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Lawmakers, educators meet; bills on the move
Last week, the House and Senate gave final approval to Senate Bill 4, designed to block a state-sponsored insurance exchange and the expansion of Medicaid coverage to low-income residents. Despite our best efforts, the legislature didn’t provide us with the ability to move forward with the Medicaid expansion. As previously discussed, I voted against this bill due to the fact that it serves as a major disadvantage to the uninsured and restri...
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Science Fair winners - fourth grade Salemburg Elementary's fourth grade science fair winners are, first place, Amber Gibson; second place, Michaelah Hall; and third place, Hunter Powell and Colby Beatty. (Courtesy photo)
Salemburg Elementary announces science fair winners
Courtesy photo Salemburg Elementary’s fourth grade science fair winners are, first place, Amber Gibson; second place, Michaelah Hall; and third place, Hunter Powell and Colby Beatty. Courtesy photo Salemburg Elementary’s fifth-graders who placed in the school’s science fair are: first place, Nate and Zack Brock; second place, Jade Christian; and third place, Lauren Jackson. Courtesy photo Salemburg Elementary third graders who place...
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Frank Blackmon
Backyard club owner jailed
The owner of a backyard club near Roseboro found himself on the wrong side of the law Saturday night, when officers shut down his operation for the evening and charged him with two felonies. Two other people were also caught in the late-night operation. Frank Blackman, 65, of 170b William Brown Road, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and trafficking in opiates. Blackman is owner of the backyard club better known as Peter...
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Special Olympics returning to Sampson
After a hiatus, the local and newly re-accredited Special Olympics is returning to Sampson County on April 11, 2013 at Union High School. Charlotte Byrd, the local Special Olympics coordinator and an occupational therapist with Sampson County Schools, shared how her job influenced her decision to rejuvenate the Special Olympics locally. “I’ve always worked with the schools, with intellectually disabled students, and they just have a big pla...
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Clement's January Students of the Month Clement Elementary recently named its Student's of the Month for January. They are: Nicholas Jackson, Connor Gaster, Christian Barbour, La'Christian Kellon, Isabelle Roberts, Tommy Andablo-Lopez, Sky Soto, Christopher Naylor, Blair Baggett, Laisha Hernandez, Elvia Ventura-Gonzalez, Daniel Ventura, Gabriel Taylor, Maranda Byrd, Alyssa Williams, Christopher Caudle, Mason Tucker, Dustin Sessoms, Kathleen Martinez, Amelia Clark and James Hinton. Not Pictured are: Maranda Byrd, Elvia Ventura-Gonzalez and Kathleen Martinez. (Courtesy photo)
Clement names its Student of the Month
Clement Elementary recently named its Student’s of the Month for January. They are: Nicholas Jackson, Connor Gaster, Christian Barbour, La’Christian Kellon, Isabelle Roberts, Tommy Andablo-Lopez, Sky Soto, Christopher Naylor, Blair Baggett, Laisha Hernandez, Elvia Ventura-Gonzalez, Daniel Ventura, Gabriel Taylor, Maranda Byrd, Alyssa Williams, Christopher Caudle, Mason Tucker, Dustin Sessoms, Kathleen Martinez, Amelia Clark and James Hinton. ...
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Chris Berendt/Sampson Independent The Board of Commissioners sought to collect delinquent taxes through inclusion in legislation that required the payment of such taxes before permits were issued or deeds recorded. With a law passed last year, local tax administrator Jim Johnson said the deeds piece, as the first phase of the process locally, has proven successful. The county is expected to move on with the permits portion in the near future.
New law boosting local tax collection
Local tax collections are receiving a boost due to legislation enacted last year requiring tax certification prior to deed recordation, the first phase in a process that will see the issuing of permits prohibited until delinquent taxes are paid. Back in 2010, county officials talked about avenues for revenue enhancement during a down economy. County managerial staff was asked to research the possibility of mandating tax certification prior ...
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Williams art exhibit ongoing at Mount Olive College
MOUNT OLIVE – Mount Olive College is hosting an art exhibit featuring the work of guest artist Chris Williams in the Teresa Pelt Grubbs Gallery on March 1st through April 1st. The exhibit is titled “Screening Ghosts: Plastic Flame Press at 9” and will be open to the public. Chris Williams is a self-trained screen-print artist. After getting his start asking questions of local printmakers and spending countless hours on gigposters.com, he ha...
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Grant awarded Midway Elementary School teacher Meagan McKinnon received one of the South River Round-Up grants. She wrote a grant for Midway Elementary's kindergarten. (Lauren Williams/Sampson Independent)
Midway schools get Round-Up grants
Lauren Williams/Sampson Independent Midway Elementary School teacher Meagan McKinnon received one of the South River Round-Up grants. She wrote a grant for Midway Elementary’s kindergarten. Lauren Williams/Sampson Independent Midway Elementary School teacher Charlotte Byrd received one of the South River Round-Up grants for Sampson County’s Special Olympics.
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Crimewatch
Arrests 2/28 - Monica Grace Dawson, 31, 575 Holland Town Road, Salemburg, misdemeanor larceny. Bond $500; court date March 28. 2/28 - Barisha N. Campbell, 22, 1596 Maleen Chapel Road, Bunn Level, failure to appear. Bond $1,000; court date March 28. 2/28 - Christopher McDoe, 21, 802 W. Main St., Clinton, failure to appear on charge of simple possession marijuana. No bond set; court date March 21. 2/28 - Gregory Bright, 28, 9618 Turke...
