Duke Energy Waiving Late Fees for Customers in Addition to Suspending Disconnects

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Duke Energy Waiving Late Fees for Customers in Addition to Suspending Disconnects

Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas today announced a comprehensive set of steps to help customers, communities and employees manage the economic hardship caused by COVID-19.

“This is an unprecedented crisis that requires an unprecedented response,” said Lynn Good, Duke Energy’s chairman, president and CEO. “We hope the customers and communities we are privileged to serve – and the outstanding Duke Energy employees who serve them – will take some comfort from these actions.”

More Help for Customers

The company will waive late payment fees and fees for returned payments for its millions of electric and natural gas customers across its service territories beginning Saturday March 21 until the national state of emergency is lifted. For residential customers, the company will also waive fees for credit and debit card payments.

Last week, Duke Energy said it would discontinue service disconnections for unpaid bills. That covers 7.8 million electric customers; plus, 1.8 million natural gas customers, many of whom are served by Piedmont Natural Gas.

“Our goal is to continue providing reliable service while helping our most vulnerable customers during this extraordinary time,” Good said.

Community Assistance

The company also announced $1.3 million in donations by The Duke Energy Foundation to support hunger relief and help local health and human services nonprofits across its service territories, including those providing meals to children and families impacted by school closures. Given the unprecedented nature of the situation, Duke Energy is giving nonprofits the flexibility to use the funds where most needed.

Relief for Employees

To aid in providing continued service to our customers through this event, Duke Energy will also expand assistance to employees, in order to maintain the highest level of service to customers. This is part of the company’s larger donation.

The company is providing five additional personal days off to employees who experience a disruption in dependent care due to school, daycare or other child-related care – as most all schools are not in session. Duke Energy will also provide a $1,500 stipend to assist with unplanned expenses resulting from costs related to COVID-19 issue.

As part of the company’s larger donation, for Duke Energy employees, the company is donating $100,000 to the Relief4Employees program, which is a fund that employees can draw on for short term financial help during times of personal need.

Continued service to customers

The company will continue to read meters in most areas and send bills. Customers should pay what they can to avoid building up large balances that will be more difficult to pay off later.

Duke Energy power plants, electricity and natural gas delivery facilities and call centers, are staffed, ensuring dependable service to customers. The company will continue to respond to power outages and other emergencies.

Customers should download the company’s mobile app or visit duke-energy.com or piedmontng.com for information and most service transactions.

These Charlotte Area Towns Have Some Of The Highest Adjusted Salaries In America

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These Charlotte Area Towns Have Some Of The Highest Adjusted Salaries In America

A new report released by Indeed Jobs ranked the Charlotte Metro’s Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton region among the top 10 in America for the highest adjusted salaries.

According to the report, “Jobs offer a premium in the Bay Area, Boston, Washington and New York. But those extra dollars go right back out to pay for higher rents and pricier meals. Adjusted for living costs, salaries are highest not in the big coastal metros, but in less attention-getting locales like Brownsville, TX, Kingsport, TN, and Huntington, WV.”

If you’re looking for the absolute best place to live, strictly in regards to adjusted income, here are the top 10 metros in America, based on Indeed’s latest 2018 data;

Before moving to Hickory, however, you may want to consider that they’ve also been ranked as being one of the least educated in America and having one of the highest opioid epidemics in America.

What are your thoughts on the Hickory-Lenoir area? 

Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones with a Home Survival Kit

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Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones with a Home Survival Kit

With the many problems that can occur in the world, it comes as no surprise that so many people are worried about their futures. We live in fear of disasters and catastrophes such as earthquakes and other natural disasters, manmade disasters, epidemics and pandemics, and more. While you cannot stop these things from occurring, one thing you can do is protect yourself as best you can in the event of their occurrence.

Trying to protect yourself again every single eventuality can become a minefield and is impossible, as you never know what type of problem may occur. However, one thing you can do is have some basic protection in place for a range of possible incidents, and this includes investing in a good home survival kit. You can learn more about these kits online by going to the SurvivalAtHome 2020 Survival Kit Guide. 

Choosing the Right Kit

One thing to keep in mind is that there are lots of different options available when it comes to home survival kits, so you need to ensure you find the right one for you. In order to do this, there are various factors you need to take into consideration, some of which we will discuss in this article.

One thing you need to remember is that the cost of these kits can vary widely based on the type of kit you get, where you get it from, the manufacturer, and a range of other options. It is important to determine what your maximum budget is, as this will enable you to find suitable kits that are within your price range. Make sure you also consider what is included in the kit as well as the price, as you can then see whether you are getting value for money with your kit.

