Donald Williams poses next to his 600 horsepower Ford Mustang. Williams was only one of 30 motor enthusiasts to show off their rides at the Hog Wild Cookoff. Photo by Trevor Normile

Hundreds sampled local flavors, music and vendors at Beulaville’s annual celebration of traditional Carolina barbecue, Hog Wild, Saturday. The cookoff drew a hungry crowd and brought a stampede of thundering muscle cars in the event’s first car show.

Officer Brandon Turner with the Beulaville Police Department was enjoying the gospel music and said he liked to see the community get together for some good eats.

“It’s good to have something like this to bring the citizens together, young and old. And everyone loves barbecue, what could be better than that?” he asked.

Vendors included an information table for James Sprunt Community College and an apiary (bee keeper) from Comfort. Five competitors were in the run for the barbecue cookoff, but every contest needs a winner, no matter how tasty the competition.

Third place was awarded to Rod Hall, cooking for Carlton Insurance. Second was claimed by Carlton Lanier cooking for Bill Carone Chevrolet and Mark Bostic, cooking for Tarheel Hardware, won first place. Judges included local pastors and even Tori Shaw, weatherwoman for Channel 12 news.

“This was the largest group we’ve ever had, we cooked 10 pigs and sold out,” John Weston, president of  Greater Beulaville Revitalization said. Weston and GBR

No party is every complete without wacky hats. The crowd at Hog Wild 2011 in Beulaville knew how to have fun. Photo by Trevor Normile

organized the event.

“I couldn’t do it by myself, I had a lot of help. I want to thank all the workers and the community that gave its support,” Weston said.

He added that one of the goals for GBR is to repair and refurbish the old Beulaville school, as James Sprunt Community College is considering hosting classes there. No deal has been closed, but Weston feels that a possible agreement between the school and town could benefit the community in more ways than one.

“If JSCC comes, that’s going to mean more jobs. Students in the area also won’t have to drive as far to attend classes. We have people that can’t afford to go away to school, can’t even afford to drive out to Kenansville. This would be an opportunity for them to further their education, too,” he said.

Laura Maready emceed the Hog Wild Cookoff from beginning to end, and she said the event was a resounding success.

“I saw a lot of folks enjoying themselves, we had some fantastic entertainment and the weather was beautiful. Hog Wild brought a lot of folks together for an important fundraiser for the community,” she said.

A couple dances as Charlie Albertson and company lay down the beat at Hog Wild 2011. Photo by Trevor Normile

According to the GBR, about 30 owners showed off their rides at the car show, which even included a bored-out classic Ford Mustang with 600 horsepower under the hood. However, Beulaville resident Dessie Thigpen’s favorite part of Hog Wild was the music.

“I’m enjoying it, I love the singing,” she said.

A host of acts played including Beulaville Pentecostal’s own New Generation Praise team and former senator Charlie Albertson.

“The music was really good, and people love to be entertained. I am very pleased,” Patsy Smith of the GBR said.

East Duplin sailed past South Lenoir Friday, and although the Blue Devils still showed a pulse after halftime, it wouldn't be enough to secure a win. Photo by Trevor Normile

by Trevor Normile

East Duplin and South Lenoir have had an uneasy history. Far from a rivalry, East Duplin hasn’t lost to the Blue Devils in now 23 games.

In a high scoring game on Friday, the Panthers bounced back from their loss to Wallace last week, and once again trumped South Lenoir 56-28. East Duplin Quarterback Derek Conter threw 115 yards, while South Lenoir’s Garrett Blackburn only nabbed 76 yards on the East Duplin field.

“We got out of the game with no injuries. They’re real big up front, and we didn’t know what they were going to line up in. We’ve got to cut down on our penalties and turnovers, they’re killing us,” East Duplin coach Battle Holley said.

He added that the team tries to make use of all of its resources rather than rely on a few talented players.

“We don’t really have one guy that we go to. Tonight it might be somebody, the next night it might be somebody else, who’s is fresh, and who’s hot,” he said.

East Duplin averaged better than one first down every other rush, scoring 331 yards on 39 runs.

