NEWS FROM RALEIGH… I always welcome your comments, project updates, suggestions, and visits. My office door and electronic door are always open to you! You are also invited to attend any and all Sessions and Committees. Visit the website for Session and Committee meeting times. As always, thank you for your support! SIDE NOTE Senator Bryant’s Primary Sponsored Bills: · S39 – State Minimum Wage/Inflation Increases · S50 – Wilson County Occupancy Tax Modification. (Passed Senate; …
VGCC Students Awarded Golden LEAF Scholarships
A group of students from Vance-Granville Community College recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state’s community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation and childcare related to attending classes during the 2014-15 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that address skill gaps upon …
Tuesday Open Line
The Smithsonian Institution, founded this month in 1846, is the world’s largest museum and research complex, with 137 million artifacts in its collection. One was donated to the museum in August 1985 to mark the 25th anniversary of its commercial debut — the original Xerox 914 copying machine. Weighing in at just under 650 pounds, the 914 could produce seven copies per minute. The principle of xerography — producing images on paper using electricity — was developed in 1938 by …
VGCC offers Fall Mini-Term Classes
Although the Fall 2015 semester at Vance-Granville Community College is well underway, there are actually still opportunities to register for a variety of classes offered during “mini-terms.” These sections start later but end on Dec. 14, at the same time as the full 16-week courses, and they include just as many hours of instruction as under the traditional schedule. The Fall 12-Week Mini-Term begins on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The complete list of courses is available by visiting schedules.vgcc.edu and clicking …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Welcoming Home Our Veterans
Photo of the Week: I started the week at a Welcome Home Dedication for Sgt. Jonathan Rivenbark. This event was hosted by Helping a Hero, a nonprofit organization that identified and selected Sgt. Rivenbark for a newly-built, specially-adapted home in Legacy Lakes. It was wonderful to be at the event where we officially welcomed Sgt. Rivenbark and his wife, Yulia, into their 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home which was fully accessible with wider doors, and a roll in shower. Weekly Update: This …
White House Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Pass a Responsible Budget
In this week’s address, the President spoke to the economic progress that our country has made — from 13 million new jobs created over the past five and a half years, to 17 states raising the minimum wage. Congress needs to do its part to continue to help grow the economy, but instead left town last month with a great deal undone. Congress failed to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank, which enjoys bipartisan support and is tasked solely with creating American …
Monday Open Line
One of America’s favorite snack foods is said to have originated on this date in 1853 near Saratoga Springs, New York. The chef at Moon’s Lake House, George Crum, was irritated at a customer who sent back his fried potatoes several times, saying they were too thick and soggy. Crum decided to slice potatoes wafer thin and stir-fry them. The customer was delighted, and so-called Saratoga chips became famous. The true origin of potato chips is unknown, but they are …
Ducky Derby in Downtown Henderson August 29th, 2015
Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start will hold its 6th annual Ducky Derby Festival and rubber duck race, a fundraiser for the local Smart Start program, on Saturday, August 29th in downtown Henderson. At 10 o’clock the festival begins on Breckenridge Street between the library and police station. This years’ activities include a bounce house and slide, as well as face painting and balloon animals for the children. Other activities are corn hole and ring toss. Vendors will be on hand serving …
Healthy Places NC – Funding Opportunity
The Conservation Fund’s Creating New Economies Fund Funding Priorities: Proposed projects for the current grant cycle must meet the triple bottom line and: Increase access to healthy food; or Connect small farmers to low?income consumers; or Increase opportunities for outdoor physical activity. Grant Amount: The maximum grant is $15,000, however, average grants range from $8,000 ? $12,000. Who Can Apply: Eligible applicants include nonprofits, town and county governments, and initiatives associated with a Resourceful Communities partner organization or community. Former …
Friday / Weekend Open Lines
Friday, August 21st. The American Bar Association was founded on this date in 1878 in Saratoga Springs, New York. One-hundred attorneys from 21 states were present at its first meeting. The legal profession then was far different from what we know today. There was no National Code of Ethics, lawyers generally worked alone and trained under a system of apprenticeship. Today, there are some 1.27 million lawyers in the U.S., as the ever-swelling number of civil and criminal cases, and …
