First Lady Rivalries Gov. Roy Cooper’s wife, East, South, West Kristen, visits Hallsboro-Artesia. and WHS square uuSEE PAGE 8A off on the diamond. uuSEE PAGE 1B The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Thursday, March 29, 2018 75 CENTS Fourth grader takes on challenges of dyslexia By Diana Matthews science and math, but he said his friends, cousins and sister says he wants to be a farmer and after second grade he was He now receives “clap and tap” [email protected] the best part of the school Emma Gray. “Sometimes I of some sort someday, but he diagnosed with dyslexia. That therapy from Carla Brown. Us- day is “when we go outside.” jump on the trampoline for knows he has other choices was when his parents began to ing a program called Interac- Part III of a series Because Price has dyslexia, two hours,” he said. as well. At least he is pretty recruit all the help they could tive Metronome, Brown leads Price Wheatley had his 10th reading is difficult, but that Last summer he helped har- sure he doesn’t want to be a find to give Price a good edu- Price in rhythmic listening birthday in December and is hasn’t dampened his enthusi- vest watermelons from a patch teacher, preacher or writer. cation in spite of his learning and reading exercises. in Amanda Tedder’s fourth- asm about the future. his father, Brent Wheatley, Those occupations all require difficulty. Price’s mother, Mary Ben- grade class at Edgewood El- After school hours, Price grew as an experiment. With too much reading. “I started going to Miss Tay- non Wheatley, said, “It gives ementary School in White- plays baseball, basketball, soc- Emma Gray, he sold them on Since kindergarten, read- lor (Jordan) and she helped me uuSEE DYSLEXIA 3A ville. His favorite subjects are cer, tag and hide-and-seek with Madison Street. Price already ing has been hard for Price, with my dyslexia,” said Price. Canady gets life for 2014 murder By Jefferson Weaver wiped her eyes, trembling as [email protected] she began reading the single sheet of paper. Amanda Kay Canady will “I can’t take back what was spend the rest of her life in done,” she said, and offered prison for her role in the 2014 Ward’s family an apology. “I murder of Keisha Ward and know you are missing a wife, the near-killing of Johnny a mother, a daughter and a Tyler. sister….but my children will The jury took less than 45 grow up without a mother minutes to return a guilty now, too. verdict on all three felony “I ask that you hold no charges — first degree mur- anger toward anyone in this,” der, attempted murder, and she said. assault with a deadly weapon Final arguments were with intent to kill. Superior heard Wednesday morning, Court Judge Douglas Sasser and the state included graphic sentenced Canady to the max- photographs comparing Ward imum for all and Tyler’s in- three charg- juries. Ward’s es, life plus a daughters and maximum of son were es- 25 years, due to corted from Staff photo by Grant Merritt the nature of the courtroom News Reporter Editor Les High, right, leads a panel discussion on opioid use in Columbus County, where the most the crimes. by their great- recent data shows that 150 opioid pills are prescribed per person, more than triple the state average. The forum drew Ward, John- grandmother a large crowd at Vineland Station Monday night. son and Canady after they used a baseball broke down bat and barstool upon seeing to batter and the pictures, Forum on opioids draws big crowd; torture Ward and hearing and Tyler on Asst. District New Year’s Amanda Canady Attorney Alan solutions varied but resources lacking Day 2014. The Adams de- couple’s three children were scribe the multiple injuries in the home at the time of the both victims received. By Allen Turner diction problems in Columbus attack. Sasser called a brief recess [email protected] “Recovery is more than just not using. It’s about County that appeared in The Canady’s two co-defen- after the youth had left the repairing the fractured family, repairing the fractured News Reporter and Scalawag, dants, Derrick Pierce and courtroom, and asked the A forum titled “Losing and Andy Anderson, a pastor Antwan Johnson, are serving family to maintain their com- a Generation: Addressing community. It’s about helping people find meaning who also is director of devel- life plus 30 years and 35 years, posure. the mental health care crisis in their lives and in their relationships with other opment for Community Based respectively. Johnson entered “I know this is a very emo- and combatting the opioid Care, LLC, comprised the first a plea deal in February 2017, tional time,” he said. epidemic” at Vineland Station people.” panel. almost three years to the day Defense