Teenager ID’d as a

suspect in robberies

LUMBERTON — Lumberton police believe they know the person who robbed three stores inside the city last week with the use of a firearm, including two on the same day.

The Department’s Criminal Investigative Division identified 18-year-old Tyra Watson, whose last known address was in Shannon, as the person who robbed two Family Dollar stores and a Dollar General.

Warrants have been issued charging Watson with three felony counts of armed robbery and, in an unrelated case, felony larceny of a motor vehicle.

Anyone with information on where Watson is should call the Lumberton Police Department at 910-671-3845.

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Colvin wins city’s

mayoral post

FAYETTEVILLE — The city of Fayetteville has a new mayor.

Mitch Colvin, the current mayor pro tem, defeated incumbent Mayor Nat Robertson on Tuesday by an unofficial margin of 13,396 to 9,218.

Colvin and his supporters watched the results come in at the Crown Coliseum Complex ballroom.

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Mayor, referendum

get voter approvals

GARLAND — Mayor Winifred Murphy retained her post, and two newcomers won election to the Garland board in Tuesday’s municipal election, according to unofficial results.

In the lone contested mayoral race in the county, Murphy faced off against Commissioners Haywood Johnson, who currently serves as mayor pro tem, and Ralph Smith, who resigned from the board earlier this year and returned upon appointment. Murphy amassed 154 votes to Ralph Smith’s 99 and Johnson’s 21.

Garland also had an ABC referendum on the ballot, with town residents asked to vote “for or against” on three separate issues. Each passed easily, including on and off premises sale of malt beverages (147-93), on and off premises sale of mixed beverages (149-92) and on and off premises sale of unfortified wine (138-99).

***

School officials plan

to fight any merger

WHITEVILLE — City school officials here vowed to “fight for our schools” and work for a long-term change in the makeup of the county commission on the heels of a proposition to merge city schools with the county schools.

School board member Greg Merritt said the problem is a lack of representation for city residents on the seven-member county commission.

— From staff and wire reports.

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