Tag Archive for: #warrencountynews

Red Cross: Blood, Platelet Donations Needed in Wake of Florence

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-Press Release, American Red Cross

As the American Red Cross responds to Hurricane Florence, providing food, shelter and comfort to those affected, blood and platelet donors are urged to give when it’s safe to travel to care for patients in the storm’s path and across the country. People can also help by making a financial donation to support relief efforts.

Hurricane’s impact on blood and platelet donations

Hurricane Florence’s wrath left catastrophic damage behind and also took a toll on blood and platelet donations. Nearly 200 Red Cross blood drives in the Southeast were forced to cancel, resulting in more than 5,200 uncollected blood and platelet donations. In North Carolina, 57 blood drives were called off due to the storm, causing nearly 2,100 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected.

“Natural disasters like hurricanes can disrupt blood drives and prevent donors from giving, but hospital patients still depend on lifesaving transfusions,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. “There is an especially critical need for platelets to help cancer patients and type O blood donations for ongoing patient care and emergencies. Every donation can be a lifeline for patients.”

How to help

As conditions improve, donors of all blood types are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets and replenish the blood supply. Appointments can be made by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS  (1-800-733-2767).

Financial donations are also needed and allow the Red Cross to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Florence by visiting RedCross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word FLORENCE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Up-to-date information about how the Red Cross is responding to Hurricane Florence is available at RedCross.org.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in your area:

Franklin County

Louisburg

9/22/2018: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Rock Spring Baptist Church, 34 Rock Springs Church Rd.

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Granville County

Creedmoor

9/28/2018: 2  – 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Avenue

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Warren County

Norlina

10/13/2018: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zion United Methodist Church, 141 Zion Church Rd.

How to donate blood

A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

VGCC Trustees Approve Firm For Presidential Search, Adopt 2018-19 Budget

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 -Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a firm to assist in the search for a new president, adopted a budget for the current fiscal year, and welcomed a trustee who is returning to the board after being away for two years. The actions came at the bi-monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, on the college’s Main Campus.

The Trustees selected the firm of Executive Leadership Associates (ELA) LLC of Emerald Isle to assist in the search for a replacement for Dr. Stelfanie Williams who left the college in August to take a job with Duke University.

ELA describes itself as “a consortium of former North Carolina community college presidents who are committed to ensuring that our internationally recognized community college system continues its proud tradition of excellence — one community college at a time.”

VGCC’s newest Trustee, Dr. Doris Terry Williams, was sworn in for a four-year appointment on the college board by retired District Court Judge J. Henry Banks. From left are Judge Banks, Dr. Williams and Jerry Stainback, the attorney for the Board of Trustees, who assisted with the swearing in. (Photo Credit: VGCC)

The firm will help the VGCC Board of Trustees by guiding the search process, creating a presidential profile of the ideal candidate needed, and recruiting and screening applicants as needed. The search will begin in October with plans to have the new president in place in March 2019. The trustees are expected to present finalists to the State Board of Community Colleges for evaluation early in 2019, according to Dr. Gordon Burns who is serving as interim president for the college. Dr. Burns served as president of Wilkes Community College in North Wilkesboro for 18 years before retiring in 2014.

Six firms responded to the requests for proposals, according to Trustee Deborah Brown, chair of the Trustees’ presidential search committee. Serving with Brown are Trustees Herb Gregory, vice chair; N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.

Budget Adopted

The Trustees adopted a budget of $33,166,414 for the new fiscal year, approving VGCC’s budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 on a recommendation from the Budget Committee of the board, chaired by Trustee Abdul Sm Rasheed.

On the Current Expense side of the budget, $19,438,484 comes from the State of North Carolina, $2,587,868 from the four counties served by the college, and $9,273,716 from institutional funds. In the Capital Outlay budget, $1,726,846 comes from the State and $139,500 from the counties.

At the county level, Vance County is contributing $1,151,597 to the current operating funds; Granville, $752,184; Franklin, $369,168; and Warren, $225,625, with an additional $89,294 coming from institutional funds. Among capital improvement funds from the counties, Vance is contributing $73,874; Granville, $39,626; Franklin, $20,000; and Warren, $6,000.

The 2018-2019 budget is allocated as follows: institutional support: $5,433,372; curriculum instruction: $10,362,152; continuing education: $2,705,504; academic support: $1,368,526; student support: $2,075,516; plant operations and maintenance: $2,018,035; proprietary/other: $2,272,851; student aid: $5,064,112; capital outlay, excluding capital improvements: $786,141; and capital improvement projects: $1,080,205.

