A frustrated Pender County mother is at her wits end. Due to the shortage of bus drivers this year (and we are only into the first few weeks of class), her child gets to school on average one to two classes into the day. Today her frustration exploded when a replacement bus driver failed to go down her road and her child was not picked up at all. The problem is, like most parents, she is at work and unable to leave to drive her child to school. We are failing our students.
A Wilmington developer is requesting road access through wetlands to his 500 plus acre Onslow County parcel. That is nothing new except this access would be from an adjacent town and county where he owns 10 acres. This sounds odd but when you look at the Surf City / Holly Ridge area, this is more common than you know. Adjacent property owners are concerned is that this is heavily wooded area, full of beautiful wetlands and native wildlife. On the property also sits a part of the area history, an old mill.
The property owner claims he wants to put in 33 home sites of 10 acres each. My question is this. If the homes are in one county and the road is in another, how are those kids getting to school?
4 men were arrested and charged with attempted murder in Aurora, Colorado. The problem? Two of the men are validated Venezuelan gang members (the other two are suspected of being members). These undocumented men may belong to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang where so far 10 members have been identified in Aurora and 6 of those are in custody. This violent gang is known for drug smuggling and human trafficking.
With the Presidential election only a few weeks away, I realized that there are no (or very few) local elections taking place. Don’t you find that odd? The highest turn out of voters is always during a presidential election. I am not sure how it all lined up that no town or county elected officials landed in 2024 for re-election, but I am guessing that means 2025 might be busy locally so hopefully everyone will stay updated and get out and vote then too!
In 2025 Holly Ridge voters will be voting for a mayor and three council members. With Holly Ridge’s Mayor Wenzel’s resignation, the death of Councilwoman Stanley and the resignation of Aaron Ritter, all appointed seats will be up for grabs in 2025. Greg Hines, a council member for over 35 years, will also have his seat available.
Pender County has announced that due to “technical issues” all the tax bills will be delayed in being mailed out. The simple fix here would be for them to extend the time to pay without penalty. Wouldn’t that be common sense?
The new S&W Bodyguard 2.0 is proving to be one of the most popular carry guns. With a slim and sleek design, the ability to carry 12 rounds of .380 ammo in a firearm that fits in the palm of your hand makes this an ideal choice for people looking to conceal and carry.
In North Carolina, purchase permits are no longer required to purchase a handgun. Background checks are done on site and at time of purchase now. Unfortunately, for those of you with paper permits, they are no longer valid. The North Carolina Conceal & Carry permit is still valid and is required if you plan to carry concealed. North Carolina is an open carry state which means that the firearm must be visible and not tucked under a shirt, in a pocket, in a purse or carry bag. To carry like that, you must have a Conceal Carry permit. North Carolina does reciprocate with 37 other states Conceal Carry permits (for carry only).
Remember knowledge is power, Pender County is in desperate need of bus drivers, and getting out to vote is one of our greatest freedoms – do not waste it.