jmancini@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and a local agency is renewing a call for more volunteers.
The Court Appointed Special Advocate program, dubbed C.A.S.A., provides children who have experienced abuse or neglect an advocate who protects their interests in legal proceedings.
More than 300 children are in the program, which increased by 77 just in the first months of the new year, said Executive Director Margaret Burdette. In comparison, last year’s number was 44, she said.
“We’ve increased 77 new cases in just four months,” Burdette said.
The reason is related to the pandemic, she said.
Grand Ole Opry stars and Dove Award winners Dailey & Vincent bring their musical talents to the Pennyroyal Arts Councilâs 2020-21 Live at the Alhambra Series on March 26.
The performance is the second in the series, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in delayed or canceled performances.
âWeâre thrilled,â said Executive Director Margaret Prim. âWeâve been looking at Dailey & Vincent for years. They are just wonderful musicians; so fun to watch and entertaining. Weâre excited to introduce them to our theater.â
âDailey & Vincentâs sound is a concoction of traditional country, gospel and bluegrass blended together by the fantastically instinctive vocal blends of Daileyâs tenor and Vincentâs reedy harmonies,â according to a release.
In what has been a difficult year for many, Berkshire County nonprofit leaders have leaned on one another for support.
Facing new regulations and safety restrictions, directors scrambled to tailor their programming to fit the virtual world. âSitting around the virtual table,â an executive director support group has found, has made it easier to share ideas, and to give and receive much-needed support.
âWe started as a way to kind of talk about what was hitting us at the time,â said Liana Toscanini, executive director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, a Great Barrington nonprofit that provides support to county nonprofits. âSharing tips was particularly important when everyone had to pivot.â