Andrew Pait, who is the 1st Sgt. for Troop B of District 5 with the N.C. State Highway Patrol — which includes Bladen County — thinks law enforcement gets a lot of negative press, and he’s right.

So we were happy when Pait called our office this week to talk about one of his troopers.

You can read the story on Page 1 today, but we will recap here:

Trooper J.C. Freeman was sent down N.C. 87 to the East Arcadia Road area on a report of a vehicle in a ditch. While en route, he was notified that the vehicle matched a description of one that was used during a homicide in Fayetteville earlier in the day. Freeman verified the fact that it was the same vehicle when he arrived on the scene — and he also reported to dispatch that the vehicle was actually on the side of the road and someone was sitting in the front seat.

That’s when the next level of Freeman’s training and decision-making kicked in.

Freeman performed what troopers refer to as a “felony stop” by calling the driver out of the vehicle and ordering him to move toward Freeman’s cruiser. Thankfully, without incident, the individual was arrested.

That individual was soon confirmed as the one wanted by Fayetteville police for killing his father and injuring his grandfather.

We applaud Freeman and his spot-on actions in getting a wanted murder suspect off the streets. We also appreciate Pait for letting us — and the Bladen County community — know what took place.

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CONGRATS TO LADY EAGLES

Sports seasons only end well for one team, but there are others that can look back on a long season and feel a sense of accomplishment and success.

The East Bladen girls varsity basketball team should be feeling that now.

Despite losing to a St. Pauls team that is stocked with — shall we say, a suspiciously talented roster — in the East Region semifinals on Tuesday, the Lady Eagles put together an incredibly successful season by finishing 26-4.

Though this kind of season isn’t a given for coach Patty Evers and her teams, it’s a familiar one during her many years on the sidelines. Much of that success comes from the talent she has to work with, but just as much comes from the hard work Evers puts into those players and what she is able to get out of them.

What almost always goes along with the end of a season, for every team, win or lose, is the fact that there are seniors who have played their final game. For East Bladen now, that includes Maya McDonald and Alexus Mitchell — two seniors who played a key role in the Lady Eagles’ success, not just this season, but throughout their high-school careers.

We wish both McDonald and Mitchell well, and look forward with anticipation to seeing Evers’ Lady Eagles next season.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.”