WEBSITE IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Public Notices

Candidate filing for 2022 elections to resume Feb. 24

Raleigh — Candidate filing for the 2022 statewide primary and rescheduled municipal elections will resume at 8 a.m. Feb. 24 and end at noon March 4.

On Dec. 8, the NC Supreme Court suspended the filing period, which had begun Dec. 6, moved the date of the statewide primary, and rescheduled municipal elections to Tuesday, May 17. The general election is on Nov. 8.

Candidates who filed before the suspension of the filing period do not need to re-file if they still wish to run for the same office. However, those candidates may withdraw their candidacy during the new filing period and instead file for any other office for which they are eligible. The deadline to withdraw is the close of business on March 1.

“Choosing to run for an elected office is a major decision,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We want filing to be a smooth and customer-friendly process for all candidates, and we have strived to create an efficient and safe environment for everyone.”

Depending on the office sought, candidates will file their Notices of Candidacy with either their county board of elections or the State Board of Elections.

Candidates for the following offices will file with the State Board:
• U.S. Senate
• U.S. House of Representatives
• N.C. Supreme Court Justice
• Judge of the NC Court of Appeals
• Superior Court judge
• District Court judge
• District attorney

Candidates for the following offices file with their county board of elections:
• N.C. Senate
• N.C. House of Representatives
• All county and municipal offices

Important: Candidates filing with the State Board will file at the Governor James G. Martin Building, 4381 Trinity Road, Raleigh, located on the NC State Fairgrounds. (Note: This is a change in location, as candidate filing in December was held in the Exposition Center, also on the Fairgrounds.)

Candidates, guests, and members of the media should enter the Fairgrounds through Gate 9 on Trinity Road. (See Fairgrounds map.)

Pender County to Host Public Meeting for Central Pender Park Development Project

BURGAW – Pender County Parks and Recreation will conduct a Public Meeting to gather public input for the Central Pender Park development project. The meeting is set for Thursday, Feb. 24.

The Pender County Parks and Recreation Department invites residents to share their vision for Parks and Recreation facilities for the proposed Central Pender Park Development Project.

The Pender County Parks and Recreation Department will submit a grant application for matching funds to the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for the Central Pender Park Development project. The Central Pender Park Project will be located on US HWY 117 N roughly 3 miles North of Burgaw. The County recognizes the important need for additional parks and recreation resources. The County values the input from the citizens as we move forward on this project.

The Feb. 24 Public Meeting will be conducted in the Board of Commissioners meeting room in the Pender County Administrative Building. The Pender County Administrative Building is located at 805 S. Walker Street Burgaw, NC 28425. This meeting is designed to be a floating meeting and staff encourages community members to stop by the meeting anytime between 4:00-7:00 p.m. to share thoughts and ideas.

For more information about the master plan or public meetings contact the Pender County Parks & Recreation Department 910-259-1330 or parksandrec@pendercountync.gov.

 

Pender County Library presents Black History Month Local History Program: Unsung Heroes History Program:

BURGAW – On Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Main Library in Burgaw, Pender County Library will host a local history program about the legacy of Rev. Richard Keaton and the Black Missionary Movement in the Middle Cape Fear Region. This program, entitled Unsung Heroes and presented by local historian Earnestine Keaton, will be offered both in-person at the Main Library in Burgaw and online via Zoom. During this hour-long program, Ms. Keaton will explore the economic and cultural development of several rural majority Black faith-based communities in Columbus and Pender counties in Southeastern NC.

Ms. Keaton began to research her family history in 1998. In doing so, she discovered the rich and interesting history of the Cape Fear Region. Her primary focus is the cultural traditions and economic development of the communities that grew out of the area’s plantations, particularly the Lloyd Plantation.