You also need to make sure you find a kit that is suited to your needs in terms of what it contains and what sort of disaster it is geared toward. You should take the time to check the various kits carefully so you know exactly what each one contains, as this will make it easier for you to determine suitability. Also, remember that you can choose from portable kits as well as home kits, with the latter being bigger, more comprehensive options. Many experts advise consumers to have both the larger home kit and a portable one available to cater for different needs and circumstance.

It is also well worth looking at reviews of the various kits as well as recommendations and lists online. You can then get a better idea of which kit will be best suited to your needs, which means you can make a more informed choice. These reviews will enable you to better determine which of these kits is going to be right for your home. 

With the right survival kit, you can be better equipped for a variety of emergencies and you will benefit from greater peace of mind as well as protection. If you also have a good amount of water and some ready to eat meals (see here) in stock – you are set for all kinds of emergencies.

Cooper Announces First Confirmed ‘Community Spread’ Case of COVID-19 in North Carolina

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Cooper Announces First Confirmed ‘Community Spread’ Case of COVID-19 in North Carolina

Update 3/20/2020 11:00am: 

There are now 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County.

Original Article 3/19/2020 4:30pm: 

This afternoon NC Governor Roy Cooper announced the first official confirmed ‘community spread’ case of COVID-19 in the state of North Carolina.

During his press conference, Cooper noted that the Wilson County individual had not traveled to an infected area, nor had they been in contact with any other known cases of the virus.

North Carolina now has 131 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 31 of them being in Charlotte.

You can watch the entire press conference from Governor Cooper and the NC COVID-19 Task Force here:

According to the CDC, patients with confirmed CoVID-19 infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

  • fever
  • cough
  • shortness of breath

CDC believes at this time that symptoms of CoVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.

Some of the best ways to stay healthy include;

If you have any questions about CoVID-19 you can call 866-462-3821 or submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org.

Lake Norman Restaurants Rally Amid COVID-19 Shutdowns

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Lake Norman Restaurants Rally Amid COVID-19 Shutdowns

As COVID-19 continues to impact the global economy and the everyday lives of citizens, the Lake Norman restaurant community has rallied with many restaurants remaining open to serve take-out and delivery to residents amid the crisis.

NC Governor Roy Cooper issued the executive order for all bars and restaurants to close their dining rooms indefinitely beginning this past Tuesday night at 5pm.  Restaurants are still allowed to serve take-out and delivery to customers.

As the executive order was being announced, Visit Lake Norman personally reached out to all 157 restaurants located within the three towns of Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville to compile a list of all the restaurants that remain open.  The listing includes updated operating hours and whether take-out, delivery and any specials are offered.  The daily updated list can be found on all Visit Lake Norman’s social media outlets and website at the link below.

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/lakenorman/Lake_Norman_Restaurant_COVID_19_Updates_as_of_March_17_2020_633c5967-a8dc-418c-87ff-7aead9420333.pdf

125 of the 157 restaurants remain open along with 12 of the 16 Lake Norman area breweries/beer and wine shops.  Many of the restaurants are even offering personal delivery to residents, in addition to 3rd party delivery services like UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates, etc…  Additionally, many restaurants are offering discounts of up to 15% off for curbside take-out and some are even offering wholesale items for purchase like eggs.

As so many restaurant staff rely heavily on tips, generous tips are encouraged as the restaurant industry begins to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

Mecklenburg County Releasing Inmates Early To Prevent COVID-19 Outbreak in Uptown Jail

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Mecklenburg County Releasing Inmates Early To Prevent COVID-19 Outbreak in Uptown Jail

With Mecklenburg County now reporting 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases, an increasing number of measures are being taken to attempt to slow the spread.

One of the more controversial ones is reducing the inmate population in our uptown jail.

The jail is at a heightened risk of a COVID-19 outbreak due to its smaller size and frequency of inmate flow. Currently there are about 100 people who are brought in and released each day.

So far, the jail has released at least 80 people early due to COVID-19 fears.

Yesterday, Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Merriweather sent out the following statement about the early release program:

“In light of reduced court operations due to COVID-19, judges have proven willing to entertain reassessment of pretrial confinement decisions, as appropriate. We have and will continue to be intentional about balancing due process and health concerns for defendants with the priority of maintaining public safety during an especially trying time for our community. As both the detention center and the entire community will be under increased strain, my office will continue to work diligently to ensure that people in pretrial custody are the people who need to be – no more, no less.”

Some in our city feel that even more needs to be done. There is now an online petition calling for an even greater release of inmates from the Mecklenburg County Jail:

What do you think about the early release program?

Do you think more inmates should be released early?

Charlotteans Now Turning To Small Online Shops To Buy Their Hand Sanitizer

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Charlotteans Now Turning To Small Online Shops To Buy Their Hand Sanitizer

As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 increases its spread, hand sanitizer continues to be in extremely short supply, especially here in Charlotte.

