Human Relations Commission will host Women of Color: Stepping Into Their Power webinar Dec. 5
The Orange County Human Relations Commission will host the next webinar Dec. 5 in their series the Women of Color: Stepping Into Their Power. Registration is free.
Dec. 1 marked the 65th Anniversary of the day Parks chose to stand up for her rights by refusing to relinquish her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks was arrested for her act of defiance. On Dec. 5, Ms. Parks' trial date, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. The Boycott, organized by Jo Ann Robinson and the Women's Political Council, was eventually led by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.. One year after Ms. Parks was arrested, on Nov. 13, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional, and on Dec. 20, the Boycott ended. Ms. Parks became known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
In 2020, we celebrate not only the Anniversaries of the 15th and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act; but also the fruition of the struggle as Women of Color step into their power. This quarter we highlight the Indigenous Women of Robeson County, North Carolina as they use their voices and their cultural gifts to continue Stepping into their Power!
Registration is Required!
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Animal Services announces new program to help low-income families with pet medical expensesIn order to keep more pets in their homes with their families, Orange County Animal Services has developed a fund that can assist Orange County residents with non-emergency veterinary expenses.
"In general, we see many heartbreaking pet surrenders to our shelter as a result of owners not being able to afford to properly care for their pets when they need medical attention," said Orange County Animal Services Director Bob Marotto. "We know that, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will likely see increases in these types of surrenders as a result of unemployment and other economic pressures."
This fund is available to Orange County residents based on their needs and ability to meet income criteria. Please see more information about how to qualify and coverage details here. Obtaining this assistance would require collaboration with local veterinarians or specialists, and may cover full or partial medical expenses for issues such as: skin infections and other skin issues, dental issues, minor surgeries, etc.
Funds will be issued to veterinarians and veterinary clinics or hospitals for these services for dogs, cats and other pets from economically challenged households in Orange County.
"This type of program will help people retain their pets and will be extremely beneficial for pets, pet owners, and Orange County Animal Services," said Marotto.
OCAS has established a GoFundMe for residents who wish to donate to the campaign. All funds received will be used for the program.
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Group seeking public input to determine strategies for COVID-19 recoveryThe Orange County Long-Term Recovery Group has identified potential strategies for recovering from COVID-19 and needs public input on which strategies best meet the community’s needs. Community members are asked to take a 10-minute online survey between Nov. 24 and Dec. 11. The survey contains a draft list of recovery strategies and asks the public to evaluate the importance of each. Survey results will be used to determine the priority order of strategies in a long-term recovery and transformation plan being developed by the Long-Term Recovery Group. The group is a partnership of nearly 150 community stakeholders, Orange County and the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. The strategies for recovering from the pandemic will be further refined by representatives of historically underserved communities in coordination with the group’s smaller working groups. Members of the community are asked to share this survey with their networks ? particularly within communities of color or historically underserved groups ? to help obtain input from all community members. An assessment of COVID-19’s impacts thus far in Orange County shows the pandemic appears to be exacerbating pre-pandemic issues in health, the economy, housing, and social services. The work of the Long-Term Recovery Group can be seen on the group’s website, orangencforward.org. For questions or additional information, contact ocncrecovery@hagertyconsulting.com. Hagerty Consulting is providing long-term disaster recovery planning services for the county. |
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Department on Aging, Project EngAGE to host presentation on COVID-19The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE Mental Wellness Senior Resource Team invite the public to attend a virtual presentation, What We’ve Learned About COVID, on Dec. 11. Research into the global pandemic has evolved over the past few months in the quest for a CDC-approved vaccine for the general public. However, there is still so much more to talk about when it comes to the research. UNC Community Engagement Manager, Noshima Darden-Tabb, will provide key information regarding COVID-19 and how it is important for the community to be engaged. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and engage with the panelist. This event is proudly hosted by the Project EngAGE Mental Wellness Senior Resource Team. The event will take place on Friday, Dec. 11, from 4 – 5:15 p.m. via a virtual platform. Please register at www.orangecountync.gov/AboutCovid. If technology assistance is needed, please contact Shenae McPherson at 919-245-4243 by Monday, Dec. 7.
