The Vance County Board of Education Policy Committee Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 23, 2011, has been cancelled.
New Bill Will Slash Small Business Programs
Senate Republicans have introduced a bill that could eliminate all federal programs to assist small businesses, as well as women-owned, veteran-owned and minority-owned firms. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced S. 1116, titled the “Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act,” which would combine the Small Business Administration (SBA) with the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce, a move that could devastate U.S. job creation. Republicans have attempted to abolish the SBA for nearly three decades. President Ronald …
Latest Kids Count Data Book Ranks North Carolina 38th In Child Well-being
Picture of the Recession’s Impact on North Carolina Children Still Evolving Raleigh, North Carolina –According to data released by the Annie E Casey Foundation in its 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book, North Carolina ranks 38th in key indicators of child health and well-being. The 2011 Data Book paints a picture of mixed progress for North Carolina children. In a state that consistently receives high marks as business-friendly, more children and families now face greater risk of economic insecurity as a …
Thursday Open Line
An 89-year-old Raleigh man accused of voter fraud said he was trying to prove a point by casting two ballots. Leland Duane Lewis voted in early voting on only the front of the ballot, then returned during regular voting and voted only the back of the ballot. Lewis said he told volunteers at the polling place what happened on Election Day, but he wasn’t charged with a crime until Wednesday. Lewis was released from the Wake County jail on Wednesday …
VGCC evening Computer classes scheduled at Main Campus
Registration will start Sept. 1 for three evening courses being offered by the Vance-Granville Community College Computer Center on the college’s main campus in Vance County. A course on QuickBooks, the powerful accounting system for small businesses, will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., Sept. 7 through Oct. 26. Students will learn the types of information that businesses need to track and how to enter and track that information in QuickBooks. In addition, students will …
Vance County Tourism Spending Increased in 2010
According to a report released Tuesday entitled “The Economic Impact Of Travel On North Carolina Counties, Vance County was one out of 98 other North Carolina counties that increased visitor spending from 2009 to 2010. The two falling counties were Northampton and Columbus. The report specifically cited the following details: Domestic tourism in Vance County generated an economic impact of $38.74 million in 2010. This was a 7.31 % change from 2009. In 2010, Vance County ranked 61 in travel …
Wednesday Open Line
Alaina Giordano, the North Carolina mother with stage 4 breast cancer has lost the battle for her childrens custody. Her two children are moving to Chicago to live with their father while she continues her cancer treatment in Durham. In the court ruling, Durham District Court Judge Nancy Gordon stated that she denied Giordano primary custody because she was unemployed, “the course of her disease is unknown” and “children who have a parent with cancer need more contact with …
Party Pickup Robber Arrested
On August 11, 2011 members of the Henderson Police Department Major Crimes Unit arrested and charged Tyrelle Octavious Benson, 17, of 7969 NC 39 North, Henderson, NC with robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony probation violation. Mr. Benson was given a $60,000 secured bond pending a court hearing on August 29, 2011. Mr. Benson’s charges were related to the July 18, 2011 robbery of Ulysses Clements Jr that occurred in the parking lot of Party Pickup, 655 N. Garnett …
David Street Firearms Arrest
On August 5, 2011 around 12:04 AM officers with the Henderson Police Department responded to the park on David Street, Henderson in reference to a drug complaint. Upon arrival, the officer’s investigation lead them to the residence of 921 David Street, Henderson. During the investigation, officers located a .357 revolver, two .22 caliber revolvers, various ammunition, a digital scale, and .8 grams of marijuana. Arrested were to following individuals: Damien Lamar Bullock, 17, of 976 Burr Street, Henderson was arrested …
Governor’s Restructuring Plan Streamlines Three Agencies into One Dept. of Public Safety
As part of her belt-tightening efforts to streamline state government, Gov. Bev Perdue announced this week that Secretary Reuben Young will serve as secretary of the new, restructured Department of Public Safety. The new agency will fold in the responsibilities of the current Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, which Secretary Young currently heads, and the Departments of Correction and Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The new agency is the result of Gov. Perdue’s consolidation plan, announced in December …
It’s Back to Saturday Morning… but is it Smurfy?
