PEMBROKE — In the second quarter Monday night, the Purnell Swett girls basketball team used free-throw shooting and defense to outscore visiting Seventy-First despite making one field goal in the period.

When the shooting struggles continued in the third, however, Seventy-First took advantage.

The Falcons used a third-quarter run to take the lead for good and earn a 43-29 win over the Rams.

“We just couldn’t make a shot,” Purnell Swett coach Jonathan Efird said. “We were getting open looks, we were getting quality looks, they just didn’t fall. We got some pressure at the end and got some easy baskets, and got some points at the free-throw line, but when they’re running a zone and they want you to shoot, and you’re not making shots, it’s very hard to beat a team. They were very active in their zone; I thought they did a great job of getting us out of rhythm.”

The win assures Seventy-First (16-5, 10-2 Sandhills Athletic Conference) the No. 2 seed in next week’s SAC tournament, while Purnell Swett (12-8, 8-4 SAC) cannot finish any higher than the No. 3 spot.

Purnell Swett’s field-goal struggles, though they were more pronounced in the middle two quarters, were present for the entire game; the team made just six field goals. After the Rams have been a solid 3-point-shooting team all season, they did not hit a single 3-pointer in the game.

In the second quarter, the Rams only made one field goal but nonetheless finished the first half on an 8-2 run to tie the score at 15-15.

That stretch featured solid defense, as Seventy-First had their own six-plus minute stretch without a field goal, and the Rams got to the line and made their free throws. Purnell Swett was collectively 6-for-7 at the stripe during the run; Kylie Chavis was 4-for-5 and Alonna Locklear made both her attempts.

Out of halftime, however, the Rams stayed cold from the floor, didn’t defend as well as they had been and didn’t get to the line nearly as frequently. In the third quarter, the Rams only attempted two free throws — Chavis made both — while Seventy-First nearly doubled its score in the period, adding 13 points to the board to take a 28-19 lead to the fourth.

“They came out in the third quarter and made their shots, and we didn’t,” Efird said. “We had three quality looks, back to back to back, that we just didn’t knock down. When you miss those easy shots, it’s easy to get down on yourself.”

While the Rams improved their output with a 10-point fourth quarter, they still struggled from the field as they made two field goals and most of their points came at the foul line, where they were 6-for-11. Purnell Swett twice got within eight points in the fourth, once at the midway point of the quarter and once with just over a minute left, but never got any closer. Free throws in the final minute pushed the Falcons’ lead to its final 14-point mark.

Chavis led Purnell Swett with 13 points; Alonna Locklear scored six, all on free throws.

With a top-two conference finish now out of the picture, Purnell Swett turns its attention to Tuesday’s Senior Night game against Hoke County and Friday’s rivalry matchup at Lumberton to finish out the regular season. The Rams will secure the No. 3 seed in the SAC tournament with one more win.

“Our goal is still to beat Hoke, beat Lumberton; nobody predicted us to be in the top three, so to be in the top three surprised everybody,” Efird said. “We’re going to continue to give our all these next two games to secure that spot.”

Rams boys fall to Falcons

The Purnell Swett boys basketball team never trailed by more than six points in the fourth quarter against Seventy-First Monday night. But they also were never able to take a lead, and the Falcons claimed a 70-66 win.

“They played like we played back in January at their place — we came out (then) with intensity, effort, and held them to five points in the first half,” Purnell Swett coach Jeremy Sampson said. “They came out (tonight) with their energy, and I told the guys I felt like we were stuck in mud.”

Xavier Jones fouled out in the final minute — possibly hurting the Rams’ chances to come back to win — but scored 25 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his high-school career.

“I’m proud of him,” Sampson said. “That’ll be the first guy I’ve coached that scored 1,000.”

Purnell Swett (7-13, 4-8 SAC) got within three twice in the final minute, the first time coming on a Chris Lucas layup which he made as he was fouled. He missed the free throw, and Seventy-First (8-13, 4-8 SAC) hit three of its next four at the foul line for a 69-63 lead, before Isaiah Santos hit a 3-pointer to make it 69-66 with 13 seconds left. Isiah Oratokhai hit a free throw for the Falcons to go back up two possessions and the Falcons rebounded a Rams missed 3-point attempt in the final seconds to seal the win.

Purnell Swett never led after the first quarter, but also never trailed by double figures. Seventy-First took the lead for good when Camron Shelton scored the last five points of the first quarter, including a traditional 3-point play with 12 seconds left, to give the Falcons a 15-14 lead at the end of a back-and-forth period.

Seventy-First led 32-26 at halftime and 53-48 at the end of the third.

In addition to Jones, Garyen Maynor scored 15 points for Purnell Swett, Chris Lucas had nine and Cameron Ferguson added eight.

“Garyen Maynor had a good game, stepped it up,” Sampson said. “He’s a compliment to (Xavier Jones). He’s growing of age, he’s a sophomore and he’s going to be tough.”

Alvin Freeman scored 27 points for Seventy-First, including a 13-for-16 mark at the free-throw line; the Falcons’ Emoni Howard scored 11 points.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian
Purnell Swett’s Chris Lucas, 40, goes up for a layup against Seventy-First’s Camron Shelton, 33, during Monday’s game between the schools in Pembroke.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_WEB-IMG_7185.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian
Purnell Swett’s Chris Lucas, 40, goes up for a layup against Seventy-First’s Camron Shelton, 33, during Monday’s game between the schools in Pembroke.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian Purnell Swett’s Kylie Chavis, 3, draws contact from Seventy-First’s Jasmine Wallace, 50, during Monday’s game between the schools in Pembroke.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_FRONT-IMG_7133.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian Purnell Swett’s Kylie Chavis, 3, draws contact from Seventy-First’s Jasmine Wallace, 50, during Monday’s game between the schools in Pembroke.

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Any way you look at it, philanthropy is not easy.

There are so many choices in Robeson County and far, far away. Then, there is the existential question: Why give at all?

Philanthropy has its roots in compassion, humanity, generosity, kindness and goodwill. It is one the strongest, most positive passions of civilized societies, the glue that keeps us together.

If philanthropy represents the best of our natures, the opposite is a very dark place. Let’s look on the bright side.

