Killed Winners Pedestrian struck WCHS cheerleaders bring on J.K. Powell Blvd. home awards. uuSEE PAGE 4A uuSEE SPORTS 1B The News Reporter Founded 1890. Published every Tuesday and Friday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Friday, August 9, 2019 $1 PIGSKIN PRACTICE Father, son jailed in Whiteville murder July 30 shooting By Jefferson Weaver McKinnies. [email protected] Police arrested Nathan McK- innies at his home July 31, Hinz Two men have been arrested said. Natrell McKinnies turned and one charged with murder himself in at the sheriff ’s office for the July 30 shooting of a around 10 p.m. Monday. Whiteville man. Natrell McKinnies, 22, is Diondi Xavi- charged with er Sadler, 25, first degree mur- was shot at the der and is being Sandy Ridge held under no apartments bond. Nathan on Nolan Av- McKinnies is enue around facing a single 4:25 p.m., and count of acces- taken to Colum- sory after the bus Regional fact, and is being Healthcare by held on $500,000 private vehicle. secured bond. He died a short Nathan McK- time later. innies, 46, listed Major Wil- his address in Natrell Ky-El McKinnies Staff photo by Grant Merritt liam Hinz of jail documents Jack Holcomb leaps over a tire during a pre-season workout as Coach David Butler prepares the Whiteville as 115 Pleasant the handoff on the practice field at Whiteville High School Tuesday evening. The Wolfpack Police said Natrell Ky-El McKin- Hill Rd. His son gave his address Optimist youth football league is preparing for its regular fall season. nies was identified as the shoot- as 115 Maxwell St., Whiteville. er shortly after the incident, along with his father Nathan uuSEE MURDER 5A Pay county property taxes SCC president picked for this month to get discount By Allen Turner early discount period in August. [email protected] This year’s tax bills are based, as top post at Guilford Tech will be next year’s, on the current Property owners in Columbus property valuations. Bills issued in By Justin Smith na Community College System panels on the GTCC campus County received 49,000 county tax August 2021 will reflect the results and his experience in private late last month. [email protected] bills and 11,039 municipal tax bills of a revaluation now underway. industry. We are confident that The other finalists were for 2019 last week. The bills, mailed Columbus County’s base tax he is a dynamic leader for the Paul Broadie, president of Southeastern Community July 30, amounted to $25.447 mil- rate is 80.5 cents per $100 of prop- future of GTCC, and we look Gateway Community College College President Anthony lion in county taxes billed, based erty evaluation. Additional fees in New Haven, Conn., and Clarke is slated to become the on $3.161 billion in total property are billed depending on where Walter Tobin, president of Or- next president of Guilford valuations. one’s property is situated. Fire angeburg-Calhoun Technical Technical Community College The bills were issued by Colum- district fees range from 6 cents to College in Orangeburg, S.C. (GTCC) pending approval by bus County Tax Administration, 12 cents per $100, rescue district Pending the State Board’s the State Board of Community which handles not fees are 2 cents vote on Aug. 16, Clarke will be- Colleges. GTCC, which serves only county bill- for both Colum- come GTCC’s eighth president, Columbus County gives Greensboro and High Point, ings but also mu- bus County and replacing Randy Parker, who has an enrollment nearly five nicipal billings for a two percent discount on Whiteville Res- retired after serving in the job times larger than Southeast- all towns except cue. There is a since 2011. “GTCC anticipates payments received before ern’s. Bolton and Lake 12 cents fee for Dr. Clarke will take office no Clarke received unani- Waccamaw. the end of August. the Whiteville later than Nov. 1, 2019,” the mous approval from the GTCC While most Downtown Dis- college said in a press release. Board of Trustees during a counties do not issue bills until trict, and a 30 The SCC Board of Trustees vote Wednesday morning. He September, Columbus County — cents fee for the Riegelwood Sanita- will meet Monday at 5 p.m. to was hired as SCC president like the towns of Whiteville and tion District. work out Clarke’s specific end in 2014 after serving as vice Dr. Anthony Clarke Chadbourn — gives a two percent Solid waste user fees, which pay date, said Board Chair Henry president of instruction at discount on payments received be- for garbage collection and landfill Edmund. Richmond Community Col- fore the end of August. For that rea- charges, are a flat $200 annually in forward to introducing Dr. “I have been honored to lege in Hamlet. son, Columbus County sends out unincorporated areas of the county Clarke to our community part- serve as president of South- “We could not be more ex- bills