Drought leads 2007’s |
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By LES HIGH The year-long drought that damaged crops and left Lake Waccamaw at unprecedented low levels was the top news story of 2007. 1. The drought. An aerial view of Lake Waccamaw tells the story of the year-long drought in Columbus County. The lake appears to be light green instead of its usual tannin-induced dark color. Vast sandbars are exposed well into the lake and many piers have been left high and dry. Record-breaking temperatures in August, where 100-degree days were not unusual, adding to the lack of moisture in the soil to grow crops and provide water for trees. 2. The gang problem. Several acts of violence, including murder, punctuated a growing problem of gang violence in the county. The drive-by shooting that killed one man and injured others at a Lake Waccamaw convenience store after a football game was one example. Most recently, a 14-year-old Whiteville boy, who went missing and was later found murdered near Hallsboro, is believed to be gang related. School officials are taking measures to reduce violence in the schools, including a book bag ban for Whiteville City Schools in grades 3-12. Two text messages during the school year warning of potential gang violence in the schools caused mass absences. 3. Landfill fight over. A bill introduced by Sen. R.C. Soles, Jr. ended the possibility of the Riegel Ridge landfill, which was nearing approval for a tract in the Green Swamp. Columbus County commissioners had approved a hosting agreement for the landfill in exchange for reduced garbage fees, but many residents organized to fight it. Friends of the Green Swamp formed, saying the landfill threatened Lake Waccamaw and other watersheds. The landfill had passed most state and federal benchmarks and was close to being approved, but Soles’ bill, which said that a major, commercial landfill could not locate near game lands and state parks, effectively killed the landfill plan, not only in Columbus County, but for other planned regional landfills in other eastern North Carolina. The bill was applauded in many quarters by advocates who believed that poor, rural counties were subject to becoming dumping grounds for metropolitan areas in the state and elsewhere on the East coast. 4. Ramel Troy murder trail. A jury convicted 24-year-old Ramel Troy of killing 19-year-old Chase Powell in March 2002. Troy got life without chance of parole in the emotional, month-long trial in August and September. Testimony by Troy’s girlfriend, who described what Troy had told her about the killing, is believed to have provided the evidence that doomed Troy’s chances for acquittal. 5. Public records. The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled that The News Reporter and Tabor-Loris Tribune could see a letter written by then-Emergency Management Director Ronnie Hayes about the job performance of EMS medical director Dr. Fred Obrecht, but parts of the letter were redacted from public view. Perhaps the most significant impact of the three-judge panel’s ruling is that government agencies can’t simply place a document in a personnel file and maintain that the information in it is confidential, as Columbus County Manager Jim Varner did. In other open meetings news, County Attorney Steve Fowler relented and said he would not be a “gatekeeper” of public information. Varner had appointed Fowler to be the county’s public information officer, and much of the information about county records had to be obtained by going through Fowler first. Gatekeeping is illegal under the N.C. Public Records law. 6. Varner not rehired. The county commissioners did not renew the contract of County Manager Jim Varner after several missteps by Varner. Among these were admissions that he didn’t fully know the state of the county’s finances during the budget process, keeping his pet dog in his office and providing expensive furniture for a district court judge’s office. Varner lived in Brunswick County throughout his tenure here. 7. New hospital management. The Columbus Regional HealthCare board of trustees voted not to retain the services of Quorum Healthcare, which had managed the hospital under the guidance of long-time CEO Bill Clark, and opted to go with Carolinas HealthCare, based in Charlotte. Carolinas HealthCare manages several hospitals throughout North and South Carolina, including the mammoth Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, and is known for making them profitable and efficient. Last year, the hospital lost money for the first time in recent memory. Carolinas HealthCare began running the hospital in December. 8. Lowe’s coming. Lowe’s announced in July that it would return to Whiteville and began construction of a new prototype store during the summer. The North Carolina-based homebuilding store will hire more than 100 employees and will invest between $17 and $18 million in the facility. The store could open as soon as later this month. 9. Kramer’s closing. The Kramer family announced it would close its mens and ladies stores in downtown Whiteville. The store had been a fixture in downtown Whiteville for 89 years. Nathan and Celia Kramer opened the store after immigrating to America from Lithuania. 10. Obrecht resigns, SCC Foundation gifts (tie). Dr. Fred Obrecht, medical director for Columbus County’s rescue squads, resigned, after several squads said Obrecht was too strict. Obrecht maintained that he only tried to ensure high standards in an effort to increase the level of care. Eight of nine rescue chiefs voted to request his contract be terminated due to what some called a lack of communication and favoritism. The Southeastern Community College Foundation reported its best year ever with a $3 million endowment from the Ben E. Nesmith III estate. $1 million will be designated for a bicentennial ampitheater on campus. More than $250,000 of additional funds for scholarships were announced from other sources at the SCC Foundation dinner. |
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