The Good News for Feb. 17
Updated: Feb 21
The temperature may be a little chilly on Saturday, but there's going to be plenty of sunshine and warmth for your Sunday. Go out and enjoy some of that pre-spring weather, and be sure to log onto www.columbuscountynews.com to catch up on any of the news you've missed this week. No subscription is required, and we never charge to find out what's going on in your area.
What's going on in Columbus
• The Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum will be holding their monthly jam session today, Feb. 18, from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. The event is free, and the public is invited to attend. Bring your favorite six-string and play along. The depot is located at 205 Flemington Drive.
• Abundant Life Assembly of God's food pantry will be opened from 10-11:30 a.m., today, Feb. 18. The church is located at 5384 James B. White South in Whiteville.
• Parade entries for the 2023 Yam Festival are now being accepted. Forms can be located at http://ncyamfestival.com/forms/. Applications with the appropriate fees need to be mailed to P.O. Box 725, Tabor City, N.C. 28463, or they can be emailed to ncyamfest@gmail.com.
• Shizzy's Wildcat Rescue is asking for volunteers to come out and help build habitats and raise perimeter fencing both days this weekend. Award-winning filmmaker and animal advocate Tim Harrison will also be assisting the group Feb. 18-19 from 9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. Call Rhonda Billeaud at 910.840.1886 if you would like to join in. Volunteers must be 18 years old or older to work with tools and ladders. No experience is necessary, and groups are welcome.
• Living Hope Pregnancy Support Services will be holding a car seat safety check on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The church can be found at 302 North Lee Street in Whiteville. The clinic is part of the first CRHS Hispanic Health Fair. See the story elsewhere on our website for more.
• The Columbus Baptist Association had 25 dedicated volunteers help out at this month's Backpack Buddies ministry. The group packed 630 bags of food that will go home with children on Friday, so that they can have something to eat over the weekend until they return to school on Monday.
• There are only two Saturdays left to sign your kiddo up for Lake Waccamaw Dixie Youth baseball. On Feb. 18 and 25, registration will be from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Lake Waccamaw Methodist Church. Kids ages 4-12 years old are invited to join a league. For more information, contact Jason Dorsey at 910.625.6167, or Brandon Mitchell at 910.625.9750. The church can be found at 506 Lakeshore Drive.
• Cerro Gordo will also hold their signups for their Dixie Youth baseball program today, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Cerro Gordo Dixie Youth Complex. This is the last opportunity to register. A $40 fee is due at the time of signup. For more information, call Kiley Hinson at 910.512.4524, Quinn Allen at 910.918.2481, or Marko Little at 910.918.8276.
• Tickets are now on sale for the Whiteville Juniorettes Club's annual Princess Day. The event will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 26, from 2-4 p.m. at the Spillway. Bring your little ones and join the Juniorettes for nail painting, coloring, face painting, a meet and greet with your favorite princesses, and much more. The cost is $15 per ticket, and you can get yours by visiting the Whiteville Juniorettes Club Facebook page or by contacting a member.
• Speaking of the Juniorettes, four of the young ladies from the club were recognized this week for their volunteer work back in October at the Whiteville Police Department Halloween block party. City Hall presented Emilie Pridgen, Harlee Higgins, Madalyn Edge, and Xztashya Porter with letters of appreciation.
• The Anchorage Camp of Lake Waccamaw will be having a BBQ dinner fundraiser on multiple dates in February and March to raise money to refinish the skate floor. The next opportunity to support the cause will be on Feb. 21, and the spread will include barbecue, coleslaw, and/or baked beans, and 12 rolls. The meal will feed up to a family of four, and the prices will range from $25-30 with the option to add sides and extras for a few dollars more. For more information about this event, call the camp office at 910.646.4111. You can find more coverage of this story at www.columbuscountynews.com.
• Shiloh Church will be having a benefit fish fry on Friday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. until sold out. Plates are $10 each and will include a catfish fillet, slaw, and baked beans.
The church will also be having a benefit sing on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. The event will include the Unity Quartet and The Tylers. A plate sale will follow the sing. Call 910.280.9626 or 910.212.8967 for more information about either event. Shiloh Church is located at 7793 Hallsboro Road South.
