Governor Cooper announced on Monday that North Carolina has been

approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, to

help families purchase food for children impacted by school closings due

to COVID-19. The program provides a benefit on an EBT card to families

whose children are eligible for free and reduced lunch at school. Families

will receive $250 in P-BET benefits per child, provided in two installments.

Families will be able to use the P-BET benefit to purchase food items at

EBT authorized retailers, including most major grocery stores.

The Town of Granite falls Electric Department has earned the American

Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating

practices in 2019. The utility earned a first-place award in Category A for

electric utilities based on having no days away from work and no medical

treatment cases in over 12,400 worker exposure hours in 2019.

Benjamin Carver has been named warden at Marion Correctional Center.

He has served as associate warden for custody and operations at Alexander

Correctional Institution since 2016. A 22-year veteran I state government

Service, Carver began his career in 1998 as a correctional officer at Foothills

Correctional Institution.