1893. That’s when Frederick Jackson Turner delivered an academic paper in Chicago that declared the American Frontier had closed. Based on 1890 Census data, Turner said that migration from the East, the building of railroads and hundreds of new towns had combined to forge a single nation from coast-to-coast. The most recent census showed that the West is still a magnet for growth. Between …
VGCC Human Services graduate starts her own agency
Patrice Brown of Henderson, a graduate of Vance-Granville Community College’s Human Services Technology program, is celebrating milestones this summer. She recently opened her own mental health agency, and she is about to graduate with a master’s degree. Brown credits her education at VGCC with starting her down the path toward these successes. A single mother of two children, Brown said recently that she “has reached for the stars of success” since she graduated from Northern Vance High School in 2003. …
Carroll presents dual Certified Sites certificates in Vance County
On July 9 N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary and COO Dale Carroll officially presented Certified Sites certificates for both the Triangle North-Vance Commerce Park and the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park to local officials. Carroll made the presentations to the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission before the Vance County Board of Commissioners and then later before the Henderson City Council. The ceremonies were unique in that two different industrial sites were certified under this rigorous statewide program in the same county at …
VGCC students bring home trophies from national Phi Beta Lambda conference
Members of the Vance-Granville Community College “Chi Beta Chi” chapter of the Phi Beta Lambda business student organization recently attended PBL’s 2012 National Leadership Conference. They joined students from universities and colleges across the country who participated in various competitions and attended workshops at the conference, held June 24-27 in San Antonio, Texas. VGCC student Theresa Chiplis of Norlina won the national third-place trophy in the “Job Interview” category. The team of students Jody Hastings of Townsville and John Pendergrass …
Report: Interior activities contributed $2.86B to N.C. economy, supported more than 24,000 jobs
Department of the Interior activities contributed $2.86 billion to Carolina’s economy in 2011 and supported 24,221 jobs in fields ranging from energy and mineral development to tourism and outdoor recreation, according to a new report released July 10. Nationwide, the activities of the Department of the Interior contributed $385 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 2 million jobs in 2011. “The Interior Department has a uniquely diverse mission that benefits the American people by promoting tourism, outdoor …
NC Ranked fourth Best State for Business
Governor Bev Perdue on July 10 announced that North Carolina ranked number four in CNBC’s annual survey of America’s Top States for Business. According to CNBC’s report, North Carolina continued to perform well in the Workforce category, placing third. In addition, the report says that North Carolina ranked high in Technology and Transportation. North Carolina has finished in the top 10 in all six years of CNBC’s business rankings. In its rankings, CNBC scored the states on more than 51 …
President Obama Signs McCaul-Butterfield ‘Creating Hope Act’
WASHINGTON, DC — President Obama signed legislation into law yesterday that included the bipartisan Creating Hope Act, authored by Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and G. K. Butterfield (D-NC). The Creating Hope Act of 2011 provides market incentives to pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs for children with rare pediatric diseases, such as childhood cancers and sickle cell. Originally H.R. 3059, The Creating Hope Act was passed as Section 908 of S. 3187 of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation …
White House: Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts for 98% of Americans
Monday, the President called on Congress to extend the middle class tax cuts for the 98 percent of Americans making less than $250,000 for another year. In fact, the President’s proposal extends tax cuts for 97 percent of all small business owners in America. If Congress fails to act, a typical middle-class family of four will see its taxes go up by $2,200, and America’s small business owners would take a big hit. The President refuses to let that happen. This should be …
Wednesday Open Line
All over the country, wherever there’s water — at lakes, rivers, the seashore, and at public and private pools — people are swimming and learning to swim. The first swimming school in the U.S. opened this month in 1827. It was on the Charles River in Boston, and students were suspended in a harness from a long pole. Today, more than 50 million people enjoy swimming on a regular basis, making it one of our favorite sporting activities. Many swim …
Michael Bobbitt: Notes From The Peanut Gallery (VC BOC July 9th, 2012)
1. Joint Board appointments John Fogg and Nancy Wilson two racing adversaries in their prime were re-appointed to the ABC Board. An aside, why is the sale of alcohol a State controlled monopoly instead of State monitored business? I digress to the summary. 2. Economic Development Industrial Park Matters Stuart Litvin, introduced Dale Carroll Deputy Secretary of the NC Department of Commerce. Mr. Carroll was here to formally present the NC Department of Commerce’s recognition of two certified development sites …
Henderson Police Department Shoplifters of the Week
MEGAN COLLINS, 23, 582 WARRENTON ROAD, HENDERSONDATE: 6/15/2012 CHARGE: SHOPLIFTINGLOCATION: WALMARTITEM: CLOTHESBOND: CITED AND RELEASED CHARLES MCRAE, 51, 436 TOWER LANE, HENDERSONDATE: 6/15/12CHARGE: LARCENYLOCATION: FOOD LION -1419 E ANDREWS AVENUEITEM: FOODBOND: $300 Jeremy Rollins JEREMY ROLLINS, 25, 425 ORANGE STREET, HENDERSONDATE: 6/17/12CHARGE: LARCENY, TRESPASSINGLOCATION: FOOD LION 1419 E ANDREWS AVENUE, HENDERSONITEM: CONDOMS, MEDICATIONBOND: $2,000 Clarence Small CLARENCE SMALL, 49, 103 HOLLY COURT, HENDERSONDATE: 6/17/12CHARGE: AID AND ABET LARCENYLOCATION: FOOD LION 1419 E ANDREWS AVENUE HENDERSONBOND: $800 James Coulter JAMES …
Vance County Board of Education’s Building and Grounds Committee Cancelled
The Vance County Board of Education’s Building and Grounds Committee meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled.
Durham is No. 1 for Highest Concentration of Creative Class Workers
Renowned researcher Richard Florida, author of the global best-seller “Rise of the Creative Class” and currently senior editor at The Atlantic magazine, reported today (July 9) that Durham, North Carolina is now ranked the number one city in the United States for concentration of creative class workers. Florida, posting on the magazine’s Atlantic Cities website, highlights a recent study conducted by his colleague Kevin Stolarick of the University of Toronto. The study compiles data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics …