The Columbus County Agricuture Fair STARTS TUESDAY See page 3-A for the schedule. ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, October 12, 2015 County Volume 125, Number 30 Whiteville, North Carolina schools 75 Cents nix trip Inside 3-A requests •Next threats rising from flood waters. N.C. State fair, 5-A parks a ‘liability’ •Former CIA spy to By NICOLE CARTRETTE sign books at Lake News Editor Library. The N.C. State Fair, carnivals, amusement parks, water sports, boating activities, swim- ming in pools, and certain overnight stays ap- DIDYOB? pear to be completely off limits for Columbus Did you observe ... County school field trips. “Those are considered higher risk activi- ties,” Superintendent Alan Faulk said Friday. Julie Forster and “It’s because of the liability.” Jenny Williams, two On Tuesday, after a closed session, the school board voted unanimously to deny all English visitors to but one field trip request discussed. Columbus County, Though not on the Tuesday list, West Staff photo by FULLER ROYAL Columbus High School’s Future Farmers of taking part in a America annual trip to the N.C. State Fair was spontaneous video Cadence for all turned down. Members of the Whiteville High School JROTC Wolfpack Battalion repeat their cadence during Fri- Faulk said the changes come as a result posted on Wallyce of suggestions from the N.C. School Board day’s homecoming parade along Madison Street in Whiteville. Association and following “discussion at an Todd’s Facebook administrators retreat.” page that included Faulk mentioned various accidents at fairs and parks. them wondering “They don’t tell us what to do,” Faulk said, what that “strange Etheridge sees agriculture but suggest school districts “be careful with this.” thing in the sky” Several Columbus County schools made damage in county firsthand requests to take students on trips out of state. was when they saw Kindergarteners will continue to be the sun for the first nPush for federal disaster aid to farms con- tinues. See No more trips, page 9-A time during their By NICOLE CARTRETTE week-long visit to News Editor N.C.? (The women Cotton, sweet potatoes, and peanuts across Columbus Chadbourn flew from London County remain in wet fields, rotting, and offer farmers little hope for a profit after the harvest. to North Carolina to At least that is what Bob Etheridge, executive state tables ABC director for the federal Farm Service Agency, saw first- celebrate with Todd hand Friday as he visited farmers north of Whiteville. the 20-year anniver- “This is sort of representative of what we are find- store action sary of their friend- ing all over southeast North Carolina today,” Etheridge said, as he stood in Ellis Jordan’s cotton field near the nAction taken amid charges of lies ship, which began Western Prong community. and a “farce” of a meeting. Etheridge held a boll with dark, rotten cotton inside on a bus and tent it. By ALLEN TURNER trip across Europe in Jordan was looking to get about 1,200 pounds of cot- Bob Etheridge and John Moore Lennon ton from the field. “Now I hope I get 500,” Jordan said. Staff Writer “Somebody might buy it to make Q-tips.” 1995.) ... Pink lights farming since 2007. “You can’t protect yourself from a flood,” Etheridge Chadbourn town council recently tabled ac- “We have had a couple droughts that were pretty shining bright at said. He emphasized that it was important for farmers tion on moving the West Columbus ABC store. tough I’d say,” Jordan said, adding that he will be lucky to contact their local Farm Service Agency to report A contentious discussion of more than an Ivey’s Café in honor to save 40 percent of his peanuts and sweet potatoes. damage. hour led up to the vote. “It’s too wet. You can’t even get in there yet and see of Breast Cancer Jordan, who represents a younger generation of One councilman said that someone – either farmers, has never seen this kind of loss. He has been See Crops, page 2-A Mayor Donald Ray Bass or ABC board chair- Awareness Month? man Tony Freeman – was lying. Another ... councilman accused the mayor of lying. The mayor called the meeting a “farce.” At its September meeting, the board voted to rent the former Kangaroo convenience store County Deaths Crusade’s leaders report 854 building (which the town acquired when it was donated by the property owners) to the Whiteville West Columbus ABC Board for $2,000 a month. William McKinley Brown persons committed to Christ That measure also required the ABC board to donate $10,000 a year to the Chadbourn Police Patricia King Duncan nFinal session