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Local News

  • Gaming distances questioned in Carolina Shores

    CAROLINA SHORES—A former town commissioner is questioning why a proposed reduction in gaming distances is on the town board’s agenda.

    “I don’t understand how we got to a public forum on this,” former commissioner Gere Dale said at the town board of commissioners’ workshop Monday morning.

    He said it’s not standard procedure for such a proposal, especially after the town planning and zoning board voted to recommend such a change not be approved at its July 18 meeting.

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  • Champion barrel racer competes in Worlds

    ASH—A little girl’s dream turned into a lifelong passion with a five-time path to the barrel racing Youth World Championships.

    Jesse McLamb, 19, never thought twice about it when her mother picked her up from Waccamaw Elementary School on horseback with her horse in tow. She simply climbed in the saddle and rode Shadow home.

    Later in high school, she was known as the “Rodeo Queen” and would often be greeted by “Hey, Cowgirl,” as she walked down the halls of West Brunswick.

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  • County to spend nearly $1 million on merit based raises

    BOLIVIA—Payday just got bigger for county employees.

    On Monday evening, the board of commissioners approved a 2 percent merit-based raise for county employees.

    The fiscal year budget for 2012-2013, which went into effect July 1, doesn’t include an appropriation for employee raises, but at the July 16 meeting commissioners asked staff to look into ways to implement raises.

    “We keep coming back to a plan that was used in the past,” said Marty Lawing, county manager.

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  • Commissioners talk about transportation plans

     

    BOLIVIA— Monday was a busy day for county commissioners as they learned more about two major road planning projects under way for the county—one in the southern region and one in the northern region.

    The board received an update on the Grand Strand Transportation Planning Study from Mark Hoeweler, Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments planning director, during a workshop on Monday.

    He discussed three options being studied for the proposed metropolitan planning organization (MPO).

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  • County takes steps to consolidate the DSS/health boards

     

    BOLIVIA—Brunswick County commissioners have taken the first step toward dissolving the DSS and health boards and consolidating them into one.

    Under House Bill 438, which N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue signed into law, N.C. General Statute 153A was amended to allow consolidation of the DSS and health boards that oversee the department of social services and the health department. The move will allow commissioners more control and oversight of the two agencies.

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  • Puppy mill bust

    About 158 dogs and 26 birds have been rescued after being found in inhumane conditions at a puppy mill in the Leland area.

    The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office responded Friday to an anonymous tip of a puppy mill being operated at 2059 Maco Road, along with a co-operation on Rose Avenue in Wilmington.

    Dog owners Andrew Millis, 64, and Amelia Millis, 62, have been charged on 12 counts of animal cruelty. They are being held on $1.5 million bond each at the Brunswick County Detention Center.

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  • Fire destroys home; teen called a hero

    OCEAN ISLE BEACH—Trudi Wesley had just left her home for work on Friday, July 27, when she received a frantic phone call from her oldest daughter.

    “I left for work about 6:30 a.m.,” Wesley said. “I was at Food Lion buying water and Gatorade for work. She called at 7:05 a.m. and told me she had called 911. She told me her sister had caught the bed on fire.”

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  • Beacon columnist, fisherman recovering after fall from billboard

    OCEAN ISLE BEACH—An Ocean Isle Beach man is recovering after falling from the top of a billboard along U.S. 17.

    Around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, Brant McMullan, a Beacon fishing columnist, fell and landed on a concrete drive. His father Rube McMullan said while the height hasn’t been measured, it is near 50 feet.

    According to Rube, Brant and his brother Barrett McMullan were putting a new “OIFC” wrap on a billboard for the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, a family business, when he fell. The billboard is on U.S. 17 near N.C. 904.

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  • Park meeting set for Thursday in Sunset Beach

    SUNSET BEACH—Withers & Ravenel consulting firm will have a public meeting from 4-8 p.m. this Thursday, Aug. 2, at town hall.

    The purpose of the meeting is to gather citizen input on what should go in the proposed 5-acre public park site on the Intracoastal Waterway.

    The meeting will be in the form of a “charrette,” in which the public will have an opportunity to sit down at tables and participate in the design of the park.

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  • Septuagenarian set to ride Harley in 6,000-mile fundraiser

    Tom Hunter is ready to ride.

    The life-long motorcycle rider, who turns 70 in September, left his Ocean Isle Beach home last week to take part in the third annual Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, a 6,000-mile, cross-country charity event. He is participating to raise money for Hope Harbor Home and raise awareness about domestic violence.

    The retired domestic-violence and homicide detective, who serves on Hope Harbor’s board, was at Beach House Harley-Davidson in Shallotte last week getting his Harley checked out before leaving Brunswick County on July 27.

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