The U.S. Small Business Administration granted Governor Roy Cooper’s request for a disaster declaration for small businesses that are suffering economic losses due to the new Coronavirus, COVID-19.
“Many small businesses are desperate right now and this SBA approval will help,” said Governor Cooper. “Even more is needed and we will continue to push for additional assistance while we work to protect the health of North Carolinians.”
At the Governor’s request, the SBA granted a disaster declaration to small businesses across the state, allowing affected businesses to apply for low-interest SBA disaster loans.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.
Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or 1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
The Warren County Health Department and Planning/Code Enforcement Offices will be closed on Friday, March 20, 2020, for building repairs and maintenance and will reopen on Monday, March 23, 2020, at 8:30 a.m.
Citizens may still contact Health Department staff if they need general information by calling (252) 213-2845. Citizens may contact Planning/Code Enforcement at (252) 213-4253.
For questions or concerns related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), please call (252) 213-0266.
If you need to make an appointment, you should call the Health Department’s main number (252) 257-1185 on Monday, March 23.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Warren-Co.-Health-Dept..png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-18 16:55:252020-03-18 16:55:25Warren Co. Health Department Closed Friday for Maintenance
Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina restaurants and bars will be closed to sit-down service and limited to take-out or delivery orders starting at 5 p.m. on March 17, 2020. Grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores are exempt from this order and will remain open, though they may not serve sit-down food.
Additionally, the order lifts some restrictions on unemployment benefits to help workers unemployed due to Covid-19 and those who are employed but will not receive a paycheck. Additionally, it adds benefit eligibility for those out of work because they have the virus or must care for someone who is sick.
“We did not come to this decision easily. But North Carolina must keep fighting this pandemic with the right weapons,” said Governor Cooper. “During this time of uncertainty, I will keep working to protect the health and safety of North Carolinians and keep our state’s economy afloat.”
This Order will directly aid workers who may have lost wages in restaurants and meeting places due to mass gathering restrictions. For example, workers who lose income due to tips or scheduled work hours, but are still employed, would be eligible for benefits because of this Executive Order. Among other changes:
It removes the one-week waiting period to apply for unemployment payment for those workers who lose their jobs;
It removes the requirement that a person must be actively looking for another job during this time when many potential employers are closed and social distancing guidelines are in effect.
It allows employees who lose their jobs or, in certain cases have their hours reduced due to Covid-19 to apply for unemployment benefits.
It directs that employers will not be held responsible for benefits paid as a direct result of these COVID-19 claims.
It waives the requirement that people must apply for benefits in person; workers can apply for benefits online or by phone.
For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, which includes daily updates on positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.
The following county agencies will be closed to the public beginning March 18:
Senior Center Closing – The Warren County Senior Center will be closed to seniors and the general public starting Wednesday, March 18. Staff will still be on-site to answer phone calls.
The home-delivered meals service will continue as normal; those seniors that typically come to the center for congregate meals can be switched to home-delivered meals by request (criteria must be met). Seniors with need must call the Senior Center to request the home-delivered meals program. Those individuals needing to purchase liquid nutrition should call the Senior Center and set up an appointment.
The Warren County Senior Center can be reached by phone Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 252-257-3111.
Library Closing – The Warren County Memorial Library will be closed to the public starting Wednesday, March 18. During this time, the library staff will be on-site and available by phone Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. For information and assistance with online resources, please call staff during this time. All renewal dates will be extended.
Patrons are asked to use the book drop to return all materials. For more information, please call the Memorial Library at 252-257-4990, visit their Facebook page @warrencountymemoriallibrary, or the website at https://www.wcmlibrary.org/.
Additionally, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has announced an executive order effective by 5 p.m. on March 17 that closes restaurants and bars for dine-in customers but allows them to continue takeout and delivery.
For more information, contact the Warren County Manager’s Office at 252-257-3115 Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. or visit www.warrencountync.com.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/warren-county-nc.jpg265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-17 16:34:392020-03-17 16:34:39Warren Co. Announces Closing of Senior Center, Library
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED HERE WITH MORE CURRENT INFORMATION AND AN OBVIOUS CHANGE IN PLANS TO HELP PEOPLE MEET THERE NEEDS.
