Henderson Vance Recreation & Parks

H-V Rec. & Parks Announces Closure of All Playgrounds, Outdoor Basketball Courts

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Program Superintendent

As a result of the Executive Order issued by Governor Roy Cooper, which went into effect on Monday, March 30, 2020, at 5 p.m., the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department has closed all playground structures and outdoor basketball courts.

We will monitor the situation and make an assessment on when it is safe to reopen some or all of the affected facilities.

Updates about facilities, classes/programs and events will be available on our social media platforms and website at https://ci.henderson.nc.us/departments/recreation_and_parks/.

Vance County Logo

Vance Board of Commissioners to Hold April Meeting With Limited Public Access

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-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to Board/Executive Asst., County of Vance

Please be informed that the Vance County Board of Commissioners’ meeting will be held on Monday, April 6, 2020, at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, 122 Young Street, Henderson, with a few changes.

In order to protect the public and County staff while complying with the Governor’s order limiting gatherings, public access into the meeting room will be very limited. An onsite viewing area with limited capacity will be established for the public who attend the meeting.

For those making public comments, signups must be received on April 6 between 5:15 and 5:45 p.m., as usual. Speakers will be allowed into the room as space allows.

The public hearing for a rezoning request on Bullocksville Park Road has been postponed until the May 4 regular meeting.

Agenda Items for the April 6 Meeting:

1. Public Comments (for those registered to speak by 5:45 p.m. – speakers are limited to five minutes)

2. Water District Board

a. Water Committee Report

– Water Connection Fee

– Phase 1B USDA Funding

b. Monthly Operations Report

3. Committee Reports and Recommendations

a. Properties Committee

– Lease Extension – Alliance Rehabilitation Center

– Eaton Johnson – Final Plan Review and Hold of Bid Release

b. Public Safety Committee

– First Responder Medical Requirements

– COVID-19 Protocol Change for Dispatching First Responders

– Community Paramedic Program

– Redistricting

– Combination Fire Department

c. Human Resources Committee

– Workers’ Compensation Leave Policy Amendment

– Manager’s Evaluation Format

– Families First Coronavirus Response Act

4. Finance Director’s Report

a. Surplus Property

5. County Attorney’s Report

a. REO Property – Bid Acceptance Resolutions

– Nicholas Street Lot – Parcel 0111 03022

b. REO Property – New Offer

– 404 Whitten Avenue – Parcel 0098 04006

– W. Chavis Road – Parcel 0479 01018

6. County Manager’s Report

a. Proposal for Addressing Jail Deficiencies

7. Consent Agenda Items

a. Budget Amendments and Transfers

b. Tax Refunds and Releases

c. Monthly Reports

d. Minutes

8. Miscellaneous

a. Appointments

Click here to view current and prior Board agendas.

Town Talk 04/02/20: NCAFP’s Greg Griggs Discusses Coronavirus Challenges

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Greg Griggs, executive vice president of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

With a membership of over 4,200 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students, the mission of the NCAFP is to advance the specialty of family medicine to improve the health of patients, families and communities in North Carolina.

In light of the current COVID-19 health crisis, the NCAFP’s communication with its members is more important than ever. “It’s certainly unprecedented times in healthcare – for the physicians as well as the patients,” said Griggs.

One of the greatest challenges physicians are facing with coronavirus, according to Griggs, is knowing who to test and when to test, especially with recommendations and testing capabilities changing almost daily.

“Initially, the protocol was to test as many people as possible,” Griggs explained. “With community spread increasing, that recommendation changed. Now, if you have mild symptoms and think you have it, you’ll be told to stay at home, not get tested and to treat it like any other virus.”

The reason for the change is two-fold: if you are not infected with COVID-19, physicians and hospitals do not want you to become exposed to the virus from others via an in-person visit; if you do have it and come in-person, you risk exposing other people who may not have it.

For those showing symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath, Griggs recommended contacting your doctor’s office for guidance, “but don’t be surprised if they say you don’t need to get tested; that’s part of the CDC and NCDHHS guidelines. It’s taking social distancing to the nth degree.”

Another challenge for patients with existing health conditions is to know when to keep doctor appointments, when to reschedule and how to get the medical help they need while minimizing their exposure risk.

Even with Governor Cooper’s Stay At Home Executive Order in place until at least April 29, NC residents are still able to visit their healthcare provider, pick up medication from a pharmacy, buy groceries and engage in other travel deemed “essential.”

