The Good News for Feb. 3
There is a lot of great events and good news going on in the county over the next couple of weeks. There may be lows in the weather, but activities are burning hot in the area. If you've missed any news over the last few days, be sure to log onto www.columbuscountynews.com to find out what's going on for absolutely free. No subscription required.
What's going on in Columbus
• The Southeastern Community College Student Ambassadors organization will be hosting the SCC Winter Wonderland on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. This event is open to the public for children and their families. The Winter Lap will get everyone up and moving. You can bike, roller blade, ride a scooter, or walk to promote help and wellness.
There will also be games, crafts, food trucks, and live music by Ryleigh Madison and Dustin Chapman. Come out and see the Frosty Freezer Fundraiser. Five Columbus County celebrities are taking a polar plunge all in the name of charity. Donate some cash to your favorite one and save them from the freezing February waters. The college is located at 4564 Chadbourn Highway in Whiteville.
• Old Dock Cypress Creek Volunteer Fire Department can now use their new building to house their emergency response vehicles. The station applied for a state grant and was awarded the money to build the structure.
Baseball signups
• Lake Waccamaw Dixie Youth baseball signups will begin today and will continue each Saturday throughout the month until Feb. 25. Registration will be from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and kids ages 4-12 years old and their parents can head over the Lake Waccamaw United Methodist Church 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 DYB will also hold their second round of signups for their Dixie Youth baseball program this Saturday. Feb. 4, at the Cerro Gordo Dixie Youth Complex. The event will be hosted on Saturdays through Feb. 18. from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. each registration day. 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.
Other News and Events
• On Wednesday, Feb. 1, members from local city and county schools, law enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency management attended a tabletop exercise addressing preparations in the event of an active assailant. This training was hosted by East Columbus High School, and a full-scale exercise will be held on Feb. 25.
• Columbus County Schools has extended the A.R. Ammons Poetry Contest until Monday, Feb. 6. The contest is broken down into five divisions and designed for little ones in kindergarten up to college undergraduates. Students who wish to participate can submit their entries to Submit Poems.
• Southeastern Community College will also be hosting their spring blood drive on Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Each donor will receive a $20 eGift card. If you would like to book an appointment instead of walking in, visit https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/.../sponsor_code. The code for the drive is 7800.
• The Columbus County Sheriff's Office welcomed two new members to their ranks this week. Corey Bethea and R.J. Fowler were sworn in on Monday, Jan. 30. Bethea will join the Criminal Investigation Division as a detective, and Fowler will be a deputy for the School Resource Officer program.
• The Columbus Council of the N.C. Reading Association (CCNCRA) will partner with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Whiteville to host a very special guest on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. Children's author Annette Whipple will be speaking via Zoom about using curiosity to spark education in the minds of children. The event is free, and both the public and other authors are encouraged to participate.
Snacks will be served, and folks who would like to join virtually can register online at Celebrating Curiosity with Non-Fiction featuring a zoom with Annette Whipple.
• 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. T
he 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 on this story at www.columbuscountynews.com.
Events next week
• The Columbus Baptist Association will be partnering with the N.C. Baptist State Convention and the North American Mission Board to host the final installment of the Momentum youth rally on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 5-7 p.m. The event will feature guest speaker Scott Pace with music by The Museum, and will take place at Western Prong Baptist Church. The church is located at 167 Peacock Road in Whiteville.
Momentum is for children in grades 6-12. Admission is free, and snacks will be provided each evening. If you or your youth group is interested in attending, please call the CBA office at 910.642.2155 so they can plan accordingly.
• Brown Street Station and Kool 103.9 F.M. are teaming up to bring you their first ever Super Ball party in honor of the Superbowl on Sunday, Feb. 12. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. There will be two large screens to watch the game, football pool, and door prizes after each commercial break. The cost is $10 per person. Brown Street Station is located at 202 North Brown Street in Chadbourn. No alcoholic beverages will be served at this event.
• The Chadbourn Depot Museum will be hosting the Italian Valentine's Dinner event on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m. The meal will include a full course dinner with dessert and wine. Tickets are $30 per person, and semi-formal attire is required. To purchase your ticket, call 910.899.2992 or 910.770.1874.
In other news
• The deadline is quickly approaching for local organizations to apply for grants up to $2,500 from Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC) through the Community Grants program. Organizations looking to support our communities must submit their application by Feb. 15. Interested parties can find the application on the BEMC website at www.bemc.org/community-grants. Eligible groups may apply each year for projects that involve family services, civic and community programs, cultural and arts programs, emergency services, and economic development.
• 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.
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.
•The Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce will hold the Spring Has Sprung Festival on April 22. The chamber is looking for vendors and parade participants for the event. Call 910.377.3012 or send an email to tccofc@yahoo.com for more information.
• 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.
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.