S-Line Rail Corridor

Town Talk 10/28/20: $47.5 Million Grant to Help Reconnect S-Line Rail Corridor

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Jason Orthner, Rail Division Director with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Orthner discussed the $47.5 million federal grant awarded to the Rail Division for the purchase of the S-Line railroad corridor, part of the Southeast Corridor, between Raleigh and Ridgeway in Warren County, NC.

According to a recent NC DOT press release, the U.S. Department of Transportation named the Southeast Corridor as one of the first five federally designated higher-speed rail corridors in the country in 1992. The Southeast Corridor is a network of passenger and freight rail that runs from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, Fla., encompassing D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

“The [NC DOT Rail Division] grant is specifically related to the acquisition of the S-Line rail corridor that runs from Petersburg, VA, down through Henderson and Vance County, into Raleigh and continues south through Cary, Apex, Sanford and Hamlet,” said Orthner.

Providing a brief history of the railroad, Orthner said the route through Henderson dates back to the 1830s and is one of the original railroads built in the country.

“In the late 1980s, the service changed because they truncated the line at Norlina, so they removed the tracks between Petersburg and Norlina,” said Orthner. “It’s now underutilized because it’s a stub-ended route, and the freight can only come in and out one way. So the acquisition of the corridor includes looking at how we can enhance freight by reconnecting the line north while also expanding passenger opportunities. We think it’s a great opportunity to do both on this line through this acquisition.”

To continue the project north, Orthner said DOT partners in Virginia are involved in similar acquisitions to connect the remaining line from Ridgeway to Petersburg.

According to the NCDOT, the Southeast is projected to see one of the largest population growths in the country over the coming decades. With a corresponding increase in freight volume expected, Orthner said improving rail infrastructure will reduce highway congestion and expand connectivity for both passengers and goods between states.

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

The Southeast Corridor is a network of passenger and freight rail that runs from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, Fla., encompassing D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. (Graphic courtesy the NCDOT)

American Flag

Town Talk 10/27/20: The Importance of the Electoral College & Your Vote

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Brandon Boyd, Vance County resident, businessman and guest co-host, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Boyd discussed an often misunderstood topic – how the Electoral College works. As stated in the segment, the intention of the program was to be informative, factual and non-partisan.

Devised in 1787, the Electoral College is the formal body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States. It was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution and modified by the 12th and 23rd Amendments. (Source: National Conference of State Legislatures)

Each state has as many ‘electors’ in the Electoral College as it has representatives and senators in the United States Congress. For North Carolina, that includes two senators and 13 representatives, for a total of 15 electors.

The Electoral College currently comprises 538 electors: one for each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 senators and three for Washington, D.C. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

By this system, when an individual votes for a presidential candidate, a vote is also cast for the electors selected by the party of that candidate. If a majority of voters in a state vote for the Republican candidate, the Republican slate of electors is chosen. Likewise, if a majority vote for the Democratic candidate, the Democratic slate of electors is chosen.

Boyd said this indirect election system prohibits the largest metropolitan cities, with the majority of the country’s population, from deciding who will be president. “For example, in today’s time, if there was no Electoral College, then basically New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston would decide the leader for all of us,” explained Boyd. “The Electoral College really ensures that everyone’s vote does, in fact, count.”

It is possible – and has happened five times since the inception of the Electoral College – that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose the election. In recent history, that includes Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 and Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald J. Trump in 2016. (Source: History, Arts & Archives website of the U.S. House of Representatives)

“What you need to do is get out and vote,” Boyd said. “If you are a Donald Trump supporter, get to the polls. If you believe that America is better off with Joe Biden as its leader, get out to the polls and go vote. Your vote matters.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, including details on how individual states, counties and area codes matter in an election, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

COVID Testing Events

Town Talk 10/26/20: GRRO, Partners Offer Free COVID-19 Testing This Week

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Lucette Mercer, deputy director of Green Rural Redevelopment, Inc. (GRRO), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Mercer announced that free COVID-19 community testing and resource distribution events will be held this week in Vance, Granville and Warren County.

On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, COVID-19 testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the public parking lot on the corner of Chestnut St. and Breckenridge St. in downtown Henderson.

On Thursday, October 29, testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church drive-thru parking lot located at 515 Raleigh Street in Oxford.

Finally, on Friday, October 30, testing will be held from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Warren County Armory Civic Center located at 501 US Highway 158 Business East in Warrenton.

