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Monday, September 10, 2012 Challenge fled against City schools Volume 122, Number 21 Whiteville, North Carolina nighthunting looking at 75 Cents By JEFFERSON WEAVER Staff Writer property While nighthunting for Inside Today coyotes and hogs isn’t on the agenda at Tuesday’s public for new hearing, state Wildlife officials 4-A will likely hear about a new r5XPDSJUJDBMBѫFS wrinkle in the controversial temporary rule. high school TIPPUJOHUPEBZ Sportsmen and other inter- By FULLER ROYAL ested persons can comment Staff Writer on proposed changes to state hunting and fishing laws for Although school officials were mum on the next year Tuesday at the first subject Thursday night, the Whiteville City of a series of public hearings. Schools Board of Education has optioned an The hearing for District Four, unreported amount of property just north of which includes Columbus Whiteville on U.S. 701 as the site for a possible County, will be Tuesday at 7 new high school. p.m. at Bladen Community The News Reporter learned last Thursday College. afternoon that the city schools, in July and Au- The Wildlife Resources gust, had entered into a 12-month option to buy Commission approved a tempo- land belonging primarily to Neal Craig Inman. rary nighthunting measure in Inman’s name is on a 187-acre tract of land July that allows hunters to use situated across from the Holiday Motel just a Today’s artificial lights and electronic few yards north of the intersection where U.S. calls to kill coyotes and wild 701 Business-Bypass meet. American Profle hogs. The temporary rule sun- Thursday’s meeting was originally sched- features “History sets next year, and was passed Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist uled as its monthly planning session. When to give state officials time to Board Chairman Jim DiMuzio opened the Comes Alive.” evaluate the practice. Fresh coat meeting, he referred to the meeting as a “called Hunters have been split Jeff Faulk paints a storefront in downtown Tabor City Saturday morning. meeting.” Five attractions over the issue. While night- More than a dozen volunteers grabbed brushes and a spray gun for Only a representative from The News Re- that preserve our hunting is an effective tool for Paint the Town, an effort to bolster pride in the town. porter was present in the audience. controlling both coyotes and nation’s cultural hogs, hunters and landowners See Property, page 9-A heritage. across the state have expressed concerns over abuse of the New construction in DIDYOB? See Nighthunting, page 3-A Department Did you observe ... county continues decline City reviews By NICOLE CARTRETTE slower and slower,” Greene said, of Aging still Wanda Elkins leav- Staff Writer despite an increase in plumbing in- lease for spections related to the completion ing work with her New home construction within of Columbus County Water District losing money satellite ofce the county suffered its third year of IV and the expansion of Top Tobacco nFinancials improve for Aging but wireless computer at Lake Waccamaw in 2010. decline in fiscal 2011-12, according to 2011-12 fiscal year mounted to more Columbus County building inspec- The value of building improve- mouse thinking it By JEFFERSON WEAVER than $200,000 in new losses. tions officials. ments and new construction has Staff Writer was her cell phone? Just 31 homes valued at slightly been relatively stagnant, he ex- By NICOLE CARTRETTE less than $3 million were inspected plained. ... Tammy Hinson City employees in what is during the fiscal year that ended In fiscal 2011-12, about $17.3 mil- Staff Writer known as Whiteville’s “city letting husband June 30. lion was added to the county tax dungeon” may soon be freed. Cuts at the Columbus County Department That is down from 33 new single rolls. The year prior, $15.9 million Bobby use her The city council on Tuesday of Aging made earlier in the year appear to family homes the year prior and 46 in new value was added. The year will review a proposed lease have improved the department’s financial hair dryer to ease in fiscal 2009-10. before that, fiscal 2009-10, about $18.5 with the Lewis Smith Shopping situation, but unaudited financial statements “Numbers are down,” Waties million was added to the tax rolls. Center for space to house the for the fiscal year that ended June 30 suggest a problem he was Greene, chief building inspector Net revenue for the department fire marshal, planning office another year of losses. for the county, told commissioners dipped this fiscal year also, with rev- having with frozen and