The Board of Directors of the Community Council for the Arts regret to announce the continued closure of the Arts Center. This action is anticipated to last at least through the Labor Day weekend.
All in Coronavirus
Gov. Cooper signs bill allowing N.C. teens to get provisional licenses without road test
Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 158 into law on Friday, June 19. The bill allows the North Carolina DMV to temporarily waive the road test requirement for a Level 2 limited provisional license. Elliana Sylvia, who lives in Kinston and started a petition in April to temporarily waive the road test requirement, got her Level 2 license on Monday, June 22.
Enforcing Governor Cooper's Executive Order mandating face coverings
In an executive order announced on Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper extended Phase 2 of reopening North Carolina until July 17 and made face coverings mandatory in public. The mask requirements take effect Friday, June 26 at 5 p.m. In a recent Facebook post, Jones County Sheriff Danny Heath stated, “NO, I will not be enforcing the wearing of face masks! Be careful and responsible and make your own decision.”
UNC Lenoir CEO: "I am proud of the heroic work the UNC Lenoir team continues to do"
With 345 reported cases of COVID-19 in Lenoir County as of June 25, the capacity of UNC Lenoir Health Care to deal with the number of patients is an important factor. According to UNC Lenoir Marketing Coordinator Barbara LaRoque, the hospital has handled the current volume of COVID-19 patients well.
NC News: Lt. Gov. Forest to sue Gov. Cooper over the Emergency Management Act
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R), also a candidate for Governor, issued a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and a statement today notifying him that “as a member of the Council of State, I will be suing his administration for violating the Emergency Management Act.” In his letter, he references several Executive Orders enacted by the governor without consent of a majority of the Council of State. “The North Carolina Constitution does not create a unitary executive, but rather disburses executive power throughout the Council of State.”
Governor Cooper extends Phase 2 and requires face coverings
Under Governor Cooper’s new Executive Order, which is effective on Friday at 5:00 pm, North Carolina will extend Phase 2 for three more weeks (through July 17) and will require customers of retail businesses to wear face coverings. Citations shall be written only to businesses or organizations that fail to enforce the requirement to wear Face Coverings. Law enforcement personnel are not authorized to criminally enforce the Face Covering requirements of this Executive Order against individual workers, customers, or patrons.
Senate passes "No Patient Left Alone Act"
The North Carolina Senate on Friday passed the No Patient Left Alone Act, which allows hospitalized patients to designate one visitor who would be permitted access to their room in accordance with a hospital's visitation rules and limitations. The measure is in response to heartbreaking stories of loved ones being left to die alone in a hospital room as their spouses and family members are denied entry to the building.
Mayor Hardy issues mandatory face covering order
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy issued a mandatory face covering order to include parking lots, grocery stores, pharmacies, sidewalks and more Sunday afternoon. “All persons who are present within the jurisdiction of the City of Kinston are required to wear a clean face covering…The intent of this declaration is to encourage voluntary compliance with the requirements established herein by businesses and persons within the City of Kinston.” The declaration is effective on Tuesday, June 23 at 5:00 p.m. with no definitive end date.
NCDHHS reports Caswell Developmental Center has 39 COVID-19 cases
According to the latest “Ongoing Outbreaks in Congregate Living Settings” report, which can be downloaded in this article, NCDHHS reports the following:
Harmony Hall: 7 positive cases among staff, 0 cases in residents and 0 deaths.
Caswell Developmental Center: 19 cases among staff, 20 residents and 0 deaths.
NC State Veterans Home: no longer listed
Spring Arbor of Kinston: no longer listed
Greendale Forest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center: 2 cases among staff, 0 residents and 0 deaths.
