The Union County Health Department will provide free H1N1 vaccines to people of all ages on Friday, Feb. 5 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. inside Monroe Crossing (Monroe Mall) at the entrance to Sears.
For more information, call the Union County Health Department at 704-296-4878
Due to inclement weather, the beginning
beekeeping class scheduled for
Saturday, Jan. 30 is rescheduled for
Saturday, Feb. 20
January 15, 2010, Monroe, NC - Want to “bee” a beekeeper? Union County
Cooperative Extension and the Union County Beekeepers will be conducting a class for
beginning beekeepers at the Union County Ag Center on Jan. 30 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Cost for the class is $10, which includes membership in the Union County Beekeepers
Association and the NC State Beekeepers Association.
Bill Sheppard, NC State bee inspector, and Jeff Knight, master beekeeper and president
of the Union County Beekeepers, will teach the class.
“Bill Sheppard has one of the most engaging personalities you’ll experience in a teacher,”
said Jeff Rieves, Union County extension agent. “He is an excellent speaker, and an
absolute fountain of knowledge on bees and beekeeping. Jeff Knight is one of the few
master beekeepers in the area and a great teacher. Jeff is who I call about beekeeping.”
The class will cover all the basics of beekeeping including the importance of bees and
beekeeping, bee biology and behavior, getting set up as a beekeeper, hive management,
honey plants in the state, honey harvest, uses of honey and selling your honey.
To register, please call Dana Braswell at the Cooperative Extension Office at 704-283-
3742.
February 1 – February 5, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Parents of kindergarten children may register their child at the elementary school located in their
attendance area. Eligible children must have reached their fifth birthday on or before August 31 (of
the year of entrance) in order to enroll in a public kindergarten in North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina state law, all children entering kindergarten must present
documented evidence of having received immunizations and physical examinations before attending
school. Immunizations needed are as follows:
DTaP/DT vaccine – five doses (if the fourth dose was given on or after their fourth birthday, the fifth dose is not required)
Polio IPV vaccine – four doses (if the third dose was given on or after the fourth birthday, the fourth dose is not required)
MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) - two doses (first dose on or after their first birthday; second dose before school entry)
Hepatitis B vaccine – three doses (third dose must be after child is 6 months old)
HIB – at least one dose on/after 15 months of age (not required after age 5)
Varicella (Chicken Pox) - one dose (required for children born on or after April 1, 2001, second dose highly recommended before school entry)
Kindergarten Health Assessment Form - You must have your doctor or health department
complete the Kindergarten Health Assessment (KHA) Report which you can pick up anytime from
the school. In addition, you must submit an up-to-date certificate of immunizations (no longer a
part of the KHA Report). It is important for your doctor to record all the requested information
on the KHA Report, front and back. Please review the form before leaving the office to be certain this
has happened or you will be sent back to the office to get the needed information.
Parents should bring to the school copies of their child’s birth certificate,
immunization record, two proofs of residence, and the Kindergarten Health
Assessment Form before the first day of school.
For more information call the school your child will attend
January 19, 2010 Monroe, NC – Union County Master Gardener Association is selling rain barrels to help Union County residents conserve water.
Rain barrels can be purchased in either 60 or 80 gallon barrels. The 60 gallon barrels are $85, and the 80 gallon barrels are $100. All barrels must be pre-ordered by Feb. 22, and can be picked up at the Union County Agricultural Center at 3230 Presson Road in Monroe on Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Rain barrels reduce water usage, which reduces bills. They also reduce stormwater runoff into streets and streams. Also, irrigating with harvested rain water provides ground water recharge at the source or rain fall.
By installing one 60 gallon rain barrel you can save 600 gallons of water through a 20-week growing season.
Further information can also be received by emailing unionmg@co.union.nc.us, calling 704-283-3822 or visiting the Cooperative Extension Website at www.co.union.nc.us.