other services located in County Finance Officer Bobbie Faircloth, recently. “The banks are tight on enues of $204,174 in 2010-11 dropping the basement of City Hall. in response to The News Reporter’s request, contents of a pro- lending money and some people are to $167,244 in fiscal 2011-12. Employees humorously refer said for the fiscal year 2011-12 that ended in afraid to jump out there and borrow Greene, recently promoted to the pane tank while to the basement as “the dun- June, the department had a loss of $219,929. money.” chief building inspector’s position, geon,” but a recent inspection It was expected, Faircloth said, due to cuts grilling out Satur- Fewer than 20 modular home said that the department would not by a mold removal company being implemented late in the fiscal year to inspections were reported in each replace a vacant inspector’s position day evening? ... proved their jokes aren’t too curb those losses. of those three years while mobile due to the present economy and lack far off-base. That is significantly less than a negative homes — new and used — accounted of need for an additional position. Workers have complained fund balance of $382,533 reported in June but for the majority of residential in- That measure will save roughly for years about moisture, could change, Faircloth said. spections in fiscal 2011-12 at 121 but $40,000 to $44,000, he said. mold and respiratory ailments “That could change if auditors find any- were also on the decline. Other cost cutting measures have caused by the stagnant air in thing to correct,” Faircloth said. County Deaths In fiscal 2010-11, mobile home in- included grouping inspections in the basement. The Police De- In fiscal 2010-11, the department lost spections totaled 143 and in 2009-10 distant areas of the county on spe- partment moved its evidence more than $500,000, but that did not become Whiteville they totaled 172. cific days of the week to save travel locker from the basement due known until after the fact and commissioners Anthony Charles Terrence “Basically, things have gotten costs. Ottie Simmons Goins See Satellite, page 9-A See Aging, page 12-A Hallsboro Clara Batten Smith Tabor City Board approves incentives for MaXPro Gladys T. Norris Wheeler County fall Fair Bluf By NICOLE CARTRETTE seek Industrial Development Fund the shell building –meaning the Clyde Nobles Sr. Staff Writer Grant funds for the firm. actual price paid for the building litter sweep MaXPro created quite a bit of was about $450,000. A second deed Columbus Commissioners ap- excitement among local business indicates a $30 excise fee paid on proved a $160,42 grant package leaders and economic developers what would have been a $15,000 is Sept. 15-29 Index for a window tint manufacturing when it purchased the vacant shell transaction. Columbus County commissioners have company that recently purchased building located on property across The start-up firm will specialize adopted the period of Sept. 15-29 as Fall &EJUPSJBMT" the Columbus County Committee the road from Southeast Regional in manufacturing window films for Litter Sweep time. 0CJUVBSJFT" of 100’s shell building along Chad- Industrial Park but is also a part of a variety of applications, including The countywide roadside cleanup is 4QPSUT# bourn Highway. the park. automobile window tint, energy ef- an annual event that depends heavily on $SJNF" The local grant is payable over a The building had been empty for ficient window films for office build- the support and participation of local 12 years. ings, industrial uses and other such -JGFTUZMFT" five-year period. businesses, communities, civic and other The firm estimates an initial Lanier said the former Wacca- applications. groups to make it a success. investment of $5 million and the cre- maw Bank and BB&T, lienholders, MaXPro President Joseph Cobbe, This year’s litter sweep celebrates the ation of 15 to 17 jobs once the plant of the property, took a loss on the of Wilmington, a semi-retired CPA 24th year of the North Carolina Adopt a is operational by the spring of 2013. sale but it benefits the area with has been a founder of two other win- Highway program that boasts of 5,000 vol- In addition, Columbus County “good paying” jobs. dow film-manufacturing companies. unteer groups who donate their time and Economic Developer Gary Lanier In recent years the shell build- The transfer from a non-profit labor to keep the state’s roadsides clean. asked commissioners to approve ing property had been listed for holding to a privately held property In a proclamation adopted recently, a request to apply for a Building $540,000.