 Renee Price
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Price, Bedford elected to BOCC leadership roles
Renee Price was elected unanimously Monday night to serve as Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners for the next year. Price served as Vice Chair for the past two years. She was elected to her third term as commissioner in November.
Jamezetta Bedford, who is in her first term as an Orange County Commissioner, was chosen unanimously to serve as Vice Chair.
"Being selected to serve as chair by my peers certainly is an honor, and I am most appreciative," said Price. "I realize that my responsibilities to the Board and to the Orange County Community suddenly have expanded, and I will endeavor in earnest to serve with, by and for the people."
New commissioners Amy Fowler and Jean Hamilton joined the Board. Fowler is a native of Winston-Salem and was elected to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education in 2017. Hamilton is also a former member of the CHCCS Board of Education. She earned a Ph.D. in Economics from UC Berkeley and has lived in Chapel Hill since 2001.
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 Jamezetta Bedford
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 Amy Fowler
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 Jean Hamilton
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Animal Services announces new program to help low-income families with pet medical expensesIn order to keep more pets in their homes with their families, Orange County Animal Services has developed a fund that can assist Orange County residents with non-emergency veterinary expenses.
"In general, we see many heartbreaking pet surrenders to our shelter as a result of owners not being able to afford to properly care for their pets when they need medical attention," said Orange County Animal Services Director Bob Marotto. "We know that, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will likely see increases in these types of surrenders as a result of unemployment and other economic pressures."
This fund is available to Orange County residents based on their needs and ability to meet income criteria. Please see more information about how to qualify and coverage details here. Obtaining this assistance would require collaboration with local veterinarians or specialists, and may cover full or partial medical expenses for issues such as: skin infections and other skin issues, dental issues, minor surgeries, etc.
Funds will be issued to veterinarians and veterinary clinics or hospitals for these services for dogs, cats and other pets from economically challenged households in Orange County.
"This type of program will help people retain their pets and will be extremely beneficial for pets, pet owners, and Orange County Animal Services," said Marotto.
OCAS has established a GoFundMe for residents who wish to donate to the campaign. All funds received will be used for the program.
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Modified Stay at Home order begins at 5 p.m. Friday
North Carolina will begin a modified stay at home order at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, due to a rapid increase in North Carolina’s key COVID-19 trends. The order requires people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and will be in place until at least Jan. 8.
“We already have strong safety protocols and capacity limitations in place – including a statewide mask requirement. With this additional action beginning Friday, we hope to get these numbers down,” Gov. Roy Cooper said. “Our new modified stay at home order aims to limit gatherings and get people home where they are safer, especially during the holidays. It’s also a reminder that we must be vigilant the rest of the day – wearing a face mask when we are with people we don’t live with, keeping a safe distance from others and washing our hands a lot.”
The order requires restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses and more to close at 10 pm. and for on-site alcohol sales to end at 9 p.m. Exempted are travel to and from work, to obtain food, medical care, fuel or social services; or to take care of a family member is exempted. Read more in the Frequently Asked Questions document.
The number of red counties (critical community spread) has more than doubled since November 23, up to 48 red counties from 20. More than 80% of the state’s counties fall into the red or orange tier, with 34 counties designated orange for substantial community spread.
Orange County remains in the yellow designation for significant spread. Read the update to see where each county stands, how the system was designed, and recommended actions for individuals, businesses, community organizations and public officials in each zone.
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Health Department offers free COVID tests daily on weekdays
The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) offers daily weekday COVID-19 testing in Hillsborough and in Chapel Hill.
Hillsborough: The testing is offered 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday in the parking lot in front of the Whitted Human Services Center, 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online. Be sure to select Orange County when registering.
Chapel Hill: COVID-19 testing is available every weekday Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm at R7 Parking Lot at 725 MLK Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Pre-registration is encouraged and may be done online: https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
Other regular testing events offered in the county are:
- Every Wednesday - Alternating each Wednesday between two sites in Chapel Hill: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the R-7 Parking Lot, 725 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. or 3 to 7 p.m. at the Nash Parking Lot on Wilson Street. See the county’s COVID-19 Testing page for each week’s location.
- Third Saturday of each month - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lattisville Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1701 Jimmy Ed Road in Hurdle Mills.
- Fourth Saturday of each month - noon to 4 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St. in Chapel Hill.
- First Sunday of each month- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at McDougal Middle School, 900 Old Fayetteville Rd. in Chapel Hill.
Testing is drive through or walk up. Anyone can receive a test regardless of whether they are showing symptoms or are a close contact of someone positive for the virus. The nasal swab tests are billed to insurance or provided free to those without insurance. For up-to-date testing information, see the county’s COVID-19 Testing page. |
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Tax Department reminds property owners to pay property taxes nowThe Orange County Tax Office wants to remind residents that 2020 tax bills are currently due and should be paid by January 5, 2021. There has been no change in the state-required due date and past due date for these bills. By state law North Carolina General Statute 105-360(a), taxes become delinquent after Jan. 5. This means a property owner has until the 5th to pay their tax bill without incurring interest. Paying your tax bill now will help you avoid crowds and reduce the spread of COVID 19. An E-Check option has recently been added as one of the online payment solutions offered. The convenience fee for using the E-check option is a flat fee of $2. This and other online payment options can be found on the Tax Office’s website. Other safe, non-contact ways to pay taxes include: - Mail to Orange County Tax Collector, PO Box 8181, Hillsborough NC 27278 – US Postal Service postmark of January 5, 2021 or earlier
- Drop box located outside our office door at the Gateway Center, 228 South Churton Street, Hillsborough
- Debit/credit card by phone (1-844-435-3981), a convenience fee is charged by the provider
Due to current public health concerns and to help reduce the spread of COVID 19, we are currently restricting entrance to our office. However, we are still available to assist you with payments, and all other requests. During normal business hours we are available by phone 919-245-2100, email tax@orangecountync.gov, or the live chat feature on our website https://www.orangecountync.gov/842/Chat. You can set up an appointment if you need assistance in person. Email tax@orangecountync.gov or call 919-245-2100. One or two people may attend, and masks must be worn. Access to our office will be given for some services without an appointment, such as cash payments. Please explain your request to the person monitoring the door. Masks must be worn. In light of the current pandemic, taxpayers are urged to pay taxes now. Use the new E-check option, mail, debit/credit card, or drop box to avoid sizeable wait times and to avoid close gatherings of people.
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Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data Dec. 11, 2020
The Orange County Health Department has provided the following information about COVID-19 cases in Orange County as of 9 a.m. today:
TOTAL CASES: 4,215
TOTAL DEATHS: 62
Data Considerations:
1. Any demographic groups with very small numbers have been suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality.
2. We are missing race and ethnicity data for between 30-40% of confirmed cases.
3. We don’t know who may have COVID-19 that wasn’t able to get tested, and we don’t know what groups the patients with missing data fall under.
This data should not be used to make generalizations about who may or may not have higher rates of infection.
- Click here for more information.
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