First, donors must have the means to give. For those who do not have loads of excess cash, giving small also makes a difference.

Small gifts add up for charities, and it is just as rewarding to know you gave the full measure, whatever amount. Giving is not only about money.

Volunteering is sometimes more meaningful than writing a check.

There are several motivations behind giving. Guilt is one motive, but it’s not the happiest reason to give.

Emotional giving, which is often done on impulse after a disaster or hearing a particularly heart-wrenching story, has become very easy to do via text message or online through services like Donors Choose. Some advice: Wait 24 hours before jumping into a cause and learn more about the charity.

Hearing a really good pitchman or woman can be convincing. It can also be a scam, think P.T. Barnum.

A good bleeding heart story is difficult to resist if it’s an in-person ask. If pitched to a group, it may become a stampede of social giving.

A dear friend once gave money to build a school for girls in India after hearing a pitch from a “missionary” at his church. Needless to say, there was no school.

That did not stop this friend from contributing to a nonprofit microlender, whose mission was to jump-start African women into entrepreneurship through small loans. This group sent back photos and testimonials of success stories to encourage continued support.

Some guy in Bangladesh won a Nobel Prize for inventing microlending. Piggybacking on a popular idea can be a great story or a great con.

Charities popped up like weeds to support military veterans after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Giving to established charities is a safer investment than one with no track record.

Giving to big, generic nonprofits that have been around for a long time is safe, but not necessarily fulfilling. They don’t always deliver a personal touch for donors and often have high administrative costs.

Giving that leaves a permanent legacy and recognition is wonderful, but usually requires a substantial gift, although not always. A permanent, endowed scholarship at UNC Pembroke with your name on it runs $25,000.

A donation as small as a few hundred dollars gets your name or your business name in a program at the Carolina Civic Center. It’s good marketing and a feel good reward.

The most rewarding and meaningful kind of giving happens closest to home. Being able to see or to participate in the benefits of a gift is an ultimate reward.

For instance, contributing to an animal shelter where you also volunteer is a two-for-one gift. A bag of dog food is not too expensive, and the donor may get a sloppy kiss from a puppy as a reward.

Giving to your church can be a three-for-one gift. You give, you volunteer, and you receive spiritual and social benefits.

This where advice on giving gets tricky. Giving to one’s church is a good thing, but it’s not enough.

Churches are an important pillar of the community and central to the lives of many, but they are narrowly focused. For the most part, churches are a slice of community residents who are alike, in race, income and the cars they drive to services.

There is an array of community programs in Robeson County that do good work and depend on local donations and volunteers. There is an array of community issues that beg to be addressed.

Arts, education, health, nutrition, poverty, homelessness, animal welfare and more have outstanding nonprofits in this community. All of them accept donations and most accept volunteers.

The local United Way is an umbrella organization that helps more than a dozen reputable and local nonprofits. This is the shotgun approach to passive giving, but you may want a more active approach.

Finding the right volunteer experience is more difficult than people imagine. If you pick one that you have talent for and enjoy, then volunteering can be an amazing and rewarding experience.

If a volunteer experience leaves you flat, don’t fret too much about letting it go. Nonprofits can’t create enriching experiences for every volunteer, so they are understanding about dropouts.

In a perfect world, there is a perfect volunteer experience out there. Go out and find it.

That brings this conversation back to what we’ll call the giving gene. There are some people who live to give and others who cannot.

Giving makes us better people and a happier people. Giving may even add years to the lives of donors because happy people live more fulfilled lives.

Give it up and live it up!

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_scott-bigelow-preferred.jpg

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To the Editor,

If you continue to do the same thing over and over and you always get unsatisfactory results, the time has come to change the way you are doing things. Unfortunately, those of us who reside in our county continue to get unsatisfactory results (leadership) from the Public Schools of Robeson County Board of Education.

As the late Coach Dean Smith stated many years ago, “There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sideline is not an option.”

William Gentry recognizes that the time for sitting on the sidelines is past. He is an at-large candidate for the March 3 school board race. He grew up in Robeson County. He has taught and retired as an educator in Robeson County. He has been both a principal and assistant principal in Robeson County. He and his late wife, Ann Marie, a 30-year educator herself, raised their two children in Robeson County.

William has served as an ordained minister in several Baptist churches in Robeson County. He has served as president of the Kiwanis club of Robeson-Lumberton, having been recognized as Kiwanian of the Year. He has served as president of Robeson County Family Counseling Center.

William cares about our children and our future. He wants to assist the school system navigate through rough waters. He knows today’s children will one day be making decisions that influence our golden years. If today’s students are deprived of a well-balanced education, what will you and I be deprived of 20 to 30 years from now when our everyday life is in their hands? A body of water having no flow of fresh water into it will become stale and devoid of life.

As parents, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens we want vigorous and productive lives for our children. William will bring fresh water into our school board and into our school system. To accomplish that, he needs your vote. Please mark you ballot for William Gentry on March 3 as an at-large candidate for the PSRC Board of Education.

John Rancke

Lumberton

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LUMBERTON — Local law enforcement agencies cited motorists for about 188 offenses during a recent traffic checkpoint operation in Saddletree.

The checkpoints were set up from 2 and 6 p.m. Friday along Tar Heel and Rennert roads, according to Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins. The mobile Breath Alcohol Testing unit was deployed as part of the operation.

Charges brought as a part of the operation included driving while license revoked, improper registration, driving without insurance, probation violations, driving while impaired and more, the sheriff said. Wilkins didn’t know how many people were charged.

“The fact that so many in our county drive with their licenses revoked and no insurance indicates a lack of respect for law enforcement and the judicial system,” Wilkins said.

There will be more checkpoints in the future.

“In an effort to lower traffic crash injuries and deaths, we will continue to conduct these and other checkpoints across the county as part of the Vision Zero initiative,” Wilkins said.

The Sheriff’s Office is a member of the Robeson County Vision Zero Task Force, which was formed in 2018 with the goal of reducing traffic deaths in Robeson County to zero.

Officers from the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bladenboro, Lumberton, and Laurinburg police departments also took part in Friday’s checkpoints.

