Russia escalates attacks on civilian areas, and Zelensky asks Congress for Fighter Jets.  

2 Fox Reporters Killed in Ukraine. 

Wake County School Board Swears in Tara Waters for District 4 School Board Seat.

Congratulations Tara! 

Congrats to Dominion Realty CEO and team for announcing Two 20 Story Towers Deal in Raleigh. 600 unit and Hotel Mixed Use Project will change Raleigh Skyline!Proud of to have their investment in Morrisville! 

(More on this development in next newsletter!)

Morrisville Fitness and Aquatics Center is Closed from 9 am to 2 pm on Friday, March 18th to take time to remember and celebrate the life of MAFC staff member, Patricia Rower. We also pray for the families of Jane Jacukiewicz , who served as a Senior Program Leader and Center Aide at CFCC and MSC since 2016 where she made many close friends

Patricia Rower Celebration of Life Service:

Congrats to Panther Creek Men’s Basketball for a great season!  Congrats to Weddington!

Thanks for submitting your comments to our Budget Portal. We will be reviewing all of the comments during this budget cycle!  Thanks for being engaged and sharing your community insight which will inform the development of Town Council’s priorities and goals for the next budget year.

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland),[6] the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

Have a Great one!

Komal, Sonia, Rayan and I wish each of you a very Happy Holi!  We look forward to seeing you at the HSNC Holi on Saturday and the Town of Morrisville Holi event on March 26th.  I do want to thank Stylish Me for being in Morrisville and providing us outfits for the Holi Dance on March 26th!

Spring is here!

Holi ( /ˈhoʊliː/) is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the "Festival of Love", the "Festival of Colors" and the "Festival of Spring". The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna. It also signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it celebrates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha Narayana over Hiranyakashipu. It originated and is predominantly celebrated in the South Asia but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.

Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love and for many, it is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. The festival also celebrates the beginning of a good spring harvest season.

Holi is an ancient Indian religious festival that has also become popular outside of India. In addition to India and Nepal, the festival is celebrated by Indian subcontinent diaspora in countries such as Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Malaysia,[23] Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In recent years, the festival has spread to parts of Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colors

During AmeriCorps Week we recognize the commitment of the millions of Americans who have chosen to serve their country through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, and encourage others to follow in their footsteps of service.

AmeriCorps engages 250,000 Americans each year in sustained, results-driven service through our AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. These dedicated citizens help communities manage COVID-19 response, ensure students stay on track to graduate, combat hunger and homelessness, respond to natural disasters, fight the opioid epidemic, help seniors live independently, support veterans and military families, and much more.

Americorps continued to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, AmeriCorps members served more than 12.3 million people in support of the national COVID-19 response and recovery.

They also Implemented new resources through the American Rescue Plan. This includes increasing the AmeriCorps living allowance in VISTA and State and National programs and AmeriCorps Seniors stipend in Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs and supporting Child Tax Credit outreach and enrollment.

In partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health AmeriCorps program is a $400 million investment over five years that will add thousands of new public health related service opportunities to strained health systems and build a career pipeline for the next generation of public health leaders.

And finally, Americorps united in service on two national days of service: MLK Day and the 20th anniversary of 9/11 Day. Thousands of volunteers engaged and served in person and virtually in neighborhoods across the country to make an impact on their communities.

This year's theme is Together, we are AmeriCorps. Service brings people together and bridges divides, and that's what our members, volunteers, and programs do each and every day. From local leaders and elected officials – to partners and grantees – to current members, volunteers, and alumni – we invite all to participate in the weeklong celebration.

Show off your AmeriCorps gear – new logo, old logo – it doesn’t matter! Don your favorite tee, breakout your old baseball cap, or show off your AmeriCorps-themed arts and crafts project. 

Take a photo and share it on your personal social media channels in honor of the #DayoftheA. Don't forget to tag @AmeriCorps and use the hashtag #DayoftheA in your posts.

Don't forget about the Thunderclap to end AmeriCorps Week with a bang! Say thank you to all our member and volunteers across the US. 

Join us on Friday by sharing our #AmeriThanks social media post found in the social press kit from your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account at noon, ET.

Be sure to use the same graphic, include the hashtags #AmeriCorpsWeek and #AmeriThanks, and tag @AmeriCorps in your post.

As we celebrate Women's History Month 2022, we reflect upon advances women have made over the last decade. We celebrate the women who make (and made!) Morrisville a great place to live, work, and play.

Did you know? You have women to thank for the invention of circular saws, aquariums, dishwashers, globes, life rafts, fire escapes, car heaters, medical syringes, windshield wipers, coffee filters, and the first Monopoly game – just to name a few. Take some time this month to learn about the remarkable women of history and go blaze a trail of your own.

