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The Pender-Topsail
RSVP volunteers help seniors and students across Pender County. They were recently recognized at Pender Adult Services. Read more about the program on page 1B.
Volume 47, No. 31
THANKS
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Thursday, May 11, 2017
Post-season play Topsail lacrosse player Kade Ramsey has been tapped to play in a post-season event in Durham. County teams are also in the playoffs. Read more in sports on page 8A.
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Burgaw Growth will challenge Spring Fest logo design winner struggles to county schools, services keep tax cut in budget By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
With growth returning to Pender County after the recession, increasing population will continue to put a strain on county schools and services. Figures released by the Nor th Carolina Of fice of State Budget and Management (OSBM) to the North Carolina League of Municipalities show Pender County grew by more than 11 percent in the period 2010-15. That
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher A five-cent tax cut in the proposed 2017-18 Burgaw town budget is making the going tough for Town Manager Chad McEwen. With the proposed budget ready for the Board of Commissioners, the document is about $156,000 in the red. “The board said from the beginning they wanted the tax cut, so we worked the budget from the point of cutting expenditures and having reduced revenue,” McEwen said. “The budget the board receives in May for the budget workshop will not be a balanced budget. I will have to get direction from the board on what their priorities are in making cuts.” McEwen said dropping the five-cent tax cut would go a long way to balancing the budget, but that is one of the Board’s priorities. He hoped to use extra funds in the current budget to work ahead on some of the capital projects in the proposed budget. “We had extra money come in – reimbursements from FEMA – and I think we can apply that to some of the projects in the new budget. If we dropped the tax cut from the budget, we would still be about $15,000 to $20,000 short in the budget. The water and sewer fund is balanced. The five cent cut represents about $140,000 in revenue.”
makes Pender the fifth fastestgrowing county in the state, surpassed only by Brunswick, Chatham, Mecklenburg, and Wake. Pender School Superintendent Dr Terri Cobb says the School Board is working to try to stay ahead of the growth of the student population. “We are expecting a study at the end of the month that will give projections for our student enrollment for the
Continued on page 3A
More charges filed in sex case Investigators believe more victims may be found
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Trinitee Odom, a student at Rocky Point Elementary School, was the winner of the Spring Fest logo contest. Her design appears on the festival shirts. Odom is introduced by festival organizer Rochelle Whiteside. See more photos of Saturday’s festival on page 4B and on Facebook.
Black River State Park receives mix of opposition, support
From Staff Reports Additional child sex charges have been filed in the case of a Hampstead man, and investigators believe there may be more victims. Haywood Elwood Garner, 69, was charged May 4 with two counts statutory rape of a child, two counts statutory sex offense of a child, two counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of crime against nature. Gar ner was initially charged in October 2016 with child sex crimes involving a four-year-old victim and was charged today with additional crimes involving a sixth child. The new charges stem from offenses that took place between 1998 and 1999 involving a child under the age of 16. G a r n e r ’s b a i l w a s i n creased by $1 million and he remains in the Pender County Jail with bail now set at $3,625,000.
Haywood Elwood Garner Pender County Sheriff ’s Department investigators believe there may be additional victims related to the case who have not been discovered. Investigators are continuing to seek information related to any possible additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Leatherwood at 910-259-0191 or the Pender County Sheriff ’s Office at 910-259-1212.
National Day of Prayer
By Chase Jordan Reprinted by permission The Sampson Independent State leaders have a vision of visitors enjoying the Black River by building a park. But a lot of the river’s neighbors don’t want to see it in their backyards. Representatives from The Nature Conservancy and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation hosted an information session (May 2) to discuss the proposed Black River State Park. Carol Tingley, deputy director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, led the discussion. “I think in many ways the idea of what the park is going to be is a little larger in your mind than what’s really going to happen,” Tingley said referring to a belief that park areas will be built all along the the river. “It’s going to take years for us to build anything. It’s going to take a long time. What you’re going to see is a simple trail and a simple picnic area.” She was joined by Hervey McIver of The Conservancy and John Fullwood, the division regional superintendent. Inside the Rowan Fire Department Community Center, several residents raised concerns about the idea during the Tuesday meeting. Some of them involved increase traffic, safety and not being informed about the bill to create the park.
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SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY Financing Available If approved, House Bill 353 would authorize the creation of a state park on the Black River. The Conservancy owns thousands of acres along the river in Bladen, Sampson and Pender counties. The Black River is home to some of the oldest trees in the world. Its bald cypress trees are more than 1,600 years old. During the meeting, one attendee brought up having one
Continued on page 16A
ITʼS TIME TO GET -
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Retired U.S. Marine Elmer Hodges leads a prayer during the National Day of Prayer service May 4 in Hampstead.
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