Congressman G.K. Butterfield, the 1st District Democrat who represents Henderson and northern Vance County, issued the following statement today on the death of Rosa Parks:
Armed robber strikes Star Grocery
A Harriett Street convenience store was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash Sunday night.
Tuesday’s open line
We’re confused about the message sent by the Henderson City Council on Monday night. The council instituted a hiring freeze — a step that maybe would have been appropriate a year earlier, when the Finance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee first got word about the depleted fund balance — but also wrote a blank check for the Embassy Streetscape Project. For what it’s worth, we agree that the city should bite the bullet and stick with the brick; we just don’t …
City Council creates hiring freeze
On a motion introduced by Ranger Wilkerson that was not on the published agenda, the City Council voted Monday night to freeze all unfilled positions in the Henderson government with no exceptions. Future vacancies will automatically become frozen.
Embassy Streetscape $60K over budget
City Engineer Frank Frazier reported to the Henderson City Council on Monday night that the Embassy Streetscape Project will be $60,000 over budget if brick work is completed as planned.
Monday’s open line
Well, we’ve obviously failed to spark any conversation the past few days, so we won’t try today. The floor is open. Talk among yourselves.
Milestones: What’s so fair about it?
I was going to write a real column this week, honest. I was also going to fix the leak in the bathtub, catch up with some work from the office, maybe start Chapter 6 of my Henderson novel (working title for that chapter is “What if Yount and Wester Had a Baby? Who Would Be the First Victim, Clem or Eric?”). Yeah, I had big plans.
Weekend open line
We’re looking forward to hearing the results of Tuesday night’s invitation-only meeting about the proposed Boys & Girls Club and, just as much, to learning about the scheduling of an informational session for the public at large. We’re in no position at this point to say what level of public support, if any, should be offered to what is, at its root, an anti-crime, “seeding” effort for the community. But we’re encouraged whenever a group with a good idea builds …
Man shot multiple times at Lincoln Heights
A 24-year-old Henderson man suffered life-threatening wounds in a shooting late Thursday at the Lincoln Heights Apartments.
Opinion: Henderson, N.C. — Heaven on Earth
By the Rev. Todd Hester Jesus is comin’. Any moment we’ll see the heavens open wide and the Four Horsemen ride through Chick-fil-A’s drive-through and the Whore of Babylon parade down Garnett. Yep, the Apocalypse is upon us – how else do you explain the president of NASCAR saying he doesn’t want Confederate flags at the racetrack?
Friday’s open line
The floor is open for discussion, although the conversation seems to be at a lull. Even the newspaper shows little going on. In the meantime, here’s the Henderson City Council agenda for Monday night, the first meeting since the elections determined that three of the eight council members will be out of office come December. It’s worth noting that the City Council-ordered changes to the agenda schedule worked in their first test: We received the agenda by e-mail Wednesday.
‘Embassy Wars’: The saga grows
Episode 9 of Whiskey Tango’s brilliant satirical drama, “Embassy Wars,” is now in place.
Thursday’s open line
While watching Hurricane Wilma bear down on the Yucatan, with Florida then in her sights, we’re struck by two things. First, is it possible that the Maya civilization was ruined by a hurricane, a series of hurricanes or a succession of particularly harsh hurricane seasons? Second, and more important in the grand scheme of things, is it possible that the next hurricane this year, now slated to be Hurricane Alpha, could instead be named after a pseudonymous online columnist? It …
Collective sparks poetry plans at library
To celebrate Teen Read Week, the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library broke new ground by providing a performance program specifically for a teen audience Tuesday evening.
Wednesday’s open line
It’s VOICE day in Henderson, the last meeting of the full Vance Organization to Implement Community Excellence before the final Weed and Seed application must be e-mailed to the U.S. Justice Department by Oct. 30. The meeting is at 10:30 a.m. at the Aycock Recreation Complex. For those of us who can’t make the meeting, well, we have an open line for discussion.
Tuesday’s open line
It’s a bit overdue, but we’d like to thank and congratulate the city of Henderson for making good use of its Web site by posting the proposed Time Warner Cable franchise agreement online here. That’s open government in action. And by the way, not to change the topic from endless anonymous attacks on the fire chief, but please be safe in Henderson today. There’s a decent chance that Albert Pujols’ game-winning home run from last night could plunge out of …
Boys & Girls Club seeks city endorsement
During last week’s Henderson City Council meeting, the Rev. Todd Hester of Cotton Memorial Presbyterian Church asked the council for an endorsement of efforts to create a Boys & Girls Club in Henderson.
Library marks Teen Read Week
The Collective connects with the audience at a performance. Three of the members will be at the Perry Library at 6 p.m. today. Three members of the Greensboro-based performance art group The Collective will put on a show at the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library today from 6 to 7:15 p.m. as part of the library’s second annual observance of Teen Read Week.
Monday’s open line
The Henderson-Vance application for federal Weed and Seed recognition is in the hands of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is two weeks away from being sent to Washington. Whether or not we get the label and the related grants, the process in preparing the application should prepare the city and county to better drive out and prevent crime. Until then, the floor is open for discussion.
Milestones: Coup de blah
What can I say, Henderson? We tried. For 26 hours, it looked like we could change the world. For one brief, shining moment, we were as gods with purple crayons. Or, at least, as children playing “politician.”