LAURINBURG — Richmond Community College officially gained multi-campus status and the downtown Laurinburg area now has another gem after college representatives, elected officials and local dignitaries helped to open the doors to RCC’s new Scotland County Campus.

The college recently added two new buildings to its presence on McLean Street, allowing for not only more programs to be added but also a wider variety of services offered to its students.

RichmondCC acquired the Morgan Center and former Covington Street Elementary School building to add on to the campus, which was originally just the Honeycutt Center. The first move was to bring Scotland Early College to Covington Street, which now features state of the art technology.

“We went from having access to three classrooms in North Laurinburg to more than eight,” said Brent Barbee, RichmondCC executive vice president. “While they were getting hot meals at North Laurinburg, now that we have a campus in Scotland County all our students can eat here as well.”

Barbee added there is still work to do at Covington Street and across the campus, including working on lighting, painting, putting in more sidewalks and crosswalks for the safety of the students. There will also be more signage around campus coming to let those driving through that they’re on the campus.

“I can’t say enough about the county and how they’ve worked with us,” Barbee said. “Kevin Patterson, Mike McGirt, the commissioners all supporting this … these locations give us the ability that if we want to expand the programs we offer here, like a vocational program or short-term program, which is what we’re really focusing on now, we have the ability to do so. It gives us the ability to things that other colleges who are landlocked cannot do.”

State Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Richmond, has pushed RichmondCC to gain the multi-campus status from the state and was ecstatic with the opening as he walked through Wednesday to see just what the campus will offer.

“When you get to victory lane and you get to celebrate, it’s a dynamic feeling of great things to come,” McInnis said. “We worked a long time to see and feel and hear what we’re working with here today.”

He added that, through the education mini-budget that has been passed, the expansion is able to not only add academic classes but also vocational training opportunities.

”I hope that everyone will come by the campus, take a tour, go online and see what’s available that meets their needs and their requirements for a better job and a better lifestyle,” McInnis said.

For information on RichmondCC’s Scotland County Campus, contact 910-410-1831 or 910-276-3331.

Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at kgandee@laurinburgexchange.com

Katelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange While community members visited the Scotland County Campus of Richmond Community College, the college’s SGA hosted games for its annual Fall Festival that including laser tag, a video game truck and more.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_RCC2.jpgKatelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange While community members visited the Scotland County Campus of Richmond Community College, the college’s SGA hosted games for its annual Fall Festival that including laser tag, a video game truck and more.

Katelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange Brent Barbee, Richmond Community College executive vice president, shows State Sen. Tom McInnis the layout for the Covington Street building before leading him through a tour of the building. The building was recently acquired by RichmondCC as part of its multi-campus expansion into Scotland County.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_RCC1.jpgKatelin Gandee | The Laurinburg Exchange Brent Barbee, Richmond Community College executive vice president, shows State Sen. Tom McInnis the layout for the Covington Street building before leading him through a tour of the building. The building was recently acquired by RichmondCC as part of its multi-campus expansion into Scotland County.

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RALEIGH — The state of North Carolina is moving away from using the phrase “race riot” to describe the violent overthrow of the Wilmington government in 1898 and is instead using the word “coup” on the highway historical marker that will commemorate the dark event.

The marker, which is already in place and covered with black plastic, will be dedicated Friday in Wilmington. The heading on the marker reads “Wilmington Coup,” but the originally approved text referred to a “race riot,” which eventually was deleted.

“You don’t call it that anymore because the African Americans weren’t rioting,” said Ansley Herring Wegner, administrator of the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program. “They were being massacred.”

In 1898, white Democrats violently overthrew the fusion government of legitimately elected blacks and white Republicans in Wilmington. The Democrats burned and killed their way to power in what’s viewed as a flashpoint for the Jim Crow era of segregation and the only successful coup d’etat in American history.

The marker stands outside the Wilmington Light Infantry building, where the mob of white supremacists gathered before they marched to The Daily Record, the African American newspaper, and burned it to the ground. Alfred Moore Waddell, who led the march, took over as mayor.

The highway marker for the editor of the paper, Alex Manly, includes the phrase “race riot,” but it was dedicated 25 years ago.

The original text for the 1898 marker, approved in December 2017, included Waddell’s name and made other references that the public found offensive, Wegner said. The committee of historians that approves the language for markers went back to work and approved new text in the spring of 2018, Wegner said.

One of the people unhappy with the original text is Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the New Hanover County branch of the NAACP. She was especially upset that the original language said the “violence left up to 60 blacks dead” because it’s unclear how many black people died.

“We’ll never know how many people died,” she said. “Black lives didn’t matter at that time in terms of reporting or documentation.”

The highway markers, known as “history on a stick,” have strict space limits — typically five to six lines of 25 characters each for 3-inch letters. The coup marker has 1.5-inch letters to allow more text.

The revised marker deletes the names of Waddell and Manly, since he has own marker.

“When you have so few words, you’ve got to choose the best ones,” Wegner said.

Maxwell hopes the marker will help “the world to understand that it wasn’t a riot,” she said.

“We need to educate our children that this did happen — and the general public,” Maxwell said. “A lot of things that happen to African Americans are hidden swept under a rug. We need to reveal all parts of our history as a country.”

Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc

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The following parents have authorized the release of the births of their children at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC:

October 2, 2019

Laura Abbigail Butler, Rockingham, a daughter, Linlee Nichole Butler

October 13, 2019

Beyonce Isaac and Amir Smith, Rockingham, a son, La’kaden Christopher Marquan Smith

October 14, 2019

Kimberly Kelly and Marcus Jeffery, Hamlet, a son, Nolan Myles Jeffery

October 17, 2019

Sierra Storm Shepard and Dwayne Marcus McDonald, Rockingham, a son, Jaxon Daye McDonald

October 17, 2019

Shanel Ray, Rockingham, a daughter, Aubree Williams

October 19, 2019

Kalysia Morris, Rockingham, a daughter, Maliyah Janae Graham

October 25, 2019

Amari Isaac, Hoffman, a daughter, Serenity Isaac

October 26, 2019

Holli Lewis and James Hoffman, Rockingham, a daughter, Amber Nicole Hoffman

October 28, 2019

Pepper Dawn Kirk, Hamlet, a daughter, Kinsley McKenna Kirk

October 30, 2019

Lori and Brian Nguyen, Rockingham, a son, Phoenix Lee Nguyen

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ROCKINGHAM — A Hamlet man has been charged with breaking into a home and threatening a victim with a rifle.

Orrick McDougald, 45, of Hendersonville Street is charged with one felony count each of breaking and entering and robbery with a dangerous weapon, as well as one misdemeanor count each of assault by pointing a gun, assault with a deadly weapon, communicating threats and false imprisonment.

