•Pack battles to second straight state baseball title. •Draft Day arrives for Vikes’ Jenkins. See page 1-B. Sports ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, June 8, 2015 Chief reports Volume 124, Number 100 on new aims, 4-A Whiteville, North Carolina •Drunk driver gets prison term. 75 Cents initiatives Inside for hospital By ALLEN TURNER Staff Writer Columbus Regional Healthcare CEO Carla Hollis briefed members of the Columbus County Committee of 100 with new directions and initiatives planned for the facility. Her remarks came during a dinner meeting of the group Thursday at the Whiteville home of Rick and Abbie Edwards. Hollis spoke of the replacement of the MRI unit, a $3 million project expected to be com- pleted in Septem- Today’s ber, relocating the cancer center to in- American Profile clude expanding the features “Celebrate pharmacy to per- mit a more robust Dad! A fuss-free Fa- oncology program, ther’s Day picnic.” looking at ways of making the hospital more user friendly DIDYOB? by providing better Did you observe ... street visibility and Staff photo by JOHN THOMAS easier access, and Smith Street back establishment of a open after being closed The big win hospital-affiliated Whiteville High School varsity baseball players pile on each other after securing the state 1A base- urgent care center. during courthouse “Last year we construction? ... The ball championship Saturday evening at Five County Stadium. The win gave the team its second straight 1A championship. The Wolfpack, which also won the 2012 state 2A championship, now has Columbus Regional had over 35,000 Healthcare CEO Carla emergency depart- kindergarten and a total of seven state baseball crowns since 1983. first-grade students Hollis speaks to mem- ment visits,” Hollis bers of the Columbus said, “and 60 per- lining the fence at County Committee of cent of them really Primary School giving 100 Thursday. were what should the Whiteville High Flies and crickets and roaches, oh my! have been primary care visits.” By opening an urgent care center, School baseball team also scheduled in September, the hospital will a send-off as the team BugFest is Saturday at the museum be able to “decongest” the emergency depart- bus went by enroute ment, she said. By WALLYCE TODD Hollis added that occupational medicine to Raleigh Friday? ... Staff Writer Circles of Hope volun- See Jobs, page 3-A teers planning for Tues- Did you know the fastest flying insect is the dragonfly? Were you day’s recognition of the aware there are more insects in Champions of Change, North Carolina than humans in the celebrating this year’s entire world? The N.C. Museum of Natural Sci- Volunteers circle leaders finishing ences (NCMNS) at Whiteville invites the first year of train- everyone to join the fun of all things ing and continuation ‘buggy’ and get to know the insects turn out to that are Columbus County folks’ toward their goals? ... six-legged neighbors at the annual Stuart High discovering BugFest South on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. help clean up paperwork from 1956 N.C Museum of Natural Sciences’ educator Meghan Barron stands at the bottom of one of BugFest South is a free family fes- tival celebrating the creepy, crawly in front of a screen as she and guests interact with Tamara Poles, the desk drawers she creatures we love. Saturday visitors the distance learning coordinator at the Raleigh museum location. was cleaning out at The to the museum will be able to enjoy Bolton home News Reporter? ... entertaining displays, exhibits and able to bring out their “inner bug” to “pet/touch” Madagascar hissing nMethodist disaster team coordinates children activities. They can learn by competing in the Arthropod cockroaches. (See video on White- Saturday efforts. all about arthropods, which make Olympics. There will also be live ville.com) Additionally, BugFest up three-quarters of all animals on critters visiting from the Arthropod guests will get to cheer on real By JEFFERSON WEAVER Earth. Zoo. Staff Writer County Deaths BugFest attendees will also be Opportunities will be available See BugFest, page 9-A Whiteville Rev. Samuel Loy called Saturday’s turnout William C. Hilburn for tornado cleanup “good practice.” Ruth Benton M. Bass The pastor of Lake Waccamaw United Joseph E. Thompson Rotary boat race set in two weeks Methodist Church is also a local coordinator for the Methodist Disaster Response Team. Grace Ellis Gore It’s time to test the seaworthiness Volunteers from as far away as Hampstead Fair Bluff of storage boxes. went to the shattered home of Faustino Robert Allen Waddell Sr. The Whiteville Rotary Club is Castro-Lopez ’s family near Bolton to clear Bolton hosting its fourth annual North away debris from the recent storm, and bring Frances M. Freeman Carolina Cardboard Boat Champi- a little hope. The effort was practice, he said, because the Evergreen onships on Saturday, June 20 at the Waccamaw Sailing Club at Lake teams are usually called out when dozens of Linzy Gerald Nance Waccamaw. homes and families are left in need. Saturday’s The event, always held on the cleanup at the Castro-Lopez home not only day before Father’s Day, plays host helped get the family closer to rebuilding, but to cardboard boat race enthusiasts let workers know what they needed to replace Index across North Carolina who compete or repair in their disaster response trailers for top honors as they race boats since the last emergency. Editorials .......... 