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Region K CAC Board Meeting will be at 5:30PM
on Thursday,
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January 23, 2020 at the Expo Center in
Granville County.
·
Kerr-Tar Executive Committee Meeting will be
at 6:00PM on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at the Expo Center in
Granville County.
·
Kerr-Tar COG Board meeting will be at 7:00pm
Thursday,
January 23,
2020 at the Expo Center in Granville County.
·
KTRPO will hold its next meeting on Thursday,
January 30, 2020. Members will receive information as the
meeting date approaches.
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Announcing
Focus 2020 - A Regional Economic Development Summit
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In anticipation of the 2020 Census, the U.S.
Census Bureau is recruiting people to fulfill temporary jobs.
If interested in applying and learning more about position
qualifications, please refer to the following: http://www.2020census.gov/jobs
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North
Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is Accepting 2020
Grant Applications
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The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund is now
accepting applications for the 2020 grant cycle. Supporting
the agricultural industry, impacting rural communities, and
stimulating economic development are key objectives for the
2020 NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (NCTTFC) grant cycle.
Applications are due February 14, and you can
find more information about these grants HERE. Funds will be awarded in the fall for
selected innovative projects.
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DEQ
Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant (CWRAR)
Available
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The North Carolina Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) is now accepting proposals for the 2020 grant
cycle. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5:00 p.m. on
Thursday, February 20, 2020. This recurring annual grant
program provides funding to public recycling programs for
projects that help communities build lasting capacity to
divert materials from the waste stream and / or increase
public awareness of recycling. This grant cycle is timed to
correspond with local government budget cycles. Funding for
the 2020 CWRAR Grant winners becomes available on July 1,
2020.
Download the 2020 request for
proposals (RFP) by selecting one of the following
links (PDF or Word). For more information or assistance please
contact Sandy Skolochenko at (919) 707-8147.
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LWCF
Webinar: 2020 Local LWCF funding cycle
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NC Division of Parks and Recreation, in
collaboration with Recreation Resources Service, is hosting
an informational webinar on Friday, January 24th at 9:30am,
on this year’s Local Land and Water Conservation fund (LWCF)
competitive grant program. This competitive grant program
will be for North Carolina cities, towns, and counties as
well as federally recognized Native American tribes are
eligible to apply for the matching grants. The matching
grants can be used to acquire new park properties or renovate/replace
amenities at existing LWCF-funded parks. Local governments
can request a maximum of $500,000 with each application and
must match the grant dollar for dollar. Register here.
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Vance-Granville
Community College to Offer Truck Driving Program
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Vance-Granville Community College, in
partnership with Caldwell Community College and Technical
Institute, will soon offer a Truck
Driver
Training Program that
gives students the training required to operate
tractor-trailer rigs, obtain a Class A commercial driver’s
license and become professional truck drivers.
Registration is going on now for the nine-week
program, which will take place in early 2020, with a
combination of classroom instruction, range driving and road
driving.
After mandatory orientation on Thursday,
January 23, 2020, classroom instruction will begin on
Wednesday, February 12, 2020 in Building 7 (Room 7105) on
VGCC’s Main Campus. Classes will meet Monday through Friday
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ending on April 16, with the
exception of Friday, April 10.
Upon successful completion of the program,
graduates will have the opportunity to be employed by
commercial trucking companies, become an owner-operator, or
take advantage of local jobs. This Truck Driver Training program
is certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute.
Students must be at least 18 years old, have a
valid North Carolina driver’s license, and be able to read and speak
English well enough to take instructions from highway signs,
to converse with officials, and to complete the required
reports.
Tuition and fees for the entire class total
$1,881. A payment plan is available, and there are opportunities for
scholarships to partially defray the cost of tuition and
fees. There are additional costs for the required DOT
physical and drug screen, N.C. Motor Vehicle Record, permit
and license.
The Truck Driver Training program is approved
for funding by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
and the N.C. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Unemployed and underemployed individuals may qualify for
tuition vouchers to take the course.
