All in State Government
Attorney General Josh Stein, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the North Carolina League of Municipalities today announced a major milestone – all 100 North Carolina counties and 45 largest municipalities have signed on to the $26 billion multistate agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and Johnson & Johnson over the companies’ role in creating and fueling the nationwide opioid crisis.
Governor Roy Cooper today announced plans to help combat staff shortages in K-12 school districts across the state during the current surge of COVID-19 cases. The policy will allow state employees to use volunteer days with supervisor approval to work in North Carolina public schools as substitute teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria staff.
Communities and all government entities statewide are encouraged to enter this year’s N.C. Department of Transportation Mobi Awards, which honor the state’s best multimodal projects.
The FDA now authorizes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine get a booster dose after five months. This announcement from federal agencies comes just three days after the announcement of a shortened wait time for a booster from six months to five months for individuals who received the Pfizer vaccine.
“State Highway Patrol Trooper John Horton served our state with honor and devotion. We are forever grateful for his service, and our deep condolences and prayers are with his fellow troopers, friends and family.”
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced it will issue the first round of Student Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer benefits next week for students eligible between the months of September and November 2021.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 245 to strengthen the state’s ongoing fight against COVID-19 with more health care workers and flexibility for care facilities, as well as easier access to vaccines, tests and treatments. The regulatory waivers in the Order are key to facilitating the state’s COVID-19 response at this critical juncture in the pandemic.
Governor Roy Cooper is again encouraging high school students in North Carolina to explore careers in cybersecurity by participating in CyberStart America, a free online cybersecurity competition sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and SANS Institute.
Over the next 12-24 hours, portions of North Carolina could see severe storms, heavy rain, significant snowfall, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. Governor Roy Cooper urges North Carolinians to stay aware of the local weather forecast and prepare for the conditions expected in your area.
This week the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the Right to Farm Act. The three-judge panel unanimously dismissed a challenge to the law brought by the Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help, North Carolina Environmental Justice Community Action Network and Waterkeeper Alliance in 2019.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms or about 88 pounds) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 key metrics and trends.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened the application period for the first phase of its North Carolina Swine and Dairy Assistance program. The $30 million in federal COVID funds appropriated by the N.C. General Assembly will offer assistance for eligible swine and dairy producers for losses incurred from termination of contracts or ceased milk production due to the pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new program to assist hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Farm Service Agency will begin taking applications on Dec. 15
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 key metrics and trends.
Christmas lights won’t be the only thing lighting up the night this holiday season. Starting today, through Jan. 2, law enforcement officers will be stepping up patrols across the state to stop impaired drivers as part of the "Booze It & Lose It" holiday enforcement effort.
The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (N.C. TTFC) awarded over $4 million through 23 grants for agricultural and economic initiatives across the state. These grants place a high priority on projects that stimulate the agricultural economy, train current and future farmers and help farmers execute innovative ideas.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA is deploying $100 million under the new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program to make available nearly $1 billion in loan guarantees; these loan guarantees will back private investment in processing and food supply infrastructure that will strengthen the food supply chain for the American people.
As part of the effort to improve customer service at driver license offices statewide, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles has added 41 new driver license examiner graduates to 32 offices.
On Tuesday, December 8 the Supreme Court of North Carolina issued an order to halt candidate filings for the 2022 election and delayed the primary. The new primary will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
The order also states, “Any individual who has already filed to run for public office in 2022 and whose filing has been accepted by the appropriate board of elections, will be deemed to have filed…”
A new filing period has yet to be established by the State Board of Elections or N.C. Supreme Court.
