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POST Voice Thursday, January 3, 2019
Vol. 49, No.12
Years!
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County www.post-voice.com
September-December 2018
Hurricane Florence dominates news for the year By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher One news event dominates the period from September through December in Pender County – Hurricane Florence. Pender County was arguably the hardest-hit county in the
state from Hurricane Florence. Pender County Emergency officials began watching Florence in late August, with great concern for a Pender landfall growing into early September. By Monday Sept. 10, Florence was predicted
to hit Pender County as a possible Category 4 storm, and a state of emergency was issued. Shelters were opened Sept. 11. A mandatory evacuation for all of Pender County was issued Wednesday Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. Florence was downgraded to a Category
2 storm Thursday Sept. 13 and made landfall Friday Sept. 14 as a Category 1. When Florence was upgraded to a Category 4 storm, protocol was instituted at Pender Memorial Hospital to close the facility, which is not rated for such a strong storm. The
county was without an emergency medical facility during the storm until Atrium Health’s MED-1 mobile hospital from Charlotte arrived in Burgaw. MED-1 had an emergency room, operating room, and full staff. PMH reopened Sept. 25.
Rain began Thursday and as Florence made landfall, the storm stalled, lingering over Pender County for several days, dropping historic amounts of rain on the county. Damage from flooding proved much more
Continued on page 11A
Bringing in the New Year
Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
The Eagles tribute band Eaglewing plays for a crowd of thousands at the ďŹ rst Burgaw New Year’s Eve Blueberry Ball Drop. A large crowd turned out for the event ready to celebrate after nearly all Burgaw holiday events were rained out this year. Eaglewing played Eagles favorites to an enthusiastic crowd including many families. The blueberry, built by the CFCC welding class, dropped promptly at 7 p.m., which is midnight Greenwich Mean Time. Burgaw Mayor Pete Cowan (below right) and former Burgaw Parks and Recreation Director Zach White welcomed the crowd and promised another Blueberry Drop next year. White is now employed by Pender County Parks and Recreation. See more photos of the event on page 12A and Facebook.
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County to purchase former Biberstein law office By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Pender County Commissioners approved the purchase of property at 102 S. Walker Street in Burgaw during a special called meeting Dec. 28. The property, formerly the office of Burgaw attorney Rick Biberstein, is ad-
Tax relief for the elderly, disabled
jacent to the Courthouse and will serve as the Pender County Clerk of Court’s Office. The historic Pender County Courthouse, which currently houses the Clerk’s Office, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Florence and is undergoing extensive repairs. The building was purchased below appraised value for $300,000 plus $4,026 in
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Three pro g rams are available for property tax payers in Pender County to help with tax payments. Senior citizens, disabled residents, and disabled veterans may be eligible for reduced property tax
payments. All applications for reduced tax bills are handled through the Pender County Tax Assessors Office. “People need to know about this. We can help our elderly and Pender County residents that are struggling to get by,� said Commissioner Jackie Newton.
closing costs. the Clerk of Court will be in it for now. Pender County Commissioner David The property connects to the Burgaw Williams says the county hopes to close Public Library property. It’s a good, solid on the property late in January with the building.â€? Clerk’s Office moving into the two-story “We will continue to have challenges house Push in February. with countyTurn office space,â€? Williams said. Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Mowers “We are holding court all around Bur- “We can’t move portable buildings onto Trimmers & Chainsaws gaw right now,â€? Williams said. “It is a the Courthouse Square,â€? said Williams. good location for county office space and
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Senior citizens Pender County residents 65 years old and older may qualify for up to a 65 percent reduction in their property tax bill. To qualify, residents: s-UST BE $EEDED OWNER of the taxed property as of Jan. 1 s-UST LIVE IN THE HOME
full time as of January 1 -can live in nursing home, but home has to be vacant while applicant is in nursing home, unless it is the spouse. s-UST BE AS OF *AN s ) N C O M E C A N N O T B E greater than 30,200 for the 2018 calendar year (this amount is subject to change
THE BEST FOR LESS
each year) s)NCOME REQUIREMENT includes both income for husband and wife s 4 H E E X E M P T I O N I S $25,000 or 50 percent of appraised value of residential real property or manufactured home, whichever is
Continued on page 11A
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