Hanover is sending e-mail alerts about events

If you feel out of the loop when it comes to Hanover County's schedule for board meetings and other events, the county is offering a free service to keep you up to date.

The Hanover-Access News system sends weekly e-mail alerts to residents about upcoming meetings for the Board of Supervisors, the School Board and the Planning Commission, as well as community programs and services.

It was started in July as part of an initiative to keep residents and other interested parties more informed about Hanover government.

"Everyone is very busy now, and a lot of people won't go to the county Web site" to check for news and events, said county spokesman Tom Harris. "This is a very low-cost way of reaching out to people that didn't involve any big risk."

The goal since July was to have at least 100 subscribers in each district, and Harris said last week that he's reached that number. Residents can sign up online for general county news, as well as by the district where they live.

The Rev. Beth Givens, of Kenwood United Methodist Church, is a subscriber who said the system has been very useful for her and her congregation -- particularly for the connections she's made with the Community Service Board. She said she appreciates the direct links to the supervisors' agendas and issues.

As a pastor who's interested in local issues, "I rarely think to check the agenda before the fact, so I have always found myself reacting to [news] stories rather than being proactive," Givens said. The new system "gives me the opportunity to address leaders in advance about issues."

In addition to event alerts, Harris said, there are also short news bulletins that take only a minute or so to read.

The service is provided through a company called Constant Contact, and costs the county $126 for the year.

Harris said he hopes to post bulletins at least twice a week.

Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or .