ROCKY MOUNT &mdash; Annie Vernell Barnes Tillery, 82, died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home, Wilson.

Annie Vernell Barnes Tillery 

RALEIGH &mdash; State Rep. Matthew Winslow says he&rsquo;s ready to get to work after being sworn in to represent N.C. House District 7.
&ldquo;It is truly an honor to represent the hardworking people of Franklin and Nash County in the state House,&rdquo; Winslow said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m humbled by their trust in me to do the people&rsquo;s business in Raleigh. My colleagues and I have a lot of hard work ahead of us. I&rsquo;m ready to get to work.&rdquo;
After being elected to the position in November, Winslow will represent Franklin and Nash counties. He joins 17 new faces in the House.
The N.C. General Assembly gaveled in for its opening day ceremonies of the 2021-22 legislative session on Jan. 13. Legislators took the oath of office, agreed upon the chamber rules and elected Rep. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, to serve a fourth term as speaker of the House.
Winslow&rsquo;s current two-year term expires in January 2023.
Winslow said he wants to provide help to communities in his district that have had to declare utility nonpayment shutoff moratoriums.
Winslow is a Youngsville homebuilder, having started a company to design and build custom homes in 2009.
Despite starting in the middle of a recession, his company has grown from a single part-time employee to about 16 full-time employees, plus another 200-300 indirect employees through his various contractors. As a custom homebuilder, Winslow said he works with each client to determine their exact housing needs.
Winslow will soon receive his House committee assignments.&nbsp;

Winslow takes oath of office in state House

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NASHVILLE &mdash; Around 2,650 doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered to residents and front-line professionals across Nash County, according to public health officials.
Nash UNC Health Care has administered around 1,200 doses while the county&rsquo;s health department brought its total to about 1,450 after holding a first responder vaccination clinic last week, said Bill Hill, director of the Nash County Health Department.
Nash County has charted a total of 7,004 coronavirus cases as of Friday, with 47 current hospitalizations and 130 deaths, according to information provided by Jerome Garner,&nbsp; the department&rsquo;s public information officer and health education specialist.
While the reported cases rise, no problems have been associated with the vaccine.
&ldquo;There have been no adverse reactions reported to either the hospital or the health department,&rdquo; Hill said.
The majority of health department doses were administered at a Jan. 7 drive-thru clinic with nearly 1,000 residents participating.
&ldquo;We are extremely pleased with the receptivity of our vaccine inoculation campaign in Nash County,&rdquo; Hill said. &ldquo;We are staying ahead of the curve by administering our vaccine on a timely basis. At the current time, we have used between 80 and 85% of all vaccine doses received, and we look forward to increasing these numbers as our vaccine supplies are replenished.&rdquo;
COVID-19 continues to interrupt life in southern Nash County.
The town of Bailey has closed the lobby of Town Hall due to possible virus exposure. Residents who need to make payments can use the drop box. Payments can be made over the phone from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. on business days.&nbsp;
Safety concerns over the virus as well as restrictions on gathering sizes led the Middlesex Children&rsquo;s Home to cancel its annual Home Run 5K. The event typically attracts more than 150 people to the campus each year.
The health department continues vaccinating small groups but plans to hold larger, scheduled vaccination clinics soon.
For more information on COVID-19 and vaccinations, call the Nash County Health Department at 252-459-9819.&nbsp;

Virus vaccine making the rounds in Nash County

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NASHVILLE &mdash; The Nash County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office has agreed to a presidential ban on chokeholds.
The sheriff&rsquo;s office received a Jan. 15 letter from Lacy McVey, manager of the N.C. Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, notifying the agency of its compliance with Presidential Executive Order 13929.
&ldquo;For the Nash County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office to receive this compliance memorandum demonstrates our commitment to ensure we preserve the positive relationship with our community and have policies and procedures which are transparent and adhere to federal, state and local laws,&rdquo; said Chief Deputy Brandon Medina.
The compliance letter indicates the sheriff&rsquo;s office has satisfactorily complied with the requirements of the executive order titled Safe Policing for Safe Communities. Issued June 16, the order requires law enforcement agencies to modify use-of-force policies to adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Each agency&rsquo;s use-of-force policies must prohibit the use of chokeholds &mdash; a physical maneuver that restricts an individual&rsquo;s ability to breathe for the purposes of incapacitation &mdash; except in those situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law.
Agencies deemed noncompliant with the order are prohibited from receiving federal funding and related grants.&nbsp;

Annie Vernell Barnes Tillery

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