Residents tested at the event will also receive free groceries, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and access to support services. Testing and distributions will be provided through drive-up service, with minimal or no-contact.

These scheduled events are possible through GRRO’s Healing Hearts @ Home Program’s community health initiative partnership with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Duke Health, Warren County Public Health, Groundwater Solutions, Inc. (Genesis Project), Warren County and the Warren County Branch of the NAACP.

In Vance County, Mercer said Henderson City Councilmember Marion Brodie Williams has been instrumental in bringing the testing event to fruition.

“Councilmember Brodie Williams has been really helpful with putting the partnership together between Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, GRRO and the Genesis Project 1/Groundwater Solutions, Inc., which is the Charlotte-based organization contracted for doing COVID testing across the state,” said Mercer. “She has been helpful in getting us access to facilities and the cooperation of the City of Henderson, fire and police departments in assisting with managing traffic and getting resources together.”

Remarking on the significance of testing events that also serve as resource distributions, Mercer stated, “The COVID numbers are going up in the state of NC and nationwide. There are serious limitations to the resources that are available to the more rural areas. We really want people to understand how important it is that they are aware of their COVID-19 status and to know that there are support services available to them should they become infected.”

For additional information on GRRO and its mission, please visit www.grronc.org.

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

Think Community

Town Talk 10/22/20: ‘Think Community’ Domestic Violence Awareness Event This Weekend

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Debbie K. Scott, domestic violence coordinator/gang resource specialist with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Scott announced that the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, in collaboration with Dr. Abidan Shah, pastor of Clearview Church, will host the 2nd Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event on Saturday, October 24, 2020. The event will begin at 3 p.m. at Clearview Church located at 3485 US Hwy 158 in Henderson.

For social distancing purposes, activities will be held in the church parking lot. Face masks are required.

This year’s theme – “Think Community” – was designed to promote community support and resource availability.

“The goal is to educate and raise awareness of the effects of domestic violence here in our community,” said Scott. “The goal is also to support the victims and survivors of domestic violence and to provide them with information on available resources.”

The keynote speaker will be Winston-Salem Chief of Police Catrina Thompson. Thompson, a native of Detroit, MI, is the fifteenth Chief of Police for the city of Winston-Salem. She graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Appalachian State University.

During her twenty-six years with the Winston-Salem Police Department, Thompson has served as the assistant chief in charge of the Investigative Services Bureau, which is the command bureau over detectives and school resource officers.

As chief, she leads a department with 570 sworn officers, 173 civilian positions and an annual budget of $74.5 million.

“She can come with a voice and help us,” Scott said. “What’s most important is that she’s a survivor; she was a victim, so she has a powerful story to share with us.”

In addition to Thompson’s address, the Clearview Praise Team will perform music with a special guest performance by Minister Roy Burroughs & Work In Progress. Valerie L. Williams, founder and CEO of Lovesmart, Inc., will serve as honorary guest.

Refreshments will be served courtesy of Clearview Church.

Sponsors for the event are Clearview Church, the Optimist Club of Henderson and Betty B’s Florist.

For more information, contact Scott at (252) 738-2235 or by email at dscott@vancecounty.org.

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

Vance County Schools Logo

Town Talk 10/21/20: Vance Co. Schools Launches ‘Attendance Matters’ Campaign

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Four members of Vance County Schools’ Behavioral Health Team appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Toni Fletcher, lead of the School Student Behavioral Health Team and Lead Social Worker, began the segment by announcing that VCS is kicking off its ‘Attendance Matters’ campaign with the slogan ‘In School, Logged In, Every Day.’

With the Vance County Board of Education’s recent vote to extend fully remote learning through December, Fletcher explained the importance of offering continued support during this unprecedented time in education.

“It is very important to us that we make the connections with our children and our families,” said Fletcher. “This is something we’ve never done before – teaching this way.”

Counselor Erica Wright, with the Student Behavioral Health Team, said VCS will recognize students for their hard work on billboards throughout the community, through local news and media sources and with school incentives as a way to encourage good attendance practices.

School Safety/District Hearing Officer Dr. Ralph Holloman said, “The National Dropout Prevention Center has recorded that family engagement is the number one key for attendance, and we want to send that message to parents. Keep on encouraging your child to participate, log in and be in school every day.”

Thanking parents for all they have done to keep their child engaged while also balancing work, family and other responsibilities, Holloman said, “Parents, your continued involvement is the key to our children’s success in Vance County schools.”

