General News

General News

Rabies Warning from Pender County Health Department

Don’t handle wild animals, strange dogs or cats

ROCKY POINT – Pender County Health Department has confirmed a second case of rabies since March in the Rocky Point area.

 Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals. The virus can be transmitted through a bite or by contact with the tissue in your nose, mouth, and eyes. Symptoms of the disease may occur from 2 weeks to 6 months after exposure. Rabies is fatal once symptoms occur. In Pender County, rabies has also been found in raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes.

In the warmer months, we spend more time outdoors. To protect yourself, your family, and your pets from exposure to rabies:

  • Do not feed or attract wildlife. Some changes in behavior that are common in

rabid animals: nocturnal animals that are seen during the day, animals that are not

afraid of humans, become aggressive, and attack other animals or people for no

reason may have paralysis of the limbs or throat or lying down.

  • If you find a raccoon or other wild animal in your yard during the daytime and

the animal appears to be either sick or aggressive, do not touch or attempt to

control the animal. Call Animal Control at 910-259-1349, and report the animal

immediately.

  • To protect your pets, keep your pets in your yard or indoors, and their rabies

vaccinations current. A current vaccination is required by law. If your unvaccinated

pet comes in contact with a rabid animal, your pet will be impounded and will be “put

to sleep.”

  • If your dog or cat fights with a wild animal, such as a raccoon, or a stray dog or cat,

call animal control. If the attacking wild animal is captured it will be tested for

rabies. All dogs or cats that bite a person will be under observation for 10 days.

  • If your pet is bitten by a potentially rabid animal use gloves to handle the

the pet, or cover the pet with a cloth or towel, and keep children away from the pet. Take the pet to your veterinarian.

  • If you are bitten by a stray dog, cat, or wild animal, you should immediately

wash the area where you were bitten with soap and warm water for at least 15

minutes. Secondly, contact your family doctor or go to the nearest emergency

room.  Some bites may require you to take an antibiotic.  All bites require an

updated Tetanus. Your doctor will call Animal Control and the incident will be

investigated by an Animal Control Officer.

May 11, 2023

 NCDHHS Urges North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” with Insect Repellant and Other Prevention Tools to Avoid Tick- and Mosquito-Borne Disease

 

 

RALEIGH — With warmer weather on the way, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services urges North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” by taking measures to reduce their risk of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases. In 2022, almost 700 cases of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses were reported in the state.

As part of this April’s Tick and Mosquito Awareness Month, NCDHHS is announcing the return of the Fight the Bite campaign to increase awareness about the dangers of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases and to educate North Carolinians about measures they can take to protect themselves.

“Ticks and mosquitoes are everywhere in North Carolina and their bites can cause serious diseases,” said Alexis M. Barbarin, Ph.D., State Public Health Entomologist. “We encourage all North Carolinians to explore the outdoors but do so safely and take protective measures like using DEET or other EPA approved repellants.”

Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases can cause fever, headache, rashes, flu-like illness and other symptoms that can be severe.  Alpha-gal syndrome and southern tick-associated rash illness, or STARI, have been seen in the state as well. Most diagnoses of tick-borne diseases are reported between June and September, and cases of Lyme disease accounted for more than half of tick-borne diseases reported last year.

Ticks live in wooded, grassy and brushy areas; frequenting these areas can put you in contact with ticks and increase the potential exposure to vector-borne diseases. To reduce exposure to ticks:

The mosquito-borne diseases most often acquired in North Carolina are West Nile virus (WNV), eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and La Crosse encephalitis (LAC). North Carolina reported the second-highest number of LAC cases in the United States between 2012 and 2021.

Most mosquito-borne diseases reported in the state are acquired while traveling outside the continental United States, including cases of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

To reduce exposure to mosquitoes:

  • Use mosquito repellent that contains DEET (or equivalent) when outside. Use caution when applying to children.
  • Consider treating clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks and tents) with 0.5% permethrin.
  • Install or repair screens on windows and doors and use air conditioning if possible.
  • “Tip and Toss” — Reduce mosquito breeding by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths at least once a week.

Talk with your primary care provider or local health department if you plan to travel to an area where exotic mosquito-borne diseases occur.

