First phase of city
project set for Oct.
LUMBERTON — The city will have the first phase of a river walk along the Lumber River in Downtown Lumberton by this fall.
That was the decision of Lumberton City Council members who met Wednesday as the Council Policy Committee.
The river walk project will extend from the parking lot of the former Department of Transportation building to the Fifth Street bridge. It will include a boardwalk and overlook, and some hardscaping work.
The funding comes from a $150,000 appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly that must be spent by October.
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Judge concerned
with juror safety
CLINTON — Residents summoned for jury duty need somewhere they can go to be safe and protected, away from outside elements that include inclement weather, said Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Albert D. Kirby Jr., who called it an ongoing issue.
Kirby requested time on the Sampson Board of Commissioners agenda this week to briefly discuss the matter. He told commissioners he has spoken with Clerk of Superior Court Dwight Williams Jr., as well as Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton, and court personnel Lt. Vernon Huffman, chief bailiff, and Sgt. Louis High, head of security, about the issue.
Commissioners are considering the request.
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Street gets closed for
city hall construction
WHITEVILLE — Columbus Street at Madison in Whiteville has been closed indefinitely as construction begins on the new city hall complex.
City Fire Marshall Hal Lowder said the intersection is being closed to allow Smith Allen Construction to set up the office trailer that will be used for the project. The street will also be used for storage of equipment and materials, due to the small amount of space open on the city hall site.
The complex is expected to be in use by February 2019.
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Men indicted for
illegal re-entry
Two men who have been deported a combined six times were indicted by a federal grand jury this week for illegal entry of a deported alien.
Daniel L. Perez-Flores, 34, of Mexico was found in Sampson County and Orlando Echeverria-Hernandez, 40, of El Salvador was found in Cumberland County.
If convicted, the men face a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release.
From staff and wire reports.