Investing in Your Community Now Accepting Short-Term Rehabilitation and Extended Stay Guests
Call or Come by for a Personal Tour.
OPENING Vol. SO50, ONNo. 35
Be
iture Outfit Furn ter h s ac ONE SHOPPING ,
c. In
FREE Local Serving Topsail Island Delivery & Setup for Over 25 Years! 13997 NC Hw y. 50, Su rf City, NC
HOURS - Tues.-Sat. 10am-5 pm, closed www.BeachFurnitureOutfitte Sun. and Mon. rsInc.com PHONE: 910-803-0455
311 S Campbell St. Burgaw, NC 28425 (910) 259-6007 www.laurelsofpender.com
Thursday, July 22, 2021
POST Voice Fifty Cents
The Pender-Topsail
&
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County www.postvoiceonline.com
Nearly 25 years since Cat 3 Hurricane Fran
Getting ready for the next big wind storm By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Pender County has seen its share of hurricanes during the past few years, with Matthew and Florence being the most recent storms
Election filing closed; some candidates are unopposed
that brought damage to the county. But Matthew and Florence were largely flood events with moderate to mild wind damage associated with the storms. Hurricane Fran dropped about 16 inches of rain on
brought widespread destruc-
“That was the last time we saw a true wind event. tion to our area. Many current residents were not here All these other storms were flood events.” Pender County EM Director Tommy Batson in 1996 when Hurricane Fran
Pender County, while Florence was more than twice that amount.
It has been 25 years since Pender County has experienced a hurricane that
made landfall as a Category 3 storm with sustained winds
Advocates 4 Atkinson to hold fundraiser for Safe Haven of Pender
Cool ice and hot music
By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
From Staff Reports With filing closed for the 2021 November municipal elections, candidates are set for the ballots. A number of town board members running for reelection across Pender County are running unopposed. In Surf City, council members Teresa Batts and Jeremy Shugarts will be on the ballot unopposed. Topsail Beach commissioners Morton Blanchard, Frank Braxton, and Tim Zizack will also be unopposed on the November ballot. Burgaw will see a race for mayor as incumbent Kenneth “Pete” Cowan will face challenger Olivia Dawson. On the town council, three candidates will vie for two open seats. Incumbent Jan Dawson will seek reelection, along with challengers James R. Malloy and Brent A. Springer. In Atkinson, two candidates have filed for the mayor’s job – incumbent Elton Wendell Newkirk Sr. will face a challenge from Bryan Stewart. For town commissioner, four candidates are seeking two seats. Incumbents Denise Lewis and Dee Turner face challenges from Penny Stith and Crystle Dunning. Watha mayor Needham C. Hall is running unopposed, while three candidates – Kenneth Fountain, Samuel Stadsvold, and J. Craig are seeking the two open seats on the board. The election will be held November 2.
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/PostVoice
Continued on page 13A
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Charli and Kammy Strickland with Sunset Slush of the Southeast seved Italian Ice at the Summer on the Square concert last Thursday in Burgaw. See more photos on Facebook and Instagram.
In the wake of Atkinson resident Brandy Price’s death, a local nonprofit will hold a fundraiser to raise awareness of domestic violence and to benefit Safe Haven of Pender. Safe Haven provides shelter and services to victims and survivors of domestic violence in Pender and Duplin Counties. The public is invited to attend the event, sponsored by Advocates 4 Atkinson. It will be held July 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 304 West Henry Street in Atkinson. At least 20 local vendors and agencies are expected to participate in the event. Party band “Jen and Tonic” will be performing throughout the day, offering a mix of various music genres from the 1970s to
today. There will be a community yard sale, raffles, and hot dogs and snacks for sale. “After everything that happened with Brandy Price, it was eye opening for me,” said Crystle Dunning from Advocates 4 Atkinson. “I didn’t personally know Brandy except for where she worked. I would run into her sometimes, and she was always such a sweet person. So it was quite a shock
Continued on page 14A
New Pender Fire Marshal brings experience, skills to the job By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Usually, it’s the other way around. Pender County loses good, promising employees to the larger counties and municipalities across the state. But this time, Pender County turned the tables. Robert Benfield, the new Pender County Fire Marshal, is a veteran firefighter and administrator from the Wilmington Fire Department. Benfield is a Pender County resident and a 23-year veteran with the WFD. “I rode a truck for 15 years and for the last eight and a
half years I’ve been in the Fire Marshal’s Office,” said Benfield. “I want to bring my 23 years of experience in fire service to the job and continue what Fire Marshal Batson has started here.” Former Fire Marshal and current Emergency Management Director Tommy Batson says the job is important for Pender County with three major aspects – planning and review, investigations, and inspections. “New construction and planning review is probably the number one responsibility. We have record building activity in the county – residential
and commercial. The Fire Marshal signs off on residential and commercial development,” Batson said. Fire investigations are another aspect of the job. Batson says the county conducts about 200 investigations a year, as well as emergency management calls. The Fire Marshal’s office also conducts inspections to ensure compliance with fire codes and regulations. Coming from a city fire department, Benfield says it will a learning experience working with a combination of municipal, as well as rural
Continued on page 14A
HUSQVARNA FLEET SOLUTIONS GET MORE OUT OF EVERY DAY. WHITE TRACTOR CO. INC.
