Reporter – Leigh Hester – County Commissioners voted Monday night in support of accepting a grant from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. Mr Pete Burgess, head of a commission on the feasability and creation of a Vance County Farmer’s Market stood to announce the awarding of the $300,000 grant, which is to be used on infrastructure and buildings for the Farmer’s Market. Before any of these funds can be disbursed, however, the County must purchase land for the …
North Carolina Is Second Most Innovative State in America
In response to patent law reforms, The Daily Beast recently studied patent applications to rank the most inventive cities in America. While California was the leader with the most cities named in the rankings, North Carolina came in second with three cities making the list. It comes as no surprise that the urban centers for ingenuity in North Carolina are clustered in a location already known for innovation and success—Research Triangle Park. Coming in at number five and beating out …
Tuesday Open Line
Last night the Vance County Board of Commissioners voted in approval of the county zoning ordinance. A 1977 old zoning ordinance will have a public hearing about it in a future date to be rescinded. We’ll post our official report as we receive it. If you’d like to express your satisfaction or complains on the zoning process please feel free to do so here. We have received yet another article about how great North Carolina is, being ranked number 2 …
Vance County Zoning Ordinance …. 1977?
Back in September 2006 when the county was discussing enacting county wide zoning, County Manager Jerry L. Ayscue brought up a good point. What about this old zoning ordinance? We have obtained a copy of a document titled Vance County Zoning Ordinance that was enacted in 1977 and it is now being questioned if this ordinance is still in effect and if so, what does that mean for the newly proposed ordinance. The minutes regarding zoning from that 2006 discussion …
Monday Open Line
Ok, if you’re in a rock, you may not know about it, but let’s recap for everyone else too. Tonight holds a possible final decision in whether Vance County gets county wide zoning. And it’s not just that yes we will or no we won’t and we’ll decide details later. The details are already laid out in a 102 page ordinance, maps are already drawn, zoning areas are already set, and what someone can and can not do in their …
Rusty McMahon: Not So Elusive Facts
Here are the facts, not that facts, truth, and citizens matter much to five of our commissioners. Everyone in the county knows that zoning is a special interest land grab. Everyone in the county knows who’s behind it, the same group of people who have profited greatly by destroying Henderson, leaving it morally and fiscally bankrupt. Everyone knows that zoning does not do what its pushers say it will do. We don’t have to look at neighboring counties. We just …
Rusty McMahon: Truth From An Unlikely Source
County residents have wondered for over six years why Vance County commissioners really want to steal our property rights and take control of everyone’s land by zoning the county. The official reasons we’ve been given by our leader were re-stated in the September 3 Daily Dispatch Opinion. The anonymous author regurgitated the same old tired and often refuted pro-zoning talking points, saying, “…it would allow the county to use land for its best purpose, protect and maintain property values, protect …
Michael Bobbitt: Consideration of Zoning
To the Vance County Commissioners The first appointment of seven at Monday’s Board of Commissions meeting is the proposed zoning ordinance. To some in the community zoning is the great panacea of prosperity, well educated children, and manicured yards. To some in the community zoning is government incursion onto individual property rights and the ruination of a free civil society. We are poised on a historical moment in time not seen since one political group gerrymandered the formation of our …
Operation Soldiers Christmas
Well, it is that time of year again. The “Operation Soldiers Christmas” 2011 promotion is about to launch into the Vance County and Henderson community. We have grown some since last year when we received such a wonderful response from the community for the “Palladin” group, located in Afghanistan. Last year we sent 102 boxes of items to those soldiers to create a mini mart called the “Palladin Room”, where active duty members of the group could go to get …
Liberty Christan Church Fall Festival
Liberty Christan Church will be hosting a family activity day with Food, and Fellowship for a fundraiser event. The event is Saturday, October 1st, 2011. Breakfast starts at 7am until 10am featuring Sausage, Bacon, Eggs, Grits, Biscuits, Coffee and Juice for $6.00 A yard sale and bake sale event starts at 7am until done Youth activities begin at 9am and will include rides, games, face painting, moon bounce, barrel ride, slide, raffle, hay ride. Features a hot dog lunch as …
Vance County Public Safety Committee Notice
Vance County’s Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet Monday, October 3 at 12:00 noon in the County Manager’s Office. The main purpose is to discuss a proposed contract for volunteer fire departments.