“I thought there was a lack of intensity on our football team,” South Lenoir coach Kevin Wilson said.

East Duplin hit hard in the first half scoring 35 unanswered points in the first quarter and leaving the score 42-6 at halftime. Although the Blue Devils made an impressive effort after halftime, South Lenoir was doomed to a loss.

It was actually South Lenoir that scored the first points of the game. Blackburn responded to a Panther fumble by landing a 40-yard pass to Dion Jones. East Duplin couldn’t be beaten back though, and set a blistering pace after Conter completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Breon Hall.

The Blue Devils simply couldn’t catch the Panthers afterwards.

“It’s time for those young guys to quit making mistakes. If we’re going to win in the conference and go back to the playoffs and have a winning season, it starts now,” Wilson said.

East Duplin’s top carriers were Dijon Poole with 96 yards on five carries, Breon Hall with 81 yards on seven carries and John Moore, with 71 yards on 10 carries. With 461 total yards, the Panthers racked up 13 penalties and lost 125 yards to them.

East Duplin faces 2-2 Topsail next week at an away game, and coach Holley, as always, wants to win.

“We’re 1-0 in the conference, I don’t know what they are, next week we’ll be 2-0,” he said to the team after the game. “We’ve got to win, Topsail gave us a fit last year. They’ve got some scrappy kids and they’ll play hard.”

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Kadarius McQueen sails past the sidelines on his way to a touchdown. Richlands is off to a strong start after winning its first conference game.

by Trevor Normile

In a spectacularly aggressive show, the Richlands Wildcats bested Clinton in the team’s second win, and the first in conference play. The Wildcats have been facing adversity with the injury of quarterback Tank Norman as well as three near-wins in non-conference play.

The scoreboard read 34-20 when all was said and done, and a few long runs by running back Kadarius McQueen along with powerful defense brought the hurt down field.

McQueen rushed for an impressive 230 yards, 96 of those on a lighting-fast run.

The Wildcats were ready for Clinton, and controlled the first half of the game; the score was 27-7 when the marching band took the field at halftime. The first points were scored by McQueen when a trick play left him a gap in the Dark Horse defense to break through for a 35-yard touchdown.

In an even craftier play, the Richlands offense confused press photographers and Dark Horse defenders alike after taking a direct snap from the “Wildcat” offense.

McQueen handed the ball to Horne, who Horne then flipped the ball to wide receiver Charles Moore coming around on a reverse. Moore then threw the ball to tight end Cody Braxton for a 76-yard touchdown.

The crowd went wild, but was silent only a few moments later, as Clinton quarterback Charles Smith launched a 74-yard pass to Trashawn Raynor. The Wildcats got it back before the half was over however, and Nick MacIntosh ran for a touchdown to keep Richlands 20 points ahead.

The second half was even more interesting.

The Dark Horses recovered the onside kick at its 47 yard line, soon after scored with a 12-yard pass to Demontio Bryant. Clinton soon gave the Wildcats a run for its money. Smith nailed a pass to Raynor in the end zone for a 12-yard score to cut the lead to 27-20.

Later, Luke Dixon intercepted the ball for the Wildcats and after his run and a personal foul, Richlands was only 17 yards from scoring.

Wildcats put the last nail in the Dark Horse coffin when McQueen completed a 4-yard touchdown, and the team, weary from close misses and doubt in the past, nearly earned themselves an excessive celebration penalty.

The Wildcats will be facing South Lenoir at an away game next week.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

]]> http://capefearnewspapers.com/wildcats-bag-another-win-start-conference-1-0/feed/ 0 http://capefearnewspapers.com/couple-arrested-for-credit-card-theft/ http://capefearnewspapers.com/couple-arrested-for-credit-card-theft/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:03:34 +0000 capefear http://capefearnewspapers.com/?p=8561

Sandra Truscello is being held at Duplin County Jail in connection on theft charges. Photo courtesy of Richlands Police Department.

by Trevor Normile

A man and woman have been arrested in connection with a stolen credit card and a shopping spree that landed them behind bars in Duplin County.

Brian Hobbs 30, of Pecan Ln. in Richlands and Sandra Truscello of Inlet Acres in Wilminton. Hobbs is under a $10,000 bond.

