Public Safety

Authorities are searching for a 14 year old girl who disappeared from the Bladenboro area Sunday. Essence Unique Simmons is a black female, 5’4” tall, weighing around 160 pounds. The Bladen Sheriff’s Office said she left home on a bicycle around 8 p.m. Sunday. Essence was wearing black tights, a black hoodie, and a black t-shirt  when she was last seen in the 7000 block of N.C 211...

A Whiteville youth previously convicted of firing into a home is facing new felonies. Notorious D. Taylor, 17, of 402 W. Lewis St., Whiteville, has been charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for drug activities, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of a firearm by a felon, and manufacture, sale, distribution or possession of drugs within 1,000 feet of...

Keyonte Poole will spend the next 480 to 600 months – 40 to 50 years – in prison for the brutal murders of Robbie Hildreth and Sean Burke in Bladen County. Poole pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree murder in Bladen County Superior Court today (Wednesday) in a hearing that lasted around an hour. Chief Asst. District Attorney Allan Adams told the court that Poole and...