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In Governor Cooper’s press conference this afternoon he ordered the closure of K-12 schools and prohibited mass gatherings. See the full description of “mass gatherings” and why it does impact concerts, etc. but not shopping malls, airports, libraries and more.
Governor Cooper held a press conference on Saturday to announce the closure of public schools for two weeks. Starting Monday, there is no school for students from March 16-30.
Governor Cooper stated, “Today, I am issuing an Executive Order to stop mass gatherings of more than 100 people across our state. As you know we issued this as guidance on Thursday. However, despite this several venues continued their events, so today’s order makes it mandatory. No concert is worth the spread of this pandemic.”
He continued, “This Executive Order has another key component. It directs K-12 public schools across our state to close for students on Monday, March 16 for at least 2 weeks. Several school districts have already made this decision & others are considering closures. Closing schools now will give us time for further understanding of COVID-19 and its effect on the people of our state. I do not make this decision lightly. We know that it will be difficult on many parents and students.”
On Friday evening, City of Kinston Councilmember Kristal Suggs issued the following statement:
City of Kinston Mayor Dontario Hardy has released a State of Emergency proclamation stating, “the Chief of Fire and Rescue along with Chief of Police…may restrict or deny access to any area or street” if that restriction “is necessary to promote efforts being made to overcome the emergency or to prevent further aggravation of the emergency…”. Read the full proclamation:
Public officials stress personal hygiene, individual responsibility, and remaining calm in the wake of COVID-19’s classification as a pandemic. With fear and chaos popping up on social media, the message from healthcare officials is to stay informed and not to panic. Hear from UNC Health, Lenoir UNC Health Care, Lenoir County Health Department, Kinston Community Health Center and the Lenoir County Council on Aging.
In light of the announcement made by Minor League Baseball yesterday, the Wood Ducks are preparing for a delayed start to our 2020 season.
Kinston and Lenoir County are no strangers to crisis and we are famous for our commUNITY support in times of crisis. Life happens and sometimes what happens is disruptive and scary, but we are strong, we adapt, and we come together to take care of our own. - Leon Steele, Pride of Kinston Executive Director
LCPS is monitoring the coronavirus outbreak and working with local and state public health agencies to develop plans to keep our schools, students and staffs safe. Currently, public health experts do not recommend schools be closed. Keeping our schools open contributes to the stability of the community, helps ensure food security for many of our students and provides a welcomed element of routine at a time when disruption seems to be the norm. Those advantages, however, are secondary to our commitment to school safety and our obligation to help stem the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Because the situation with coronavirus is evolving, LCPS plans and procedures will evolve. These are current directives as of March 13.
The Neuse Regional Library questions the Town of La Grange’s commitment to library services following a February 24 vote by the town’s council. Yesterday, the Neuse Regional Library issued the following statement:
UPDATE: In conjunction with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) the Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department has elected to follow suit and cancel all spring athletics programming, this includes Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Track and Field, Gymnastics, Tennis, and Volleyball.
More information regarding this cancellation will be provided as soon as possible.
CHAPEL HILL, NC | The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors moved to suspend interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020 through at least Monday, April 6th, 2020. The NCHSAA Board of Directors will assess this situation regularly over the next few weeks. This includes all workouts, skill development, practices and contests.
According to Dr. Bert Bright, Arendell Parrott Academy will be moving to online instruction starting Monday, March 16 for two weeks. All on-campus activities are canceled during this time.
A UPS Store will open inside the MedSource Pharmacy on Vernon Avenue in Kinston to offer a variety of services to help small local businesses. The store is set to open on April 1, 2020.
As the DOW and oil stocks tumble today due to oil concerns and Wall Street’s reaction to COVID-19, local gas prices have fallen. As of 3:09 p.m. here are gas prices according to GasBuddy.com in Lenoir, Greene and Jones Counties.
To further its mission to be a leader in disaster preparedness and disaster recovery for Jones, Craven and surrounding counties, MX Network held a ribbon-cutting at the former Woodmen of the World Campground now named The Father’s Refuge.
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) used by Public Safety officials is a growing trend. With the convenience of size and the potential for safety, drones offer opportunities different from aircraft operated by humans, including quicker deployment and less overhead.
On February 24, 2020, the La Grange Public Library posed a question on their Facebook account asking, “Can you imagine your community without a public library?” This social media post, and the La Grange Town Manager’s recommendation of a one-year lease on the building that houses the library, drew comments and concerns from some La Grange citizens at the Town Council meeting Monday night.
Recently, the Webelos II den of Cub Scouts Pack 41 (Gordon Street Christian Church in Kinston) completed a service project of loaf bread collection to benefit Mary’s Kitchen. On Tuesday, March 3 the six boys exceeded their goal and delivered 79 loaves of bread to Mr. Jim Godfrey, Director of Mary’s Kitchen.
Magic Mile Media, Inc. and Neuse News are accepting applications for our 2020 Summer Internship Program. A limited number of candidates will be accepted.
From birthday parties to blood drives, the Kinston Community Center has hosted it all. In addition to its sports and fitness facilities, the KCC also boasts a variety of spaces available for event rentals. KCC Executive Director Kelly Cannon said the center’s dedicated banquet room is often booked solid on weekends, but the KCC is open seven days a week.
