Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s 2019 Grant Cycle is Open

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-Press Release, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation 

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced the launch of its 2019 grant cycle, now open through May 17, 2019.

The Foundation seeks programs and projects that will provide positive results in one or more of the five focus areas: Chronic Disease, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Reproductive Health, and Success in School as related to Healthy Lifestyles. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools are eligible to apply.

The link to the Foundation’s online grant application is available at the website: www.tnhfoundation.org 

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, a regional healthcare grantmaking organization based in Henderson, NC, is a health legacy foundation that was established in 2011 following the merge of Maria Parham Medical Center and Duke Lifepoint.

The Foundation’s mission– to encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North area— is achieved through funding strategic initiatives, programs, and projects that focus on improving health.  The Foundation also supports programs that build capacity and develop leaders for nonprofits in the region.

The Foundation has launched a grant cycle each year since its grantmaking began in 2013. To date, the Foundation has invested over $1.5 million in over 60 projects serving the four counties in the region, Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren.

According to the Foundation’s Executive Director Val Short, the Foundation Board’s hope is that through grantee organizations and the people they serve, the Board’s vision for the future of our region will be realized…“to live in a healthy community.”

“Our hope is that the Foundation’s investment of grant funds in our communities will result in long-lasting improvements in the health and wellbeing of our children and adults,” Short said.

The Foundation staff is currently available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to assist with grant writing.  Call 252-598-0763 to schedule an appointment.  Information about current and past funded programs and projects is available on the website at www.tnhfoundation.org.

Warren Co. Coop Extension Planning Weekend Trip to NYC

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-Information courtesy Warren County Cooperative Extension

The Warren County Cooperative Extension Office announces an upcoming opportunity to visit New York City.

Interested participants will depart from the Warren Co. Coop. Extension office at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29, 2019, and will travel by bus to NYC throughout the evening. The bus will arrive in NYC at approximately 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, giving participants the day to shop, sightsee and explore the city on their own.

The bus will depart from NYC at 7 p.m. on March 30 and is expected to return to Warrenton in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 31.

Cost of the trip is $110 per person with a required $25 non-refundable deposit. Balance is due in full on Monday, March 18.

For more information, contact Crystal Smith at (252) 257-3640 or email cmsmith2@ncsu.edu.

National Weather Service

NC Severe Weather Preparedness Week is March 3-9, 2019

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-Information courtesy The National Weather Service – Raleigh

The 2019 North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week runs from Sunday, March 3 through Saturday, March 9, 2019.    With the peak of North Carolina’s severe weather season right around the corner, NOW is the time to prepare! 

There are a lot of great resources that you can use to prepare for the severe weather season.  Please take a moment to visit the NWS Raleigh Severe Weather Preparedness Week web site at https://www.weather.gov/rah/2019ncswpw where you’ll find links to our daily severe weather topics and useful severe weather preparedness tips and information.   

In addition to making a severe weather safety plan, we strongly encourage everyone to participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill, which will occur on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.  Every school, business, workplace, and family across the state is strongly encouraged to participate in this drill. It is important that all schools and businesses are aware of the following important points about the tornado drill:

  • The drill will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System via the Required Monthly Test (RMT).  There will not be an actual Tornado Warning issued.
  • Many NOAA Weather Radio receivers (including the older Midland WR-100 radios that many schools have) do not sound an audible alert for the RMT product; instead, they may have a blinking light on the display to indicate that an RMT was received.  As such, when the RMT for the statewide tornado drill is initiated at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, there is a chance that your NOAA Weather Radio will not sound an alarm.
  • Since your NOAA Weather Radio may not sound an alarm at the time the RMT is issued, you will want to do one of the following:
    • Manually turn on your NOAA Weather Radio receiver and simply listen to the audio broadcast to hear when the RMT is issued, which will mark the beginning of the statewide tornado drill.
    • Simply plan to start your tornado drill on your own at 9:30 a.m.
  • There will be no follow-up statements issued by the NWS to mark the end of the statewide tornado drill. It will simply be over when your group, school, business, or organization feels that you have adequately practiced your tornado shelter procedures.
  • If there is actual severe weather occurring on the morning of March 6, 2019, the statewide tornado drill will be postponed.  The alternate date for the drill is Friday, March 8, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.
  • This drill and RMT will take the place of the usual weekly NOAA Weather Radio Alert test (RWT).  That is, there will not be a weekly radio test done between 11 a.m. and noon on that day.

Please share this information and encourage all of your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and especially all schools, to take the opportunity next Wednesday to participate in the drill, and to take a few moments to learn more about severe weather preparedness. 

Paid Assistance Needed for 2020 US Census

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-Information courtesy the US Census Bureau

In preparation for next years Census, the Census Bureau is now offering jobs this spring and summer entailing verification of maps. The individual will be given a digital device with maps near their home. The individual would then survey the area and make the necessary changes to the maps.

In return, the Census will reimburse the individual at the rate of $.58/mile driven and for Franklin & Vance counties $17.50/hr., Warren County, $16.00/hr., and Halifax County, $13.50/hr.

Hours are flexible and up to the individual who sets their own schedule. Apply online at www.2020census.gov/jobs.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

St. Paul’s Lutheran to Hold Indoor Yard & Bake Sale This Sat.

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St. Paul’s Lutheran Church located at 114 Poplar Mount Road in Norlina will be having a gigantic indoor yard and bake sale on Saturday, March 2, 2019, from 7 a.m. until noon.

There will be clothes, cookbooks, and lots of miscellaneous items. Bake sale items will feature a number of yeast breads and rolls, cookies and pies.

Profits from the sale will be used to help fund a mission trip to a remote village in Alaska.

