We hope everyone is safe and not too much damage from the hurricane this weekend. We fared quite well on Saturday, all morning our power was in and out, but when it was out it only lasted a few seconds. The yard ended up covered with leaves and small branches, but other than that nothing to report. Still, many lost power, our neighbor lost power for about 10 hours. Reminder that out here in the country, neighbor means about a …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
Batten down the hatches, Vance County could see 40mph winds this weekend, and rain at around 1-2 inches. For tips on how to prepare for a hurricane, here’s a fairly good article. Click here for an updated look at the storm track. As of this writing, according to the United Pullers of the Carolina’s website, the Friday night tractor pull at the Vance County Fairgrounds are still on. There is not a mention of Saturdays though as of yet. In …
Thursday Open Line
As I start this open line monologue everyday, I always stress over what to put here. I can spend hours browsing the days news stories to come up with something seeming halfway interesting that might generate some conversation. Tonight, I decided to see how many visitors we have from the coastal area, and to say something witty like “To the 12 or so visitors we have for some reason on the coast this weekend, be aware that there is an …
Vance County Proposed Redistricting Maps
Attached are the proposed Vance County redistricting maps. These maps have not yet been approved by the commissioners, and are a proposal of the new lines. The public may contact the Vance County Planning and Development department with any questions. 3 informal public viewing sessions will be scheduled to allow the public to view the maps and ask questions to county planners. The commissioners will, in addition to the three informal sessions throughout the county, also have a public hearing …
Wednesday Open Line
Of course, the big news yesterday was the earthquake that was clearly felt in Henderson, NC. The train tracks are directly behind the Dataforge / Home in Henderson offices and come by several times a day. The train loves to blow its insanely loud horn at the most opportune times, like right when I’m on the phone with a customer. It also shakes our old building quite noticeably. Tuesday, as the train horn had just been heard passing by a …
Earthquake Felt In Henderson, NC
At about 1:51pm a short earthquake was felt in Henderson. It was felt in Kittrell, Warrenton and in Raleigh as well. Reports are all over the east cost, including Washington DC and NYC and as far down as South Carolina. An estimated 5.8 on the Richter scale earthquake with an epicenter near Mineral, Va.
Vance County Board of Education Called Meeting August 31
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:30 p.m. Administrative Services Center Superintendent’s Conference Room 1724 Graham Avenue Henderson, N. C. 27536 On the agenda is a budget work session for Capital Outlay, Child Nutrition and Child Care.
Perdue Reassures Schoolkids While Preparing To Exempt NC From No Child Left Behind
WEAVERVILLE — In a room full of 7th and 8th graders, Gov. Perdue asked,” Does anyone know someone who lost a job?” The sea of hands that shot up proved the point: North Carolina must help its students prepare to be competitive in a global economy. Gov. Perdue visited North Buncombe Middle School, on the second day of classes, and took questions from students at an assembly. Questions covered the basics — “How old are you?” as well as finer …
Gov. Perdue Announces Warrenton As One Of Five New “Small Town Main Street” Communities
Gov. Bev Perdue announced Friday that five North Carolina towns have been selected to participate in the N.C. Small Town Main Street Program, an initiative for small and rural towns that focuses on creating new jobs and investment by helping revitalize downtown areas. The newest participating towns are Bessemer City, Troutman, Warrenton, Lillington and Pittsboro. “Revitalizing downtown means creating jobs by helping grow local small businesses and attracting investments. Our successful Main Street programs have proven that,” Gov. Perdue said. …
Tuesday Open Lines
North Carolina has launched the State Employees Career Transition Center, at 313 Chapanoke Road in Raleigh. The center offers career counseling, resume-writing and interviewing skills development and classes that focus on starting your own business or exploring a new career. “In the past, when a state employee was laid off by one department, they were usually able to find a job in another department,” Coleman says. “But this is a new day in state government, and what worked in the …
Vance County Firemen 5th Annual National Truck and Tractor Pull August 26-27
Vance County Firemen present the 5th Annual National Truck & Tractor Pull. 7 action packed classes. Stock trucks each night also. Concessions on grounds. Adults $15.00 in advance, $18.00 at the gate, Kids 6 to 12 $5.00; under 5 free. National Truck & Tractor Pull Vance County Fairgrounds. Henderson, NC 27536. Take NC 39 Exit off US 1 Bypass. Travel South on NC 39. Fairground entrance is on the left just past Bojangles Restaurant. Visit the United Pullers of the …
Former Vance County Commissioner Says, “It Wasn’t My Scam.”