To address mental well-being, Dr. Latoria Fleming, counselor for the Student Behavioral Health Team, said school counselors and social workers are remotely available to provide social and emotional support.

“Please reach out to school support staff if you know of a student that’s struggling,” said Fleming. “Those staff members can provide short-term counseling or, if necessary, connect you with community resources or mental health agencies.”

While support is the key to continued motivation, Fletcher said completing remote schoolwork is difficult without reliable internet access. “Some of our families live rurally and don’t have access to the internet, and some are unable to afford access due to financial barriers.”

To combat this problem, VCS has placed WiFi rangers in fire departments, daycare centers, churches, apartment complexes and in some homes with five or more children throughout the county.

In addition, Fletcher said Kajeets, portable devices approximately the size of a cell phone, have been placed in over 150 homes to provide internet capabilities.

For those in need of technology assistance, Fletcher reminded listeners that a technology help desk with tech support is available to parents and students Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. To find the help desk phone number for your child’s school, please visit the VCS District website (click here).

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

Corbitt Museum

Town Talk 10/20/20: Corbitt’s ‘President’s Challenge’ Raising Funds in Difficult Year

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Charles Powell, president of the Corbitt Preservation Association (CPA), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Powell discussed the CPA’s 2020 “President’s Challenge,” a fundraiser on-going through October 31. A $50 donation entitles you to full membership in the organization, your choice of a t-shirt, hat, coffee mug or travel mug ($20 value) and 10 percent off any additional merchandise. Items will be shipped free-of-charge to those that live outside the local area.

In addition, a CPA member that wishes to remain anonymous will match every $50 donation dollar-for-dollar for the first 100 donors, up to $5,000.

“This year has been a very bad year,” Powell said. “We haven’t had any shows or any way for us to raise funds. Of course, our expenses continue with the museum and other areas.”

Powell said the CPA was especially hard-hit after the cancellation of the Show, Shine, Shag and Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame & Reunion weekend held in downtown Henderson each fall. The 19th annual event, originally scheduled for October 16-17, 2020, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s usually our largest fundraising event of the year. We missed that, and it put us in dire straits,” Powell lamented. “The President’s Challenge is a win-win situation for everybody. For us, we increase our membership, plus it creates funds for us to do our projects.”

One such project involves displaying a rare Corbitt automobile at the Bennett H. Perry/Corbitt Museum located at 180 Church Street in Henderson. In 2019, members obtained the automobile from the previous owner in Greensboro, NC. “We would like to enclose the car on the back patio of the museum and open up a new room for viewing,” said Powell.

“Of course,” Powell explained, “all this takes funds.”

To support the CPA via the President’s Challenge, please mail a check, use PayPal or pay by credit card over the phone.

Checks may be mailed to CPA, PO Box 74, Henderson, NC 27536. If you wish to use PayPal, please email gjammer35@aol.com for an invoice. To pay by credit card, please call Ken Stegall at (252) 432-6476 or Charles Powell at (252) 767-2247 for assistance.

For more information, please visit The Corbitt Preservation Association’s Facebook page or website at www.corbitttrucks.com.

Dr. Phil Stover

Town Talk 10/19/20: Phil Stover, Dem. Candidate for NC House District 7

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Dr. Phillip Stover, Democratic candidate for NC House District 7, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m. Stover is running against Republican candidate Matthew Winslow for the seat that represents Franklin and southern Nash counties.

A Louisburg resident for 38 years, Stover currently serves patients as a family physician, with a specialty in opioid addiction management and chronic pain.

According to his website, Stover is a husband, father and active member of the Louisburg United Methodist Church. He is also a veteran who served six years as a medic in the Army Reserve and currently serves as a captain in the Civil Air Patrol.

Professional experiences/recognitions include:

  • Franklin County Volunteers in Medicine, a free clinic active in Franklin County from 2004 to 2018
  • Franklin County Partners in Health, a low-cost charitable clinic open since the closing of the free clinic
  • Current practice – Louisburg Family Practice and Pain Management
  • Hospice Medical Director – 1992 to 2015
  • Senior Aviation Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • Acting Medical Director, NC Division of Prisons
  • Medical Director, Franklin County Volunteers in Medicine and Warren County Free Clinic
  • Member of the Franklin County Committee of 100
  • Co-author of the Franklin County Strategic Plan
  • Vice-Chair of the Franklin County Airport Advisory Committee
  • Mission pilot in the Civil Air Patrol
  • Named to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels – the highest title of honor granted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Below is a portion of Stover’s responses to questions asked during the Town Talk interview:

Dr. Phil Stover, Democratic candidate for NC House District 7. (Photo courtesy the Campaign to Elect Phil Stover)

What issues are you pushing? What is your platform?