Warrants for his arrest describe McDougald as breaking into a home on Fifth Street in Hamlet on Nov. 1 while wielding an “assault rifle” with a brown handle and a black body at the time. Once inside, he is accused of hitting a victim in the face with the end of the rifle, which busted their lip and broke a tooth, and threatening to shoot them in the head.

McDougald also allegedly stole $36 from the victim by threatening them with a 0.45 caliber handgun and “illegally and unlawfully detained” the victim without their consent, the warrants show.

McDougald was arrested and placed under a $20,000 unsecured bond and ordered to not have any contact with the victim. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 22.

Records with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety show that McDougald has no prior convictions in North Carolina. In March of 1993, a judge dismissed one felony count of assault inflicting serious injury.

McDougald

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_ORRICK-MCDOUGALD-1.jpgMcDougald

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HAMLET — A new breakfast program has already netted Richmond County Schools $120,000 in revenue more than at the same time last year, according to a report given to the Richmond County School Board on Thursday.

Last year, Child Nutrition Director Lois Hood was looking for a way to increase participation in the system’s breakfast offerings. She said that, for many students, their time between getting off the bus and the beginning of class was spent playing or socializing instead of taking advantage of the free breakfast.

So she decided to bring breakfast to the classrooms just before the beginning of instructional time based on the model put forth under No Kid Hungry. Since September, cafeteria workers have been carting out the breakfast food to classes, typically serving about 10 minutes before 8 a.m. Hood said the workers have gotten it to a “science” where they can get in a classroom, serve food to those who are interested, swipe their ID cards, and get out without disrupting class time.

“I am a firm believer that hungry kids cannot learn,” Hood told the board. “If they’re given the opportunity to start off with a nutritious breakfast it opens up their mind to be able to learn throughout the day.”

In an interview Friday, Hood emphasized that for some kids, this free breakfast is the only meal they get.

Comparing September 2018 with September 2019, the breakfast in the classroom program increased revenue by $55,217.98, according to Hood. Comparing October 2018 to October 2019, revenue is up by $78,677.34. That money is earned by the students swiping their ID cards and the system then files a claim with the federal government who reimburses them based on the usage of the program.

Of the monthly funds raised through RCS’ Child Nutrition Services, 13.49% goes to the system and is divided up among the schools to support educational supplies, staff or other needs, Hood explained.

Hood said she worked last year to try to draw support for the program by attending attended several meetings between Richmond County’s principals. Initially, concerns were that there would be a build up of trash and that it would take away from instructional time.

Dr. Jeff Maples, superintendent of RCS, attended a No Kid Hungry conference and came to support the classroom breakfasts, which Hood said helped make the negotiations smoother with the principals. Hood said instructional time has not been impacted and, to avoid the concern of trash, the cafeteria workers provide trash bags for the kids and custodians come in behind them.

Vice Chairman Bobbie Sue Ormsby raised the concern of overworking the workers, but Hood said they see the benefits and haven’t had a problem with it.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Child Nutrition Director Lois Hood speaks to the Richmond County School Board on Thursday about the breakfast in the classroom program.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4330.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Child Nutrition Director Lois Hood speaks to the Richmond County School Board on Thursday about the breakfast in the classroom program.

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ROCKINGHAM — Tri-City Inc. announced Friday that ___ would be taking over the former cinema space in Richmond Plaza.

The space is

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Tri City Inc. announced Friday that Planet Fitness will take over the former cinema in Richmond Plaza. Building permits were finalized Friday. Tri City is in the process of completing a $370,000 upfit project to space which includes the installation of a concrete floor, internal framing, roofing, electrical service and masonry. On their Facebook page, Tri City said they have shipped in approximately 540 cubic yards of dirt have to level the former cinema’s floor. The space occupied by Planet Fitness is a combination of two suites and will be 15,000 square feet, according to the permit application. The Cinema 1 & 2, also known as The Richmond Plaza Cinema, opened in 1967 as a single screen theatre that was owned and operated by Meiselman-H.B. Theatres Group, according to Cinema Treasures. It closed in 1998 after changing hands many times. Planet Fitness is scheduled to open in mid-2020

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4338.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Tri City Inc. announced Friday that Planet Fitness will take over the former cinema in Richmond Plaza. Building permits were finalized Friday. Tri City is in the process of completing a $370,000 upfit project to space which includes the installation of a concrete floor, internal framing, roofing, electrical service and masonry. On their Facebook page, Tri City said they have shipped in approximately 540 cubic yards of dirt have to level the former cinema’s floor. The space occupied by Planet Fitness is a combination of two suites and will be 15,000 square feet, according to the permit application. The Cinema 1 & 2, also known as The Richmond Plaza Cinema, opened in 1967 as a single screen theatre that was owned and operated by Meiselman-H.B. Theatres Group, according to Cinema Treasures. It closed in 1998 after changing hands many times. Planet Fitness is scheduled to open in mid-2020

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DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Retired Lt. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin spoke at the Dobbins Heights Community Center to share his view on the importance of upholding American values at home and honoring the veterans who defend them.

Gaskin served as the Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee in Brussels Belgium from March 2010 to September 2013; as the Vice Director of The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. from July 2008 until May 2009 and as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, VA beginning in September 2002.

He began his remarks by reciting the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, the third stanza of which reads: “Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the Horror of the shade, and yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid.”

Mayor Antonio Blue invited Gaskin to speak after meeting him at a recent funeral. Raven Newton sang the National Anthem to a standing ovation from the crowd that filled the Community Center.

Gaskin listed the United States military’s recent achievements, including the killing of the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in October lauding the military efforts in the Middle East to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

“All who have served this cause are liberators in the best tradition of we who are Americans,” Gaskin said. “Their actions have made our nation safer and have made the world free and safe from all the new dangers that appear. Their actions have also upheld ideals of America’s founders: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Gaskin noted that he is one of six African Americans who have ever been a Lieutenant General, and that the first African American officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Frederick Clinton Branch, was from Hamlet.

He said the U.S. must value freedom for all of mankind, not just freedom at home, and urged those in attendance to not forget America’s place in the world.

“Because we are Americans we are willing to serve and sacrifice for a cause,” Gaskin said. “Our nation remains the greatest force for good and never ever let the political discourse cause us to lose that fact.

“If there is one thing that our veterans teach us, that is that there is no threat we cannot beat, that there is no challenge that we cannot overcome, and America’s best days are still ahead of us,” he continued.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Retired Lt. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin speaks at the Dobbins Heights Community Center on Veterans Day.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4784-1.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Retired Lt. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin speaks at the Dobbins Heights Community Center on Veterans Day.

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ROCKINGHAM — There is no tenant yet for the former Food King property, but Assistant City Manager John Massey will provide updates on improvements to the area at the Rockingham City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Massey said the City of Rockingham is in the process of installing curbs and landscape islands in the former Food King parking lot “improve aesthetics and to better delineate parking and traffic flow.” The islands will be filled with trees, shrubs and light fixtures.