While some have been able to snatch up hand sanitizer from Amazon during brief off-brand restocking windows, most people are forced to place orders and wait 3-5 weeks for shipment of major brands.

In the midst of the shortage, a new source has now emerged to fill the void – Etsy.

A number of small skin care, supplement, and outdoor companies have turned their attention toward producing what’s now essentially liquid gold.

Here are the most reputable and currently stocked hand sanitizer companies on Etsy (as of 3/18/2020):

#1 Mend Blends – Alcohol Sanitizer Hand/Surface Spray – $1.80 

Ingredients: 70% Isopropyl Alcohol, Vitamin E Oil, and Essential Oils

#2 May’s Garden Shop – Hand Spray – $6.25

Ingredients: Isopropyl Alcohol, Lavender Essential Oil, Vitamin E oil, and Water

#3 Beard of God – Beard & Hand Sanitizer – $12.34

Ingredients: Alcohol (91% Isopropyl Alcohol), Distilled Water, Aloe Vera, Vegetable Glycerin, Spearmint Oil, Essential and/or Fragrance Oils

#4 My Healing Garden Shop – Hand Sanitizer Natural – $5.25

Ingredients: lavender, lemongrass, frankincense, alcohol, and aloe vera gel

 

South Carolina Ranked As One of 2020’s Top 10 Most Federally Dependent States

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South Carolina Ranked As One of 2020’s Top 10 Most Federally Dependent States

With Tax Day drawing near, the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the economy, and tax relief being considered in response, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released an in-depth analysis of 2020’s Most & Least Federally Dependent States.

This report illustrates the extent to which states are independent economically. However, the oxymoron in this situation is that states with a higher level of federal dependence are likely better positioned to handle the coronavirus pandemic, given that most relief will come from the federal government. In order to identify which states most and least depend on federal support, WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key metrics: return on taxes paid to the federal government; federal funding as a share of state revenue; and share of federal jobs.

Most Federally Dependent States

Rank
(1 = Most Dependent)		 State Total Score ‘State Residents’ Dependency’ Rank  ‘State Government’s Dependency’ Rank 
1 New Mexico 82.21 1 6
2 Mississippi 79.41 5 4
3 West Virginia 70.70 4 9
4 Montana 70.70 14 1
5 Kentucky 69.78 6 8
6 Alaska 67.92 7 7
7 Arizona 65.61 12 5
8 Indiana 62.77 9 10
9 Alabama 61.56 8 14
10 South Carolina 61.31 3 30
11 Wyoming 58.92 23 2
12 Louisiana 54.20 30 3
13 North Dakota 53.11 2 44
14 Maine 47.40 15 19
15 Tennessee 46.90 21 11
16 Pennsylvania 46.43 17 16
17 Missouri 44.47 24 12
18 Maryland 41.82 13 31
19 Oklahoma 41.42 19 21
20 Vermont 40.45 18 24
21 Arkansas 39.26 40 13
22 South Dakota 38.59 25 17
23 Georgia 35.21 32 18
24 Oregon 34.45 26 26
25 New York 33.89 46 15
26 Michigan 33.52 29 23
27 Idaho 33.39 20 33
28 Florida 33.26 27 27
29 New Hampshire 32.67 35 22
30 Rhode Island 31.49 37 25
31 Nevada 31.37 36 29
32 Ohio 30.38 45 20
33 Wisconsin 30.22 16 45
34 Texas 30.15 42 28
35 North Carolina 27.95 31 35
36 Colorado 25.66 39 36
37 Connecticut 25.31 22 43
38 Iowa 25.30 34 37
39 California 24.97 43 34
40 Nebraska 24.78 44 32
41 Hawaii 24.65 10 50
42 Washington 24.18 38 38
43 Virginia 23.73 11 49
44 Minnesota 19.75 28 46
45 Massachusetts 19.16 47 39
46 Illinois 18.40 48 41
47 New Jersey 17.55 49 40
48 Delaware 15.42 50 42
49 Utah 15.23 33 47
50 Kansas 11.84 41 48

The report also found that Democrat leaning, or ‘blue states’ are less federally dependent than Republican leaning, or ‘red states’;

Craig A. Dunn Wins Top Award for Excellence in Community Involvement

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Craig A. Dunn Wins Top Award for Excellence in Community Involvement

Craig A. Dunn has been named the 2019 recipient of Metrolina Business Council’s Donald Haack Foundation Award for Excellence in Community Involvement.

The award honors the late Donald Haack, Charlotte’s legendary jewelry business owner and community leader. MBC donated $1000 to Hoskins Park Ministry, Dunn’s charity of choice. Dunn is the Chairman of the Board of Hoskins Park Ministry (http://hoskinspark.org/) on the westside of Charlotte, a non-governmental Christian Ministry that houses previously homeless men.

