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Old River Farms’ festival
It’s nearly time for the 5th Annual Spring Festival at Old River Farms April 22. The farm is getting ready for the event with plenty of activities. Read about the festival on 1B.
Volume 47, No. 27
Spring break this week
The Pender-Topsail
&
Thursday, April 13, 2017
With Pender County Schools on spring break this week, sports teams are idle, except for several tournaments. Read about the current standings in sports on 8A.
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Likely no funding in 2017-18 budget
Need for new jail continues to grow, sheriff says By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher After a lot of attention several years ago to the prospect of a new jail and law enforcement center, the project fell off the county radar behind such pressing needs as the school bond projects Now Pender County Sheriff Carson Smith says the county needs to get back to work on a new jail. “The past couple of months, Randall (Woodruff) and I have started looking at land again. We think we may have found a location that would work and we are talking to
Education a factor in county health improvement
county commissioners about it,” Smith said. But Woodruff says funding for the project probably won’t be in the 201718 county budget. “This is a valuable project and I’m sure it’s needed, but I don’t think the commissioners are in a mood to talk about it from what I’ve seen,” Woodruff said. “I think they want to get the school bond projects behind them before they talk about any new capital projects.” The need for a new jail facility in Pender County continues to grow, as prisoners are sent to facilities out of the county for housing – which is
projected to cost Pender taxpayers up to $700,000 this fiscal year. “There are some things we have done that has bought us some time, but it hasn’t put it off forever,” said Smith. The law requires all people charged with a felony to appear before a judge within 96 hours of arrest. Smith says the Sheriff ’s Department has been working with the courts to have those charged with misdemeanors who are deemed not to be a flight risk or violent to have lower or unsecured bonds so they will not be held in the jail. This has helped reduce the jail population.
“That has not cut down on the number of people we are sending out of county or the number of people I’m responsible for, but it has maintained it. That is about the last arrow in my quiver I have to keep the overcrowding problem from getting worse,” Smith said. Smith says the money saved from having a new jail, coupled with other income from the jail, would go a long way to paying for a new facility. State law now says anyone convicted of a misdemeanor will serve all time in county jails. The state pays each
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Strawberry time in Pender
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Improvements in the mortality rate from diabetes in Pender County can be partially attributed to better health education, according to Health and Human Services Director Carolyn Moser. Among the illnesses causing death in Pender County, diabetes fell from fifth to eighth place. Moser also cited improvements in child and maternal health, and infant mortality rates. “I think some of the improvement has come from better education and outreach on how to deal with chronic diseases,” Moser said. “It’s a combination of things, but I think we are doing something right and I see a lot of positive action there. Diabetes is a disease that has a lot of negative consequences as it progresses.” Moser says health education outreach in the community is a high priority for the Pender Health Department. Improvements in the overall health of county residents does not just happen – it comes through education in the community. “We had a health education class in Willard and had 22 people there the first day. I am very pleased that people are beginning to understand how important it is to manage chronic illnesses to improve your quality of life,” said Moser. “Family members of those with chronic diseases can help as well.” While the Pender Health
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Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
The recent freeze hurt strawberry producers, but didn’t get all the crops. Carol Sue Strawberries in Hampstead has berries for sale. Farm owner Jeff Morris has something young customers liked better than fresh strawberries – ice cream.
Pender School Superintendent to retire By Miranda Ferguson Special to the Post & Voice Pender County Schools Superintendent Dr. Terri Cobb has announced her retirement effective Oct. 1. Dr. Cobb was initially hired as superintendent of Pender County Schools in 2012. Dr. Cobb will have completed more than 38 years of active service in North Carolina’s public schools upon retiring this fall. Throughout her
career in education she has worked as a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, principal, and several leadership roles at the central office level including Chief of Staff in Wake County. During her tenure as Superintendent, Pender County Schools earned district-wide accreditation through AdvancED, passed a $75 million bond funding a new school at Penderlea, an elementary and middle school in Surf City,
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Push Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn and additions and renovations & Chainsaws at Burgaw Middle, CapeTrimmers Fear Elementary, Cape Fear Middle, Pender High, and West Pender Middle; increased student performance; and increased graduation rates to more than 90 percent. The district has also received several grants, including 21st Century and Panasonic grants. “As a district, we have achieved so much. I am very
Sheriff Carson Smith
Hampstead NCDOT meeting April 24 From Staff Reports The North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 3 will hold a meeting to collect public comment on the draft 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program. The meeting will be at the Pender County Government Annex in Hampstead April 24 from 5-7 p.m. It is for all Division 3 counties – Pender, Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow, New Hanover, and Sampson. The meeting will be an openhouse format. There will be no formal presentation. Participants can drop in during the meeting hours to study maps of proposed projects, view an interactive STIP map, and review the project information with NCDOT staff. The State Transportation Improvement Program is a document developed cooperatively by local, regional and state transportation entities. It includes a list of multi-modal transportation projects, such as highway, transit and bicycle based on the state’s long-range transportation goals. The projects included in the Mowers document were selected using a data-driven prioritization process created by the Strategic Transportation Investment Law (STI). NCDOT representatives will be on hand to inform the public about the projects in the Draft STIP and gather input on the process to create it. People who cannot attend a meeting in person can also provide feedback via phone, fax and e-mail. The Annex is at 15060 U.S. Hwy. 17 in Hampstead.
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Dr. Terri Cobb
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