Cooper announces expedited schedule for final groups eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that North Carolina would speed up the timeline for the remaining individuals who are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The remainder of people in Group 4 will become eligible March 31, and all other adults will become eligible on April 7. (See Group 4 Deeper Dive)

Orange County Health Department offers online registration at https://redcap.link/OCHDvax. Individuals who can’t access the Internet or need assistance filling out the form can register by calling (919) 913-8088 seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spanish and other languages are available.

While COVID-19 Restrictions are Easing, Mask Mandate and Other Safety Protocols Remain in Effect

Governor Roy Cooper announced lifting some restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Executive Order 204, which will take effect Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. and is set to expire on April 30.

Executive Order No. 204 has three general categories of occupancy restrictions: up to 100 percent capacity, 75 percent capacity, and 50 percent capacity. All businesses must continue to maintain the 6 feet of distance requirement between patrons and implement other safety protocols as they expand their capacity.

The number of people who may gather indoors will increase from 25 to 50 and the number of people who may gather outdoors will increase from 50 to 100. This Order also fully lifts the restriction on the late-night sale and service of alcoholic beverages on bars, restaurants, and other establishments.

Click here for more information.

Friends of Orange County Public Library Membership Drive graphic

The Friends of the Orange County Public Library is hosting its annual fundraiser and membership drive. Join or renew before March 31 to be entered into a chance to win a five-night stay in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Big Night In a Big Hit for Arts

The Big Night In fundraiser for local arts organizations on WRAL was a big hit. Here are some of the key numbers from the event.

35,000 - viewers tuned in to WRAL and online.
600 - donors and sponsors
$350,000 - donations for the Triangle arts community

The support of our generous community will help the arts industry of the Triangle begin a path to recovery post-pandemic. The proceeds will fund arts programming, initiatives for equity in the arts, and arts relief efforts. We are so grateful for the support of our communities and look forward to putting these vital dollars to use to ensure the arts in the Triangle will survive and thrive long after this pandemic has lifted.

The Orange County Arts Commission's Eno River Mills arts space was featured in the program.

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HAUNTED play traces roots of anti-Black violence in America

The Orange County Arts Commission together with the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition, Free Spirit FREEDOM, and The ArtsCenter, present HAUNTED, a new commissioned theatrical work by playwright and actor, Dr. Sonny Kelly. The production will air live from The ArtsCenter in Carrboro at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, 2021, and be available for streaming following the live production. To learn where to view the livestream event and sign up for an event reminder, visit https://artscenterlive.org/performance/haunted-presented-by-sonny-kelly/.

In the play HAUNTED, actor and playwright Sonny Kelly takes on the voices of historians, ancestors, elders, youths, politicians, pundits, and poets, as he traces the roots and routes of modern day anti-Black violence in America. Kelly recounts the roots of hatred and fear embedded in the story of the 1898 lynching of Manly McCauley in Orange County. He also tracks the routes of racialized violence in America as manifested in the colonial justice system, the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, the 2015 shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and the 2020 lynching of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia. Kelly digs deep to examine the impact that racial violence has historically had on our minds, bodies, and souls in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

HAUNTED is part of a series of events presented by the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition (OCCRC) whose work has been inspired by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) of Montgomery, Alabama. EJI has embarked on a multi-year project to recognize the victims and survivors of racial terror lynching in the United States, focusing on restorative truth-telling and memorialization.

To date, EJI has documented at least 4,400 African American victims of racial terror lynching between 1877 to 1950, with at least 119 racial terror lynchings documented in North Carolina during that period. Manly McCauley is one of those victims in Orange County. With HAUNTED, the OCCRC recognizes Manly McCauley and other victims of racial terror lynching and works to disrupt and overcome the detrimental systems and mindsets that have plagued America for generations, and to help usher forth a future of humanity, equity and justice for all of us.

The Orange County Public Library’s 3rd Annual [Virtual] Literary Peep Show Contest. Make a family-friendly, literary-themed, marshmallow peep diorama in any of the following categories: family; juvenile; young adult; adult. Enter a picture of your work for a chance to win a prize!

Upcoming events from the Orange County Senior Centers

Orange County to host panel discussion on advance directives

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE End of Life Choices Senior Resource Team invite the paublic to attend a virtual panel discuss on, Advance Directives: A Medical Professional’s Point of View on March 30.

Medical and health care’s primary objective should be to serve the well-being and wishes of the patient. You’ve joined us for discussions on how to create your advanced directives and how to discuss them with your family now let’s talk to the medical professionals.

Engage with our professional panelists as we have an honest conversation on how your loved ones, medical teams, and proxies must support one another to ensure your end of life choices are respected and fulfilled.

The free event will take place on Tuesday, March 30, from 4-6 pm via virtual platform. Please register at this link .

If technology assistance is needed please contact Shenae McPherson at 919-245-4243 by Monday, March 29.

Orange County to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE LGBTQ+ Senior Resource Team invite the public to attend a virtual documentary screening of The Ties that Bind on March 31.

As we celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility we invite you join us for a showing of The Ties that Bind. The documentary delivers an introspective and honest exploration of acceptance as it details Diana Newton’s journey with her sister Christine, a Trans woman and their family as they navigate the emotional and physical struggles of transitioning. Diana Newton offers a glimpse into the world of a Southern family as they confront society’s cultural bias and learn to face their own personal journey to live authentically.

Join us as we explore this thoughtful and heartfelt documentary with Diana offering a Q&A Session to follow.

The event will take place on Wednesday, March 31, from 6 – 8 p.m. via a virtual platform.
Please register here:

If technology assistance is needed please contact Shenae McPherson at 919-245-4243 by Monday, March 29.

The Orange County Youth Volleyball League is a developmental recreation program for youth ages 9-15-years-old. Volunteer coaches will work with players to improve individual skills with emphasis on the fundamentals, while instilling values in teamwork and sportsmanship. Click the graphic for more information. Fee includes team shirt.

www.orangecountync.gov