Dr. Doris Terry Williams Appointed To Board

Dr. Doris Terry Williams was sworn in to a four-year term on the VGCC Board of Trustees after being selected by the Vance County Board of Education to fill the vacancy created when long-time Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., retired.

Dr. Williams, a retired educator and administrator, returns to the Board of Trustees after being off the board for two years. She was previously appointed to the board by the Governor’s Office in 2010 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in 2012 for a full four-year term.

As the owner and chief executive officer of EdComm, LLC, her own consulting group, Dr. Williams provides consultation regionally and nationally on education and community development issues.

A Vance County resident, she lived in Warren County and served on the Warren County Board of Education for 12 years, including five as the board chair. She has served as executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust and director of the Trust’s Capacity Building Program. She is now a senior fellow with the Rural Trust, which is a national non-profit dedicated to addressing the crucial relationship between good rural schools and thriving rural communities. She also has served as assistant dean and associate professor in the School of Education and director of University-School Partnerships at North Carolina Central University.

In other action:

  • The Trustees voted to close the Child Care Center on the Franklin Campus no later than June 1, 2019. The decision comes after an extended evaluation leading to the conclusion that the center is not financially sustainable, Dr. Burns told the board. Information packets that list other options for child care in the Franklin County area have been prepared for parents who currently have children at the center. The center, which currently has nine children, was originally created to provide Vance-Granville’s curriculum students with an environment to advance their Early Childhood experiences and to provide child care services for our students and staff. The center has been used mostly by the public in the past several years, Dr. Burns said.
  • In an update on capital projects, Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., said a design contract was executed in August for $320,400 for fire alarm replacements and renovations to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems on the Main Campus. Fire alarm replacement work will be bid out in February 2019 with work expected to begin the following May. The HVAC renovations will begin in the summer of 2020. Meanwhile, renovation work is scheduled to start this month on the second phase of renovations to Building 10. Space is being renovated to add a Practical Simulation Lab for Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services programs.
  • Steve Graham, VGCC’s vice president of finance and operations, reported for the Investment Committee, citing a 12 percent growth in the college’s investments since the beginning of 2017.
  • Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the board’s Personnel Committee, provided an informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions.
  • The Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, presented new appointments to the Advisory Committees for college programs for the 2018-2019 academic year. The appointments were approved by the Trustees.

Presiding over the meeting was Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright.

The Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, November 19 at the Main Campus.

SBI Concludes Littleton Death Case

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-Press Release, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

The State Bureau of Investigation and the Littleton Police Department have concluded their investigation into the deaths of three family members whose bodies were found June 9 at 1010 Kirkland St. They determined the deaths were a murder-suicide case. This is in agreement with the findings of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner which listed the manner of death for Charles Davis as suicide and homicide as the manner of death for Gladys Davis and Antonio Mills.

Littleton Police Department requested the SBI’s help after doing a welfare check at the Kirkland Street home. The officers had to force entry into the house where they found the bodies of 75-year-old Charles Davis, his wife, Gladys Davis, 76, and their grandson Antonio Mills, 41.

“The SBI did a thorough investigation into this tragic case,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Jernigan. “Evidence conclusively pointed to a murder-suicide. I appreciate the work done by the Littleton Police Department and the SBI agents from the Northeastern District Office.”

Halifax EMC Sends Crew to Assist Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative

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-Press Release, Halifax Electric

The Halifax EMC service area was spared by the changed storm path taken by Hurricane Florence. Due to pre-storm preparations and the diligent work of Halifax EMC’s operations crew, members were minimally impacted with less than 350 power outages, which were restored in most cases in less than 1 ½ hours. Halifax EMC was back to normal operations by Friday afternoon.

On Sunday, September 16, 2018, Halifax EMC dispatched seven line workers and equipment to assist Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative which serves members in Carteret, Craven, Jones and Onslow Counties. Currently, CCEC has 31,500 of 39,691 members out of service. The Halifax EMC crew is working in the Harker’s Island community of Carteret County to assist in power restoration.

“During times of disaster, cooperatives ban together to offer mutual aid to one another. It’s just part of our cooperative culture,” said Charles Guerry, executive vice president of Halifax EMC. “Halifax EMC is thankful that Hurricane Florence had minimal impact in our area and we are proud to have crew members who volunteered to help others in need.”

At this time, it is unknown as to how long our crew will be away; however, once the rains cease and flooding begins to subside, power restoration will move more quickly.

