New look 15 up... Whiteville PD goes to black Gore faces 15 cars, and not just for looks. batters, strikes out 15 uuSEE PAGE 4A uuSEE SPORTS 1B The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Thursday, March 23, 2017 75 CENTS LAKE WACCAMAW SUNSET County sells home health agency for $3.5 million By Allen Turner [email protected] The Columbus County Board of Commis- sioners voted 5-2 Monday night to sell the home health agency operated by the county health department to Kindred Home Healthcare of Louisville, Ky., for $3.5 million. The sale is scheduled to become effective at 12:01 a.m. on May 1. Kindred was the highest of three bidders to buy the agency. Other firms had submitted proposals of $2.3 million and $1.3 million to purchase the agency, while Columbus Regional Healthcare had submitted an offer to lease the agency from the county for $1 a year for 10 years. Commissioners Ricky Bullard, Charles Mc- Dowell, Giles “Buddy” Byrd, Trent Burroughs and Chairman James Prevatte voted in favor of a motion entered by Bullard and seconded by McDowell that the county sell the agency to Kindred. Commissioners Amon McKenzie and Edwin Russ voted against the measure. Neither McKenzie nor Russ gave a reason uuSEE HOME HEALTH 9A Photo by Matt Watkins Many residents and visitors of Lake Waccamaw believe it is heaven on earth. Seeing this photo of a recent sunset would lead one to believe that is true. SCC cuts request to $7 million Jones takes different tack on appropriations from $20 million By Allen Turner etc., but Rep. Jones will continue to tirelessly By Allen Turner [email protected] Funding requests include downtown advocate on behalf of the district and its needs [email protected] moving forward.” Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, is taking drainage and historic district studies Without listing specific amounts requested, Southeastern Community College’s board a different approach than his counterpart, for Whiteville, fire and water rescue Jones said he has made appropriations re- of trustees met Monday afternoon and voted to Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, in preparing for equipment, plus economic develop- quests for Hurricane Matthew damage relief cut their request to county commissioners for local needs as the General Assembly prepares including damage needs as assessed by the local funding for the college from $20.6 million to get into the details of a new two-year budget ment projects. director of the county Soil and Water Conser- to $7.2 million. SCC President Anthony Clarke, for the state. vation District, requested the establishment accompanied by three of his board members, Jones represents all of Columbus and parts Bailey’s statement continued, “With North of a relief fund for renovating the exteriors went directly from the college to the county of Bladen and Robeson counties in the General Carolina containing well over 500 municipali- of downtown buildings in the county that were commissioners with the request. Assembly, while Britt represents all of Colum- ties and with our being the ninth most popu- damaged in the storm, and asked for swift boats Chairman Henry Edmund and board of bus and Robeson. lous state, it is not a feasible approach to run and trailers, dry suits, helmets, life jackets and trustees members Randy Britt and Bobby Ez- While Britt has introduced a number of individual bills on every individual request. In- related equipment for first responders in the zell looked on as Clarke gave commissioners bills in the Senate aimed at specific local needs, stead, we attempt to incorporate them into the district. a revised prioritized list for local funds to be on the House side Jones has instead been in overall appropriations budget, which we have Jones also has requested the appropriations used for capital outlays. Clark said that, because discussions with various appropriations com- requested to be done.” chairs to conduct an extensive storm water commissioners had asked the county schools mittee chairs. He added, “What gets appropriated will study for Whiteville’s downtown municipal and Whiteville city schools for prioritized lists “This is the proper channel in which we depend on many factors, including the size service district, as well as fund a preservation of needs, the college trustees decided it would go about getting things appropriated for the of our budget surplus, decisions on salary consultant to establish historic districts in be wise for SCC to give the commissioners a list district,” Jones said Wednesday through his adjustments to teachers and state employees, identifying their priorities. legislative assistant, Andrew Bailey. education funding, transportation funding, uuSEE JONES 6A uuSEE SCC CUTS 2A Dr. Ronald Glinski