Public Safety

An early morning thief is hoping to get lucky after stealing lottery tickets from a Delco store. Columbus county Sheriff’s Deputies were called to an alarm at the Delco minimart shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday (July 15). A side door had been damaged to allow entry into the building, the report said. Deputies cleared the building and found no one inside. When the keyholder for the store arrived,...

A narcotics investigation turned up a stolen handgun that had been illegally converted to a fully automatic weapon, the sheriff’s office said. Juwarn Andre Britt Jr., 22, was the target of a multi-month investigation into illegal drug sales, according to a sheriff’s office press release. He was taken into custody Monday on charges of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a place for drug...

Lightning today may mean a wildfire tomorrow or even weeks down the road, according to the N.C. Forest Service. Last week’s Quarry Road fire in Brunswick County has been tracked down to a lightning strike, according to Christie Adams of the NCFS. “While the cause of the Quarry Road Fire in Shallotte was determined to be lightning, our investigation is ongoing and has not concluded at this time,”...