•Stallions blast ’Dogs to keep Three Rivers title hopes alive. •Pack closes home schedule with victory over East Columbus. •Vikings run past Mustangs for first Three Rivers win. •WHS takes third straight TRC girls cross country title. See page 2-B. Sports ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, October 26, 2015 Commissioners Volume 125, Number 34 okay economic Whiteville, North Carolina development 75 Cents grant for IP By ALLEN TURNER Inside Staff Writer 2-A The Columbus County board of commis- sioners recently voted unanimously to ap- • Shuck n’ Shag prove nearly $3.5 million in incentives for the is Thursday. International Paper (IP) plant at Riegelwood. • Three seeking two The grants are payable over a five-year council seats in Tabor period in return for making $128 million in investments for extensive upgrades to install City election. a new production line at the plant. • Storm cost Lake The line will enhance IP’s competitiveness, $29,000. Gary Lanier, economic development director for Columbus County told commissioners in recent 3-A weeks. • County’s deer IP recently divested it- hunters asked to help self of one product man- hungry. ufactured in Columbus Photo by GRANT MERRITT County and intends to ex- • Aging asked for heat pand its local production help, but no money Yams, yams, yams capacity of another prod- available. Participants help themselves to crates full of yams Saturday during the annual North Carolina Yam uct to be manufactured at Festival in Tabor City. Thousands attended the event. the plant in Riegelwood. • Fire deemed Floyd Whitmire, A second production accidental. manager of the line to manufacture a fluff International paper product will be add- 4-A Six seek three Chadbourn council seats; Paper plant in ed, Lanier said. • Mother ordered Riegelwood, That comes after IP sold addresses their Carolina Brands Pa- oldest son to beat political novice unopposed for mayor members of per product, which had younger brother. the Columbus been manufactured at the By ALLEN TURNER Kelly and Jay Suggs Jr. are also seek- council since 2007, except during County Board Riegelwood facility, to an- 5-A Staff Writer ing a seat on the board. his current term filling out Rector’s of Commission- other company. Early voting is available at the Co- mayor’s position. In addition to his ers. Employees who oper- • Sharyn Edwards Six candidates are running for lumbus County Board of Elections service as mayor and councilman, ated the Carolina Brands to receive lifetime three seats on the Chadbourn Town office on Legion Drive in Whiteville Bass served 10 years on the Chad- production line now will operate the second achievement award. Council and will appear on the Nov. from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday bourn Parks and Recreation Advi- fluff line. Without the addition of the new 3 ballot. One candidate is running through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. sory Board and coached Dixie Youth fluff production line, the employees who 9-A unopposed for mayor. until 1 p.m. on Oct. 31. Polls in towns baseball for more than 30 years. He Phillip C. Britt, who has never and cities will not open until Elec- has served as both president and See IP grant, page 11-A • Not too early held elective office, is running for tion Day, Nov. 3. board member of the N.C. Straw- to get flu shots. mayor. Incumbent Mayor Donald Bass berry Festival. Bass was a member Ray Bass is not seeking reelection to Bass is a lifelong resident of of the town zoning and planning the top slot but running for a seat on Chadbourn. A graduate of West board for seven years, the ABC DIDYOB? the board as a councilman. Columbus High School, he attended board for four years and the Chad- Five seeking two Did you observe ... Bass was elevated to the mayor’s Southeastern Community College. bourn/Klondyke Fire and Rescue position after the 2013 resignation He and his wife, Alice, have been for 15 years. seats at Lake of the late Fax Rector. married since 1969. They are the Edwards Conner Allen Bass joins incumbent councilmen parents of two adult daughters and Edwards has lived in Chadbourn By JEFFERSON WEAVER Brian Edwards, Edwin Roberts and they have two grandchildren and since he was 6 years old. After Staff Writer Wilson, 108-day- James Green in running for the two step-grandchildren. graduating from West Columbus An avid golfer and a big sports old son of John board. See Chadbourn, page 7-A Sewer issues continue to dominate discus- Newcomers Colene “Tootie” fan, Bass has served the Chadbourn sions at Lake Waccamaw, especially among Allen Wilson