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In his blood Spring H.B. Todd of Tabor City It must be spring still enjoys coming to his office when high school uuSEE PAGE 2A baseball begins. uuSEE PAGE 1B The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Thursday, March 2, 2017 75 CENTS SITE OF THREE DEATHS IN 2017 Officials take hard look at Boardman intersection By Jefferson Weaver can be done.” Located right at the Lumber River, [email protected] The first two fatalities of the year on the county line, the Boardman occurred Jan. 1 at Boardman when intersection sees hundreds of cars Three people have died at the a pair of motorcyclists ran into the every day. intersection of Old Boardman Road side of a pickup truck. Sunday’s fatal- “It’s a busy place,” Cox said. and U.S. 74 this year. ity involved a Jacksonville assistant “Between beach traffic, people go- The intersection is consistently principal who pulled onto the four- ing to and from Lumberton, and the one of the deadliest in the county, lane into the path of a car that was local traffic, there are a lot of people according to the Highway Patrol. reportedly speeding. driving through there. Add the gas “It’s a bad, busy place,” said First The investigation into Sunday’s station, and that just increases the Sgt. Matt Hardee of the Patrol. “Most crash is still ongoing. pressure on the intersection. And of the accidents there are caused by Drew Cox of the Department of people just fly through there, well human error.” Transportation said the intersection above the speed limit.” Sgt. Daniel Hilburn agreed. is high on the division’s priority list, Cox said the DOT and the town are “Whether you’re pulling out from both due to the number of accidents working toward solving the problems the Macedonia Church side or Old there and the continued improve- at the crossroads, but even with its Boardman, there’s a space where ment of U.S. 74. place as a high priority project, it the doorpost of your car will hide “There’s a slight curve, and a nar- will take time. a tractor-trailer,” he said. “People row median,” Cox said. “People are “That is one of four intersections look, don’t see anything and focus on uncomfortable waiting in the median in the division that scored very high what they’re turning toward. It only to turn, and they get in a hurry. There for improvement,” Cox said. takes a second for a vehicle to be up are a lot factors involved in that Trp. Richard Capps investigates the car that struck Jacksonville edu- uu on you, and I am not sure anything crossing.” SEE BOARDMAN 5A cator Debbie Hardin’s car Sunday at U.S. 74 and Old Boardman Road. Renewed RECYCLING CENTER FIRE Jones, Britt interest settling into in YMCA legislature By Allen Turner By William Pope [email protected] Special to The News Reporter Columbus County’s Republican Four officials of Wilmington’s freshman members of the N.C. Gen- YMCA visited Whiteville recently eral Assembly are getting into the to view locations and facilities that swing of things and working together might host activities developed by the for their districts as the current leg- YMCA in collaboration with a variety islative session gears up in earnest. of county organizations. Rep. Brenden Jones of Tabor City Columbus Regional Healthcare and Sen. Danny Britt of Lumberton System, Columbus County Parks and said they have forged a strong work- Recreation, Whiteville City Parks and ing relationship that benefits their Recreation and Northwood Assembly constituents and the fact that their Church hosted the delegation. The offices are only five doors apart in the visit was a follow-up to a Commu- legislative building has helped that nity Needs Assessment completed relationship become even stronger. by county residents in June and July, Both admit that learning to navi- 2016. gate the sometimes confusing maze The Wilmington Family YMCA and labyrinth that is the Legislative developed the assessment in conjunc- Building was difficult at first. tion with Columbus Regional Health- “I will tell you,” Britt said in a care System. The survey collected joint telephone interview with the opinions on the health, wellness and two men Wednesday, “that finding prevention needs of residents in Co- the bathroom and finding the way out lumbus County and the availability of the front and back doors was difficult services to meet those needs. at first. “Based on what is learned from Jones laughed, “We tried leaving the survey, the Wilmington Family bread crumbs so we could retrace our YMCA will be in a better position to steps, but people kept picking them help us address critical issues in the Submitted photo by Whiteville FD up. But once you learn the quads of areas