Press Releases
As floodwaters rose this week along the Tar River to levels not seen since Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, water rescue teams from the Rocky Mount Fire Department put some new state-provided equipment into action, rescuing people stranded in their homes and vehicles.
“We are grateful for our first responders who rescued people during these floods and brought them to safety,” said Governor Cooper. “Having the right equipment to do the job saves lives.”
A North Carolina public utility affected by Hurricane Dorian has been approved for disaster assistance funding from the State of North Carolina and FEMA.
The Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation was approved for more than $1.5 million to reimburse hurricane-related expenses. The reimbursement includes replacing damaged transformers, poles and other critical components to distribute power to its customers.
State prison officials have initiated a plan to test all 31,000 offenders for COVID-19.
“We’ve done some mass testing at prisons with significant outbreaks of this awful virus, but now we are going to test them all, the entire offender population,” said Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee.
This testing of the population is estimated to require at least 60 days to complete, at a projected cost of more than $3.3 million.
The state of North Carolina and FEMA have approved $8.3 million to reimburse Pender County for debris removal costs following Hurricane Florence.
Funds for this project cover the removal of hurricane-related debris throughout the county such as vegetation, damaged trees, construction materials and white goods.
The approval brings the total to more than $15 million to reimburse the county’s Hurricane Florence-related expenses.
The State Highway Patrol is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle sought in a deadly hit-and-run collision that occurred in Cleveland County. On Friday, June 12 at approximately 7:26 p.m., troopers responded to a vehicle collision on NC 150 near Ridge Rd.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace facilities damaged by Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, occurring February 6-19, 2020. This notice applies to the Public Assistance (PA) and Hazard Mitigation Grant (HMGP) programs implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207.
As many across the nation and in North Carolina express horror at the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, NC Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks says it’s an appropriate time to take a closer look at our state law enforcement agencies’ policies regarding use of force, the duty to intervene and report instances of excessive force.
Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 145 today, forming the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. The task force will recommend solutions to stop discriminatory law enforcement and criminal justice practices, and hold public safety officers accountable.
“We must acknowledge racial inequities in our systems of law enforcement and criminal justice, and then work to eliminate them. This task force will address policies and procedures that disproportionately burden communities of color,” said Governor Cooper.
The Division of Prisons has announced the appointment of John Coleman as the director of Correction Enterprises. Coleman is a 29-year veteran of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and has been the chief of Ohio Penal Industries since 2018.
Coleman replaces Robert Leon, who retired on March 1. Deputy Director Dr. Anthony Vann has been interim director.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 143. to addresses the social, environmental, economic, and health disparities in communities of color that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Order directs state agencies and offices to provide targeted measures to help communities of color that have been affected by the pandemic.