​Always check your destination to identify appropriate prevention methods. Travel associated health risk information is available at www.cdc.gov/travel.

The Fight the Bite Campaign is a collaboration between the NCDHHS, local health departments and schools to promote a K-12 poster artwork contest that uses illustration to increase tick- and mosquito-borne disease awareness in North Carolina. Entries are due April 10, and information regarding contest submission and deadlines can be found here. Winners of this statewide awareness poster contest will be announced at the end of April.

​For more information on vector-borne diseases in North Carolina, please visit the NCDHHS Vector-Borne Diseases webpage here.
March 30, 2023

Application period for ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program closing April 21

More than 1,000 homes completed to date for hurricane-impacted families

RALEIGH, N.C. – The application period for the ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program will close at 5 p.m. Friday, April 21, with available federal funding committed to applications currently in process and those expected in the weeks ahead. This is the last opportunity for eligible North Carolinians who have not yet submitted an application to apply for aid through the state’s HUD Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence. 

“ReBuild NC remains focused on supporting families impacted by Matthew and Florence and getting them back home as soon as possible,” said Director Laura Hogshead of the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency. “Homeowners who experienced damage from these storms can still apply for help with repairing and rebuilding their homes.” 

Since opening the application period in June 2020, the Homeowner Recovery Program has worked to repair, rebuild and elevate homes damaged by hurricanes Matthew and Florence. To date, the program has completed homes for 1,048 families in communities located throughout eastern North Carolina.   

Following the application period closeout, ReBuild NC will continue to complete ongoing projects and help Homeowner Recovery Program participants return home as quickly as possible. The closeout will not impact current awards and projects, case management or customer service. Current program participants with questions about the application closeout should contact their assigned case manager or call 833-ASK-RBNC (833-275-7262) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Homeowners impacted by either Hurricane Matthew or Hurricane Florence must apply for assistance by the April 21 deadline. The fastest way to apply is through the program’s online application. Homeowners may also call 833-ASK-RBNC (833-275-7262) to schedule an appointment at the nearest regional ReBuild NC Center. Visit the ReBuild NC website for more information about center locations and hours of operation. 

The Homeowner Recovery Program is administered by the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR). In addition to homeowner recovery, NCORR administers programs that include strategic buyout, mitigation, resiliency, community development and affordable housing. Learn more about NCORR programs at: https://www.rebuild.nc.gov/.

March 21, 2023

Reminder:  DEQ to hold Community Meeting in Pender County on Private Well Sampling 

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a community information meeting on Tuesday, February 28, at Heide Trask Senior High School Auditorium in Rocky Point.

DEQ will share updates on private well sampling underway for PFAS contamination in Columbus, New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties.  Staff will also answer questions from the public about the private well sampling and alternate water supplies.

When:        Tuesday, February 28 at 6 p.m.

Where:      Heide Trask Senior High School
14328 NC Hwy 210, Rocky Point, NC 28457

Speaker sign-up will be available upon arrival at the meeting.

At DEQ’s direction, Chemours is sampling for PFAS contamination in eligible private drinking water wells downstream of the Fayetteville Works Facility. Chemours is required to provide alternate water supplies to residents whose wells exceed specific action levels.

To have your well sampled, call Chemours at (910) 678-1100. Messages to the Chemours call-line are monitored during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); Chemours should respond within 24-to-48 hours starting on the next business day. If you don’t currently qualify for well testing, you may qualify in the future. Chemours is required to keep your contact information and notify you if testing expands to your area.

Additional well sampling information for residents, including criteria for eligible wells and other resources, are available on the DEQ website.

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February 22, 2023

DEQ to hold Community Meeting in Pender County on Private Well Sampling

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a community information meeting on Tuesday, February 28, at Heide Trask Senior High School Auditorium in Rocky Point.

DEQ will share updates on private well sampling underway for PFAS contamination in Columbus, New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties.  Staff will also answer questions from the public about the private well sampling and alternate water supplies.

When:        Tuesday, February 28 at 6 p.m.

Where:      Heide Trask Senior High School
14328 NC Hwy 210, Rocky Point, NC 28457

Speaker sign-up will be available upon arrival at the meeting.