“It’s important to be able to pool your resources and assist agencies to provide a stronger impact, or stronger workforce in a particular area,” Lumberton police Maj. Tommy Barnes said.

The Lumberton Police Department routinely conducts traffic checkpoints in the city and partners with other law enforcement agencies in the county, Barnes said.

Wilkins

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_web1_burnis-preferred-not-smiling-1-2.jpgWilkins

Barnes

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_Barnes.jpgBarnes

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John Cantey didn’t get his man on Monday night, but he got what he really wanted — attention.

And, we suppose, he is getting more of it as we write today’s Our View. But anytime an elected official throws a hissy fit when he doesn’t get his way, and then drops the racism bomb while stomping out of a meeting, it’s news. Cantey makes, as we say in the business, good copy.

It was last week when Cantey took to social media complaining about the removal of a black member of the Airport Commission. That happened during a City Council policy meeting on Wednesday, in a 5 to 3 vote with all three blacks on council voting against, and then was affirmed on Monday in a 6 to 1 vote, with Cantey absent, having taken his ball and gone home.

We would hazard to speculate that a large percentage of Robeson County’s residents don’t know there is a nine-member Airport Commission, fewer know what the commission does, and probably even fewer care. We don’t want to diminish the commission’s work, but it is a board that operates mostly in the dark with a limited focus.

Cantey would have you believe he was standing on principle, pointing out that the commission, with just one black now on the board, is underrepresented in a county with a black population of about 24 percent. By that standard, however, the City Council, with three of its eight members being black, is overrepresented.

These things don’t always work out perfectly.

Cantey, informed that the minority makeup of the board remained intact, then said that in Robeson County, a Lumbee Indian is not a minority — a comment that was sure to offend many. Using math, American Indians locally do not qualify as they enjoy a plurality, but we believe a much better measure is the historical discrimination they have suffered, which should make them brothers in arms with blacks.

We have heard the reasons why the council voted to replace Jerry Andrews, a longtime commission member, with Eric Chavis, a council member — and they make sense. Chavis lives in the district where the airport is located, and his appointment means the City Council will match the Robeson County Board of Commissioners for members of the Airport Commission with two each.

Mayor Bruce Davis has also indicated that philosophically, he would like to see more turnover on such boards, almost certainly as a way to weed out complacency and to inject energy and fresh ideas.

For Cantey, however, he knows that such cries of racism help him on Election Day, when he will haul the right number of folks to get re-elected. Remember, he was first elected, in 2005, with a write-in candidacy, cleverly counting the number of folks he would need to win, and then giving that many and a few more for insurance a ride to the poll.

Anymore questions on why we despise hauling?

Cantey, whether it is launching a rhetorical write-in campaign against the sitting mayor, working to deny a U.S. congressman an office in City Hall, or creating divisiveness by screaming the R word, has shown himself to be expert at drawing attention to himself.

What he has not displayed is an ability to build a coalition on the board in order to deliver for the people in Precinct 5, which he was elected to represent. Assuming that is his goal, he stands farther today from making that happen than he did a week ago.

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LUMBERTON — One-stop voting begins on Thursday for the March 3 primary, and local residents who want to cast their ballot in advance of Election Day can do so at the Board of Elections office on Walnut Street, near downtown Lumberton, or at any of five satellite sites.

The buffet is flush with races, ranging from what will be closely watched local contests all the way up to president of the United States.

Election ballots will include contests for president; U.S. Senate; U.S. House of Representatives District 9; N.C. governor; N.C. lieutenant governor; N.C. attorney general; N.C. auditor; N.C. commissioner of Agriculture; N.C. commissioner of Insurance; N.C. commissioner of Labor; N.C. secretary of State; N.C. superintendent of Public Instruction; N.C. treasurer; N.C. Superior Court judge Districts 16B seats 1 and 6; Robeson County Board of Commissioners districts 1, 3, and 5; and Robeson County Board of Education at large, and districts 1, 4, 5, and 7.

The school board election is non-partisan, with the primary deciding the winners. Also, even though three at-large candidates will win seats, voters can only vote for one at-large candidate.

There is no voter ID requirement for this election even though voters in 2018 approved that requirement during a referendum. A judge threw out the requirement, citing what she called North Carolina’s history of trying to use voter ID to suppress the turnout of some populations that traditionally vote Democrat. A Republican effort to get the requirement reinstituted for the primary has been unsuccessful.

The deadline to register to vote was Friday, but One-stop voting allows same-day registration and voting. Same-day registration and voting does require a valid ID.

One-stop early voting will be held at the Robeson County Board of Elections office, Fairmont Senior Citizens Center, Gilbert Patterson Memorial Library in Maxton, Pembroke Public Library, Red Springs Community Center and St. Pauls National Guard Armory.

Early voting ballots can be cast at the Board of Elections Office from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Mondays through Fridays during the period, and on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Voting times at One-stop sites are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 29.

An ID is required to register and vote the same day during One-stop.

Absentee voting by mail is available. Requests for an absentee ballot must be made on an absentee request form, which is available on the State Board of Elections website and at the county Board of Elections office. The form must be received in the Robeson Board of Elections office or any One-stop early voting site by 5 p.m. on Feb. 25. Completed request forms may only be returned in-person to the Robeson Board of Elections by the voter, the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian, or by a Multipartisan Assistance Team, or delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or designated delivery service — DHL, FedEx, or UPS.

Absentee voting requires the voter to complete an application on the return envelope that must be witnessed by two qualified people or a notary public. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Robeson Board of Elections by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots received by mail after this time will be counted on if received within three business days and postmarked by Election Day.

In Robeson County, there are 73,534 registered voters; of those, 42,271 are Democrats, 9,884 are Republicans, and 20,378 are Unaffiliated.

During the primary, registered Democrats and Republicans must vote within their party, but those who are Unaffiliated can ask for a Democratic or Republican ballot.

Those voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters. Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites.

Anyone with questions about registration, polling places, early voting, absentee ballots, a Multipartisan Assistance Team visit to a facility, or other election matters may call the Robeson Board of Elections Office at 910-671-3080.

