Summer is officially in full swing, and the local community college has opportunities for everyone out there. Learn a new skill, or sign up for fall classes. Education is right at your fingertips.
• Many area churches are scheduling their Vacation Bible Schools right now. We have a growing list of VBS activities elsewhere on the CCN website. Feel free to send your VBS information to crystalfaircloth@columbuscounty.news.
• The Columbus County Sheriff’s Animal Protective Services will be having their first ever Family Fur Day. The event will be held at the Columbus County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Entry is free. There will be train rides, a petting zoo, bouncy houses, food and more. The annual rabies clinic will also be held on the premises, and the cost is $5 per one year vaccine.
Adults, children, and their pets are welcome to join in on all the fun. For more information about Family Fur Day, call the APS office at 910.641.3945.
• Southeastern Community College is now accepting enrollment into the Automotive Systems Technology program. The curriculum offers training as automotive service technicians and provides an introduction to the field. The course includes class and lab work.
Job opportunities in the automotive field are plentiful, and technicians can work for dealerships, specialized shops, or in independently owned garages servicing all type of vehicles. For more information or to enroll, call Admissions at SCC at 910.788.6879 or visit www.sccnc.edu.
The college is also offering classes to students at Whiteville High School. Technical and general education courses like Intro to Mechatronics and Writing Inquiry and Support will be taught on the Wolfpack campus. Fall registration is now open, and students can contact their high school counselor, or call Natalie Freeman at 910.788.6279.
• A flat tire is bad enough, but a flat in a rain storm far from home can be a nightmare. A South Carolina couple had just that problem, but Trooper Trevor Bryan of the N.C. Highway Patrol stopped to help the pair change the tire and didn’t complain not one bit about the wet conditions. County commission Chair Rickey Bullard caught the good deed on camera and thanked Bryan on social media. The event ended with a smile on everyone’s face.
• Come join the museum for a read-aloud and nature exploration activity at the Second Saturday Storytime Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Participants will be learning all about dinosaurs. This program is geared toward children ages 3-6 years old, but families who love nature and love to read are welcome to join. Second Saturday Storytime is a partnership with the Columbus Chapter of the N.C. Reading Association. No registration is required for this event.
• Columbus County Parks and Recreation will be sponsoring a summer enrichment baseball and softball clinic on June 13-15 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Southeastern Community College ballfield. The event is for children ages 5-12 years old, and the cost of the clinic is $30. Free lunch, snacks, and refreshments will be provided.
The fee isn’t due until the morning of the clinic. Parents can preregister their children by calling the CCPR office at 910.640.6624.
• Dr. Amy Sessions will speak at the Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum on Sunday, June 12, at 3 p.m. about her work with Mission of Hope: Rotifunk.
Sessions has traveled three times to the Moyambo District of Sierra Leone in West Africa as a missionary to help pregnant women and children. Being with child in this particular country can be a death sentence to both mother and child. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
• Did you know that North Carolina waters are home to five sea turtle species? Each year, they will nest on area shores from May to October. Join Museum of Science staff virtually on Monday, June 13, at 4 p.m. to learn about the life of the sea turtle and conservation efforts going on to help this creature. EcoEXPLORE participants will earn points towards their Herpetology Badge. Register to attend the Zoom meeting “Sensational Sea Turtles” at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItceitpjMvHNEsMq08BRwKtyrlZCUjaNRP.
• The Columbus County Library in Whiteville will be having a meet and greet with local historical fiction author Teri M. Brown. Brown’s first book “Sunflowers Beneath the Snow” follows the story of Ivanna and her daughter as they try to survive in the Soviet Union after her husband’s death. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 15, at 3 p.m. The library is located at 407 North J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville.
• Southeastern Community College will host Summerfest on Thursday, June 16. The event will feature live music from Uptown Easy, food trucks and drinks, carnival games, campus tours, car cruise-ins and more. Activities open to all students and the community.
The fun will run from 4-9 pm on the SCC campus located at 4564 Chadbourn Highway in Whiteville. Admission is free with options to purchase from vendor booths. Cars, trucks and motorcycles are also welcome to join the cruise-in.
Interested food and drink vendors can contact Aspen Allen at aspen.allen@sccnc.edu to learn more about opportunities to be a vendor at Summer Fest. For more information about the event, visit Summer Fest 2022.
• Movies on Madison, is back on Friday, June 17. Visit the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Whiteville for a family movie night plus science activities. Bring your chairs or blankets and get ready to have some fun. Upcoming films include:
“Bee Movie” on June 17
“Finding Nemo” on July 15
“Raya and the Last Dragon” on Aug. 19
“Moana” on Sept. 16
The museum’s lawn will be open at 8:00 p.m. for nature activities, and the feature presentation will begin at 8:30 p.m. Movies on Madison are free, and no registration is required. Refreshments will be available for sale onsite.
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 crystalfaircloth@columbuscounty.newswith your church announcements, fundraisers, yard sales, club news, community celebrations, or just plain happy stories. There is no charge for publicizing your events.