will receive Lifetime Achievement Award By Clara Cartrette ailments that his patients were not France, and the United States and has [email protected] aware they had. He opened his private had numerous papers published. practice in Whiteville in 1980 and then Dr. Ronald P. Glinski will be award- became employed by Carolinas Physi- Coming to Columbus ed the Lifetime Achievement Award cian Network for Columbus Regional Asked how he found Columbus by Columbus Regional Healthcare at Healthcare System and Carolina Urol- County, Glinski said his wife saw an a breakfast ceremony in his honor ad by a state agency looking for a Friday. It is the hospital’s first presen- urologist. He interviewed with Ralph tation of the award, but it will become Rogers, who was Columbus County an annual award commemorating Doc- Glinski has practiced here for Hospital’s administrator, and talked tor’s Day, which is always on March 30. 37 years and was the county’s with Dr. Sam Wheatly. He had an op- The award is given to a doctor who first full-time urologist. portunity to go on staff at Henry Ford has longevity and commitment to his Hospital in Michigan or go to Texas, patients. but after the Glinskis spent time in a Carla Hollis, the hospital’s chief ogy Associates in 2010. condo at Ocean Isle Beach they decided executive officer, will make the pre- He held staff privileges at Colum- to come here. sentation. bus County Hospital where he also The Glinskis have a son, Ronald W., “Dr. Glinski brought urology to served as chief of surgery and chief who is also a urologist and previously Whiteville,” said hospital staff mem- of staff. In addition, he has had staff practiced with his father. However, “He ber Stephanie Miller. “People say he’s privileges at Brunswick County Hospi- met a lady from Columbia, S.C., they the only urologist they know with a tal and consulting privileges at Dosher dated four years, got married and now stethoscope around his neck.” Memorial Hospital, both in Brunswick live in Columbia,” Glinski said. Because he uses that stethoscope to County. He said Columbus County was dif- look for any ailment that needs atten- Glinski has made presentations at ferent from what he was used to, but he tion, Glinski said he has found many international meetings in Venezuela, uuSEE GLINSKI 3A Glinski with his 88 ¾-pound tarpon. Volume 126, Number 76 People suffering from sunburn on top of frostbite, and vice versa?...Janet and Coke Gray welcoming a Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB granddaughter, Stella? Stella is the daughter of proud parents Wes and Tiffany Gray... DID YOU OBSERVE? 2A • Th e News Reporter • Th ursday, March 23, 2017 Farmers consider PIT STOP hemp for crop to replace tobacco By Britney Nguyen Hemp is mostly used for NR Intern medicinal purposes, which is what makes the crop so valu- As the tobacco industry in able. The Los Angeles Times North Carolina continues to reported in 2014 that Canada’s dwindle, farmers continue to hemp industry was nearly search for alternative crops. a $1 billion-a-year crop. The Commercial hemp produc- market potential for North tion is one of those options, Carolina is unknown. and the local Agriculture Industrial hemp is a con- Extension offi ce is fi elding nu- troversial crop because it is merous calls considered a from farm- Schedule 1 nar- ers. cotic substance Dalton Offi cials caution that by the United Dockery, the hemp farmers will need States Drug En- local N.C. a license to grow the forcement Ad- Cooperative crop that contains lesser ministration. Extension The industrial Director, amounts of THC, which hemp plant is a said, “As long is present in marijuanal. different vari- as we stay Th e program at this ety of the same within the le- plant species gal means of point is considered ex- as marijuana. Staff photo by Les High the law, it has perimental. Marijuana great poten- contains 3 to 15 Motorists driving by Waccamaw Outdoors may have done a double take Monday when it appeared that Kennedy tial as far as percent THC, a and Parker Spaulding had stopped at the station to ‘fi ll ‘er up” with their two horses. The Patricks had ridden the for fi ber and seed production.” hallucinogen, meaning that it horses from near Hallsboro to the Lake and were looking for a shady stopover. The North Carolina Depart- is a psychedelic drug. Indus- ment of Agriculture formed a trial hemp, on the other hand, commission to study industri- contains less than 1 percent. al hemp and the possibilities In most countries that per- SCC CUTS Your LOCAL Place for in North Carolina. The com- mit hemp cultivation, the Continued from 1A mission has created a pilot content is less than 0.3 per- The $7.2 million in county students represent about 17 program that allows farmers cent.