The deadline to register is Thursday, January
30, 2020. For more information about the Truck
Driver Training program,
contact Kyle Burwell at burwellk@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3276, or Gina Brewer at brewerg@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3324.
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NCGHSP
Accepting Grant Applications
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The Governor’s Highway Safety Program is now
accepting grant applications for eligible projects that would
advance traffic safety in North Carolina.
Grant funds are now available for projects
that would use data-driven measures to prevent traffic deaths
and injuries. Those who are eligible to apply include local
non-profit organizations, law enforcement agencies, hospitals
and other groups.
In previous years, about 100 grants were
issued to reduce impaired driving, reduce speed-related
fatalities, encourage seat belt usage, promote pedestrian,
bicycle and motorcycle safety, and other safety-related
initiatives. Individual grants have ranged from about $20,000
and $1 million.
People can start applying for grants today! Application
submissions must be postmarked no later than Jan. 31, 2020.
Grants awarded will be for the 2021 federal
fiscal year, which begins Oct.1, 2020
Organizations interested in applying for a
Governor’s Highway Safety Program, may do so at the following:
https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/ghsp/Pages/default.aspx
Interested applicants may also call
919-814-3658 with questions.
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PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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2020
Tentative TCC/TAC Meeting Dates
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All meetings are open to the public and held
from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of
Governments’ located at 1724 Graham Ave. in Henderson.
·
January
30, 2020
·
February
27, 2020
·
March
26, 2020
·
April
23, 2020
·
May
28, 2020
·
June
25, 2020
·
July
2020 - No Meeting Scheduled
·
August
27, 2020
·
September
- No Meeting Scheduled
·
October
22, 2020
·
November
2020 - No Meeting Scheduled
·
December
2020 - No Meeting Scheduled
*Meeting dates are subject to change in order
to accommodate NCDOT deadlines. If a meeting date changes,
members of the TAC and TCC will be notified
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Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) and Real
Estate Disclosure (RED) forms will be available through the
N.C. State Ethics Commission beginning January 15, 2020. All
voting TAC members and TAC alternates are required to
complete SEI and RED forms annually. The KTRPO is available
to schedule appointments with TAC members and TAC alternates
to assist with completing and filing of these forms.
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The North Carolina Department of Transportation is encouraging
students to create posters around the theme, Leaping
into the Future as it relates to future transportation
needs in North Carolina. All
students who live in and/or attend school in North Carolina
and were born between Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2014, are
encouraged to participate by submitting their own artwork. All
entries must be turned in or mailed and postmarked no later
than Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. For more information and a list
of permitted media, please refer to: https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/nc-2050-plan/Pages/poster-contest.aspx We look
forward to some great submissions from our region’s talented
students!
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NC
MOVES 2050 FUTURE NEEDS SURVEY
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The North Carolina Department of Transportation
wants to build a transportation system people want, need and
will use. So, what is it that you want? Now is the time
to speak up.
Participate in the
survey to tell us what is important to you. Share this
survey with your family and friends. Everyone’s voice is
welcome. Survey
will be open through February 14, 2020.
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U.S.
DOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic
Success [ROUTES] Request for Information/Public Comments
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The U.S. DOT invites comments by all those
interested in the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation
for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative. The Department seeks
comments that illustrate rural communities' needs and
experiences with transportation infrastructure, including the
condition of that infrastructure, its effect on safety, and
how its use affects the community. The Department of has
extended the comment period to January 27, 2020 for
request for information (RFI). See Federal Register Notice at
the following: [DOT-OST-2019-0167]
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N.C.
Receives Good Transportation News as Deal Advances Southeast
Rail Corridor
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North Carolina has received good transportation
news as an important agreement reached will advance plans to
improve the Southeast’s freight and passenger rail network.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public
Transportation announced a major deal with CSX. Part of the
deal will enable the N.C. Department of Transportation to
acquire a 10-mile portion of an inactive freight line in North
Carolina so the line can be converted for use on the Southeast
Rail Corridor.