and the candidates for the town board of commis- sioners. Ashley Bullard Two seats are open on the Lake Waccamaw Board of Commissioners, one each in the Wilson, being Speakers share personal East and West ward. Frank Carroll and Kevin baptized Sunday Butler are challenging incumbent Lee Collum in the West Ward. Incumbent Jimmy Stanley in the Chadbourn experiences with abortion faces a write-in challenge from Gray Rogers nNearly 200 attended Living was done. And we were done.” in the East Ward. Pentecostal Holi- Hope Pregnancy Support Ser- The guilt of that choice felt like Candidates all were asked to fill out a vices banquet at First Baptist “a ton of bricks” to Flowers for questionnaire. Collum did not return a ques- ness Church? ... Church. several years. tionnaire. “It crushed me,” he said. Dur- West Ward By DIANA MATTHEWS ing a deployment in the Middle Why are you the best qualified candidate Contributing Writer East, he visited Jerusalem and for this position? was overwhelmed by an encounter Carroll: I am the best candidate for the County Deaths that he described as “Jesus breath- position because I know the area and most In 1972, Debra Sargent was al- ing down my neck.” The change importantly, I know the people. I worked for ready a 17-year-old divorced mother Whiteville of heart he experienced there put many years as the fire marshall and safety of two young girls when she discov- H.G. Walters him on a new path. “God told me he specialist at DuPont, which brought a lot of ered that she was again pregnant Morris Delano Pridgen had a ministry for me. I told him, ‘I hands-on education in the matter of dealing by a man who had deserted her. don’t know what ministry is, but if with issues that could arise. Chadbourn Her parents forced her out of their it needs someone like me, it must be Not only does my experience help in defin- Willie Curtis Nance home. She attempted to abort the in really bad shape’.” ing why I am the best candidate, but also the Dorothea Thomas Smith baby but was not successful. Today, Flowers has been married See Lake, page 8-A Riegelwood Her baby grew up to be Henry for 20 years and is the father of five John William Cooke Jr. Flowers IV. teenagers. Only after his conver- Flowers spoke to nearly 200 sup- sion did Flowers find out about porters of Living Hope Pregnancy his mother’s attempt to abort him. Support Services at the non-profit’s Lacey Borowiec, her mother and Since that time, he has worked in Walters was 93 Index third annual fundraising banquet education, written a book, and set baby Elisha. By LES HIGH at First Baptist Church in White- up an organization called B.I.G. Editorials .......... 10-A ville Thursday. The 26-year-old the role of fathers. “As we begin the Editor Obituaries ......... 9-A or the Bullpen Investors Group. outreach provides practical and process of repairing the man, the This growing team of Christian Dr. H.G. “Hez” Walters, 93, a long-time Sports ................ 1-B emotional help to women during family will begin to be repaired,” men works along with existing Whiteville surgeon who was known for his Crime ................ 4-A pregnancy and beyond. he said. pregnancy support centers such as skill and work ethic, died Saturday at his A seemingly chance sighting of His mother’s family faced many Living Hope to provide mentoring Lifestyles ........... 5-A home. (See obituary on page 9-A) a billboard by Flowers, who was hardships. Without a father to to the male partners of their female Walters came back home to practice in 1956 southbound on U.S. 701 Bypass, guide him, young Flowers drifted clients. after graduating from Whiteville High School, in Whiteville led to collaboration into self-destructive behavior. To As Flowers said, “If he’s 19 and UNC-Chapel Hill and medical school at the between his Christian ministry get away from Detroit, he joined she’s 16 and she’s pregnant, it’s University of Maryland, where he met his and Living Hope. Flowers phoned the Navy. a crisis for both of them.” Many wife, the late Grace Short Walters, while he Living Hope Executive Director While stationed in Rhode Island, youth live in fatherless households, was in residency in Baltimore. After serving Janet McPherson, offering to speak he lived with a young woman whom or what Flowers called “no-man’s- a stint as a surgeon in the Navy, he opened his to ministry friends in Whiteville. he had no intention to marry. When land,” and have excessive unstruc- own practice. He retired in 1991. The result was Thursday’s evening she became pregnant, he urged her tured time on their hands; “They “He was an icon,” said Dr.