WASHINGTON, DC – July 6th, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) will join President Obama for the signing of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 Century Act, the bill to fund long term transportation related projects and prevent the doubling of interest rates on certain student loans. “For months, Democrats have been fighting to pass this bipartisan legislation that will boost a struggling construction sector, give certainty to a range of small business owners, and pave the way for …
Friday / Weekend Open Line!
This is a key week in postal history. The first stamps issued by the U.S. Post Office went on sale in 1847. A five-cent stamp pictured Benjamin Franklin, while one costing 10 cents honored George Washington. Before then, there were no uniform stamps –a haphazard system of private postal services around the country had issued their own. And in 1963, the Postal Service introduced the five-digit Zip Code to help speed mail to the proper destination. That year, Americans sent …
Post July 4th Contest, $20 Gift Card to Ichibar Up For Grabs – Update – Deception You’ve Won, But You’ve Got To Contact Us!
Hadn’t thought to do this in a while, so let’s get going on it! Make a comment on any article from NOW (Thursday, July 5th 1:45pm) until Monday, July 9th morning at 9:00am EST and you’ll be entered to win our contest. It doesn’t matter how many comments you make, 1 or 100, you’ll be entered once so everyone has a fair shot. Well, you can’t make 0 comments and still be entered. We’ll draw the winners Monday morning July …
Thursday Open Lines
Hope everyone enjoyed their July 4th celebration yesterday! Newspapers across the country on this date in 1910 were full of stories of the heavyweight championship boxing match the day before in Reno, Nevada –billed as “the fight of the century.” The bout pitted champion Jack Johnson, an African-American, against former champ Jim Jeffries, called “the great white hope.” Jeffries was outclassed and his corner conceded the fight in the 15th round. The result sparked race riots in 50 cities in …
Don’t Let Fireworks Scare Away Your Pets
July 4th is the worst day of the year for pets becoming lost due to the noise from fireworks. Dogs, cats, horses. you name it. Pets should be inside if possible (not so much the horses), or secured if outside. A message from the Vance County SPCA
White House: The Affordable Care Act by the Numbers
Upheld last week by the Supreme Court, President Obama’s health reform law — the Affordable Care Act — ensures hard-working, middle class families will get the security they deserve and protects every American from the worst insurance company abuses. Insurance companies no longer have unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage, or charge women more than men. Soon, no American will ever again be denied care or charged more due to a pre-existing condition, like cancer or even asthma. Preventive …
Wednesday Open Line
Today is that most American of holidays — Independence Day, celebrating the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Across the country, from San Francisco to Savannah, there will be parades, concerts, barbecues, and, of course, fireworks. The World’s Greatest Lizard Race will be held in Lovington, New Mexico and in Lavallette, New Jersey, a band will play along with a huge fireworks display, enjoyed by thousands from their boats. Shortly after the U.S. …
Statement from the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development on the death of Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith was a great North Carolinian, and he made countless contributions to tourism in our state. His hometown of Mt. Airy, the real-life Mayberry, continues to charm nostalgic visitors from all over the world. After playing the role of Sir Walter Raleigh in “The Lost Colony” in Manteo, Griffith loved the Outer Banks so much that he made his permanent home there. His hit show “Matlock,” filmed at Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington as well as many other locations …
July 4th 2012 Celebrations Near Henderson, NC
Henderson itself doesn’t appear to have an official fireworks show or celebration for July 4th. Although Vance County Tourism is sponsoring the Kerr Lake fireworks which will be on Saturday, July 7th evening. http://www.kerrlake-nc.com/gcalendarDetail.cfm?p=487 Instead, for a July 4th show you should check out nearby Franklinton, NC. In the old high school football field will be music, vendors, food, games, presentations, and a helicopter for display and getting inside, then a show off take off of that helicopter before dark. …
VGCC offers BioWork training program at night on Main Campus
Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a “BioWork” Process Technician training course to prepare area residents for jobs in the growing biotechnology manufacturing field, to be offered this fall on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. BioWork will be held in the state-of-the-art biotech lab in Building 8 on Main Campus on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 until 10 p.m., beginning Monday, Aug. 20 and continuing through Monday, Dec. 17. The instructor for this class will be JoAnn Burtness. BioWork …
Area middle schoolers get unique STEM experiences at VGCC Science Camp
