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The Pender-Topsail
Autumn With Topsail
The annual Autumn With Topsail arts and crafts festival is coming Oct. 15 in Topsail Beach. Music, food, and much more will be there. Read about it on 1B.
Volume 46, No. 1
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
Patriots, Titans win The Pender Patriots got a big win Friday over Midway, and the Trask Titans pulled out a victory with a big second-half rally. Read more in sports beginning on page 8A.
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State of emergency declared, Pender EM expecting landfalling storm this weekend
Hurricane Matthew takes aim at Pender County By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Pender County residents are preparing for what may be the strongest hurricane in many years. Hurricane Matthew is tearing through the Caribbean on its way to North Carolina. Emergency management officials expect the storm to arrive here by the weekend as a category two or three storm “We are gearing up for this thing. We are looking at an evacuation of the beaches,� said Pender County Emergency Management Director Tom Collins. “We really don’t know exactly when we will begin – the timing of the storm is uncertain right now. We plan to activate the Emergency Operations Center fully by Friday.�
Final school bond sale approved
Collins says Emergency Management is preparing to open shelters across Pender County, probably by Friday. Officials expect conditions to begin to worsen Friday afternoon with the storm arriving in force on Saturday. “This storm is going to be so close to us, even if it’s not a direct hit, we are going to have to take protective actions,� said Collins. “Not only is it a very strong storm, it’s very large.� Pender residents living in flood-prone areas, mobile homes, and sub-standard housing should move to a shelter for the duration of the storm. Areas along the beaches will be evacuated. Officials are expecting a storm surge of six feet or more. Collins says all Pender County, not just the coastal areas, will be affected by the storm. “Wind, rain, long-term power outages are all
coming with this storm. We are going to see a lot of wind county wide.� Collins says now is the time to prepare in advance of the storm. “We are expecting long-term power outages. You need provisions – water, food for several days. Make those kind of preparations. It’s been a long time since we have had a strong hurricane make landfall,� Collins said. Emergency information will be posted on the Emergency Management Facebook page and through local media outlets. “We are going to push out as much information as we can to the public. “The main thing is be prepared and do it before the storm hits,� Collins said. “We have time to get ready, so lets prepare for a category three storm.�
Commissioners hold special meeting
Cripple Creek Cloggers
BOC questions School Board on bond projects By Barbara Hazle Post & Voice Staff Writer
Pender County Commissioners approved the sale of $50.5 million in school bonds during Monday’s meeting. The board met last week in special session with school officials to discuss the details of the bond sale and receive information concerning the projects. Commissioners continue to express their displeasure with the Board of Education and an apparent lack of information on the school project costs – especially the Penderlea School project. Commissioner David Piepmeyer asked County Attorney Trey Thurman if all the information requested by commissioners had been received from the School Board prior to the vote on the bond sale. Thurman assured Piepmeyer it had and he did not foresee a problem. “We just want to be con-
The Pender County Board of Commissioners called a special meeting Sept. 29 to review the latest information provided by the Pender County Board of Education regarding the Penderlea and Surf City School projects. The commissioners were preparing for a vote on a resolution for the second bond sale at the board’s Oct. 3 and wanted an opportunity to consider what would be put before them prior to that vote. Attorney Bob Jessup explained that it was important to stay on schedule to sell the bonds by Oct. 12 because the county would not have another opportunity to do so until a new audit is done under Local Government Council rules. This could push the sale of the $50 million funds needed into 2017, losing months of construction time. The sale of $25 million in bonds has already taken place to pay for the early stages of the project. The Surf City project has
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Candidates Forum
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
The Cripple Creek Cloggers from Burgaw performed at the Hampstead United Methodist Church Fall Festival Saturday. See more photos of the event on Facebook.
Bugaw baby born in front seat of a Honda
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Dad delivers daughter on the way to hospital By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Oct. 13
Hampstead Government Annex The Post & Voice Candidates Forum will be Oct. 13 at the Pender County Government Annex in Hampstead. The Forum begins at 7 p.m. Detailed information on the forum is available on page 13A of this edition of the Post & Voice.
Lantz Lanier thought he had plenty of time when his wife Kelly told him she was in labor. After all, their first child, Mason, took 12 hours to arrive. Not this time with daughter Karley Ann. About an hour and 45 minutes after the onset of Kelly’s labor, Karley Ann was born Sept. 24 in the front seat of the Burgaw family’s Honda Accord on the side of U.S. 421 near Pender Progress Industrial Park – delivered
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by her dad. Mother and baby, along with dad, are doing fine. “We took Mason to Kelly’s sister in Penderlea, and headed over to 421 toward Wilmington,� Lantz said. “About the time we passed Johnson’s Corner, I knew the baby was coming and I had to do something. I kept telling Kelly we were going to make it to the hospital and she was going to get an epidural.� Kelly said she was way past an epidural. Lantz called 911 while still driving toward Wilmington and told the operator what
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was happening. The operator launched into birth delivery instructions while Lantz was still rolling. Realizing the baby Push was almost here, he Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero pulled off on the roadside, Trimmers & Chainsaws jumped from the car and ran to the passenger side to open the door. “It was locked and I had to run back and open it,â€? Lantz said. “All those things 911 told me to do, I didn’t have time to do she came so quickly. I didn’t have time to think. I just did it.â€? While the operator went
been bid and is ready to break ground with an opening date of August 2018. That project remains over budget by $4.5 million. The Penderlea School project has undergone a major revision with no new cafeteria or gymnasium and remains $5.3 million over budget. Pender County Schools Director of Auxiliary Services Allen says the new cafeteria and gym could remain in the plan if the money would come from the county. Vann confirmed that no public meeting had been held or was scheduled for the Penderlea community to communicate the changes and the impact. Commissioner David Piepmeyer was not pleased. “Now we are saying that we are only going to give that community part of a new school when we promised them more than that, and it is their school,� said Piepmeyer. “For the life of me I don’t understand.� Superintendent Dr. Terri Cobb explained that it was
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Staff photo by Katie H. Pettigrew
Lantz and Kelly Lanier with son Mason and baby Karley Ann.
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