The Southeast Rail Corridor is a network of
passenger and freight rail from Washington D.C. to
Jacksonville, FL. The rail runs through North Carolina roughly
parallel to Interstate 85 and U.S. 1. The 10-mile section to
be acquired runs from Ridgeway in Warren County to the North
Carolina-Virginia border.
“This is a key step as we work to improve our
rail system so we can move people and goods more efficiently
between North Carolina and communities along the East Coast,”
said Jason Orthner, Director of the N.C. Department of
Transportation’s Rail Division.
This deal will also enable the construction of
a new Virginia-owned Long Bridge across the Potomac River, and
acquisition of more than 350 miles of railroad right-of-way.
The deal comes as officials with North Carolina
and Virginia work together on a strategy to acquire both
in-service and out-of-service rail lines for enhanced freight
and passenger services. North Carolina Sen. Tom McInnis is
Chairman of the North Carolina delegation of the VA-NC
Interstate High Speed Rail Compact and a Chairman of state
legislative transportation committees.
“This agreement takes us a big step forward in
our efforts to better connect North Carolina communities,”
McInnis said. “And it will offer new connections between our
state and our neighbors, providing lasting economic
development opportunities for our state.”
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As we continue working with regional, state,
and federal partners to explore the opportunities posed by the
S-Line, we have realized many people have not ridden the
NCDOT-sponsored Piedmont service. The Piedmont
offers much of the same experience as commuter rail and a
glimpse of what the S-Line could provide. Therefore, on behalf
of the S-Line Stakeholder group, I invite you to participate
in a special train ride and educational session about the
commuter rail experience.
Please join us on Thursday, January 16, from 9:30
a.m.-2:00 p.m. to ride
the Piedmont train round-trip from Raleigh to Cary. We will have a lunch meeting in Cary to update
you on our continuing efforts on the S-Line and hear from a
speaker that has successfully launched commuter rail services
across the country.
Please contact a member of the KTRPO if
interested in participating.
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Comprehensive
State Rail Plan Update – Input Needed
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The NCDOT Rail Division is working to update
the Comprehensive State Rail Plan. This plan will identify
ways to make strategic passenger and freight rail investments
that support safe and reliable rail transportation, while
spurring economic development. The completed plan will be
issued in 2020.
Stakeholder feedback is a key piece of this
plan. The Department appreciates all the feedback received so
far. To ensure a wide range of feedback, NCDOT has created an
online survey site with questions about rail project needs and
opportunities. The Department encourages you to participate in
this survey. The survey is available via the following: https://ncstaterailplan.metroquest.com/
If you have any questions or would like to
speak with the study team, please contact Eddie McFalls with
the NCDOT Rail Division at: ebmcfalls@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-4727 or the consultant team at
Dewberry Engineering; Rachel Vandenberg rvandenberg@dewberry.com or Beth Smyre esmyre@dewberry.com
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Announcing
National Diesel Emission Reduction Program RFP
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The U.S. EPA is offering approximately $44
million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant
funds to support projects aimed at reducing emissions from the
nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. The Agency’s
DERA applications are being accepted nationwide for projects
that represent significant reductions in diesel emissions from
fleets in areas designated by the EPA as having poor air
quality. Application
packages must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov
by Wednesday, February 26, 2020. The EPA will host a series of webinars
to assist applicants in learning more about the program and
grant guidelines. For further details, please visit https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants#rfa If interested in applying for a DERA grant,
please contact a member of the KTRPO.
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Safe
Routes to School Program Coordinator
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The KTCOG and KTRPO are pleased to announce
Malana Williams will be serving as the Safe Routes to School
Program Coordinator. Originally from Halifax County, she now
resides in Warren County. Malana received her B.S. from
Elizabeth City State University and her MPA for Ashford
University. Prior to joining the Council of Governments,
Malana was a former teacher and member of the PTA.
The SRTS initiatives seek to highlight the many
health benefits associated with walking and biking to school.
Malana looks forward to working with our region’s school
systems in advancing the goals of the SRTS program.
