Next COG Board Meeting with be Thursday, January 24th 2019 at the COG office. There will not be a meeting in December.

The COG office will be closed the following dates:

Monday, December 24th

Tuesday, December 25th

Wednesday, December 26th

Tuesday, January 1st

The convening will share the most current Opportunity Zone information, provide details on how the program can be leveraged, and help communities consider ways that they can develop an investment prospectus. The event is being organized by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond with support from SBTDC, NC Department of Commerce, NC League of Municipalities, UNC School of Government, SBA, EDA, NC Bankers Association, and the NC Economic Developers Association. A full agenda will be released later this week. To register, please go here . 

From Left to Right: Rep. Bobbie Richardson; Mr. Garry Faulkner; Fmr. Rep. Jim Crawford; Fmr. Rep. Lucy Allen; Sen. Chad Barefoot; Commissioner Sidney E. Dunston; Mr. Gary Cunard; Commissioner Cedric K. Jones, Sr.; NC DOT Board Member Valerie Jordan; and NCDOT Division 5 Engineer Joey Hopkins. [ Photo courtesy of NCDOT]



On November 13, members of the KTRPO joined with NCDOT officials, Franklin County representatives, and the 401 Citizens Action Committee in the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction of Section C of U.S. 401.

Developed through extensive collaboration between state, local and federal institutions, the improvements along the greater U.S. 401 corridor in Wake and Franklin Counties are designed to widen the corridor to a four-lane median divided highway between north of Ligon Mill Road and N.C. 39 in Louisburg.

Joey Hopkins, NCDOT Div. 5 Engineer offered remarks on behalf of NC DOT saying, “This is an exciting time for transportation in Franklin County and our entire state…Together, with you, we have realized a vision to give folks a safer and more efficient route to travel. We are improving mobility, reducing congestion, and enhancing the region's economic competitiveness."

Construction of this section, connecting Louisburg to Lake Royal is expected to be completed by 2022.  

The N.C. Department of Insurance has released this  memo  with helpful updates to building inspector licensure laws that should ease some hiring barriers that local government managers may face when considering experienced out-of-state applicants. The state licensing board that governs building inspections recently took action to allow inspectors licensed in other states, and who also have a significant amount of experience, to be hired without immediately passing one of North Carolina’s required exams. We hope this helps expand the pool of applicants for your open positions. Please direct questions or comments to the  Department of Insurance​ .  

HHS is accepting applications for Rural Communities Opioid Program to support eligible entities in providing treatment for and prevention of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder (OUD), in rural counties at the highest risk for substance use disorder. The program is part of a multi-year opioid-focused effort by HRSA that will include: improving access to and recruitment of new substance use disorder providers; building sustainable treatment resources; increasing the use of telehealth; establishing cross-sector community partnerships; implementing new models of care, including integrated behavioral health; and providing technical assistance. HRSA has scheduled a December 7, 2018 webinar from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm to discuss the solicitation (call in number 1-800-369-2114 participant code: 8423689 and weblink https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/rcorp_planning_fy19_ta_webinar/ ). Funding will be provided to support one year of planning. To access the solicitation, please go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=307936 .

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently posted the FY 2018 Economic Development Assistance Programs Notice of Funding Opportunity. EDA solicits applications for construction, non-construction, planning, technical assistance, and the capitalization or re-capitalization of revolving loan fund projects under EDA’s Public Works program and Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) programs. Grants made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. Proposals and Applications are accepted throughout the year. To discuss potential projects and learn more EDA’s grant requirements and process, please contact Hillary Sherman at 404.730.3013 or [email protected] . To access the funding notice and application forms, please go to  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=306735&utm_content=&utm .

The Planning Department hosted an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Training Course for Emergency Responders on November 30, 2018 at the Council of Governments’ offices. Training was facilitated by the National Fire Protection Association and provided emergency personnel with guidance on how to safely deal with situations involving alternative fuel passenger vehicles. This training was a result of funding received from the North Carolina Clean Technology Center, NC State, and NCDOT for the administration of their Clean Fuel Advanced Technology grant. The Planning Department hopes attendees will share the information learned with colleagues in order to better equip them in handling emergency incidences involving emerging automobile technologies.

The NC Department of Transportation is compiling candidate projects for the High Impact Low Cost Program . The focus of this program delivery is for projects would need to be under contract within 12 months of funding approval. Eligible projects include: intersection improvements, minor widening projects, and operational improvement projects. All projects will be submitted to the NCDOT through the KTRPO no later than December 18, 2018. Evaluation of the projects is expected to be completed no later than December 31, 2018 . Please contact the KTRPO staff with any projects you would like to be considered for submission. 

KTRPO staff attended the Statewide Stakeholder Group Kickoff Meeting in Raleigh on October 29, 2018. NC Moves 2050 Plan is a strategic transportation plan connecting communities across North Carolina, focused on creating a more responsive, diverse, and inclusive transportation system for keeping people and freight moving safely and efficiently. Public participation is highly encouraged. The public is encouraged to participate through November 30, 2018 at: www.ncdot.gov/ncmoves . 

Senior Advocates from around North Carolina have set their Legislative Priorities for the upcoming General Assembly. Check out the priorities by clicking here .

On Wednesday, December 12, 2018 , the Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging will partner with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare in holding an Older Adult Mental Health First Aid Training from 8:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. at Vance-Granville Community College, located on 200 Community College Road in Henderson. This is an 8 hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adults and older adults, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adult/older adult in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. We encourage individuals working within healthcare, aging, mental health, human services or community outreach to attend. Deadline to register is December 10, 2018. To register, contact Harvey Holmes at (252) 436-2040 or [email protected] .

Caregiver Support Groups



Caregiver support groups are offered monthly in the following counties: Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren. If you are a caregiver, or know someone who is, we highly recommend attending! Our caregiver support groups offer information, assistance, guidance, and support for all caregivers! The following times for support groups are listed below. For more information regarding caregiver support groups, please contact Harvey Holmes, Family Caregiver Specialist at [email protected] or call (252) 436-2040.

Franklin County Caregiver Support Group

Louisburg Senior Center

2nd Monday @ 7:00 P.M

(919) 496-1131

Granville County Caregiver Support Group

Granville Primary Care Education Classroom

1st Wednesday @ 12:00 P.M

(919) 690-3273

Person County Caregiver Support Group

Person County Senior Center

4th Tuesday @ 6:00 P.M

(336) 599-7484

Person County Caregiver Support Group

Cambridge Hills

2nd Tuesday @ 6:30 P.M

(336) 599-7484

Vance County Caregiver Support Group

Vance County Senior Center

3rd Tuesday @ 12:00 P.M.

(252) 430-0257

Warren County Caregiver Support Group

Warren County Senior Center

2nd Tuesday @ 3:30 P.M

(252) 257-3111

Looking for a job - look at www.NCWORKS.gov  

MISSION STATEMENT

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments aims to

promote regionalism that provides opportunities for

local governments to enhance and improve the quality

of life for our citizens through effective delivery of

services and programs.