A Review of ‘Smurfs’ by Claire Ramsey A movie like ‘Smurfs’ comes only once in a Blue Moon… but only because blue moons are more common than the legend would have it. Starring Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, ‘Smurfs’ has a lot going for it, especially for 80’s kids like me who grew up with them on Saturday mornings with our She-Ra pajamas and Cheerios. And my chosen descriptors for this reconstruction of the Peyo little blue darlings, from …
Tuesday Open Line
Monday morning, President Obama visited Cannon Falls, Minnesota to kick off his economic bus tour. The President is traveling around the Midwest to stress the vital role rural America plays in ensuring the growth of our economy, the affordability of our food, the independence of our energy supply, and the strength of our communities. Cannon Falls, Minnesota, 35 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, is the first stop in a three day tour across America’s heartland. President Obama took questions from small business …
SNAP-NC Wednesday at Vance County Animal Shelter
SNAP-NC is a nonprofit organization providing discounted spay-neuter services to North Carolina residents. Our Mission is to address Pet Overpopulation in our State by offering high quality, low cost spay-neuter surgeries for pets belonging to North Carolina families in need. APPOINTMENT IS REQUIRED & CAN BE MADE BY CALLING OUR OFFICE AT 919-783-7627. Dog Spay/Neuter – Includes Rabies, Distemper/Parvo vaccine & pain injection 8 to 59 lbs: $100 60 lbs and Up: $125 Cat Spay/Neuter – Includes Rabies, Distemper vaccines …
Monday Open Line
Presidents Weekly Address: Putting the American People First. While members of Congress are at home in their districts, President Obama asks Americans that agree that it’s time to put country before party and pass stalled bills to help grow our economy to let them know. In national politics, the Ames Iowa Straw Poll is in the news, with Bachmann, Paul and Pawlenty in the 1,2 and 3 positions. However, Pawlenty on Sunday announced his decision to drop out of the …
Friday / Weekend Open Line
The annual sales tax holiday weekend, held Aug. 5-7, cost North Carolina about $14.5 million, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue said Thursday. Did you take advantage of the weekend? Some members of the senate are calling for the program to be re-examined as the state suffers from decreasing revenue. Should the program be stopped? Or is it a good handout to the public? You may read the full article referenced at http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/9986530/ Welcome the Friday / Weekend …
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two
New Effects in the Final Chapter A Review by Claire Ramsey I think Peter Jackson and David Yates are secretly related. Long-lost cousins, or something. Based on my enthusiastic viewing of the final installments of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings film series, I have to say that here are two directors who knows how to end movie series. And I think I enjoyed the last Harry Potter film – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two …
Henderson Commits to New Museum
Reporter – Leigh Hester – The Henderson City Council unanimously voted August 8 to accept ownership of the home of Bennett Perry to be used as a museum commemorating the history of Henderson and of Vance County. The house, which was left to the city in Mr. Perry’s will, states that the house must be maintained as a museum once accepted by the city. No endowments were left in the will to help make some of the necessary – and …
Gov. Perdue Protects Academic Integrity, Accessibility of NC Pre-Kindergarten Program
Gov. Bev Perdue today instructed the state agency in charge of North Carolina’s pre-kindergarten program to preserve the high standards, quality and accessibility of this crucial academic program for at-risk children. The General Assembly’s budget made significant changes to NC Pre-K (formerly known as More at Four). Changes include a 20 percent cut in funding that reduces the availability of the program to at-risk children, and the transfer of the program from the Department of Public Instruction to the Department …
Free Performances in Works for Vance County Students
Despite budgetary issues, the Vance County school system is still trying to provide opportunities for its students. In a partnership with the Henderson Community Concert Series, they are planning to offer free performances by the North Carolina Symphony on October 4th, 2011 and by a flamenco group in March of 2012. These events will be held at the Civic Center on the Vance Granville Community College campus.
Thursday Open Line
Demonstrators picketed the Dunn office of 2nd District Congresswoman Renee Ellmers on Wednesday, calling for more federal spending to create jobs. About two dozen demonstrators said they wanted to persuade Ellmers to change her hawkish stance on the U.S. deficit. Ellmers wasn’t at her office, but she said in a written statement that “I disagree deeply” with the protesters while respecting their opinions. You can read the full article at http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/9980721/ Welcome to the Thursday Open Lines!