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Consumer
Directed Vouchers
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Kerr-Tar AAA has initiated a new program of
consumer-directed vouchers for caregivers, who may apply for a
$750 voucher to pay a person of their choice to care for their
loved one while they take a much needed break. This program is
designed to alleviate caregiver burden, and we offer
information and resources to help them develop a long-term
plan to meet their caregiving needs. So far we have enlisted
seven family caregivers in the program, and we have three more
vouchers available this fiscal year. For more information
please contact Harvey Holmes at 252-436-2040 or via email, hholmes@kerrtarcog.org
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Regional
Aging Advisory Committee
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Do you have ideas and opinions about resources
available to older adults in our region? Do you have the time
and energy to be actively involved in our quarterly advisory
committee? If yes, we would love to speak with you! We’re
seeking committed, creative thinkers who can help steer the
region’s aging plans and advocacy. Please contact Nancy
Francis at 252-436-2040 or via email nfrancis@kerrtarcog.org.
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Support
Groups for Family Caregivers
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Caregiver support groups are offered monthly in
the following counties: Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and
Warren. If you are a caregiver, or know someone who is,
we highly recommend attending! Our caregiver support groups
offer information, assistance, guidance, and support for all
caregivers! The following times for support groups are listed
below. For more information regarding caregiver support
groups, please contact Harvey Holmes, Family Caregiver
Specialist at hholmes@kerrtarcog.org
or call (252) 436-2040.
Franklin County
Caregiver Support Group
Granville County
Caregiver Support Group
Granville Hospital
Cafeteria Meeting Room
1st Wednesday
@ 12:00 P.M
Person County
Caregiver Support Group
Person County
Senior Center
Person County
Caregiver Support Group
Vance County
Caregiver Support Group
Vance County Senior
Center
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New
Aging Projects Coordinator
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Michele Brigandi, joined Kerr-Tar COG
mid-November. She will coordinate the Senior Games, help with
monitoring, plan and run events, participate in the RAAC and
STHL for advocacy and initiatives, and serve as a community
educator, and more. She is an experienced business woman,
lives in Louisburg, and comes to us from Northern Wake Senior
Center where she served as the Senior Program
Coordinator.
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It's
All About Giving Back
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NCWorks Career Center is here to make a
difference in the lives of the citizen who live in the five
county region of Kerr-Tar. In December, the Career Center
staff banded together to make the holiday season a little
brighter for some who are often overlooked. They decided to
“adopt” a resident from a group home or nursing home in each
county served by Kerr-Tar. They asked each home to
identify one resident without family or support, and unlikely
to receive gifts at Christmas. The center staff were
given a profile of a resident and a list of items the resident
needed or wanted. The career center staff shopped for
presents and delivered them on December 19. In addition,
all residents of the group homes and nursing home were given
toiletry kits.
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The homes were:
· Vance Adult Home
· Franklin County Group Home
· Warren County Group Home
· Oxford Group Home
· Maple Heights Rest Home
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Certified
Career Pathways
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In an effort to bring more awareness to certified
career pathways within our region, NCWorks customers visited
two Advanced Manufacturing Employers on Wednesday, December
4th. Customers explored a variety of positions at Dill
Industries in Oxford and Amcor Rigid Plastics in Youngsville. Theses
tours provided an on-site Job-shadowing experience for skills
sets in various occupations such as processing technician,
quality assurance specialist, and engineer. Those who
participated were treated to lunch following the tour.
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Click here to view the
January calendar of happenings at local career centers.
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Are you having a
hard time landing a job and feel defeated or frustrated?
NCWorks Career Centers have staff and programs that can assist
you. To find your local NCWorks Career Center and see the
upcoming events click here.
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MISSION
STATEMENT
Kerr-Tar
Regional Council of Governments aims to
promote
regionalism that provides opportunities for
local
governments to enhance and improve the quality
of
life for our citizens through effective delivery of
services
and programs.
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Kerr-Tar Regional
Council of Governments
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