Post & Voice 12.28.2017

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POST Voice

The Pender-Topsail

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Post & Voice 2017 Year in review

The holiday school break is here, but county cagers will be on the hardwood in holiday tournaments. Read more in Sports on page 8A.

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Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew

A quiet evening at Soundside Park in Surf City with the park beautifully decorated for the holiday season. See more photos of Christmas around Pender County on 4B and on Facebook.

IDEA AROUND FOR YEARS 3URF #ITY -AYOR :ANDER 'UY TOOK THE STEP OF OFFICIALLY ASKING .ORTH 4OPSAIL "EACH AND 4OPSAIL "EACH OFlCIALS TO CONSIDER A MERGER OF THEIR TOWNS WITH 3URF #ITY 4HE MERGER WOULD CREATE THE MUNICIPALITY OF 4OPSAIL )SLAND 'UY ASKED OFlCIALS FROM THE ISLAND TOWNS TO DISCUSS THE IDEA OF A MERGER AT THE RECENT &OUR 4OWN -EETING WHICH IS A REGULAR CONFERENCE BETWEEN 3URF #ITY .ORTH 4OPSAIL "EACH 4OPSAIL "EACH AND (OLLY 2IDGE March s*UST A FEW WEEKS AGO HEALTH OFlCIALS REPORTED A LOW INCIDENCE OF mU CASES IN 0ENDER #OUNTY 4HAT SITUATION HAS CHANGED AS THE mU VIRUS IS ROARPush Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn Mowers ING THROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS Trimmers & Chainsaws SENDING STUDENTS AND STAFF HOME h7E SAW A DECLINE AND NOW THE CASES HAVE PICKED BACK UP AS WE HEAD INTO -ARCH v SAID 0ENDER (EALTH AND (UMAN 3ERVICES $IRECTOR #AROLYN -OSER h) KNOW THE 0ENDERStaff photo by Andy Pettigrew LEA 3CHOOL HAS EXPERIENCED A LARGE NUMBER OF ABSENCES n UP Post & Voice columnist Bill Messer spends time talking with Santa at the Poplar Grove

SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY Financing Available

Continued on page 2A

ITʼS TIME TO GET -

! ! ! ! & ! & ! " # $

50 Cents

Seaside quiet Christmas

n THAT HAS TO BE GATHERED BEFORE TOWN COMMISSIONERS WILL GREEN LIGHT THE PROJECT #OMMISSIONERS HAD THE PROJECT ON SIMMER SINCE A GROUP OF "URGAW RESIDENTS PRESENTED THE IDEA TO THE BOARD IN 4OWN -ANAGER #HAD -C%WEN SAYS A LOCATION FOR THE PROJECT HAS BEEN CHOSEN BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF PRELIMINARILY WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE THE BOARD CAN MAKE A DECISION s4HIS FLU SEASON LOOKS TO BE RATHER MILD SO FAR AND THE VACCINE APPEARS TO BE WORKING ACCORDING TO 0ENDER #OUNTY (EALTH $EPARTMENT $IRECTOR #AROLYN -OSER -OSER SAYS FLU CASES SPIKED AROUND THE MIDDLE OF *ANUARY BUT HAVE DECLINED SOME IN &EBRUARY s&REQUENT ACCIDENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF 3LOOP 0OINT ,OOP 2OAD AND 5 3 (WY HAVE PUSHED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE INTERSECTION TO THE TOP OF . # $EPARTMENT OF 4RANSPORTATION PRIORITIES IN THE AREA $ #HAD +IMES $EPUTY $IVISION %NGINEER FOR $IVISION TOLD 0ENDER #OUNTY #OMMISSIONER $AVID 7ILLIAMS IN AN EMAIL THE REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED THE FIRST WEEK OF &EBRUARY AND ALL INDICATIONS ARE THE PROJECT HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING FUNDED s7ILDlRE SEASON IS OFF TO AN EARLY START THIS YEAR IN 0ENDER #OUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE EIGHT COUNTY DISTRICT ACCORDING TO THE . # &OREST 3ERVICE 0ENDER #OUNTY OFlCIALS ISSUED BURN WARNINGS LAST WEEK DUE TO WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY h)T S BEEN A LITTLE BUSIER THAN WE EXPECTED TO START THE YEAR BUT WE WERE READY v SAID 3HANE (ARDEE $ISTRICT &ORESTER h7E VE HAD SEVERAL lRES AND WE RE SURE TO SEE MORE IF WE DON T GET SOME SIGNIlCANT RAIN v s4HE 0ENDER #OUNTY 3HERIFF S /FlCE ARRESTED !HMAD 2ASHAD 'ARRISON &EB FOR SOLICITING A CHILD BY COMPUTER TO COMMIT A SEX ACT AND HUMAN TRAFlCKING 'ARRISON A YEAR OLD RESIDENT OF (OLLY 2IDGE WAS A TEACHER S ASSISTANT AND TRACK COACH AT 4OPSAIL (IGH 3CHOOL AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST s0ENDER #OUNTY #LERK OF 3UPERIOR #OURT 2OBERT h"OBv +ILROY HAS RETIRED FROM HIS POSITION WITH THE COURT AND RETURNED TO A PRIVATE LAW PRACTICE %LIZABETH #RAVER WHO WORKED WITH +ILROY IN THE CLERK S OFFICE WILL SERVE AS #LERK OF 3UPERIOR #OURT AND SERVE OUT +ILROY S UNEXPIRED TERM THROUGH s!FTER QUIETLY KICKING THE