“The number one issue is affordable healthcare, starting with Medicaid expansion in NC, but it doesn’t stop there. Medicaid expansion will help greatly, but it won’t solve all of our issues with affordable healthcare. We need to work on reducing out-of-pocket expenses and making sure people not covered by Medicaid are able to afford adequate healthcare.

Number two is the support of our public schools. For the past ten years, our public schools have basically been ignored by the Republican legislature. They have cut funding and allowed teachers’ salaries to drop to one of the lowest in the nation. Governor Hunt worked for many years to get teacher pay up to the national average; we need to get it back there. We need to fully fund our schools – particularly rural schools – as has been ordered in the Leandro case, which the state has never fully implemented.

Third, we need to work on rural economic development. Infrastructure in rural counties like Franklin and Nash is not what it should be. We desperately need access to broadband throughout our counties, which has been very much highlighted by the COVID epidemic.

Lastly is the issue of racial inequality. We have, for far too long in this country, suppressed our minorities, particularly our African-American brethren. We need to take steps to correct the wrongs of the last 400 years and to see that black Americans have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

With continued growth in rural counties such as Franklin and complaints of congested roads, how will you be able to assist, as a House representative, with this issue?

“That’s a real problem. We addressed this back in the 1990s when I chaired the Strategic Planning Committee. One of our recommendations was to basically urbanize, which would have the County direct its growth to the urban areas: Youngsville, Bunn, Louisburg and Franklinton. That was ignored, and what we have allowed is people like my opponent to put in subdivisions anywhere they want.

In the southern end of the county, you go down any road and you see one subdivision after another, and we just don’t have the road structure to support that. It’s going to be very hard to correct that problem because we’ve let it go too far. The County Commission needs to change the way we allow growth in this [Franklin] county.”

In concluding his interview with WIZS, Stover said, “This is an absolutely critical election. In my opinion, this is the most important election since 1860 when President Lincoln was elected. I think we are in a crossroads almost as bad. If we don’t elect politicians who are willing to work to bring this country back to accept everyone and see the value in all people, not just those that look like themselves, then I fear for this country. I have faith the majority of Americans want that, and what I’m asking you to do is go out and vote.”

For more information on Stover, including his 10-point plan on ways to reduce healthcare costs and improve healthcare quality, visit his website at www.electphilstover.com or Facebook page at Phil Stover for NC House 7.

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

(This is not a paid political advertisement. Political candidates are offered equal air time/coverage on WIZS.)

Families Living Violence Free

Town Talk 10/19/20: FLVF to Hold Virtual Domestic Violence Vigil

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Megan Holmes, youth services advocate for Families Living Violence Free (FLVF), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

FLVF offers supportive counseling, assistance filing for a protective/restraining order, educational programs, referral services, crisis assistance and transportation services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In continuation of WIZS’ Domestic Violence Awareness Month coverage, Holmes announced FLVF will hold a virtual vigil for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault who lost their lives in 2020. The vigil will be prerecorded and available to view beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday, October 22 at www.flvf.org.

“In the month of October, we do notice there are more individuals who reach out,” Holmes said. “Recently, we’ve seen an increase in individuals seeking services from us. Although the circumstances are unfortunate, we are more than grateful they are reaching out because that means they are becoming more aware that support is available.”

FLVF’s office is located at 125 Oxford Outer Loop Road in Oxford, NC. A 24/7 Crisis Line is also available by calling (919) 693-5700 (English) or (919) 690-0888 (Spanish).

For additional coverage on domestic violence awareness, please join WIZS live at 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 22. Debbie Scott, domestic violence coordinator/gang resource specialist with the Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office, will join the show to discuss the upcoming 2nd Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Event at Clearview Church in Henderson.

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

Vance County Schools Logo

Town Talk 10/15/20: Jackson Discusses VCS’ Decision to Remain in Plan C

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Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent for Vance County Schools, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Jackson discussed the Vance County Board of Education’s 5-2 vote at its October 12 meeting to remain in Plan C – fully remote learning – for the remainder of the first semester. The first semester for the 2020-2021 school year is set to end prior to the Christmas holiday.

In July, NC Governor Roy Cooper announced public and charter schools could begin the school year under Plan B – a hybrid of online and in-person learning – or could choose the more restrictive Plan C.

