If cooler temperatures make you want to get out and do something, then Columbus County will not disappoint anyone with all the activities going on over the weekend. Go hang out in St. James, catch the veterans parade, or strengthen those firefighting skills at Lake Waccamaw. Check out everything there is to see and do in this week’s edition of The Good News.
The community of Saint James will be having a fall festival this weekend, Saturday, Nov. 8, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. There will be food, vendors, fellowship, and lots of fun for everyone. The event will be held at the fire department located at 3203 Old Northeast Road in Lake Waccamaw.
Hallsboro Baptist Church will have their ‘Community Veterans Recognition’ on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 2-4 p.m. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the program. The church can be found at 551 Hallsboro Road South.
The Veterans Celebration Parade honoring our local military service men and women will be coming through Whiteville on Nov. 8 beginning at 11 a.m. Please note that the lineup for the procession has changed and will now be at the Columbus County Government’s Downtown Campus.
For entry forms or more information, contact Mike Creen at 843.214.0315 or Kendra Graham at 910.640.6638.
If adventure is on your list of things to do this weekend, the Southeastern Swamp Stewards will be doing a free nature walk on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 2-4 p.m. at the Fair Bluff Riverwalk.
Join the organization as the check out the local bird population. Registration is required, and you can sign up by visiting www.ncwf.org/event/bird-walk-at-fair-bluff-fair-bluff/.
Lake Waccamaw Fire and Rescue is hosting an in-house training series on Nov. 8-9 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Anyone from nearby departments are welcomed to join and get in a few extra training hours before the end of the year. If you aren’t on a department and are interested in joining one, feel free to come out and learn some new skills.
Class topics include:
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Safety and Survival
- Basic Tools
- Search
- Fire
- Hose Movement and Advancement
Those interested can call Walker Gay at 980.417.4159. LWF-R can be found at 203 Flemington Drive in Lake Waccamaw.
Robinson Produce Farms and the Columbus County Department of Aging are working together to feed senior citizens in the area for Thanksgiving. Monetary donations or canned goods are being accepted from Nov. 1-25 to fill 250 boxes this holiday season at Robinson’s located at 607 North J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville.
To find out all the details, you can call Amber Leonard at 910.625.7917 or visit www.robinsonproducefarms.com.
The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal and the Columbus County Fire Marshal have partnered with local volunteer fire departments to provide free smoke detectors to residents in the community. 
Hallsboro Volunteer Fire Department spent last Saturday installing over 30 detectors to folks in their area.
Anyone in need of a detector can call their local fire station, and they will send someone out to install one in your home for absolutely free.
Speaking of Hallsboro Fire Department, firefighter Christ Stewart and his family are in need of some help after he underwent triple bypass open heart surgery on Oct. 10. Stewart, a familiar face at Pierce and Company, cannot return to work until his doctor releases him in an uncertain amount of time.
As life happens, the bills don’t stop, and the Stewarts have the added expenses of travel and medical appointments for Chris’s rehabilitation. His wife Tiffany works with the school system, and she had to take time off to care for her husband and their family. She has opened a GoFundMe page, and if you would like to contribute, you can do so by visiting https://gofund.me/bd3a75d4f. You can also Cash App them at $Tstewart1976.
With the government on shutdown, local food pantries are making sure that no one goes hungry. Below is a list of charities open this week:
- The Harvest Table, located at 211 East Columbus Street in Whiteville, is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 a.m.
- Facts of Life Church of the Living God Pillar Ground and Truth, located at 24678 Peacock Road in Tabor City, will open this morning at 11 a.m. to giveaway senior boxes.
- Lifesavers Outreach, located at 3440 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville, opens Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. while supplies last.
- St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 507 Money Hole Road in Bolton, is open every Thursday from 12-2 p.m.
Carolyn’s Kaleidoscope Children’s Advocacy Center is collecting non-perishable food items for families at the facility. Canned goods of all sorts like rice, beans, ready to eat meals, instant grits/oatmeal, noodles and snacks are requested for the cause.
Items can be dropped off or shipped to 219 North Lee Street in Whiteville.
The Veterans Memorial Park of America will be having their Veterans Day ceremony and a ribbon cutting for their new Veterans Community Outreach Center on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. After the event, a complimentary meal will be served to all the vets in attendance.
The VMPA can be found at 6354 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville invites all teens in the area to the Teen Science Cafe on Nov. 13 from 6-7 p.m. The guest speaker will be Tanner Murray who will be discussing ‘Dolphins, Drama, and the Digital Age.’
This free event includes food and an activity. The NCMNS-W is located at 415 South Madison Street in Whiteville.
Columbus County Disaster Coalition will host their ‘Faith and Preparedness’ event on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Vineland Station Depot. Several speakers will highlight the areas they work in, how you can be involved, plus resources and information you can take back to your members.
Refreshments will be provided, and registration is required by Nov. 7. Only three people per group is requested. You can sign up by emailing columbuscountydisasterco2025@gmail.com. Vineland is located at 701 South Madison Street in Whiteville.
Pastor Christ Honeycutt and Forward Church will be hosting their fall men’s retreat ‘Forged in Faith’ on Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. at Lake Waccamaw. The cost is $75 per person and includes a steak dinner Friday night and breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
Hiking, fishing, a gun range, and golf are among the activities available for the weekend. Those interested can sign up at www.forwardchurch.tv/event-details/fall-mens-retreat-1. The address for the retreat is 115 East Cypress Street.
The Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry is collecting donations of turkeys, or funds to purchase them, for the Nov. 22 distribution day. The group hopes to provide for 200 local families in need.
Checks call be mailed to LWFM, P.O. Box 64, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450, or you can donate personally by calling Sylvia Patton at 910.641.7017.
The Sheep Dog Foundation and the McMullen House of Heroes will be hosting their first annual Heroes Feast on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, from 12-2 p.m. This meal is for on duty law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, dispatchers, emergency services personnel, and support personnel to honor your sacrifice of being on call during the holiday.
The event will be held at 426 South Lee Street in Whiteville. Donations and volunteers are greatly appreciated, and those interested in doing so can email info@sheepdogfdn.com .
If you missed signing up your child for Toys for Tots on Nov. 1, you will have another chance to do so on Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at two local churches at each end of the county.
Tabor City, Pireway, Fair Bluff, Cerro Gordo, Chadbourn, and Evergreen communities can visit Believers Home Fellowship Church located at 13590 James B. White Highway South in Tabor City. Whiteville, Old Dock, Nakina, Hallsboro, and Lake Waccamaw communities can sign up their youngsters at Abundant Life Assembly of God at 5384 James B. White Highway South in Whiteville.
Registration is in person only, and identification for each child is required via Medicaid card, birth certificate, identification card, etc. Social Security cards are not allowed. An I.D. is also required for the adult who is signing up the children. For more information about the program, call 910.840.9696 before 9 p.m.
Hallsboro United Methodist Church is gearing up for their community Christmas event, and they need you. Vendors and sponsors are welcome to join HUMC for their Christmas celebration on Friday, Dec. 6.
The event will include photos with Santa, snacks and treats, Christmas tree decorating, and vendors and sellers. Those interested in participating can visit www.hallsboroumc.org for more information.
Remember to check out our Good News tab throughout the week. We love to hear about all the great things happening around you. Email your submissions to thegoodnews@columbuscountynews.com or crystalfaircloth@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.
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