All in Columns
We at Neuse Regional Libraries understand how difficult the stay-at-home order can be, and how much everyone misses their normal activities in the community. We certainly miss seeing all of our regular library users in person. However, the Library is still providing vital services to the community in several ways, and your library card can still be used to access a wealth of knowledge and enjoyment from home.
Whether you are a vegetarian or not, veggie friendly, and flavor packed recipes are a great addition to your family menus.
As I began putting this column together, an old "saying", which I hadn't really thought about for many years, came to mind. That "saying" is "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." That is a profound truth because it highlights the powerful influence Mothers have on our lives, for which we can all be eternally thankful.
To put it simply, most people infected by the virus never get sick at all or present only mild symptoms. Protocol doesn’t subject them to testing. Indeed, most infected people wouldn’t even bother to seek it. So, how many North Carolinians truly are infected? We need to think more broadly. According to University of Chicago professor Casey Mulligan, a rough estimate of the cost of the current lockdowns nationwide is about $20 billion a day in lost economic production. On a proportional basis, that would translate to $540 million per day in North Carolina.
I should have written this column about two months ago. Like most of us, I have been distracted. Today’s subject is crucial to our local, state and national government. The census still contains a few questions I think are unnecessary. For instance, I am not sure what questions about ethnicity or marital status have to do with apportioning representation in the U.S. House, but I answered those anyway.
I was asked recently to submit a prayer for businesses that would be a part of a National Day of Prayer series for Neuse News. I immediately thought of all the small businesses that are struggling and many that are closed right now. I am intimately acquainted with the struggles of small businesses and small business owners. My grandfather opened and ran a small family business.
Tammy Kelly, director of the Lenoir County Extension Office, reached out to the Lenoir County SPCA and a number of pet owners to pull together a special project. The goal is assisting pet owners struggling to provide for their pets during the economic shutdown surrounding the COVID-19 virus. Here’s how you can help.
One more question about the Wuhan Virus: What was China's purpose for its development in the first place? If the purpose was to wage warfare on the rest of the world, which seems to be the case, then it's the equivalent of China sending its aircraft over our country and reigning bombs down on us indiscriminately.
If you give North Carolinians a binary choice — lift all restrictions immediately or keep most of them in place for another month or two — most will opt for the latter option. But those are not the only choices. There is a middle course, a phased reopening that starts within days and gets people back to work while keeping hospitals from being overcrowded.
In my opinion, the only thing as easy as a crock pot and forget it recipe is a sheet pan dinner! I know we are all running out of great meal ideas that may are healthy, easy, and require few ingredients.
People are not the only ones impacted by COVID-19. Reports are beginning to surface detailing the impact the virus is having on pets. When economic pressures come, lack of finances often causes people to struggle with providing for their pets. Some pets eventually end up at shelters because their owners are no longer able to provide for them.
For many Americans, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an immediate need for funds that can provide financial stability. In response, lawmakers have lessened financial burdens through stimulus legislation that includes several temporary rule changes to retirement account withdrawals.
China's release of the coronavirus may have been more deliberate than accidental. Folks, at the very least we should hold China accountable for this horrendous assault, and insist that Wuhan Province be closed. What China has done is equivalent to a declaration of war, and it must not go unpunished.
We often hear about the Consumer Confidence Index, which is down drastically, but what about the confidence of Small Business Owners? We’re often touted with support in political campaign ads and yet the federal government has overpromised and severely undelivered. Without Small Business Owners’ willingness to take risks, the costs to our economy could dwarf the EIDL and PPP investments.
Last week, funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) officially ran out. The $349 billion small business assistance program is a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress on March 27, 2020.
