Filing for March Primaries Commences on Tuesday: https://www.wral.com/court-says-candidate-filing-back-on-for-nc-congressional-legislative-races/20015895/ 

Candidate filing runs through noon Dec. 17 for those races not affected by the Court of Appeals' stay, and the primaries are scheduled for March 8. But that latter date could change if the courts order a redraw of the U.S. House and General Assembly districts.

Candidates for the following offices must file with the state.  www.ncsbe.gov

Candidates for the following offices file with their county board of election, though their names will be forwarded to the state board, which publishes a master list of candidates: https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/board-elections

CANDIDATE FILING DATES (Subject to change based on potential Court Decisions)

Partisan Primary is March 8th. If a Second primary is needed for a runoff, that is May 17th for a Federal Office and April. 26th for any other office.  

Starting December 6, all air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before travel to the United States. Omnicron Variant is on the Move.  (In 40 countries and 12 states in United States and early South African studies reveal that vaccinated could be more vulnerable to this Variant)

See This Week in Morrisville Section for Lists of Morrisville Streets with pavement repairs with large asphalt patches to address potholes and other asphalt structural issues. Expect Traffic Delays but All roads will remain open to traffic.

Elaine O’Neal sworn in as first Black Female Mayor in Durham!  

Giant of United States Senate, World War II Hero Bob Dole, and Presidential nominee dies. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/05/politics/bob-dole-dies/index.html

Sig Hutchison will serve as Wake County Commission Chair, Shinica Thomas as Vice Chair. 

NC DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen Stepping down, Deputy Secretary Kodi Kinsley will be new Secretary.

VP Harris Visits Charlotte with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeg.

Future of Roe v. Wade in question with Supreme Court looking to uphold Mississippi Abortion Law.  North Carolina abortion laws could be affected.

Biden unveils tighter travel rules, free at home tests and booster shots.

Over the past few weeks, I have received encouraging calls to run for the open House and Senate Seats, which would represent Morrisville and Cary.  (New Senate District 17 and House District 41)   I have decided to stay in Morrisville as I have much work to do as I begin my new Term, leading our All America City. I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Morrisville and will always consider new ways of serving either with a new role on Council or other opportunities to serve the State of North Carolina.

I was very proud to be the top vote getter in the election after a negative and hard fought campaign against me and very proud of our positive campaign.

I wish Rep. Gale Adcock, all the best in her run for the State Senate, who will do a great job when she gets there.

Lets Get To Work and Start Calling the Plays in the Morrisville Playbook!

Komal, Sonia, Rayan and I wish each of you had a very Happy Thanksgiving.

The Holiday Season is now here!  Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights, Carols, and Presents.  A vaccinated Santa getting ready for his trip to North Carolina!   I am so excited!   Thanks to everyone who came out to the Town of Morrisville Holiday Tree Lighting!

Enjoy time with friends, family, and let us all take a moment to be grateful for having one more day to love, to learn, and to experience the game of life.

Finally, let us also take time to help those in need during these Holidays.

Even though Giving Tuesday is over, let us continue to help those in need during this time.

Morrisville’s Tree Lighting event was held on, Dec. 3, from 6-8 p.m., at Indian Creek Trailhead, 101 Town Hall Drive! Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were in attendance.  Thanks for the musical performances from Open Arts NC, LA Dance, and Parkside Elementary Chorus. We also thank Hope Community Church for serving prepared food and providing holiday goodies

Staff is working with the RDU Airport Authority for SANTA’s arrival on Christmas Eve.  All is set!

Join us Saturday, Dec. 12th for the Western Wake Farmers Holiday Festival for music, crafts, and family fun.   9:30 am to Noon.  

Thanks for participating in Giving Tuesday, which ended on Friday.  I wanted to encourage you to Keep Giving to the charities of your choice during the Holiday Season and wanted to take the time to share some background on Giving Tuesday.

GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world". The organization of the same name is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the global movement

GivingTuesday began as a simple idea in 2012: a day that encourages people to do good. The initiative was the brainchild of Henry Timms at the 92nd Street Y in New York. The co-founding organization was the United Nations Foundation, with strong support from BLK SHP (Black Sheep).

The date range is November 27 to December 3, and is always five days after the Thanksgiving holiday. A similar concept was also floated in 2011 at the non-profit Mary-Arrchie Theater Company in Chicago by then-producing director Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, who urged shoppers via The Huffington Post to take a different approach; to consider donating to charity after they had finished their Cyber Monday shopping. He suggested the name Cyber Giving Monday.

For its first eight years, GivingTuesday was housed in the 92nd Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, which serves as an incubator for ideas until they grow to a point where they can stand on their own. In June 2019, following the guidance of donors and outside consultants, GivingTuesday split off from 92Y to become an independent organization, with Asha Curran serving as CEO.

GivingTuesday has received support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, Fidelity Charitable, the Ford Foundation, the Ford Motor Company, PayPal, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Steverao app can be downloaded at Apple App store by searching for "Steverao" app in Apple store and Google Play store.