attorney Mike Ra- Monday night drew about 75 Dr. Sara Koenig Feldblum related that when after the three were arrested. mos rested his case with no participants including repre- he began researching his se- He was allowed to plead guilty witnesses and no testimony sentatives from medical, men- ries on Columbus County, his to second degree murder in Tuesday. In his closing argu- tal health, law enforcement the program and will broad- approaching the problem from initial expectation was that exchange for his testimony ments, he repeated the con- and faith-based communities cast three panel discussions different perspectives. the focus would be on mental against Pierce and Canady. cerns he had expressed during for a discussion in a county from the event statewide. “We’re here to talk about health issues and involuntary Pierce was found guilty last rebuttal questioning of Bel- that has one of the highest Moderator Les High of how opioids have wrecked commitments to psychiatric summer of first degree mur- lamy Chavis, Ward’s teenaged rates in the state for prescrip- The News Reporter led three many communities in North facilities, but that it soon be- der, assault and other charges. daughter. Ramos pointed out tions of opioid medications. panel discussions that were Carolina, particularly rural came apparent opioids were In her first show of emo- to details that Miss Chavis left The event was sponsored by recorded for statewide televi- counties like Columbus Coun- “on everybody’s mind” when tion since the trial began last out of her initial statements The News Reporter, Scalawag sion broadcast, followed by ty,” High told the audience. he began his research on the week, Canady read a tearful on the day of the murder, then magazine, Columbus Region- a general roundtable discus- Sammy Feldblum, who ground here. and halting apology to Ward’s included later in further state- al Healthcare and UNC-TV, sion by 11 representatives of wrote a six-part series on family Wednesday. Canady ments and testimony. uuSEE FORUM 5A which taped the first hour of varying organizations who are mental health and opioid ad- set the paper down twice and uuSEE MURDER 11A Clarkton students win regional event, prepare for state contest By Diana Matthews to a test of its weight-bearing School’s team came in a close Jennifer Marlowe’s sixth [email protected] ability. The test of each model second in southeastern N.C., through eighth graders from wasn’t over until the engi- with their bridge bearing 20.07 Clarkton School of Discovery Students from Whiteville neers added enough weight to pounds before falling. won first place in the middle and Clarkton participated destroy the bridge. Only first-place regional school division for the third March 16 in a regional model Models weighed no more winners advance to the state year in a row. bridge-building contest in than 30 grams – about one finals, which will be held at The A+ magnet school of- Kinston. Engineers from the ounce – and the winning high DOT headquarters in Raleigh fers bridge-building as an N.C. Department of Trans- school bridge, built by Cam- on April 20. elective class during the third portation judged the models den Early College students, quarter of every year. according to strict specifica- gave way under a load of Clarkton overcomes In 2016, after winning the A CSD student constructs part of his team’s bridge, fol- tions, then subjected each one 20.7 pounds. Whiteville High tough competition lowing the scale model. uuSEE CONTEST 2A Volume 127, Number 77 A birthday celebration honoring Mildred Efird at the Chef and the Frog on Saturday evening. Her children, Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB Denise Branch and Vernon Efird, along with family and extended family enjoyed fellowship and dinner... DID YOU OBSERVE? Jennifer Holcomb conceding that it’s better to do your taxes with the aid of an accountant?... 2A • The News Reporter • Thursday, March 29, 2018 WHS AND CLARKTON STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN BRIDGE-BUILDING CONTEST Whiteville High School students came in second at the high school level of the regional Middle school students from Clarkton School of Discovery won the regional competi- competition. tion for the third year in a row. Engineering is about choosing the best solution By Diana Matthews students had each submitted contest in Kinston and second simply building something ture is going to be used, plus with Carolinas Associated [email protected] a design, and the class was in the state. with heavy truss work. If al- financial and environmental General Contractors and the narrowing down their op- The students had to rebuild lowed an unlimited amount limitations.