Cancellations, postponements and other Covid-19-related information

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All Mitchell County government offices are closed to foot traffic. All county offices will still be open by appointment and phone call to all who need assistance. All essential services will continue to operate – the sheriff’s department, 911 and sanitation. Call and make an appointment to do business with the sheriff’s office, the board of elections or the register of deeds. Call 828-688-2139 with questions or for more information.

• Mayland Small Business Center classes are postponed.

• AMY Regional Library has suspended all programs until further notice.

• The Blue Ridge Partnership for Children has postponed Child Fest at Mitchell High School. 

• Penland School of Craft has closed its campus.

• AMY Wellness Foundation has postponed its April 8 grant writing workshop.

• No. 3 Grill in Spruce Pine is offering free delivery for orders in Spruce Pine and Bakersville. Call 828-520-1475 for more information.

• Shepherd’s Staff is allowing clients to utilize a “drive-up” procedure when picking up supplemental food boxes. Call 828-765-5385 for more information.

• The Mitchell Senior Center has suspended all activities until further notice.

• Southern Ridge Café is offering a curbside pickup and free deliveries for local business inside Bakersville town limits and to Spruce Pine if there are more than five orders. Delivery hours are 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. unless otherwise established beforehand. Call 828-537-2023 for more information.

• DTs is offering curbside service. Call 828-766-8008 to place an order.

• Emerald Ridge will tentatively open Friday, April 10. 

• Do you have questions about coronavirus and you don’t know who to ask? Do you wonder what the testing is like? Do you have questions about what you can do to keep your family safe? Send your questions to mitchellhd@toeriverhealth.org.

• The Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Spring After Hours scheduled for March 26 has been canceled.

• Tips to help local businesses: Shop online or via phone. While some stores already have online shopping, others will help customers order via phone or FaceTime. Buy gift cards to use at a later date to support businesses now, even if you don’t currently need anything. Order takeout or delivery and tip the same amount as you would dining in.

• The Town of Spruce Pine is requesting customers use the drive-in window, drop box or pay online at townofsprucepine.com. The online payment option is highlighted in red on the page.

• The Tropical Grill is offering curbside takeout service. Place an order by calling 828-765-0909.

• The opening of The Switzerland Café has been postponed until further notice.

• The Mitchell County Democratic Convention will be conducted March 28 via phone conference call.

• The upcoming Mitchell JCPC meeting has been canceled.

• The Mitchell County Historical Society History Bee has been postponed.

• The Mitchell High School performing Arts presentation of “Chicago: High School Edition” scheduled for early April has been postponed.

• Home Remedies classes are canceled until further notice.

• The National Forests in North Carolina closed all campgrounds Monday, March 23, for the health and safety of visitors and staff. This includes all concessionaire-operated campgrounds and all day-use areas associated with those campgrounds. Campgrounds will be closed until at least May 15, at which point they will be re-evaluated.

• If delivering things to at-risk people, help them stay safe and healthy by following certain guidelines: 

• Do not enter their home.

• Stay at least six feet away from them.

• Do not go to their home if you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or cough/sneeze in your bent elbow.

• Do not touch them.

Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Email the Mitchell County Health Department at mitchellhd@toeriverhealth.org with questions or for more information.

• The Friday, March 27, regular meeting of the Mitchell County Economic Development Commission has been canceled.

• The annual Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival has been postponed.

• Ingles Markets in North Carolina are changing the hours of operation in response to the threat of Covid-19. Beginning this past Monday, March 23, Ingles is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. and as of Tuesday, March 24, the first hour of shopping, from 7-8 a.m., on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is dedicated to senior citizen shoppers, first responders and those with compromised immune systems. 

• The Mitchell County Historical Society’s online journal for the Covid-19 pandemic is now active at https://mitchellnchistory.org/the-corona-times. Send anything you would like included or linked on the journal. The Society is trying to create a “living history” document of the pandemic and the response to it in Mitchell County. It will be updated at least daily with facts, figures and links.

• The Mitchell County 911 Center uses a protocol system to question callers to assure sending the correct response, giving the best instructions for the situations and preparing the responders for the situation. While facing the current conditions with Covid-19, questions will be added to all callers that will be getting a response from emergency service personnel to ensure safety to everyone from the caller to the first person on scene. 

• All Special Olympics Programs through May 31 are canceled. 

• Spruce Pine First Baptist Church will be closed for in-church events and services until further notice due to the Covid-19 mandates. Services may be viewed on Wednesdays and Sundays on Facebook and the services will be available Monday mornings at spfbc1.blogspot.com.

• All United Community Bank branches have shifted to a drive-through and appointment-only service model. In-branch services such as loan closings, access to safe deposit boxes and wire transfers will be available via a scheduled in-person appointment, and customers are encouraged to call their local branch to schedule a convenient time during normal business hours.

• Reports circulating on Facebook claiming WIC recipients must use all of their eWIC benefits by the end of the month and will then receive a new card with three-months’ worth of benefits are not correct.