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LUMBERTON — When it rains it pours into the Lumber River, and the more rain that falls on an already swollen river the larger the fears of flooding.

A flood warning remains in effect for the river, which was logged at a depth of 17.47 feet at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, and more rain is on the way.

The river’s flood stage is 13 feet.

Moderate flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast, according to the flood warning notice. The river will continue rising to near 17.6 feet by just after midnight Wednesday and then begin falling.

The flood warning notice reads in part, “Impact…At 18.0 feet…Floodwaters deepen in the Pines and Cox’s Pond areas as well as along River Road. Floodwaters may affect Carthage Road. Several homes will become isolated or inundated between the Pepsi plant and the river. Chickenfoot Road, Hestertown Road and Noir Street will be closed.”

The river was at 11.5 feet at N.C. 72 in Lumberton, Stephanie Chavis, director of Robeson County Emergency Management, said late Tuesday afternoon. The river’s water level was 15.7 feet at Fifth and Water streets.

“The Robeson County Emergency Management officials are watching river levels at this time, but do not anticipate any major flooding due to the flow of the Lumber River, which was enhanced by cleanup,” Chavis said Tuesday afternoon.

County Emergency Management officials expect about one-quarter of an inch of rain to fall Thursday, she said. The river is not expected to overflow its banks even though the water level could reach as high as 16 feet.

“We are always concerned with the well-being of our residents and the possibility of flooding for those living on or near the Lumber River,” Chavis said. “We would ask that people in these areas monitor the river level and if at any point they become concerned, we asked that they make contact with Robeson County Emergency Management.”

Residents living near the Lumber River are urged to stay informed, she said. One way to do that is to monitor weather stations and news outlets for flood advisories and warnings.

“Please know that Robeson County Emergency Management is always monitoring and will make the public aware through our CodeRed Mass Notification app, in the event that action needs to be taken,” Chavis said.

The potential for minor to moderate flooding could worsen with just a little more rainfall, said Bill French, director of Emergency Services for the city of Lumberton. Areas such as VFW and Hestertown roads, and the Cox’s Pond area can get flooded even during minor flood threats.

“If it becomes a significant problem we would push out a CodeRed to the affected areas,” French said. “They’re used to it, unfortunately.”

The weather wild card is the rain falling to the west of Robeson County. Some of the rain falling at the higher elevations will flow toward the coast through Robeson County.

Water flowing from the western part of the state to the eastern portion is taken in to account, said Doug Hoehler, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Wilmington;

“It’s all put into the equation that’s part of the forecast,” Hoehler said.

Regardless, the National Weather Service says the river’s high-water crest and the associated flooding risk may last through Feb. 18.

“The river may be delayed in dipping below the flood stage,” Hoehler said.

And the area can’t overlook the possibility of hazardous weather.

“We could have an isolated and possibly severe thunderstorm on Thursday, but nothing like last Thursday,” he said.

About one-half inch of rain is expected to fall on Lumberton Thursday through early Friday. Heavier rainfall is expected farther west, particularly toward the mountains.

“They are going to get hammered,” Hoehler said.

The chance of showers in Robeson County is expected to rise after 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Otherwise Wednesday is forecast to be cloudy with a high near 63. There is a slight chance of a shower Wednesday night, with a low of about 59 degrees.

The forecast for Thursday calls for showers and a high near 75. Showers are to continue into Thursday night.

Friday is expected to be sunny but cooler, with a high only near 52. Friday night’s forecast calls for mostly clear skies and a low of about 28 degrees.

The sun is expected to stick around Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s high is to be near 48 and Sunday’s about 59.

The Lumber River, as seen from Stephens Park in Lumberton, has reached a water level of near 17.5 feet Tuesday afternoon, the rainfall expected on Thursday could push the river’s depth closer to 18 feet. The river’s flood stage is 13 feet.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_DSCN7965-1.jpgThe Lumber River, as seen from Stephens Park in Lumberton, has reached a water level of near 17.5 feet Tuesday afternoon, the rainfall expected on Thursday could push the river’s depth closer to 18 feet. The river’s flood stage is 13 feet.

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PEMBROKE — Placing cameras throughout the county to help reduce littering was discussed Tuesday by members of the Robeson County Clean and Green Committee.

Pembroke resident Giovanni Selles suggested placing cameras near train tracks and other areas to help identify people who litter. Areas along Three Bridges and Moss Neck roads were named as littering problem areas that would benefit from the use of cameras.

“I know it’s going to take a lot of money,” Selles said.

But, the problem needs to be addressed, he said.

Committee Chairman Raymond Cummings asked Kristina Locklear-Cummings, assistant director for Recycling at the Department of Solid Waste, to look into buying cameras. Cummings, a member of the county Board of Commissioners, did not specify how many.

“Let’s buy some cameras,” he said. “We’ll find the money.”

The committee is open to new ideas and will continue to implement them, Cummings said.

Tiffany Locklear, a Project Trash Talk Steering Committee member, said she will meet with teachers from elementary schools across the county at the Public Schools of Robeson County Central Office on March 16 to present a kindergarten through fifth-grade curriculum that discourages children from littering.

“We want to get everybody to buy in,” said Locklear, who also teaches fourth grade at St. Pauls Elementary School.

The curriculum would include daily videos, and discussions and activities to educate elementary children on the problem of littering, she said.

Also on Tuesday, Lillian Hunt, Adopt-a-Highway coordinator, gave an update on the program.

Robeson County is in the top 15 counties in the state with the highest Adopt-a-Highway roads, she said. The county has 78 Adopt-a-Highway roads, with 10 more pending.

The program allows people to sponsor roadways to keep clean for a four-year span. Sponsors must participate in four litter pickups each year along two miles of roadway, she said.

In 2019, 222.47 tons of roadside trash was collected in the county, Locklear-Cummings said.

Three county Environmental Control officers wrote 218 litter violation tickets in 2019, she said. Littering fines start at $250.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office also is doing its part to address litter, said Maj. Susan Green, supervisor of the Robeson County Detention Center.

Through the Statewide Misdemeanant Confinement Program the Detention Center is housing eight inmates from counties across the state to participate in the collection of litter, Green said. In doing so, the inmates, charged with misdemeanor crimes, can reduce their sentences by four to six days a month.