Hot off the press in Bladen
• Elizabethtown will be continuing the 2023 Year of the Trail Festival from Feb. 18-19. The weekend will include guided hikes, paddle boat and bike rides, outdoor vendors, Southern cooking, music, and fellowship. To find out more, visit
• The Bladen County Veterans and Community Stand Down will be held on Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Elizabethtown Baptist Church. Information on assistance support services will be available to veterans and their families. For more information, contact Leon Grimes at 919.621.8053. The church is located at 1800 West Broad Street.
• The Leadership Bladen program is now looking for people to join the next class of graduates. Learn about all the different aspects of what makes the area run from government and education to tourism and agriculture. Applications can be found by visiting Leadership Bladen – Elizabethtown-White Lake Area
• The Whiteville Fun Factory will be having their monthly Kid's Night Out on Feb. 24 from 6-9 p.m. The cost is $25 per child and will include pizza, arts and crafts, games, and bouncy houses. Parents can drop off and pick up their children for this event. Space is limited, so call 910.207.6136 to reserve your kid's spot.
• Clarkton Volunteer Fire Department will host a hunter safety class Feb. 25 at the fire station. The event is free and is required for anyone applying for a N. C. hunting license for the first time. The Hunter Safety Program was founded in the late 1970s, and within a few years of its creation, hunting accidents dropped sharply in the state. Students learn the basics of conservation, firearm and bow safety, tree stand safety, and proper gun storage. To sign up, go to https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/191419. You can also find out more information about hunter safety in North Carolina at ncwildlife.org.\
•Taste of Columbus will go back into the 'Roarin' 20s' on Feb. 25 at Western Prong Baptist Church at 5 p.m. The annual event is the Columbus County Youth and Families Association's only fundraiser of the year. All proceeds go to other county organizations for various activities and high school scholarships awarded by the association. Tickets are available for $25 for attendees 19 years old and older and $10 for youth 3-18 years old. Call 910.640.8080, 910.840.9295, or 910.445.6031 for more information or to purchase your ticket.
• Southern Farm Days will be back again this year on March 17-19. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The event will be held at the Boys and Girls Home horse complex in Lake Waccamaw. Visit www.southernfarmdays.com for a complete list of vendors and entertainment.
• The Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce will host the 2023 Spring Has Sprung Festival April 22. The chamber is looking for vendors and parade participants for the event. Those interested can call the office at 910.377.3012 or send an email to tccofc@yahoo.com.
• The Smyrna Baptist Church Young Women's Association will be holding their annual collard sale on Friday, March 17, starting at 12:30 p.m. The ladies will have collard wraps for $3 and collard sandwiches for $6. Wraps and sandwiches come with fatback, pepper jelly, or chow-chow. Delivery is available for orders of 10 plates or more. Pre-orders must be placed by March 13, and no call-ins will be accepted the day of the event. The church is located at 8003 Highway 211 East in Lumberton. Call 910.536.2012 for more information.
• Karli Godwin is a senior at East Columbus Junior Senior High School, and a star of the Lady Gators softball team. On April 28, from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., she will be hosting a 'Special Friends Field Day' at the ECJHS football field for autistic and differently abled children. There will be snacks, games, music, and other activities for all those in attendance. Every student in Columbus and Whiteville City School systems is welcome. All proceeds and donations are going towards building a sensory playground designed to accommodate special needs individuals. If you would like to volunteer for the field day or become a sponsor for the cause, call Allison Edwards at 910.625.8639. Find out more about this story at ECHS Senior Organizing 'Special Friends Field Day'.
• The Bold and Beautiful Wigs for Cancer will be having their annual fundraiser golf tournament on Saturday, Aug. 26, starting at 7:30 a.m. The event will be held at Tidewater Golf Course in North Myrtle Beach, and the ministry is currently looking for sponsors for the benefit. The organization gives away over 600 wigs for free for those undergoing cancer treatment including patients from Donayre Cancer Center in Whiteville. If you would like to become a sponsor, call the non-profit at 843.424.1638.
The GOOD NEWS is featured every Saturday morning on WTXY, and throughout the week under the GOOD NEWS tab at columbuscountynews.com. Email crystalfaircloth@columbuscounty.news with your church announcements, fundraisers, yard sales, club news, community celebrations, or just plain happy stories. There is no charge for publicizing your events.