UPDATE –
For Immediate Release
March 17, 2020
Irene Johnson, Executive Director
KARTS will continue to provide transportation service in Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties. It is vital for our citizens to have access to transportation for dialysis, medical appointments, and other essential destinations during this difficult time. We continue to monitor the fluid situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and will adhere to any state and/or federal guidelines.
The Around Town Shuttle will operate through 7:45 p.m. Friday, March 20th. After that, shuttle service will be suspended for two weeks.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Our first priority is the safety of our passengers and employees.
EARLIER STORY THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED ABOVE
-Information courtesy Roberta D. Freeman, KARTS Safety Officer
After careful thought and deliberation of our duty in the face of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, and in what we believe is in the best interest of our employees and the people we serve, KARTS will suspend operations of it’s AROUND TOWN SHUTTLE AND OXFORD LOOP SERVICE EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18.
In addition, we have also suspended our OUT OF COUNTY trips that cover Wake, Durham and Orange until further notice.
Please contact the office at 252-438-2573 EXT: 3966 or visit the website at www.kartsnc.com. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this will undoubtedly create.
Warren County Government has established a local line for information dissemination in regard to local information and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warren County COVID-19 Hotline is 252-257-7132. This information line will be manned from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Warren County has also established a centralized area on its website, www.warrencountync.com, for information related to COVID-19. A quick link can be found on the website’s homepage. Information will be updated as it unfolds related to local government cancellations and closings, as well as health alerts and community health information. Links are also provided to connect residents with Warren County Schools, state and federal agencies, and local news outlets.
Warren County Memorial Library will continue to operate with normal business hours; however, all community programs and meeting room usage are suspended until March 31.
Warren County Recreation programming has been suspended until April 6, including open gym access at John Graham Gym.
The Warren County Senior Center is currently open, providing congregate meals, breakfast and lunch, as normal. However, the Senior Center is implementing a new closing time of 4 p.m. (this allows one additional hour for cleaning prior to the start of the next business day). Hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Seniors are advised that if they decide to shelter in place and nutrition becomes an issue, they should contact the Senior Center at 252-257-3111; staff will work to get these seniors meals (either the frozen entrees and accompaniments or shelf-stable meals).
NCDHHS has provided senior centers with a waiver to allow for converting congregate clients to home-delivered meal clients for purposes of grant reimbursements and streamlining of DHHS documentation.
For more information, contact the Warren County Manager’s Office at 252-257-3115 or visit www.warrencountync.com.
With the biotechnology industry booming in North Carolina, Vance-Granville Community College is offering a number of training program options, while focusing on helping students land jobs and, if they choose, transfer to partnering universities.
Students (from left) Tony Williams, Enrique Rodriguez-Jimenez and Denise Marrow practice skills in the biotech lab at VGCC’s Franklin Campus. (VGCC photo)
“According to NCBIO and the N.C. Biotechnology Center, thousands of new jobs in biotech and life sciences are coming to central North Carolina in the next few years,” said Stewart Lyon, who heads VGCC’s Biotech programs, based at the college’s Franklin County Campus. “Vance-Granville can help you enter a rewarding career in biotech or pharmaceutical manufacturing or a science lab position in as little as six months.”
In Bioprocess Technology, the college offers a certificate, which can be completed in six months; a diploma program, which takes about one year, and the two-year Associate in Applied Science degree. All these options are eligible for federal financial aid to qualified students. In addition, there is a BioWork Process Technician continuing education course offered periodically, in a format that takes less than one semester to complete.
Lyon, who has experience in the biotechnology industry and was VGCC’s Faculty Member of the Year for 2018-19, provides students not only with education but also resources and connections to obtain employment. In addition to emailing leads on job opportunities to a distribution list containing current and former students, Lyon is planning special events.
“We’re holding a resume event for current and former students of VGCC’s Biotechnology programs at the Franklin Campus on Monday, March 23, from 5:30 – 8 p.m.,” he said. “A biotech resume expert will visit from the NC BioNetwork to help students cater their resumes for entry into the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.”
Then, on April 16, current and former students are invited to attend a special career fair at the N.C. Biotechnology Center in the Research Triangle Park. Only students who participate in the March 23 resume clinic can attend the career fair.
The growing biotech field encompasses a wide variety of employers, including companies that are on the front lines of developing tests and treatments for diseases. Everything from pharmaceutical manufacturing to research, testing and medical labs, agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences businesses are included in the broad sector, which are represented in the Triangle as well as VGCC’s service area.
