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The 12th annual North Carolina Blueberry Your Guide to the Festival is set 2015 North Carolina for this SaturBLUEBERRY FESTIVAL day in Downinside... Schedule town Burgaw. Vendors & More See this week’s edition for the POST &Voice festival guide. Special Supplement to the Pender-Topsail Post & Voice The Pender-Topsail
POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
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Thursday, June 18, 2015
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Volume 44, No. 38
Summer sports School is out and summer sports are just beginning to get underway in Pender County. Read about it and more in sports on page 10A
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Board to consider $1.3 million purchase of waterfront property
Vote on new county budget June 22 By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Pender County Commissioners are set to vote on the 2015-16 budget at Monday’s board meeting. The new budget will include a 17 cent tax increase, along with cuts to employee health benefits. Commissioners will discuss and vote on the final budget proposal June 22 at 4 p.m. at the county offices in Burgaw.
According to county officials, 11 cents of the increase is attributable to the school bond, passed by county voters in November 2014. The remaining six cents will be used to fund other county debt, including the water treatment plant, renovations to the old Topsail High School building, now the county’s Hampstead Annex, and other projects. Commission chairman David Williams says although the school bond is a large portion of the increase, it’s not all.
“We have to spend a couple of million on county buildings with some upgrades on their heating and air conditioning systems. A lot of money has to be spent at the agricultural building. There is $25 million in county project money from the old Topsail High School, waste water plant, to Pender Commerce Park,� Williams said. “Even without the school bond, we were already working on some major infrastructure projects we knew would bring several cents on the tax rate. I’m not trying
to make the schools the scapegoat for the tax increase. The county has projects, investing money in infrastructure.� Williams says the county still has to think about a new county jail. “There is a jail in our future in some way shape or form. The jail is something no body wants to do. People want to build schools, invest in infrastructure, and parks. They want
Continued on page 9A
Sheriff’s Captain new Burgaw Police Chief
Happy endings and new beginnings
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Burgaw officials announced the hiring of Jim Hock as the new police chief for the town of Burgaw. Hock is with the Pender County Sherif f ’s Of fice serving as a captain over the support division, which includes civil, Jim Hock records, school resource, and training sections. Hock has more than 18 years law enforcement experience. Hock’s first day on the job is scheduled for July 9. More than 50 applications from across the country were received for the police chief position. Town manager Chad McEwen feels Burgaw will benefit from a chief with local ties. “He already has a relationship with the Sheriff ’s Office and the law enforcement community. He has a strong presence with the schools given the fact he supervises the SRO program. Our overall impression is Jim is well-respected,� McEwen said. Hock is a 2000 graduate of UNC Wilmington and a 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy. He is currently pursuing his Master of Justice Administration degree from Methodist University. He also holds a number of specialized and advanced certifications in the field of law enforcement.
Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
A new group of Pender County high school graduates received their diplomas last week and began a new chapter in their lives. See more photos on Facebook.
N.C. Blueberry Festival Saturday in Burgaw
Be ready for hot weather at the Blueberry Festival By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Right in the middle of a June heat wave, it’s Blueberry Festival time. Some festival days are hotter than others, but this year’s event promises to be another scorching festival day. Past festivals with high heat and humidity have kept emergency medical personnel busy caring for people overcome by the heat.
Officials urge festival goers to take precautions to deal with the high heat and humidity. “Folks need to hydrate themselves well. Please leave your animals at home. The festival is not designed to accommodate pets in this heat,� said Burgaw Town Manager Chad McEwen. “We are looking for and preparing for a good crowd. The vendors will be set up early and that may be the best time for people to come who cannot handle the heat – come early or late in the afternoon.
People need to factor the heat into their plans.� At a festival or anytime outside in the heat, heat stroke can be a deadly threat. Heat stroke occurs when the body’s cooling system fails, and the body’s core temperature rises rapidly. Heat stroke victims will cease sweating, and the body temperature will rise rapidly to over 105°F. The very young and the elderly are especially at risk for heat stroke. Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention and cooling of
the victim. Any delay can result in brain damage, organ failure, or death. Once the heat index approaches 90°F, people doing any outdoor activities should exercise caution, and those without air conditioning should make sure rooms are well-ventilated or try to spend time in a cool place such as a mall or library. A heat index of 105°F or greater is very dangerous. People should greatly limit any time outdoors,
and spend as much time as possible in well-ventilated rooms and air conditioning. Excessive heat effects are cumulative, and the threats grow with each successive day of hot weather. Treatment of overheating should include getting the victim out of the heat, giving the victim sips of cool water, placing cool wet cloths or ice packs on the victim’s body, especially around the neck and under the arms. Medical attention should be sought.
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