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The Pender-Topsail
Younger vets wanted
American Legion Post 167 in Hampstead says it’s more than just a bunch of old guys sitting around swapping stories. Read more about the Post on page 1B.
Volume 45, No. 48
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Trask moves to 2-0 The Trask Titan football team is poised this week to make school history by going 3-0 for the first time if they win Friday. Read more in sports on page 8A.
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Williams says it’s a good start
School bond at work
Northern leg of Hampstead bypass to be funded by state By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher After many years of work, lobbying, and twisting arms in Raleigh, Rep. Chris Millis announced last week the first section of the Hampstead U.S. 17 Bypass project will be funded. The section is the northern leg of the project will run from N.C. 210 west of Hampstead to just north of Topsail High School. In last week’s statement, Millis said “the North Carolina Department of Transportation will soon announce that the much-needed northern portion of the U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass is slated for funding. The good news comes as a result of years of passionate advocacy before my time, a DOT administration under Governor McCrory that has
“We may have ruffled a few feathers along the way, but it is something we felt we had to do.” Commissioner David Williams
been responsive and accountable, local leadership, from our Pender County Commissioners to citizen representatives on the Wilmington Metropoli-
Continued on page 2A
November election plan adopted By Barbara Hazle Post & Voice Staff Writer Pender County Board of Elections has adopted a plan to extend voting hours and add polling locations for the upcoming November elections. “We were able to add some Saturday hours and a location in Maple Hill,” said Barbara Melluso, member of the Pender BOE. “This was a compromise from Sunday hours, but with 23 Democrats attending the meeting Aug. 16 meeting supporting extended hours for individuals and families in the county, our board decided on a great plan.” Pending approval by North Carolina’s State Board of Elections, six one-stop polling places will be open for nine
hours during weekdays starting Oct. 20 with the addition of hours on Oct. 29, and Nov. 5. The additional location will be at the Maple Hill Fire Department. Originally Melluso, the only Democrat on the Board of Elections, had been pushing for adding Sunday hours, a plan that did not have the support of Chairperson Bettie C. Fennell or Secretary Twila Jones, and was a source of discussion at the recent Pender County Board of Commissioners meeting. “I am not in favor of Sunday voting at all,” said Commissioner David Williams. “I think that this is one day for family and we have so many more
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Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Workers lay the foundation for an addition to the cafeteria at Cape Fear Middle School, part of the new construction at the school. Construction from the $75 milllion Pender County school bond, passed in November 2014, can be seen at schools across the county.
$67 Safety changes made at Sloop Point/U.S. 17 intersection By Barbara Hazle Post & Voice Staff Writer Changes have been proposed to make
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Continued on page 10A
Williams is working with NCDOT engineers Chad Kimes and Jessi to increase safety at the intersection. This location has been the scene of several fatalities in the last three years, including the death of a toddler last summer. In mid-August another accident was
Burgaw Police now wearing body cams By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher If you are interacting with a Burgaw police officer, chances are you are being filmed. Burgaw police officers are in their second week of using body cams, according to Chief Jim Hock. The digital camera, which is attached to the uniform on the officer’s chest, records the activity of the officer while going about his or her duties. “We consider this another tool for the officer to utilize and I think there are a lot of positives regarding the use of the body cam,” Hock said. “Accountability and transparency
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reported at the same location sending a Topsail teenager to the hospital after being hit by a driver who ran the red light while traveling north on U.S.17. “I personally see a car run the red light there at least once a month,” said Williams, who lives in the area. “I asked about installing rumble strips about a year ago and revisited that request again this August.” Kimes stated that there has been concern over the noise factor with the rumble strips. He explained there are improvements to the intersection scheduled
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during the Hampstead median project, scheduled to start in 2020. Kimes also told Williams the NCDOT was looking at traffic detectors which notify drivers in advance that a signal is going from green to red. These detectors are already used in parts of rural Pender County. Williams requested the delay between the red and green lights be increased, just as has been previously adjusted at the intersection of Highway 210 and Highway 17. Leonard confirmed that this adjust-
Continued on page 3A
Bogus bills blowing around Burgaw By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
for law enforcement is a big issue right now. When you record people on a law enforcement call, both the officer and the people, it seems to improve everyone’s conduct. It improves behavior if someone knows they are being recorded.” Hock says the recordings can provide evidence in criminal prosecution as well as investigations of the conduct of a police officer while answering a call. “It can help address complaints against officers. If it’s a fraudulent complaint, we can discover the truth. If it is a legitimate complaint, we can use the incidents as training for new officers coming in,” Hock said.
Counterfeit money has again surfaced in Burgaw. From time to time, reports come in from the Burgaw Police Department that bogus currency is being passed in town. Police Chief Jim Hock says an increasing number of counterfeit 10 and 20-dollar bills have shown up in local retail stores and restaurants in the past several weeks. “It has been sporadic, but during the past couple of weeks we have seen an increase in fraudulent bills. Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew They seem to be coming in Officer Turner with the Burgaw Police Depart- through fast-food establishments and retail stores,” Hock ment wearing a body cam on his uniform.
said. “Usually the folks taking the money are in a fast-paced environment and counterfeiters understand that,” said Hock Hock says some of the bills passed were of very low quality. “Some counterfeits are better than others. You can look at some of them and they are not even printed square on the piece of paper. Along the top, some of them are not even green,” Hock said. “The best way to tell is the feel of the paper. Also the watermarks and security lines that are embedded into real money.” If you suspect you have received counterfeit money, contact the Burgaw Police Department.
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