The Good News for April 23-29.

Ryleigh Madison and Dustin Chapman at Thursday's concert in Whiteville. (Jeff Reichert)
Ryleigh Madison and Dustin Chapman at a concert in downtown Whiteville. (Jeff Reichert)

Columbus County suffered a great loss this week with the passing of Sergeant Cameron Lemmons. His death has residents opening their hearts to those he left behind. 

Sgt. Cameron Lemmons and his twin sons. (Submitted photo)

The officer was a father to twin boys under the age of two years old. Whiteville Police Department, Chadbourn Police and Fair Bluff Fire-Rescue and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office are  accepting donations of diapers, pullups, and wipes for the Lemmons family. 

The CCSO will also be accepting cash, gift cards, and any other donations anyone would like to give, and the WPD will be holding a raffle with proceeds going to the children and their mother. If you are unable to make it to either office, your contribution can also be mailed to P.O. Box 280, Whiteville, NC 28472.   

Consider giving not only to this cause this week, but to other non-profits in the area as well.  

You can give the gift of life on Saturday, April 23. Nakina Fire and Rescue will be having a blood drive from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the station located on 214 Ramsey Ford Road. A free $20 eGift card will be presented to each donor. 

The event is being sponsored by the Just SISTAS Foundation. For any information about the event, email the organization at [email protected].  

A big crowd turned out to help pack QR keychain Bibles for the Ukraine Thursday. (Submitted)

The Columbus Baptist Association had a great turn out Thursday evening for their Ukrainian relief effort. The organization had 78 people crammed into their fellowship hall, kitchen, and hallway working to assemble and pack Bible keychains to send with Matthew Ward overseas on his mission trip. The CBA took up donations last month to fund the cause.

Porter Swamp Baptist Church in Cerro Gordo will be having a spaghetti fundraiser on Saturday, April 23, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The cost of the plates is a simple donation to help fund the organization’s mission trip to Wyoming. Plates will include spaghetti, green beans, and a dessert. The church is located at 8725 Andrew Jackson Highway South West. 

Tabor City will have its second annual Spring Has Sprung festival starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. The festival will feature crafts, food, vendors, entertainment, a kid’s zone, and even a car show. A parade will begin at 10 a.m. For more information about the event, please call the Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce at 910.377.3012. 

Ryleigh Madison and Dustin Chapman at Thursday's concert in Whiteville. (Jeff Reichert)
Ryleigh Madison and Dustin Chapman at Thursday’s concert in Whiteville. (Jeff Reichert)

Dustin Chapman and Ryleigh Madison performed at Vineland Station Thursday evening. The show was sponsored by the town of Whiteville and completely free to the public. The duo was excited to sing for their hometown. They’re also opening the N.C. Strawberry Festival this year.

Both Chapman and Madison are former American Idol contestants and recently released the song “Family Thing” that received airtime all over the United States. 

The Farmers Union Springfest Parade is back on after a hiatus of two years.  The event is today, Saturday, April 23. Parade line-up begins at 10 a.m. at 5962 Hallsboro Road North. The parade starts at 11 a.m., and there will be festivities afterwards at Elra and Gertrude Spaulding Park. T-shirts are available for $10. For more information, call Poncitta at 910.918.6474 or Sonnyman at 910.770.5683. 

Abundant Life Assembly of God will also be having a spaghetti fundraiser on Sunday, April 24, immediately after services. All proceeds will go toward projects for the youth group program. Plates are $8 each, and will include spaghetti, a side salad, and a roll. The church is located at 5384 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville.

You can take pictures of nature, help scientists, compete for prizes, and join a global initiative on Saturday, April 30, at the North Carolina Natural Sciences Museum in Whiteville. Starting at 10:30 a.m., the public is invited to see how many living things they can document during the Nature Photo Challenge. 

You can also learn how to submit those pictures to help with scientific research, and some of the photographs picked will win prizes. There will be a limited number of digital cameras available at the challenge, but smartphone images will also be accepted. Spots are limited, so reserve yours now at https://tinyurl.com/CNCPhoto.  

Families First will be hosting a Take Back the Night celebration April 28 (Thursday) at San Jose restaurant in Whiteville. Take Back the Night focuses on preventing sexual abuse. There will be door prizes and gift throughout the evening. The event is from 6-8 p.m.

The GOOD NEWS is featured every Saturday morning on WTXY, and throughout the week under the GOOD NEWS tab at z2j.c7e.myftpupload.com. Email [email protected]with your church announcements, fundraisers, yard sales, club news, community celebrations, or just plain happy stories. There is no charge for publicizing your events.