Area News

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Fire heavily damaged a Loris home Thursday afternoon, claiming a small structure behind it and leaving a neighbor’s home with “cosmetic” damage, Loris Fire Chief Jerry Hardee said.      “When we got the call and I started heading this way there was heavy black smoke pouring,” Hardee said.      With support from Horry…

By DEUCE NIVEN & JENN CAUSEY      Christmas has officially begun in the Tabor-Loris Community, with Tuesday’s tree lighting in downtown Loris just prelude to what promises to be a very busy holiday season.      Other scheduled festivities in the TLC include: Loris      Leaders from city government and the Loris Chamber of Commerce have been busy preparing…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Can a former doctor’s office be a healthy center of local government for Tabor City?      Members of the town council think it might be, on Tuesday approving a 180-day option to purchase the former Tabor City Family Medicine offices on Pireway Road for $585,000.      Council’s vote was unanimous following a half-hour…

By DEUCE NIVEN & JENN CAUSEY      Mike Suggs will replace Todd Harrelson as the mayor of Loris, unofficial votes from Tuesday’s municipal election show, while longtime Loris business owner Tonya Faulk Sykes will take the city council seat now held by Jan Vescovi.      Election results Tuesday, unofficial until the formal canvas of votes is held,…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Kelly Beck claimed the most votes in a four-person race for two seats on the Tabor City Council, and is expected to become only the second woman to ever sit on the panel when she is sworn in December.      Incumbent council member David Mincey trailed Beck by just 6 votes to…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Unwavering vision and important local, state and industry partnerships were celebrated at Tabor City’s Garrell Depot Tuesday in a welcome ceremony for Steam Services of America.      Currently based in Sylva, SSOA is moving its corporate headquarters to the Garrell Depot as work begins on a railroad industrial park north of town.…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Citing a “pattern of poor performance” that has recently gotten worse, Columbus County Commissioners Wednesday voted to terminate the county’s contract with Nakina Fire Rescue.      That was news to Nakina Fire Rescue Chief John Ward shortly after an emergency meeting called by commissioners, and a closed session preceded the unanimous vote.…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      With plans to move its Sylva based railroad repair, restoration and training business to the Emerson area near Tabor City, Steam Services of America is now poised to be the first tenant of the recently completed Garrell Depot in downtown Tabor City.      Town Council members quickly, and without discussion, agreed Tuesday…

     A contractor’s mishap has prompted a boil water advisory for a portion of Richard Wright Road near Tabor City.      All customers between 4205 and 6334 Richard Wright Road are impacted after contractors bored into a Columbus County Water District 1 water line, a news release from Columbus County Public Utilities said.      “Due to local contractors…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      A railroad repair, restoration and training business seems likely to be headed to Tabor City with help from a $9 million grant to the town including in North Carolina’s new $30 billion budget.      It’s a project three years in the making, said state Rep. Brenden Jones, a Tabor City Republican who…