Columbus County Community Chat

What would you like to say about or discuss re: Whiteville City Schools?

What do you think of the use of credit cards by county employees? What do you think about the use of the cards resulting in interest costs and/or late fees?

What do you think of the Columbus County Commissioners’ 4-3 vote to reduce their take home pay, but give the difference of the salary reduction to a county department of their choice? Will the decision help the average taxpayer?

Boren, Daniel
ACO 1-508 PIR 82d ABN DIV
TF 1-FURY
APO AE 09355

email: yougetspankin@yahoo.com

Born and raised in Whiteville, NC. Graduated Whiteville High School 2001, Attended NC State 2 years, recruited into the US Army 2005 for 5 years. Completed Airborne training and plans to apply for Ranger training. Presently serving in Afghanistan. Has one younger brother, Brian and one younger sister, Stacy, both of which are in college. Daniel loves mustangs (muscle cars) and fishing, bow shooting and Lauren, not particilarly in that order..haha…Lauren is from Raleigh, NC.

Email Address: tmrnj1966@yahoo.com

Mailing Address:
HM 1 Tony M. Rhodes
Medical HQ
MWSS 271/DET-A
Unity 78102
FPO AE 09509 8102

Parents: Larcene and P.J. Brown
Sister: Kimberly Williams
Children: Justin Rhodes and Kiara Ford
Rank: E6 Petty Officer 1st Class – Navy (Medic)

Gwendolyn A. Barnum
FOB Salerno, Afghanistan
HHC, 782nd BSB
APO, AE 09314

From Jean Robinson: My niece is serving our country in the military. Her address is above. Below is more information about her:

Unit 82nd Abn - Fort Bragg, NC
16 yrs. Sergeant First Class
Return Back Fort Bragg: May 2008

Children: Destiny, Alai and KeShawn

Mother/Father: Stella M. Hill/Nan Hill

Grandparents: The late Mr. Willie Lee/Costella W. Ford

Sisters/Brother: Nancy, Teresa, Kathleen Hill and Robert Hill

Aunts/Uncles: Jean Robinson, Bertha Ford, Arnetha Dickerson, Marienna Mason and Hattie Crayton, Rudolph Ford and Julius Ford

Spires, Stephen
Task Force Talons
ACO 3/82 AVN GSAB
APO-AE 09354

Hi, I saw on the website where you are getting a list together of soldiers serving overseas. I grew up in Columbus County in Fair Bluff. My husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan. He is a crew chief on the Blackhawks. We are stationed in Fort Bragg. My name before we got married was Mary Ann Strickland. His name is Stephen Spires, and anyone who wishes to write or send packages to him or his fellow troops, his address is above.

Some of the soldiers in his unit are so young they look like they should still be in high school — some of them are fresh out of it! I’m sure they would love to here from someone!! Keep them in your prayers and thoughts.

Thank you,
Mary Ann Spires

What would you like to say to our troops who are serving and our veterans who have served their country by being members of the U.S. Armed Services? Share your own tribute to them here.

Medicaid is a government funded health insurance program for low-income individuals. At more than $5 million a year, Columbus County’s state mandated Medicaid contribution accounts for roughly 17 cent of the property tax rate. While there are proposals in the N.C. House that would provide one-time relief of up to $3.5 million for Columbus County and another emerging in the Senate that would permanently take over Medicaid expenses in exchange for certain local sales taxes and tax on beer and wine sales, neither proposal may be finalized in time for the county to balance its budget by the July 1 deadline. What are your thoughts on the Medicaid situation? How should commissioners approach finalizing the budget amidst the uncertainty of additional relief?

The Columbus County manager’s budget proposal calls for a 12 cent tax increase that brings Columbus County’s property tax rate up to 88.5 cent per $100 value. One cent equals about $300,000 in revenue for the county. What are your thoughts about the proposed increase? Do you think the county should cut back on spending? If so where?