The retaining wall behind the Food King, which has rotted, will be replaced and a wheelchair ramp will be added by the City between Studio 3 and Creative Hair Designs, according to Massey.

The improvements to the former Food King property are all in preparation for a potential tenant, but the property remains vacant. The city has repaired the roof and removed asbestos in recent months and repairs to the floor will soon begin.

“No tenant is yet committed for the former Food King building,” Massey said in an email. “There have been discussions with interested parties.”

The wheelchair ramp and improvements to the Food King property were budgeted at $25,000 in the 2019-2020 budget, according to Massey.

“The landscape improvements and wheelchair ramp are under construction now and should be completed in the next month or so,” he said. “The retaining wall will take longer – probably some time after the first of the year.”

Last month, the City of Rockingham completed its annual contribution of $50,000 to Discovery Place Kids. Catherine Wilson Horne, president and CEO of Discovery Place, wrote a letter to the city thanking them for the funds, saying that they would help them provide “hands-on, minds-in STEM education to children in the Sandhills region.”

City Manager Monty Crump said the annual contribution helps keep DPK’s programs affordable to school groups and families in the community.

“DPK Rockingham has proven to be an invaluable asset for a host of reasons and the city is committed to the long term success of DPK Rockingham,” Crump said in an email.

In other business, Executive Director of the Richmond County Partnership for Children Katrina Chance will give a presentation on the organization and the council will declare November “Hospice and Palliative Care Month.”

The Rockingham City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in the council chambers located at 514 Rockingham Rd., Rockingham.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal The construction in the former Food King parking lot which will improve aesthetics of the area with shrubbery, lighting and curbs.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4350-1.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal The construction in the former Food King parking lot which will improve aesthetics of the area with shrubbery, lighting and curbs.

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ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham bypass, which could begin construction as early as Nov. 25 after contracts were awarded last week, will be a boon to business in Rockingham, according to local and state officials.

The bypass will be 7.2 miles long and will connect U.S. 220 South (across from the Northside Drive intersection) with the U.S. 74 bypass west of Rockingham to form a portion of the future Interstate 73/74. The four-lane, median-divided freeway is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2023, according to the Department of Transportation.

Sen. Tom McInnis, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee for Policy and Appropriations, said that this project is the result of decades of preparation and that anytime an interstate highway runs through a county, “the economic benefits are tremendous.”

“People that were not going to stop (in Richmond County) will be able to move on through and those folks who we do want to attract will be able to slow down and see what we have to offer,” McInnis said in an interview.

The transportation opportunities provided by the interstate add to Richmond County’s already strong rail, water and sewer infrastructure — as well as the workforce being trained by Richmond Community College — which will help attract industry, McInnis explained.

“We have infrastructure to provide growth opportunities for many years to come because of the U.S. 74 Business route through (Rockingham) as well as U.S. 1 being widened — which will eventually be a 4-lane road from Rockingham to Raleigh,” McInnis said.

Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump echoed McInnis’ assessment, calling the bypass a “long term positive” because it will “significantly reduce beach bypass traffic congestion during peak months.” Crump said that U.S. 74 Business (East Broad Avenue) may see “a little less congestion” with the new bypass, but history proves there will be a net benefit.

He recalled concerns about the first bypass, U.S. 74, which cuts south of Rockingham and Hamlet, but those concerns never manifested.

“Rockingham has experienced significant new business growth and business redevelopment along the U.S. 74 Business corridor since the first leg of the bypass opened,” Crump said in an email. “Rockingham is well positioned geographically and, along with sitting at the convergence of several major highways and interstate 73/74, Rockingham will continue to draw travelers and visitors into town as they pass through to other destinations. Rockingham and Richmond County offers a lot of opportunities and reasons for folks to stop in and come for visits.”

Vecellio & Grogan Inc. of Beckley, West Virginia was awarded the contract with the low-bid of $146.1 million.

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HAMLET — Hamlet City Councilman Eddie Martin received a surprise courtesy of Richmond Community College at the City Council meeting Tuesday night in the form of a scholarship being named in his honor.

The Eddie R. Martin Law Enforcement Leadership Scholarship will be in the amount of $1,000 and be divided between two students enrolled or accepted into the Criminal Justice Curriculum Program at RCC with a 2.0 GPA or higher, according to RCC. The recipients must be residents of either Richmond or Scotland counties and preference will be given to second-year students.

If the scholarship is awarded to a first-year student, it is renewable for a second year as long as the student meets the criteria. Recommendations will come from the college’s Criminal Justice instructors.

Martin was in the Marine Corps from 1962 to 1966 and after four years with the Charlotte Police Department, was named Chief of Police of the Rockingham Police Department, a position he held from 1975 to 2002. He then served as a magistrate from 2002 to 2007. Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RCC, and Hal Shuler, associate vice president of development for RCC, presented Martin with the honor.

Martin said he had no knowledge or the scholarship and was amazed it was kept a secret.

“It completely caught me by surprise — I had no idea,” Martin said after the meeting Tuesday. “To whoever was behind getting me nominated or approved or whatever it might be, it’s a great honor and I appreciated it very much. I look forward to presenting someone with this … I would always recommend any young person who wants to get into law enforcement. It’s a great future, it’s a great field, but you’ve got to want to do it.”

Mayor Pro Tem Jesse McQueen congratulated Martin, saying his only regret is that he never got to work for him as a policeman.

“Dr. McInnis introduced (Martin) as Chief and then councilman — that’s always going to be the Chief, always,” McQueen said.

Other business

The council discussed the ongoing complaints to the city of “viscous” — as McQueen described them — stray dogs which have reportedly threatened or attacked numerous residents. McQueen described a recent incident in which he was on a run and heard three gun shots go off.

After investigating, McQueen found a man who had killed a stray dog that attacked him and his own dog.

“With everything that we’ve done to improve the quality of life in Hamlet, to try to make things look better, that to me is a thing that needs attention quickly,” McQueen said.

The council agreed to look at hiring a new animal control officer in the next fiscal year, and McQueen recommended enlisting off-duty officers to assist in responding to animal complaints in the meantime.

Chief Tommy McMasters said HPD receives “countless” calls about dogs. There have been 15 calls in November, according to McMasters.

McMasters said they have not yet issued citations to the dogs’ owners but added that he recently spoke to City Manager Jonathan Blanton who has given the “green light” for more harsh measures to be taken against those who let dogs run loose.

