WINTON – Listed among the goals for Hertford County officials as they moved into a new fiscal year was a combined effort within the local government unit to keep its citizens better informed. That goal has been attained.

Late last week, Hertford County’s new and improved web site (www.co.hertford.nc.us) officially &uot;went live.&uot; The site is packed full of useful information in regards to all aspects of county government.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Hertford County Commissioners, Assistant County Manager Patricia Weaver, with assistance from a Data Center representative, gave the county’s elected leaders a first-hand look at the new web site.

&uot;We’re extremely proud of this new web site,&uot; said Weaver. &uot;It’s a tool that not only county and area citizens can use to gain information concerning county services, but it is also a tool that individuals or businesses from outside our region or state can use to take a virtual tour of what our county has to offer. In that regard, it’s a great promotional tool, one that is simple to navigate and is extremely user-friendly.&uot;

In her presentation, Weaver pointed out the web site’s numerous features – including links to general information, members of the Board of Commissioners, the county’s management team, departmental information (a link that supplies e-mail addresses for a majority of the services offered by the county), location and history, employment opportunities within county government and economic development.

Additionally, the new web site contains photos of the county and links to the Hertford County Board of Education, Roanoke-Chowan Community College and several wings of North Carolina government.

Another feature is a link to Hertford County Emergency Services. This link is a web site all on its own. It not only contains local news – how to prepare for storms and information on storm shelters and distribution points for emergency relief services – but links to local and national weather, Real Time traffic info (including updates on travel delays due to construction or accidents) and Homeland Security.

&uot;We can quickly update this information in case of a bad storm or any type of natural disaster,&uot; said Hertford County EMS Director Charles Jones. &uot;That was the purpose of the county offering a new and improved web site, to allow for the necessary information to reach our citizens. Anyone with a computer and Internet access can obtain this information.&uot;