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“'May I Thank You’ is a film to health-care workers, their families and others affected by COVID, inspired by Ruth Ann Shirley’s idea,” Bush said. “So, the image, this film and song were born as my gift to their great idea and to those helping others and to those affected by this pandemic.”
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Grandfather Mountain Community Celebrates Health-Care Workers with a Video
The Grandfather Mountain community has come together to honor health-care heroes who have worked and risked their lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the national Random Acts of Kindness Day around the corner, Avery County school board member Ruth Ann Shirley contacted Grandfather Mountain president and executive director Jesse Pope with an idea — to create a tribute to the local health department.
“I saw on Twitter that Feb. 17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day,” Shirley said. “I hit the link, and it said send somebody a thank you note, and I thought, ‘Well, I can’t send a thank you to every medical worker in the state or area! But if I did a big, big thank you so that they all could see it, that would be just the same.”
While the original plan was to take a quick, casual photo featuring Shirley’s handcrafted luminary lights, Pope soon took the idea to new heights — literally.
To bring the vision to life, Pope called local photographer Todd Bush, who offered his talents to help make the gesture extra special.
Within hours, the team had a plan, locations scouted for the photo, and wooden letters built to help the luminaries stand out.
Read the full story from HC Press here.
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Governor Cooper Announces Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions as North Carolina Trends Stabilize
Yesterday, Governor Cooper announced the easing of COVID-19 Restrictions.
Below are some key points:
Wednesday's Executive Order lifts the Modified Stay at Home Order requiring people to stay at home and businesses to close to the public between 10 pm and 5 am. The number of people who may gather indoors will increase from 10 to 25, while 50 remains the limit for outdoors. The curfew on the sale of alcohol for onsite consumption will be moved from 9 pm to 11 pm. Some businesses, including bars and amusement parks, will now be open for patrons indoors as they adhere to new occupancy restrictions. Many businesses, venues and arenas will have increased occupancy both indoors and outdoors.
Executive Order No. 195 has two general categories of occupancy restrictions: 30% capacity and 50% capacity. Because indoor spaces have a higher risk of spread for COVID-19, indoor facilities in the 30%-occupancy category may not exceed two hundred fifty (250) people per indoor room or indoor space.
30% Capacity Limit (may not exceed 250-persons in indoor spaces)
- Bars
- Meeting, Reception, and Conference Spaces
- Lounges (including tobacco) and Night Clubs
- Indoor areas of Amusement Parks
- Movie Theatres
- Entertainment facilities (e.g., bingo parlors, gaming establishments)
- Sports Arenas and Fields*
- Venues*
Indoor event venues with more than 5,000 seats may be excepted from the 250 person limit if they follow additional safety measures up to 15% capacity.
50% Capacity Limit
- Restaurants
- Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries
- Fitness and Physical Activity Facilities (e.g., gyms, bowling alleys, rock climbing facilities)
- Pools
- Museums and Aquariums
- Retailers
- Outdoor areas of Amusement Parks
- Salons, Personal Care, Tattoo Parlors
Safety protocols such as masks, social distancing and frequent handwashing will continue to be important as people adjust to the new order, health officials said.
View Executive Order 195 as well as the FAQ.
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North Carolina Litter Sweep: April 10-24
The 2021 Spring Litter Sweep will launch on April 10 and run through April 24.
Traditionally scheduled for the last two weeks of April and September, Litter Sweep is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s biannual statewide roadside litter removal initiative. Residents throughout the state participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina's roadways.
In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time to pick up litter and collect orange bags placed on the roadsides by volunteer pickups.
Volunteers are provided cleanup supplies, such as reversible orange/blue trash bags, gloves and orange safety vests, from their local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard office.
To participate in Litter Sweep, contact a local NCDOT litter progam coordinator.
State Giving Children in Need Record Number of Lifesaving Bike Helmets
RALEIGH – A record number of children, 11,850 total, across the state will be receiving lifesaving bicycle helmets through the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Bicycle Helmet Initiative, part of ongoing efforts to reduce bicycle injuries and deaths in North Carolina.