The chief also said that the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to train HPD officers on how to handle animal complaints.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal RCC President Dale McInnis, Councilman Eddie Martin, Associate Vice President of Development for RCC Hal Shuler, and Mayor Bill Bayless pose at the Hamlet City Council meeting Tuesday after McInnis and Shuler named a scholarship in Martin’s honor.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4848.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal RCC President Dale McInnis, Councilman Eddie Martin, Associate Vice President of Development for RCC Hal Shuler, and Mayor Bill Bayless pose at the Hamlet City Council meeting Tuesday after McInnis and Shuler named a scholarship in Martin’s honor.

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HAMLET — Moore County native and real estate broker Diane Wilson will be teaching a real estate class at Richmond Community College in January.

In order to qualify for a Real Estate Broker License in N.C., you must successfully complete a broker pre-licensing course with a minimum of 75 classroom hours at a North Carolina school approved by the NC Real Estate Commission. RichmondCC is an approved school.

Running from Jan. 21 through April 9, the class will cover real estate terms, contracts, leases, ownership, licensing law, finance, valuation and building construction. The class will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., plus two Saturday classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 22 and March 21. All classes will be held on the Hamlet campus of the RichmondCC.

About the Instructor

Diane Wilson began her career in real estate with Towering Pines Real Estate in 2015 after retiring as a paramedic for Moore County.

“Since getting my license as a real estate broker, I have obtained my Graduate Realtor Institute designation,” Wilson said.

In 2019, she became an approved instructor to teach the Real Estate Pre-licensing class by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

“I enjoy working with my clients, both buyers and sellers, and helping them obtain their end goal, and I look forward to helping my students obtain their goals,” she said.

Wilson is also very involved in her community. She is an ambassador for the Moore County Chamber, and she is a 2018 graduate of the Moore County Leadership Institute and became a co-facilitator of the program this year. She is also involved with the local Habitat of the Sandhills and serves on the board for the Professional Women Network of Moore County.

How to Sign Up

To sign up for the real estate class or to learn more, contact Workforce & Economic Development Program Director Angineek Gillenwater at (910) 410-1848 or ajgillenwater@richmondcc.edu. Or visit www.richmondcc.edu/realestate.

Wilson

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_Real-Estate-instructor-Diane-BC.jpgWilson

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12th grade: Omar Abdelhafez Al Daik, Derek Allred, Noah Altman, Jerry Austin, Samantha Baldwin, Annie Bartlett, Carly Batson, Evan Baxley, Gabrielle Bellanger, Noah Blake, E’Shawn Blyther, Jolie Bohman, Joseph Bowersock, Christina Brigman, Katelin Brigman, Tiniqua Brown, Edie Rae Bryant, Allison Carpenter, Harrison Chance, Blake Cherry, Charles Clark, Dallas Cowick, Daniela Hernandez, Stewart Davis, Drew Davis, Maddisyn Diggs, Ananda Dixon, Jamey Eason, Tyrone Easterling, Jasmine Ewing, Justin Farmer, Kevan Farris, Caroline Freeman, Tyra Frye, Cristian Garcia, Leydi Garduza, Ashanti Gayle, Meredith Gerald, Katelynn Gomez, Caroline Greene, Amiya Griffin, Kierra Gunter, Miracle Hailey, Blake Hall, Samuel Hall, Takira Hall, Kayla Hawkins, Luke Hawks, Lee Hayden, Amber Henson, Alexis Hoffman, Myah Hogan, Zyniyah Holmes, Kayla Howell, Jessilyn Hubbard, Jessica Huerta, Imonae Ingram, Jadyn Johnson, Aliya Jones, Dasharia Jones, Madison Jordan, Noah Jordan, Ruth Kelly Brito, Nathan King, Carley Lambeth, Shakira Little, Ashley Martin, Saul Martinez, Micheala Mason, Layne Maultsby, Kayla McCollum, Zierre McCray, Jarod McGee, Janyla McKoy, Matthew McMillan, Erika Mendez Cordova, Joseph Miles, Hailey Miller, Yasmine Moody, Caleb Moore, Giselle Ojeda, Jesse Onesto, Alyssa Pate, Labryonnia Patterson, Mycina Patterson, Gabriela Perez, Huong Phan, Morgan Platt, Michael Politoski, Summer Powers, Luke Preslar, Christian Quick, Matthew Quick, Sierra Ramsay, Amanda Richardson, Makayla Russell, Virginia Saiz, Bryson Sanders, Alyssa Sands, Monica Shelton, Robi Shoe, Zalayell Short, Ameeah Sidbury, Aerial Spooner, Valery Standridge, Blaise Steadman, Justyce Stevenson, Hannah Stewart, Hunter Stopp, Whitni Strong, Makaili Sweatt, Austin Talton, Megan Tender, Abigail Terry, Yuriah Thorpe, Michaela Turner, Clay Wagers, Kavon Wall, Laila Wall, Gabriel Woolard, Julianna Young, and Lydia Young.

11th grade: Noah Aiken, Georgia Grace Anderson, Olivia Anderson, Misline Atkinson, Erystaichia Baldwin, Breanna Ball, Thomas Barbee, Omari Bethea, Tyler Bittle, Katelyn Briggs, Armani Bright, Jaizeleygh Brower, Kearston Bruce, Carissa Byrne, Payton Chappell, Taylor Chappell, Chloe Chavis, Emy Cooley, Andrew Cross, Alex Crouch, Phoenix Darien, Kaitlyn Dawkins, Preston Dawkins, Brady Edmunds, Abdulah El-Bohessi, Macy Faw, Kayleigh Fields, Kelsey Forester, Chloe Goins, Elena Hall, Hunter Hancock, Savanna Harrelson, Matthew Haywood, Haileigh Herndon, Hannah Hinshaw, Olivia Holz, Calleigh Hubbard, Roderick Hudgen, Carson Jordan, Eli Kelly, Maggi King, Kayden Knight, Ashton Lee, Dominick Leviner, Angel Llamas, Joshua Mabe, Justin Mabe, Tyler Mabe, John Massey, Lilly Matheson, Jessie McKenzie, River Meachum, Kaicie Medina, Arthur Moore, Austin Moore, Nicholas Nguyen, Macey ONeal, Emma Parker, Kaylee Parker, Natalie Pattan, Naomi Perakis, Emma Perry, Michael Pettitt, Bradford Pittman, Robert Potter, Abigail Ransom, Diana Recinos-Gonzalez, Tajan’e Reynolds, Jonathan Rich, Ashari Robinson, Queston Shepard, Crimson Singletary, Lindsay Skipper, Jada Smith, Joseph Smith, Aalyiaha Spencer, Nygie Stroman, Luke Talbert, Gavin Taylor, Summer Thompson, Will Thompson, Jaiden Tillman, Shendell Tucker, Macie Ward, Kendell Watson, Gracelyn Weatherford, Thomas West, Karson White, Caroline Whitley, Lance Wilson, and John Yates.