Register online at bit.ly/pclunsungheroes, or go to the library’s website, www.penderpubliclibrary.org, and follow the links under “Events.” You can also call the library and staff will take your registration by phone. The event will be hosted both in person at the Main Library in Burgaw as well as on Zoom. Registration is required to attend both in-person and online; seating is limited for in-person attendance. If attending online there is no need to have a Zoom account; just click the link provided in the confirmation email and follow the prompts to download Zoom. The talk can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

 

For more information or assistance, call Pender County Library at 910-259-1234 during regular business hours.U

“Sharks in the Shallows” by Clay Creswell is selling swimming well

 

BURGAW – W. Clay Creswell’s book, “Sharks in the Shallows, attacks on the Carolina Coast” was released six months ago and it is selling extremely well on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart.com and local bookstores. Recently it was featured on display at the Mayfaire Centre Barnes and Noble.

“We’re getting an excellent response to “Sharks in the Shallows,” said Creswell. “People are interested in sharks.”

An environmental services employee in the Pender County Health Department, Creswell has authored several books. His latest work, “Sharks in the Shallows, Attacks on the Carolina Coast,” was released June 2021.

Creswell said “Sharks in the Shallows” explores the rarity of shark attacks as well as what triggers a shark to bite.

His lifelong interest in sharks landed Creswell the title of the North and South Carolina region shark-bite investigator for the Shark Research Institute Global Shark Attack File. He has been an investigator of shark bites since 2004.

“Shark attacks are extremely rare,” said Creswell. ““Sharks should not be feared, but they should be treated like any other wild species. They can be unpredictable and dangerous.”

Creswell said he’s been interested in sharks since he was a child. When the opportunity to work in a coastal county, he jumped at the chance. He started working in the Pender County Health Department in 2002.

Creswell said Hollywood has given sharks a bad reputation. Sharks should be respected, explains Creswell, who added that his new book is also a guide to reducing the risk of encountering sharks at their peak times.

“Sharks play a quality role in our ecosystem,” said Creswell. “They maintain the population of fish, reptiles, and mammals as well as feed on carcasses in our waters.”

Creswell said he started writing “Sharks in the Shallows” more than four years ago. He spent two years writing “off and on” but the publishing process took more than two years. The book was reviewed by two panels, including peer reviews before going to print.

Reviews included Ralph S. Collier, the president and founder of the Shark Research Committee and Daniel C. Abel, author of “Shark Biology and Conservation.” Dean W. Fessler, Jr. the deputy director of The Shark Research Institute called Creswell’s book “Jawsome!”

“Sharks in the Shallows,” published by the University of South Carolina Press, is available from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Walmart.com, and local bookstores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

System Pressure Advisory Rescinded for portions of Hampstead

Pender County Utilities has rescinded the Jan. 28, System Pressure Advisory, issued to its water customers on Whitebridge Road, and down all streets connected to Whitebridge Road in the Hampstead vicinity.

Bacteriological analysis results of drinking water samples collected after completion of the water system repair show no coliform bacteria present.  The system has resumed normal operations and you may use the water without boiling.

The system pressure advisory is hereby rescinded January 29, 2022.

Delayed opening scheduled at Holly Shelter Shooting Range, Jan. 29

BURGAW – Pender County Parks and Recreation announced, due to predicted winter weather, the Holly Shelter Shooting Range will open Saturday, Jan. 29, at noon.

“For the safety of our visitors and staff, we are issuing a delayed opening time,” said Dee Turner from Pender County Parks and Recreation.

For updates, closings, and storm-related information, be sure to follow the county website, pendercountync.gov, Pender County’s Facebook page, the Holly Shelter Shooting Range Facebook page, or the Pender County Emergency Management Facebook page.

 

For storm alerts, residents may register for CodeRed alerts, a free service of the county emergency management department. Sign up at pendercountync.gov/em or call 910-259-1210.

Water line break impacts southern portions of Hampstead area, boil water alert

System Pressure Advisory for portions of Hampstead-area
 
Water customers of Pender County, from Hwy 17 / Whitebridge Road to 469 Whitebridge Road including all roads and side roads including, Mare Pond Place, Holly Grove Lane, Otter Pond Lane, Saddlebrook Lane, and East Rolling Meadows Road, will be without water or will have low water pressure.
 
