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Hardwood heats up The action on the hardwood is heating up as local teams move into the second half of their conference schedules.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Volume 44, No.18
50 Cents
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Charlotte business interested in kitchen
Boards meet to discuss school bond
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Members of the Pender County Board of Commissioners and the School Board met Monday night to discuss the school bond. School officials impressed on commissioners the need to proceed quickly with the bond projects, as costs are expected to rise at a rate of 10 percent per year. The School Board will be on the commissioner’s meeting agenda Feb. 2 to ask commisssioners to release funds to begin the projects.
Group asks commissioners to consider larger court facility
Court officials seek security, expansion at Pender Courthouse By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer Clerk of Superior Court Bob Kilroy led a delegation of lawyers and judges who urged Pender County commissioners to consider a larger court facility, security, and preservation of the Pender County Courthouse. Kilroy said when the roof was damaged at the Courthouse Annex, officials scrambled for facilities to conduct court business. “It was a wake-up call,” said Kilroy. “We need to be thinking of more courthouse space.” Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Allen Cobb agreed. He called the Pender County Courthouse “classic” and beautiful. He urged commissioners to preserve and utilize the iconic building. Cobb said he would like to see all court functions under one roof. He said the court district needs a more modern courtroom with handicapped accessibility. Safety and security were high on his priorities. “We deal with gunshot wounds and stabbings,” he said. “We need state-of-the-art security.”
District Attorney Ben David said regional growth impacts the court system. He said the number of people receiving citations has increased. The court system needs to continue processing court business or delays are inevitable. A courthouse facility should mean something, he said. “It should mean something when you enter the halls of justice,” David said. Chief District Court Judge J. H. Corpening told commissioners, “We need a mind for security.” Kilroy suggested the commissioners set aside $5,000 in court fees each month for one year to be used for architect drawings. “You planted the seed,” said Chair David Williams, considering additions to the courthouse. “Security at both facilities is more the immediate issue,” agreed Commissioner George Brown. Conditions of the county’s court facilities came to the forefront when the roof failed at the County Annex. The building could not be used for one month while repairs were made. Court officials scrambled for use of various locations for proceedings.
Bogus bills in Burgaw
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Atkinson Fire Department works for improved rating By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Counterfeit money has turned up recently in Burgaw, according to Police Chief Montrina Sutton. Sutton says it’s not a flood of bad money, but enough to keep an eye on. “Every now and then this rears its ugly head. The bills were detected at the bank when the businesses made a deposit,” Sutton said. The fake money was passed at local fast food restaurants. Although Sutton did not reveal the exact denomination of the bills, she says smaller bills are more
Clerk of Superior Court Robert Kilroy
The smell of cooking may once again drift from the Historic Burgaw Depot. A Charlotte business is meeting with town officials this week to look at the incubator kitchen and discuss a possible lease deal. The kitchen has been largely unused since the departure of the last primary tenant, Custom Fit Meals. Although the kitchen was conceived and financed through USDA as a business incubator facility, it is possible USDA may allow an existing business to lease the facility to relocate to this area. “They are looking for a five-day-a-week availability, as an exclusive tenant of that facility,” said Burgaw Town Manager Chad McEwen. “The kitchen was designed as an incubator facility to help start new businesses – to help people get off the ground. The use of the kitchen has been very incidental since Custom Fit Meals left.” With the kitchen sitting idle, town officials are open to the idea of leasing it to an existing business. “We are going to meet with them and if this is something they want to pursue, we will talk with USDA because ultimately it’s their requirement that it be an incubator. We would have to see if they would lift that requirement to allow that type of use,” McEwen said. McEwen said the Burgaw town council had discussed the prospect of leasing the kitchen to an existing business in the past. The Charlotte company was referred to Burgaw by USDA after contacting them in search of a kitchen facility. “This is something we have
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Atkinson residents examine a map of the fire district at the meeting last week.
The Atkinson Fire Department will seek an improved ISO rating, according to fire department officials. Assistant Fire Chief Jason Turner says the department will spend a year preparing for the inspection by the state. He expects to apply by the end of 2015 and be inspected sometime in 2016. Fire officials met with local residents last week to explain the benefits of an improved ISO rating and the process of receiving one. The Atkinson Fire Department currently holds a 9S ISO Atkinson Fire Chief rating. An improved rating, which is Cary Rivenbark represented by a lower number, results in lower fire insurance premiums for homeowners within five road miles
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