r5VSOPWFSTDPTU8FTU r3FHJTUSBUJPOGPSUIF%PN $PMVNCVTJOUIF" JOPT1J[[B/$""#BTLFU SFHJPOBMT'SJEBZOJHIU CBMM$IBNQJPOTIJQ$IBM BTUIF7JLJOHTCPXPVU MFOHFCFHJOTUPEBZ-PPL BHBJOTU3PDLZ.PVOU GPSUIFMJOLCFMPXiѮJT Sports 1SFQ4FF4QPSUT QBHF +VTU*OuBU8IJUFWJMMFDPN # ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Tursday forReporter the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, March 5, 2012 Wright health Waccamaw risks listed as Volume 121, Number 71 Academy to Whiteville, North Carolina ‘unknown’ nPublic hearing set for close afer 43 75 Cents March 8. By NICOLE CARTRETTE years as school Inside Today Staff Writer nColumbus Christian Academy ap- 4-A A hazardous waste site off pears poised to buy facilities, provide r%FQVUJFTDIBTF of Neils Eddy Road in Riegel- funds for WA to finish school year. DBUDINBOJOWPMWFEJO wood is the focus of a Thurs- day, March 8 public meeting. By FULLER ROYAL and TUSBOHVMBUJPO The N.C. Division of Public NICOLE CARTRETTE Health is conducting a pub- Staff Writers lic health assessment for the Wright Chemical Corporation After more than 43 years in the business National Priorities List site of private education, Waccamaw Academy with the final 82-page draft expects to close at the end of the school year. document available for public Waccamaw Academy, which is suffering review and comment through financially from an ailing economy and a loss April 2. of students to other private schools and char- The 80-acre site was once ter schools, might be purchased by Columbus home to a fertilizer and sulfu- Christian Academy (CCA). According to a ric acid plant founded in 1883, press release on CCA’s website, the school re- ACME Chemical, and remains ceived an unsolicited offer from Waccamaw’s a high priority site with the board of directors for CCA to consider pur- Environmental Protection chasing its school. Agency due to soil contami- According to the release, the combined nation that includes lead and board of elders and the governing board of Today’s arsenic and other metals. the Missionary Alliance Church, which runs The site was added to the CCA, have met repeatedly over the last several American Profle federal Superfund list in 2010 weeks to consider the offer. features “Back to and is located between the “Their board reached the conclusion that See Wright page 9-A they did not have the resources to continue the Breakfast Basics.” school. Without a cash infusion, they would Cookbook author not even be able to complete this school year,” Newspaper CCA Headmaster Sam Hinson said. Virginia Willis Waccamaw Academy received another of- shares her Southern wins frst place fer to purchase their buildings and land but the Waccamaw Academy Board of Directors Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist standbys. for Community decided that their students would have a bet- ter option in selecting a school for next year News Coverage Career transition if they sold to CCA rather than accept the DIDYOB? Retiring Whiteville Primary School Principal Lynn Spaulding walks on other offer. The News Reporter was a “red carpet” to a waiting limousine Tuesday afternoon with his wife, Did you observe ... recognized with eight North “So, they offered to sell their facilities to Carolina Press Association Josephine, who gave him the special treatment on his last day of work us at substantially less than the fair market Awards, including four first- there. Spaulding will begin a new job placing foster children. value,” according to the press release. Whiskey bottles place awards, in Chapel Hill Waccamaw Academy’s classroom building sitting atop a car last week. is nearly twice the size of CCA’s high school During ceremonies Thurs- building. The gym is large enough for vol- stopped at a trafc leyball and basketball games with spectator day, the newspaper captured DOT asked to take another stop at U.S. 701 and four first-place awards, includ- See Waccamaw, page 2-A U.S. 74-76 Friday ing Best Community Coverage in the Community Division look at N.C. 87 proposal night?...UNC alum with circulatons over 10,000. By JEFFERSON WEAVER Paper mill and its sister plant, the saw- Coburn Powell cel- Mark Gilchrist, Les High Staff Writer mill off Old Lake Road. The project Rose’s ofcially ebrating his birthday and Bob High won first place would make N.C. 87 a four-lane high- in online breaking news for way from Fayetteville to U.S. 74-76. and a UNC basketball their online team coverage of Ronald McPherson doesn’t believe yelling, threatening or being rude The state has gone through sev- opens its doors the shooting death at Colum- victory over Duke Sat- will change the path of the N.C. 87 im- eral possible routes, but only two bus Regional Healthcare. have made the cut — one would wipe By JEFFERSON WEAVER urday night?... Pastor Gilchrist won first place provements planned for Acme, Delco Staff Writer and Riegelwood. out the