NC Coop Extension

September’s ‘Gathering of Gardeners’ Workshop Canceled

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties, NC Cooperative Extension

The Saturday, September 22, 2018,  “Gathering of Gardeners” workshop which was to be held at Buck Spring Park in Warren County has been canceled.

Any questions may be directed to Paul McKenzie at NC Cooperative Extension, Warren County at paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu or by phone at 252-257-3640. We sincerely regret any inconvenience.

Boyette, Thompson Warn of Cyberattacks During Hurricane Florence

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-Press Release, NC Department of Information Technology

State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette and State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson are urging North Carolinians to be cautious of cybercrime before, during, and after Hurricane Florence.

Cybercriminals take advantage of natural disasters such as hurricanes to solicit personal information illegally and to take advantage of vulnerable infrastructures, disaster victims and volunteers by phishing. Phishing is when a criminal sends out an email, text message, or even a phone call pretending to be a reputable and legitimate source in order to obtain personal information such as credit card and Social Security numbers.

“Be cautious and stay vigilant,” said State Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson. “Let’s ensure one disaster does not lead to another. Phishing threats are real. Cybercriminals will use every tactic in their arsenal to deprive citizens of their information and ultimately their financial assets.”

Take these steps to prevent being taken advantage of by cybercriminals:

  • Carefully look at email and web addresses since cybercriminals will make them look as legitimate as possible, often using variations of spellings. The URL may have a different domain, such as .gov instead of .net.
  • Do not click on links in emails from anyone unless you know and have verified the sender of the email.
  • Take time to look at the sender’s email address. Do not click on any links until you are certain the organization is real. Check the organization’s website for its contact information and use sites such as www.charitynavigator.org to verify a charity organization.
  • Make sure all of your anti-virus software is up-to-date and you’ve enacted the anti-phishing software provided by your email client.
  • Phishing emails and phone calls may also try to pose as official disaster aid organizations such as FEMA. A true FEMA representative will never ask personal banking information, Social Security number, or registration number.

“We all need to be mindful of the value of the data we have and use every day,” said Eric Boyette, State Chief Information Officer and Secretary of the Department of Information Technology. “Too many people are vulnerable during natural disasters and it is imperative to take necessary precautions to protect yourself. Think of it as preparing an emergency kit for your personal data.”

For more information about the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr.

National Weather Service

Hurricane Florence Updates – Sept. 13

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Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 3 p.m.

WIZS will be bringing you updates on Hurricane Florence as new information is received. Please check the WIZS website, Facebook page and listen live to WIZS 1450 AM and 100.1 FM for updates throughout the week.

The latest briefing from the National Weather Service can be found by clicking here. The forecast – including rainfall amounts, wind speeds and storm direction – is remaining steady from earlier today.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m.

We should begin to feel the effects of the storm late this evening and tonight with conditions gradually worsening overnight and into tomorrow. They have increased our rainfall potential slightly but, other than that, nothing much has changed.

We have now officially decided to open the emergency shelter at Eaton Johnson Middle School located on Beckford Drive in Henderson at 5 p.m. today. Please DO NOT arrive early as no one will be there and the school will likely be locked until that time.

We are using our CODE RED system to get this message out to all of our citizens this morning. If you are not already signed up to receive messages on that system, please visit our web page at www.vancecounty.org/EM and click on the Emergency Alert System link to sign up. This system will be used to issue important notices prior to and after the storm’s impact.

We will be activating the Emergency Operations Center at 5 p.m. this evening and will begin 24-hour EOC operations at that time. As of now, we are at Readiness Level 1, which is our highest level in preparation for the storm. The 911 Center will be overstaffed as of 11 a.m. today and will remain that way throughout the storm. We are expecting the communications center to be extremely busy during the storm, so we are asking residents NOT to dial 911 for general questions to ensure that true emergency calls are able to get through.        

Please “like” Vance County Emergency Operations on Facebook to stay up to date on what is happening with the storm. We will also continue to forward along all relevant information as it is received.

Stay Safe.

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Updated Thursday, Sept. 13 at 9 a.m.

Hurricane Florence is approaching the coast and will slow today, and make landfall early Friday along the southern North Carolina coast, then slowly meander southwest into and across South Carolina. Confidence is HIGH that the event will occur; MODERATE confidence in expected impacts.

Strong sustained winds and gusts expected on Friday, likely persisting into the weekend. Strongest gusts expected across the southeastern coastal plain of NC. Flash and eventually river flooding likely beginning this evening and persisting through the weekend and into early next week. A risk for short-lived and weak tornadoes as the rain bands push ashore this evening through Saturday afternoon.

