Only one week remains before the debut of the Bladen Journal’s newest segment — “Good News” Fridays — a column that will be completely dedicated to the good things goings on throughout Bladen County.

“We hear all the time that all there ever is in newspapers, on television and radio newscasts is bad news, so we thought we’d try to do something different,” said W. Curt Vincent, general manager/editor of the Bladen Journal.

Starting on Friday, Aug. 14, the Bladen Journal will publish a “Good News” column on Page 1A — giving Bladen County folks the chance to announce their positive news.

That news can be a wide variety of things, such as the birth of a child, a promotion, winning an award, getting baptized, making the college honor roll and/or graduating, getting that first job, buying that first house, getting a driver’s license, getting a community grant — and so much more.

For instance: Abby Walters, a West Bladen grad and star student-athlete, has signed to play softball at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke after two stellar seasons at Southeastern Community College in Whiteville; Stacey Walker Looney, a former Bladenboro resident, was recently recognized by the Craven County Board of Education for her teaching; Grace-Anna Glenn, an Elizabethtown resident, recently made the honor roll at Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh; Lee Greene of Elizabethtown was recognized for outstanding academic achievement and earned Dean’s List recognition for the spring 2015 semester at The Citadel; and Cody Clark, a 7-year-old recovering from a malignant brain tumor, recently hung out with the Team USA baseball team in Durham.

“Whatever you think is good news — personally, professionally or for your organization — is perfect fodder for this weekly column,” Vincent said.

Anyone can submit the information. Each submission must be 25 words or less and should be emailed to cvincent@civitasmedia.com; mailed to “Good News,” P.O. Box 70, Elizabethtown, N.C. 28337; or dropped off at the Bladen Journal office at 138 W. Broad St. in downtown Elizabethtown.

Those submissions received by noon on Wednesdays will be used in that week’s column. If a head and shoulders photograph is submitted with the item, the Bladen Journal will use it with the online column and may also be able to use it with the print edition.

“We’ve already received some good news for the first column, but we would like to see more,” Vincent said. “This column will only be as good as our readers make it.”

Submissions from public starting to roll in

Staff report