NCDOT

North Carolina to Eliminate Duplicate Driving Records

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-Press Release, NCDOT

The N.C Division of Motor Vehicles will start using new technology to protect people from identity fraud by making sure people have a driver license in only one state at a time.

Beginning Feb. 25, NCDMV will start using the State-to-State Verification Service to confirm a person’s identity and driving history from other states. The service, which is outlined in the federal REAL ID Act, requires a person to have only one driver license or ID card in one state at a time.

With State-to-State, NCDMV can determine if applicants already hold a driver license or ID card in another state and verify important driving information such as suspended licenses. After a North Carolina driver license or ID card is issued, any out-of-state issuances will be canceled. If an applicant does not want to cancel the out-of-state issuance, they will not be issued a North Carolina driver license or ID card.

All existing North Carolina driver license and ID card issuances will be checked for duplicate issuances in the 21 states already participating in the program. More states are expected to join the program through 2022. NCDMV estimates more than 210,000 North Carolina customers have duplicate issuances in other states.

NCDMV will reconcile duplicate issuances with each state using the service to determine which issuance will be canceled. The state with the most recent issuance will hold the valid license or ID card.

Currently, the following states are using the service:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

To update the NCDMV system for State-to-State implementation, all driver license offices will be closed on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Online driver services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. Saturday, February 23 until 3 p.m. Sunday, February 24.

State-to-State is administered by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. For more information on State-to-State, visit the AAMVA website.

U.S. Department of Justice

Eastern N.C. Attorney’s Office Collects Over $13 Million in Civil/Criminal Actions

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-Press Release, U.S. Dept. of Justice

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States criminal defense Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced today that his office collected over $13.5 million in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2018. Of this amount, $8,410,643.89 was collected in criminal actions and $5,113,040.40 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, over $4.6 million was collected in asset forfeitures.

The Eastern District of North Carolina also collaborated with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $13,983.13. Of this amount, $5,733.13 was collected in criminal actions and $8,250 was collected in civil actions.

Overall, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in Fiscal Year 2018 collections is nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, reported this site of a top attorney firm.

“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.

In the past fiscal year, the Eastern District of North Carolina has returned millions of dollars to crime victims. For example, in United States v. Justin Lawrence Daniel, over $2.3 million was recovered for victims of the defendant’s criminal conduct. In United States v. Mittesh Das, $750,000 was recovered for victim restitution and paid at the time of sentencing.

The District has also recovered significant taxpayer money lost to fraud or other misconduct, collected civil fines imposed for violations of federal law, and collected civil debts owed to various federal agencies. For example, in United States v. Physicians Pharmacy Alliance, $1.7 million was recovered for the Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and for the North Carolina Medicaid Program. The United States has recovered an initial payment of $750,000 from Rouseco, Inc, toward a $5.8 million judgment in United States v. Rouseco, Inc.

“We will use every available tool to aggressively collect victim restitution and criminal fines, and recover a lot more taxpayer dollars that are either lost to fraud or otherwise owed to government agencies,” said Mr. Higdon. “Asset forfeiture also serves important law enforcement interests, and we will continue to aggressively forfeit the proceeds of crime and the assets used to facilitate it. We are proud of the men and women in our office who dedicate themselves each and every day to ensuring justice through their collection efforts. They are to be congratulated for their tremendously successful efforts.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC.

Warren Co. High School to Hold ‘Around the World’ International Fair

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-Information courtesy Tannis Jenkins, Warren County High School

Warren County High School is sponsoring an “Around the World” International Fair on Thursday, February 21, 2019, from 4-6 p.m. in the school’s gymnasium. The public is invited to participate.

The school is located at 149 Campus Dr. in Warrenton, NC.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Valeria Rodriguez at (252) 257-4413.

NC Dept of Agriculture

NCDACS Accepting Applications for Healthy Food Small Retailer Program

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-Press Release, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will offer grant assistance to convenience stores interested in offering healthier food options to those living in one of the state’s 349 food deserts. The funding is a part of the Healthy Food Small Retailer Program.

“The goal of the Healthy Food Small Retailer program is to help bring more healthy, locally grown food options to the 1.5 million people impacted by food deserts in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Convenience stores are integral parts of fighting food insecurity in local communities.”

The Healthy Food Small Retailer Program, which is administered by the department, was established in the 2016 state budget bill (HB 1030). The 2019 program will reimburse participating stores for refrigeration, freezer and stocking equipment needed to offer healthier items.

Store owners have until March 4, 2019, to apply for priority consideration. Applications will continue to be accepted until March 31, subject to availability of funds.

In addition to being in a food desert (online search available at www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/), store owners applying for funding under HFSRP must meet the following criteria:

  • Accept or agree to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
  • Accept or agree to apply to accept Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits;
  • Have no more than 3,000 square feet of heated floor space;
  • Be established as a for-profit business at the time of application;
  • Have not previously received HFSRP funds.

Interested store owners can find more information about the program and download an application at www.ncagr.gov/HealthyRetailer.

In addition, store owners may call 919-707-3173 or email HealthyRetailer@ncagr.gov.

Women With Children Needed as Health Focus Group Volunteers

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-Information and flyer courtesy NC Cooperative Extension – Warren County Center

The Warren County Cooperative Extension Office is looking for local women with children to participate in a volunteer focus group on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Participants will provide the Poe Center, a health education organization, with feedback related to nutrition and physical activity in the community. Feedback provided will help prepare programs and health messages for Warren County.

The focus group will be held at the Warren County Cooperative Extension Office located at 158 Rafters Lane in Warrenton, NC.

Participants will receive a water bottle, tote bag, cooking magazine and magnet.