8-A made out of seemingly non-seawor- Loy said responding to help a single fam- Obituaries ......... 7-A thy materials. ily this weekend would sharpen the team’s Sports ................ 1-B The schedule of events begins skills the next time a larger event – such as Crime ................ 4-A with last-minute boat-building at 9 a hurricane, tornado outbreak, flood or ice Living ................ 1-C a.m., team registration and check-in storm – occurs. at 11 a.m., boat judging at 11:30 a.m. “We’re coordinating this,” Loy said, “but and races at noon, followed by the Contestants do their best to win a heat during a past cardboard this isn’t just a Methodist thing. It’s a com- post-race awards ceremony. boat championship race. munity effort, with people from all faiths. The event is expected to draw a When people are in need, their denomination crowd of more than 400 spectators The boats are limited only by the paddler junior (ages 12-17), multi- doesn’t matter.” and more than two-dozen boat en- builders’ imaginations. paddler junior, single paddler adult, Loy is no stranger to disaster response, or tries, all made almost entirely out Past entries have included pirate multi-paddler adult and a last-boat- multi-faith efforts to rebuild – he was a pastor of cardboard. ships, whales, arks, aircraft carriers, standing free-for-all match. in Burgaw when Hurricane Floyd ravaged The race’s primary challenge is to floating outhouses, canoes, kayaks Awards are given for most origi- the area. As a former maintenance supervi- design and build a human-powered, and air boats. nal design, best construction, team sor and a licensed electrician, Loy guided corrugated cardboard boat that’s ca- State championship categories repair and rebuilding efforts on some homes pable of finishing a 200-yard course. include kids fun paddle, single See Race, page 2-A See Methodist, page 10-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, June 8, 2015 Officers ask board to maintain take home policy By JEFFERSON WEAVER considering cutting the take- said. “It’s actually better for Staff Writer home policy as a cost savings. the car to be driven some than “We hope that isn’t the to be idling and going only for Chadbourn police officers case,” Soles said. short distances all the time. appeared before the town The officer pointed out that Soles said he and other council Tuesday in hopes of while two officers live well officers understand the need preserving what they say is outside the 10-mile take-home to be fiscally responsible, but a policy. limit, the fuel costs saved by the take-home policy “is a Ricky Soles asked that the officers living in or closer to benefit a lot of officers count town council keep the current town more than offsets the on. vehicle take-home policy, say- additional expense. Safety “Taking away this privi- ing the extra benefit is impor- also factors into the equation, lege could mean the differ- tant to officers on the force. he said, since officers who ence between getting and He spoke for the officers and are called back to duty can keeping good young officers,” their families at Tuesday’s respond quicker if they are Soles said. “A lot of them are meeting. in their official vehicles. starting out, and can’t afford Fresh air and exercise Soles noted that he was “The cars get better gas the additional expense.” Employees of Columbus Regional Healthcare participate in the first of the weekly speaking out because of “ru- mileage on the open road than The board did not com- driving around in town,” he ment on the request. walks the hospital is urging its staff to take each as part of a wellness initiative. mors” that the town was Lanier elected chairman Fun in the Sun slated Aug. 1; of southeastern EDC many school supplies needed LaShoney Frink and Rollo paper, pencils, pens, crayons, Columbus County Eco- to construct water and waste- Correthers Jr. have teamed up markers, glue sticks, folders, nomic Development Direc- water infrastructure to serve again for another community binders, calculators and high- tor Gary Lanier was elected Carolina Cellulosic Biofuels chairman of the 12-county (CHEMTEX).