earlier than many counties. and in the towns of Boardman and ners throughout the region.” eastern Community College cited about this appointment,” County Tax Administrator Nee- Sandyfield. The solid waste fee for More than 70 candidates for the past five years,” Clarke said George Ragsdale, chair of dom Hughes said the two percent all other municipalities is $113 applied for the GTCC job, ac- said Wednesday in a state- the GTCC Board of Trustees. discount plays a big role in collec- annually for landfill charges. Col- cording to the college. Clarke ment. “It has been a privilege “Dr. Clarke brings the highest tion rates. In previous years, about lection fees in those other towns was among the three finalists level of expertise from his 70 percent of tax payments histori- who participated in public uu work within the North Caroli- SEE SCC 9A cally have been received during the uuSEE TAXES 12A Agribusiness Technology program to launch next week By Diana Matthews elor’s degrees. Students will learn to manage [email protected] “Not every student who agricultural businesses and wants a four-year degree is agriculture-related operations Beginning next week, a new ready to go away” as soon as including equipment, feed, and course of study at Southeastern they finish high school, said agricultural supply sales; store Community College will lead Ransom. SCC gives high school management; farm operations; to a diploma in Agribusiness graduates the option to earn wholesale and retail produce Technology, which will qualify management; nursery opera- graduates for a variety of jobs There is still time to register tions; and environmental and in agricultural businesses, said agricultural education. Angela Ransom, division chair for classes, which start Aug. A five-semester course of for technical programs. 15. study, which includes a required SCC administrators talked semester of internship in an with farmers and agriculture- agriculture business, will lead related businesses while design- associate degrees before head- to an associate of applied sci- Staff photo by Justin Smith ing to Raleigh or further from ence degree. ing the major over the 2018-2019 Course work in the SCC Agriculture Technology program will home. An alternative four-class, year. They also followed com- include agriculture, agricultural specialization, business man- munity college guidelines that Input from area industry two-semester certificate pro- eventually will enable students partners has been valuable in gram is designed to appeal agement, accounting, finance, marketing, planning, human re- to transfer to four-year institu- shaping a major that will “put sources management, and other managerial responsibilities. tions and work toward bach- people to work,” Ransom said. uuSEE AGRIBUSINESS 12A Volume 128, Number 056 The Field of Flags flying at the Veterans Memorial Park of America for Purple Heart Day?...Williams Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB Township teachers exploring new ways to enhance instruction with their new virtual reality lab?...Sen. DID YOU OBSERVE? Danny Britt being promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Army National Guard?... 2A • The News Reporter • Friday, August 9, 2019 IN BRIEF ‘I LOVE LIVING IN COLUMBUS COUNTY’ PreK, kindergarten enrollment filling up The county school board approved start dates Monday evening for kindergarten and PreK classes, about which curriculum director Kim Edwards said, ”Enrollment is looking really good.” Kindergarten students will have staggered enrollment Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 12-14, with all students attending class together for the first time Thursday, Aug. 15. This schedule is the same as last year. “Due to safety and liability,” Edwards said, PreK stu- dents will not receive home visits from school personnel this year as they did last year. Teachers will make contact with parents to set up one-on-one enrollment appoint- ments at the schools Aug. 12-13 or will have social workers conduct visits if parents are not able to get to the schools. Staggered first days will occur Aug. 14-16, and all students will be together in the classrooms Aug. 19. With the new enrollment plan, “We are starting every- one a little earlier,” Edwards said. Response from parents is the highest Edwards has seen in a long time, she said, with only a spot or two remaining open per school. She continues to take applications until school begins. The phone number for Columbus County Schools’ central offices is 642-5168. —Diana Matthews Pecan Festival in running for ‘Best Fall Festival’ Southeastern Community College President Anthony Clarke congratulates N.C. State Goodnight Scholar Ethan Jenkins, a graduate of SCC. The N.C. Pecan Festival has been nominated for USA Today’s 2019 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.