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Last year's Butler Avenue Elementary School talent show winners were Honesty Williams, Drayden Jones, and Tyler Reeves. Come out to Clinton High School on Friday, March 15 at 7 p.m. to see some cute and talented kids perform and to find out who takes home the trophies this year. (Courtesy photo)
Butler students to show off their talents March 15
Butler Avenue Elementary School will be holding its second annual talent show on Friday, March 15 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Clinton High School. Everyone is invited to come out and see second and third grade students showcase their talents. “Twenty five acts, some individuals and some groups, will perform. There will be a variety of entertainment including singing, dancing, and even a magic act,” said Michelle Gainey, media coordinat...
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Break-in leads to discovery of meth lab
Discovery of a break-in led to an even bigger find when authorities determined that chemicals located on the property were likely used to produce a meth lab. The incident began on March 2, around 2:40 p.m., when Jinnie Lee of Southwood Drive, Clinton, went to check on her vacant property, located at 137 Sampson Acres Drive. When Lee arrived at the residence, she noticed that someone had forced open the door to gain entry. While nothing wa...
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Attempted larceny leads to drug arrest
A 31-year-old Autryville man reportedly caught trying to steal merchandise from a convenience store was given a reprieve on the one charge only to find himself facing three more. Ricky Dean Locklear Jr., 563 Yellowskin Road, was charged with three counts of possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance after officers were called to the Lucky Stop convenience store around 2:15 Sunday afternoon. According to sheriff’s reports, a clerk at...
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Five talented local chefs will be prepare the "Outstanding in Our Fields" dinner for Sampson County's United Way big annual fundraiser. Pictured left to right, back row are Debbie Valenti, Alfredo DePinto, and Trey Cummings. Pictured left to right, front row are Patty Tarr and Joanie Babcock. (Nancy Carr/United Way)
From the field to the table
As winter thaws and signs of spring begin to show, Sampson County’s United Way chapter is preparing for its main fundraiser of the year, and the volunteer board is taking its inspiration for the event from the produce of Sampson County’s farms and fields. Appropriately named ‘Outstanding in Our Fields,’ the shabby chic dinner will take place Saturday, April 20, at the Prestage Hunting Lodge located in the South River Hunting Preserve near H...
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Operation Medicine Drop returns
The Clinton Police Department wants your drugs, and they are setting aside a day where residents can bring them in, all in an effort to prevent accidental poisonings, abuse, theft and a tainted water supply. It’s all part of the now annual Operation Medicine Drop, an event that has grown in popularity each of the four years city police have been involved in the statewide exercise. “This is one of those things that caught on,” said police ...
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Searching for the winning number Sunset Avenue Elementary principal Greg Dirks enjoys a night of bingo with daughter Carrington and friends Kaya Kusmeirczuk and Chloe Zeng Friday night during the annual Clinton-Sampson Rotary Club fundraising. Rotary club members said the event, held for nearly two decades, would be the club's final bingo, with fundraising efforts being focused on the now annual Shrimp Fest held in October. Over 180 people were at Friday night's final bingo. Rotary is a signature sponsor of Fitness Renaissance. (Sherry Matthews/Sampson Independent)
Searching for the winning number
Sherry Matthews/Sampson Independent Sunset Avenue Elementary principal Greg Dirks enjoys a night of bingo with daughter Carrington and friends Kaya Kusmeirczuk and Chloe Zeng Friday night during the annual Clinton-Sampson Rotary Club fundraising. Rotary club members said the event, held for nearly two decades, would be the club’s final bingo, with fundraising efforts being focused on the now annual Shrimp Fest held in October. Over 180 peop...
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RSMS math teacher Kimberly Stephens makes a presentation about Khan Academy, an online resource she has started using in her classroom, before the Sampson County Schools' Board of Education during their February meeting this past week. Stephens believes the site can be very useful for teachers, students, and parents in Sampson County. (Lauren Williams/Sampson Independent)
County teacher touts free learning tool that helps teachers, students and parents
During Sampson County Schools’ Board of Education meeting earlier in the week, Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School seventh-grade math teacher Kimberly Stephens presented school board members with information about an online resource she uses in her classroom and that she feels would be beneficial to all Sampson County teachers. The online resource is Khan Academy, a free website that features over 4,000 informational and instructional videos, ...
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March is National Cataract Awareness Month
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health have designated March as National Cataract Awareness Month to assist the public in becoming more aware of the effects that cataracts have in shaping our lifestyle through decreased vision. I will dedicate the next several columns to explaining what cataracts are, how common they are, how they affect our vision, how they are diagnosed an...
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Sampson Jr. Beta brings home awards
Courtesy photo On Feb. 3, the Sampson Middle School Jr. Beta Club attended the State Jr. Beta Club Convention. Each of the 38 attending delegates participated in various competitions such as Arts and Crafts, T-Shirt Making, Language Arts, Social Studies, Essay, Speech, Living Literature, Talent, etc. The theme of the convention was ‘The Heart of Beta.’ Several competitions were centered on this theme. Olivia Sessoms placed third in the stat...
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Chris Berendt/Sampson Independent Emergency Management director Ronald Bass said a grant being applied for locally could assist in hiring personnel to recruit rescue volunteers, and improving services that have come a long way in the last year.
Grant could serve to draw needed volunteer firefighters, rescue workers
Sampson County, like many others, is dealing with a diminishing amount of volunteer firefighters to complement its paid fire and rescue personnel. A grant sought by one fire department hopes to boost that number, even as a recent expansion of paid rescue workers has seen response times improve. Taylors Bridge Fire Department has submitted an application for the 2013 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant. If approve...
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General Assembly has been active in February
Although February might be the shortest month of the year, it’s been an exciting month at the General Assembly. I look forward to making these next several months as exciting and positive as this one. NOTABLE LEGISLATION: This week I want to break this section into two categories, legislation we’ve passed and legislation that has recently been filed. If you want to learn more about these bills you can click on the bill number or visit t...
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