Coastal Rotary
POST Voice
Back on the hardwood
The Pender-Topsail
The Coastal Pender Rotary Club is involved in many local charities. Read about the Rotary Club’s work this week on page 1C.
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After a holiday break filled with tournament action, county cagers are back on the hardwood. Read about it in sports on 1B.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Volume 44, No.15
50 Cents
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Health official says worst is yet to come
Flu outbreak widespread in Pender County By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher According to the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu outbreak in North Carolina has reached epidemic levels. Pender County Health Director Carolyn Moser says flu is widespread in the county and expected to get worse over the next several months.
New county manager on the job Jan.20
“We are hearing a lot about it in the community, but we are not seeing that much of it here in the health department. The hospital is seeing a lot of flu cases coming through the emergency room. With kids back in school after the Christmas holiday, we are still looking at a time when the flu is going to be peaking,” Moser said. “Between now and the first of March we will see the peak.”
Moser says the Health Department will be sending out information about the flu through the schools soon. “We want to remind people what the symptoms are and how to prevent the spread of the flu. Mainly don’t send your kids to school if they are sick,” said Moser. “Over the next several weeks, we will be in touch with the school nurses to see how
much absenteeism they have to get a sense of how it is going.” This season’s flu vaccine has not proven to be effective against the current strain of influenza. Moser says the CDC originally said it was 50 percent effective, but has dropped that estimate to 30 percent. She adds that it is still important to get a flu vaccine. “We have a flu vaccine that may
minimize the symptoms, but it certainly isn’t preventing the flu,” Moser said. “I don’t want to cause people to not get a flu shot if they haven’t already had one because it can lessen the severity of the symptoms if you do get the flu.” Moser says the Health Department has plenty of flu vaccine available.
A cold swim on New Year’s Day
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher New Pender County manager Randell Woodruff will be in his new office Jan. 20, according to outgoing interim manager Bob Murphy. Murphy’s last day as interim will be Jan. 16. “Randell will be in town next week and we will get together to talk about some ongoing issues,” Murphy said. “There won’t be any formal overlapping period for us.” Pender commissioners announced the hiring of Woodruff Dec. 2. Murphy has been interim manager since July, following the resignation of Dr. Mickey Duvall in May. “My tenure has been a bit longer than I expected when I first came. I’ve had some interesting and challenging issues to deal with,” Murphy said. “The most critical was the completion of the 2012-13 county audit.” 2013-14 audit nearly done Murphy says the county’s latest audit is nearly complete. The audit was due to be submitted to the Local Government Commission at the end of October. “We are going through the final pieces of the audit and we expect to have all the information turned over to the auditors within the next day or so,” said Murphy. “I think I can safely say that we are substantially complete.” A delay in Medicaid information from the state is causing all counties to submit audits past the Oct. 31 deadline. “When I left for the holidays the state had not yet released their Medicaid numbers. No county audits can be complete without that. I’m not sure where that stands at the moment,” said Murphy. Budget work January begins the budget process for the 2015-16 fiscal year for county commissioners. Murphy says the budget will be a top priority for the incoming county manager. “I think it’s Randell’s intention to meet with the commissioners shortly after he comes on board. I’m sure the development of next year’s budget will be discussed. As we get into the month of February, that is when the real work on the budget begins.”
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County to float bond for capital projects By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer
Pender County commissioners will finance more than $23.6 million in capital improvements through a bond issue. They approved a resolution to enter into a financing agreement, pending the approval of the North Carolina Local Government Commission. The capital projects included the Old Topsail High School Renovation also known as the New Hampstead Annex. Other projects include the road work and construction and the waste water treatment facility at the Pender Commerce Park, construction of three fuel depots, HVAC installation in county buildings and renovation to the probation and parole building. Bob Jessup, the county’s Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew bond counsel, said by the first Sunny skies and mild temperatures brought a big crowd to Surf City Jan. meeting in March the final 1 for the annual Dolphin Dip. Surf City Mayor Zander Guy (left) surveys financing package will be the crowd before the dip into the cold Atlantic at noon. See page 4C and presented. Facebook for more photos of the event. Ted Cole of Davenpor t and Company is the county’s financial advisor. He said the financing is a tax exempt, 20 year, fixed rate issue. He said the interest rate could be as low as 3.75 percent to 4 percent. The commissioners anticipated paying for these projects through financing. Some of the expenditures have been paid from the general fund. The financing will reimburse the general fund. The commissioners conducted a public hearing Jan. 5 but no one from the public spoke regarding the financing option. According to the resolution Jonathan Irizarry Joseph Irizarry Michael Deaver approved by the commissionentering, misdemeanor lar- opportunity – cars that were in your car in plain view if ers, the capital improvement cenies, felony larcenies, lar- not locked. There were also you can help it.” projects will be consolidated Fields said occasional vehi- into a single financing receny of firearms, and felony some outbuildings at homes conspiracy to commit motor that were not locked, storage cle break-ins occur in Burgaw quest, leveraged by the collatvehicle breaking and enter- buildings that were not locked in unlocked cars, but this eral value of the properties. ing. that they might have gone large number of incidents The county anticipates no was unusual. More charges are pending into. There were several of increased taxes to pay the “This type of crime is an debt. on all three subjects as the those,” Fields said. investigations continue. Fields says this type of isolated incident. We do have The capital projects were Burgaw Police Major Lisa crime can be prevented. reports every so often of vehi- necessary county expendiFields says the Burgaw break“We advise that you make cle break-ins due to unlocked tures, the commissioners ins were in cars that were not sure to keep your doors locked doors. Even if the door is stated, and this is a low interon your vehicles and buildings unlocked, it’s still a breaking est method of paying for them secure. “These were targets of locked. Don’t leave valuables and entering,” Fields said. over a period of time.
Crimes occured night of Christmas parade
Arrests in rash of Burgaw car break-ins By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Three suspects have been arrested in a string of vehicle break-ins that occurred in Burgaw the night of the annual Christmas parade. Warrants were issued by the Burgaw Police Department Dec. 30 for the three suspects. All three were arrested by Duplin County Sheriff ’s deputies for multiple related charges of motor vehicle break-ins. The trio are also being investigated by Onslow County authorities for a possible connection to break-ins there. Michael Deaver, 25, of Richlands, Jonathan Irizarry, 30, of Beulaville, and Joseph Irizarry, 28, also of Beulaville are charged with a total of 276 charges ranging from felony motor vehicle breaking and
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