10th grade: Gabe Altman, Vanessa Ancira, Anna Blair, Sheridan Brown, Austin Campbell, Jordan Carlyle, Andrew Carpenter, Jaiden Covington, Molli Cranford, Jakayla Crump, Kayla Currie, Tiahna Dalton, Nikolas Daughtrey, Ronae Durham, Cody Eason, Corey Eaves, Connor Ellis, Joshua Foster, Anna Gillespie, Caylie Holden, Isabelle Honeycutt, Jude Howard, Cormelia Ingram, Tamia Malachi, Darice Martin, Kirsten McDonald, Leah McLeod, Brianna McNair, Jenna McRae, Chloe Monroe, Jada Moore, Jakayla Morman, Marley Moss, Chandler Orr, Michelle Osentowski, Arriel Patterson, Carlie Ramsey, Jai’Maya Ratliff, Julia Roberts, Tykiya Robinson, Nala Rush, Abby Russell, Jamie Sears, Morgan Stutts, Allyiah Swiney, Abigail Tatum, Taylor Waitley, Matthew Walker, Iyana Wall, Maylyn Wallace, Rachel Wallace, Cameron Way, Blake Workman, and Taylor Young.

10th grade: Gabe Altman, Vanessa Ancira, Anna Blair, Sheridan Brown, Austin Campbell, Jordan Carlyle, Andrew Carpenter, Jaiden Covington, Molli Cranford, Jakayla Crump, Kayla Currie, Tiahna Dalton, Nikolas Daughtrey, Ronae Durham, Cody Eason, Corey Eaves, Connor Ellis, Joshua Foster, Anna Gillespie, Caylie Holden, Isabelle Honeycutt, Jude Howard, Cormelia Ingram, Tamia Malachi, Darice Martin, Kirsten McDonald, Leah McLeod, Brianna McNair, Jenna McRae, Chloe Monroe, Jada Moore, Jakayla Morman, Marley Moss, Chandler Orr, Michelle Osentowski, Arriel Patterson, Carlie Ramsey, Jai’Maya Ratliff, Julia Roberts, Tykiya Robinson, Nala Rush, Abby Russell, Jamie Sears, Morgan Stutts, Allyiah Swiney, Abigail Tatum, Taylor Waitley, Matthew Walker, Iyana Wall, Maylyn Wallace, Rachel Wallace, Cameron Way, Blake Workman, and Taylor Young.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_10thgrade1st9.jpg10th grade: Gabe Altman, Vanessa Ancira, Anna Blair, Sheridan Brown, Austin Campbell, Jordan Carlyle, Andrew Carpenter, Jaiden Covington, Molli Cranford, Jakayla Crump, Kayla Currie, Tiahna Dalton, Nikolas Daughtrey, Ronae Durham, Cody Eason, Corey Eaves, Connor Ellis, Joshua Foster, Anna Gillespie, Caylie Holden, Isabelle Honeycutt, Jude Howard, Cormelia Ingram, Tamia Malachi, Darice Martin, Kirsten McDonald, Leah McLeod, Brianna McNair, Jenna McRae, Chloe Monroe, Jada Moore, Jakayla Morman, Marley Moss, Chandler Orr, Michelle Osentowski, Arriel Patterson, Carlie Ramsey, Jai’Maya Ratliff, Julia Roberts, Tykiya Robinson, Nala Rush, Abby Russell, Jamie Sears, Morgan Stutts, Allyiah Swiney, Abigail Tatum, Taylor Waitley, Matthew Walker, Iyana Wall, Maylyn Wallace, Rachel Wallace, Cameron Way, Blake Workman, and Taylor Young.

11th grade: Noah Aiken, Georgia Grace Anderson, Olivia Anderson, Misline Atkinson, Erystaichia Baldwin, Breanna Ball, Thomas Barbee, Omari Bethea, Tyler Bittle, Katelyn Briggs, Armani Bright, Jaizeleygh Brower, Kearston Bruce, Carissa Byrne, Payton Chappell, Taylor Chappell, Chloe Chavis, Emy Cooley, Andrew Cross, Alex Crouch, Phoenix Darien, Kaitlyn Dawkins, Preston Dawkins, Brady Edmunds, Abdulah El-Bohessi, Macy Faw, Kayleigh Fields, Kelsey Forester, Chloe Goins, Elena Hall, Hunter Hancock, Savanna Harrelson, Matthew Haywood, Haileigh Herndon, Hannah Hinshaw, Olivia Holz, Calleigh Hubbard, Roderick Hudgen, Carson Jordan, Eli Kelly, Maggi King, Kayden Knight, Ashton Lee, Dominick Leviner, Angel Llamas, Joshua Mabe, Justin Mabe, Tyler Mabe, John Massey, Lilly Matheson, Jessie McKenzie, River Meachum, Kaicie Medina, Arthur Moore, Austin Moore, Nicholas Nguyen, Macey ONeal, Emma Parker, Kaylee Parker, Natalie Pattan, Naomi Perakis, Emma Perry, Michael Pettitt, Bradford Pittman, Robert Potter, Abigail Ransom, Diana Recinos-Gonzalez, Tajan’e Reynolds, Jonathan Rich, Ashari Robinson, Queston Shepard, Crimson Singletary, Lindsay Skipper, Jada Smith, Joseph Smith, Aalyiaha Spencer, Nygie Stroman, Luke Talbert, Gavin Taylor, Summer Thompson, Will Thompson, Jaiden Tillman, Shendell Tucker, Macie Ward, Kendell Watson, Gracelyn Weatherford, Thomas West, Karson White, Caroline Whitley, Lance Wilson, and John Yates.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_11thgrade1st9.jpg11th grade: Noah Aiken, Georgia Grace Anderson, Olivia Anderson, Misline Atkinson, Erystaichia Baldwin, Breanna Ball, Thomas Barbee, Omari Bethea, Tyler Bittle, Katelyn Briggs, Armani Bright, Jaizeleygh Brower, Kearston Bruce, Carissa Byrne, Payton Chappell, Taylor Chappell, Chloe Chavis, Emy Cooley, Andrew Cross, Alex Crouch, Phoenix Darien, Kaitlyn Dawkins, Preston Dawkins, Brady Edmunds, Abdulah El-Bohessi, Macy Faw, Kayleigh Fields, Kelsey Forester, Chloe Goins, Elena Hall, Hunter Hancock, Savanna Harrelson, Matthew Haywood, Haileigh Herndon, Hannah Hinshaw, Olivia Holz, Calleigh Hubbard, Roderick Hudgen, Carson Jordan, Eli Kelly, Maggi King, Kayden Knight, Ashton Lee, Dominick Leviner, Angel Llamas, Joshua Mabe, Justin Mabe, Tyler Mabe, John Massey, Lilly Matheson, Jessie McKenzie, River Meachum, Kaicie Medina, Arthur Moore, Austin Moore, Nicholas Nguyen, Macey ONeal, Emma Parker, Kaylee Parker, Natalie Pattan, Naomi Perakis, Emma Perry, Michael Pettitt, Bradford Pittman, Robert Potter, Abigail Ransom, Diana Recinos-Gonzalez, Tajan’e Reynolds, Jonathan Rich, Ashari Robinson, Queston Shepard, Crimson Singletary, Lindsay Skipper, Jada Smith, Joseph Smith, Aalyiaha Spencer, Nygie Stroman, Luke Talbert, Gavin Taylor, Summer Thompson, Will Thompson, Jaiden Tillman, Shendell Tucker, Macie Ward, Kendell Watson, Gracelyn Weatherford, Thomas West, Karson White, Caroline Whitley, Lance Wilson, and John Yates.

