POST Voice
Thursday, August 22, 2019 Fifty Cents The Pender-Topsail
SHOPPING I
. nc
&
Furniture OutďŹ tte h c rs, ea ONE
B
Vol. 49, No.43
Serving Topsail Island for Over 20 Years! •Mattresses
•Accessories •Artwork •Flags •Jewelry •Candles
•Lamps •Gifts •Hammocks •Outdoor Furniture •Puzzles
Furnishing Tom Clark Beach Homes Gnomes Artwork is Our Speciality 25% O ff!
-Free Local Deliver y and Setup204-F N. New Rive r Dr. • Surf City, NC • 910.3 www.BeachFurnit ureOutďŹ ttersInc.c 28.4181 om
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County www.post-voice.com
22 treated for heat-related issues
Heat, terrain make for dangerous rescue operation in Holly Shelter By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Rescue teams from Pender County located and airlifted a lost hiker from the Holly Shelter Gamelands Monday afternoon. The man had been lost since Sunday, spending an uncomfortable night in the Gamelands. The hiker, along with 21 searchers, was treated for heat related illnesses as the temperature soared
to 97 degrees during the search. Three individuals were taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, including the hiker.. Pender County EMS Director Woody Sullivan described the conditions as brutal, with the heat index pushing well above 100. The hiker was able to call 911, and rescuers used the cell phone signal to locate the general search area. Searchers located
Willard man charged with human trafficking
Governor Cooper visits Pender County
and was released from jail Aug. 10. Following Peterson’s arrest, a search warrant was executed at Peterson’s residence pursuant to the case. Upon further investigation, Peterson was arrested and charged with additional crimes includ-
BOC hears update on courthouse repairs Pender County Director of Buildings and Grounds Allen Vann updated commissioners on the repair project to the Courthouse. In a recent meeting with a number of the parties involved in the project, it was learned the Pender County Clerk of Court would be able to return to the Courthouse. Currently, the Clerks office is located across the street in the Biberstein house. “David volunteered to exit the offices his staff cur-
or six hours total. With no wind and searching through those bays hacking though with machetes in the heat, it was tough.� Searchers from Pender Emergency Management, Pender EMS and Fire, Surf City, Holly Ridge, Shiloh-Columbia, Pender Sheriff ’s Department, the N.C Forestry Service, and the Pender Search and Rescue Team participated in the search. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a helicopter to assist.
James Bryan Peterson
%
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
get an all-terrain vehicle to him,� Sullivan said. “After that he was airlifted out.� The heat and the Gamelands were the real enemy, as a number searchers were treated for heatrelated illnesses. “We had 68 personnel on the scene and treated 21of our people for heat. Three people total were transported to the hospital including the hiker,� said Sullivan. “We were on the scene about five
From Staff Reports A Willard resident has b e e n a r re s t e d s eve r a l charges including human trafficking and kidnapping. James Bryan Peterson, 54, was first arrested Aug. 9 after Pender County 911 received a call from a female reporting that she was being held against her will at an address on N.C. Hwy. 11 in Willard Aug. 9. Deputies responded and pursuant to that investigation, Peterson was arrested and charged with two counts of assault on a female, one count of sexual battery and one count of assault by pointing a gun. The unnamed 24-yearold victim had an eightmonth-old baby with her at the residence. Peterson was held in the Pender County Jail under a $20,000 secured bond for the above listed charges. He posted bond
the hiker nearly three-quarters of a mile off the nearest road in dense undergrowth. Sullivan said rescuers located the man the old-fashioned way – hollering to follow the sound of his voice once they were near. The hiker was suffering from heat exhaustion and insect bites and the terrain prevented rescuers from carrying him out. “The Forest Service came with a plow to cut a line so we could
Continued on page 8A
rently occupies to enable the Clerk to move back into the Courthouse,� Commissioner David Piepmeyer said. “The District Attorney was in support of the Clerk moving back into the Courthouse.� Commissioner Jackie Newton expressed frustration with the repair project moving too slowly. “It seems every time we get a report and update we hear the same information. I’d like to see some bids,� said Newton. “I’d like to see us get the interior work
Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
Governor Roy Coo per visited Penderlea School Tuesday afternoon, bringing a box of school supplies and a listening ear to school staff. Cooper, Push Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn along Mowers with Penderlea Trimmers & Chainsaws School Counselor Lisa Burdette (above left), SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY administraFinancing Available teachers, tion and School Board M e m b e r R e v. K e n Smith, sat in the Media Center and discussed a variety of education -related issues. Smith (left) presented Cooper with a Pender County Schools pin.
Continued on page 8A
THE BEST FOR LESS
Ask about our end-of-season ITĘźS TIME TO GET 20% Off, $0 mos. COMMERCIAL FLEET SALE Zero Turn & (2) Handhelds,clearance onDown, select 48 products.
" & & &! "&! ! ! ! ! & ! & ! " # $
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/PostVoice
whitetractorcompany.com
WHITE TRACTOR CO.TRACTOR INC. (WY "Y 0ASS 3 "URGAW s WHITE CO. INC. For a limited time at participating local independent Husqvarna dealers only. whitetractorcompany.com (WY "Y 0ASS 3 "URGAW s