Ransom Community Center Tim Rausch of White- for a photo page covering a and several homes along N.C. 11 to fashion model session at the “I don’t like it when people act like ville Assembly of that toward me,” he said. “We just intersect with U.S. 74-76 at Freeman. Business leaders are confident that the Mill Pond. The other would widen the existing opening of the new Rose’s store in Whiteville God getting his yard Fuller Royal won first want the state to know we think they could find a better way.” highway through Riegelwood, cutting is a sign of things to come. “focked” with pink place for his profile feature on off access for many residents and “We have already had people interested in Whitevlle High School band Instead, residents of the eastern- famingos, buzzards, most communities of Columbus have businesses on either side of the road. the other properties in the plaza,” said Dewey director Josh Griffin. All three of the major retail busi- Hill, who owns the newly-renamed Rose’s balloons and tomb- The news staff won second been firmly but politely telling state officials that they feel the plan to nesses in “downtown” Riegelwood — Plaza on Madison Street in Whiteville. “I have stones on his 60th place in overall news coverage. Cape Fear Hydraulics, Family Dollar, some very good feelings about this. We’re Gilchrist won third place in widen N.C. 87 needs much more study, and a different route. and the Piggly Wiggly — would be happy to have them here.” birthday?... general news photography for affected, along with the Handee Hugo While the store has been open for about a his coverage of U.S. Army sol- The state Department of Transpor- tation plans to widen N.C. 87 to four and Scotchman convenience stores. month, it held a ribbon cutting Thursday to dier Renee Sinkler’s funeral. The new right of way would require officially open the doors for business. Among Royal won third place in lanes through Riegelwood within five County Deaths years. The four-lane project would the demolition of a closed service sta- those attending were the manager of the old feature photography for his tion, and the loss of the Riegelwood- Rose’s store in Whiteville, Charlie Langston, coverage of Colonial Days at help relieve congestion from traffic Whiteville going in and out of the International and his wife Rose. Langston was honored for Robert “Bob” Terry III Edgewood Elementary School. See DOT asked, page 3-A Whiteville.com won first See Rose’s, page 11-A Bolton place in General Excellence. Eddie “Albert” Dell Jacobs Annie Jacobs Cerro Gordo Katie Catherine Hamilton Ray Willard Snowten Families First has a new face nAmericorps worker will help “do the doing,” said Vickie Pait, director of the agency. things we don’t have time to finish,” says “On top of that, we get his skills and he costs us Index Director Vickie Pait. nothing.” A native of White Plains, Ky., Lanprip came to Families First through the QENO program based &EJUPSJBMT" By JEFFERSON WEAVER 0CJUVBSJFT" out of UNCW. Staff Writer QENO is short for Quality Enhancement for 4QPSUT# Nonprofit Organizations. The organization is People needing the assistance of a local do- $SJNF" a partnership between UNCW, funding agen- mestic violence agency might never meet Ryan -JGFTUZMFT" cies, civic leaders and other community groups. Lanprip, but his work is vital to providing the help QENO’s mail goal is to help build the capacity of they might need. nonprofit organizations and increase philanthropy The Americorps Vista worker will be with Fam- in southeastern North Carolina. ilies First in Whiteville for at least the next year. Pait said she applied for a worker through He is helping with a multitude of tasks, including QENO, but had no idea whether Families First rewriting the operations manual, recruiting new would be awarded a position—much less a strong volunteers, representing the non-profit and help- employee like Lanprip. ing streamline management procedures. Vickie Pait of Families First Domestic Violence “Out of all the workers we interviewed, none What’s even better for Families First is that Prevention has a new worker in the shelter offce. of them were bad,” Pait said. “They were all out- Lanprip is paid by Americorps through a UNCW Ryan Lanprip is an Americorps Vista worker from standing. Ryan was just a tiny bit better than the center that helps non-profits. Wilmington who is living in Whiteville and working “Everything I don’t have time to do, Ryan is See Lanprip, page 2-A with Families First for the next year. 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, March 5, 2012 This week, on... Scholastic contest recognizes ECHS artists By FULLER ROYAL Staff Writer Two students from East Columbus High School were recognized for their artistic March 5, 2012 abilities earlier this year by the Scholastic Art Award Whiteville.com hosted by Barton College in The Number Wilson.