NCDOT uses funds from the sale of “Share the Road” specialty license plates to pay for bike helmets that are distributed at bicycle safety events for underprivileged children by government and non-government agencies. A record 163 organizations applied to participate in the program this year. Helmets will be delivered by April 30.
Helmets save lives. While less than half of all children typically wear a helmet while biking, they can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by nearly 90 percent.
The following organizations in the High Country region are receiving helmets:
- Ashe/Alleghany Safe Kids
- Boone Police Department
- Lansing, N.C.
- Lees-McRae College Outdoor Programs
- North Wilkesboro Rotary Club
- Sparta Police Department
- WAMY Community Action, Inc.
- Wilkesboro Police Department
View the full list here.
For more information about the program, visit the NCDOT Bicycle Helmet Initiative webpage.
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Vision NWNC Focus On Our Future - Registration Open!
Monday, March 1st from 1:00-3:00pm
For the third installment of the Vision Northwest North Carolina Focus On Our Future Series we are joined by Wit Tuttell, Executive Director for Visit NC and Amy Allison, Director of the Outdoor Industry Recreation Office for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina to discuss current trends in the tourism and attraction industries, and how regional collaboration can attract guests who see recreation opportunities beyond county lines. |
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WNC Broadband Summit
Land of Sky Regional Council has organized a WNC Broadband Summit for March 2, 2021. The summit will provide great perspectives from the Federal and State level, and includes sessions on funding, technologies, and policy.
Link below has details and registration link. Please share with interested parties in you jurisdictions – planners, elected officials, school systems, libraries, colleges, etc.
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Social Isolation and the Risk of Investment Fraud
FINRA, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), and the staff of the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy have joined to issue this alert in order to raise awareness that increased social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic can have a devastating impact on senior investors.
Social isolation, whether voluntary or involuntary, has long been a leading factor contributing to the financial exploitation of older investors. The unprecedented quarantines to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus have made many seniors more vulnerable to financial exploitation.
While financial abuse can happen at any time, perpetrators often strike during times in a senior’s life when they may be more vulnerable, such as during a health crisis or after the death of a loved one. Scammers often gather personal details from obituaries and social media posts and use this information to target their victims. Some also may attempt to exploit trust within seniors’ social and support groups to become more involved in their lives.
Click here to learn more about:
- How to Protect Yourself from Investment Fraud
- Common Warning Signs of Senior Exploitation
- Red Flags of Fraud
- How to Help the Seniors in Your Life
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COVID-19 Yancey Community Partner Update
Extra Help Buying Food for Approximately 860,000 Children: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with NC Department of Public Instruction today announced it will begin issuing additional benefits on Feb. 19, 2021 through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. These benefits will be received over several days starting Friday for those who already have an EBT card for Food and Nutrition Services or P-EBT benefits. Learn more here.
Summary of COVID-19 Legislation: Over the last several months, Congress and the administration have been working to address national challenges related to COVID-19. In a short period, they quickly passed four bipartisan emergency packages, which are directing trillions of dollars to Coronavirus response and relief efforts. In the ensuing months, negotiations on a final package between the House and Senate stalled, with each chamber opting to act on its own relief bill. The attached brief provides short summaries of major enacted and proposed COVID-19 legislation and accompanying additional resources.
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants: Information and training is available for the USDA Rural Development RCDI Grant Program. RCDI grants are awarded to help non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities and federally recognized tribes support housing, community facilities, as well as community and economic development projects in rural areas.
The Role of the Arts and Cultural Capital in Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Hosted by the Rural Policy Research Institute, this virtual Conference, being held Feb 23 & 25, focuses on the role that arts and cultural capital play in rural innovation, community well-being, and rural community sustainability and resiliency. Learn more here.
The Grantsmanship Center Webinar - Meet the Grantmakers: On February 24, the Grantsmanship Center will hold a webinar with leaders from the world of philanthropy to discuss issues that shape grant making and drives decisions at the top levels of foundation giving. This series of conversations provides an opportunity to speak with the people who understand what drives decisions at the top levels of foundation giving. Learn more here.