Learn more about Women’s History Month, including online exhibits, collections, audio, and videos, at https://womenshistorymonth.gov

During this Women’s History Month, we want to celebrate Women Trailblazers in our Nation and Around the World.  Women have had such a remarkable impact on the political, economic, and social/cultural fabric of society.   I also commend them for balancing career, and family, to successfully launch their careers.  My mom, my wife, and mother in law have all inspired me as some of the smartest women I have ever known!

This month, please share with me on Social Media, your ideas on Women we should be talking about!  I will try to share some of my favorite Female Trailblazers this week!

Here are a few more Trailblazers!

The Small Business Technology & Development Center (SBTDC) at NC State University is collaborating with the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce to provide confidential, no-cost business counseling at the Chamber office.

SBTDC advisors help businesses:

Could your business benefit from an expert advisor? Those who wish to participate in this free opportunity should choose a time slot for your mentor session here: https://bit.ly/3BQiqL8

You must register with SBTDC to complete the confidentiality agreement by completing this form prior to your appointment on March 30: https://bit.ly/3hnt3eQ

It has come to my attention that Parkside Elementary could be capped this upcoming school year, and the closest school would be Adams Elementary in Cary, which is located on Cary Town Boulevard.  I am working with my colleagues on the Council, and the Wake County School Board on what other options could be and I am going to make this a high priority for this year, along with our Council.

We do plan to discuss this topic at the next during our brainstorming work session tomorrow and next week as well.

Please visit https://www.wcpss.net/student-assignment for more information on School Assignment.

It was an honor to attend IT Serve Raleigh Launch, with Senator Wiley Nickel and Chieg Guest, Raju Gadiraju, CIO of the NC Dept. of Employment Security.

It was a pleasure to welcome Tech CEO’s from around the country and state and I look forward to working to grow this organization and our Tech industry!  We will make NC the Smartest State in the Nation!

Morrisville has been selected as a double finalist for IDC’s 2022 Smart Cities North America Awards in two different categories. It is now time for community voting so we would like to ask for your assistance in getting the word out on social media and voting for Morrisville projects in the Smart Water and Smart Buildings categories. I have included the social media links below as well as the direct link to vote. Thank you in advance for your support. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Morrisville_NC/status/1501188509561987080

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100064840476543/posts/338650051639675/?d=n

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6906961782049771521

Link to vote: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCNAA22

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.

Monday, March 21, Wake County Commissioners Meeting at 2 pm at Wake County Justice Center.   Stream at www.wakegov.com.  

Tuesday, March 22, 6 pm Hybrid Town Council Meeting.  

Council will be running Hybrid Meetings though the end of March.  

Please submit comments on line to publiccomments@townofmorrisville.org and stream live at www.townofmorrisville.org!  

Thursday, March 24, Smart City Advisory Committee 6:30pm- 9 pm at Historic Christian Church. 

The Town of Morrisville and the Morrisville Police Department advise pedestrians not to walk on either side of Morrisville Carpenter Road between Town Hall Drive and Misty Groves Circle. This section of the road is an active construction zone area and does not have a sidewalk and is not safe for pedestrians. Please observe the posted sidewalk closed signs.

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

Due to inclement weather, the Morrisville Holi Festival is rescheduled for Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Cedar Fork Community Center.

What do you see as budget priorities for our fiscal year 2023? The Town has opened a Budget Portal Gateway to collect community insight that serves to inform the development of Town Council’s priorities and goals for the next budget year. Input will be collected through Tuesday, March 15, at midnight.

View the portal and share your input here.

The Budget Portal will reopen when presented to the Town Council in May.

The Town of Morrisville is adding new amenities to Morrisville Community Park. We will be constructing new tennis courts, pickleball courts, a restroom building, picnic shelter, and walking trails through the park.

Read more at https://bit.ly/MSVCPIII.

Get them answered on EngageMorrisville.com during a live Q&A chat session with Town representatives on Monday, March 21, from 1-2 p.m.

#LiveConnectedLiveWell

The Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center will be closed from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18.

Celebrate the spring equinox with Yoga in the Park on Sunday, March 20, from 5:00-5:50 p.m., at the Morrisville Community Park. Registration opens on Sunday, March 13.

The MAFC will implement a sign-up policy for weekend Open Rec Swim starting Saturday, March 26. Reserve your spot one week in advance here.

