DREAM big So close The DREAM Center Harley Potter was celebrates 25 years. one pin short of a uuSEE PAGE 11A perfect game. uuSEE SPORTS, PAGE 1B The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Thursday, February 2, 2017 75 CENTS Merger would cost more than $5 million, city system says By Nicole Cartrette [email protected] Part I of a series Merging Columbus County and Whiteville City Schools would save the state and federal government money but not necessarily the county, according to Whiteville City Schools officials. A merger would cost the county more than $5 million in lost funding, Whiteville City Schools Superintendent Kenny Garland suggests. “There are many folks who believe that merger is a cost- saving measure, but based upon county, state and federal fund- ing, I strongly believe there will be significant funding coming into Columbus County,” Garland said. “The emphasis needs to be on our school infrastructure, not school merger. Whether or not we are one system or two, we still need facilities.” Both districts have presented multi-million dollar school con- struction proposals to the county, but no action has been taken Staff photo by Les High on those plans. The city system is seeking a new Whiteville High School and the Columbus County system wants to consolidate White Marsh-Welches Creek firefighter Wayne Parker trains a hose on a roaring blaze that destroyed a house east of several schools into new facilities. Whiteville Tuesday afternoon. Several firefighters were slightly injured when the ceiling collapsed on them. Also see This week, Garland mailed executive summaries to each videos at nrcolumbus.com, or on The News Reporter’s Facebook page. The story is on page 4. uuSEE MERGER 6A Seven people killed on highways in January By Jefferson Weaver 2017 Ford Fusion on Reynolds Road near Ta- [email protected] bor City. The car crossed the centerline, hit a ditch, came back onto the highway and rolled, Officials are at a loss to explain why seven ejecting Shipman. people have died on county roads in January. “Had she been wearing a seatbelt, she “There is no common factor,” said Sgt. might well have survived,” Ezzell said. Ship- Brian Ezzell of the Highway Patrol. man’s address was listed as 2413 Peacock Rd., Two crashes less than 25 hours apart Tabor City. brought the county’s road deaths to seven for That crash occurred Sunday at 6:43 p.m. She January, including two in the city. was airlifted to a South Carolina trauma cen- On Sunday, Lakeisha Monique Shipman, ter, where she died Monday from her injuries. One person died in a wrong-way collision on U.S. 74-76 Monday. 35, died when she lost control of her rented uuSEE SEVEN PEOPLE 5A Every day is (Ground)hog Day at these businesses By Diana Matthews ready to be taken apart. “We get our [email protected] hogs from local livestock auctions and farmers,” said Charles. “They’re One may look long and hard all home-grown. These were alive around the woods and fields of Co- yesterday.” lumbus County before spying a single On the meat-cutting table, the groundhog. sides are dismantled to get chops, Hogs, on the other hand, are plen- ribs, neck bones and back bones for tiful on the ground in Southeastern separate sale. The rest of the hog – North Carolina. And hog meat, when hams, shoulders and side meat (or ground, can be part of a well-balanced “middlings”) – goes into the sausage breakfast, lunch, dinner or party. grinder. The men keep an eye on the So here’s a tribute to the intelli- proportion of fat to lean meat. gent, sometimes fierce, omnivorous, “You have to put in the right delicious hog and the family butcher amount of fat to make the sausage shops that have been turning hog juicy. If it’s too lean, it’s dry and meat into sausage for generations. tough,” Charles Sellers says. He fla- vors the whole-hog sausage with “my Daddy’s special seasoning.” A family tradition: Although sausage sales are higher Whiteville Meat Market in the winter, the shop prepares sau- O’Neil Sellers opened Whiteville sage at least twice a week, year-round. Meat Market in 1970. Today his son A freezer holds sausage made from Charles and his daughter Peggy turkey and beef as well. Sellers Ward run the shop just one door away from the original location where they grew up helping their A landmark: Pierce & Co. parents wrap and sell meat. Charles’ As best anyone can remember, son Bryan also works in the store. Pierce and Co. has been selling meat