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Thursday, October 14, 2021
POST Voice Vol. 50, No. 47
The Pender-Topsail
&
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
www.postvoiceonline.com
Mayor of Burgaw PETE
Re-Elect
COWAN
Too early to tell effect of school mask policy on COVID infection rate
Fifty Cents
Committed to the Community, Dedicated to Progress, Proven Leadership Paid for by the candidate.
October busy on Topsail Island
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Health officials say it’s too early to tell if the optional mask policy in Pender County Schools has caused a rise the number of COVID cases. Pender Health Department Director of Nursing Shirley Steele says no increase in symptoms and diagnosis have been observed – but it has only been one week under the new mask policy. “We have had an increase in exposures, and we expected that,” Steele said. “If a student doesn’t have a mask and
Burgaw municipal election candidates speak out on their ideas for the town in the candidates profiles. Read about the candidates on pages 14-15A.
One-Stop Early Voting begins Oct. 14
is exposed, we have to send them home if you can’t determine if they were more than six feet away.” The positive COVID-19 test rate in Pender County con-
Continued on page 2A
Pender Education Partnership plans event Oct. 21 in Surf City Pender County State of Education and Economy By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer Pender Education Partnership (PEP) invites the public to join them for their annual Pender County State of Education and Economy. The event will be held at The Cove at Salty Turtle Beer Company in Surf City on Oct. 21 from 5:307:30 p.m. Salty Turtle refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and there will be time for socializing before the presentation begins at 6 p.m. “We welcome business leaders, our chambers of commerce, elected officials, and parents of Pender County students to the State of Education and Economy,” said Tammie Parris, PEP President. “Our first two State of Education and Economy events were well attended.” The purpose of the event is to update the public on the
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Burgaw Candidates profiles pages 14-15A
status of education and economy in Pender County. Guest speakers will be PCS Superintendent Dr. Steven Hill, CFCC President Jim Morton, and Pender County Manager Chad McEwen. Topics of discussion will be centered on Pender County educational data and economic data. “The focus of SOE/SOE is to raise enough funds to fully cover mini-grants that need sponsorship. This is a chance for our chambers, business partners, local government, public citizens, and honestly, anyone who wants to make a donation to PEP to support these creative, educational ideas that Pender County teachers submit by way of application for books, supplies, technology, etc. that the state funds will not cover,” said Parris. All teachers who have submitted an application and have been selected have been invited to attend, and will be available to share specifics about the project or idea that funds are
Continued on Page 2A
Photo by Eric Vithalani
Musicians perform live on stage at Ocean Fest in Surf City last Friday night. Topsail Island has several more events this month, with Autumn with Topsail this Saturday and Sunday, and Surf City Fall Fest at Soundside Park Oct. 23.
One-stop early voting begins Oct. 14 and runs through Oct. 30, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 30 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Voting will be held in Burgaw at the Cooperative Extension Office 801 S. Walker St. Burgaw. St. Helena will not offer One-stop early voting. For more information, call the Pender County Board of Elections office at 259.1220.
Autumn with Topsail back in 2021 For the 32nd year, art and music lovers will gather in Topsail Beach, North Carolina at the Autumn with Topsail (AWT) Festival. The festival takes place, rain or shine, Oct.15 from 5-8:30 p.m., Oct. 16 from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Oct. 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Historic Assembly Building, 720 Channel Blvd. Proceeds from the festival support the Historical Society of Topsail Island, a volunteer non-profit organization that owns and operates the Assembly Building and Missiles and More Museum. New this year, Autumn with Topsail will expand the festival to another evening of live music, food, libations, and fun. The Friday night schedule includes The Notorious Clam Slammers who will kick off the festival with a performance from 6-8:30 p.m. Food trucks and the Beer & Wine tent will be open. Admission for Friday night’s festivities is $5. All Friday night tickets are sold at the main gate only
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starting at 5 p.m. Please note the craft vendors are not open on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday’s juried art festival will feature arts and crafts from a variety of categories including oils,
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acrylic, charcoal, photography, ceramics, glass, metal, pottery, woodworking, leather, fiber, wool, musical instruments, jewelry, and much more. The festival selects the best art vendors for your shopping pleasure. Live bands performing at the festival this year include: •The Notorious Clam Slammers on Friday evening from 6-8:30 p.m. •The Carolina Band will take the stage on Saturday noon, followed at 5 p.m. by the North Tower Band. •The Band of Oz will perform Sunday afternoon, 1-4 p.m. In addition to art and live music, our food court offers a large selection of local vendors cooking on the festival grounds. Snacks and sweets will be available alongside traditional options. There are always plenty of tables and chairs for diners to relax and enjoy their food along with a
Continued on Page 2A
Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, Thursday, October 14, 2021, Page 2A
Pender County Arrest Report
Information in this report is taken from the Pender County Sheriff’s Department Weekly Intake Report, which is responsible for the content. The report is public record. An arrest or charge does not always result in a conviction in court.