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Pender County has been busy with Christmas events leading up to the holiday. See photos of the latest events on page 1B, 4B and Facebook.

The Media of Record for the People of Pender County

Volume 48, No.12

Editor’s Note: Each year in the final two editions of the year, we review the news stories from page one of the Post & Voice. This week we will look at January through June – next week, July through the end of the year. January s0ENDER #OUNTY !"# STORES ARE ON TRACK FOR A RECORD SALES YEAR ACCORDING TO $ON (ALL COUNTY !"# "OARD #HAIRMAN (ALL BROUGHT A REPORT ON THE *ULY THROUGH 3EPTEMBER PERIOD TO THE 0ENDER #OUNTY #OMMISSIONERS AT THEIR MEETING 4UESDAY AFTERNOON !LTHOUGH IT WASN T PART OF THE REPORT (ALL SAID .EW 9EAR S %VE WAS BUSY AT COUNTY !"# STORES #ONSTRUCTION GROWTH s!FTER SEVERAL YEARS OF SLUGGISH GROWTH DUE TO THE ECONOMIC RECESSION BUILDING GROWTH HAS RETURNED TO 0ENDER #OUNTY #OUNTY 0LANNING $IRECTOR +YLE "REUER SAYS SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING STARTS WHICH WERE mAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS HAVE TAKEN AN UPWARD TURN s4HE RE PEAL OF 4OPSAIL "EACH S DUNE PROTECTIVE ORDINANCE HAS STIRRED CONTROVERSY AMONG LOCAL HOMEOWNERS 4HE ORDINANCE STATED THAT PROPERTY OWNERS COULD NOT BUILD ON THE DUNES ON THE SOUTH PART OF THE ISLAND s.OW THAT THE BOND PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY AND COUNTY lNANCES ARE BACK ON A SOLID FOOTING AFTER A BIG TAX INCREASE THE NEW JAIL MAY GARNER ATTENTION AGAIN FROM COMMISSIONERS s0ENDER #OUNTY #OMMISSIONERS ARE WORKING ON SEATING A COMMITTEE TO UPDATE THE COUNTY S #OMPREHENSIVE ,AND 5SE 0LAN !DOPTED IN THE PLAN IS IS THE OFlCIAL LAND USE POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE COUNTY AND PROVIDES A GUIDELINE TO FACILITATE ORDERLY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT s3AVINGS IN lNANCING COSTSFOR THE #ENTRAL 0ENDER AND -OORES #REEK 7ATER DISTRICT PROJECTS WILL ALLOW 0ENDER #OUNTY TO EXTEND THE WATER MAINS BY MORE THAN MILES #OUNTY #OMMISSIONERS APPROVED FUNDS FOR ENGINEERING WORK ON MILES OF ADDITIONAL WATER MAIN IN THE #ENTRAL 0ENDER 7ATER $ISTRICT AND FOUR MILES IN THE -OORES #REEK 7ATER DISTRICT TO BE CONSTRUCTED ALONG WITH THE CURRENT 0HASE CONSTRUCTION PLAN February s"URGAW OFFICIALS HAVE A GENERALLY POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE IDEA OF A SPLASHPAD WATER PARK DOWNTOWN "UT THERE IS STILL MUCH INFORMATION n MOSTLY A SOLID COST ESTIMATE

In this edition...

Merry Little Christmas Festival Dec. 15. By the way, Bill is on the left.

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