here Thursday brought warn- Department. Nakina ing that “real work” now begins, unusual The ABC board subsequently sent a letter Pearl Watts stories of conversions to Christianity. to the town saying they didn’t want to move Riegelwood from their current location. They pay only Avery Graham Blanks By BOB HIGH $785 a month for rent on a lease that runs for Staff Writer two more years. An accusation of lies, leveled by Council- One visitor to Columbus County attended at least one man James Green, came after ABC board Index of the Go Tell Columbus Crusade sessions last week at chairman Tony Freeman said Bass first South Columbus High School, and went forward to give proposed that the former gas station would Editorials .......... 8-A his life to God. come rent-free. Freeman said after Septem- Obituaries ......... 7-A A report by a member of the Go Tell Columbus steer- ber’s meeting that his “jaw dropped” when ing committee Thursday showed the man was close to the council passed a motion to charge $2,000 Sports ................ 1-B suicide, but “God saved me.” a month rent plus $10,000 annual donation to Crime ................ 4-A The visitor said his son committed suicide during the police department. Staff photo by Bob High Lifestyles ........... 5-A the spring, and his fiancé left him, pregnant by another That motion passed unanimously with man. The visitor, despite all his personal tragedies, left Brenda Jolly, chairperson of the Go Tell Columbus Crusade committee, honored Jose Alvarez Thurs- Councilman David Worley refraining from Tabor City a new man. voting because he is the landlord for the ABC day with a special honorarium for his work and More stories store. The ABC store has occupied Worley’s support during the five-night event. More reports Thursday included: building for 12 to 15 years and he has been on • Another man went forward and was being counseled the town council for the past two years. Worley when the man’s wife approached and told him she was returned with her father. “That girl was crying a flood also recused himself from voting on the issue tired of waiting, and wanted him to leave immediately. of tears,” Gage observed. Tuesday night. The man didn’t leave until the counseling session was • Another teen went into the stands, spent a minute The board decided to charge the higher rent complete. in front of some football players, and returned with two in an effort to avoid paying Columbus County • Rick Gage, leader of the Go Tell Ministry that spear- of them in tow. any more money than necessary. Under an headed the crusade, talked about one teenager who went forward Wednesday evening, then left the stage area and See Go Tell, page 9-A See ABC, page 2-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, October 12, 2015 Crops Continued from page 1-A how bad it is,” Ellis said. would make the peanuts no with,” Ellis said. type of damage caused by too Jordan’s sweet potatoes in good and be turned down by The process for declaring much rain. The last time the a field just a few miles from buyers. an area a disaster for federal county saw significant dam- his cotton were washed out of “We are going to encour- aid purposes is a lengthy one. age to fall crops was 1999. the ground in areas. age farmers to contact their Ellis said he did not an- “We can’t get wet stuff out At John Moore Lennon’s FSA officer,” Etheridge said. ticipate any extra assistance of the field,” Gray said. farm south of Clarkton, pea- He said farmers need extra within the year. A few of the farmers who nuts showed signs of mold- aid in light of what he sees as “When farmers have a met with Etheridge Friday ing in the shell. Etheridge disaster. tough time it ripples over to talked abut making calls to doubted they were “harvest- A Columbus County emer- the consumer on the grocery elected officials in Washing- able” but Lennon hopes to gency committee met Tuesday shelf,” Etheridge said. He ton, D.C. salvage something from the to send a preliminary report pointed out a drought in the “Every farmer ought to be field, he said. of “significant damage” to Carolinas earlier this year calling,” said Etheridge, the “We are going to try, we’ve state and federal officials. coupled with recent drought son of tenant farmers, who got to,” Lennon said. Etheridge said Friday he in California has resulted in served for 12 years in the U.S. A fuzz could be seen on had “signed off” on the report price increases on produce. House. some of the peanuts inside and that it was sent to Wash- He said recent events here The Farm Service Agency the shell.