•Angel Ashworth-Baker (1989) 614C Buds Lane Hampstead. Driving while impaired, open container in passenger area. Arrest by Topsail Beach Police Department. •Cecil Brown (1979) 145 Violets LN. Burgaw. Assault on a female. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Krislyn Brown (1982) 122 Inlet Drive Wilmington. Simple Assault (two counts). Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Joshua Carter (1988) 595 Jamestown Road Wallace. Driving while impaired, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Elani Casado (1995) 110 Sea Oakes Ct. N. Topsail Beach. Driving while impaired, criminal contempt, reckless driving. Arrest by NC Highway Patrol •Stan Dreibelbis (1978) 619 Spencer Farlow Drive Caro-
lina Beach. Driving while impaired, failure to maintain lane control, driving while license revoked, open container after consuming alcohol, identity fraud. Arrest by Surf City Police Department. •Aaron Ennis (1988) 607 E. Coston Rd. Burgaw. Driving while impaired, driving while license revoked, exceeding posted speed limit, probation violation (two counts). Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Alicia Gore 202 Whispering Pines Ct. Hampstead. Felony child abuse (two counts), contributing to the delinquency and neglect of minor, felony possession of Schedule I Controlled Substance. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Christopher Graves (1993) 502 Pinehurst Circle Hampstead. Domestic criminal trespass. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Krystal Hewett (1984) 700 S. Walker St. Apt 4 Burgaw. Simple assault. Arrest by
COVID
assistance of a special team. Testing had been reduced due to staff shortages, but with the addition of the testing team, expanded testing services are possible. The team will operate out of the old mobile dental clinic behind the Health Department. “We are hoping they will be here for at least two months and we will see how it goes after that,” Steele said. “A lot will depend on the demand for testing. We are excited to be able to free up staff and to offer more testing to the public.”
Continued from page 1A tinues to fall. Steele says the rate, 8.8 percent, is the lowest in nearly three months. The rate is still higher than the state average. The number of COVID tests performed in the county continues to fall. Vaccination booster shots are being given to eligible patients, both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Health Department will begin COVID testing six days a week Oct. 14 with the
AWT Continued from page 1A drink from our popular wine and beer tent! Start your festival day off with a pancake breakfast hosted by The Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area from 7:30 - 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and 8 - 10 a.m. on Sunday inside the Assembly Building on the festival grounds. Pancake breakfast prices are $7 for adults and children over 12 years, $4 for children ages 6 – 11 years, and children 5 years old and under eat free with an adult purchased breakfast. For the kiddos, the Assembly Building will host children’s arts and crafts including painted friendship rocks,
PEP Continued from page 1A being requested. PEP board members will also attend to promote these adoption opportunities. Each project will receive up to $500. Donations will be accepted at the event. Donors are asked to pay with cash or check, and pledges will be accepted as well. For all grants to be funded, PEP is in need of $5,000. All proceeds go to the school by way of the teacher who submitted the application. Grant recipients will be expected to send a video or final written overview of their projects in late spring of 2022. Some previous applications that were approved included some that were technology based, musical instruments, science experiments, outdoor landscaping improvement, outdoor reading area, and computer software to support diverse educational teaching methods. PEP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that collaborates with community partners including area businesses, other organizations and individuals to develop funding and provide innovative learning opportunities for students and teachers. All proceeds collected by PEP go directly to scholarship recipients, mini grant recipients and educator recognition. PEP’s vision is for Pender County School system students and graduates to be focused, motivated and ready for the next steps in their life
pirate eye patches, mermaid tiaras, seashell “critters” and designing beaded anklets, necklaces, and bracelets. On the grounds is a bouncy town, with houses, slides, and all things bouncy for just $2 per child 12 and under. The Assembly Building also houses the Missiles and More Museum, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the festival. Admission to the museum is free but donations are gladly accepted. For more details about the museum visit the website at www.missilesandmoremuseum.org. There’s no need to stand in line to purchase admission tickets. New this year, purchase tickets in advance online at www.autumnwithtopsail.com or https:// journey. Founded in 2015, the nonprofit works to enhance innovative educational opportunities for students in Pender County Schools by supporting students and educators through collaboration with educators, parents, businesses and other interested community partners. The group believes their collective support for Pender County students, educators and education processes is more important now than ever before for our shared community and for our businesses. You can visit https://www. PenderEducationPartnership.org and click on the contact link to reach out to PEP’s board and find out how you can help fulfill financial needs. PEP will accept donations year round. Any donation of any amount can be mailed to PO Box 1329, Hampstead NC 28443. Other PEP funding projects are Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, and most recently, CF Pope Oral History Project... PEP will host Open Mic Night for high school scholarships in 2022. More information regarding participation, location, and time will be coming in early spring. Expect entertainment, food, shaved ice, and more. The Cove at the Salty Turtle is located at 103 Triton Lane in Surf City. Those who plan to attend the event should call or text (910) 274-2100 or email tproctor@pendercountync. gov to RSVP.