The general rule of thumb for rescheduling procedures and appointments during this national shutdown is to consider the long-term health consequences. For example, many patients and physicians are rescheduling elective surgeries that are not life-threatening.

“Putting off surgeries and procedures where the health risk of postponement is minimal keeps you healthy and keeps resources available for the sickest,” Griggs stated.

What physicians are most concerned about, he said, are patients with chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions.

“We don’t want people with chronic conditions to ignore or put off their appointments,” said Griggs. “Before being seen face-to-face, call your doctor’s office and talk about alternative methods such as telehealth virtual visits or even the possibility of being assisted in the parking lot.”

For more information on the NCAFP, please visit www.ncafp.com.

To hear the interview with Griggs in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

U.S. Department of Justice

Dept. of Justice Makes $850 Million Available to Address Pandemic

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The Department of Justice announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.

“Law enforcement at every level remains on duty and vigilant in the Eastern District, even in the face of this contagious illness,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr.  “These funds made available through the Department of Justice will provide critical support to our vital law enforcement partners.”

“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”

The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received.

Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.

Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.

For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553.

For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Nine of Granville’s 18 COVID-19 Cases in Prison Facility; 6 Confirmed in Vance Co.

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-Press Release, Granville Vance Public Health

UPDATE: As of April 1, 2020, there are 10 additional known confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Granville County bringing the total number of cases to 18. Nine of the cases in Granville County are inmates at the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Butner, NC. Vance County has two additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of six known confirmed cases.

All Granville and Vance county cases of COVID-19 are considered to be community spread. That means we do not know the exact point of exposure of the virus for any of the individuals who are positive. The communicable disease team at your local health department continues to perform contact tracing for individual cases with known positive test results.

For the 24 cases in the two-county district, local health department staff have notified hundreds of individuals who may have been in direct contact with someone who has been confirmed positive for COVID-19. It is clear that widespread transmission is occurring, and other than the outbreak at the federal prison, there is no concentration of COVID-19 cases in any one specific area.

Not all persons with COVID-19 will have severe symptoms, some individuals may only develop mild symptoms or show none of the symptoms at all. Individuals who are positive for COVID-19 are most likely to spread the virus when symptomatic (coughing) but those who are not coughing may also spread this extremely contagious virus.

Granville Vance Health Department strongly encourages everyone to adhere to the Governor’s Executive Orders by staying at home unless absolutely necessary to leave. While COVID-19 is a novel virus, studies show for any highly infectious disease the best way to stop the spread is to drastically limit human interactions. This will help protect you from exposure to individuals who have coronavirus, whether they are symptomatic or not showing any symptoms at all.

Additionally, this will help protect our community in the event that you may be carrying the coronavirus unknowingly. It will take our entire state working together to make the greatest impact and stop the spread.

Call your doctor if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 to see if you should be tested or need medical care. If you have mild symptoms such as fever and cough without shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, you may not need to be tested, but instead, should isolate yourself at home and monitor how you are feeling. This will reduce the risk of making the
people around you sick.

Testing is most important for people who are seriously ill, in the hospital, people in high-risk settings like nursing homes or long-term care facilities, and healthcare workers and other first responders who are caring for those with COVID-19.

Granville Vance Public Health will provide the most up-to-date and accurate information for COVID-19 in our district online at https://gvph.org/covid-19.

H-V Emergency Operations

Vance Co. Reports Five Confirmed COVID-19 Cases; Increase Expected

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-Information courtesy Brian K. Short, Director of Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

As of today, we now have five (5) confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Vance County. The number of cases will likely continue to increase as we move further into the Coronavirus worldwide pandemic.

We continue to coordinate with public health agencies, Maria Parham Health, Department of Social Services, State Emergency Management and our local emergency services response partners.

Please keep in mind this continues to be a very fluid situation and the information provided and included could change at any time. The confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to increase not only locally but throughout the state, the nation and the world.

Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 121, advising North Carolina residents to stay at home remains in effect. This is an attempt to reduce the number of individuals being infected with the COVID-19 virus in our state.

211 has established a hotline and we ask that our citizens contact their local physician or take advantage of the hotline if they have medical-related questions. There is also a toll-free Coronavirus hotline manned by trained individuals that can answer questions that you may have. The number is 888-892-1162.

To reiterate, as of the creation of this situation report, Vance County has five (5) positive cases of the Coronavirus. At this time, we are not implementing any changes to our current response posture nor are we altering our recommendations to the general public.