The next Clean and Green Committee meeting is scheduled for April 9.

Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator Lillian Hunt gives an update on cleanup efforts as N.C. Department of Transportation District Engineer Chuck Miller, left, and county Commissioner David Edge listen during a Robeson County Clean and Green Committee meeting. Hunt said Robeson County is among the top 15 counties in the state with the most roads adopted in the program.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_cleanandgreen1.jpgAdopt-a-Highway Coordinator Lillian Hunt gives an update on cleanup efforts as N.C. Department of Transportation District Engineer Chuck Miller, left, and county Commissioner David Edge listen during a Robeson County Clean and Green Committee meeting. Hunt said Robeson County is among the top 15 counties in the state with the most roads adopted in the program.

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ST. PAULS — There probably weren’t a lot of shouts of jubilation in the St. Pauls locker room Tuesday night. Just sighs of relief.

Nonetheless, whatever positive displays of emotion came from the Bulldogs were warranted — they had defeated Whiteville 64-56 in a key Three Rivers Conference boys basketball contest.

Those sighs of relief came after the Wolfpack made a furious comeback attempt over the last quarter and a half, closing from a 20-point deficit to as close as two.

“They’re a good team and I knew they weren’t just going to bow down. We just had to withstand the run,” St. Pauls coach Corey Thompson said. “That’s kind of been our season, so I told our guys we’re built for it, this was not uncharted territory for us, so we just had to play through it and weather the storm.”

The win moves the Bulldogs into a loss-column tie for first in the TRC with Whiteville and West Columbus. The Wolfpack and Vikings, at 12-3 in the league, are a half-game ahead of St. Pauls. If St. Pauls wins out, they would win the No. 1 seed in the league tournament by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker; the Bulldogs make up Friday’s postponement on Wednesday at West Bladen before playing at Red Springs Friday to close the regular season.

“We’ve got to win out, but most importantly we play tomorrow night against West Bladen, and it’s kind of eerie because it’s a similar situation to South Columbus, where we can’t just overlook those guys and think it’s going to be a cakewalk and look ahead to Friday night,” Thompson said. “But that South Columbus game humbled us and taught us a whole lot.”

St. Pauls (17-5, 11-3 TRC) jumped out to a 13-6 lead after the first quarter and led 29-14 at halftime over Whiteville (13-6, 12-3 TRC), who came into the game as the solo conference leaders. Emonta Smith scored six points in the first quarter and Joshua Henderson had six in the second to lead the Bulldog charge.

The Bulldogs scored eight of the first 11 points of the second half to extend their lead to its largest point at 37-17 midway through the second quarter. That’s when Whiteville began its run, closing to a 43-31 deficit by the end of the third.

The Wolfpack continued their run into the fourth, starting the period with a 16-6 stretch over five-plus minutes to pull to their closest second-half deficit at 49-47 with 2:43 to go. Wendell Smith was key in the Whiteville run, scoring eight of his 10 points in the fourth.

Anthony Campbell hit a basket to give St. Pauls some breathing room at 51-47, starting a pattern for the duration of the game: every time Whiteville got within a possession, the Bulldogs had an answer. These included a Zarron Glover made free throw and a Jeyvian Tatum putback when Glover missed the second shot, two Emonta Smith free throws and a Tatum layup off a Whiteville turnover that gave St. Pauls a 61-56 lead with 36 seconds left. From there, two Erickson Emanuel free throws made it a three-possession lead, while Whiteville missed three field-goal attempts in the final half-minute.

“We knew how many points we were up, and we knew that team wasn’t going to give up, they were going to fight to the buzzer, because that’s a good team,” said Emonta Smith, one of six seniors honored as part of Senior Night before the game. “We just kept fighting to the end, and making our free throws at the last possessions of the game.”

Emonta Smith scored 14 points to lead the Bulldogs, who had a balanced offensive attack, with nine players scoring and eight scoring four or more points. Caleb Henderson scored nine points and Anthony Campbell and Emanuel each scoring eight.

“I’ve always talked to our guys about the depth that we have, and it’s hard to play a team that has multiple scorers or guys that any given night can produce,” Thompson said. “That’s kind of been our M.O. this year — you can’t pinpoint on one guy, because any given night anybody can get going. I think that’s a sign of a really good team, and a deep team, and I’m so glad we’re starting to click at the right time.”

John Baldwin scored 12 points and McFadden had 11 for Whiteville.

Top dogs: St. Pauls girls clinch TRC title

The St. Pauls girls basketball team had to wait four extra days for an opportunity to clinch the TRC regular-season title after Friday’s game against West Bladen was postponed.

But the clincher became that much more special Tuesday night, as the Bulldogs could celebrate a conference championship as they also celebrated Senior Night — and the Bulldogs took care of business on the floor allowing them to do just that.

St. Pauls beat the Wolfpack 62-35, sealed its first regular-season conference title since 1998.

“It’s emotional right now,” St. Pauls coach Mike Moses said. “Just knowing we came from the bottom of this conference, the laughing stocks of the conference, the laughing stocks of the county, and in a two-year span, just to turn it around and win the conference is crazy.”

“It means a lot,” Iyania Evans said. “We set this goal at the beginning of the summer when we were outside running, and the fact that we accomplished it, I’m very happy.”

After the Bulldogs won just three games in the 2016-17 season, the team has improved in each season under Moses, building to this year’s titlists who are currently undefeated (21-0, 14-0 TRC).

Seniors Taniya Redmon, Mackenzie Ransom, Marckia Galbreath, Larkan Maynor and Destiny Maynor, usually reserves for the Bulldogs, started. Iyania Evans, the team’s sixth senior and the only one who is normally a starter did not start; Moses said she did so voluntarily to let the other seniors start in their final regular-season home game. Evans played her first three seasons at Fayetteville Christian before coming back to her hometown school at St. Pauls for her senior year.

“It’s very cool; I’m very happy that I came back and got to be a part of this,” Evans said. “I don’t want to feel like how the seniors (previous years) felt, losing on their senior night, and I’m happy that (the other seniors) got to win on their senior night.”