“We have students and alumni employed at several companies in the area, including Novozymes in Franklinton, Grifols in Clayton, Isolera Extracts in Oxford, Revlon in Oxford, and Scientific Calibration in Cary,” Lyon said. To increase his students’ knowledge of the industry, he regularly takes them on field trips to some of these locations.
Lyon also points out that students have options to continue their education beyond VGCC, particularly through new transfer opportunities. Graduates with the Bioprocess Technology degree may transfer into the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program at North Carolina Central University.
“A summer internship is available at NCCU’s research labs, which gives students professional experience and can count for credit toward the VGCC degree,” Lyon added.
NCCU also offers master’s degrees in both Drug Discovery and Biomanufacturing, and a Ph.D. program is under development. Since VGCC’s Bioprocess Technology certificate is also a Career & College Promise (CCP) option for current high school students, the partnership with NCCU means that a pathway from high school training through advanced graduate degrees is possible.
Meanwhile, through the new “Pirate Promise” program, students from VGCC can transfer to East Carolina University to complete a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, with a concentration in Bioprocess Manufacturing. ECU’s degree can be completed entirely online or in-person.
Anyone interested in learning more about studying biotechnology at VGCC is invited to visit the Franklin Campus open house on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. until noon. The campus is located at 8100 N.C. 56, just west of Louisburg.
For more information on VGCC’s biotech programs, contact Mr. Lyon at lyons@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3632.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VGCC-Biotech.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-16 16:59:502020-03-16 16:59:50VGCC Connects Students to Careers in Biotech
-Information courtesy Matthew Place, Livestock & Field Crop Agent, Warren Co. Cooperative Extension
The annual Five County Beef Tour, originally scheduled for Warren County on Saturday, March 28, 2020, has been postponed due to current health concerns. A new date will be announced as soon as available.
For more information, please contact Matthew Place at (252) 257-3640, mbplace@ncsu.edu or visit https://go.ncsu.edu/warren_beef.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Five-County-Beef-Tour-.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-16 10:58:222020-03-17 10:28:04Warren’s Five County Beef Tour Postponed
This afternoon (Saturday, March 14, 2020) about 4:30, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper conducted a press conference and provided an update on novel Coronaviris in N.C.
He said, “Today I’m issuing an executive order to stop mass gatherings of more than 100 people across our state.”
The Governor said North Carolinians need a statewide response and statewide action.
He said, “The executive order has another key component. It directs all K-12 public schools across our state to close for students on Monday, March 16th for at least two weeks.”
Gov. Cooper said these actions are to provide new guidance as the State works to limit the spread of the virus. He said these orders make the guidance on schools and gatherings mandatory.
At the time of the press conference, the Governor quoted statistics from this morning (March 14, 2020) citing 23 positive tests in 12 Counties.
He said we are all changing our ways of life to contain and limit the virus, and “now we need to ask you to change even more.”
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wizsfbresize_0001s_0091_nc-gov-seal.png.png265504John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2020-03-15 20:27:522020-03-15 20:35:39N.C. Gov. Says No Public School; No Gatherings Over 100
100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm
-Press Release, Warren County Government
Warren County is working towards becoming an affiliate of the national organization Keep America Beautiful, an organization that works to end litter, improve recycling, and beautify communities.
On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, Isaac Nicholson, a representative from Keep America Beautiful, will be conducting a training held at the Warren County Armory Civic Center. The training will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; the first hour is for the general session and open to the public.
The Keep Warren County Beautiful Committee was organized by the Warren County Board of Commissioners to address the problem of litter on roadsides throughout the county and to educate citizens on the importance of proper garbage disposal and the impact that untidy roads have on community members, visitors, and potential for economic development.
The goal of the Keep Warren County Beautiful Committee is to ensure that local government, citizens, and visitors work on community solutions to address the problem of littering and identify opportunities for beautification efforts in Warren County by initiating diverse partnerships with a wide array of community stakeholders.
The Warren County Armory Civic Center is located at 501 US-158 Business East, Warrenton. For more information, contact Warren County Public Works at (252) 257-3795.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/warren-county-nc.jpg265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2020-03-12 16:54:302020-03-12 16:54:30Keep Warren Co. Beautiful Committee to Hold Community Training
