70 years Ago Today •Cherryville bats prevent WHS bid for ‘three-peat.’ June 6, 1944 •Cherryville cops opener D-Day with seventh-inning walk- off hit. The Invasion of Normandy Sports See page 1-B. ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, June 6, 2016 Second verdict Volume 125, Number 98 Whiteville, North Carolina sticks, Gore 75 Cents receives life nJuror who wavered after first ver- dict strong and forceful in her re- Inside sponses when individually polled as to her second verdict. 2-A By BOB HIGH •County to adopt Staff Writer budget; to ask to join state health plan at It took an extra 23 hours, but this time all 12 jurors individually confirmed by voice their tonight’s meeting. verdict that sent Ken- neth Harold Gore Jr., 3-A 32, to prison for life in •Cast of WCHS’s his first-degree murder ‘Annie’ experiences trial. No members of ‘humbling’ experi- Gore’s family attended ence at show’s finale. the session Thursday that ended at 11:10 a.m. Gore was passive again Thursday and didn’t Kenneth Gore look at the jurors as the courtroom clerk asked if the verdict the jury foreman returned was their verdict, and if it was still their decision. Each juror answered the questions with two quick “Yes” answers, including the woman who changed her mind Wednesday after an outburst of cursing and a tirade directly at Staff photo by FULLER ROYAL them by at least three members of Gore’s family. The polling took a little less than five Today’s New trail at Lake minutes. American Profile fea- Allison Royal, center, an interpretive artist for the Kids in Parks program of the Blue Ridge Parkway 2010 murder Foundation, leads several youngsters along the new children’s trail at Elizabeth Brinkley Park at Gore was also declared guilty of armed rob- tures Billy Ray Cyrus Lake Waccamaw following opening ceremonies Saturday morning. At left is Lake Wacamaw Man- bery in the taking of Bonnie Fowler’s car after in “Still the King: the 77-year-old was killed with a hammer and ager Harry Foley and Lake resident Julie Stocks. See full story in Thursday’s News Reporter. knife that left nearly three dozen wounds on Making a Comeback.” her body on the evening of Nov. 6, 2010 in her Berry Court apartment in Chadbourn. DIDYOB? Before giving Gore an automatic sentence Did you observe ... Walden tells Jobs Foundation of life in prison without a chance of parole, See Murder verdict, page 2-A Lakeshore Drive resi- economic outlook is good here dents reporting they By ALLEN TURNER have half as many people involved in Senate wants to thought they heard Staff Writer agriculture as we had 25 years ago, a tornado overhead but we are producing more food.” North Carolina State University Despite the fact economic trends expand private during a heavy thun- economist Dr. Michael Walden told have had a more negative impact derstorm that knocked about 150 members of the Columbus on rural areas than on metropoli- Jobs Foundation Thursday that, tan ones, he predicted enhanced school grants down trees and caused while economic challenges still economic opportunities, in four power outages Sunday confront Columbus and other rural categories. A national aging popula- By NICOLE CARTRETTE afternoon? One person counties, opportunities abound. He tion is bringing more retirees to the News Editor predicts a continually improving South, he said. Trade connection reported that the storm outlook in the future. opportunities are increasing, manu- Leaders in the state Senate want to expand dumped four inches of “There are many challenges,” facturing will see a resurgence and, a scholarship program launched three years Walden said, “such as globalization, as wealth grows in other countries, ago that allows certain low-income families to rain, another reportedly automation, a movement away from the demand for meat produced and use public dollars for private school tuition. saw a waterspout. ... manufacturing jobs to service sector processed here will increase. The latest proposal calls for the state to jobs, but with those come many op- “We lost a lot of jobs in the U.S. increase funds for the vouchers by $10 million portunities.” and in North Carolina in recent de- each year for the next decade. Walden said that 100 years ago, cades due to foreign competition,” The Opportunity Scholarship Program al- Dr. Michael Walden seven in 10 North Carolina jobs Walden said, “but the scales have lows eligible children in kindergarten through County Deaths were farm-related, while today that 12th grade to receive up to $4,200 per year for North Carolina’s farming output is Whiteville number is only one in ten. “But See Foundation, page 6-A private school tuition. The state “may award more than ever before,” he said. “We scholarship grants to at least 2,000 more eli- Hilda