SPORTS POW WOW FRIDAY FOOTBALL WACCAMAW SIOUAN MATCHES YIELD WINS FOR POW WOW WAS SCHS, ECHS SATURDAY uu SPORTS 3B uu POW WOW 10A The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Monday, November 7, 2016 75 CENTS Big early voting turnout By Allen Turner [email protected] Early voting ended Saturday af- ter two weeks of heavy turnout as other voters prepared to go to the polls on the official Election Day Tuesday. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday at all 26 Columbus County voting precincts and remain open until 7:30 p.m. One voting location, the Fair Bluff precinct, has been moved from its usual location of Fair Bluff Fire and Rescue to Johnny’s Sandwich Shop at 899 Main St., due to damage from Hurricane Matthew at the fire department. Complete numbers are not available on how many Columbus Countians cast early ballots be- uu VOTING 6A Photo by Grant Merritt Festival Queen Rachel McPherson and her six Belles on their float were escorted by cadets from Camden Military Academy. Bridge NCFS fills gaps during response, recovery could be By Jefferson Weaver lands, Malcolm said the agency’s mis- [email protected] sion includes emergency response. complete “It was a natural outgrowth of fire- Among the red, blue, yellow and fighting,” he explained. “It really isn’t white vehicles helping Columbus that unusual for Forest Service crews County residents during Hurricane to be deployed in a natural disaster.” in spring Matthew, there were a lot of green Malcolm said NCFS crews have trucks as well. deployed on hurricanes for years, By Jefferson Weaver The N.C. Forest Service deployed but for a long time lacked a formal [email protected] anywhere from 60 to 100 personnel protocol. Despite having working and dozens of specialized vehicles relationships with volunteer fire de- A long-awaited bridge at the to the rescue and relief efforts here partments and local law enforcement Lake Waccamaw dam could be a during and after the storm. Mike agencies, it took a national move to reality next spring. Malcolm of the Whiteville NCFS change response protocols to help the Lake Waccamaw State Park office said the rangers, technicians NCFS do a better job assisting local Superintendent Toby Hall said the and heavy equipment operators came emergency efforts. bridge will be a big boost for the from across the state. The National Incident Management park, connecting a 14-mile circuit “Whenever we are called in to System was created in part due to the around the state’s largest bay lake. help in a disaster situation, we draw need for a larger pool of resources to “The bridge is still in the design resources from all our districts,” he assist in wildfires. The same skills phase,” he said last week, “and we said. and techniques were easily modified hope the bids will go out soon for While the NCFS is best known for for other disasters, such as hurri- contractors. Staff Photo by Jefferson Weaver wildfire fighting, forest management NCFS crews get ready to deploy after Hurricane Matthew. and other services involving wood- uu NCFS 5A uu BRIDGE 4A Rouzer tours damage, sits down for roundtable By Allen Turner ville group, “This is not a short-term [email protected] recovery. This is long-term, and you know that. We’re working on a disas- Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., toured ter package to see what we need to do flood-damaged Fair Bluff Friday, to help small towns like Whiteville then sat down for a roundtable discus- and Fair Bluff.” sion with several businesspeople at Rouzer said that in the immedi- the Columbus Chamber of Commerce ate aftermath of flooding caused by and Tourism to discuss paths to re- Hurricane Matthew, he and other covery for Whiteville and Columbus elected officials stayed out of the area County in the aftermath of Hurricane at the request of Gov. Pat McCrory so Matthew. as to not interfere with first respond- Rouzer and two of his Congress- ers. “But right after this storm hit, ional staffers met for about an hour I called (N.C. House) Speaker Tim and a half with chamber President Moore and former colleagues of mine Jennifer Holcomb, Cody Bunch of J. in the state senate and let them know Cody Design, Todd and Lori Collins that we’ll need the state legislature of Collier’s Jewelry, Greg Powell of to step up and help address these Quality Cleaners, Norman Nobles issues.” of Whiteville Furniture Depot, He conceded that federal assis- Brian Murphy of Murf’s Pawn and tance mostly will be limited to loans Rick Edwards of the Columbus Jobs – both to individuals and business- Staff Photo by Allen Turner Foundation. Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Holcomb, right, led Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., on a brief tour of The congressman told the White- uu ROUZER 2A flood-damaged areas of downtown Whiteville Friday. Rouzer went on a similar tour of downtown Fair Bluff. Jennifer Holcolmb and Whiteville merchants using social media to remind folks that Whiteville is still open for business? • “Lost” Volume 126, Number 37 tourists taking a break at the Waccamaw Siouan Pow Wow? • People pulling sweaters and jackets out of the closet to wear on recent crisp Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB mornings? • Folks who forgot to set clocks back Saturday night and were an hour early on Sunday? • “I Voted” stickers on people who have DID YOU OBSERVE? exercised their right to vote in advance of Election Day? 8 95297 00000 6 2A • The News Reporter • Monday, November 7, 2016 Patrick home from surgery By Clara Cartrette of doctors, including those in [email protected] Chapel Hill and Washington, D.C., she was referred to Dr. Madeline Patrick, the East George Jallo at Johns Hopkins Columbus High School senior Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. who underwent surgery last An MRI determined that there month to have a tumor re- was a tumor inside her spinal moved from her spine is doing cord, which is extremely rare well after returning home to and very dangerous to remove, the Buckhead area. they were told. She arrived to find a crowd The family left for Florida of cheerleaders, classmates, Oct. 18 and she had surgery family, friends and a teacher Oct. 20. She remained in the cheering her on. A little later hospital a few days, then spent she was up dancing with the a few days with the family to cheerleaders and practicing Madeline Patrick assure that everything was in cheers she might have missed order before making the trip during the two weeks she was Parents Steve and Dee Jacobs back home after a two-week in Florida for surgery. Patrick will probably have the stay. Paula Jacobs, Madeline’s final say about that. Knowing it would be an grandmother, said last week When Madeline woke up af- anxious and expensive trip, that the surgeon told the fami- ter surgery, she had no feeling friends, family and people who ly it was a slow-growing tumor in her right leg. There is still don’t even know them rallied that had been there for a long some numbness but it is get- to help through a GoFundMe time. He also said he was con- ting better, Jacobs said. account online. The family’s fident that he had removed at Madeline was born with church, Union Baptist, also least 95 percent of the tumor. neurofibromatosis, a disorder helped with a fund-raising Staff Photo by Allen Turner Jacobs said Madeline is not that can cause tumors to form chicken plate sale. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., center, is flanked by Rick Edwards of the Columbus Jobs Foundation, taking anything but over-the- in the brain and/or spine. She Jacobs expressed the fam- left, and Greg Powell of Quality Cleaners during a roundtable about Hurricane Matthew Friday at counter Motrin for pain and had never been bothered with ily’s appreciation for every- the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism in Whiteville. will begin therapy this week. it until last summer when she thing that people did to help, “Her plans are to go back began to have back pain and including prayers, moral sup- to school (this week),” Jacobs numbness in her fingers. After port and financial help. ROUZER said, “but those are her plans.” consultation with a number Continued from 1A es – from the federal Small He has encouraged govern- moving forward. There’s some Individual health insurance Business Administration. ments in his 7th Congressional real thinking that’s going to be “The governor is calling District to develop a unique needed about long term efforts a special session of the state list of needs in each commu- here.” legislature, probably in early nity. “I have no chance of get- The congressman said that open enrollment period December, to consider ways ting federal help for our area if most direct grants will need to the state can address the is- we don’t know what the needs come from the state level. “At sues,” Rouzer said. “It prob- are,” he said. the federal level, we will do ev- ably will be several months After his roundtable at erything we can to plus up the began Nov. 1, ends Jan. 31 before we can figure out the to- the Chamber of Commerce, accounts for rental assistance tal economic loss to the state.” Rouzer took a walking tour from FEMA, for debris remov- Insurance Commissioner exchange also determines if hospitals, pharmacies and labs Rouzer said he conducted of downtown Whiteville with al and Rural Development ac- Wayne Goodwin reminds you are eligible for financial participate on the plan you two roundtables in his dis- Holcomb.