12th grade: Omar Abdelhafez Al Daik, Derek Allred, Noah Altman, Jerry Austin, Samantha Baldwin, Annie Bartlett, Carly Batson, Evan Baxley, Gabrielle Bellanger, Noah Blake, E’Shawn Blyther, Jolie Bohman, Joseph Bowersock, Christina Brigman, Katelin Brigman, Tiniqua Brown, Edie Rae Bryant, Allison Carpenter, Harrison Chance, Blake Cherry, Charles Clark, Dallas Cowick, Daniela Hernandez, Stewart Davis, Drew Davis, Maddisyn Diggs, Ananda Dixon, Jamey Eason, Tyrone Easterling, Jasmine Ewing, Justin Farmer, Kevan Farris, Caroline Freeman, Tyra Frye, Cristian Garcia, Leydi Garduza, Ashanti Gayle, Meredith Gerald, Katelynn Gomez, Caroline Greene, Amiya Griffin, Kierra Gunter, Miracle Hailey, Blake Hall, Samuel Hall, Takira Hall, Kayla Hawkins, Luke Hawks, Lee Hayden, Amber Henson, Alexis Hoffman, Myah Hogan, Zyniyah Holmes, Kayla Howell, Jessilyn Hubbard, Jessica Huerta, Imonae Ingram, Jadyn Johnson, Aliya Jones, Dasharia Jones, Madison Jordan, Noah Jordan, Ruth Kelly Brito, Nathan King, Carley Lambeth, Shakira Little, Ashley Martin, Saul Martinez, Micheala Mason, Layne Maultsby, Kayla McCollum, Zierre McCray, Jarod McGee, Janyla McKoy, Matthew McMillan, Erika Mendez Cordova, Joseph Miles, Hailey Miller, Yasmine Moody, Caleb Moore, Giselle Ojeda, Jesse Onesto, Alyssa Pate, Labryonnia Patterson, Mycina Patterson, Gabriela Perez, Huong Phan, Morgan Platt, Michael Politoski, Summer Powers, Luke Preslar, Christian Quick, Matthew Quick, Sierra Ramsay, Amanda Richardson, Makayla Russell, Virginia Saiz, Bryson Sanders, Alyssa Sands, Monica Shelton, Robi Shoe, Zalayell Short, Ameeah Sidbury, Aerial Spooner, Valery Standridge, Blaise Steadman, Justyce Stevenson, Hannah Stewart, Hunter Stopp, Whitni Strong, Makaili Sweatt, Austin Talton, Megan Tender, Abigail Terry, Yuriah Thorpe, Michaela Turner, Clay Wagers, Kavon Wall, Laila Wall, Gabriel Woolard, Julianna Young, and Lydia Young.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_12thgrade1st9.jpg12th grade: Omar Abdelhafez Al Daik, Derek Allred, Noah Altman, Jerry Austin, Samantha Baldwin, Annie Bartlett, Carly Batson, Evan Baxley, Gabrielle Bellanger, Noah Blake, E’Shawn Blyther, Jolie Bohman, Joseph Bowersock, Christina Brigman, Katelin Brigman, Tiniqua Brown, Edie Rae Bryant, Allison Carpenter, Harrison Chance, Blake Cherry, Charles Clark, Dallas Cowick, Daniela Hernandez, Stewart Davis, Drew Davis, Maddisyn Diggs, Ananda Dixon, Jamey Eason, Tyrone Easterling, Jasmine Ewing, Justin Farmer, Kevan Farris, Caroline Freeman, Tyra Frye, Cristian Garcia, Leydi Garduza, Ashanti Gayle, Meredith Gerald, Katelynn Gomez, Caroline Greene, Amiya Griffin, Kierra Gunter, Miracle Hailey, Blake Hall, Samuel Hall, Takira Hall, Kayla Hawkins, Luke Hawks, Lee Hayden, Amber Henson, Alexis Hoffman, Myah Hogan, Zyniyah Holmes, Kayla Howell, Jessilyn Hubbard, Jessica Huerta, Imonae Ingram, Jadyn Johnson, Aliya Jones, Dasharia Jones, Madison Jordan, Noah Jordan, Ruth Kelly Brito, Nathan King, Carley Lambeth, Shakira Little, Ashley Martin, Saul Martinez, Micheala Mason, Layne Maultsby, Kayla McCollum, Zierre McCray, Jarod McGee, Janyla McKoy, Matthew McMillan, Erika Mendez Cordova, Joseph Miles, Hailey Miller, Yasmine Moody, Caleb Moore, Giselle Ojeda, Jesse Onesto, Alyssa Pate, Labryonnia Patterson, Mycina Patterson, Gabriela Perez, Huong Phan, Morgan Platt, Michael Politoski, Summer Powers, Luke Preslar, Christian Quick, Matthew Quick, Sierra Ramsay, Amanda Richardson, Makayla Russell, Virginia Saiz, Bryson Sanders, Alyssa Sands, Monica Shelton, Robi Shoe, Zalayell Short, Ameeah Sidbury, Aerial Spooner, Valery Standridge, Blaise Steadman, Justyce Stevenson, Hannah Stewart, Hunter Stopp, Whitni Strong, Makaili Sweatt, Austin Talton, Megan Tender, Abigail Terry, Yuriah Thorpe, Michaela Turner, Clay Wagers, Kavon Wall, Laila Wall, Gabriel Woolard, Julianna Young, and Lydia Young.

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American Legion Post 147 1st Vice Commander Carlton Hawkins, right, greets veterans residing at Richmond Pines on Veterans Day. The Legion visited about 30 veterans between Richmond Pines and Hamlet House to pay their respects, as they have off and on for about 20 years, according to Hawkins. Hawkins said he was listing off the branches of the military thanking their service and left out the Coast Guard, and their happened to be a Coast Guard veteran in the audience who spoke up.

