Craven County on Tuesday reported the second worst one-day increases in the number of COVID-19 cases, and exposure to the virus has temporarily closed the county Register of Deeds office with no immediate way to provide document recording services. The Craven County Health Department reported 63 new cases between Monday afternoon and 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. It was the second worst single day of increases since about a month ago, Oct. 29-30, when 76 new cases were reported in the county over a 24-hour period. Just a few days ago, between Nov. 24-25, there were 62 cases were reported, the third highest single-dayRead More →

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it will issue an automated payment to thousands of eligible households to help with winter heating expenses via the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. The automated payment will be issued beginning Dec. 1 and is designed to help eligible seniors and people with disabilities access winter heating assistance in a safe and socially distanced manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. “More of our neighbors may be facing financial hardships because of COVID-19, and this funding can help eligible households with their heating expenses this winter,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “We want to ensure seniors andRead More →

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Document recording delayed until a workaround can be established The Craven County Register of Deeds office is temporarily closed until further notice due to COVID-19 exposure. Document recording will be unavailable in Craven County until a remote eRecording process is established. Register of Deeds Sherri Richard and her staff are working with Craven County’s Information Technology department, Courthouse Computer Systems, and eRecording partners to be able to eRecord documents remotely as soon as possible. Anyone needing a marriage license or a birth certificate for someone born after 1971 should be able to obtain those items from one of Craven County’s surrounding counties. The Craven CountyRead More →

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Studies show youth need outlet to fight decline in mental health Local soccer program Coastal United Soccer Association (CUSA) is keeping its seasons going by proceeding with tryouts for competitive leagues and registration for recreational leagues for the spring season. The board of directors fought hard for the season, believing that it is imperative for youth to stay active and have an outlet during the COVID-19 pandemic, where children of all ages have lost contact with many of their friends and in return, became depressed or even suicidal. To register for tryouts or the Spring Season, go to CoastalUnited.com. Dr. Amy James, a New BernRead More →

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Craven County marked two grim milestones for COVID-19 on the same day, Nov. 30, 2020: it passed the 3,000 mark in the number of lab-confirmed cases, and it recorded the 70th death of COVID-19-related causes. An unidentified Craven County resident died today, Nov. 30, 2020, becoming the 70th Craven County resident to die from complications related to COVID-19. The individual was tested for COVID-19 on Nov. 25, 2020 and resulted positive the same day. Like all Craven County COVID-19 fatalities to date, the individual had underlying health conditions. To protect the family’s privacy, no further information about the individual will be released. Craven County hasRead More →

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Craven County’s COVID-19 case rate continues to climb by 100 new cases every two days, and will likely surpass 3,000 total cases by the time you read this article. At 431 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, Craven County is well over the 300 mark to be flagged as a county of concern by the White House COVID-19 Task Force. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that Craven County has 3,032 cases. According to the Craven County Health Department, the county reached 2,936 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Of those,Read More →

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Craven County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) voted today to name Melissa Riggle as its new Executive Director.  Riggle, a New Bern native, is a graduate of East Carolina University, with a degree in Communications. She had been the Marketing Manager for Aramark at East Carolina University for the past 3 years.  After accepting the offer from the TDA Board of Directors, Riggle said, “I’m looking forward to returning to work in New Bern and being a part of the tourism community once again.”  Riggle’s tourism background includes positions as the Tourism Sales Service Manager of New Bern Riverfront Convention Center and Director of Sales atRead More →

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Craven County health officials are working out details for how a COVID-19 vaccine would be distributed in the county once one becomes available, which could be soon. “We are hearing that we may get our first shipments in December,” said Scott Harrelson, Craven County health director. Health departments, hospitals, private offices, and pharmacies are slated to receive the vaccine for distribution, he said. “We are not sure how many doses we will receive right now,” Harrelson said. “They will most likely be a two dose vaccine, three to four weeks apart. There are different risk groups—long-term care residents, high-risk individuals, and front-line medical staff will be atRead More →

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The 2020 holiday season is going to be different, but North Carolina retailers are in excited anticipation, and the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA), along with its 2,500 retail members across the state, encourage consumers to #ShopNC this year. The Thanksgiving holiday typically ushers in the official start of the holiday shopping season however, given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, retailers are adapting their strategies to ensure they are serving customers safely and effectively. Some are choosing to close on Thanksgiving Day; others are offering several months of “Black Friday” deals; and others will be featuring the same deals both in-stores andRead More →

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the state’s highest one-day number of COVID-19 cases with 4,296 new cases reported. Craven County had 39 new COVID-19 cases reported during that time period. Craven County in total has had 2,754 COVID-19 cases, of which 162 are active and 68 have died. The record-high day follows several days of increasing trends in new cases, the percent of tests that are positive and hospitalizations. The weekly COVID-19 Surveillance SummaryOpen PDF report released Thursday on the number of people visiting the emergency department with COVID-like illness also showed an increase. “I am very concerned,” said NCDHHSRead More →

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