•Gore fires one-hitter in Wolfpack’s 1-0 fourth-round victory over Voyager. •WHS bounces Rosewood to advance to East 1A Soccer Regional title series. •Holmes elimi- nates Stallions 4-1. Sports See page 1-B. ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, May 23, 2016 Daughters Volume 125, Number 94 Whiteville, North Carolina 75 Cents warned Inside mother 2-A •Whiteville eyes before tropical season. 3-A she was •New kids’ trail to open at Lake. murdered 4-A nOpening testimony in Kenneth Gore • Local man killed in Jr.’s murder trial Friday featured Saturday wreck. Bonnie Fowler’s daughters, one of whom discovered her body in Chad- bourn apartment. DIDYOB? John Andrade speaks to students at Edgewood Elementary School. By BOB HIGH Did you observe ... Staff Writer The extended “Mama, what in the world?” Melissa Garrell family of fallen Reality TV star pushes anti-bully of Chadbourn exclaimed on Nov. 8, 2010 when she opened the door firefighter Richard to her mother’s apart- Sheltra of Pineville message, higher EOG scores ment at Berry Court, in Chadbourn, and saw VFD (Mecklenburg By GRANT MERRITT clothing strewn about County) asking Contributing Writer the living room and the room in almost total the public to de- Reality television star and drag disarray. liver chocolate-chip racer John Andrade spoke about Garrell was the lead anti-bullying and preparing for end witness Friday as the cookies to their of grade tests Edgewood Elementary state began prosecu- Bonnie Fowler School students Friday. Andrade tion of Kenneth Harold local fire, EMS co-stars on the Discovery Channel “Stewart” Gore Jr. in Columbus County. He is and police depart- show, “Street Outlaws.” being tried for the stabbing death of Bonnie During Andrade’s presentation, Jeanette Richardson Fowler, 77, five and a half ments on June 2, he explained that math was his See Trial, page 4-A which would have favorite subject in school and that he uses math every day when he is been Sheltra’s 21st racing. He asked students what they birthday? Sheltra wanted to be when they grow up and said that he always wanted to be a Chris Moore stands with John, Misha and Kelby Andrade while the More workers was killed in a fire race car driver. kids see the race car before the presentation. “You do your school work and on April 30. ... The always strive to do well in life,” An- be as fast as you are or jump as high questions about Andrade’s career as eligible for scant crowd at the drade said. “It shows that if you set as you can or read as fast as you, a drag racer. Andrade drives a 1982 goals and work hard in life, you can doesn’t mean you should make fun Oldsmobile Cutlass, and it can reach overtime pay flea market on 701 achieve those goals.” of them,” Andrade said. “You should a maximum speed of 200 mph. By Pass Saturday Andrade urged students not to definitely pay attention to your Andrade put together a prize bully or make fun of others. He teachers and your parents, and they package for one student from each under new rule morning as inter- can help you handle any problems.” grade. Those prizes will go to the advised students to use humor or nBusiness community and workers say “no” with confidence if faced After Andrade’s presentation, student in each grade level that mittent rain fell right advocates at odds over change with a bully. there was a question and answer and heavier rains “Just because someone might not session. Students were able to ask See Reality, page 6-A By NICOLE CARTRETTE were forecast? ... News Editor Federal overtime requirements don’t apply White won’t yield to his disease; to certain salaried managers in the U.S. County Deaths Those employees are paid an annual salary but new federal regulations that take effect Whiteville in January would change that. The new rules Jack Guy Vereen he weaves baby caps for hospitals would force employers to increase the annual By CLARA CARTRETTE receptors at the postsynaptic neu- salaries of workers to at least $47,500 or pay Albert Leamon Ward them by the hour so they are subject to receiv- Dasmond Cutler Staff Writer romuscular junction. By blocking the ability of the neurotransmitter ing overtime pay at time and a half. Nakina A local man who is afflicted with acetylcholine to bind to these recep- A threshold of less than $24,000 is in place John ‘Johnny’ Ward myasthenia gravis (MG), a debilitat- tors in the muscle, these antibodies now. That means an U.S. worker, exempt from Cerro Gordo ing disease that attacks the