Area Upfront News

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      An auto crash involving two pick-up trucks, one that caught fire after hitting a church sign, sent five people to area hospitals Friday afternoon, two by helicopter.      It appeared that no one suffered burn injuries, those in the pick-up that caught fire able to escape in time. The burned truck appeared…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Twin City Airport’s future is again in doubt, with a growing chorus of support spearheaded by one of its newer operators.      John Stephenson purchased a hanger on the edge of the county owned airport property five years ago and operates Attitude Aviators, a flight school on the property. He and other…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      America’s semiquincentennial celebrations reaches its peak this weekends, with significant events this weekend. America 250 Fireworks      Fireworks will be the biggest in many years with more than $10,000 raised and spent for this Saturday’s pyrotechnics display at South Columbus High School, Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce Chamber Executive Vice President…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Funeral services for Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Damien Draper Bost, who died in the line of duty in a vehicle crash on Thursday, June 25, have been set for Monday, June 29.      Services, with full honors, will begin at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at South Columbus High School. Burial…

Story & Photos By DEUCE NIVEN & JENN BOYD     Life will bring pressures, South Columbus High School Principal Kelly Beck told the Class of 2026 during their June 6 commencement.      Commencement exercises at Loris, Green Sea and South Columbus high schools were all held last week. Some of those details, and photos, are below.…

By DEUCE NIVEN & JENN BOYD      It’s commencement week for three area high schools, with 474 scheduled to receive diplomas in one ceremony already complete, others tonight (June 3) and Saturday morning.      Graduation in the Green Sea Floyds High School gym on Tuesday including 101 students scheduled to receive their diplomas after posing for their…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      There were no apparent injuries as an EMS crew checked passengers on a Williams Township School bus rear-ended by a pick-up truck just south of the campus Monday afternoon.      School officials said the bus was loaded. It was apparently stopped at its first drop-off point, just south of the campus, when…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      An apparently accidental house fire claimed the life of a bed-bound Tabor City woman Wednesday evening.      Sharon Jernigan, 64, died in the fire at 102 Shay Street, Chief Jeff Fowler of the Tabor City Fire Department said.      Fowler and other fire department leadership on the way back from a meeting in…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      A robbery suspect who eluded capture while making his way through a significant stretch of Tabor City during nearly three days was in custody Tuesday evening, caught in a wooded area off of Canal Street, the focus of much of the search effort.      Christopher O’Neil Strickland, 44, was taken into custody…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      An explosive sound, “boom,” as described by employees next door at Twin City Motors, resulted in a fire that brought a heavy response to Tractor Supply from multiple agencies Wednesday afternoon.      That “boom” was followed by several smaller “booms,” the car lot employee said.      Heavy smoke billowed from the rear of…