Stacia Strong

On the day that a new administration takes over the White House, a Greenville woman is reflecting on the inauguration of another President of the United States who was sworn into office 60 years ago.

Each January on the third Monday of the month we pause to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and several groups in Eastern Carolina didn’t let COVID restrictions keep them from paying homage.

The number of people that now fall under Group 1B in the vaccination distribution plan grew this week after Governor Roy Cooper expanded the senior age group for those who qualify to 65 years old and up.

The holiday rush is over and many of us are settling into the New Year, but several local organizations are encouraging the community to not forget about struggling small businesses.

The New Bern Police Department is getting familiar with new technology to help recreate scenes and aid in their investigations. The Trimble X-7 is a laser scanner than can provide highly accurate measurements and 360-degree pictures.

North Carolina once again set records on Friday for then umber of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, and the rising rates have Eastern Carolina hospitals concerned.

A project five years in the making at Carteret Community College is almost complete, as Instructors put the finishing touches on the new Culinary Arts Building.

It was last week that the Craven County Board of Education made the decision to postpone student’s return to the classroom for face to face instruction, instead opting to go virtual for the first two weeks. Now the school system says they are beginning to see the number of positive cases among staff and students rise following the holiday break.

Vaccinations are continuing to rollout around North Carolina, and here in the East some health departments are nearing the end of vaccinations for their front-line health care workers who were part of group 1-A.

New Year’s Eve will certainly look different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic still plaguing our country, but communities around Eastern Carolina are finding creative ways to still celebrate safely.

This week the Naval Center at Camp Lejeune began administering Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to front-line health care workers at its facility.

In an effort to help out families over the winter break the Pitt County School System gave out another round of free meals for students while schools remain out.

Duke Energy is reporting that hundreds are without power right now due to the strong storms moving through Eastern Carolina.

New Bern Police are looking for a driver involved in a hit and run crash. Officers say they were called by witnesses just before 6:00 on Wednesday about a man who had been hit by car.

Eastern North Carolina is currently dealing with an urgent need for blood and convalescent plasma donations according to The Blood Connection. To help fill some of that need CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern hosted a community blood drive.

The New Bern High School football team is hoping to spread a little holiday cheer this week by making sure that their community is well fed. On Monday coaches from the team began doing prep work to feed 350 to 400 people on Tuesday.

School districts in Eastern Carolina are worried about seeing a spike in coronavirus cases among students and staff following the upcoming winter break, especially after the recent surge they saw following Thanksgiving.

The first turtles of the season to be affected by recent cold weather are now being cared for at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores in Carteret County. So far the aquarium has had three cold stunned turtles show up.

The first shipments of the Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine have made their way to several North Carolina Hospitals. But several are still waiting for their shipments to arrive including some hospitals in Eastern Carolina.

The holiday season is in full swing now, and in an effort to help lift spirits a massive delivery of Christmas trees was made to MCAS Cherry Point on Friday morning.

In 2018 Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on North Carolina, causing more than $100 million dollars worth of damage in the City of New Bern alone. Now two years later a hotel that was heavily damaged in New Bern is finally reopened.

This week the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores had to say goodbye to one of the animals in their care after its health began to deteriorate. Leaders at the aquarium says they made the tough decision on Tuesday to euthanize the 12 year old Sand Tiger named Jolene.

We’re in the middle of the holiday season, which is also considered the season of giving, and many area nonprofit organizations say they need the community’s help now more than ever as they struggle to keep up with an increasing number of people needing their help.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge around North Carolina more cities and towns are offering addition COVID-19 testing sites. That includes the City of New Bern who held their first of three drive-thru testing events on Monday.

After a nearly 100 day battle with the Coronavirus and its side affects an Eastern Carolina man was finally released from CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern on Friday.

COVID-19 has changed the way so many things happen, and holiday parties are no exception to that. On Thursday staff at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern threw a coronavirus safe, drive-thru Christmas Party.