According to Richlands Police Chief Thomas Bennett, the couple was anything but thrifty with the victim’s card, found in the unlucky woman’s car, which Hobbs and Truscello also stole around mid-August.

They made purchases at the Circle K station in Jacksonville, both Jacksonville Walmarts (they bought camping gear), Trade-WilcoHess in Jacksonville, Hardee’s in Richlands, Coastal Motel in Jacksonville and finally CITGO in Richlands.

They have been charged with breaking and entering an automobile, misdemeanor larceny, theft, financial card forgery, financial card theft and two counts of obtaining property under false pretenses.

Brian Hobbs of Richlands is under $10,000 bond for a shopping spree conducted with a stolen credit card. Photo courtesy of Richlands Police Department.

Bennett said that although electronic money theft isn’t common in the Richlands area, it’s also not unheard of.

“Sometimes we get calls from people about sweepstakes scams, but most of it probably goes unreported,” he said, adding that he knew of one woman who lost her life savings.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Disaster unemployment: Benefits are available to individuals who lost work in the disaster counties. Those who may apply include self-employed persons, farm and ranch owners and others not usually covered under regular unemployment insurance programs. Call 866-795-8877 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Legal assistance: Those who can’t afford an attorney an who run into a legal snag due to the hurricane in a county listed below may call 800-662-7404 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ask for Disaster Legal Services and a volunteer attorney will call back in 48 to 72 hours.

Unemployment help:

The North Carolina Employment Security Commission can provide unemployment benefits dating back to September 3. Workers and business owners who are unemployed due to disaster and do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits, self-employed individuals and small business owners who:

Lost income due to the disaster, were prevented from working due to an injury caused by the disaster, unable to get to work because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so because of the disaster, we to begin work but were prevented by the disaster, became major supplier of income for a household because of the death or injury of the previous wage earner.

The deadline for the Counties of Duplin and Onslow is October 5.

Disaster-related legal assistance s offered by the North Carolina Bar Association. The Young Lawyers Division of the NCBA is providing volunteer attorneys to help with legal complications that arise from the hurricane.

Examples include: Advice regarding landlord/tenant issues, replacement of lost legal documents, advice about contracts disrupted by the hurricane and help with insurance disputes and other legal complications caused by the disaster.

For more information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Find disaster recovery centers through the Hurricane Irene tab at www.nccrimecontrol.org or the FEMA locator at www.fema.gov/drlocator.

]]> http://capefearnewspapers.com/unemployment-benefits-legal-advice-offered-to-irene-survivors/feed/ 0 http://capefearnewspapers.com/aldermen-discuss-resolutions-contracts-and-spending-cuts/ http://capefearnewspapers.com/aldermen-discuss-resolutions-contracts-and-spending-cuts/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:44:55 +0000 capefear http://capefearnewspapers.com/?p=8556 by Trevor Normile

The Richlands Aldermen met Tuesday September 13 for a number of unanimous votes and one contested spending item.

The Aldermen approved a suggested proclamation from the Daughters of the Revolution that September 14 – 23 be known as Constitution Week as well as one declaring September Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

The Maidstone park subdivision Final Plat Phase 2, Section 1 plan was approved unanimously.

A franchise ordinance with with Progress Energy has been renewed after having been in effect since 1952. The ordinance allows Progress Energy to utilize right of ways in order to work on power lines. Nothing changed in language of the original ordinance.

Duke Energy and Progress Energy are set to merge, and Progress Energy spokesman Dan Oliver said the process could benefit customers.

“We do have a number of regulatory steps we have to pass and we’re in the process of doing that now. The merger should delay the increase in the cost of power, and there are some benefits that will accrue immediately, one of them is being able to join dispatch and generation systems,” he said.

“Another is that [Progress and Duke] have purchased a lot of fuel and if we combine that purchasing power in the marketplace, we can drive the cost of fuel down. That you’ll see on an annual basis.”

The Aldermen unanimously voted for the paving of Cooper Street with ONWASA.

Alderman Tom Brown presented a motion to allow town funds to only be used for the Mayor and Town Administrator to attend the the annual North Carolina League of Municipalities conference in Raleigh.

