Bolton's Sole Officer Loves Community
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rHM Sports 1PTUZPVSiCVDLFUMJTUuBUUIFBSUTDPVODJMUIJTNPOUI 5PSDI,DPNFTUP8IJUFWJMMF JO4QPSUT ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Tursday forReporter the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, June 11, 2012 Waccamaw Bank Volume 121, Number 98 Whiteville, North Carolina closes; bought by 75 Cents Virginia bank By LES HIGH Inside Today Editor Waccamaw Bank finally succumbed Friday to pres- 2-A sures that had brought it to the brink of insolvency over r$PVOUZEFNVSTPO the past year when the North Carolina Commissioner BDBEFNZPĒFS of Banks closed it at 6 p.m. First Community Bank of Bluefield, Va., has bought the bank’s assets and opened all Waccamaw branches 4-A under the FCB name this morning. The bank has assets r-PDBMOVSTFLJMMFEJO of $2.2 billion and operated in 56 locations in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee before WFIJDMFDSBTI acquiring Waccamaw. r5FFOTUBCCFE'SJEBZ Eric Raines of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpo- r3PTFMBOEêSFUSVDL ration told The News Reporter Friday that the FDIC had quietly sought bidders for Waccamaw when it became EBNBHFEJOXSFDL inevitable the bank could not sustain operations. There r'MBH%BZTFUIFSF were four bidders, he said. ѮVSTEBZ Officials said that Waccamaw ATMs, checks and de- posits were not affected by the closure and will remain intact until FCB converts Waccamaw customers to its 9-A system, although one customer told the newspaper that r5FBDIFSTMJLF his Waccamaw ATM card didn’t work Friday night. 5BLFUIF-BLF No one with deposits in the bank will lose their money. Those with stock in Waccamaw Bank, however, have likely lost all their investment. “It’s been a long weekend,” former Waccamaw Bank DIDYOB? CEO Geoff Hopkins said Sunday afternoon shortly be- fore FCB officials met with former Waccamaw employ- Did you observe ... ees at Vineland Station, “but the FDIC is doing a good job keeping everybody in the loop. As bad as this was, People writing what we could not have asked for a better acquiring institu- tion. It is very well run and I think it will be a breath they want to do on of fresh air after four years of battling.” the “Before I Die...” Hopkins said that FCB shares many of Waccamaw Bank’s philosophies about community involvement and chalkboard at the Co- that its addition will be an economic boost. “We were a lumbus County Arts Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist good community citizen and they will be too,” Hopkins Council? Everyone is said. “They have the financial strength to pick up right New ownership where we left off.” invited to share their Employees of First Community Bank enter the main branch and headquarters of “bucket list” all this Waccamaw Bank in Whiteville Friday to begin the process of acquiring the bank. See Waccamaw Bank, page 2-A month... A busload of Columbus County Girl Scouts attending the Centennial cele- Board gets glimpse at courthouse drawings Aging may have bration of Girl Scout- By NICOLE CARTRETTE second year of ing in Washington, Staff Writer D.C., this weekend on Columbus County Commissioners got their major losses the Mall? More than first look at drawings for the new courthouse 250,000 girls from annex recently. n Officials hoping to boost Personal The 42,000–square–foot facility will have Care Services, not end the program. across the country three stories and will house three courtrooms in addition to the clerk’s office, an enclosed attended... Dozens of By NICOLE CARTRETTE sally port, and three courtrooms. volunteers handling Staff Writer “This is a very efficient, very economical 40,000 lbs. of potatoes courthouse that is going to serve the county Despite what could be a second year of a long time,” Glenn Ware of Ware Bonsail Friday?... 168 teachers major losses, officials don’t want to give up Architects said. one division of the Department of Aging as and staf signing up The design allows for defendants in the proposed earlier this year. to participate in Take sheriff’s custody and the public to “never Aging is “currently in the negative overall cross paths” until in the courtroom, he said. the Lake?... Artist’s rendering of the courthouse addition, right. $382,533,” according to County Finance Officer An enclosed garage and several holding cells Bobbie Faircloth, but plans to do away with are also part of the plan. courtroom has a prisoner holding area, judges’ offices Personal Care Services have changed. “There is secure parking for judges and people and jury rooms. The proposed county budget for fiscal year can move more securely inside the building,” Ware County Deaths “This provides better security and better control,” 2012-13 calls for