•Lady Pack’s Leviner selected Player of the Year. •Cerro Gordo set to play host to District 2 DY AAA Tournament. •Wilcox Basketball Camp to run June 29 to July 3. •Whiteville Optimist, Bladen take AA Sports semi-final victories. See page 1-B. ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Thursday, June 25, 2015 Rail accord Volume 124, Number 104 reached; trains Whiteville, North Carolina to begin rolling 75 Cents By ALLEN TURNER Staff Writer Inside Nothing is official yet and what little that has been said has been said was off the record, but as a result of a lawsuit filed in South Caro- 2-A lina in March, it is anticipated that Kentucky- •Whiteville approves based R.J. Corman Railroad Company soon budget for 2015-16. will obtain ownership of Carolina Southern Railroad, which has been defunct since 2011. Rail services here are expected to resume in 4-A five or six months, according to an unnamed •Historic courtroom official close to R.J. Corman, who would not photographs included speak on the record Wednesday. Extensive today. repair and renovation work must be done on the tracks and bridges before freight traffic can resume. DIDYOB? An official press release outlining details Did you observe ... was expected to be released this (Thursday) morning after the newspaper’s press deadline. An R.J. Corman-owned “high-rail” vehicle, Ryan Edwards essentially a pickup truck equipped with re- helping his mother, movable steel wheels allowing it to be operated Deniece, and solving along a railroad track, was spotted Tuesday Staff photo by FULLER ROYAL doing track inspections between the South problems for other Carolina state line and Cerro Gordo. Fur- clerks of court move Not shopping ther inspections were expected to take place in the move Monday Courthouse staffers Grayanna Freeman and Deneice Edwards were among dozens of courthouse Wednesday from Cerro Gordo to Chadbourn and contract employees moving the tens of thousands of files, filing cabinets and office furniture to the to Tabor City and all the way to Loris, S.C. to new courthouse? new courthouse annex Wednesday. The staff made hundreds of trips with the grocery store buggies. R.J. Corman in March sued in Horry ... Clerk of Court Jess County, S.C., where Carolina Southern is headquartered, seeking to force Carolina Hill getting grocery Southern Railroad to honor its agreement to carts from Hill’s sell its railroad operating in Columbus, Horry and giving one to Charleston shooting prompts and Marion counties. The Corman complaint asked for a declara- each of his 23 fe- more unity within local churches tory judgment requiring Carolina Southern male clerks to move owner Ken Pippin to honor a sales agreement By WALLYCE TODD he made with a two-state rail committee their personal items Staff Writer formed in 2012 to reopen the line that Pippin Monday? ... Carol had shut down in 2011. Caldwell and the Tragedy can bring division or it can encourage After more than two years of trying to unity. Monday night, eight people from six different Dream Center staff churches in Whiteville met to plan a July 1 “Solidarity See Railroad, page 10-A working to plan and Service of Worship” in response to the tragedy that occurred in Charleston, S.C. last week. prepare for the Sum- On Wednesday, June 17, a man entered into Emanuel mer Enrichment AME Zion Church in Charleston, S.C. and killed nine State approved Camp beginning July people he had been sitting with as they took part in a mid-week evening Bible study. The shooter was Cauca- 6? There’s still time sian and the victims were African-American. euthanasia for children to reg- Many churches in the historical city and beyond showed unity and support by the words shared in ister and take part. their own church services the following Sunday. A sig- policy last year ... Teen Science Cafe nificant number of people and church congregations By JEFFERSON WEAVER around America also took part in a variety of reverent coordinator Vicki The Revs. Paul T. Stallsworth and Justin DuBose, Staff Writer DiMuzio remind- and symbolic acts of support, including ringing bells Carlton Prince, the Rev. Charlrean Mapson, Paul in honor and remembrance of the slain. Pope, the Rev. Gary Bauer and the Rev. Dr. Anne State officials have ordered Columbus ing local teens that “To see the good that is coming in the wake of evil Natoli meet at Whiteville United Methodist Church County Animal Control to pay a $5,000 fine tomorrow is the last See Unity, page 14-A Monday to plan a July 1 solidarity worship service. for not having a written euthanasia policy, day to become a although state officials approved the