whitetractorcompany.com 530 Hwy 117 By-Pass S "URGAW s
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Former Fire Marshal, now EM Director Tommy Batson (right) passes the badge to new Fire Marshal Robert Benfield.
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS & SUPPORT s &,%%4 3%26)#%3 s #/--%2#)!, &,%%4 02/'2! s ).$53429 ,%!$).' 7!22!.4)%3
Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, Thursday, July 22, 2021, Page 14A
Safe Haven Continued from page 1A
when that happened to her and I learned that it was tied to domestic violence.” Dunning said that she ended up pairing up with one of Brandy’s good friends, and they started discussing the idea of doing something in support of the local domestic violence shelter. She did some research and found out about Safe Haven of Pender. The goal of the event is to raise awareness of domestic violence and to let people know that there is help available. Advocates 4 Atkinson began reaching out to local businesses and community members to encourage them to get involved -whether it is to donate items for the raffle or the yard sale, to participate as vendors, or just to come out and be a part
of the event. . “We have lots of great items to raffle off. People have been very generous, including Texas Roadhouse. I would like to give them a shout out because they have been the first national chain to step up in a big way. They donated a stack of gift cards, as well as 300 free appetizer cards. They also donated a huge box of peanuts and offered to give us bags if we wanted to sell them.” Dunning said that the small local businesses have been incredibly supportive, as well. She has received donations from Rosie’s Rescue, Coldwell Bankers, and local farmer John Spine with Funny Farm. 24 backpacks and school supplies will be donated to Safe Haven, as well. “It’s going to be great. The participation from the community really shows how people just come together when it is
for such a great cause. We are going to spread awareness because it is necessary. We need resources like Safe Haven of Pender, and we need people to know that they do have someone to turn to and people to ask for help,” said Dunning. Anyone who would like to donate to the yard sale, the raffle, or to Safe Haven’s wish list should contact Crystle Dunning at advocates4atkinson@gmail.com. Wish list items include: ground coffee, sugar, variety of drinks, individual packs of snacks (grahams, cookies, crackers, chips, apple sauce, Ramen noodles, canned fruit), luggage/duffel bags, Clorox wipes, composition books, colored pencils, diapers (sizes 5 and 6), and hypoallergenic baby shampoo and wash. Safe Haven of Pender’s domestic violence crisis line is available 24/7 at (910) 259-8989.
Fire Marshal Continued from page 1A volunteer departments, and Pender EMS and Fire. “We have volunteer stations, we have combination stations, we have Pender EMS and Fire fulltime stations. It’s a huge difference from the city where everything is done the same way,” said Benfield. “My goal is to come and be an asset to all the departments in Pender County. I’m here to be a resource when they need me.” Benfield is a Level 3 Fire Inspector, which is the highest level possible. “He brings eight years of investigative knowledge and the certification as well. He brings ideas and ways to make the office more efficient. We want to do things better and be more efficient,” Batson said. “We want to be open-minded and look for ways to do things better to serve the people of Pender County.” Batson says Benfield has more training and certifications than what would normally be expected for a new hire in this position for Pender County. “This was a prime opportunity for the county to invest in an employee that brings the experience and requirements for the job and has that up front,” said Batson.
Staff photo by Katie H. Pettigrew
The music of Rivermist Thursday night on the Square in Burgaw provided the opportunity for some dancing.
I]Z DgVc\Z 7adhhdb Unique finds, furniture, vintage, shabby chic, coastal, clothing, accessories, jewelry, local creations, fabulous home & garden decor, and much more!
10% Discount with this ad. *See Store for Details.
15201 US Hwy. 17 Hampstead, NC 28443
Billie Carmen - Owner 910-821-1544 CLOSED SUNDAY
Introducing Curbside Service! 1. When you come to pick up your prescription, park in the designated space and call the store. You may pay for it by phone then, or you may pay the delivery person when they come out to your car. 2. We will also offer an OTC (over the counter) personal shopper service. Call in your order for the items you need 24 hours in advance. We will gather your items. When you get to the store, park in the designated areas and give us a call. We will bring the items out to your car. You are still welcome to come inside the stores if you would like.