The Bulldogs faced a 12-6 deficit early in the second quarter after Whiteville (13-8, 10-5 TRC) opened the period on a 6-0 run, but answered with a 20-3 run to take a 26-15 lead with 1:29 left in the half, ultimately leading 26-16 at the break.

“We just had to settle down. We just had to get going, and we’re going to get everybody’s best shot initially,” Moses said. “What I’ve been telling the girls the last month and a half is how you counter that. Take the punches, then throw a couple jabs, then after that the adrenaline dies down.”

St. Pauls continued to stretch its lead the rest of the way, using a 20-7 third-quarter advantage to take a 46-23 lead to the fourth, and led by as many as 32 in the fourth.

Jakieya Thompson led St. Pauls with 19 points and had five steals and five assists. T.J. Eichelberger and Evans both had double-doubles; Eichelberger had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Evans had 12 points with 15 rebounds.

Trinity Smith scored 10 points to lead Whiteville.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian
St. Pauls’ Iyania Evans, left, looks to put up a shot as Whiteville’s Mataya Carmichael, right, during Tuesday’s game in St. Pauls

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_WEB-IMG_7215-1.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian
St. Pauls’ Iyania Evans, left, looks to put up a shot as Whiteville’s Mataya Carmichael, right, during Tuesday’s game in St. Pauls

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian
St. Pauls girls basketball coach Mike Moses, center, celebrates with the Bulldogs team after clinching the Three Rivers Conference regular-season championship on Tuesday by beating Whiteville.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_WEB-IMG_7283-1.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian
St. Pauls girls basketball coach Mike Moses, center, celebrates with the Bulldogs team after clinching the Three Rivers Conference regular-season championship on Tuesday by beating Whiteville.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian St. Pauls’ Anthony Campbell, 2, drives inside past Whieville’s Ty Moss, 11, and Ervin Moore, 20, during Tuesday’s game in St. Pauls.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_FRONT-IMG_7357-2.jpgChris Stiles | The Robesonian St. Pauls’ Anthony Campbell, 2, drives inside past Whieville’s Ty Moss, 11, and Ervin Moore, 20, during Tuesday’s game in St. Pauls.

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LAURINBURG — What started as a back-and-forth battle between Scotland and Lumberton’s boys basketball teams evolved into a heated double-overtime showdown — packed with emotion, grit, big shots, missed opportunities and just about everything in between.

Led by Mandrell Johnson’s 22 points, the Fighting Scots prevailed with a 69-67 victory.

Lumberton had many opportunities to tie the game at 69 in the game’s final seconds. Lumberton’s Matt Locklear missed a jumper from inside the 3-point arc with nine seconds left in the game. Locklear grabbed the rebound, but missed his second-chance attempt. That was followed by three more unsuccessful put-pack attempts by the Pirates.

But Scotland guard Garrett McRae then knocked the ball out of bounds while fighting for a rebound. Lumberton retained possession with a half-second remaining on the clock.

Following a timeout, Lumberton got one of the best possible looks they could have hoped for in that situation — an alley-opp inbounds pass from Charlie Miller to Jadarian Chatman. But Chatman’s shot rolled off the rim, and Scotland held on for the win on senior night.

“It was a wild game to say the least, for sure,” Scotland coach Matt Justin said. “It was a game of runs. Both teams made a ton of plays.

”. …I’m happy for the kids and our program. It’s a big win against a top-10 team in the state.”

Johnson had a major role in keeping the Scots rolling late in the game. He sent the game to a second overtime with a last-second 3-pointer, and he later scored what proved to be the winning basket in the final minute of the contest.

“He’s a stud. To me, he’s a stud,” Justin said. “He had some silly turnovers , and he knows that — he recognizes it, and he gets frustrated. He’s certainly hard to handle offensively. … Tonight he just took over in the second half.

“I love him. He’s a good kid. He gets frustrated, but he’s gotten better at controlling his anger. He made a ton of plays for us down the stretch. He made a ton of baskets that were huge for us.”

Scotland had a chance to end the game in regulation. After Chatman tied the game at 57 by converting a three-point play, Scotland had about 15 seconds to get the ball down the court and look for a game-winning shot. But a last-second attempt by Bruce Wall was short.

Late in the first overtime period, Miller hit a 3-pointer to give the Pirates a 63-59 lead. Scotland’s Grayson Smith was then fouled and made one of two free throw attempts with 38 seconds left.

Scotland allowed Lumberton to take some time off the clock before intentionally fouling Chatman with 14 1/2 seconds left. Chatman missed both free throw attempts.

Wall grabbed the rebound, and the Scots quickly pushed the ball down the court. Wall eventually got an assist by finding Johnson in the corner for a 3-pointer that tied the score at 63 and sent the game to double-overtime.

Scotland jumped out to a 67-63 lead in the second overtime period, but Lumberton tied the score again with baskets by Locklear and Jordan McNeill.

Johnson scored the deciding basket after Scotland called timeout with just under two minutes on the clock. Lumberton’s Dwayne Davis then came up empty on a trip to the free throw line, but Scotland turned the ball over with 15 seconds left after grabbing the rebound.

Scotland’s C.J. Settles finished with 11 points. Trey Graham added 10 points, and Garrett McRae chipped in eight. McNeill led the Pirates with 23 points. Miller added 13 points, including four 3-pointers.

In the girls game, Lumberton defeated Scotland 51-39.

Katelyn Culbreth scored 12 points for Lumberton, while Jauslen Hunt scored 10 points and August Smith scored nine points.

Brandon Tester | Laurinburg Exchange Lumberton’s Jordan McNeill dribbles past Scotland’s Garrett McRae on Tuesday in Laurinburg.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_IMG_7856.jpgBrandon Tester | Laurinburg Exchange Lumberton’s Jordan McNeill dribbles past Scotland’s Garrett McRae on Tuesday in Laurinburg.

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PEMBROKE — Behind a game-high 23 points from Kylie Chavis, the Purnell Swett girls basketball team defeated Hoke 68-26 at home Tuesday to bounce back from a loss to Seventy-First 24 hours earlier.