county’s rules last year. TSC leader for the The penalty involves a case of two pit bulls upcoming academic Chadbourn man, sidekick go everywhere that has developed into a civil lawsuit against the county, amidst allegations that dogs are year? ... By JEFFERSON WEAVER being sold by a shelter employee for fighting. Staff Writer Animal Control Supervisor Rossie Hayes refused comment on the case, but referred If you see Herman Pate in Chadbourn, chances inquiries to County Attorney Mike Stephens. are Taco is never far away. He did say, however, that shelter employees County Deaths “If I go, he goes,” Pate said of his 8-year-old Chi- would never sell dogs for fighting. Whiteville huahua. The energetic dog has never met a stranger, “I would never allow that,” Hayes said, “and Pate said, and is welcome in businesses, the homes of if I found out someone here was doing it, they Geraldine F. Mitchell friends and even church. The dog usually rides the would be fired and if I could make it happen, Bolton floorboard of Pate’s electric wheelchair. charged criminally.” Alice Williams Hickman A church member gave Taco to Pate when he was Hayes said all county policies are followed Tabor City a pup, and the two immediately bonded, Pate said. at the shelter. Edwin Edsel Wright Jr. “Dogs know when people love them,” he said. “We have a standard set of operating proce- “This little guy, he knows I love him.” dures that were approved by state inspectors Lake Waccamaw Taco is a standard-bred Chihuahua, with longer in 2014, and the policy regarding putting down Marjorie Frances Council hair and a larger body than most dogs of the Mexi- dogs is in it,” said Stevens. “I’ve been on the Chadbourn can breed. He has many of the same traits, however. phone with the attorney for the state veterinar- Frances Tripp Faircloth Taco is constantly on the move, and often stands and ian’s office, and I am awaiting their opinion walks on his back legs. To meet a new person, he often before we proceed any further.” stands up, perfectly balancing on his tiny back paws. Hayes, who has had several serious health “He’s my best friend,” Pate said. issues this year, said Wednesday afternoon he Index The area native has been around dogs all his life. plans to retire in September. He has been with His maternal grandfather was Joe Nance, a hunting the agency for more than 20 years. Editorials ......... 12-A dog trainer of some renown who lived in the White- “I just can’t deal with it like I used to,” he Obituaries .......... 7-A ville area decades ago. said. Sports ................ 1-B “I have always loved dogs,” Pate said. “You can State officials accuse the shelter of vio- Crime ................ 4-A trust them. If my dog doesn’t like somebody, I’m lating NCGS 19A-32.1A and –B, regarding See Taco, page 9-A Living ................ 1-C Herman Pate and Taco See Dogs, page 10-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Thursday, June 25, 2015 Christian Academy’s valedictory message Whiteville approves By KELSEY WILLIAMS and loved us throughout the years. We love you all and “Members of the board, know that we have your sup- budget for 2015-16 platform guests, faculty and port as we go on to the next staff, parents, family and By JEFFERSON WEAVER state’s automatic collection of part of our lives. I would friends, and my fellow gradu- Staff Writer some taxes, notably those for also like to thank all of our automobiles. ates, today we celebrate the parents. Brown also explained that graduation of the Columbus Whiteville property owners “Obviously, something by using a new model for fuel Christian Academy Class of will see no tax increase, no util- more than just academics was consumption, the city should 2015. ity fee increases and improve- on your mind when you chose save roughly $20,000 in fuel costs “‘Seniors’ – That’s the title ments in some services when the to send us to CCA. You knew next year. we have held for a year now. new budget starts July 1. that here we would be free to The only real difference be- But in a few short moments it’s City council approved the $5.2 worship God and talk about tween the last draft budget and going to change to ‘graduates.’ million budget Tuesday night in Christianity. a unanimous vote. The tax rate the version passed Tuesday was “How strange is it to think “I would especially like to will remain at 51.25 cents per to change the proposed part-time that this moment we have thank my parents for their $100, with an additional 12 cents human resources/city clerk po- dreamed about for years is love and support throughout for the Downtown Municipal sition to a full-time post.