Tag Archive for: #kerrtarcog

Versatrim, NC Works, Kerr Tar COG Team Up for Virtual Hiring Event Tuesday

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A local manufacturing company is teaming up with NCWorks for a virtual hiring event scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Desiree Brooks, business services manager for the local workforce development board of Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, said Henderson manufacturer Versatrim is hiring for about 30 positions. Anyone interested in learning more about the available job opportunities should register for the event via a link on the Kerr-Tar Works Facebook page, Brooks said Monday during Town Talk. Find the link to the event at facebook.com/NCWorksKT. Participants can register up until 11 a.m., when the event begins.

Although this is a virtual event via Zoom, people without access to a computer may register to listen via telephone, Brooks said.

“It’s just like a job fair, but you’re sitting in the comfort of your home or wherever you are,” Brooks said. Some of the job openings include machine operators, packagers and customer services representatives, among others, she said. Versatrim, makers of laminate flooring and moldings, among other products, is located at 101 Eastern Minerals Road in Henderson.

Brooks and Jamie Cunningham shared details of the virtual event with Town Talk host John C. Rose.  Previously known as the Employment Security Commission, Cunningham described NCWorks as “a one-stop shop for North Carolina’s work force system.” Job-hunters can search for jobs, create résumés and find education and training, but it’s also a resource for employers to search for candidates and post job openings as well. Check it out online at www.NCWorks.gov.

Cunningham is operations manager for the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, a federally funded program that helps people who need to go back to school to upgrade their skills, or help them with find employment. “We have a lot of training opportunities that help people upgrade their skills,” she noted.

A Versatrim representative will inform the participants about what the company does, the jobs that are available, and the pay associated with those jobs. Participants also will have the chance to ask questions.

“This is the perfect opportunity for people to learn and hopefully be able to start their career with Versatrim,” Brooks said. Cunningham said a business service representative with NCWorks will also be taking part in the event and can answer questions about what NCWorks does. She said the possibility to partner with businesses allows NCWorks to help fund any additional training needed for an employee “to become that great employee.”

Each NCWorks career center is under the direction of a local workforce board, Cunningham said, and Kerr-Tar (Council of Governments) serves Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties.  The NCWorks Career Center offers job search support and assistance, including a computer resource center with copier, printer and faxing capabilities; career counseling and coaching; virtual job search workshops and scholarships for short-term training.

Contact the NCWorks career at 919-693-2686 for more information or to get help registering for the event.

If you would like to listen to the interview on TownTalk, click here. 

I Voted Sticker

Town Talk 09/30/20: Voting in Vance County – When, Where, How

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Sennica Nicholson, chairperson for the Vance County Board of Elections, and Michele Brigandi, aging program coordinator with the Kerr-Tar Agency on Aging, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m. as part of a paid advertising sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

Nicholson discussed voting requirements, voter registration, absentee mail-in ballots, early voting and answered some commonly asked questions. “We are in a very busy voting season,” Nicholson stated. “It’s no longer just an election time; we are now in an election season.”

Click Play for the Broadcast Audio

Voting Requirements/Deadlines

Basic voter requirements, according to Nicholson, include being at least 18-years-old, being a U.S. citizen and not being incarcerated.

The last day to register to vote in the November General Election is Friday, October 9, 2020. Forms submitted to the Vance County Board of Elections Office must be received by 5 p.m. on that date.

Early Voting

Those that miss the October 9 deadline can register and vote during one-stop early voting. Early voting begins October 15 and ends October 31, 2020.

Vance County’s early voting will be held at the Henderson Operation Center (900 S Beckford Dr., Henderson) and Aycock Recreation Complex (307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson). There will be no early voting at the Vance County Board of Elections Office for this election due to COVID restrictions.

Proof of residence is required to register to vote; however, no photo ID is required for this election.

Nicholson recommends that all first-time voters, as well as those who haven’t voted in some time, contact their local BOE office to make sure they are “on the books.” If there does appear to be an issue with registration, the BOE office can assist.

Vance Co. One-Stop Early Voting Schedule for the November 3, 2020, General Election

Locations: Aycock Recreation Complex and Henderson Operation Center

  • October 15, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 16, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 17, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • October 18, 2020 – CLOSED
  • October 19, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 20, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 21, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 22, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 23, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 24, 2020 – 1 to 6 p.m.
  • October 25, 2020 – 1 to 6 p.m.
  • October 26, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 27, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 28, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 29, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 30, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • October 31, 2020 – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Absentee Mail-In Ballots

Addressing absentee ballots, Nicholson clarified, “Absentee mail-in ballots and voting by mail are the same thing. Anyone in NC can request an absentee ballot as long as they are a registered voter.”

This year, in NC, voters are not required to have a reason or give an explanation for requesting an absentee ballot.