In September, Cooper announced public and charter elementary schools (K-5) had the option to operate under Plan A – in-person, socially distanced learning – beginning October 5.

At its July Board meeting, the Vance County Board of Education voted to begin the year under Plan C, revisit the decision in October and review again in December.

The Board will meet in December to determine if the second semester, starting in January, will begin fully remote under Plan C or move to Plan A or B.

“Our Board is looking at the data and trying to determine the safe integration of students into the school environment,” Jackson explained. “Based on what they understood and were presented with, they thought it would be safer to keep our kids on Plan C until we know a little more about [COVID-19] transmission and local data.”

According to Jackson, the Board also took recent news reports of spikes in COVID cases and hospitalizations into consideration when making the decision to remain in remote learning.

Working with Granville Vance Public Health and Duke University, Jackson said the school system receives daily local COVID updates and seeks guidance from healthcare experts.

“The decision of how to start the next semester will be based on the data available on infection rates, hospitalizations and transmission in the community at that time,” Jackson said. “Our goal is to be back to some form of face-to-face interaction by the second semester. We are still hopeful, but we have to go with what the metrics tell us. Ultimately, the liability rests with them as the Board of Education; they’ve taken that very seriously.”

While seeking improvements to areas such as students’ access to online connectivity, Jackson said the strives are evident. “The positive out of this is that we have set up a remote digital learning framework in this short period of time. We have distributed over 5,000 devices and hotspots to our kids, provided over a half-million meals to this community and supported our teachers with a small model of childcare.”

Acknowledging it’s not the school year anyone expected, Jackson said he is encouraged by the teamwork and dedication on all sides.

“I want to thank our teachers for the work they are doing every day to make sure our kids are okay and learning. I also thank our parents for trusting us. This is not what we had planned, but it is what we have, so we are going to make the best of it.”

To stay updated on VCS’ decisions and announcements, please visit the District’s website or Facebook page.

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

Kerr Tar COG and DOI

Town Talk 10/14/20: Medicare Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 15

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Stephanie Bias, coordinator for the NC Senior Medicare Patrol (NCSMP) Program and Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), a division of the NC Department of Insurance, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m. Michele Brigandi, aging program coordinator with the Kerr-Tar Agency on Aging, facilitated the segment.

This edition of Town Talk is a paid advertising sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

With Medicare’s 2021 open enrollment period beginning Thursday, October 15 and ending Monday, December 7, 2020, Bias said programs such as SHIIP provide much-needed assistance to beneficiaries.

“SHIIP provides education, outreach and counseling to NC’s Medicare beneficiaries on how to enroll, how to choose secondary insurance behind Medicare and how to find out if you’re eligible for extra health programs,” Bias explained.

NC currently has over 2 million Medicare beneficiaries, according to Bias, ranging from those 65 and older to those on disability or with certain chronic health conditions.

“Our role is to educate you so that you make the best-informed choice for your particular situation,” Bias stated. “We are not insurance agents, nor do we recommend companies or plans. We educate you about what is out there.”

While SHIIP assists with the enrollment process, Bias said NCSMP helps to prevent fraud “to ensure our benefits stay solvent, and we become good stewards of our Medicare.”

Bias reported that Medicare fraud has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and said people should diligently protect their personal information.

“People may knock on your door, for example, and say that they are there to test you for coronavirus and need to see your Medicare card. Don’t let these people in, don’t let them swab your nose and don’t show them your card,” Bias implored. “It is a scam, and it is fraud.”

Bias explained the intent in this scam is to record your Medicare number to sell to others that can then use the number to receive services in your name.

While changed from a beneficiary’s social security number to a randomly generated mix of numbers and letters in recent years, Bias said an individual’s identifying Medicare number still links to a specific account and is subject to fraud.

“Another scam is to tell you that there is a ground-level secret society that you should invest money in, and when the cure or vaccine comes to fruition [for COVID], you’re going to profit. There is no such thing as a ground-level secret society,” Bias said.

Bias also warned against opening any emails or online attachments regarding Medicare, stating opening such links could expose computers to viruses and fraud opportunities. Phone calls from Medicare are also highly unlikely and should be questioned.

With questions about Medicare or for coordinating sites in your county, NC SHIIP can be reached online at www.ncshiip.com or toll-free Monday – Friday (except state holidays) from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 1-855-408-1212.

When speaking to an enrollment representative, Bias said recipients should have a list of all current medications and issued Medicare card available.

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

(This edition of Town Talk is part of a paid advertising sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.)