Recent studies have shown students across the country are struggling with virtual learning, and it’s being reflected in test scores. In Craven County, School leaders say this wasn’t completely unexpected but is something that they are working around the clock to address so students don’t fall even further behind.

Tuesday is the kick off of the giving season, better know at Giving Tuesday which is a global event where people are encouraged to donate their time or give financially to nonprofit organizations. Events that help these groups garner support have had to be altered because of COVID-19, but that didn’t stop one event from happening in New Bern.

Monday was the first day back to school after the Thanksgiving holiday break, and as coronavirus cases continue to surge across North Carolina school systems are asking families to remain vigilant about any COVID symptoms they may be experiencing, in an effort to try and minimize the spread.

The holiday fundraising campaign by the Salvation Army is underway ahead of Thanksgiving this year. The organization relies heavily on their red kettle campaign to support the efforts year round to help families in need.

The coronavirus has affected millions of people in the United States this year, but when the virus struck one of their own a community in Eastern Carolina sprang into action.

Despite rising COVID-19 cases the Craven County School’s Board of Education decided to move their elementary school students to learning Plan A.

There’s still a bit of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season left, and it’s already been one for the record books. The season is marked with an unprecedented amount of storms and several major hurricanes.

Unfortunately statistics show that 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the United States, and in an effort to raise awareness about the tragic numbers a group of veterans led The March for the 22 on Wednesday.

A local Small Business Center is working overtime to help area small businesses, but need the community’s help as well.

There is a lot going on right now, and it can be a lot to process and take in, Mental Health experts say they are seeing an uptick in people reaching out for helping dealing with stress and anxiety.

There have been many questions and concerns about what happens after the polls closed on Election Day, here in North Carolina there is a system of checks and balances that must happen before election results can be certified.

The Town of Beaufort has called for a special Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday to provide board members and the community with an update on COVID-19 cases around the state and in Carteret County.

Election day is almost here and officials at local county Board of Elections are reminding voters about a few important things to keep in mind if you are planning on heading to the polls on Tuesday.

Each and everyday teachers and school staff show up to work and put in countless hours all to help educate our children. It’s a job that’s been made even tougher by COVID-19, so to brighten up the day of nearly 100 elementary school staff members one local couple did something very special.

Dozens of teachers across two Eastern Carolina Counties received some much needed funding for their classroom recently and it’s all thanks to a local Electric Cooperative.

Craven Community College has now expanded their workforce development center thanks to help from the City of New Bern. The additional space means the college will be able to offer new courses.

Halloween is still a few days out, but the celebrations are already underway at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Tuesday was the start of their ’Fish-tacular’ Preschool Halloween Dress up days, which encourages families to bring their young children decked out in their Halloween best for some fun at the Aquarium.

CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern is joining hospitals and medical centers around the country who are taking time this week to celebrate their hard working Respiratory Therapists, as part of Respiratory Care Week.

The Craven County School district welcomed back students to their buildings for the first time since mid-March, but a lot of things have changed for those students who are now attending at least partial face to face instruction with their teachers. That also includes the procedure for getting on and off the school bus.

An Eastern Carolina family is getting ready to help build their dream home, after being selected as a house recipient through the Craven County Habitat for Humanity. On Wednesday the group celebrated beginning construction on the project with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The start of a new week is bringing the start of a new learning plan for students in Craven County. Monday marked the start of the second nine weeks of school and the transition into Plan B learning, which means students will return to the classroom for partial face to face instruction.

While many were still sleeping on Friday morning several Beaufort Firefighters loaded up a U-Haul truck and headed off on a 19 hour drive to deliver hurricane relief supplies to some of the hardest hit areas in Louisiana.

The Craven-Pamlico Animal Shelter in New Bern is working to improve the care they can provide in-house to the animals at their facility, and they’re making two major changes to make that happen.

The Coronavirus pandemic has millions around the country upping the amount of time they spend online, that includes those working from home, and students who are at home with virtual learning. The increased time online is leading to an alarming trend. The State Bureau of Investigation is reporting a record breaking number of child exploitation Cybertips.