When some local students return to their schools in August and are asked “What did you do this summer?” they will be able to tell classmates and teachers that they put together a computer, searched for minerals, made their own lip balm, constructed a house for bats and sent water rockets flying into the air. In fact, they did all of these things, and more, during a single week, at Vance-Granville Community College’s second annual Science Camp. A total of …
Students explore careers at VGCC Health Sciences “boot camp”
Local middle school students received insights into possible career opportunities when they participated in the first-ever Vance-Granville Community College Health Sciences Boot Camp over four days, June 11-14. A total of 23 campers from Vance County middle schools learned about the important roles of various health-care professionals, including nurses and radiologic technologists, and about what it takes to succeed in those professions. The camp was supported by a grant worth $8,260 from the N.C. Community College System. The focus of …
Butterfield Dismayed by State Democrats Support of Racial Justice Act Overhaul
WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier today the North Carolina General Assembly voted to override Governor Perdue’s veto of SB 416, a bill that would repeal the Racial Justice Act by no longer allowing the use of statistics to demonstrate racial bias in North Carolina’s capital punishment system. Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the following statement in response to the legislature’s overhaul of the Racial Justice Act: “While I am not particularly surprised that the Republican-led General Assembly was successful in …
Tuesday Open Lines
Among the most heated topics being discussed in the current stage of the presidential election campaign is health reform, more properly the Affordable Health Care Act. Most recent figures, released last fall for the year 2010, show just under 50 million people without health insurance — that’s 16.3 percent of the total U.S. population. For children under 18, almost 10 percent were not covered by health insurance. The figures show a variation among regions of the country. The largest number …
Vance County SPCA, Peggy Satterwhite: Vance Animals are Dying; Whose Responsibility?
As I write this, animals in Vance County are suffering and dying. This is not meant to judge anyone, but to explain some hard facts about what’s happening to cats and dogs in Vance County and what you might do to help. 1) The oft criticized Vance County Animal Shelter is bursting at the seams, last week holding over 150 in a facility built for a third of that many animals. Although our devoted local volunteer rescue, Ruin Creek Animal …
Mother and daughter, both VGCC grads, complete bachelor’s degrees in same month
A local mother and daughter recently graduated from four-year universities within a month of each other, and they credit their previous education at Vance-Granville Community College with propelling them toward further success. Marinda D. Daye and her daughter, Marinda Latoya Daye Baker, both of Henderson, both earned degrees at VGCC. Daye first enrolled at VGCC in 2001 and eventually completed three degrees, in Medical Office Administration, Office Systems Technology and Office Systems Technology/Legal. She was a student ambassador, was inducted …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
GARDEN PATH NEWSLETTERThanks to the Kerr Lake Extension Master Gardeners, the latest issue of The Garden Path is available. Click the following link for lots of great garden tips and info.https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B07f_hboyfL2NWNrTXlJcThvSUE EMERALD ASH BORERPlease read the information at the following link to become informed about this new exotic pest which has been found in neighboring states.http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/pdf/FHN/FHN-10EAB01EAB80310.pdf INCREDIBLE YEARS PARENTING SERIESThis 13-week parenting class begins on August 23rd. For more information, contact Vickie Jones at 252-438-8188.
Senator Richard Burr Updates
Supreme Court decision on the President’s health care law – individual mandate is a tax While this was a busy week legislatively in Washington, the biggest news of the week came from the Supreme Court. On Thursday, the Supreme Court decided to uphold the President’s health care law claiming that the individual mandate included in the law is, in fact, a tax. While the Court has been reviewing this law for months, American families and businesses have been reviewing it …
White House Weekly Address: An All-Hands-On-Deck Approach to Fighting the Colorado Wildfires
President Obama speaks to the American people from Colorado, where he toured areas impacted by the devastating Waldo Canyon fire and met with first responders as well as families affected by the fires. The President thanks the brave firefighters and countless volunteers who are providing food, water, and shelter to those in need, and makes clear that his administration will continue to bring all resources available to assist efforts to combat the fires. This week, the President spoke at the …
Butterfield Applauds Fourth Circuit Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. As First Federal Judge to Uphold Affordable Care Act Under Congress’s Taxing Power
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, for his concurring opinion in Liberty University v. Geithner, 671 F.3d 391 (4th Cir. 2011) (Wynn, J., concurring), wherein Judge Wynn became the first federal judge to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Congress’s taxing power, laying the groundwork for the Supreme Court’s momentous decision. “Our federal circuit courts and judges often work in …