Morrisville Creek Week, March 12-19, is held to educate the public about issues related to stormwater pollution and keeping our waterways clean. Events include educational booths, library programming and crafts for kids, litter pickups, stream cleans, and drain marking. Learn more about Creek Week here.

The Town is growing, and your opinion matters! Spring Advisory Committee Recruitment will begin on Monday, March 14. The following committees have vacancies or expiring terms that may be filled during this process:

• Environment and Stormwater Committee

• Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Committee

• Performance Measures Advisory Committee

• Planning and Zoning Board

• Smart City Steering Committee

• Public Safety Advisory Committee

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 6, at 5 p.m. Apply now on the Town website. Contact Eric Smith, Town Clerk, with any questions at (919) 463-6168 or esmith@townofmorrisville.org.

Morrisville residents - get CERTified! The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

The CERT program will be held April 23-24, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., at Fire Station No. 1, 200 Town Hall Drive. All levels of abilities are welcome to attend. Limited spots available. Visit this page for more information and to register.

The Town of Morrisville has launched the Sustainability Dashboard on Morrisville's Open Data Portal. The dashboard provides residents with tracking data showing the Town's progress in implementing sustainability practices. Data for the solar panel array on Morrisville Fire Station No. 1 and recycling participation rates for each of Morrisville's five GFL Environmental service routes are currently available. For details, 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!

March 16, 2022

Beginning Thursday, March 17, Wake County Public Health will reduce the number of daily appointments for COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The decision comes as Wake County has experienced a steady decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since mid-January.

Get Free Covid Tests at https://www.covidtests.gov/

This information is provided for COVID-19 testing sites in Wake County and please visit https://www.wakegov.com/covid-19-information/no-cost-covid-19-testing.

New sites continue to be added in Wake County through partnerships with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and other community testing providers.

All Mako Medical/NCDHHS sites will remain open through March 1. WakeMed Soccer Park hours are changing - they're now 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Monday.

Radeas Labs has partnered with Baptist on Mission to offer drive-thru testing in Wake County AND Radeas has opened back up its Wake Forest drive thru-site. No appointments, no pre-registration, and no out-of-pocket costs. Insurance accepted, but not required.

All Mako Wake County Testing Sites Open Until March 1:

Hindu Society of NC: Drive thru testing in HSNC parking lot. Do not step out of your car . You will be provided with instructions for registration. No prior appointment is required. Testing is being performed by: Ottendorf Laboratories, LLC. Monday thru Friday - 8 to 5 pm Address: 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560

Registration can be done with the QR code:

Note that you can get Pfizer and Moderna First, Second and Booster Shots at Morrisville Pharmacy and Compounding (3500 Davis Drive Market Place Shopping Center, Morrisville, NC 27560) (919) 463-7990.

Thanks to community leaders for hosting a Reception and Update from United States Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois!

Feel free to visit my interview with him: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/336394288532142

It was an honor to welcome Secretary of State Elaine Marshall to the North Carolina Executive Roundtable!  960,000 new businesses this year!  I will be sharing my ideas on other ways this office can help create the new jobs of the new economy!

It was an honor to welcome Nepalese leaders from the Mid West at the ANMA event at Himalayan Grill in Cary.  We had an engaging discussion on how the Nepalese community of our state and nation can be more engaged with our Democracy!

Enjoyed attending TTGA Dhoom Dhamm Diwat!  Celebrating the Harvest and Spring!

It was wonderful to attend the Hum Sub Celebration in person again!  I enjoyed being there with Mayors Cawley, Weinbrecht, an Gilbert and Council Member Satish Garimella!

As Russia struggles to capture major cities, it has intensified its assaults on civilian areas, including in Kyiv.

Three European leaders visited Ukraine yesterday, as Russian bombardments intensified. Zelensky urged other leaders to do the same.

“It is here that freedom fights against the world of tyranny,” Poland’s prime minister wrote on Facebook after arriving in Kyiv by train.

There was some relief in the besieged city of Mariupol: An estimated 20,000 people fled after Russia and Ukraine opened a humanitarian corridor.

Putin cast doubt on prospects for a breakthrough in peace talks after yesterday’s negotiations.

Two journalists working for Fox News were killed when their vehicle came under fire outside Kyiv.

Overflowing morgues and daily shelling: This is life inside Mykolaiv, a port city where residents refuse to give in.

Technicians trapped inside Chernobyl are working around the clock at gunpoint to safeguard the nuclear waste, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Ukrainian anthem is reverberating around the world. Here are some notable performances.

Pfizer asked federal regulators to authorize a second booster shot for adults 65 and older.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is at least as protective as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, C.D.C. data suggest.

