r1BDLOJQT$PVHBSTr(BUPSTSBMMZUP WJDUPSZr&$)4QVUT53$TPѫCBMMSFDPSEBU r7JLJOHTCPXUP3FE4QSJOHTr4UBMMJPOT GBMMUP4DPSQJPOTr8BUTPOTJTUFSTRVBMJGZGPS 3FHJPODIBNQJPOTIJQTr-BEZ1BDLFEHFT Sports 4#)44FFQBHF# ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Tursday forReporter the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, April 2, 2012 Hudson Grant hearing to named Volume 121, Number 78 include talk of Whiteville, North Carolina new head wellness center 75 Cents of chamber n‘Not feasible’ for now, says chair- Mary Lee Eveleigh Hud- man. son of Myrtle Beach is the Inside Today new executive director of the By NICOLE CARTRETTE 4-A Greater Whiteville Chamber Staff Writer r&YMBXNBOQMFBET of Commerce. Hudson brings more than While construction of a Wellness Center BHBJOJO3PCFTPO 20 years of experience in man- to “serve the public in the Whiteville area” is DBTF agement, sales, marketing, included as a topic of discussion in an upcom- public relations, fundraising ing Community Development Block Grant DIDYOB? and business development to hearing, for now it is just talk. the position at both start-up Columbus County Commissioners Chair- Did you observe ... and established multi-unit man Amon McKenzie said the county is in the companies. process of applying for a CDBG for roughly Pizza Village’s Pete “I am as excited about Mary $500,000 that has very flexible uses but that Padrick taking the Lee accepting this position ultimately the board is focusing on housing as she is about moving to rehabilitation and waterline projects. not a stage at Vineland Whiteville and getting started wellness center. Emporium Friday leading our chamber into the “A wellness center will cost far more dollars future,” said GWCC President than what we can accomplish,” McKenzie said. night to sing Willie Jackie Ray. “From the first few McKenzie said while he sees a “great need” Nelson-style “House moments of the interview, I for such a center in the county that is ranked knew she had the energy, expe- 100th in the state for health, the board would of the Rising Sun” rience and vision the chamber likely opt for some of it to be used on parks and with former Onslow board and its members were recreation, home rehabilitations and other looking for in the new execu- such projects. County band buddy tive director. She came to the “We’ve leaned away from the wellness Alex Bryan accom- table with fresh ideas already center. It is not feasible,” McKenzie said. He in hand and is enthusiastic See Wellness center, page 2-A panying him on the about getting to work. guitar as part of the “Janice Young has put her East Coast Coun- heart and soul into this job and our wider community for 11 Buyout of Carolinas try Band? ... Folks years,” Ray added. “We knew picking strawberries these were going to be hard Medical Response locally this morning? shoes to fill, but we’re confi- service in the works ... Judy Harritan See Hudson, page 9-A By NICOLE CARTRETTE enjoying husband Staff Writer Don’s jokes at the Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist Road may be A long-time private non-emergency ambu- Athletic Associa- Community project lance service in the county may be under new tion of Whiteville’s named for UNCW nursing student Victoria Barton, left, attaches a board to a new ownership soon. fundraiser Saturday deck at the N.C. Boys and Girls Homes Saturday as a fellow student Tonight commissioners will be asked to braces it for her. The students raised money to build an “outdoor living agree to a change in its franchise agreement McGlockton with Carolinas Medical Response. night? ... Te Cin- space” for residents of the facility. ema showing the By NICOLE CARTRETTE Under the county franchise agreement with Staff Writer all such entities, preapproval of the board classic movie “Gold- is required when a change of more than 10 fnger” during the A group of friends, family percent of the ownership without approval of members and former class- Hall named head of Lake the county terminates the existing franchise. Columbus County mates of the late Chester Mc- The name of the company, Carolinas Medi- Arts Council’s James Glockton are requesting that cal Response, will remain the same along with that a road in Whiteville be Waccamaw State Park the firm’s employees but a stock-based sell of Bond-themed fun- named after the star athlete By RAY WYCHE Hall and his wife presently reside the company is planned. draiser downtown who died last year at his Dan- Staff Writer in Whiteville but expect to move into “All aspects of the company except for Tursday night? ... ville, Calif. home. the superintendent’s house in the ownership will remain the same. This includ- Former teammate and fel- Toby Hall, who first began work park in the near future. He attends ing the name and location of the