Testing is ongoing through Maria Parham Health, our local Health Department and private institutions. There are currently 1,584 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in North Carolina and thus far ten (10) deaths. Please visit the NC Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus statistics page at the following link to stay current on the number of cases in our state: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc

Tomorrow (Thursday) we will begin our local medical surge coordination meetings with Maria Parham Health, our local Health Department and EMS to try and stay ahead of this as much as possible as additional cases are reported.

Vance County and the City of Henderson continue to operate under a local State of Emergency.

Our office will continue to monitor this event very closely and will continue to issue informational releases as the situation develops.

Town Talk 04/01/20: Pearson Addresses Importance of Online Security, Avoiding Scams

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Dr. Stephen Pearson, co-owner and operator of Sadie’s Coffee Corner in downtown Henderson, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Pearson, who teaches classes online at UNC-Chapel Hill and Utica College, and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in global business organization leadership, followed up on his Town Talk interview from last week.

While Thursday’s Town Talk focused on tips for working efficiently from home, Pearson utilized today’s segment to address the importance of employing proper online security measures when working remotely.

Much like the current social distancing model is being encouraged to help prevent human illness, Pearson explained similar practices should be used to protect computers and other electronic devices from viruses.

“Make sure you aren’t migrating viruses into your corporate network while you are working from home,” said Pearson. “You want to make sure you are using a platform that you have some control over.”

To have control over your technology and what your company’s network may be exposed to, Pearson suggested the creation of separate user profiles for each individual on a shared computer. “This ensures your work profile and your children’s gaming profile are separate, for example, and lessens the chance of interaction between the two.”

Other suggestions, per Pearson, include keeping corporate files on an external storage unit connected to your computer and installing a good antivirus program that updates daily.

Another suggestion to protect both your computer and your bank account is to beware of scams related to COVID-19. Much like disasters of the past, including 9/11 and hurricanes, the coronavirus pandemic is bringing out fraudsters who prey on peoples’ fears and generosity in a difficult time, said Pearson.

Pearson suggested not opening emails from institutions that you did not initially contact for information and doing some research before donating to any online site as primary ways to protect yourself from fraud.

For businesses looking for loans during the shutdown, Pearson suggested sticking with known and trusted sites such as www.SBA.gov or contacting the VGCC Small Business Center for further assistance.

Fake loan sites with “requirements” such as a $2,500 loan application fee are already being reported and trusted sources can help determine the legitimate from the fraudulent.

To hear the interview with Pearson in its entirety, including additional security suggestions, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

First Baptist Church to Hold ‘Virtual Vespers’ Community Prayer This Evening

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-Information courtesy First Baptist Church

This evening, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at 7 p.m., Dr. Ron Cava, senior minister of First Baptist Church in Henderson, will host Virtual Vespers – a Midweek Community Prayer.

This will be held weekly via the online meeting platform, Zoom.

The public is invited to join by following this link https://zoom.us/j/904449512. You can also join with your telephone by calling (301) 715-8592 and entering meeting ID 904 449 512.

Henderson American Legion Post 60 Chicken Plate Sale Postponed

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-Information courtesy Henderson American Legion Post 60

The Henderson American Legion Post 60 Chicken Plate Sale originally scheduled for Friday, April 3, 2020, has been postponed until further notice.

Tickets that have been pre-purchased will still be honored on the rescheduled date. More information on the rescheduled event will be shared in the coming weeks.

For those who would like a refund, please contact Andy Roberson at (252) 432-2432.

NC Forest Service

Residents Asked Not to Burn Yard Debris During Spring Wildfire Season

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-Press Release, NCDA&CS

N.C. Forest Service officials urge citizens to reconsider burning yard debris through the end of May, which historically marks the end of spring wildfire season in North Carolina. Consider alternatives to burning. Some types of debris, such as leaves, grass and stubble, may be of more value if they are not burned but used for mulch instead.

“In North Carolina, most wildfires are caused by human action and careless debris burning. When left unattended, debris burns can escape, igniting tragic wildfires,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Minimizing the number of escaped debris burns will reduce the risk of wildfires while also reducing the risk of community exposure to COVID-19 by allowing first responders to limit close-contact interactions and maintain social distance.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the N.C. Forest Service continues mission-critical work such as wildfire suppression and other emergency response functions.

For tips to protect property, prevent wildfires or to access the Online Burning Permit System, visit ncforestservice.gov.