Norman (“Junior”) Murphy has been since “the early 1950s,” said meat a member of the team for about 40 market manager Patrick Norris. years. Photo by Grant Merritt Half-carcasses hang in a cooler uuSEE GROUND HOG 2A Billy Gilliland prepares meat for grinding into sausage at Pierce & Co. See more photos on page 1 C. Volume 126, Number 62 How sad the historic courthouse and Whiteville City Hall look?... The local Boy Scout fund-raising committee meet- Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB ing Tuesday to plan the annual Investment in Character breakfast? Whiteville native Vic Ward, now in command of DID YOU OBSERVE? the North Carolina Highway Patrol, will be the speaker at the Feb. 22 event. 2A • Th e News Reporter • Th ursday, February 2, 2017 GROUND HOG Continued from 1A The landmark general store restaurant veteran Warren has stood at the intersection Stevens moved to Lake Wac- of Sam Potts Highway and camaw in 2014 and began Hallsboro Road since a fire making sausage and catering. about 1926 destroyed the origi- For nine months he has nal 1898 struc- been renovating the loca- ture, which tion at 600 was located at and 606 S. Red Bug about It’s oft en been said that Madison St. a mile south sausage tastes good, you that was va- of the present just don’t want to see cated when store. the South- The meat how it’s made. It’s really ern Kitchen men still fol- not so bad. See Diana restaurant low recipes for Matthews’ feature on moved to hot and mild larger quar- sausage passed today’s Living page. ters across down by their the street predecessor and became Jerry McCormick. They aim The Chef for about a 90 percent lean and the Frog. product. After two fl oods in 2016, the Using hams, loins, shoul- recovery “was pretty rough,” ders and butts from Robeson he said. Much of his remodel- County hogs, they grind 250 ing work had to be done over. pounds of sausage “every While awaiting fi nal inspec- couple of days.” Friday and tions, Stevens makes his sau- Saturday are their biggest sage at a shop in Oak Island. sausage sales days. He uses shoulders and butts People on the way to the from heritage-breed, pasture- Boys and Girls Homes President Gary Faircloth, left, and Jimmy Hinson. beach are frequent customers. fed vegetarian hogs and sea- sons it with mixtures of his own devising. He prefers an A newcomer: Big W 82 percent lean sausage. Some Hinson receives 2016 Distinguished Barbecue of his most popular variet- ies feature fennel seeds or Alumnus of the Year Award from B&GH Lumberton native and “I just do what any decent for what you received at Boys and support for friends and vehicles, volunteered at mul- Over 200 In Stock! human would do. It’s the great- Home.” neighbors. When an older tiple campus special events est honor in my life to accept Those children were dis- friend passed away, Jimmy including the golf tournament this.” tant relatives of Rose’s who went to help the widow clean to support the school. He has Those were the words of needed care while their par- up the property and clean out spoken to several civic groups Jimmy Hinson as he accepted ents found a way to care for in preparation to liquidate on behalf of B&GH, sharing the 2016 Distinguished Alum- themselves. the estate. He continues to his personal experience to in- nus of the Year Award from “The boy came fi rst at age help a former co-worker who spire others to pay it forward Boys and Girls Homes of 5,” Hinson said. “He had behav- was diagnosed with Multiple to those now served by the North Carolina President ior problems Sclerosis in Homes. Gary Faircloth. and other his early 40s. Even with the award recog- Selected by the Alumni As- family mem- “I just do what any “He is in nition for his service, Hinson sociation leadership for the bers didn’t his early 60s shares that he doesn’t feel like award, Hinson was genuinely want him. decent human would do. and bedrid- he is anything special. surprised by the recognition. There were It’s the greatest honor in den now,” said “For 30 years I worked at “I can’t come up with the other fam- my life to accept this.” Hinson. “I just DuPont and had a little shop words to express how much ily members go help when that I kept to work in on the this award means to me,” who wanted Jimmy Hinson he needs it. side,” he said. “I have retired Hinson said. “I don’t think the girl, but I provide a to a little white house in the President Faircloth under- we fought to helping hand.