By Brown’s estimation, the total cost of the Aldermen, Mayor and Administrator to attend would be about $4,300. Brown said he wanted to cut costs in tight economic times, and wanted to discuss whether the NCLM conference was worth the money in sending board members.

“We have elections coming up, so we have new board member school, which is definitely beneficial, as well as new mayor school, which will be beneficial. So those costs will be incurred toward the town,” he said.

Board member Fran Pierce disagreed, saying since members of the board have already attended for a number of years, they should continue.

“There are some that have never gone, and do not choose to go, and I figure that’s their choice,” she said.

When Brown asked whether Pierce planned on continuing to go at the expense of the town, the latter responded she would, saying that it is beneficial for all board members to attend.

After a halting of discussion by Mayor pro-tem Smith, Brown’s motion for restricting town funds for NCLM attendance to the Mayor and Administrator passed. Paul Conner and Tom Brown voted aye, Fran Pierce abstained.

In the Administrator’s notes and updates, Gregg Whitehead reported that the after hours networking event with the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for October 6 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

Also, the first round of debris pickup has been done, and it took workers until mid morning Saturday to get everything in the first round. Pickup will continue this week, and the Department of Transportation is scheduled to pick up Hwy 24, Franklin St. and Gumbranch Rd.

“It should be pretty soon,” Administrator Whitehead said, adding advice for those requiring assistance.

“There is individual and town assistance. If someone needs individual assistance, we have numbers here,” Whitehead said. “Apply for a small business loan, if they reject it, go back and reapply, and eventually if you meet qualifications which are income based, you get a grant combination. The first step is applying in the small business loan section and then going from there.”

Administrator Whitehead said that residents have been dealing with pickup very well, but would like readers to know that the town is not able to touch debris along state maintained roads such as 24 or 258 as such action could jeopardize state cleanup funds. Essentially, if the town picks up the debris, Richlands can lose money used to pay for the pickup of the rest of the town.

So far, 4700 cubic yards has been removed and disposed of in the landfill.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Suspect Axel Alago. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Axel Alago, 37, Sheffield Rd. in Jacksonville has been charged with two counts of statutory sexual offense on a child, seven counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of crime against nature.

Alago is being held on a $75,000 secured bond.

The narrative reads,

“The Department of Social Services contacted the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in July 2011 concerning possible charges of sexual offenses on a child … Alago refused to come in and cooperate with the investigation.”

The suspect was arrested on Thursday, September 8. The girl is between eight and twelve years old and had been molested by her stepfather. Alago’s first court appearance was Friday, September 9.

Heath Earl Hayes. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Heath Earl Hayes, 32, of Chadbourn, NC, was arrested on charges of first degree statutory rape, seven counts of first degree sexual offense on a child and four counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Hayes is being held under $886,000 secured bond.

Narrative:

“The grandmother of the victim came to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in [May of 2011] … The detective contacted the Hayes to ask him to come to the Sheriff’s Office and speak with him. However, Hayes left the state of North Carolina and wen to West Virginia instead.”

The narrative further explains that Hayes allegedly committed the crimes while the child’s mother was bedridden and terminally ill.

Hayes was located with the help of the US Marshal’s Service in New Martinsville West Virginia and arrested. His first court appearance was Thursday, September 8.

Terry Richard Widner. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Terry Richard Widner, 19, of Raintree Circle in Jacksonville, was arrested by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office for indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery.

Widner is being held under a $25,000 secured bond.

The narrative reads that a young girl was visiting her friend, whose older cousin (Widner) resided at the same address. According to the report, Widner allegedly inappropriately touched and kissed the visiting girl during the afternoon she was there.

On Thursday, September 8, Widner was apprehended at his home without incident. His first court appearance was Friday, September 9.

Photo of Bryan Davis courtesy of Beulaville Police Department.

by Trevor Normile

Law enforcement continues to look for a Beulaville resident who is wanted on multiple charges.

Police Departments from Kenansville and Beulaville as well as the Sampson County Sheriff’s Department are looking for Brian Davis, a man suspected of trying to kidnap another Beulaville man and rob the local Family Dollar.