Other Way to download the app is by below scan for Apple store scan code and Google Play store link.

Below are two links to download app from Apple App store and Google Playstore.

Dec. 7 - 6 p.m. Morrisville Public Safety Advisory Committee

Dec. 7 - 6:30 p.m. Morrisville Public Education Advisory Committee

Dec. 8 - 6 p.m. Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Committee

Dec. 9 - 6:30 p.m. Planning & Zoning Board

For Morrisville Carpenter Road Project updates Visit https://bit.ly/mcrcp1

Starting Monday, Dec. 6, and going through Friday, Dec. 10, pavement repairs with large asphalt patches will be completed on Morrisville streets listed below to address potholes and other asphalt structural issues. All roads will remain open to traffic. There will be intermittent lane closures with the contractor providing traffic control measures. Expect minor traffic delays.

For up-to-date details, visit the Town’s website by clicking here or follow us on our social media channels.

Morrisville's next White Goods Collection is Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Registration is required for White Goods collection. Complete the form linked here or call (919) 463-7070 to confirm your collection. Requests must be received by Monday, Dec. 6.

White Goods items include washing machines, dryers, freezers, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, stoves and ovens, and dehumidifiers. Note that Microwaves are not included in this group. Microwaves should be dropped off at the South Wake Landfill (6130 Old Smithfield Rd in Apex). For details, visit the Public Works page by clicking here.

Join us on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 11:45 a.m. for Deck the Halls for Fire Safety, a dramatic demonstration put on by the Morrisville Fire and Rescue Department featuring a side-by-side live burn of a holiday tree in a simulated home environment. The event will take place at Fire Station No. 1, 200 Town Hall Drive and will feature comments by North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey, and representatives from the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the North Carolina Fire Sprinkler Coalition, and Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers.

Other participating organizations include the Town of Cary and Apex Fire Marshals’ Offices, and the Florida Fire Sprinkler Association.

The event will be live-streamed on the Town of Morrisville’s Facebook page. For the release and additional information, click here.

Morrisville’s winter 2021 disc golf course will be located at Cedar Fork District Park, 228 Aviation Parkway, from December 3, 2021 to January 18, 2022. Residents and area park users can practice throwing discs for their mid-range game. The course is designed for all levels of play. For details, including hours, a course map, and rules, click here.

The Morrisville Smart Shuttle, the Town’s newest public transit service, allows riders to request a pick-up or drop-off from one of 15 nodes, or stops, located around the Town using the Smart Shuttle application on their smartphone.

Watch this short video on how to use the Morrisville Smart Shuttle App by clicking here!

The service runs seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Additional details on the Morrisville Smart Shuttle visit TownofMorrisville.org/SmartShuttle

Starting Dec. 4, the WWFM is shifting to winter market hours, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Visit http://wwfm.ag/ to see a complete list of local vendors and shop local!

Join us Saturday, Dec. 12th for the Western Wake Farmers Holiday Festival for music, crafts, and family fun.   9:30 am to Noon.  

The highly mutated variant of the coronavirus has reached more than 40 countries and has been detected in 12 U.S. states. According to scientists in South Africa, Omicron appears to spread faster than any other variant, thanks to a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defenses. But the contribution of each factor is not yet certain.

As cases rise in the colder months and amid concerns of a new COVID-19 variant, President Joe Biden looked to boost his struggling administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by announcing a plan Thursday for a winter coronavirus strategy that includes making at-home rapid tests free, extending the mask requirement on public transit and requiring more stringent testing protocols for all international travelers.

The latest plan does not include more aggressive measures like requiring testing for domestic flights or mandating testing for passengers after their arrival in the U.S.

President Biden will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin this week, days after U.S. intelligence revealed that Russia was preparing a possible invasion of Ukraine.

An unclassified U.S. intelligence document details plans that Moscow has drawn up for a military offensive involving an estimated 175,000 troops as soon as early next year. Experts say Ukraine’s military would stand little chance.

U.S. officials stress that Putin’s intentions remain unclear and the intelligence does not show that he has decided to carry out the apparent war plan. But about half of the Russian forces that would be used in an invasion are already near Ukraine’s border. The video call on Tuesday comes as US.-Russian relations have been spiraling downward.

The star anchor Chris Cuomo was fired by CNN over his efforts to help his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fight off a sexual harassment scandal.

The move came just days after a new batch of testimony and text messages released by the New York attorney general revealed that the CNN anchor had played a bigger role in his brother’s political affairs than the network said it had previously known.

The announcement completed a stunning downfall for Chris Cuomo, the top-rated anchor at CNN who had built a successful broadcast career outside of his famed political family. Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor of New York in August, unable to withstand a barrage of sexual harassment allegations.

The couple, James and Jennifer Crumbley, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges. Officials said their 15-year-old son, Ethan Crumbley, carried out the shootings at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit using a handgun his parents had bought for him.