Reporter – Leigh Hester Former Vance County commissioner Scott Hughes has been accused of eBay fraud after seventeen non-existent Sony PlayStation 3 Slim consoles were posted on the auction site under his eBay ID. Starting July 19th, 2011 and over the course of several days, seventeen PS3’s were listed at $200 plus shipping under the website’s Buy It Now terms, which require the purchaser to pay for an item via PayPal or a credit card at the time of ordering …
North Carolina’s unemployment rate increased to 10.1 percent in July
While the private sector gained 6,900 jobs, state government jobs decreased by 300 and local government jobs decreased by 11,800. Employment data indicates that a majority of the local government jobs were in education, including teachers. “Job growth in North Carolina’s private sector was offset by declines in both state and local government employment,” said ESC Chairman Lynn R. Holmes. “Gov. Perdue’s focus on job creation and assisting North Carolina’s workers with getting back to work continue to be our …
Wake County ranked among top areas for job growth in U.S.
North Carolina strong in job growth, green energy and biotechnology. CNN Money recently listed the top 25 counties in the U.S. for job growth based on job growth data from 2000-2010. Ranked 15th on the list was Wake County. The North Carolina county, which includes the capital city, Raleigh, as well as Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and Research Triangle Park, saw 35.9 percent job growth over the past decade. Thousands of new jobs have been reported already for 2011. A …
Monday Open Line
Presidents Weekly Address: Putting Country Ahead of Party. From a farm in the Midwest, President Obama talks about the determination and integrity of the American people and calls on Congress to put aside their differences to grow the economy. Tonight, the Henderson City Council will meet at 6pm for regular meeting and work session. For agenda details please check our full post here. Unfortunately our regular reporter will not be able to make it to the meeting.
Henderson City Council Short Regular and Work Session Meeting
Henderson City Council Short Regular and Work Session Meeting on Monday, 22 August 2011 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Location is the City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave., Henderson, NC 27536. PUBLIC HEARINGS a) Consideration of Ordinance 11—43, Rezoning 1508 Lynne Avenue to OIA (Office and Institutional) from R8 (Moderate to High Density Residential). (CAF 11—110) ? Public Hearing ? Ordinance 11—43 NEW BUSINESS a) Consideration of Resolution 11—45, Authorizing Bid Award for the Shirley Drive Water Main Replacement Project …
Vance County BoC Work Session
This is to confirm that the Board of Commissioners will hold a special work session on Tuesday, August 23 at the Library’s Farm Bureau Room. The purpose of the work session is to address redistricting and to review district maps. The Board will be provided lunch at 12:00 noon with the work session to follow afterwards (approximately 12:30 p.m.)
NC ACT Scores Remain Above the National Average in 2011
North Carolina students maintained a 21.9 average ACT score in 2011, marking the fourth year that the state’s average ACT score was higher than the nation’s, according to the 2011 ACT results released today. ACT test scores are among the factors that colleges and universities use in their admissions process. In 2011, the national average ACT score was 21.1. “I congratulate the students in the Class of 2011 for continuing a strong showing on the ACT,” said State Superintendent June …
VGCC Small Business seminar offers tips to increase sales
Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center will present a free seminar, entitled “Relationship Sales,” on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The seminar will be held from 9 a.m. until Noon in room 7107 of Building 7 on the college’s main campus in Vance County. Seminar instructor John Formica of Charlotte will help local businesses learn how to be more effective in sales. His tips will focus on avoiding misunderstandings with potential clients and customers, knowing what buyers find most helpful and most …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
President Obama ended his three day tour of the Midwest at a town hall meeting on a farm in rural Illinois, where he took questions that ranged from enhanced protection for law enforcement officers to the shrinking size of local county fairs. The President’s last day was filled with opportunities to enjoy the rural landscape and attractions of his home state, and included stops at the Whiteside County Fair and a Galesburg High School football practice, in addition to an earlier …