Area News

By DEUCE NIVEN Thursday afternoon post     A Bolton woman was arrested Thursday afternoon in the New Year’s Day murder of a woman found dead in the bedroom of her home, bringing to three now charged with murder in the case, Maj. Lewis Hatcher of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said.     Amanda Kay Canady,…

    Lewis Hardee took the oath of office for another term on the Loris City Council Tuesday morning, with his wife Laura holding the Bible, City Clerk Martha Dorman administering the oath.     Mike Suggs also returned to council, with Casey Ward beginning his first term in office following the Dec. 3 general election.    …

    Public TV viewers in North Carolina will have an opportunity to view “The Editor And The Dragon: Horace Carter Fights The Klan,” a documentary produced by Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Memory Lane Productions, next week.     A trailer for the…

By DEUCE NIVEN     Leo Mercer, a retired Postmaster who gave 58 years of public service, including 14 years as Chadbourn’s mayor and four years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, died Thursday, Dec. 26, in Columbus Regional Healthcare in Whiteville. He was 87.     Mercer’s 33-year career with the U.S. Postal Service began…

    An extravagant light shoe at Kelly Jones’ Willow Drive home (top photo) offers just a sample of the Christmas eye candy just a drive-by away in the Tabor-Loris Community this Christmas season.     Other highlights include wreaths and rockers, scenes of Nativity, a Main Street light show in Loris, illuminated deer.  (Deuce Niven photos)

By DEUCE NIVEN     With his Loris roots evident, Samuel D. Cox received his third star as he was promoted to Lt. General during a Dec. 1 ceremony at Joint Base Charleston, SC.     His wife, Tammy, and father, retired Air Force Maj. Jerry Cox, flanked the new Three-Star General, pinning those stars on either…

By DEUCE NIVEN     Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten will step down early next year, 11 years after taking office, he announced in a news release late Thursday afternoon.     “I have accepted a job with the North Carolina Department of Justice as Eastern Field representative for the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education Training and Standards,”…

Story & Photo By JOYCE GRAHAM     Robert Rudelitch was named Loris Volunteer Firefighter of the Year during the department’s recent annual Christmas party.     His recognition was for his his devotion to the station and tireless efforts in securing grants for equipment and training, Chief Jerry Hardee said.     Other awards were given, including…

By DEUCE NIVEN     In an instant, a Loris woman delivering pizzas in Tabor City was confronted with a knife-wielding man demanding cash, police said.     A suspect was in a scuffle with police minutes later, and spent the night in jail after being identified by the Dominos Pizza driver, reports by Detective Sgt. Christopher…