Contributed photo American Legion Post 147 1st Vice Commander Carlton Hawkins, right, greets veterans residing at Richmond Pines on Veterans Day. The Legion visited about 30 veterans between Richmond Pines and Hamlet House to pay their respects, as they have off and on for about 20 years, according to Hawkins. Hawkins said he was listing off the branches of the military thanking their service and left out the Coast Guard, and their happened to be a Coast Guard veteran in the audience who spoke up.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail-25-.jpgContributed photo American Legion Post 147 1st Vice Commander Carlton Hawkins, right, greets veterans residing at Richmond Pines on Veterans Day. The Legion visited about 30 veterans between Richmond Pines and Hamlet House to pay their respects, as they have off and on for about 20 years, according to Hawkins. Hawkins said he was listing off the branches of the military thanking their service and left out the Coast Guard, and their happened to be a Coast Guard veteran in the audience who spoke up.

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ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham City Council heard an update on the work being done downtown to improve the former Food King property and Mayor Steve Morris issued a proclamation naming November “Hospice and Palliative Care Month.”

Though the Food King property remains vacant, the city will work over the next month to add curbs and islands in the parking lot which will contain shrubbery and new light fixtures. This will “improve aesthetics” for the now-public parking lot, Assistant City Manager John Massey said in an email Monday.

Repairs to a rotting retaining wall will likely be completed early in the new year, according to Massey. The city has repaired the roof of the Food King building and removed asbestos in recent months, and repairs to the floor will soon begin.

City Manager Monty Crump that the $25,000 for this project, which included a wheelchair ramp between Studio 3 and Creative Hair Designs, was budgeted last year but construction was delayed due to the improvements to the Harrington Square fountain.

Massey said money to repave the whole parking lot at the corner of East Washington Street and North Randolph Street will be included in next fiscal year’s budget.

Arturo DeAguilar, director of human resources for Richmond County Hospice, was on hand to thank Morris for recognizing Hospice and Palliative Care Month. The resolution noted that hospice provides “comfort and dignity” to those who are in their final months of life.

“In an increasingly fragmented and broken health care system, hospice is one of the few sectors that demonstrates how health care can — and should — work at its best for its patient,” the resolution reads. “Every year 1.5 million Americans living with life-limiting illness, and their families, received care from the nation’s hospice programs in communities throughout the United States.”

DeAguilar said Richmond County Hospice has been known as “one of the greatest secrets” in the county, but they don’t want it to be a secret anymore.

“We want everybody to know what Hospice is about because a lot of people hear the word ‘hospice’ and they freak out. They think ‘they’re coming for me,’ and it’s not that,” he said. “We’re trying to educate, to serve and the more people know about (hospice) they more we can do our job.”

DeAguilar added that this “secret” should be a “treasure.”

Last month, the City of Rockingham completed its annual contribution of $50,000 to Discovery Place Kids. Catherine Wilson Horne, president and CEO of Discovery Place, wrote a letter to the city thanking them for the funds, saying that they would help them provide “hands-on, minds-in STEM education to children in the Sandhills region.”

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal The construction in the former Food King parking lot which will improve aesthetics of the area with shrubbery, lighting and curbs.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4348.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal The construction in the former Food King parking lot which will improve aesthetics of the area with shrubbery, lighting and curbs.

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HAMLET — The suspect in the theft of The Ponder Project’s trailer and gear was apprehended at a hospital in Greenville County, South Carolina and is being held on numerous charges, including those filed by the Hamlet Police Department.

Darrin Coke Bryant, 44, of Greenville, South Carolina was in a life-threatening motorcycle accident on Sunday, apparently caused by hitting a deer, according to Detective Corey Wilson. Bryant gave a false name to both the Highway Patrol and the hospital, but HPD received an anonymous tip that allowed them to cooperate with local authorities to get a positive ID on Bryant, Wilson said.

Bryant attempted to leave the hospital, but was stopped by law enforcement, according to Wilson.

HPD has not yet had the chance to interview Bryant to attempt to learn the whereabouts of Ponder’s gear. Wilson said Bryant is cooperating with Greenville County authorities and is “willing to talk” with HPD.

“Once we get him face-to-face we’ll know more,” Wilson said.

The trailer was carrying $50,000 worth of gear when Bryant allegedly took it from the “well lit” car port in the driveway of Bobby Pearce, a founding member of Ponder, in the early morning hours of Oct. 26. Bryant was spotted by a surveillance camera early that morning driving a red truck past the Hamlet Depot. That truck was stolen from Greer, South Carolina and has been recovered, according to Wilson.

HPD has not yet determined why Bryant was in Hamlet nor whether he has any connection to the band. Wilson said extradition could take time because of Bryant’s other charges in South Carolina.

“He’s pretty familiar with authorities down there,” he said.

HPD has charged Bryant with felony larceny. The Greer Police Department has charged Bryant with one felony count each of obtaining property by false pretenses, forgery, grand larceny of over $10,000, identity theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to court records.

Bryant

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_BryantMugweb.jpgBryant

File photo The Ponder Project’s trailer was stolen while carrying $50,000 in equipment.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_PonderTrailer-1.jpgFile photo The Ponder Project’s trailer was stolen while carrying $50,000 in equipment.

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HAMLET — The City of Hamlet has continued to receive complaints about the prevalence of aggressive stray dogs and on Tuesday the City Council directed staff to use existing resources to address the problem, as well as to seek further training from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Tommy McMasters told the council that the Hamlet Police Department has received roughly 280 complaints about dogs this year and 15 so far this month. There have been about 400 complaints since Jan. 1, 2018 but City Manager Jonathan Blanton said he was only aware of “less than five” citations in that time frame.

McMasters explained that it’s been difficult to address the issue because strays do not have owners, and therefore there’s no one to punish for mishandling the dogs. He said that no “attacks” have been reported, characterizing the complaints as being in reference to “stray dogs that sometimes appear aggressive.”

Problems with handling stray dogs have grown across the county, and Hamlet residents reported in public comments to council earlier this year that they have begun carrying sticks or other blunt objects with them when they travel by foot to defend themselves from the animals.

“Since I arrived in Hamlet, there have consistently been complaints about animals,” Blanton said in an email. “It does appear that over the last six months there have been more complaints voiced. I would not say that Hamlet has a ‘major’ issue with animal control or an abnormal problem … Stray, feral animals are a difficult problem to tackle that, unfortunately, cannot be solved over-night.”

Currently, HPD officers are having to address animal control calls while on regular duty, stopping what they are doing to pick up the animal control truck, which McMasters said is time they spend out of the patrol car and unable to a respond to an emergency.

The short-term solution, approved by an informal consensus of the council Tuesday, will be to use funds already budgeted for staff that is not being used — due to five vacancies — to pay off-duty officers to work overtime addressing animal complaints.