YOUR PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE IN PLACE NO LATER THAN MID-DAY TODAY!

Three Key Points

1. Hurricane Warning now in effect for Sampson and Wayne Counties. Tropical Storm Warning for Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Nash, Richmond, Wake and Wilson counties.

2. Prolonged, life-threatening inland flooding event from heavy rain is expected across much of southern and eastern N.C.

3. Dangerous winds will also result in downed trees which will likely culminate in widespread and prolonged power outages.

For a much more detailed breakdown of the current forecast, including expected wind speed and rainfall amounts in our area, visit the National Weather Service website by clicking here. 

NC Coop Extension

Public Invited to Attend ‘Gathering of Gardeners’ Workshop

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties, NC Cooperative Extension

The gardening public is invited to attend a “Gathering of Gardeners: Practical Strategies for Gardening in Challenging Times and Conditions” on September 22, 2018, 9 a.m. to noon. Gardeners in Warren County and surrounding areas can learn about straw bale gardening, rain barrels and more at this workshop sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers.

Participants can also get their gardening questions answered from a panel of Master Gardener volunteers. The event will be held at Buck Spring Park near Lake Gaston, located at 217 Nathaniel Macon Dr. Registration is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. All the details are available at https://warren.ces.ncsu.edu/ or by calling 252-257-3640.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation Awards Over $340K in Health Grants

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-Press Release, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved $343,450 in grant awards to local organizations in the Foundation’s sixth annual grant cycle. With the 2018 grant award, the Foundation’s contributions to the community total $1.5 million since the Foundation began grantmaking in 2013.

“The primary purpose of our grantmaking is to invest in organizations that share our mission to improve health in our region,” said Val Short, executive director for the Foundation. The 2018 grant awards will fund 12 projects presented by nonprofits and agencies that serve local communities—and all of them will focus on community health and health improvement programs throughout the four-county region. “Our hope is that these grant awards will result in improved health and healthier outcomes for children and adults in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties,” said Short.

The 12 grants approved by the board fall under one or more of the five funding priorities established by the Foundation in 2013, including chronic disease, mental health and substance abuse, nutrition and physical activity, reproductive health, and success in school as related to health and wellness.

Most of the 2018 grant projects focus on chronic disease management and prevention and mental health and substance abuse. The TNHF grantees will provide a broad range of approaches to improving health– from programs that provide healing and support to traumatized children, to programs that provide strategies for managing chronic disease, to programs that provide care, treatment, and support for those with substance abuse disorders. “In all of our grant programs, health and wellness are at the heart of the work they will do,” said Short.

A list of the grant recipients and their projects for 2018-19 include:

  • ACTS of Vance County – Healing Hearts— Congestive Heart Failure patients who have been hospitalized will have the opportunity to receive heart-healthy, home-delivered meals for 10 days after discharge to help prevent further hospitalizations and to support a more comfortable quality of life.
  • Alliance Rehabilitative Care (ARC) – Access to Dental Care – Residents entering the substance abuse halfway house in Henderson will receive a dental screening and preventive care and, when necessary, more extensive dental treatment to prevent further decay and to promote overall health.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central NC – Project Sport – This pilot program will target 4th and 5th graders who will participate in two existing programs, plus they will learn skills that will prepare them to participate in organized competitive team sports activities, including flag football, basketball, soccer and tennis.
  • Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start – Teens Fit for Life – the existing Adolescent Parenting Program will continue the Nutrition & Fitness component through participation in programs at the YMCA and through nutrition education provided by Cooperative Extension.
  • Granville-Vance Public Health – Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Vance & Granville Counties—Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for substance abuse disorders will be available at the Health Department’s Primary Care Clinic in addition to the continuation of the work of the VIBRANT Coalition to address the four focus areas of the N.C. Opioid Action Plan.
  • Henderson Family YMCA – 1) Girls on the Run – a self-esteem, self- respect and healthy lifestyles program for girls & boys culminating in a 5k run/walk at the end of each semester; 2) Safety Around Water – teaches water safety and drowning prevention skills to 2nd graders in Vance County.
  • NC Med Assist – Free Pharmacy Program & Over-the-Counter Giveaways – provides free medications and support for low income and uninsured individuals in the Triangle North Region. In addition, two over-the-counter medicine giveaways will be implemented this year in Warren and Franklin counties.
  • Shepherd Youth Ranch – Trail to Success – Provide skill building for youth suffering from grief, loss, abandonment and abuse. Partial scholarships will be provided to 10 youth who are referred by the school system or law enforcement who will enter into an intensive 24-week program, which consists of weekly group and monthly family sessions in a unique program that uses horses to help with therapy.
  • Strength and Mending (S.a.M) Child Advocacy Center – Child Forensic Interviews – provides a centralized, child-centered approach to investigation that reduces the risk of trauma to the children who are victims of abuse; increases opportunities for healing for the child and non-offending family members.
  • TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.) – Rebuilding Lives: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Recovery – provides a two-year residential recovery program with treatment, education, vocational training and care for residents of the Triangle North region who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, free of charge.
  • Warren County Senior Center. – Diabetes Peer Educator Training and Outreach— in partnership with Warren County Health Department, this program will prepare volunteers to deliver diabetes self- management classes and support to Warren County residents in their own communities.

