• The Columbus County Farmer’s Market will be having Chicken Bog and BBQ Day this Saturday, Aug. 6. Samples of both the regional favorites will be available to try before purchase. Produce, meats, and artisan products will also be for sale at the event. The market is located at 132 Government Complex Drive in Whiteville.
• Whiteville’s Fun Factory will be having their sensory friendly hours on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. These hours are set aside every first Saturday of the month for families with special needs and sensory restrictions. The lights will be dimmed and the atmosphere will be quiet for these children to have a good time. Tickets are $12 for kids ages 4 and up and $6 for little ones ages 3 and under. The factory can be found at 42 Hill Plaza in Whiteville.
• Families First of Bladen and Columbus need your help to provide school supplies to the children in the domestic violence and sexual assault program. Items needed include notebooks, bookbags, lunch boxes, notebook paper, folders and dividers, three ring binders, glue sticks, rulers, scissors, crayons, pens, highlighters, hand sanitizers (small), masks, Post-It Notes, index cards, headphones, and earbuds.
Items can be dropped off at the Whiteville office located at 121 West Main Street, or at the Elizabethtown office at 103 East Board Street.
• Deputy J. Hill and Deputy R. Williamson completed the North Carolina Officers’ Association D.A.R.E. Training. This two-week long training course was held at the North Carolina Justice Academy in Salemburg. During this training, the students had the opportunity to test their newly learned skills teaching D.A.R.E. classes to students at the Tar Heel Challenge Academy and at Roseboro Elementary School. Hill was appointed Class President by his peers.
• Galloway Farm, home of Columbus County’s Maze Craze, now has their annual scarecrow contest open. Create a scarecrow to represent your business and enter to win a $500 advertising spot for the 2023 Maze Craze. This year, the farm will be partnering with Netflix for an Outer Banks themed field design. For more information about entering the contest, contact Galloway Farm via their Facebook page.
• In preparation for Cycle NC on Oct. 7, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is looking for old bikes to decorate and place throughout downtown Whiteville. Items can be dropped off at the Columbus County Parks and Recreation Building located at 606 North Thompson Street from 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. The office is closed from 12 – 1 p.m. for lunch.
• The Columbus County Animal Shelter is once again full to capacity. If you can adopt a dog or cat, go by the shelter on Legion Drive, check out their available pet galleries on Facebook, or contact Animal Protective Services at 910.641.3945.
• The N.C. Yam Festival committee has announced a new event for this year’s annual celebration. If your town’s festival, school, business, or church has a mascot, then he/she is invited to join in on Tabor City’s first inaugural Mascot Race. Characters will be running, walking fast, or jogging with a sweet potato on a large spoon. First one to the finish line without dropping their vegetable is the winner. A prize will be awarded upon the completion of the race. To participate, contact Cynthia Nelson at 910.377.3248. The event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22.
• The Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio is looking for tribal youth to join its 2022 Soul Science Cohort. Learn how you can shape the community’s future health while working alongside environmental scientist. The program is for children ages 5-18 years old, and registration is open from now until Aug. 15. Visit Soul Science Project -Cohort Sign-Up to sign-up for this event.
• Chadbourn’s town meeting ended with a big surprise for Officer Jonathan Driggers this week. Driggers received the Lifesaving Award and was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Valor for entering a burning motel and pulling a man to safety. Driggers also grabbed a fire hose to control the fire until first responders could arrive.
• Shizzy’s Wildcat Rescue in Fair Bluff is in need of volunteers to help with the construction of den boxes and fencing on several big cat and wolf habitats on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, be able to lift a minimum of 20 pounds, and be comfortable working in various weather conditions. No experience is necessary. Groups are welcomed. To sign up, please contact Rhonda Billeaud at rhonda.billeaud@shizzyswildcatrescue.org or call 910.840.1886.
• Services for the Lakeside Ministry at the Lake Waccamaw Campground Pavilion will continue every Sunday through Sept. 4 at 9 a.m. The speaker this weekend will be Rev. Ronnie Wilson, and the singer will be Rhonda Grice. The campground is located at 250 Waccamaw Shores Road in Lake Waccamaw.
• Abundant Life Assembly of God will be hosting their VBS, Lava Lava Luau, on Aug. 7-11 from 6-9 p.m. each evening. The church is located at 5384 James. B. White Highway South in Whiteville.
• This week, officers from Whiteville Police Department and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office attended Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)Training. CIT programs are jail diversion programs that provide law enforcement officers the knowledge and skills they need to de-escalate persons in crisis. This type of training improves communication, identifies mental health resources for those in crisis, and ensures officer and community safety.
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.