company, Area azaleas and low student at WHS, attorney at Lake Waccamaw State the First Presbyterian facilities we service along with all equipment, dogwoods peak- Matt Tedder, has requested Park in 1999, has been Church in Whiteville. vehicles and other assets and staff unless oth- that Fruit Ridge Road be re- named superintendent Hall began his career erwise updated by the new owner(s) after the ing and losing their named in honor of the football of the facility, replacing in park management sale, at which you will be informed,” President blooms? Tere won’t great. That request comes former Superintendent as a summer seasonal Lloyd Buffkin wrote in a March 26 letter to before the Columbus County Chris Helms who was park ranger in Aca- the board. be as much color this County Board of Commission- promoted to superinten- dia National Park in Buffkin and his wife Belinda have owned Easter Sunday. ... ers tonight. dent of Carolina Beach Maine and also worked the company for 14 years and he said they plan McGlockton was a first- State Park. as a seasonal ranger at to remain on hand in an advisory capacity to round draft pick of the Los Hall, a native of Maine, Grand Canyon National ensure a smooth transition. Angeles/Oakland Raiders in was a ranger at the state Park. “It has been a rewarding experience and 1992 and four-time NFL Pro- park at Lake Waccamaw A graduate in parks we are glad to have helped as many people as County Deaths Bowler who played 12 seasons from 1999 to 2004. He Toby Hall and recreation manage- we have,” Buffkin said. “We are not going any- as an NFL lineman. At the then worked as a Wildlife ment from the Univer- where. We are still in Columbus County and Whiteville time of his death last year, Commission enforcement officer sity of Maine at Presque Isle, Hall may try doing something else in the county.” Ann D. McLaughlin he was an assistant coach at until 2007. said his aim is to manage the park fa- Illinois based, A.T.S. Medical Services Shirley Patterson Stanford University and just He returned to the park in Octo- cilities to “promote the educational will be the new owners but Buffkin said the Tabor City ber 2007 as an advanced chief ranger. See Hall, page 2-A ownership change will be advantageous to See McGlockton, page 2-A Marvin Linwood Tyner See Buyout, page 2-A Chadbourn Gloria Jean Bethea Lake Waccamaw Bobby Dale Stanley Local man frst Wildlife ofcer in FBI course By JEFFERSON WEAVER In addition to nearly half the country, Long said, he Staff Writer sat in class with law officers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Niger, Canada, Hungary, Chile, Uganda, Brazil, Barba- Index A local Wildlife Resources Commission enforcement dos, Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, China, Austria, officer recently became the first from his agency to Thailand, Albania, Poland, France, Kazhakstan, Spain, &EJUPSJBMT" complete a prestigious national course. Cyprus, Belgium, Pakistan, Greece and other countries. 0CJUVBSJFT" Lt. Matt Long of Whiteville was selected to attend “It was an incredibly diverse group,” Long said. “You 4QPSUT# the FBI National Academy more than a year ago. He is learned a lot about the course topics, of course, but you $SJNF" a lieutenant with District Four, which includes Colum- learned a lot about other countries and yourself, too.” -JGFTUZMFT" bus County. Long took courses in forensic investigation, manage- The 10-week course is an intensive regimen of leader- ment of investigations, computer crimes, leadership in ship, training and specialized skills for law enforcement law enforcement, and communications for supervisors. from all disciplines. The leadership classes were some of the most en- “It was not a vacation,” Long said. lightening, Long said. The veteran lieutenant said he worked with officers “You have this huge variety of people, different life of all ranks from agencies in 28 states and 20 foreign experiences, different cultures, and you get feedback countries. that really opens your eyes,” he said. “We had a lot of Two others were wildlife officers, he said, including mutual ground, but we also got the chance to see our the chief of Arizona’s game and fish division. Others experiences through someone else’s viewpoint. You re- Matthew Long climbs an obstacle along came from across the spectrum — from chiefs with small ally get a lot out of an experience like that.” the “Yellow Brick Road,” a challeng- departments and urban police agencies to a colonel in ing course at the FBI training facility in the Egyptian state police agency. See FBI, page 9-A Quantico, Va. Submitted photo 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, April 2, 2012 This week, on... Buyout Continued from page 1-A Children invited to make fowers for cross As Mother Nature brings the county.