Down East Wood Ducks to host 2020 High School Senior Send Off
The Down East Wood Ducks announced plans to host the inaugural 2020 ENC High School Senior Sendoff, Presented by Lenoir Community College on Saturday, June 27th at Grainger Stadium in Kinston. The event is a celebration of all recent 2020 graduates, but will be highlighted by a doubleheader of baseball games featuring recent 2020 graduates from various Eastern North Carolina High Schools. Gates will open at 11am with Game 1 scheduled to start at 1pm and Game 2 at 6pm.
Michael Spears: Is the risk of a second wave of infections rising?
Over the past week, we’ve had some good news in that there hasn’t been any sign of a national second wave of infections. In fact, the spread rate dipped below 1 percent for the first time on two days, and case growth seems to have stabilized to around 20,000 per day. From an economic perspective, the news is good, as the reopening is proceeding smoothly. Let’s take a look at the details.
Murphy introduces legislation to protect small business owners
On Thursday, June 11, 2020, Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) introduced H.R. 7179, the Pandemic Liability Protection Act. If passed, the legislation would protect covered providers who have operated during the coronavirus outbreak from state and federal lawsuits related to harm that arose from COVID-19.
City considering hiring freeze, furloughs and $21,600 pay raise for council, mayor
The proposed budget for next year anticipates steep drops in revenue. It eliminates capital outlay and calls for positions to remain unfilled while raising the possibility of employee furloughs if revenues drop more than expected. Under the proposed budget, city council members and the mayor would receive a raise.
State board approves operational strategies to help public schools reopen for 2020-21
Today, the State Board of Education approved N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Lighting Our Way Forward: North Carolina's Guidebook for Reopening Public Schools. We have included links to the summary document and full document.
Bill to help teens get their driver’s license during COVID-19 pandemic passes NC House, heads to governor
Today, the NC House approved a bipartisan bill to temporarily waive the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) road tests to allow teen drivers to receive their level two limited provisional license during the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill is now waiting for Governor Cooper’s signature.
Town of La Grange files suit against Governor Cooper
The Town of La Grange filed a declaratory judgment action in Lenoir County Superior Court, asking the Court to review Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No. 124. The filing also asks the court to enter a declaration that Section 1 of the order unlawfully interferes with the ability of utility service providers to exercise their own discretion and judgment in collecting charges for utility services provided to their customers.
“This case is not about disconnecting customers,” said Town Manager John Craft, “it’s about preserving the Town’s ability and discretion to operate its electric system in a manner that balances the needs of customers undergoing financial difficulties with the Town’s obligation to maintain the fiscal health of its system and meet its debt service obligations.”
“Small cities and towns in rural North Carolina that provide utility services, such as electricity and water/sewer, cannot survive extended government overreach enacted by Executive Order 124,” said Representative Chris Humphrey.
DHHS shares health guidance to re-open public schools
New health guidelines released Monday represent a first step to help North Carolina K-12 public schools find a safe way to open to in-person instruction for the 2020-21 academic year, health and education leaders announced Monday. Schools are asked to plan for reopening under three scenarios – Plan A: Minimal Social Distancing, Plan B: Moderate Social Distancing, or Plan C: Remote Learning Only. NC DHHS, in consultation with the State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction, will announce by July 1 which of the three plans should be implemented for schools to most safely reopen.
Lenoir County reports 8th COVID-19 death, Greene County and Jones County give updates.
Lenoir County reports 8th COVID-19 death. Also, here are the latest updates from Greene County and Jones County.
2020 graduates urged to heed lessons taught by adversity
High school seniors who battled through the disruptions caused by two flood-inducing hurricanes and a global pandemic to earn their diplomas got a welcomed dose of encouragement from speakers at five Lenoir County Public Schools commencement exercises last week.
Together, 567 seniors were awarded diplomas by Kinston, North Lenoir and South Lenoir high schools, Lenoir County Early College High School and Lenoir County Learning Academy in ceremonies arrayed over four days and ending Thursday.
JSHS holds socially-distanced commencement
Jones Senior High School held a commencement ceremony for its 2020 graduates, with friends and family viewing the ceremony from vehicles in the school parking lot.