nerves keep motor neurons from signaling overtime pay now and on salary could earn and muscles, refuses to give up the muscle to contract. just $23,660 and never see any overtime pay Ruby Eloise Jones Bulloch for hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Chadbourn being active. Although he can’t do There are different types of MG, everything, he can do something, and White has one the most severe “At just $455 per week or $23,660 per year, Betty Jane Bartrum Cooke and he spends a lot of time weav- types. He makes frequent visits to it was easy for employers to avoid paying Dallas Grady ‘Buddy’ Long ing tiny baby caps that he donates doctors in an attempt to stay on top overtime by classifying employees as man- Tabor City to hospitals. of his ailment and learn more about agers and having them do the same work as Glenda Williams Kenny White, who lives between how to cope with it. Some time ago hourly employees plus a few more managerial Whiteville and Chadbourn near doctors discovered a shadow on the tasks,” said Clermont Ripley, an attorney with N.C. 410, has lived with MG since lower part of his heart and he was the Workers’ Rights Project at the NC Justice 2011. It is a rare disease that affects given a new medication. One kind Center. “I have had clients who were classi- Index people over the age of 40. From 14 didn’t work but another appeared fied as managers and paid a salary who were to 20 people of 100,000 are diagnosed to help. required to work 12 or 13 hour days doing a lot of the same work as the hourly employees Editorials .......... 8-A with myasthenia gravis, which is in White’s wife Barbara (yes, they’re the category with multiple sclerosis the local Ken and Barbie, with their they were supervising but for a lower hourly Obituaries ......... 7-A and muscular dystrophy. It creates a Kenny and Barbara White have 58th wedding anniversary coming rate – often less than minimum wage.” Sports ................ 1-B palsy effect that makes White’s legs been married 57 years. up) keeps track of all of his medica- Business owners and their supporters see Crime ................ 4-A shake and he can’t control it. tions and doctor’s visits. it differently. It is a neuromuscular disease common cases, muscle weakness White is determined to keep go- “The Department of Labor’s initiative to that leads to fluctuating muscle is caused by circulating antibodies weakness and fatigue. In the most that block nicotinic acetylcholine See White, page 5-A See Overtime, page 9-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, May 23, 2016 Whiteville eyes tropical season CERT group may nLowder has wish list sistance, it was enough to make phasized. for the city, rather than divert for his first year as safe- Lowder and other officials pay For instance, the city lacks resources from the county. be on tap for city ty officer. closer attention to the city’s boats that can be used in flood- “The last time we had some strengths and weaknesses. ed neighborhoods. major countywide flooding,” By JEFFERSON WEAVER when I was in Georgia,” he City Manager Darren Cur- “You don’t need a huge land- Lowder said, “the county asked said, “and it’s a great way for By JEFFERSON WEAVER Staff Writer rie said that public works ing craft to get people out,” he if we needed sandbags. I want people who can’t commit to Staff Writer employees began pumping said. “You don’t need a motor- the city to have its own supply Not everyone can pull a full-time emergency service storm drains, checking ditches boat. Just a flat-bottom boat or of little things like that -- we to help their community.” Last summer’s floods were hose, climb a ladder truck, and clearing canals as soon as two that we can paddle or pole shouldn’t have to use resources a “dry run” for tropical season or ride an ambulance – The model he plans to use early weather reports indicate along a flooded street. the county might need else- in Whiteville, according to the but City Fire Marshal Hal doesn’t require emergency heavy rain could strike here. “Right now, we have to walk where.” city’s fire marshal. Lowder hopes to attract a response training, Lowder The employees worked up in to some places to get people Lowder will be attending Hal Lowder said he is con- core group of volunteers to said. until the heavy rains began, out if the water gets too high,” a seminar next week to learn cerned area residents and of- help those who are on the “We have a fully-staffed Currie said, and that helped he said.