Send news, information & photos to
posteditor@post-voice.com
Burgaw Police Department. •Jason Lewis (1980) 298 Porter Rd. Currie. Driving while license revoked (two counts), speeding, fishing without a license (two counts). Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Ashley Libby (1988) 214 Whispering Pines Ct. Hampstead. Driving while license revoked. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Anthony Lloyd (1968) 28379 NC Hwy 210 Currie. Violation of domestic protection order. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Kayla Patrick (1999) 111 Remington Rd. Rocky Point. Drunk and disruptive. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Charity Ann Patton (1985) 10417 Fanny Brown Rd. Raleigh. Obtain property by false pretense. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Brian Plent (1973) 102 Light Wood Knott Rd. Rocky Point. Assault on a female, assault on individual with disability, interfering with emergency communication. Arrest by
PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Lawrence Shaw (1966) 290 Blizzard Town Rd. Beulaville. Driving while impaired, reckless driving. Arrest by NC Highway Patrol. •Judith Shore (1967) 4927 N Hampton Dr. Southport. Possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor larceny. Arrest by Surf City Police Department. •Lenward Simpson (1956) 5514 Malpass Corner Rd. Currie. Violation of domestic protection order. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Christopher Somersett (1989) 1523 Murphy Rd. Burgaw. Discharging firearms, resisting arrest/hinder and delay officer. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office. •Valerie Woodcock (1994) 2292 Sloop Point Rd. Hampstead. Speeding, fictitious/altered title/registration card/ tag, driving while license revoked (two counts), expired registration card/tag. Arrest by PC Sheriff ’s Office.
Sheriff’s patrol car strikes, kills pedestrian From Staff Reports A Pender County Deputy was involved in a motor vehicle collision which resulted in a fatality. The accident occurred Oct. 10 at approximately midnight. A female pedestrian was struck by the Sheriff ’s Office vehicle and she was pronounced dead on the scene by Pender County EMS and the medical examiner. The involved deputy was not injured. The collision occurred on US Hwy 17 near Union Bethel Rd. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is completing a
collision investigation and the Pender County Sheriff ’s Office will complete also an internal investigation into the collision in compliance with Sheriff ’s Office policy. This is an ongoing investigation that is being conducted by the NC State Highway Patrol. The Sheriff ’s Office is not at liberty to release any further information at this time. “This is an extremely sad and unfortunate event and I ask that we all keep those involved in our thoughts and prayers,” said Sheriff Alan W. Cutler.
www.eventeny.com/events/ ticket/?id=1259. Admission is $6 One Day adult (13+) or $10 Two Day adult (13+). Children 12 and under and active-duty military with an ID are admitted free. Coolers and weapons are prohibited. Service animals only.
Shuttle busses with handicap accessibility are available from all designated AWT parking areas. For additional information visit the AWT website: www. autumnwithtopsail.com or the HSTI website: www.topsailhistoricalsociety.org.
Pender EMS and Fire Report Oct. 3-9 Pender EMS Report Total number of Patient Contacts: 189 Calls per Station Burgaw Station 1 36 Sloop Point Station 14 25 Hampstead Station 16 20 Surf City Station 23 26 Topsail Beach Station 4 3 Union Station 5 18 Rocky Point Station 7 28 Atkinson Station 9 28 Maple Hill Station 13 4 Scott Hill Station 18 0 Hwy 421 South Station 29 1 East Side Medic 6 0 Type of Calls Cancelled: 40 Refusals: 56 Stand By: 5 Transported: 82 Treated/released: 6 Fire Department Reports Total Calls: 61 Calls per Station Rescue Station 1 Burgaw 7 Fire Station 13 Maple Hill 5 Fire Station 14 Sloop Point 6 Fire Station 16 Hampstead 9 Fire Station 18 Scotts Hill 6 Fire Station 21 Long Creek 12 Fire Station 29 Hwy 421 South 6 EMS St. 4 Topsail Beach 0 Station 17 Penderlea 7 Station 28 Island Creek 3 Fire Call Type Summary Fire 2 Motor Vehicle Crash 11 Search and Rescue 0 Service Calls 8 EMS First Response 23 Cancelled 17 Ocean Rescue 0
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