WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) awarding of $2.8 million in grants to seven airports throughout eastern North Carolina. The grants were awarded to make several critical upgrades to Martin County Airport, Northeastern Regional Airport, Tarboro-Edgecombe Airport, Tri-County Airport, and Warren Field. In addition, the grant funds will be used to remove runway obstruction at Oxford-Henderson Airport and to expand the runway at …
CED Report Shows Entrepreneurship Creates Jobs, Capital and Economic Stability in North Carolina
DURHAM, NC, January 25, 2012—CED, the Southeast’s largest entrepreneurial support organization, today released a 20-year retrospective report, “Starting Something: The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina, 1992-2011.” The report aggregates data from 1,823 high-growth companies founded in North Carolina since 1992 and shows these companies created 40,560 jobs. Of these firms, 397 have attracted $7.7 billion in private capital, raised from more than 600 funds, since 1997.The report is the first to provide a comprehensive look at the …
North Carolina Clear Choice for New Shipyard Location
RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Gunboat Company, a maker of high-end sailboats, will locate a new shipyard in Dare County. The company plans to create 71 jobs and invest more than $1.8 million over the next three years in Wanchese. The project was made possible in part by a $213,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. “My top priority is creating jobs,” Gov. Perdue said. “Our state’s top-notch workforce and job training programs create a strong …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
Democratic North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue, the first woman elected governor in the state, said Thursday she would not seek re-election this year because she believes a bid would make it more difficult to fund education. “We live in highly partisan times, where some people seem more worried about scoring political points than working together to address the real challenges our state faces,” Perdue said in an email to supporters. A re-election bid, she added, “will only further politicize the …
Thursday Open Line
By the time you read this I’ll already be out of town on a small trip. If you’re seeing this message, it’s because I wasn’t able to put up a open line last night. Same goes for tomorrow, as we won’t return until the weekend. Feel free to tear up the open lines!
New VGCC Scholarships honor memory of Granville County couple
The generous spirit of a Granville County businessman and his wife will live on thanks to two new scholarships recently established at Vance-Granville Community College. The scholarships, one endowed at the Presidential Scholar Award level and one at the Academic Achievement Scholarship level, will both be awarded to full-time VGCC students in the names of the late Harold L. Sherman and Helen Jones Sherman. A Granville County native and U.S. Army veteran, Harold Sherman owned and operated Morton & Sherman …
State Unemployment Rate Drops to 9.9 Percent in December
The number of people unemployed in North Carolina decreased in December as the unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percent, from 10 to 9.9 percent. “Gov. Perdue’s mission on jobs for North Carolina continues to be our focus,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “Looking at the private sector over-the-year, we are seeing some moderate signs of improvement. We remain committed to assisting our customers statewide with our programs and services available at our local offices.”Since December …
Wednesday Open Line
Nancy Pelosi made an odd comment yesterday on CNN, regarding the possibility of Newt Gingrich becoming president “He’s not going to be President of the United States. That’s not going to happen. Let me just make my prediction and stand by it, it isn’t going to happen.” (read more) The Daily Beast sought to determine which urban centers are havens for tolerance. Where are diverse urban populations matched by high levels of acceptance and peaceful relations? To find out, they …
Progress Energy continues tradition of supporting VGCC
Progress Energy recently presented a $5,000 contribution to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund. That brought the total donated by the company to VGCC over the past nine years to $48,750. The funds support VGCC scholarships as well as other projects. On Dec. 16, 2011, Progress Energy Community Relations Manager Tanya Evans presented the newest donation to college officials. Pictured, from left, are VGCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Endowment director Jo Anna Jones, Endowment Fund Board Vice-Chairman Bob …
Southern Vance High School Freshman Academy To Host Event for Freshmen
Southern Vance High School’s Freshman Academy will host “Eat Your Dinner, Meet Your Teacher, Plan Your Future Night” for all ninth graders and their parents beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, in the school’s cafeteria. The event will begin with a free hot dog dinner for all attendees from 5:30 to 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. From 6:15 to 7 p.m., parents and students will have an opportunity to meet school staff members and receive important information about …
VGCC students reflect on dream of Martin Luther King at annual celebration