Corporal Punishment in the Public Schools: A Practice on the Decline
Legislation passed during the 2011 session of the North Carolina General Assembly requires school districts that have not yet banned corporal punishment to send a form to all parents at the beginning of the school year allowing them to opt their children out of corporal punishment. The new law expands legislation passed in 2010 that allowed parents of children with disabilities to opt out of corporal punishment. The new legislation became effective at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year, …
Yard Sale this Saturday Morning
Yard sale at 139 Dorsey Place, Saturday, Oct 1 begins at 7am. Black futon, entertainment center, bakers rack, Harry Potter puzzles, misc. stuff!
Friday / Weekend Open Line
For those residents concerned with Vance County enacting or not enacting county wide zoning, pay attention. This coming Monday’s commissioners meeting will likely host a final vote on the matter. Vote passes, zoning is enacted. There are multiple ways you could participate… #1 you have to show up and sign up to speak before 5:45pm. Then, during the meeting you will have your 3 minutes to speak. You can express your support for zoning, express your disagreement with zoning, and …
Vance County Board of Commissioner Meeting
Monday, October 3rd 2011 Vance County Board of Commissioners will meet to discuss and possibly vote on county zoning. Agenda Items: Appointment 6:00pm Proposed zoning ordinance and related matters Public Hearing 6:30pm Timmy Baynes, Council of Governments, NC Tomorrow Grant Application Appointment 6:45pm Madison Bobbitt, NCACC 4-H Delegate 4-H program update Appointment 7:00pm Community Hero Recognition Appointment 7:15 pm Pete Burgess, Farmers market project update Appointment 7:30pm Kay Fields, Social Services, Year-End departmental report Appointment 7:45pm Harold Henrich, Fire and …
Thursday Open Line
This weekend several new laws will take affect in North Carolina. Limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, lesser restrictions on ATV helmet use among other things. Read up on some of the new changes here. Yesterday, there was mention of Perdue’s comment regarding suspending elections for Congress for 2 years so they can focus on their job and not on campaigning. Released today is audio from that speech, so we’ll post that here and let you make up your mind if …
International Walk to School Day
October 5 is designated “International Walk to School Day,” an event designed to bring attention to the number of child pedestrians hurt and killed on their morning walk to school. With 244 deaths and 13,000 vehicle-related injuries to child pedestrians in 2009, Henderson Safe Kids hopes the event will remind drivers to watch and drive carefully near school.
North Carolina Receives Grant to Increase Small Business Exports
RALEIGH –Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that the N.C. Department of Commerce is the recipient of a $603,442 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration that will help increase exporting by small businesses over the next year. SBA Administrator Karen Mills made the national grant announcement with Gov. Perdue in North Carolina. “I am focused on growing jobs; one of the ways we can do that is by helping our small and medium sized businesses increase their exports,” said Gov. …
Wednesday Open Line
Some commentators have talked about an issue in Harnett County regarding a zoning issue for a new landfill. At their Monday night meeting, the county Board of Adjustment held six hearings and heard 26 hours of testimony on the issue before voting 3-2 Monday night to reject the company’s application for a special-use permit for the landfill. You can read the whole story here. The recent attack at J.C. Penny against a Virginia leader has prompted discussion at the city …
Cooling Off at City Hall
Reporter – Leigh Hester – New business in the City Council Chambers Monday night (September 26, 2011) includes the appointment of Council member Michael Rainey as “Chairman Pro Tem,” an honorary title which places him third in line to fill in as acting mayor in the event Mayor O’Geary and his appointed Mayor Pro Tem are both unable to fulfill the duties of the office. With Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Lonnie Davis in a rest home recuperating from …