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The Pender-Topsail
Vikki’s Place The dream of opening a restaurant has come true for a couple in Surf City. Read more about the home cooking at Vikki’s Place in Surf City on page 1B.
Volume 45, No.40
513 Roland Ave Surf City, NC (910) 328-2105 www.shopthebee.com
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Summer baseball Pender County baseball teams use the summer season to improve skills and work younger players into the game. Read more about summer baseball on page 4A.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Lightning strikes injure two in Topsail Beach From Staff Reports Severe thunderstorms moving across eastern Pender County Sunday evening produced lightning that struck two people in Topsail Beach. According to Topsail Beach Police Chief Sam Gervase, a 14-
year-old girl was stuck by lightning about 5 p.m. near Serenity Point on the south end of the island on the beach. Officer Zach Cooke responded to the call and was also struck by lightning while leaving the beach. According to police, the girl
was in the water when struck and was unconscious and unresponsive. She was transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. Officer Cooke and another officer checked the beach for more light-
July 4 Children’s fishing fun
ning victims and while leaving, was himself struck. He was not seriously injured and was released from the hospital. A third strike about the same time damaged the electrical system at a south Topsail Island condominium. There was no structural
damage to the building. Lightning safety Each year in the United States, more than 400 people are struck by lightning. On average, between 55 and 60 people are killed; hundreds of
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State sees first EEE case of year
Pender equine owners encouraged to vaccinate From Staff Reports Pender County horse owners are urged to vaccinate animals after the first case of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis was confirmed. A Pitt County quar ter horse has been confir med as having died after contracting EEE, which is a mosquito-borne disease that is preventable in equine by vaccination. The horse exhibited signs
of generalized weakness, stumbling, depression and inability to stand or eat. This is the first reported case of EEE in North Carolina this year, however two cases have already been confirmed in South Carolina. EEE causes inflammation or swelling of the brain and spinal cord and is usually fatal. Symptoms include
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Burgaw man sentenced ,KIV on drug, other charges $67
From Staff Reports Following a six month investig ation involving the sale of heroin and cocaine, Leon Williams, Jr., 27, of Jordan Lane in Burgaw was sentenced June 28 in Pender County to a sentence of 66-92 months in prison. He pled guilty to habitual felon, possession of a firearm by a felon and to selling heroin. Members of the U.S. Marshall Service, Duplin County Sheriff ’s Office and Pender County Sheriff ’s Office took Williams into custody in Magnolia after he fled the Pender
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Surf City Ocean Pier Manager Vinita Gass (left) checks in children arriving for the eighth annual Children’s July 4 Fishing Tournament and Celebration. Kids enjoyed fishing and other activities on the pier. A youngster (right) takes a turn bobbing for apples. See more photos of the event on page A14 and on Facebook.
Leon Williams Jr. County area. Williams was arrested without incident.
Summer rain can’t dampen July 4 in Pender County RV RKAIB 0>SB > RKAIB By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
A weather patter n that brought strong to severe thunderstorms across Pender County last weekend didn’t dampen holiday spirits as crowds flocked to county beaches and others in Pender County celebrated the July 4 holiday in between thunderstorms. Storms did not stop the Surf City Independence Day celebration which boasts the
largest fireworks display in the county – although fears of more rain Sunday evening did move the display up by about 45 minutes. “It was a challenging weekend with the rain. We had to cut the music short because of the storms but we got the fireworks off. I think the rain was probably good for the merchants,” said Surf City Mayor Zander Guy. “When it rains, people can’t go out on the beach, so they go and shop.”
Guy said the island suffered the usual holiday traffic problems. “Traffic was intense, but our police did a great job in handling the traffic. We had police at traffic lights to assist in moving the traffic along,” Guy said. A line of severe thunderstorms moved across the island late Sunday afternoon bringing torrential rain and causing streets to flood, which
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YT42 DXLS 350 BT 223L Trimmer Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Several severe thunderstorms that moved across Topsail Island late Sunday afternoon turned streets on the island into canals.
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