Located in Henderson, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and schools in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties. The Foundation’s grant funding mission has been made possible by the endowment that was established after Maria Parham Health merged with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint in 2011.

The Foundation will launch a new grant cycle in the spring of 2019, but in the meantime, the Foundation staff is available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to provide assistance with grant writing. Information about our grantees and future grant opportunities is available on the website at www.tnhfoundation.org or call 252-598-0763.

Hurricane Florence Targets Major East Coast Logging Operations in NC

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-Press Release, North Carolina Loggers Association

As Hurricane Florence’s wind speeds currently surpass 130 mph, North Carolina loggers are bracing for the hurricane expected to make landfall on the Carolina coast Thursday night as a Category 4 or 5 storm. Major lumber and paper mills powering the state’s $29.4 billion dollar forestry business, along with the loggers harvesting its abundant natural resource, currently lie directly in its path.

Recent massive rainstorms across the state the past month have already slowed logging operations. Hurricane Florence is expected to compound the issue.

North Carolina has about 18.8 million acres of timberland. According to North Carolina State University, the forest products community leads the manufacturing sector within the state. Forest products impact the state’s economy, with more than 1,000 companies directly contributing to North Carolina’s forest industry that employs more than 70,000 individuals.

Photo of Brett McHenry with Brett McHenry’s Logging (Photo Credit Ed Lallo)

“It’s essential, first and foremost, for our loggers and mill operators to be out of harms way by the time the storm hits land,” said Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the Carolina Loggers Association, a non-profit corporation organized to promote logging professionalism and business opportunities for the state’s forest products network. “Currently, the loggers are in the process of securing job sites and bringing in as many logs as possible to the mills to keep them going in the wake of the storm. As one of the state’s largest business sectors vital to our economy, any major disruption in production will definitely create a significant economic ripple for small and large businesses alike.”

According to Smith, the wood and paper mills are just the tip of usage for forestry products. There are numerous other products that are dependent on the same resource and will be impacted from the storm; glass on cell phones, toothpaste, gum for chewing and gluing, as well as America’s favorite McDonalds McFlurry with Oreo Cookies.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, along with his counterparts in South Carolina and Virginia, has already declared a state of emergency. The governor has signed an executive order that waives truck weight limits for “crops ready to be harvested” which includes timber.

The office of North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is continuing to watch the path of Hurricane Florence that has the potential to be a powerful and devastating storm.

“Our state has witnessed the destructive effects of hurricane-force winds and heavy rains in the past, so we know we need to be prepared,” said the Agriculture Commissioner. “Farmers and timber owners need to review their emergency plans, stock up on supplies, compile emergency contact information and monitor weather updates to keep their families safe. We are prepared to work with our state and local partners to help our agriculture and forestry community if the need arises.”

Sitting 116 miles from the coast, Brett McHenry Logging in Wilson, NC has been hit by multiple storms in the past. “Wilson’s my community,” said owner Brett McHenry. “This will definitely be the worst storm we’ve ever had to prepare for. We just finished cutting and now we’re picking up any logs and squaring up our sites and equipment.”

According to Smith, “Hurricane Florence has the potential to bring a vast amount of rain and wind,” he said. “Flooded and saturated lands only compound the issues with the increased safety risks for our loggers while cleaning up fallen trees. Again the number one issue right now is for our logging and forestry communities, as well as people living in wooded areas, to get out of harm’s way of Hurricane Florence.”

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Contact: Ewell Smith

504-884-4585 esmith@ncloggers.com

The CLA is a nonprofit corporation organized to promote professionalism and business opportunities for members. The CLA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit business league. CLA focuses on regional, state and national business issues

Ewell Smith was the former Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board who has weathered four disastrous hurricanes including Hurricane Katrina.