The Union County Public Schools’ 2010 system wide spelling bee will begin at 9:30 a.m. on January 21, 2010, in the auditorium at Central Academy of Technology and Arts, located at 600 Brewer Drive. Trophies will be awarded to the first- and second-place winners. A certificate will be presented to each school wide winner.
THE EVENT
The Queen’s Cup is like no other sporting and social event in the Charlotte region. A Saturday afternoon in the country each spring is greeted with great anticipation.
Thousands come to see some of the most athletic thoroughbreds compete at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. The jockeys, dressed in bright colored silks, push their sleek steeds to clear four and a half foot jumps over a two and a quarter to as much as three mile rolling turf course. The prestige of over a $100,000 in purse money to the winning owners and the opportunity to bask in the glory of the winner’s circle is what it’s all about from the horse’s connections.
Beyond the excitement of the races, families and friends enjoy some fast-paced mingling and socializing each year. The Queen’s Cup annually solidifies business as well as personal relationships; and keeps both strong by bringing people together year after year.
The Queen’s Cup offers breathtaking views of the entire racecourse from the Lawn Boxes and Hospitality Tents on exclusive Member’s Hill to key tailgating spots throughout the entire racecourse. For the first time in steeplechase history, Personal Space Licenses (PSL’s) are being offered to our race patrons so that you and your family can enjoy your very own Lawn Box or Tailgating Space for generations to come.
We encourage you to come and Experience the Thrill of the ‘Chase!®
DRESS & ATTIRE:
This is a family event. Attire on the racecourse is somewhat casual though many show-up in sun dresses for ladies and khakis and polo shirts for men. Jeans are rarely seen at the Queen’s Cup. Many men and women wear hats! Due to the terrain, which is grassy and undulating, flat soled shoes are highly recommended while stiletto heels are not.
Member’s Hill & The Paddock: Guests on Member’s Hill and the Paddock should wear dressy clothes, i.e. jacket and tie and long slacks for men while ladies should wear sun dresses, skirts or dressy slacks. Ladies and Gentlemen are encouraged to wear hats at the Queen’s Cup. Linen suits and the archetypal ‘Queen’s Cup’ Panama hat are traditionally worn by Gentlemen. Jeans and shorts are not permitted on Member’s Hill.
Rain or Shine, the Queen’s Cup carries on. Since this is a RAIN or SHINE event, be prepared for the sun and the rain but please note as tents and standing umbrellas are not allowed due to the wind risk and viewing! We love pets, especially dogs, but please leave your’s at home.
You can order Online now. For Tailgate & Ticket Options click HERE
Karla Davis wows stage at Nashville’s fabled Ryman Auditorium
Country music singer Karla Davis wowed an audience in Rock Hill on her path to winning the Colgate Country Music Showdown.
The Monroe, N.C., artist sang at the Freedom Center in downtown Rock Hill, advanced to a state competition and then took top honors in the finals at Nashville’s fabled Ryman Auditorium.
The annual showdown is an American Idol-like contest that seeks to discover the next big country star. Winners also get $100,000.
This year, the regional finals were held in front of a packed house at the Freedom Center. Davis represented radio station WRHI.
“She was very memorable,” said WRHI office manager Noreen Ruff, who watched the Rock Hill performance. “She used her guitar in a very different way. She would sing a line and hit the guitar with her thumb. And she performed barefoot.”
On her blog, Davis lists her musical role models as Eva Cassidy, Joss Stone, Bobbi Gentry, Etta James, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and Jason Mraz.
Some people compare her to soft rock singer Colbie Caillat.
In a song called “A Day Away,” Davis tells about a desire to be near loved ones, saying “a day away from you is a day too long.”