“While Donald Haack and I never met, I have heard numerous stories of his commitment and heart to ‘give back to the community in which we ourselves have found success,’ ” Dunn said. “When I became aware of Hoskins Park Ministry in 2010, I had no idea to what degree I would get involved, yet I see now that this is how it happens – the inclination occurs inside, opportunities are provided, and if you are so moved, you get involved. Moreover, once you start to see how much your efforts (sometimes even modest ones) can change people’s lives (yours included), you begin to seek other opportunities, and there are hundreds in our own community.”

“Donald was a pretty wise man and it seems like he was practical as well,” Dunn said. “Being a volunteer, a part of the Board, and ultimately the Chairman, has afforded me so many life experiences around some of the most wonderful people (the participants and the staff) here at the (Hoskins Park) ministry. The ministry’s main purpose is help these previously homeless men get back to living a productive and fulfilled life. In an effort to help them accomplish this, they are housed in actual houses (typically one man per bedroom), giving them a certain standard of living; assisted in finding work, transportation, and help with their sobriety; as well as given food and clothing. The men are asked to follow the rules (including attending daily prayer meetings) and pay weekly program fees. One of the main initiatives this year – initiated by some of the participants – was to procure a used 14-passenger bus so the men could ‘get away’ to parks, movies, hiking excursions and other activities. Thus, it is with a humbled heart that we accept the Donald Haack Award and let everyone know the award has indeed helped secure the bus, allowing the ministry to give a bit more semblance of normalcy to these men.”

Craig A. Dunn Bio

Craig A. Dunn, was born in Erwin, N.C., moved to Charlotte when he was one-year-old in 1968. He was graduated from South Mecklenburg High School, and earned his BS in English with a minor in communication from Appalachian State University.

Dunn is a co-founder and managing partner of Carolina Office Solutions in Charlotte. The company was founded in 2000 on the idea of helping small to midsized companies save money by blending new and quality pre-owned office furniture to furnish their space in a value-engineered way.

Dunn is currently serving on the Board of Directors of The Entrepreneurs Organization (EO – Charlotte), and The Executive Association of Charlotte, and has served in the past on the Boards of The Business Leaders of Charlotte, The Matthews Chamber, and The Matthews Executive Group. He is a member of Forest Hill Church’s NoDa campus, and has been on a short-term mission trip to Senegal, Africa.

Dunn enjoys travel for the sake of travel, a love he inherited from his grandfather and mother. After college he and his friend, and eventual business partner, worked and travelled around the United Kingdom and Europe for a year. He is currently about to end a goal to visit all 30 Major League Baseball parks, with only one remaining to visit at this writing.

Charlotte Bands Together To Raise Over $5.5 Million in 3 Days For Local COVID-19 Response Fund

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Charlotte Bands Together To Raise Over $5.5 Million in 3 Days For Local COVID-19 Response Fund

A massive new fund has just been launched for the Charlotte region to help individuals most affected by the COVID-19 disease, the quarantines, and the economic slowdown.

The COVID-19 Response Fund was officially launched this past Monday and has already raised over $5.5 million from individuals, corporations, family trusts, and government entities. The fund was kick-started with a $1 million gift from Charlotte-based LendingTree and was quickly matched with another $1 million from the City of Charlotte.

“There is no way of knowing the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s important we act now so that assistance is available when it’s needed most,” said Doug Lebda, founder and CEO of LendingTree. “The COVID-19 Response Fund will empower our community to aid key organizations responding to the unforeseen challenges and needs that result from this crisis, from human services to healthcare to economic assistance and more.”

On Tuesday, the Howard R. Levine Foundation and the Truist Financial Corporation announced they’d contribute an additional $1 million each, bringing the total to $4 million.

“Yesterday, the corporate and civic sectors stepped up to the plate to support this fund, and I know it’s critical that private philanthropy plays a role as well. That’s why I’ve committed $1 million to support organizations that will be aiding those in our community that need it the most,” said Howard Levine.

Tuesday night, Mecklenburg County added $1.3 million more, bringing the total to just over $5.3 million.

Since the launch of the fund, 99 other individuals, companies, and foundations have contributed additional gifts ranging from $5.20 to $100,000.

As of Wednesday morning, the COVID-19 Response Fund raised a total of $5,527,082.25.

The fund is being administered by a partnership between The Foundation For The Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas.

The money in the fund will be given out via grants to local non-profits to be determined by an advisory group of community members. The advisory committee may elect to make grants directly to organizations based upon the urgency of the need or through a competitive grantmaking process.

Additional details regarding the grant program will be released over the next few days.

To contribute to the COVID-19 Response Fund, or to start your own fundraiser, you can visit HelpCharMeck.org.

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