Bernice Batten gible each school year” according to the bill. William Howard Bright It establishes a reserve fund for the program, Shayla Dawanna Williams which does not revert unused funds back into Fair Bluff the general fund. Rebecca Lynn S. Cantor Three chosen for Leadership NC “The General Assembly finds that due to the critical need in this State to provide op- Delco By CLARA CARTRETTE portunity for school choice for North Carolina Linda Faye T. Smith Staff Writer students, it is imperative that the state provide Chadbourn an increase of funds of at least ten million Virginia Corbin Cox Three women who live in or have dollars ($10,000,000) each fiscal year for 10 close ties to Columbus County were Esther Mae Norris Duncan years . .” the draft budget reads. That puts the selected for the Leadership North state on target to spend about $145 million in Nakina Carolina (LNC) program this year. vouchers by 2026. Shirley Smith They were among 55 civic and com- It is a move that helps private schools like Clarendon munity leaders from across the state Columbus Christian Academy where a grow- Glorius Margaret Tyler who participated in the program and ing number of students are taking advantage celebrated their graduation May 13 of the state-supported scholarship, which cov- with a ceremony in the Old House ers full tuition at the Whiteville private school. Chamber of the State Capitol. The Dianne Ward Lisa Thomas Jamilla Hawkins Columbus Christian Principal Steve Auld Index event was attended by friends, fam- said that 12 students were recipients last year established and emerging leaders With the graduation of Class ily and colleagues of the graduates compared with 36 students awarded the schol- Editorials .......... 8-A from across the state to participate XXIII, there are now more than 1,000 as well as LNC board members and arship this year. in its acclaimed program each year. graduates whose continued ties to Obituaries ......... 7-A alumni. “The Opportunity Scholarship is an ad- Leadership North Carolina’s Class LNC and to one another provide Sports ................ 1-B Leadership participants with Co- vance in the movement to give parents educa- XXIII comprised top leaders from them with rich opportunities for lumbus County connections include tional choices in their children’s schooling. We Crime ................ 4-A the government, business, nonprofit serving North Carolina. Dianne Ward, promotions director support public education but we also promote and education sectors. Tabor City Town Manager Al for the Town of Tabor City; Lisa nongovernmental schools as an alternative to LNC’s mission is to inform, de- Leonard was selected to attend the Thomas, director of the Donayre state-run schools,” Auld said. “Parents, even velop and engage committed leaders first Leadership North Carolina Cancer Care Center, Levine Cancer with limited financial resources now have a by broadening their understanding program in the 1990s. Institute, Carolinas HealthCare choice.” of and involvement in issues and op- Over the course of six two-and- System; and Jamilla Hawkins, Administrators in traditional public portunities facing North Carolina. a-half day sessions, the members community and rural development schools see it differently. The Leadership North Carolina of LNC Class XXIII learned about agent, N.C. A&T State University “I am not in favor of school vouchers. There program cultivates a network of in- issues critical to the state through - Edgecombe County Extension is little to no accountability with vouchers,” dividuals with diverse backgrounds discussions with top officials and Center in Tarboro. said Columbus County Schools Superinten- Through a rigorous selection and experiences who share a deep professionals, field trips and expe- process, LNC chooses a class of commitment to their state. See Leadership, page 9-A See Vouchers, page 9-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, June 6, 2016 County to adopt budget; to ask to join state health plan at tonight’s meeting By ALLEN TURNER year in employee health insur- Staff Writer ance costs by switching to the state plan. Monthly premiums The Columbus County per employee would drop from Board of Commissioners more than $700 each to less will hold a public hearing than $500. tonight (Monday) at 6 p.m. in In other business, com- the Dempsey Herring Court- missioners are expected to house on their budget for the approve the transfer of items new fiscal year. After receiving within the home and commu- public input on the $74.6 mil- nity care block grant to ensure lion spending plan, they will that all approved grant monies meet at 6:30 p.m. in regular are expended before the fiscal session, when final approval year ends on June 30. of the budget is expected.