of youth development, healthy the Legislative Building, it helps a living and social responsibility in Whiteville firefighters battle a blaze at Go Green Recycling on East Main Street early Tuesday morn- lot.” Columbus County,” said Columbus ing. The recycling center, owned by County Commissioner Edwin Russ, received extensive damage They agree they are fortunate to Regional CEO Carla Hollis. and will not reopen. See related story, page 13A. have good legislative assistants, or Dick Jones, president and CEO LAs. “They keep up with where we’re of the YMCA and Terri Priest of the supposed to go and get us where we hospital’s marketing and foundation need to be,” said Jones. office, said the survey response rate is Britt’s LA, Cindy Black, is a Co- very high. Jones suggested it was one Council asks for patience on drainage lumbus County native and a cousin of the best rates he had seen. “This of County Attorney Mike Stephens. was one of the best return rates I have By Jefferson Weaver letters, saw ‘$50,000’ and threw the She has worked at the legislature for seen,” Jones said. “The schools were [email protected] letter in the trash can. They didn’t 18 years, having most recently served particularly helpful because they “In a 1,200-foot stretch. We have flood insurance. They’d never former senators Michael Walters and encouraged participation.” found five beaver dams. needed it.” Jane Smith. Jones and his group joined local Changes in administrations, the They’ve been repaired now, Thompson said that while elimi- “Cindy knows our district,” Britt leaders to visit ball fields, sports fa- loss of sales tax revenues and other nating the beavers, breaking dams said. “She’s good at letting me know cilities, schools, Whiteville Country issues have shoved drainage work but we kicked them open, and and clearing the run of Soules when I’m running out of time and Club pool and a church. The next step to the back burner since the 1990s, the water dropped.” Swamp won’t solve all of the prob- where I’ve got to be and she can help will be the appointment of a steering the Whiteville city manager said J.E. Thompson lems, they will make a major dif- navigate getting answers to a lot of committee to dig deeper into the sur- Tuesday. “Unfortunately, things sometimes ference. He said he saw the impact constituent issues. She has made life vey results and discover possibilities tions before Tuesday’s meeting. fall through the cracks,” Darren Cur- firsthand while touring the swamp a lot easier.” that are compatible with the YMCA’s “We still have a major problem,” rie told a packed house of downtown with Edward Davis of the county’s Time management important for mission. Thompson said. business owners. beaver management committee. both men. “When we’re in Raleigh, “The Y in Wilmington is engaged During Matthew, Thompson said, J.E. Thompson asked to be placed “In a 1,200-foot stretch,” Thomp- we are doing 12-14 hour days,” Jones in many services that are not facility- his office on Main Street flooded for on Tuesday’s agenda to seek answers son said, “We found five beaver dams. said. “I started this morning at 7 based but are operated in collabora- the first time in memory. Roughly 50 from the city regarding a lack of They’ve been repaired now, but we a.m. addressing a group of about 65 tion with other groups,” Jones said. businesses downtown had flooding beaver control efforts and other prob- kicked them open, and the water young people at party headquarters “Examples include youth sports, Girls to some extent during the storm, lems that exacerbated the flooding in dropped.” and then I came over to the Legisla- on the Run, flag football, after-school and damage estimates are still being downtown Whiteville during Hur- He compared the swamp to a reten- tive Building for an 8:30 meeting of programs and teen leadership devel- calculated. ricane Matthew. Thompson thanked tion pond, but said beavers make it the joint Justice and Public Safety opment.” “They go from $50,000 to a million Currie, and told the board that city work more like “a swimming pool.” appropriations committee.” for the dry cleaners,” he said. “A lot uuSEE YMCA 5A staff had answered some of his ques- of people, they just opened their uuSEE DRAINAGE, 10A uuSEE JONES, BRITT 11A Volume 126, Number 70 DIDYOB Whiteville residents congratulating Fire Marshal Hal Lowder on his recent marriage?...Whiteville Whiteville, North Carolina DID YOU OBSERVE? City Councilman Tim Blackmon holding court at Gurganus Feed and Seed? 2A • Th e News Reporter • Th ursday, March 2, 2017 Insurance business was in this sailor’s blood By Clara Cartrette [email protected] H.B.

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