Repairs are underway and customers will be without water for several hours.
 
The cause of the break is due to construction damage.
 
Water service will be returned upon completion of the work.
 
Periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increase the potential for back siphonage and the introduction of bacteria into the water system. Therefore, consumers in the area noted above are advised to boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation) or use bottled water until this advisory is lifted.
 
This advisory will be in effect for a minimum of 24 hours. Vigorous boiling for one (1) minute should kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present in the water. Water customers are strongly urged to conserve water whenever possible.
 
This advisory remains in effect until further written notification is issued.

NCDOT Awards U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass Project

Contract for first leg totals $185 million

HAMPSTEAD – A major construction project that will improve traffic flow and safety in Pender and New Hanover counties will get underway this spring.

U.S. 17 is a heavily congested highway in Hampstead, where an average of 43,500 vehicles travel each day.

The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the $185 million contract this month to improve the thoroughfare.

Conti Civil LLC of Edison, N.J., will construct a four-lane, divided highway on a new location, known as the U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass, between an area south of N.C. 210 that connects to U.S. 17 north of the Topsail schools, a distance of 5.6 miles. The project will include new interchanges with bridges, ramps, and loops at N.C. 210, Hoover Road, and U.S. 17 north of Vista Lane.

As part of this contract, nearly a mile of U.S. 17 between the new bypass and an area north of Sloop Point Road will be upgraded with raised medians. This section of U.S. 17 will be redesigned with safety features called reduced conflict intersections, which decrease by more than half the potential locations where vehicles can collide.

The total distance covered by this contract is about seven miles. The contract calls for this section of the bypass to be completed and opened to traffic by the fall of 2026.

“This is a major milestone and marks a huge leap in improving how people will travel in southeastern North Carolina, especially between Wilmington and Hampstead,” said Chad Kimes, the department’s Division 3 engineer based in Castle Hayne. “This bypass will also make a big difference in the congestion U.S. 17 is now experiencing in this fast-growing region.”

A contract to improve the other segment of the U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass – from N.C. 140 (formerly known as the U.S. 17 Wilmington Bypass) to west of N.C. 210 – is scheduled to be awarded in 2026.

This vicinity map shows the entire 12.6-mile Hampstead Bypass that will be built. Visit the department’s project page for more details.

To learn more about the Hampstead Bypass, check out the U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass video. The video offers a comprehensive look at the Hampstead projects with the current construction project (R-3300B – U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass) shown from 0:50 to 2:07 and again at 4:45.

Pender County Emergency Management partners with American Red Cross to “Sound the Alarm”

Free smoke detectors available to Burgaw and Atkinson

BURGAW – Pender County Emergency Management and local fire departments are partnering with the American Red Cross to provide free information and smoke detectors to members of the Burgaw and Atkinson communities.

“Smoke detectors save lives,” said Pender County Fire Marshal Mark Haraway. “A working smoke detector is essential to protect you and your family – especially at night.”

Haraway explained that when sleeping, the sense of smell is not as sensitive. However, the piercing sound of a working smoke detector will awaken families with enough time to escape a home fire.

Residents who need a smoke detector should call Pender County Emergency Management at 910-259-1210 or register online at www.tinyurl.com/pendersmokealarms.

“Our initial round of smoke detectors is limited,” said Haraway. “We encourage residents of Burgaw and Atkinson who need a working smoke detector to call or fill out the online request. We will be receiving additional smoke detectors in the coming months and plan to distribute those units throughout Pender County.”

The smoke detectors provided through “Sound the Alarm” are extended life units with a lithium power cell and do not require additional batteries.

Installation is available for families on limited or fixed incomes.

The program, “Sound the Alarm” will take place Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. “Sound the Alarm” is a national movement and pledge to keep families safe against home fires. Corporate sponsors for this program include Delta Airlines, FEMA, Lowe’s, NC Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Pender County Emergency Management.

Translate »