Chavis’ 23 points was an uptick from the team’s offensive showing on Monday night against the Falcons, but Purnell Swett (13-8, 9-4 SAC) also hit five 3-pointers after failing to knock down one in the loss.

Natalie Evington’s big third quarter included a trio of 3-pointers as the Rams scored 30 in the frame and jumped ahead 56-20 after three quarters. Evington had 11 points and Emily Oxendine added 10 points.

Hoke (4-18, 0-13 SAC) was led in scoring by Wynasia Bratcher with 15 points.

Rams drop third straight to Bucks

PEMBROKE — The recent struggles for the Purnell Swett boys basketball team continued on Tuesday in a 68-66 overtime defeat at home to Hoke.

The loss makes three straight for Purnell Swett (7-14, 4-9 SAC) and seven in the last six Sandhills Athletic Conference games that dates back to after the Rams beat Hoke (9-14, 4-9 SAC) on the road last month.

Purnell Swett was outscored 6-4 in overtime after taking a 49-41 lead into the fourth quarter.

Xavier Jones had 32 points and 15 rebounds for the Rams, with 16 points coming in the second half.

Hoke was led in scoring by Kamonte Williams with 17 points and Ervin Everett had 12 points.

Purnell Swett closes out the regular season at Lumberton Friday.

Red Devils cool off at West Columbus

CERRO GORDO — After winning five straight games entering Tuesday’s matchup with West Columbus on the road, the hot streak came to an end for the Red Springs boys basketball team in a 61-56 loss.

West Columbus (18-4, 12-3 TRC) jumped ahead of Red Springs (11-11, 10-5 TRC) 18-9 after the first quarter and led by as much as 13 points in the second half before Red Springs fought back to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Jowan Baker had 14 points and Corell Love added 12 points for the Red Devils.

Leading the Vikings in scoring was Brandis Kelly with 14 points and Tyquawn Johnson had 11 points and Winston Mason had 10 points.

Red Springs hosts St. Pauls on Friday.

Fairmont closes regular season with wins

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont basketball teams claimed a Three Rivers Conference sweep at home over East Columbus on Tuesday to close out the regular season.

In the boys game, Fairmont defeated the Gators, 72-50, after posting 20 points or more in the first two quarters.

Kobe Davis had 18 points to lead the Golden Tornadoes, and Jahkeem Moore had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Fairmont (11-11, 9-6 TRC).

East Columbus (10-12, 3-11 TRC) was led in scoring with Tahjir Melvin scoring 16 points.

In the girls game, Fairmont ran away in the second half for a 64-24 win over East Columbus.

Leading 19-9 at halftime, Fairmont (8-14, 7-8 TRC) scored 25 points in the third quarter against East Columbus (8-13, 3-11 TRC).

Amyrikal Vaught had 20 points, 10 rebounds five steals for Fairmont, while Paris Bethea added 12 points and Georgianna Waters had 11 points.

East Columbus was led by GioVanna Bellamy and Lazaydia Flowers each with nine points.

Middle school championship field set

The championship matchups for the Robeson County middle school basketball championship on Thursday after Tuesday’s semifinal action.

The girls title game pits St. Pauls Middle against Littlefield Middle at Pembroke Middle at 4 p.m., and the boys game to follow will feature Fairmont Middle against Lumberton Junior High.

St. Pauls’ girls defeated Townsend, 37-10, and Littlefield defeated Prospect, 34-15 on Tuesday. On the boys side, Fairmont defeated Red Springs, 34-30, and Lumberton Jr. defeated South Robeson, 45-27.

Littlefield defeated Prospect with its suffocating defense, holding the Wildcats scoreless in the first quarter and never allowing more than six points in any quarter the rest of the game in a rematch of last year’s county girls championship.

Florence Ferguson led all scorers with 13 points and had 14 rebounds. Prospect was led in scoring by Alexis Locklear with six points.

Lumberton Jr.’s boys path to reclaim the county boys title started with a strong showing in the semifinals against South Robeson.

Jaiden Shephard had 16 points and Dimetrious Jones added 11 points for the Vikings in the win. Camren McIntyre added nine points and nine rebounds for Lumberton Jr.

LJHS jumped out to a 6-0 lead and as Shephard had four of first six points and the Vikings never slowed down. Jones had five straight to push lead to 11-2 after a 3-point basket. The Mustangs cut the lead to 19-12 at half. McIntyre scored six of his nine points to push lead out to 13 points for Vikings after 3 quarters.

Roberson meet and greet set for Thursday

PEMBROKE — A meet and greet is planned on Thursday for incoming Purnell Swett football coach Stephen Roberson.

Roberson was approved last month as the next head coach for the Rams and will meet with the community inside the Purnell Swett cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

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Rosy Scenarios Aren’t Conservatism

RALEIGH — President Donald Trump’s latest budget contains some conservative proposals to save the taxpayers’ money. But it relies on an unconservative practice — one that North Carolina’s legislature has wisely chosen not to use.

Everyone agrees budgets are about choices. Progressives and conservatives mean different things by that, however. Progressives say the government’s budget reflects the collective choice of society about what, and whom, to value. Conservatives observe that “government” and “society” are not synonymous, that the more government taxes and spends, the less freedom we have as individuals to make our own choices with our own money.

A fiscally conservative budget, then, is one that funds only a few core services that cannot be delivered through voluntary means — through markets or civil society — and collects only enough revenue to finance those services.

Of course, this conservative view contains an ambiguous term of its own: “core services.” We don’t all mean the same things by it, and special-interest lobbying inevitably arises to protect programs from the budget ax even when their constituencies are relatively small and their effects are minimal or counterproductive.

In the real world of government budgeting, fiscal conservatives need more than just abstract principles or good intentions. They need rules and practices that encourage spending discipline even when interest-group politics will point the other way.

One such tool is to assume something like the worst, not hope for something like the best. Across the political spectrum, there is a strong temptation to use rosy scenarios to make your budget numbers add up. You assume artificially low expenditure growth or artificially high revenue growth.

Unfortunately, the president’s latest budget plan does both by assuming that the nation’s economy will average 3% a year in inflation-adjusted growth over the coming decade. If true, that would indeed reduce entitlement expenditures and boost federal revenue growth enough to make a significant dent in annual deficits.