Davis is a black male, 25 years old, five feet, five inches tall and weighs about 150 lbs. His most accurate address is Pine Street in Beulaville.

He is wanted for armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of firearm by felon, possession of stolen goods, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, aid and abet to obtain property by false pretense, possess counterfeit, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and felony conspiracy.

Resident Josh Jones recapped the September 4, the night he was nearly kidnapped by Davis and two partners.

“I caught one of the three guys breaking in, and thought it was just the one, so I filed a report,” he said.

However, Jones soon found out what the thugs were after when one dropped a cell phone while fleeing the scene.

“The police said [Davis and others] planned the whole ordeal,” Jones said. “The guy they caught laid out an orchestrated plan to kidnap me in my home, bring me to Family Dollar and open the safe. I just thought they wanted my television or something.”

Beulaville Police Chief Joey Carter confirmed Jones’ story and said Davis’s accomplices were armed. Carter and Jones both wondered what would’ve been done with Jones after he opened the safe, as Davis had been a regular customer whom Jones described as relatively friendly.

“What were they going to do with me? They weren’t going to let me walk home afterwards,” Jones said.” Looking back, it’s a lot scarier than I initially thought. I didn’t know the men outside were armed.”

Davis is to be considered armed and dangerous, if anyone has information on him do not approach him. Instead, contact law enforcement immediately. He was released in 2008 after less than 10 months on a sentence for shooting at a Duplin Sheriff’s Deputy.

According to the Beulaville Police Department, Davis said he wanted to shoot a cop. Davis is still believed to be in Duplin County.

If you have information on Davis’ whereabouts, the Beulaville Police Department can be reached at 910-298-5360. In the event of an emergency, always dial 9-1-1.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

The Warsaw Town Council met Monday, September 12 with a variety of items to discuss. All council members, Mayor Win Bratten and Manager J.R. Steigerwald were in attendance, as well as a number of citizens.

The most energetic discussion of the night was in regards to the Duplin County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

“We actually approved the plan some time ago. For us to participate under the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] plan, we need to adopt this resolution,” Bratten said.

The resolution was tied to the Federal Safe Drinking Act, which is a law that allows the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee municipalities and governments in the distribution of safe drinking water.

“This resolution has to be done if we’re going to make some changes to the water system,” the mayor said.

The issue at the heart of the discussion was a water main near the town’s McDonald’s restaurant on Business Hwy 24. The 6 inch pipe needs to be upgraded to 12 inches, as the business has been complaining of low water pressure.

Since the upgrade could provide up to 30 full-time jobs for the town, Warsaw could then apply for a $30,000 grant. The estimated cost of renovating the system however, would be around $1 million. According to Bratten, the USDA could provide up to $700,000 in a loan/grant deal, with the town paying back $350,000.

To supplement the money used to repay the USDA, water rates could be adjusted from $11.55 to $11.70 per 2000 gallons, although Bratten was hesitant. He said the town was already legally bound to raise the rates another five percent in 2012.

There was however, another option.

“If we cannot afford to spend the $1 million now, McDonald’s will in all probability install a booster pump,” Bratten said, adding that he felt Warsaw had a shot at getting the grant. The town would need it, as this year they projected needing $135,000 from Warsaw’s reserve account.

A few members of the board asked to explore other solutions, such as revamping the town’s holding systems, but according to Town Manager Steigerwald, installing a new water main might be the most effective remedy to the low-pressure situation that a few businesses have complained of.

“The cheapest, least expensive way is to put in the 12 inch line. It’s not a lack of water, it’s due to pressure,” he said.

The reservations of the board also centered around the possibility that the town may not get the loan or the grant.

“We’re not in [the USDA's] high-priority area and there’s no health hazard. It’s a pressure issue,” Steigerwald said, adding that the renovations would be aimed at creating work. “The thing that gets us the most jobs is a restaurant, honestly.”

Preparing the applications for the grant and loan would cost around $5,000 to $7,000, and after weighing the details, the Board was a little torn at the prospect.

