Tourism dollars
to aid city park
LUMBERTON — The Lumberton Tourism Development Authority on Monday presented a $500,000 check to the city of Lumberton to be used by the Recreation Department for improvement projects at Northeast Park, including preparation for the Dixie Youth World Series to be held in Lumberton in July and August 2018.
The money comes from the city’s 6 percent hotel-motel occupancy tax. State law mandates that the money must be used to promote tourism.
According to Arnold West, a Lumberton restaurant owner and chairman of the authority, it receives more than $1 million a year from the occupancy tax. One third of that revenue goes to the Carolina Civic Center with the rest being used to support marketing of the Lumberton area.
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HomeGoods set
to open Sept. 7
FAYETTEVILLE — Home decor retailer HomeGoods says it plans to open its Fayetteville store in the Freedom Town Center on Sept. 7.
While other stores planning to locate on the 49-acre shopping complex have announced they are hiring, HomeGoods is the first to announce an opening date.
The 21,058-square-foot store will be the sixth in the Raleigh market, company officials said.
HomeGoods will be hiring store management and associates from the area to fill approximately 65 full- and part-time positions.
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‘Grateful’ out in
Sampson County
SALEMBURG — From a small wooden shed in Salemburg, a group of friends have entertained a growing audience around the world each week through down-home Southern cooking, fellowship and humor, all while helping their community.
Known as the Grateful Shed, it is the gathering spot for “Shed Heads” Norman McPhail, Bruce Butler, Woodrow Smith, Terry Lee and Alton Goodrich, a cast of characters that would be up to their antics even if McPhail’s wife Bonnie wasn’t recording them cooking up hot dogs, slaw, barbecue, pork loin, grits — whatever happens to be on the menu that night.
You can find Grateful Shed on Facebook @thegratefulshed1. Videos were also recently uploaded to YouTube.
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Mold has closed
Board of Elections
WHITEVILLE — An outbreak of mold has closed the Columbus County Board of Elections.
According to Elections Supervisor Carla Strickland the office will be closed for an indefinite period of time.
The Whiteville City Hall has been closed for two years due to extreme mold problems.
— From staff and wire reports.