The Good News for Jan. 15-22

There’s always a lot going on in Columbus County. That’s why we added the Good News segment to our news casts, then a full program and weekly post on Columbuscountynews.com in 2021.

Several folks have mentioned how they’d like to know a little sooner than Friday about what’s happening in our community, and we’ve listened.

The Good News will now be published on Wednesday afternoons at Columbuscountynews.com. The program will still be broadcast on WTXY KOOL 1039 on Saturday mornings. We’ve also added the Good News to our CCN Radio lineup as well.

Since announcements and stories for the Good News sometimes don’t come together as soon as we like, we’ll be editing the Good News on CCN to reflect changes for last minute announcements.

We are also expanding our church news section. Send us your service information, address, website or social media information, and any special so we can share it with our readers.

Remember to check back with the Good News throughout the week for updates on additional events.

• Saturday will be the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March in downtown Whiteville. The procession will start at

  

  Vineland Station, and go to the courthouse where there will be music and speeches.
  The event starts at 10 a.m. The march is sponsored by the Whiteville chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
  Elizabethtown’s MLK day parade kicks off at 10 a.m.

• The warming station is open from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. nightly at Facts of Life Church, 506 N. Lee Street, Whiteville. Pastor Daisy Brooks said hours will be extended on extremely cold days. Volunteers are needed from area churches and civic groups. Donations of baby supplies, coffee, bottled water and toilet paper are urgently needed. Call 910.918.4531.
• Speaking of cold weather – our community hero this week is Allen Strickland. When the cold weather moved in with a vengeance last week, Allen opened the Todd House Wedding and Event Center to anyone who was in need of a warm place to sleep in Tabor City. It’s always a sign of a good community when local businesses step up and help those in need during tough times. Allen and his family have put a lot of time and effort into remaking the Todd House into a venue that draws people from across the region. They deserve an extra thanks for offering a warm place for the less fortunate.

• 

  A fundraiser plate sale for the family and children of Misty Cribb will be held January 25 from 11 until 2 p.m. at Murf’s Pawn in Whiteville and Happy Home Baptist Church in Nakina. Tickets are $10. Tickets are available at a number of area locations.

 Volunteers are needed for the Cribb family fundraiser. A meeting and prayer fellowship will be held January 24 at 6 p.m. at Happy Home Church in Nakina.

See this story online for more, or call 910.625.0952 for tickets.

• It’s hard to believe, but five years ago this week, ground was broken on the Veterans Memorial Park of America on U.S. 701 South of Whiteville. What began as a dream had grown to a destination for local and out of town visitors alike. There are monuments to all the branches of service, a memory garden where people can reflect on veterans who lived and died in the country’s service, the Field of flags and so much more.
  On the fifth anniversary of that groundbreaking this week, Angela Norris and Company began pouring the foundation for the Veterans Outreach Center. When it’s completed, the center will act as a community meeting place, as well as acting as a local base for Veterans Administration mobile services when they visit the county. This makes it easier for those in need of VA visits but lack transportation.

What’s more is that very little taxpayer money has been used for the park. All of the funds have been raised through individual donations and a few grants, outside of one donation by the county.  It’s good to know so many people want to honor those among us who have served.

• The park will host the Wall That Heals in April. The wall is a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Along with the wall will be the non-profit education center where visitors can learn more about local servicemembers whose names are on the wall, as well as history of the Vietnam War. There’s even a display of items left at the monument in Washington. The event is free, but volunteers are needed.

• Western Prong Baptist Church will hold a meeting January 26 for anyone interested in volunteering for the  upcoming Tim Tebow Night To Shine. The meeting will be at 4 p.m. at the church. Western Prong is located between Whiteville and Clarkton, at 167 Peacock Road.

• Western Prong’s annual wild game banquet is January 21. Tickets are $20. There will be drawings, speakers and much more. Major League Baseball players Mackenzie Gore, Gavin Williams and Brooks Baldwin will also make special appearances at the banquet. Call 910.648.2744 for ticket information.

• The Forest Service is offering two state certified prescribed burner classes this year. The class is $25, and will include classroom, virtual learning and field work. Classes are set for May 19-22and October 20-23. For more information, go to ncforestservice.gov.

• The Piney Forest Baptist Church JOY Group will host Empower Her 2025 on Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. until noon. Lynn Cowell and Amy Carroll will be special speakers, with praise and worship music from the Crossroads Band. There will be fellowship, door prizes, books and merchandise, and more. Tickets are $20. Call 910.625.5205 or 910.770.1292. Piney Forest is Located at 4509 Andrew Jackson Hwy. SW, Chadbourn.

• The Columbus Baptist Association Spring Revival is set for March 10-13 at Hallsboro Baptist Church, 551 Hallsboro Rd. South. Guest speakers will be Rev. Joshua Connor of Pleasant Plains Baptist; Rev. Phil Addison of Bolton Baptist; Rev. Ryan Edwards of Clarendon Baptist, and Dr. George Strickland of Cerro Gordo Baptist. There will be special music each night.

Remember we never charge for your church announcements, civic club news, birthdays and anniversaries, Good Samaritan and hero stories, little kids with big fish, or happy news of any kind.

Email jeffersonweaver@columbuscountynews.com; call us at 910.914.6056, or just drop by our office at 1015 South Madison St., Whiteville. We love visitors. If the blinds are open, we’re open for business.