NCDHHS Web Updates on the C19 Pandemic:
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WAMY is Seeking New Board Members!
If you are interested or want further information, please contact Melissa Soto, Executive Director, at melissa@wamycommunityaction.org or 828-264-2421. Click the image on the left to read more details.
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Grant Opportunities
- USDA accepting applications to support RLFs that service microentrepreneurs in rural areas
USDA Rural Development has announced it is now accepting applications from nonprofits, cooperatives, and federally-recognized tribes interested in creating revolving loan funds to support rural businesses and community development projects in their area. Applications are competitive and must be submitted to the NC Rural Development State Office by 4:30pm on March 31, 2021 for the third quarter or by 4:30pm on June 30, 2021for consideration in the fourth quarter. To learn more, please go to: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-microentrepreneur-assistance-program.
- USDA accepting applications to community facilities technical assistance and training
USDA Rural Development invites eligible applicants (States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated towns and villages, borough, authorities, districts, and Indian Tribes on Federal and State reservations) to submit applications for Technical Assistance and/or training with respect to essential community facilities. Through this program, resources are provided to help eligible entities identify and plan for community facility needs that exist in their area. To learn more, please go to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330870.
- DOT to offer Regional Infrastructure Accelerator grants
US DOT will offer up to five grants through a national competition aimed at establishing Regional Infrastructure Accelerators designed to expedite the delivery of transportation infrastructure projects through innovative finance and delivery methods. Applications must be received by March 31, 2021. To learn more, please go to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330635.
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SERCAP Financial Workshops
Please click here to view the agenda and register for Virtual Basic Financial Workshop for NC Rural Communities 2021.
Two Virtual Training Times:
- March 4, 2021 (9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.)
- April 6, 2021 (9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.)
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Division of Water Infrastructure Announces Spring 2021 Application Training
Two Virtual Training Times Available via WebEx:
- Tuesday, March 2, 2021 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
- Friday, March 5, 2021 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
Click here to learn more and RSVP to Jennifer Haynie at jennifer.haynie@ncdenr.gov (919.707.9173) at least one week prior to the training event you plan to attend. Upon receipt of your RSVP, you will receive a WebEx invitation to the appropriate training. Please do not share this link with others so that we can keep track of who attends.
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Connect and Build Your Workforce with ApprenticeshipNC
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Registration is open for our free, virtual annual conference, which is scheduled for April 27 and 28. During it, you will learn how ApprenticeshipNC can help you build your workforce.
Whether you already have an apprenticeship program or are interested in creating one, our presenters will show you how apprenticeship makes it easier for your business or organization to bring on new workers and advance existing employees, build employee loyalty and foster new leadership.
Each day of the conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., leaving you time to take care of other business in the afternoon.
Sessions will focus on demystifying apprenticeship, expanding apprenticeship opportunities in your business, working in partnership with other employers and organizations to sustain your workforce, and more. We'll also hear from a respected North Carolina economist and a national leader in skills development.
Make plans now to attend our virtual annual conference. To register, click here. |
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“Main Street: Pivoting for Prosperity”
2021 NC Main Street - Virtual Conference
March 9-11, 2021
COVID-19 has challenged everyone in many ways. And yet, we have all heard, “That which does not kill you will only make you stronger.” Main Street is a strong organization with strong local programs that have rolled up their sleeves and brought together individuals to strengthen and rebuild businesses and communities over the past 12 months.
Visit Conference Website to Register Today!
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Register for 2021 Rural Summit
The Rural Center’s 2021 signature policy-advocacy event, the 2021 Rural Summit will take place on March 15-17.
The Rural Summit will call attention to a number of public policy issues and priorities affecting our state’s rural people and places, with a special thematic focus on entrepreneurship and small business development. Additional policy issues on the event agenda include: broadband, healthcare, social determinants of health, water and wastewater infrastructure, regional collaboration, racial equity, and communities mobilizing for change.
Register for this event. |
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