TLC has a new reality TV show that features a local Indian Trail, NC family (The Coles) struggling with obesity called “One Big Happy Family”. I watched this show for the first time last night with my 14yr old daughter. She goes to school and has a couple of classes with Shayne at Porter Ridge High School. So this morning I get this Google alert in my inbox about Indian Trail NC, So of course i read it and it is about The reality show and the coles. The headline reads “TLC’s “One Big Happy Family” doesn’t sit well with some viewers”. The story is about how the show has been the center of some criticism and controversy and how TLC is exploiting the family. There is another story on CNN.com (“‘Big’ concerns surround new reality show” ) about the show. Here is a link to a few clips of the show.
If you watched the show let us know what you think about the Coles and the struggle to lose weight while being filmed for a TV reality show. In your mind do you think TLC is exploiting the family?
WAXHAW, NC (WBTV) – At first it seemed to be just a fire — still it was a fire that was big enough that it closed Highway 75 in Union County.
But, the fire at the cabinet shop that closed the road was only the tip of the iceberg of a one-man crime spree that wrecked places all over town, authorities say.
The man who set the fire also stole two vehicles — from two different places — and tried to rob an ATM.
The most visible episode of the crime spree was that Highway 75 was shut down early Tuesday morning from McNeely Road and Western Union School Road because of the fire.
Investigators believe the same man who set the fire that destroyed a cabinet shop, stole a vehicle from that area.
Here is a timeline of events from police to WBTV:
Stole Pickup from a landscaping company.
Traveled down Highway 75 to a cabinet company set the building and several vehicles on fire.
Traveled back North on 75 into the city of Monroe where he crashed into doors of a Food Lion
Traveled across Monroe and crashed into an ATM where the truck was disabled.
After that, he broke into a house and stole another vehicle.
A short time later, he was taken into custody.
Witnesses say they saw the shop and several vehicles nearby on fire and called it in, which lead to the capture of the suspect.
By 8:15 am the fire was out, but roads were still closed because of fire operations in the area.
Jonathan Dowdy was charged with first degree burglary, felony breaking and entering, motor vehicle theft, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Dowdy has not been charged yet to the fires in Waxhaw, but that could change.
(Update) Johnathan Dowdy has been charged with:
3 counts of felony breaking and entering.
2 counts of possession of stolen property.
2 counts of larceny after breaking and entering.
1 count of larceny of a motor vehicle.
1 count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
1 count of misdemeanor larceny.
He is in the Union County Jail under a $75,000 secured bond.
Full Suite of Next-Generation Voice and Data Solutions Now Available
MATTHEWS, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Windstream Corp. (NASDAQ: WIN) announces the expansion of its next-generation voice and data services into Monroe, N.C., giving local businesses a new choice for advanced communication services.
Monroe business customers may now benefit from a robust portfolio of voice and data solutions, including dedicated high-speed Ethernet Internet, VoIP converged communications systems, Virtual Private Networks, Virtual LAN Services, managed network security and local and long distance service, all designed to help businesses increase productivity and run more efficiently.
Windstream’s cost-effective solutions also include business bundles that can help improve a customer’s bottom line, saving business customers on Internet and phone service over comparable Verizon services.
“Windstream understands the growing demand for our voice and data solutions and has expanded our product availability into Monroe,” said Don Perkins, vice president of business marketing. “Our customized solutions can help businesses improve productivity and connect with their customers.”
The company has approximately 192,500 access lines and 1,350 employees in North Carolina. Windstream already serves business customers in markets across the state including Matthews, Concord, Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C.
For more information about Windstream’s next-generation data services, visit www.windstream.com/business.
About Windstream
Windstream Corporation is an S&P 500 company that provides digital phone, high-speed Internet and high-definition video and entertainment services to residential and business customers in 16 states. The company also offers a wide range of IP-based voice and data services and advanced phone systems and equipment to businesses and government agencies. The company has approximately 3 million access lines and about $3.1 billion in annual revenues. Windstream is ranked 4th in the 2009 BusinessWeek 50 ranking of the best performing U.S. companies. For more information about Windstream, visit www.windstream.com.