All in Coronavirus
On March 14 at about 4 pm, my professional and personal life altered in ways that I would have never thought. On Friday, March 13, I told my students what I tell them every Friday, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and enjoy your weekend, I’ll see you on Monday!.”
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is taking further action to prevent and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks among the agricultural workforce, delivering critical personal protection equipment for use by agricultural workers across the state.
The North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association announced start dates for fall sports, with a staggered plan to return to play. This decision affects Arendell Parrott Academy and Bethel Christian Academy.
With the time frame for resuming road tests remaining unknown because of the continued impact of COVID-19 cases, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) will begin waiving road tests for qualified drivers who are 18 or older, starting Wednesday, July 22.
The original decision to shut down was the right one and I fully supported Gov. Cooper. Now, it has gone too far.
Arendell Parrott Academy is preparing to reopen for on-campus classes on August 24. Located in Kinston, the school last year served approximately 670 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Head of School Brooks Sutton has appointed a health advisory task force which includes two physicians who are infectious disease specialists, a regional hospital administrator, and a full-time school nurse. “We are guided by our parents’ and students’ strong desire for a return to our classrooms,” Sutton stated.
When Gov. Roy Cooper announced at his press conference Tuesday that North Carolina will reopen schools with both in-person and remote education, the in-person option is perhaps the most difficult to achieve. Possible plans the governor earlier outlined were:
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: 27 cases among staff, 35 residents and 2 resident 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.
Brook Stone Living Center in Jones Co.: 1 case among staff, 1 resident and 0 deaths.
The Lenoir County Health Department is reporting the 12th death in the county of a resident who had tested positive for COVID-19.
Chief Justice Beasley announced that jury trials in North Carolina courts will be delayed through at least September, and has directed senior resident superior court judges to develop comprehensive plans for the eventual safe resumption of jury trials in their districts.
This morning, the NCHSAA Board of Directors approved several rule and calendar changes relative to sports, including the delay of the start of NCHSAA fall sports to at least Sept. 1.
After Governor Cooper unveiled his plan for K-12 education on Tuesday, locally-elected state leaders including Rep. John Bell, Sen. Jim Perry and Rep. Chris Humphrey shared their concerns. One of the most notable frustrations is the Governor’s lack of including the General Assembly in the state’s Covid-19 response.
Governor Roy Cooper announced on July 14 that North Carolina public schools will open in August with fewer children in the classroom, utilizing social distancing, face coverings, and frequent cleanings.
The Down East Wood Ducks will host a Youth Baseball Camp, presented by Farmer-N-Dell Learning Center, on Monday, July 27 for youth ages 7-13 years old. Instructors for the camp include coaches from the Down East Wood Ducks, University of Mount Olive, North Lenoir and South Lenoir.
Governor Cooper is scheduled to hold a press conference online on July 14 at 3:00 p.m. He plans to share his decision on whether public school students in North Carolina will resume in-person education, if they will continue to utilize online learning or a blend of both.
On May 8 the Town of La Grange filed a lawsuit against Gov. Cooper in Superior Court requesting a declaratory judgment that one of his Executive Orders violated N.C.G.S. 159B-22. The Town asserts 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. Governor Roy Cooper submitted a brief in opposition to the Town’s motion for a preliminary injunction and in support of his motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), signed into law on March 27, 2020, includes provisions that temporarily relax several key retirement account rules. One of these provisions is a waiver of required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2020. Here’s what you need to know.
The school bell rang – albeit virtually – for nearly 450 elementary students on Monday as LCPS launched its Jump Start summer learning program.
On Wednesday, July 8, at 11:00 am, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) held a zoom meeting with Commissioner Que Tucker to discuss what could be happening with sports for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Although no major announcements were made, it is clear that unless conditions are well enough for athletes to be in the classroom, they will be holding off on their return to the field or court. Tucker stated, “Education comes first. Athletics is an extension of the classroom.”
If you are among the minority of North Carolinians who haven’t supported the expansion of parental choice in education over the past two decades — in the form of charter schools, open enrollment among district schools, and aid to private-school students who have special needs or modest household incomes — the challenge of COVID-19 presents you with an excellent opportunity to reconsider your position.
