A dose of distraction...
See Page 7
MARTIN COUNTY
Opinion
Enterprise & Weekly Her
ald staff writer and colum
nist Sarah Hodges Stalls
recalls a ‘Night to Reme-
ber’ meeting Joe Diffie.
Page 4
/
Martin County Chamber of
Commerce Director Chase
Conner writes about how
it is important to be .part
of the COVID-19 recovery
by supporting local
businesses..
Page 4
Sports
David Friedman writes
about the good that’s
happening in the sports
world.
Page 5
GOOD
MORNING,
Lela Styons
of Jamesville
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Inside
This Edition
Classified 5
Out & Atx)ut 2
Opinion 4
6 *56525 10902
Volume 121:
No. 26
& Week^ HercdcC
TUESDAY . MARCH 31.2020
Gov. Cooper: Stay at home
Latest executive order aimed to help flatten curve of COVID-19
SARAH HODGES STALLS
Enterprise & Weekly Herald
On Friday, Gov. Roy
Cooper signed Execu
tive Order 121, order
ing North Carolinians to
remain in their homes
for health and safety
purposes except to per
forming essential work
and essential activities
such as taking care of
others and obtaining
necessary supplies.
This Executive Order
is effective Monday,
March 30, 2020, at 5
p.m., and shall remain
in effect for 30 days
from that date or unless
repealed, replaced or
rescinded by another
applicable Executive
Order.
An Executive Order
rescinding the Decla
ration of the State of
Emergency will auto
matically rescind this
Executive Order.
This Stay at Home
Order will help slow
the spread of COVID-19
and prevent the medi
cal system from being
overwhelmed by keep
ing individuals from be
ing exposed to the virus
and keeping those who
have the virus from
spreading it to others.
Included are frequent
ly asked questions and
answers. In addition, in
dividuals should check
with local governments
to determine whether
additional restrictions
have been imposed in
their local jurisdictions
to limit the spread of
COVID-19. Note that
Executive Order 121
modifies some sections
of previous Executive
Orders, but sections
not modified are still in
effect.
This information is
subject to change in
light of new CDC guid
ance and additional Ex
ecutive Orders or local
government declara
tions.
What You Need to
Know about the Order
This order permits
the following business
es to remain open:
• Restaurants that
provide take-out, drive-
thru, or delivery
• Grocery stores
• ABC stores and beer
and wine stores
• Doctors and other
healthcare providers
• Pharmacies
• Hardware stores
• Post offices
• Office supply stores
• Gas stations and
convenience stores
• Veterinarians and
pet supply stores
• Hotels, airlines, bus-
See ORDER, 3
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SARAH HODGES STALLS / Enterprise & Weekly Herald
The parking lot may be empty, but staff still works tirelessly to care for Martin County’s senior citizen population.
Meeting needs
Special group still being served
SARAH HODGES STALLS
Enterprise & Weekly Herald
WILLIAMSTON - Clo
sures of offices to the
public have been hard
for everyone; however,
it’s been a different kind
of tough around the
Martin County Senior
Center.
The Center provides a
place for area senior cit
izens to congregate and
fellowship, a temporary
fix for the loneliness
many of them know all
too well.
According to Char-
maine Hardison, Direc
tor of Martin County’s
Adult and Aging Ser
vices Department, their
friends have not been
forgotten.
A 15-day food supply
was provided to those
who generally attend
meals on-site.
“We call our se
niors everyday,” she
explained. Conversa
tions range from health
checks to simple con
versations. Staff mem
bers have made these
calls a regular part of
their irregular day.
“Any older adults
are welcome to reach
out to us if they have
questions or fears in
the wake of our current
situation, or if they just
want to talk to some
one,” Hardison added.
“They are welcome to
call us at 792-1027.”
Meals on Wheels, an
outreach for local shut-
in seniors, has under
gone a temporary trans
formation to better see
all involved through
this crisis.
According to Hardi
son, five shelf-stable
meals are being de
livered at one time to
recipients of Meals on
Wheels.
“This reduces volun
teer, staff and most of
all client exposure,” she
added.
Hardison reminds the
public, agency staff re
mains on the job and
are available by tele
phone only for now.
The Centers for Dis
ease Control (CDC)
reminds residents
COVID-19 is “a new dis
ease and we are learn
ing more about it every
day.”
Reminders for
Older Adults:
If you have a serious
underlying medical con
dition:
Stay home if possi
ble.
Wash your hands of
ten.
Avoid close contact
(six feet, which is about
two arm lengths) with
people who are sick.
Clean and disinfect
frequently touched sur
faces.
Avoid all cruise trav
el and non-essential air
travel.
Call your healthcare
professional if you
have concerns about
COVID-19 and your un
derlying condition or if
you are sick.
For more information
on steps you can take
to protect yourself, see
CDC’s How to Protect
Yourself.
Stress and coping
Older people are at
higher risk for severe
See NEEDS, 3
License
Plate
Agency
closed
WILLIAMSTON —
In the interest of the
health, safety and
security of the com
munity and its em
ployees and effective
immediately, the Mar
tin County License
Plate Agency is closed
to the public and will
be open to dealers by
appointment only.
County Manager
David Bone stated,
“Martin County has
strived to maintain
services in the Li
cense Plate Agency,
but this operational
adjustment was made
necessary by the cur
rent standard of limit
ing gatherings to no
more than ten per
sons.”
The Martin County
Driver’s License
fice remains closed,
but many common
NCDMV services,
such as driver license
renewal and vehicle
registration renewal
can be performed any
time and any place on
a computer or mobile
device, please go to
https;//www.ncdot.
gov/dmv.
Public access to the
Martin County offices
and facilities contin
ues to be restricted
to appointments
only, with limited ex
ceptions. Staff will
continue to report to
work on their regular
schedules and will be
available to serve the
public by phone and
email from 8 a.m. until
See CLDSED,3
\\
Abqutjuhat is going on?
\.
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