Today’s Email Announcements

Healthy Cooking Classes at Ag Center in March and April

Spring Forward with Healthy Cooking!

Meet 4 consecutive Thursdays for an early dinner class

·         Join in to learn how proper healthy cooking techniques can make food taste great.

·         Designed for people who desire ultimate nutrition through healthy cooking skills, or just want to add variety.

·         Led by a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and Nutrition Intern, suitable for those with medical nutrition issues such as diabetes or hyperlipidemia

Class meets March 17, 24, 31 April 7 with an April 14th snow day (if needed) from 3:30 until 5:30. This is right after daylight savings begins. Location: Agricultural Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd., Boone.

Sign up to secure your spot by paying $60 (for all four classes including dinner) in advance at NC Cooperative Extension, 971 West King St., Boone. Contact: Margie Mansure, Extension Agent/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, 264-3061, Margie_mansure@ncsu.edu.

Support for problem gambling is now only a text or click away thanks to new technology from the N.C. Problem Gambling Program.

 By calling, texting, or using online chats with the Problem Gambling helpline, someone with a gambling problem or their loved ones can receive referrals for free, confidential sessions with a local counselor. Help is available 24 hours a day by:

·        Texting morethanagamenc to 53342

·        Joining a live web chat at www.morethanagamenc.com.

·        Calling the toll-free helpline at (877) 718-5543.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month

“We wanted to provide services to people who feel more comfortable communicating via text or online,” said Smith Worth, program administrator for the program. “Problem gambling is a serious issue in our state and we are excited to have the technology to reach a broader audience and offer help to more North Carolinians struggling with problem gambling.”

The Education Lottery is sharing the news about the new text and web chat services to support Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March. The goal of this year’s campaign, “Have The Conversation,” is to educate the public about warning signs of problem gambling and promote the availability of resources for help and support. Signs of problem gambling include:

·        Argumentative and defensive about gambling behavior

·        Unexplained absences for long periods of time

·        Lies to loved ones about gambling behavior

·        Going without basic needs in order to gamble

·        Borrowing money to gamble

The Education Lottery has followed important principles of responsible gaming since its inception and has worked since then to strengthen its program. It provides $1 million a year to fund the state’s program.

“We want those who choose to play the lottery to play for fun and play with money set aside for entertainment,” said Alice Garland, executive director of the lottery. “A sign that it’s time to take a break is the time when you are playing the lottery and it doesn’t feel like fun.”

Talk to a Lawyer for Free on March 4

North Carolina lawyers will be standing by to take your calls on Friday, March 4, as participants in the North Carolina Bar Association’s ninth annual 4ALL Statewide Service Day.

 Seven call centers spanning the state will be in operation from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

 Six of the call centers will be supported by local television stations that will promote their specific phone numbers throughout the day. The phone number for the Wilmington call center is 910-777-6001 and that number will be available throughout the day should citizens be unable to get through to their local call center.

 Stations hosting call centers are WLOS News 13 in Asheville; WBTV News in Charlotte; WNCT 9 On Your Side in Greenville; and WRAL-TV5 in Raleigh. WFMY News 2 in Greensboro will promote call centers hosted by the United Way of Greater Greensboro and Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Winston-Salem.

The Wilmington call center is hosted by Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog.

The statewide service project coincides with the NCBA’s 4ALL campaign to provide civil legal aid to those who otherwise would not have access to a lawyer. The event was first held in 2008 during the term of NCBA President Janet Ward Black of Greensboro and has since taken on a life of its own and hundreds of volunteers gather annually to provide free legal information to thousands of North Carolinians.

The 2016 4ALL Statewide Service Day is led by Sharon Robertson and Ashley Bennington.

Please note that the phone numbers for this event should only be accessed during the 12-hour window in which N.C. attorneys are answering the phones, and that the statewide service day is a telephone-only program.

Foxx Announces Congressional Art Competition

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., is encouraging high school students in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District to submit entries for the 2016 Congressional Art Competition, which is a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize talented young artists and promote the valuable role meaningful art plays in our society.

“Every year our country’s top young artists have the chance to display their work in the United States Capitol where it will be seen by visitors from around the world,” said Foxx. “North Carolina’s artists are among the best in the nation, and I always look forward to seeing the strong talent of our local young people.”

The following are guidelines for the competition:

·         Only high school students residing in the 5th Congressional District may compete. Students may be enrolled at public, private or home schools.

·         Each submission must be accompanied by a completed Congressional Art Competition release form, which is available on Foxx’s website.

·         All artwork must be original and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws.

·         All artwork must be two-dimensional.

·         Artwork must be framed by the artist at the time of submission. When framed, the piece can be no larger than 28 inches high, 28 inches wide and 4 inches deep.

·         Acceptable mediums include: paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art and photographs.

·         The deadline for submissions to Foxx’s office is Friday, April 15, at 5 p.m.

·         Entries should be submitted to Foxx’s Clemmons office at 3540 Clemmons Road, Suite 125, Clemmons, NC 27012.

As in years past, Foxx is inviting the online community to decide this year’s winner. Following the submission deadline, a photo of each student’s artwork will be posted on Foxx’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RepVirginiaFoxx. The piece that receives the highest number of “likes” will win, and the artist will have the opportunity to travel to the U.S. Capitol for the installation of his or her work. Two runners-up will also be selected, and their artwork will be on display in one of Foxx’s district offices for one year. Online voting will begin on Wednesday, April 20, at noon and will end on Tuesday, May 3, at noon.

Those with questions regarding the 2016 Congressional Art Competition may contact Foxx’s office at (202) 225-2071.