Although two TV journalists were on hand, the real “stars” of Vance-Granville Community College’s annual celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Jan. 17 were the students. As part of an essay contest, four VGCC students were selected from more than 70 entries to deliver speeches on how they were “living the dream” of Dr. King. Meanwhile, students also helped to provide inspirational music for the event. Serving as master of ceremonies was Fred Shropshire, news anchor …
Tuesday Open Line
Yesterday, a website promoting for the NC the constitutional amendment to define a marriage between only a man and woman launched, matching up with an existing website promoting against the same amendment. On May 8th elections, this amendment will be on North Carolina ballots for your decision. If you care about this matter either way you must vote your preference by that date. If you vote Yes on the amendment, that means you are against allowing gays to wed. If …
Richard Brand: Free Market Myth
A few days ago Senator John McCain was on the CBS show “This Morning” with Charlie Rose asking about the campaign between Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich. Senator McCain was begging the Republicans not to attack Romney about his business experiences which had some very questionable results. Senator McCain kept saying the Romney’s was the basic bed rock of the Republican Party. Free Market. Adam Smith. Capitalism and there are always businesses that have to lose and others …
Southern Vance High School Students Receive Microsoft Certifications
A total of 28 students at Southern Vance High School have successfully completed requirements to earn certification in one or two of Microsoft’s industry standard exams offered through a Career and Technical Education course at the school. Lisa Hayward, a business and technology instructor at Southern Vance, recently announced the students’ achievements. Southern Vance students earning certification in Office Word 2010 and Office PowerPoint 2010 include: Antwan Crudup, Julian Hernandez, Ryan Burnette, Abby Hope, Joshua Strother, Alex-Clarshiaa Champ, Emma Moody, …
VGCC schedules Portrait Painting art class
Vance-Granville Community College will offer an Art class focused on Portrait Painting on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., Feb. 7 through April 10. Classes will be held in room 5230 (Building 5) on the college’s main campus in Vance County. Instructor Leslie Johnson of Oxford said that new students are sometimes reluctant to try portrait painting. “But when they work at it and find they can do it, they find it rewarding and don’t want to stop,” she …
Henderson Shoplifters of the Week
As a service to the public the Henderson Police Department will be releasing on a periodic basis photographs and names of those arrested for shoplifting and larcenies from businesses in the city of Henderson. Robert Collier, 31, 481 Shepard Road, NorlinaDate: 1/16/2012Charge: LarcenyLocation: Wal-MartItems: Batteries Gabino Barajas, 41, 220 Shank Street HendersonDate: 1/7/2012Charge: LarcenyLocation: Wal-MartItems: Mouthwash, Body spray Alexander Small, 31, 821 Williams Street, HendersonDate: 1/9/2012Charge: Larceny, Trespass, Shoplifting Concealment GoodsLocation: Food LionItems: Sparkling Wine, Six Pack Sprite …
Butterfield Invites Durham Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year Jason Jowers to Attend State of Union
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) is pleased that Jason Jowers, Durham Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year, has agreed to be his guest on Tuesday, January 24, at President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Butterfield, a longtime advocate of education, sent a formal invitation to Jowers after learning of his career accomplishments, which include recently being selected as Assistant Principal and Dean of Students at Hillside High School. “I am happy to have Mr. Jason …
Monday Open Line
Tonight, Henderson City Council will meet at 6pm for a Short Regular Meeting. You can read more detail about the agenda and download the full packet on our article from last week. This weeks President’s Weekly Address: America is Open for Business – President Obama tells the American people about a series of steps he’s taken without the help of Congress to grow the economy and create jobs — including a new strategy aimed at boosting tourism introduced this week. In …
City of Henderson City Council Meeting January 23rd 2012
The Henderson City Council will have a Short Regular Meeting Monday, 23 January 2012 6:00 PM with a Work Session to immediately follow at the City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave., Henderson, NC 27536 You may download the full agenda packet here (73 pages) 20120123_coh_regular_meeting_short_agenda Consideration of Resolution 12-06, Authorizing the Submission of the 2012 NC Governor’s Crime Commission Grant Application for the Community Revitalization Initiative (CRI) for the Police Department. Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 12-14, Demolition of …
Vance County Schools Opens Parent Assistant Module
Beginning next week, Vance County Schools will make available its new Parent Assistant Module (PAM) online system to parents. Parent Assistant is a web-based application that allows parents to view their child’s educational information online using the Internet. Parents can use the system to view their child’s grades, attendance, assignments, demographic information and emergency data. Parents who live with the child will be able to request online changes to student demographic and emergency data. Vance County Schools have already had …