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Bladen Journal
MARTIN: Wait, have the Ukrainians already won?
Arguably, the Ukrainians have already won their country’s battle with Putin’s Russia—if we don’t make them give up that victory. It is a complicated situation, of course. Russian troops are still holding on to Ukrainian territory in the eastern part of the country and are attempting to conquer more.
Rx for reading: Pediatricians incorporate books into checkups to promote early literacy
GREENSBORO — At the Cone Health Mom+Baby Combined Care clinic in Greensboro, reading is part of every child wellness check. At a recent checkup, family medicine physician Kimberly Newton read from “It’s Bath Time” to a 4-month-old patient. “That’s a donkey. That’s a pig,” she read...
Pembroke woman finds ‘alien-looking skull’ in her front yard
PEMBROKE – The thing definitely has a stark, menacing look. And the object is, as the caller put it, “an alien-looking skull” about the size of a baseball. The finder’s aunt, Reba Duncan, who was calling from Texas, first notified The Robesonian about the unusual partial skeleton that her niece had found in her yard outside the town limits of Pembroke.
Gospel artists come together for Maurice Rogers benefit concert in Lumberton
LUMBERTON – On June 17, 2022, gospel keyboardist, music director and producer Maurice Rogers went into cardiac arrest and straight into life support. Two years later, Rogers – a nationally known commodity in the gospel music field – is confined to a wheelchair. The 51-year-old, whose speaking...
This Week In History
Jan. 22: Littleton College Victim to 1919 Fire. On Jan. 22, 1919, a fire consumed a majority of the buildings on the campus of Littleton College in Halifax County. No lives were lost, but the devastation was so complete–damages exceeding $50,000–that the owner could not raise the money to rebuild and the school closed.
Absentee voting begins today
ELIZABETHTOWN — On Friday, Jan. 19, North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections will begin sending absentee-by-mail ballots to registered voters who requested a ballot for the 2024 primary election. This marks the start of voting for North Carolina’s March 5 primary election. Voters who have already requested...
Partners in Ministry helps kids become ‘change agents’ in their communities
The hallways of Partners in Ministry’s building in Laurinburg are covered in inspirational sayings: “Put first things first.” “Begin with the end in mind.”. When Executive Director Melba McCallum first dreamed the idea for the nonprofit in 2003, she couldn’t have known all that it would grow to become. Today, the group runs an afterschool program for about 300 students, provides college and career mentorship to young adults and helps renovate run-down houses in the community.
Community Calendar
Welcome to the Bladen Journal’s Community Calendar. If you have a calendar item, please send it to interim editor David Kennard by email at news@bladenjournal.com. BOOK CLUB: The Bladen County Public Library has released its list of books for the Pastries and Print Book Club. January: Tom Lake -Ann Patchett; February: “None of this is True” by Lisa Jewell; March: “The American Heiress” by Daisy Goodwin; April: “And If I Perish” by Evelyn M. Monahan; May: “The Lost and Found Bookshop” by Susan Wiggs; June: “The Choice” by Edith Eva Eger. For more information contact Kim Wilson at 910-863-4586 or email kwilson@bladenco.org. Meetings are at 3 p.m. every third Monday at the library’s Main Branch, 111 N Cypress St. Elizabethtown.
Bladen Community College to launch Wellness Series
ELIZABETHTOWN — Did you know that in 2023 Bladen ranked as one of the least healthy counties in North Carolina? Bladen Community College Chef N’gai Dickerson has decades of experience crafting recipes to improve your health that are easy and taste wonderful. In BCC’s inaugural Wellness Series, the...
LOWRY: The AWOL Defense Secretary
Anyone following how weak and passive the U.S. has been in the face of provocations from our adversaries in the Middle East might conclude that the secretary of defense has gone missing. And, at least for a few days last week, he literally was. In an age when it’s nearly...
HOOD: Three Republicans vie to challenge Marshall
Our state’s constitutional system mirrors the federal system in some ways. North Carolina has three branches of government, for example. We have a bicameral legislature. And we have a judiciary composed of trial courts, a court of appeals and a supreme court. There are also critical differences, however. One...
Homeowners in NC’s Border Belt would pay much more for insurance under new proposal
LAURINBURG — Homeowners in southeastern North Carolina would have to pay substantially more for insurance under a new proposal. The North Carolina Rate Bureau last week proposed an average statewide increase of 42.2% for homeowners’ insurance. In Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties, the proposed increase is higher. Scotland...
Cooper gets temporary legal win in fight with legislature over board’s makeup
RALEIGH (AP) — A North Carolina judge has prevented for now an environmental regulatory board from canceling its lawsuit while state courts examine Gov. Roy Cooper’s arguments that legislative changes in the board’s makeup prevent him from carrying out effectively laws to control pollution. Superior Court Rebecca...
Hundreds of bicyclists expected in Elizabethtown in October for Cycle North Carolina 2024
ELIZABETHTOWN — Wit Tuttell, the executive director of Visit NC, has announced that Elizabethtown will be an overnight stop on the 2024 Cycle North Carolina “Mountains to Coast” Route. Find the announcement online HERE. The 25th annual ride is scheduled for a Spruce Pine to Ocean Isle...
Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel Facility Recognized by NCDEQ for Exceeding Environmental Compliance
TAR HEEL — The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality recognized Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel pork-processing facility as a Rising Environmental Steward for its continuing commitment to exceeding compliance with environmental regulations and maintaining a high standard of environmental excellence. “Smithfield has prioritized environmental stewardship and transparent reporting...
Two of Bladen’s own makes All-State
BLADEN COUNTY — West Bladen junior athlete Hezekiah Adams and East Bladen senior running-back Masion Brooks were selected to the 2023 HighSchoolOT All-State Football Team for stellar individual seasons. Adams was picked for the Second Team All-State Special Teams and Brooks made Third Team All-State for two-way players. West...
Wagner: Driving for a good marriage
People are moronic. Not all people, mind you; some are pretty level-headed. But once you understand the context of the writing of this column, my opening assertion should be a bit more understandable: I am currently traveling down I-85 South. The car that just disappeared off into the distance, weaving...
Haley, Christie, and Lincoln on the causes of the Civil War
“What was the cause of the United States Civil War?”. Asked this question by an audience member at a presidential candidate town hall in New Hampshire on Wednesday, December 27, Nicki Haley, after a pause, smiled and said, “Well, don’t come at me with an easy question.”. She...
Titans get big win in conference play
ROCKY POINT — The Heide Trask Titans defeated the East Bladen Eagles for a 66-47 victory on Wednesday night in a Waccamaw Conference clash. The Titans had five players in double-digit scoring in a huge conference win; senior guard Matrez Davis scored a team-high 16 points, senior forward Bradford Bannermen scored 11 points, freshmen center Gio Diggers also finished the night with 11 and shifty senior guard Myron Mckoy finished the night with 10.
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