At DEQ’s direction, Chemours is sampling for PFAS contamination in eligible private drinking water wells downstream of the Fayetteville Works Facility. Chemours is required to provide alternate water supplies to residents whose wells exceed specific action levels.

To have your well sampled, call Chemours at (910) 678-1100. Messages to the Chemours call-line are monitored during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); Chemours should respond within 24-to-48 hours starting on the next business day. If you don’t currently qualify for well testing, you may qualify in the future. Chemours is required to keep your contact information and notify you if testing expands to your area.

Additional well sampling information for residents, including criteria for eligible wells and other resources, are available on the DEQ website.
January 25, 2023

Pender “Homeless Stand Down” event, Jan. 26

The Cape Fear Homeless Continuum of Care (CFHCoC) will conduct the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) survey of individuals and families experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in the Cape Fear Region during the last full week of January 2023.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that each Homeless Continuum of Care conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night during the last 10 days of January. The CFHCoC will count both sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness in 2023.

The CFHCoC has added a “Homeless Stand Down” event for people experiencing homelessness in Pender County. This is in addition to the traditional outreach survey teams that will go out into the community.

The Pender Homeless Stand Down will be from 8 am to 2 pm on Thursday, January 26th at the Burgaw Library located at 103 S Cowan St, Burgaw. We will have volunteers conducting surveys of people experiencing homelessness who are both sheltered and unsheltered in Pender County.

What is the Homeless Stand Down? This event is a combination of a “Resource Fair” for those experiencing homelessness and a data collection site. It provides a place in which people experiencing homelessness can come to engage with service providers as well as volunteers collecting data. The site will host service providers Veteran Service Officers, Pender County Christian Services, Pender Long Term Recovery Group, and similar services and provide items that can be used by people experiencing homelessness.

January 13, 2023

 Settlement ends Chemours challenge of permit to reduce PFAS entering the Cape Fear River

RALEIGH- An agreement signed today ends litigation without changing the discharge permit issued to Chemours for the treatment of contaminated groundwater to significantly reduce PFAS entering the Cape Fear River.  

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) reached an agreement with Chemours to end the litigation over the permit issued by DEQ on September 15, 2022. Last month, Chemours filed a petition to challenge the permit. CFPUA intervened to support the permit.

Today’s agreement does not change the final permit conditions and includes measures by which Chemours will proceed toward compliance with the final PFAS permit limits. Those limits take effect six months after discharge from the treatment system begins. In the agreement, Chemours agrees to take specific steps and provide monthly reports on its progress during the six-month optimization period.  Chemours also agrees to dismiss its petition for a contested case hearing on the permit.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the treatment system is part of the larger barrier wall remediation project to substantially reduce PFAS entering the Cape Fear River and impacting downstream communities.  Currently, contaminated groundwater from the facility site flows untreated directly into the Cape Fear River. This project is designed to reduce the largest ongoing source of PFAS at the Chemours facility that contaminates the river and reaches downstream water intakes. The project must be operational by March 15, 2023, under the terms of the Consent Order.  DEQ expects Chemours to take necessary actions to comply with the permit conditions and the Consent Order and meet its obligations to clean up the PFAS contamination impacting thousands of residents in at least eight counties and provide them with alternate water.  DEQ will continue to hold Chemours accountable for the cleanup and for preventing future impacts to North Carolinians.

The agreement is available online here.

November 15, 2022

DEQ Statement on Chemours Appeal of the NPDES Permit

The NPDES permit for the treatment system is part of the larger barrier wall remediation project to substantially reduce PFAS entering the Cape Fear River and impacting downstream communities.   Chemours is required to fulfill its obligations under the Consent Order and reduce the amount of contaminated groundwater reaching the Cape Fear River from the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility.

The Consent Order Addendum specifies a minimum reduction of 99% for the treatment system. DEQ expects Chemours to take all necessary steps to minimize its PFAS impacts on the environment. Pursuing litigation threatens to delay implementation beyond the Consent Order deadline of March 2023 and extend the ongoing contamination reaching the river and impacting downstream residents.

October 17, 2022
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