McMasters said that HPD has already planned for officers to receive training from the sheriff’s office’s Animal Control officers. Hamlet does not have any officers specifically designated “animal control” but Blanton said “all officers have basic instructions and guidelines on how to handle animal control calls.”

”We want to begin to provide more in-depth training for all of our officers in order to better solve the problem and, of course, keep our officers safe,” Blanton said.

Mayor Pro Tem Jesse McQueen said he will push at the next budget work session in January for funds to be used to hire a part-time animal control officer who could be hired before the end of the current fiscal year. He said this position could at some point become full-time.

“We already have the equipment and trucks, all we need is a trained person at this point,” McQueen said. “I’m committed to making sure we address this issue quickly.”

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Chief Tommy McMasters speaks before the Hamlet City Council on Tuesday.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_IMG_4854.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Chief Tommy McMasters speaks before the Hamlet City Council on Tuesday.

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Members of American Legion Post 147 and Boy Scout Troop 1215 retire flags on Monday in honor of Veterans Day. 1st Vice Commander Carlton Hawkins said they retired about 500 flags that had been submitted to the Legion. There are drop boxes at the VFW in Rockingham near the tank, one at the WAYN station and at Jenkins Auto Parts. The Legion performs the ceremony twice a year, at Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The fire pit allows them to dispose of the flags by code which requires that the flames be elevated off the ground and be “roaring” so that the flag is immediately consumed. Hawkins said that if a flag is frayed, faded or otherwise dirty or damaged it should be turned in and replaced. “Show pride in your nation,” he said. “If every one participates we’ll keep the flags looking good.”

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https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail-13-.jpg

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RALEIGH — North Carolina’s insurance commissioner from 2009 through 2016 wants the job again.

Democrat Wayne Goodwin announced Tuesday he’ll run for commissioner next year, setting up a potential rematch with current Commissioner Mike Causey, the Republican who beat him in 2016. Causey already announced he’s seeking a second term.

Goodwin has been the state Democratic Party chair since his defeat. He was a state legislator and assistant insurance commissioner until his 2008 election victory for commissioner. In a news release, Goodwin blamed Causey for higher insurance rates and says politics is getting in the way of health care savings.

“There’s a lot of work left to be done, and I know I am up for the job,” Goodwin said in a news release.

Causey has said he’s worked to help lower insurance costs, hold insurance companies accountable and fight corruption. He gained attention this year after federal prosecutors said he reported an alleged bribe attempt against him and helped authorities gather evidence. Four people were indicted in the matter, including then-state GOP Chairman Robin Hayes. Hayes accepted a plea agreement last month.

The April indictment accuses insurance magnate Greg Lindberg of planning to funnel up to $2 million for Causey’s 2020 re-election campaign in exchange for special treatment for his insurance businesses. Causey faces no charges.

Before the charges, Lindberg had become a mega-political donor in North Carolina, giving more than $5 million since 2016 to state and federal candidates and committees. Campaign finance records show Lindberg gave $10,000 to Goodwin’s 2016 campaign and $450,000 to a committee that produced pro-Goodwin commercials.

Goodwin has not been accused of wrongdoing and he said in April he never performed favors for Lindberg while commissioner.

Goodwin would have to step aside from his duties as state Democratic Party chair if he’s in a contested primary, but he’d return to the post when the primary ends, spokeswoman Kimberly Reynolds said.

Goodwin

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_GoodwinMug.jpgGoodwin

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RALEIGH — Reforms to the Innovative School District are here to stay after Gov. Roy Cooper allowed Senate Bill 522 to become law without his signature.

S.B. 522 made several changes to the Innovative School District, a school turnaround program which gives an outside group authority for five years over low-performing schools to boost their performance. So far only one school, Southside Ashpole Elementary in Robeson County, has joined the ISD.

Significant local pushback derailed attempts to add a second school, Carver Heights Elementary in Wayne County. The backlash prompted lawmakers and education officials to reconsider how the ISD selection process worked. The result was S.B. 522.

In a letter to Eric Davis, the chairman of the State Board of Education, Cooper laid out his opposition to the ISD.

“Turning over control of a public school to a private charter school operator is both bad policy and ineffective, and I am fundamentally opposed to the ISD concept,” Cooper said in the letter.

The governor said the state education board should prioritize support for low-performing schools in its short session budget request.

Despite opposing the concept, Cooper said the bill makes some improvements to the ISD. The governor highlighted how S.B. 522 provides a way for low-performing schools to improve before “being subject to take over.”

Terry Stoops, the vice president of research and director of education studies at the John Locke Foundation, said the state education board and the Department of Public Instruction have prioritized support for struggling schools for years.

“Lawmakers supported school takeover legislation because the state generally has been unsuccessful in raising student achievement in chronically low-performing schools,” Stoops said.

S.B. 522 redefines the qualifications for ISD schools. To qualify, a school would have to qualify for the federal Title I program (which is based on enrolling a large percentage of low-income students) and be in the lowest performing 5% of school performance grades statewide. The qualifying school with the lowest scores would transfer to the ISD.

The bill also changes the selection process. If a school is placed on the qualifying list, it must show no improvements for one year before moving to the watch list. The process is repeated again for the warning list. Finally, if a school still hasn’t made any progress after a year on the warning list and it’s one of the lowest five qualifying schools on the list, then the SBE must move it to the ISD.

Republican lawmakers said the reforms were necessary to improve the program, but Democratic lawmakers wanted the ISD repealed. The House and Senate passed S.B. 522 largely along party lines.

The reforms come just as a list of qualifying schools for the ISD was unveiled at the Nov. 7 SBE meeting. Sixty-nine low-performing schools made the cut, but only those who remain on the list for four consecutive years are primed to transfer to the ISD.

Had S.B. 522 not become law, the State Board of Education would have picked four schools to join the ISD for the 2020-21 school year to comply with statute.

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Members of the Hamlet Senior Center got to play with a group of Labrador puppies from K2 Solutions in Derby on Thursday. The puppies showed off some of their training and played with a tennis ball. In a Facebook post, the senior center said, “Did you know that petting a dog 15 minutes a day helps reduce stress and produce that happy hormone we all know as Serotonin?”

Contributed photo Members of the Hamlet Senior Center got to play with a group of Labrador puppies from K2 Solutions in Derby on Thursday. The puppies showed off some of their training and played with a tennis ball. In a Facebook post, the senior center said, “Did you know that petting a dog 15 minutes a day helps reduce stress and produce that happy hormone we all know as Serotonin?”

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_K2seniors.jpgContributed photo Members of the Hamlet Senior Center got to play with a group of Labrador puppies from K2 Solutions in Derby on Thursday. The puppies showed off some of their training and played with a tennis ball. In a Facebook post, the senior center said, “Did you know that petting a dog 15 minutes a day helps reduce stress and produce that happy hormone we all know as Serotonin?”

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