revenues to double in PCS, explained. Ware said of the layout. from nearly $360,000 to more than $784,000, Other features include two designated areas in the The third floor houses a large courtroom that seats rather than eliminate the services as proposed lobby for screening visitors who enter the facility near Whiteville 140 people and a multipurpose room. by a hired consultant in February. the clerk’s office and records area on the first floor. Turman L. Harris Adequate vending and restroom facilities mean Aging officials are banking on the closure There are offices for probation and parole units, also. Angela Martin Tedder that jurors “don’t have to go into the public hallway for of one private in-home services company to The second level of the facility will house two Sharon Ann Shipman anything,” Ware said. standard courtrooms and seat 140 people each. Each See Courthouse, page 3-A See Aging, page 3-A Tabor City Jessie James Elizabeth Arnette Housand Marceila Mae Murphy Josephine Watts Powell Bolton’s sole ofcer loves community n Sgt. Ed Gillam is the only officer in the shrunk to just one officer. Forming personal relationships with the entire Bolton Police Department—but he says he “It makes for some long hours,” Gillam said. community is vital for any police officer in Bolton, has a community helping him and backing “Still, I have good relations with neighboring depart- Gillam said. Index him up. ments and the sheriff ’s department. We look after “Bolton doesn’t have a fence or a wall around each other. You can’t do it alone.” it,” he said. “A lot of the people who commit crimes 0CJUVBSJFT" Gillam came to the town after several years with here are from out of the area. The people outside By JEFFERSON WEAVER &EJUPSJBMT" the State Port Authority Police. Before that, the Ivan- of Bolton can help us catch the bad guys, since the 4QPSUT# Staff Writer hoe native was a deputy with the Sampson County rural residents are potential victims, too. That’s why Sheriff ’s Department. you have to be familiar with the entire community.” $SJNF" Bolton may only have one police officer on patrol, Coming from a rural community gives Gillam a The grant that funded the department requires but that doesn’t mean the bad guys have it easier. perspective different than a more urban-oriented outreach work to the surrounding communities, That officer makes it a point to keep irregular police officer. When he came to Bolton, he said, he Gillam explained. He is working with Buckhead hours, open lines of communication and conduct wasn’t familiar with the concept of community residents to ramp up their community watch, and intensive patrols. policing, where officers are encouraged to be a part hopes to strengthen the watch group in Bolton. “I even come around sometimes on my personal of the neighborhood and develop relationships with The town is special, Gillam said, because of the vehicle,” Sgt. Ed Gillam said. “I try to be sure they the people in their jurisdictions. number of families with multi-generational ties to never know when I might turn up.” “When Chief DeCotis started talking about com- the town and the area. Gillam has been with the department for two and munity policing, I realized, ‘Hey, why would anybody “There are a lot of good people here who take a half years. He was hired by former Chief Dar- do it any different? That’s exactly what I believe,” he pride in their town,” he said. “You only hear about ryl DeCotis. Due to resignations, the department said. “He really inspired me to put a lot of focus on — which was rebuilt using a federal grant — has See Bolton, page 9-A community policing, because it works.” 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, June 11, 2012 This week, on... Waccamaw Continued from page 1-A Friday’s closing sometimes forced to stand in Just after 6 p.m., Friday long lines at the failed bank to at the Waccamaw headquar- get their money back, Raines ters on Powell Boulevard in said. Whiteville, the acting North Raines cautioned that June 11, 2012 Carolina Commissioner of all depositors are urged to Banks, Ray Grace, gathered make sure their accounts employees in the lobby after are arranged so that they are Last chance to win! the last customer exited and covered by FDIC insurance, regardless of the institution. Today is the last day for told them that the bank was All deposits in the nation’s our Get Ready for Sum- insolvent and that it was of- banks are insured to $250,000, mer Sweepstakes. ficially closed, but that First Raines said, and no one with Visit Whiteville.com Community Bank would as- an insured account has lost a before midnight and click sume Waccamaw’s assets. dollar due to closures since on the sweepstakes but- Deputies locked the doors the FDIC was created in 1933.