Fallen Soldier’s Family creates VGCC Scholarship in his memory
A new scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College will bear the name of a Vance County native who lost his life in combat during the Iraq War. The Lunsford B. Brown II Memorial Academic Achievement Scholarship was recently established by members of his family, including his mother, Deborah F. Brown of Henderson, who chairs the VGCC Board of Trustees. Deborah Brown said that the family had talked for several years about creating a scholarship in memory of Lunsford, who was killed …
Governor McCrory Stresses Staying Safe When Traveling Back to School
Raleigh – More than 1.5 million students across the state will head back to the classroom next week, and North Carolina officials want to make sure those students arrive safely and ready to learn. With more cars, buses and pedestrians packing North Carolina roadways, Governor Pat McCrory, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol urge motorists to stay alert and exercise caution on the road, especially around schools, crosswalks, school buses and bus stops. …
Thursday Open Line
The nation’s first radio station licensed by the federal government began broadcasting in Detroit on this date in 1920 — station 8MK, now operating as WWJ. The station was owned by the Detroit News, and for some convoluted reasons, the station operated with an amateur license, which in 1922 was changed to commercial. The first station to receive a commercial license was KDKA in Pittsburgh, which began broadcasting in October of 1920. From these rudimentary early broadcasts, the new medium …
Communities Prep for New Jobs with Utility Account
With Mocksville’s Southpointe Business Park operating at near capacity, Davie County leaders wanted to expand the park to include 85 additional acres nearby, but linking the two properties would require a new road and bridge. To address the challenge, Davie leaders turned to the state’s Utility Account for help. Earlier this year, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved a $450,000 request by the Town of Mocksville that will help make new parcels available for businesses and jobs. The Utility …
Wednesday Open Line
Two geniuses in the field of electronics whose inventions changed pastimes the world over were born in August. One was television pioneer Philo Farnsworth, whose 1906 birthday is noted today. He conceived the idea of television broadcasting while still in high school and realized it at the age of 21. The other was Lee de Forest, a Yale Ph.D. in physics. He invented the three-element vacuum tube, a step toward creating radio. Holding hundreds of patents, he was a pioneer …
Middle and High School News August 17-21, 2015
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS WEEKLY SCHOOL NEWS Volume 4, Issue 2 A Publication for Middle and High Schools August 17-21, 2015 The MISSION of Vance County Schools is to be committed to educating all students to prepare them for lifelong learning and productive citizenship. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS ? Staff development sessions district wide in various locations on Monday. ? Workshop for elementary cafeteria managers and elementary …
Tuesday Open Line
An emotional and legal battle that lasted many decades ended on this date in 1920, changing the course of U.S. social and political history. The event was the certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment prohibits discrimination based on sex with regard to voting — in short, it extended to women the right to vote. Two days earlier, Tennessee had become the required 36th state to ratify the amendment, in spite of last minute efforts by some …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Visiting Patients in the Second District
Photo of the Week Photo by Tyler Douglas | The Daily Record This week, I toured Angier Dialysis in Harnett County where I was able to talk with health care providers and patients about the work they are doing. Scroll down to hear more about my visit to this Center. Weekly Update: The August District work period provides the perfect opportunity to visit with constituents and swing in local businesses and facilities. This week, I had the opportunity to …
White House Weekly Address: Continuing Work to Improve Community Policing
In this week’s address, the President spoke about the work the Administration is doing to enhance trust between communities and law enforcement in the year since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. In May, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing released their final report setting out concrete proposals to build trust and enhance public safety. And across America, local leaders are working to put these ideas into action in their communities. The President noted that while progress …
Monday Open Line
Although the numbers have fallen sharply in the last few decades, still some people in the U.S. succumb to diseases that could have been prevented by immunization. Others experience pain, suffering and disability. That’s why this is National Immunization Awareness Month — highlighting the importance of vaccinations to a long and healthy life. The process of vaccination was known even in ancient cultures. Its most spectacular success came in the eradication of smallpox, a human scourge for thousands of years. …