“I think it would be the best way to go at this time,” said commissioner Susan Greenhill. “I think we need to do this sooner, rather than later. We need to grow Warsaw some.”

After the motion to approve the item, a second was called for, but instead of an audible “second,” all that could be heard was the rain beating down on the municipal building’s ceiling.

Warsaw commissioner Al Searles lobbied for what he believed was a “more permanent” use for the money, specifically a 50/50 Rural Center grant for $300,000.

“It’s not a good time for a rate increase in any way shape or form,” he said. “I’d encourage that the money would be used on booster pumps and tanks, as well as to alleviate some of the traffic around McDonald’s. I think the road problems could be addressed.”

Although the Rural Center money cannot be used for road improvement, Mayor Bratten agreed that the improvements needed to benefit the public.

“Whatever we put in has to serve the public. We’re looking at how to fix the traffic issues,” he said.

The Board did not find approval and discussion was closed.

Other Town News:

Other items on the agenda included a resolution regarding childhood fitness, budget and rule updates from the local ABC Board, redistricting news and public comments from two citizens.

Keisha Monk and Kennis Morrisey, Jr. were in attendance to share their thoughts on a back-to-school giveaway that Morrisey tried to hold for area children. The event was to take place at a local barbershop and he’d planned to give away free food, haircuts and school supplies.

The event was doomed from the start, as Morrisey and Monk planned it for the weekend Hurricane Irene slammed into North Carolina. However, Monk said during her public comments that the town’s administration made the process of holding the event more difficult than it had to be.

“Basically we were given the runaround for a free event. We wanted to show the town of Warsaw that someone still cares about them,” she said.

A call to manager Steigerwald this week revealed that Morrisey and company may have been instructed to go through procedures that weren’t wholly necessary. Although they needed the permission of the barbershop’s landlord as well as the tenant, it may have been understood that they needed Health Department and Department of Transportation approval as well.

“It you’re just giving food away, there are no problems. That was not mandatory and if they was thought it was, that was a mistake on our part, even thought it’s always a good idea just to make sure there’s not an issue,” he said, adding that DOT and Health Department involvement is a safer, but not mandatory, way to organize.

Steigerwald said that after the initial inquiry, no further calls had been made.

Mr. Morrisey said the reason he wanted to put on the event was because he’d done them before, and wanted to improve a hurting community.

“I always do free events here. I understand what it’s like to do a lot of bad things, but God gave me a second chance, and I tried to give back to a community that’s really struggling,” he said.

Manager Steigerwald said he is trying to figure out how somebody with the town gave Morrisey incorrect information, and that requirements for free events such as giveaways or yard sales will be posted on the town’s website.

A resolution was passed unanimously to declare September as Childhood Obesity Awareness month. It was announced in response to information Mayor Bratten received that he said quoted some “very interesting figures” regarding childhood obesity.

As of May 21, the Warsaw ABC Board was required to submit a draft budget, and the commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance allowing the organization to cover operations until June 20, 2012.

Redistricting has been an often-discussed issue lately, and Warsaw has an unusually high (three) number of county commissioners. Mayor Bratten took some time to discuss the representation issue for the town. He said he was worried that since each representative was only responsible for the town as a small corner of his or her representation, they might overlook Warsaw’s needs.

“We have three commissioners representing Warsaw, or rather none, as we’re such a small part of each person’s district,” he said.

In the 1980’s, the NAACP lobbied for the creation of two extra districts, called “minority majority districts,” due to the large number of minority voters in Duplin County. The lines between voting districts 5, 6 and 7 are Business 24 and the railroad tracks that run in front of the municipal building.

Saturday September 24 is the annual Muscadine Festival, and about 20 wineries have already committed to attending.

Mayor Bratten announced his appreciation for the people who worked during Hurricane Irene to keep the Town of Warsaw safe.

“I’d like to publicly thank our public works director, who had the foresight to have the generators tested and the tools sharpened. I think we came through this amazingly well. I also want to thank the police chief for deciding to keep dispatch in Warsaw, and I can’t tell you how much the fire department helped. They did an unbelievable task, and they earned every penny we sent them this year.”

Contact Trevor Normile at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.