Worker is killed

at Coca-Cola plant

FAYETTEVILLE — A 34-year-old Fayetteville man died Monday morning in an incident at the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office identified the worker as Joseph Kemper. At 10:36 a.m., Kemper was caught between a lift gate and a trailer, the N.C. Department of Labor said. He suffered a head injury and emergency personnel were not able to revive him.

Kemper was an employee at the plant, which is at 800 Tom Starling Road off U.S. 301 South. The incident remains under investigation.

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Council tables a

restaurant request

LUMBERTON — The City Council is concerned about a request from a local restaurant that serves alcohol that it be allowed to stay open three hours longer at night, and at least one council member on Monday was upset by a letter from the establishment’s lawyer, saying it had a threatening tone.

The Planning Board recommended that the county deny a request from Jordan’s Bar and Grill at 3555-A North Roberts Ave. for a conditional-use permit that would allow it to stay open until 2 a.m. The request then went to the council, which held a public hearing on Monday before tabling the issue.

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Judge recognized

by Gov. Cooper

RALEIGH — Resident Superior Court Judge Douglas Sasser of Hallsboro was honored in Raleigh on Monday by Gov. Roy Cooper for his leadership in coordinating volunteer efforts as large swatches of Columbus County dealt with flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in October.

Sasser was accompanied by his wife, Vickie, to a ceremony in the Old House Chamber in the State Capitol, where he was one of more than 20 statewide recipients of the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service.

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Woman sent to

prison for murder

CLINTON — A woman who shot and killed her live-in girlfriend will serve at least 16 years in prison following a guilty plea Monday in Sampson County Superior Court, during which the details of the grisly case — the victim was dismembered and her remains burned — were recounted leading up to the sentencing.

Felicia Marie “Flip” Barnes, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder following a series of questions from presiding Judge John Nobles.

Nobles ultimately sentenced Barnes to no less than 192 months (16 years) and no more than 243 months (20 year, three months) in prison for the murder of Danielle Alicia Chance, 24. Chance was killed in February 2014.

From staff and wire reports.

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