Voters can request an absentee ballot by calling their local BOE office or by visiting the State Board of Elections website, printing the mail-in ballot request form and mailing the completed form to their local BOE. Mail-in request forms will be received by the BOE and logged into the system. An official absentee ballot will then be mailed back to the voter. The voter can then complete the ballot and return their vote by mail to their local BOE.

According to Nicholson, the absentee ballot will include a security sleeve, a self-addressed return envelope and barcodes on the documentation to identify the voter. “All legitimate mailings from your local BOE will be identified with the State BOE seal, as well as your local BOE address and information,” she said.

In Vance County, absentee ballots may be returned by mail from the residence, mailed at a post office, brought in-person to the BOE office or delivered in-person to one of the designated early voting sites during one-stop voting.

Those that initiate the absentee ballot request process and then decide to vote in-person must contact their local BOE to cancel the mail-in process before attempting to vote in-person.

“Once the ballot request has been made, the process has begun for you to be identified as an absentee mail-in voter,” said Nicholson. “If you show up in-person, the system will indicate whether you requested a ballot and the status of that ballot. You cannot show up and try to vote twice.”

Requests for absentee ballots that are sent from the BOE must be initiated by the voter; the BOE will not send absentee ballots without a request.

Nicholson urged caution against using the absentee ballots sent by third parties, which may or may not be legitimate. “I’m encouraging our voters to disregard those notices because they are third-party, and the State BOE is not responsible for those ballots. If you have an envelope and the return address is not going to your local BOE office, I would not use it.”

In the same vein, Nicholson urged caution if registering during voter registration drives held by third parties. “If the organization sponsoring the event is not well-known or well-established, then I would second guess them. A lot of these events are legitimate and they do what they are supposed to do; however, my advice is to always be on the side of caution.”

Additional Notes

Voters with special needs in Vance County may contact the BOE and speak to Director Faye Gill. The BOE has a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) available to help those with special needs register to vote, receive voting materials and fill out ballots.

COVID safety precautions will be taken at voting sites including sanitizing voting booths after each use and supplying one-time use pens. Curbside voting is also an option for senior citizens and the immunocompromised.

The Vance County Board of Elections is located at 300 S. Garnett Street in Henderson, NC. With questions or for additional information, please call the BOE at (252) 492-3730.

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 sponsorship with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.)

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

‘Open for Business’ Loan Opportunity Available for Small Businesses Affected by COVID

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments 

Many small and local businesses in the Kerr-Tar Region have been negatively affected by COVID-19. In an effort to provide support to those businesses, the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is rolling out the Open for Business Loan Program.

This loan program is designed to help small to medium size businesses recover from the economic effects of this pandemic.

The Open for Business Loan is a non-forgivable interest-free loan, ranging from $10,000 – $100,000. Eligible borrowers are small to medium size (1-99 employees) businesses who have been in business for at least 12 months and must be located in Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance or Warren counties.

Documentation providing evidence of a loss of revenue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is required. All loans will require a personal guarantee and additional collateral. Funds can only be used for working capital and/or equipment and require an application fee of $200. Standard loan terms of 5 to 10 years.

The Open for Business Loan Program is locally administered and funded by the US Department of Commerce and Economic Development Administration with funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

To apply, visit www.kerrtarcog.org and click on the “Open for Business Loan” tab. Applications are available on the Kerr-Tar COG website at www.kerrtarcog.org or by calling Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments at (252) 436-2040. Applications should be completed as soon as possible as funding is limited.

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Kerr-Tar COG Awarded Funding to Assist Eligible Residents With Home Repairs

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments (COG) has been awarded $200,000 by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) under the 2020 cycle of the Urgent Repair Program to assist residents in the counties of Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren.

The Urgent Repair Program finances emergency home repairs for homeowners who are elderly or have special needs and whose incomes are below 50% of the median for the area. Only repairs that address imminent threats to the life and/or safety of occupants of the dwelling unit or accessibility modifications will be performed under the program. A total of 18 households are projected to be assisted.

In the Urgent Repair Program, one or two critical problems may be repaired, but the entire house is not addressed. Examples of work typically done under this program include roof or HVAC system repair, well or septic system repairs, adding accessibility features like ramps, bathroom grab bars and wider doors.

The COG will provide assistance, to those whose homes are selected for repairs, in the form of a loan. Homeowners will receive an unsecured deferred, interest-free loan, forgiven at a rate of $2,000 per year until the principal balance is reduced to zero.   The maximum amount of the loan available is $10,000.

Applications are available starting September 1, 2020, and must be returned to the COG office by 5 p.m. on November 1, 2020.  Clients to be assisted will be selected by January 1, 2021.

The application and program information are available on the Kerr-Tar Regional COG website at www.kerrtarcog.org or by calling (252) 436-2040.

The funds provided by the NCHFA for the Urgent Repair Program come from the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund.