Area Upfront News
Guilty pleas, consent decree in animal cases
By DEUCE NIVEN Guilty pleas were entered in a criminal animal abandonment case involving two Tabor City women Tuesday, while a civil complaint related to an animal cruelty case was also resolved, Columbus County Animal Control Director Joey Prince said. Casey Duncan Gore, 36 and her spouse Morgan Blaire Gore, 24, accepted deferred prosecution plea…
Read MoreUPDATE: 4th shooting suspect named, bonds set at half million $
By DEUCE NIVEN Friday A fourth suspect in a May 3 gun battle that left three people injured has been identified, new warrants obtained each of the men, and bond set at $500,000 for two who surrendered Tuesday. Maecas Chatell Mitchell, 40, of Sidney Cherry Grove Road, Clarendon, was identified Thursday as the man witnessed…
Read MoreArrests in P&R shootings, not murder
By DEUCE NIVEN Arrests have been made related to nightclub gunfire near Loris early Sunday, and there are ties between a murder there and the killing of a man during a series of drive-by shootings in Longs less than an hour later, an Horry County Police Department spokeswoman said Wednesday evening. There have been no…
Read MoreWright named City Clerk/Treasurer
Story & Photo By JOYCE GRAHAM After serving as acting Loris City Clerk/Treasurer for the past six months, Kenya Wright was formally appointed to the permanent post during a special City Council session Thursday. Wright, who has served as the city’s Clerk of Court for more than seven years, will be paid $40,000 a…
Read MoreJunior firefighter among teens charged with arson
By DEUCE NIVEN Three young people, including a volunteer junior firefighter and a juvenile, have been charged in three separate arson cases that claimed two unoccupied homes north of Tabor City last week. Zachary Paul McPherson, 18, and Joshua Michael Sutton, 16, have each been charged with three felony counts each of burning an…
Read MoreGun store burglary nets 51 weapons worth $26K
By DEUCE NIVEN An overnight break-in last week at The Gun Exchange near Whiteville netted thieves 51 weapons worth more than $26,000 dollars, Columbus County Sheriff’s Office reports show. Store workers discovered the break-in Friday morning, thieves apparently making entry after closing Thursday night by forcing open a door, sheriff’s spokeswoman Michelle Tatum said Monday.…
Read MoreDogs seized, cruelty charges filed
By DEUCE NIVEN Cases of animal cruelty near Tabor City and Whiteville resulted in the seizure of eight dogs and multiple charges of cruelty to animals and failure to vaccinate for rabies, Columbus County Animal Control Director Joey Prince said. Andrew and Ashley Wilson of Herbert Norris Road east of Tabor City were issued…
Read MoreRolling Smoke
Story & Photo By DEUCE NIVEN A big mound of tires burned at the end of Deer Lane east of Tabor City Tuesday afternoon in a fire apparently resulting from an effort to get rid of some yard debris that got out of control. First responding firefighters reported up to 2,000 tires involved, prompting…
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