The Senate approved a symbolic resolution to repeal the mask mandate for public transportation, with eight Democrats joining Republicans.

The Senate passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. Its prospects in the House are unclear. (Why do we change the clocks anyway?)

The White House will withdraw Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to the Federal Reserve.

The Fed is planning to raise interest rates to control inflation.

In 2020, a couple tried to sell U.S. nuclear submarine secrets to a foreign country. That nation was Brazil.

North Korea launched a projectile, but it failed “immediately after liftoff,” according to the South Korean military.

For the first time since 1940, Rockefeller Center will have a roller rink.

The Wake County Board of Education has set a new electoral map through 2030.

The map is based on the 2020 Census, which showed major changes in growth in certain parts of the county, major changes from when the board last adopted a map in 2010.

In the same vote, which was 8-1, the board also approved asking the Wake County Board of Elections to return the school board to four-year, staggered election terms beginning with four board seats in November. The Board of Elections determines how elections are run and must agree to the proposal.

The new electoral map attempts to reapportion the electoral districts across the county to give all districts roughly the same populations while also accounting for expected growth in some areas. Consultants for the board used population and building permit data and talked with planners and others to predict where growth would occur until the next Census.

Under Tuesday’s proposal, school board members in Districts 1, 2, 7 and 9 would be elected to four-year terms this fall, while school board members in Districts 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 would be elected to two-year terms.

The Wake County Board of Education has adopted calendars for school year after next.

They include several teacher workdays, as required.

For traditional-calendar schools, the day after Halloween will be one of those workdays.  HOLI will be recognized as a Teacher Workday on Friday.  

Traditional-calendar schools will also have spring break the week before Easter, a 9-day winter break and 2-day break in February when teachers will be working. 

Wake County voters will likely see another bond referendum on the ballot this fall – and the Wake County School Board is hoping to be part of it.

The Wake County Public School System plans to ask for a school bond referendum this fall, but to do so, they need approval from the Wake County Board of Commissioners, who will meet with the school board later this month to discuss budget needs – including whether to put more school construction bonds on the ballot this fall.

Wake County voters have seen a lot of school bonds in the past few years. In 2013, they approved $810 million dollars for school construction. Then, in 2018, they okayed another $548 million. That adds up to $1.36 billion dollars in less than a decade.

The school board says lists $2.5 billion in capital costs through 2028, and only this year and next year are so far funded. It's not clear how much isn't funded.

Durham Public Schools relax some masking requirements Wednesday.

Many neighboring districts have loosened mask mandates for students and staff, but DPS has been more cautious. The district will now allow everyone to drop the masks while outside. However, students and staff need to keep the masks on while inside at all times.

At athletic events, DPS high schools can now fill the stands to 75 percent capacity. Middle schools can allow up to 150 spectators.

All spectators at sporting events are required to wear masks.

Starting today, masks will be optional in most Cumberland County government facilities for staff and visitors.

Masks will still be required in the Department of Public Health and the Cumberland County Detention Center.

The new guidelines come as case counts fall and counties across the state loosen masking guidelines. Statewide, the percentage of positive tests is less than 3%, however, it is much higher locally in Cumberland County, about 7.1% over the last 14 days.

Watch Sunday at 4pm for a new Forum.

Please watch for the Black Issues Forum on UNC-TV!  Fridays at 7 pm and Sundays at 4 pm!

Join us this Sunday, March 20 for our Womens History Month Interview with WRAL Anchor, Renee Chou!

Website: https://video.pbsnc.org/search/?q=black+issues+forum

Program Airdates:

PBS NC

NC Channel

Due to inclement weather, the Morrisville Holi Festival is rescheduled for Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Cedar Fork Community Center.

Representative David Price (NC-04) and Representative Deborah Ross (NC-02) invite you to join a virtual Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grants Workshop on Wednesday, March 23rd from 10:00 - 11:30AM to learn more about the federal grants available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that local elected officials, MPOs, and county/municipal staff may apply for directly, including RAISE Grants, PROTECT Grants, MEGA Grants, INFRA Grants, Rural Surface Transportation Grants, Reconnecting Communities, and Safe Streets and Roads for All.

Special Guests:

Katie Thomson, Director of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation, US Department of Transportation Representative with the NC Department of Transportation

March 24th NC Tech Association Diversity and Inclusion Summit.

May 5 Morrisville Chamber Annual Meeting at Prestonwood Country Club from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Award Applications are open!

Join us at 4 pm on Sunday for our Women’s History Interview with WRAL Anchor Renee Chou.  99.9FMHD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!  Listen at www.radionyrausa.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.