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Health Department offers free COVID tests daily on weekdays
The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) has begun offering daily weekday COVID-19 testing in Hillsborough and in Chapel Hill.
Hillsborough: The testing is offered 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday in the parking lot in front of the Whitted Human Services Center, 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online. Be sure to select Orange County when registering.
Chapel Hill: COVID-19 testing is available every weekday Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm at R7 Parking Lot at 725 MLK Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online: https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
Regular testing events offered in the county are:
Testing is drive through or walk up. Anyone can receive a test regardless of whether they are showing symptoms or are a close contact of someone positive for the virus. The nasal swab tests are billed to insurance or provided free to those without insurance. For up-to-date testing information, see the county’s COVID-19 Testing page. |
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$83,750 in Relief Grants Issued through Orange County Arts Support FundThe Orange County Arts Commission has awarded a fourth round of emergency relief grants totaling $26,500 to 44 members of the Orange County arts community. Grant amounts for individuals ranged from $400-$800 and will help recipients with essential needs such as groceries, bills, and healthcare expenses. In total, the fund has provided $83,750 in relief funds through 141 grants for artists and 9 grants for organizations. “These grants have been a blessing to help keep us performing artists afloat during these difficult times. Not only does the funding help, but also the tremendous support from the commission and community,” states Chapel Hill-based orchestra musician Paul Neebe. The Orange County Arts Support Fund is a fundraiser to benefit artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations in Orange County. More than $87,000 has been raised to date, made possible by 182 individual donors as well as contributions from the Triangle Community Foundation, Manbites Dog Theater Fund, Orange County Artists Guild, Women’s Voices Chorus and the North Carolina Arts Council. Last Wednesday saw the largest one-day giving total of $18,030, thanks in large part to a gift from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Future rounds of grants will open as funds become available. Donations can be made online or by check and are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.artsorange.org/supportfund.
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Tax Department reminds property owners about tax paymentsWith so many changes in our daily routines brought about by the pandemic, the Orange County Tax Office wants to remind residents of the available options for paying taxes, and let them know about a new option. The Tax Office has added an E-Check option as one of the online payment solutions offered. The convenience fee for using the E-check option is a flat fee of $2.00. This and other online payment options can be found on the Tax Office’s website at https://web.co.orange.nc.us/publicwebaccess/. Point and Pay LLC, who has been the provider of their online payment options for several years, is providing the new E-check option. “Paying property taxes is not something people think about every day, especially now,” said Orange County Tax Administrator Nancy Freeman. “Our office is available to help property owners find a solution to pay taxes by January 5th to avoid interest. We also want to let people know that making their payment early this year will thin out the crowd and help staff and property owners remain safe and healthy.” By state law, taxes became due on Sept. 1, and become delinquent after Jan. 5, Freeman said. This means a property owner has until the 5 th to pay their tax bill without incurring interest. Other ways to pay taxes include: by mail to Orange County Tax Collector, PO Box 8181, Hillsborough NC 27278; at the drop box located outside the office door at 228 South Churton Street, Hillsborough; by debit/credit card by phone (1-844-435-3981) or online ( https://web.co.orange.nc.us/publicwebaccess/). For debit/credit card transactions, a convenience fee is charged by the credit card vendor. The tax office can also help set up a payment plan to make regular payments through December. Please call (919) 245-2100 or email the office at tax@orangecountync.gov for more information about payment plans, how to list taxes, discuss values, see if you may be eligible to apply for a property tax relief program or discuss delinquent taxes. In light of the current health crisis taxpayers who usually pay taxes in person during December and early January are urged to pay early and use the new E-check option, mail, debit/credit card, or drop box to avoid sizeable wait times and to avoid close gatherings of people.
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Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data Dec. 4, 2020
The Orange County Health Department has provided the following information about COVID-19 cases in Orange County as of 9:00 a.m. today:
TOTAL CASES: 3,593
TOTAL DEATHS: 61
Data Considerations:
1. Any demographic groups with very small numbers have been suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality.
2. We are missing race and ethnicity data for between 30-40% of confirmed cases.
3. We don’t know who may have COVID-19 that wasn’t able to get tested, and we don’t know what groups the patients with missing data fall under.
This data should not be used to make generalizations about who may or may not have higher rates of infection.
- Click here to download the entire release.
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