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Dear Friends,
I hope my message finds you and your family healthy and well.
On behalf of Governor Cooper and the entire administration, Happy Holidays! We hope you have a joyous Holiday season and a happy and peaceful New Year.
Please share our newsletter so your friends and family can stay up to date with the latest news, information, and resources relevant to the Cooper Administration.
Stephanie Pigues
Office of the Governor
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Governor Cooper Signs State Budget Into Law
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"This budget moves North Carolina forward in important ways. Funding for high speed internet, our universities and community colleges, clean air and drinking water and desperately needed pay increases for teachers and state employees are all critical for our state to emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever. I will continue to fight for progress where this budget falls short but believe that, on balance, it is an important step in the right direction."
-Governor Roy Cooper
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Secretary Mandy Cohen to Step Down as DHHS Secretary
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Governor Cooper selects current DHHS Deputy Secretary to lead department
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Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. will be stepping down from the agency after 5 years of service to the state. Governor Cooper has appointed Kody Kinsley, current NCDHHS Chief Deputy Secretary for Health and lead for COVID operations, to succeed her beginning January 1st.
“Mandy Cohen has shown extraordinary leadership during her tenure and she has worked every day during this pandemic to help keep North Carolinians healthy and safe,” said Governor Cooper. “We are stronger because of her efforts and I am enormously grateful for her service. She has built a remarkable team of talented people including Kody Kinsley, and I know he will continue the strong legacy of competence, effectiveness and efficiency as he takes over as Secretary.”
Secretary Cohen, an internal medicine physician, was appointed by Governor Cooper in January of 2017 and has served as Secretary of DHHS leading the state during some of the most challenging times in North Carolina history. She has led the state’s response to COVID-19 and served as Governor Cooper’s chief advisor and strategist on beating the pandemic.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this state at such an important moment in history,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen. “I am grateful for Governor Cooper’s leadership, and I am so proud of what we have accomplished to improve the health and well-being of the state over the last five years. There is much work still to do, and I am so pleased the Governor selected Kody Kinsley to take the baton to run the next leg of this race.”
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NCDHHS Announces New Program to Help Families Pay Water Bills
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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the State of North Carolina has been awarded more than $38 million in federal funding to establish a new water assistance program for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning Wednesday, eligible households that have had their water services cut off or have received notice that their water services are in danger of being cut off can apply for assistance in paying their bill through a new federal program called the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).
LIHWAP is a temporary emergency program that will help eligible households and families afford water and wastewater services. The program provides a one-time payment for eligible low-income households directly to the utility company. LIHWAP runs through September 2023 or until the funds run out.
"Due to the pandemic and its impact on our economy, many households are struggling to maintain their water service," said Tara Myers, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Employment, Inclusion and Economic Stability. "The LIHWAP program will help families in North Carolina keep their water running, a basic human need that’s critical for good sanitation and better health."
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Tree Lighting Ceremony Starts Holiday Season at State Capitol December 9
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Join the State Capitol and Governor Roy Cooper for the return of the annual tree-lighting tradition on Thursday, Dec. 9! The festivities will begin on Capitol Square at 5:30 p.m. with holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band. The governor, Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson and other dignitaries will make their way to the South grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street. The Junior Woman’s Club will give away cookies and hot chocolate — and even Santa is scheduled to make an appearance!
This year, the Capitol’s tree comes to Raleigh from Peak Farms in Ashe County, N.C — the same farm that supplied this year’s tree to the Blue Room at the White House.
The Capitol will not be open during or following the ceremony and will not host a holiday open house this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to visit the Capitol or view interior decorations, the building is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sponsors of the holiday festivities are the State Capitol Foundation, State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, and the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh.
The tree lighting event is free to attend, and no reservations are needed or accepted. For additional information, please call (919) 733-4994. The State Capitol is located at 1 East Edenton Street, Raleigh and is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
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State Agencies Now accepting Applications for Summer 2022 Student Internships
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Application deadline in January 3, 2022
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Beginning this week, college students can apply for one of nearly 100 internships across multiple North Carolina state government agencies. Governed by the NC Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement, the annual North Carolina Internship Program offers a 10-week, paid internship for college students interested in careers in state government.
“This internship program is an excellent steppingstone for college students interested in a public service career,” said Administration Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “For more than 50 years, the program has been instrumental in bridging lessons learned in the classroom to hands on professional work experience.”
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Environmental Education Grants Program: Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. The 2021 Environmental Education grant competition closes on December 6, 2021.
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