The Crumbleys, who had failed to show up for their arraignment and apparently fled town, were taken into custody yesterday in a commercial building in Detroit after the police received a tip. “They did not resist,” Detroit’s police chief said, describing the couple as “distressed.”

The actions of Oxford High School officials are also under a microscope, prompting questions about the school’s responsibility. School officials let Ethan Crumbley back into a classroom despite concerns about his behavior.

Morrisville’s Tree Lighting event was held on, Dec. 3, from 6-8 p.m., at Indian Creek Trailhead, 101 Town Hall Drive! Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were in attendance.  Thanks for the musical performances from Open Arts NC, LA Dance, and Parkside Elementary Chorus.

Staff is working with the RDU Airport Authority for SANTA’s arrival on Christmas Eve.  All is set!

My Message on Small Business Saturday

My Message on Wake Tech Early Career High School

Last Friday, Mayor Cawley, Mayor Pro Tem Liz Johnson, Council Member Vicki Scroggins Johnson and I got a sneak peek at the RTP 2 BioTech Building at Wake Tech RTP, which will also be the location for the Early Career STEM High School, which will focus on Computer Science.  I was so impressed with the new campus, particularly the labs, equipment, classrooms and see such a great environment for preparing our kids for the new jobs of the new economy.

The school is slated to open in August 2022, and will accept 150 applications.

Thanks to Wake Tech President Scott Ralls, Dean of RTP Campus Keith Babuszak, for hosting this campus tour.

Last night, I attended the HSNC Gala with Mayor Cawley, and Council Member Satish Garimella.  We enjoyed wonderful musical performances, and got updates on the HSNC Campus plans for the future, and celebrated the great work being done by the HSNC Volunteers to assist with Covid 19 Relief efforts.   The highlight of the evening was the reading of the Proclamation from the Town of Morrisville by Council Member Garimella and the recognition of the Food Distribution Volunteers and the Volunteers, who assisted in the Vaccination Clinics.

The HSNC reminds us every day of how much the love of kindness can lift us out of dark days.  Thanks to all!

It was great to spend some time with Carolina Hurricanes CEO, Don Waddell at the Canes Game!  I look forward to bringing him for a visit to the Wake Competition Center!

We are so proud of the DOC NC Youth Group for volunteering at the Community Garden last Saturday.  These kids inspire me every day!  Thanks for doing your part to keep Morrisville Green!

Register at: https://business.morrisvillechamber.org/events/details/state-of-morrisville-december-2021-2396

Join us for a dynamic discussion of the current state of affairs for Morrisville at our State of Morrisville Event on December 7;
including an update from Town Manager and other Town staff members.

Topics to be discussed include:

After the conclusion of the event, we invite you to join us for light hors d'oeuvres and beer and wine at our Holiday Reception in the grand ballroom.

Dec 8th Clean Tech Innovation Awards.

4pm to 7pm.  Market Hall, Raleigh

https://researchtrianglecleantechnc.memberzone.com/eventregistration/register/191.

The Connected Park Initiative (CFDP Smart City Project) has been nominated for a 2021 Cleantech Innovation Award – the Cleantech Impact: Local Government Award (press release below). Winners will be announced at the event mentioned on the top of the press release. Governor Cooper will be honored as the Cleantech Champion and is scheduled to speak at the event.

Dec. 10th Connected Communities Conference!

Dec 11th Deck the Hall Live Fire Safety Demonstration.   11:45 am to 1 pm.

The event is the highlight of the Morrisville Fire/Rescue Department’s 2021 holiday safety campaign, “12 Days of Fire Safety,” and will also be live streamed on the Town of Morrisville’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville/.

For more information, please contact Assistant Fire Marshal Justin McLaurin at jmclaurin@townofmorrisville.org , or call (919) 463-6219.

Join us Saturday, Dec. 12th for the Western Wake Farmers Holiday Festival for music, crafts, and family fun.   9:30 am to Noon.

Join us at Fire Station 1 at 5:30 pm for a Reception before the Swearing In Ceremonies of Mayor Cawley, Council Member Scroggins Johnson, Council Member Fender and myself.  (Please email me at sr@steverao.com if you plan on attending) Stay tuned for information on the Swearing In Ceremony at Town Hall. Face Coverings and Social Distancing Required.

We are hosting a Dec 18th Reception for Wiley Nickel for Congress at Fusion Nine, 1012 Morrisville Parkway, Morrisville, NC  

December 18, 2021, Noon.

RSVP to Alicia Speedy at (252) 481-7222 or email to alicia@wileynickelforcongress.com or sr@steverao.com.

Join us every Friday on World Edition at 10 am for the Great America Project Panel where we discuss how we rebuild Americas' image with leaders from around the country and world.

Public Open Dialogue TV is a worldwide multilingual, multi-demographic network focused on inspiring, educating and entertaining the global community. We provide unique programming in areas not covered by traditional media, and provide a platform for the audience to engage with those shows. Formerly IBMTV.