But it’s not a reasonable assumption. Growth was about 2.3% last year. Most public and private forecasts put annual GDP growth at somewhere between 1.8% and 2.2% over the coming decade. If that happens, President Trump’s proposed reductions in defense, non-defense discretionary, and Medicaid spending will fall far short of taming federal deficits. Future presidents and Congresses will be compelled by fiscal and economic reality to raise taxes, enact savings in Social Security and Medicare, or some combination of the two.

In North Carolina, rosy scenarios are much rarer. We have one of the strictest balanced-budget requirements in the country, which serves to temper the use of unrealistic forecasts (if you purposefully overstate or understate, reality quickly and inescapably intrudes). Moreover, although it is not yet required by the state constitution, the North Carolina General Assembly has kept average growth in state expenditures at or below an annual combination of population and inflation.

Think tortoise over hare. North Carolina didn’t ramp up spending after the Great Recession as fast as other states did. But when the next recession comes, North Carolina won’t crash as hard, either. We have billions of dollars in savings and other reserves. And we haven’t fallen into the trap of promising in good years what can’t be delivered in lean ones.

Still more heartening is the fact that today’s state policymakers are finally paying serious attention to the one area where past leaders did engage in rosy-scenario thinking: employee benefits. Even under a generous assumption of future investment gains, North Carolina’s pension fund for teachers and state employees has promised some $10 billion in future benefits that cannot be funded by current assets and cash flows. Under more realistic assumptions, the pension hole would be tens of billions of dollars larger, as is the current unfunded liability for retiree health benefits (nearly $30 billion).

Lawmakers have begun to adjust benefits and accumulate assets in response. But it will take many years of disciplined budgeting to eliminate these shortfalls. Future governors and legislatures will be tempted to wish them away. Fiscal conservatives should just say no.

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To the Editor,

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis refuses to debate same-party opponents in the March primary, including Larry Holmquist’s debate challenge from January 13th. NC voters deserve to hear how all NC primary candidates stand on critical conservative issues.

Tillis voted yes to keep spending on autopilot, raise the debt limit and expand federal control of education. His initial opposition to Trump’s emergency declaration to secure funding for the wall was outrageous.

Larry Holmquist will support the president and vote to defend the Constitution, protect Second Amendment rights, repeal Obamacare, advance pro-life legislation, support national defense, advocate for veterans, stop abuse of the FBI/DOJ and cut taxes and spending.

Vote for Holmquist in the March 3rd primary and again on November 3rd in the general election. Help elect Larry Holmquist – NC’s “Consistent Conservative” for U.S. Senate!

Brenda Falls

Greensboro

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LUMBERTON — Robeson County ranks in the top 20 for number of roads in the Adopt-A-Highway program, but continues to struggle with the unsightliness of roadside trash, officials say.

There are 1,800 miles of state-maintained roads, including interstates, highways and secondary roads, in the county, according to Andrew Barksdale, public information officer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Robeson County ranks No. 17 in the number of groups and adopted routes in the Adopt-A-Highway program, Barksdale said. Wake, Union and Guilford counties make up the top three.

In 2017, Robeson County ranked third in the state in total miles with 1,786 miles, behind Wake and Guilford counties, Barksdale said.

The county has 80 roads in the program that calls for volunteers to adopt a two-mile stretch of roadway to keep clean over four years, according to program Coordinator Lillian Hunt. Litter pickups are required at least four times per year on those roads, she said.

“I think we’ve made a large move into adopting highways, but we have a lot farther to go,” Hunt said.

Barksdale said DOT can only do so much to address the issue of litter because of budget constraints.

“We do the best we can, but it’s not possible to keep all the roads pristine all the time without the help of volunteers like these in Robeson County who really care about their county,” Barksdale said.

Robeson County’s litter problem is so big that county commissioners established Clean and Green, which is an initiative to clean up roads and to stop littering. A meeting was held Tuesday during which the possibility of using cameras at high-litter areas was floated.

“We haven’t really found anything yet that works,” said Gene Walters, director of Solid Waste.

Solid Waste has programs in place to address litter.

The Community Service Program provides people to clean up collection sites across the county to complete community service sentences, Walters said. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office also works in roadside cleanup with inmates, and the Statewide Misdemeanant Confinement Program allows the county Detention Center to house eight inmates from counties across the state to participate in the collection of litter.

Solid Waste is also promoting the Adopt-A-Highway Program and cleanup efforts led by county commissioners in their districts, he said.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see an end to it,” Walters said of litter.

There are ways to reduce litter.

“I think one of the major keys to reducing our roadside litter would be education,” he said.

County Commissioner David Edge’s Project Trash Talk is an initiative that seeks to do just that.

Edge took the lead in developing the project in 2019 as a way to educate elementary children on the problem of littering. Teachers from elementary schools across the county will meet March 16 at the Public Schools of Robeson County Central Office to discuss adopting a five-day kindergarten through fifth-grade program to be taught annually around Earth Day. The program will educate children on the effects of littering.

He thinks that, over time, the program will help change behaviors, Edge said.

“I think it’s going to be a tremendous impact,” he said.

Enforcement plays a role, Walters said.

The county has three environmental control officers who issue citations for littering. Fines start at $250.

“The county has made resources for citizens to properly dispose of their waste,” said Kristina Locklear-Cummings, assistant director for Recycling at the Department of Solid Waste.

“There is no justification for littering,” she said.

There are 20 sites across the county for waste disposal. Those hours of operation are Mondays to Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.

“We made sure that our sites have been strategically laid out through the county,” she said.

Participation in North Carolina’s Adopt-A-Highway program is free, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and children 12 to 17 must be supervised by an adult who is at least 21 years old.

The NCDOT provides participants safety training, safety vests and trash bags.

To volunteer with Adopt-A-Highway, interested groups should first use the litter management map to determine roadway availability and then to request a segment when submitting their application online or by mail.

Contact a local Adopt-A-Highway coordinator for more information.

Robeson County ranks high in the state for number of roads in the Adopt-a-Highway program, but roadside litter remains a problem. The county commissioners established the Clean and Green initiative to come up with ways to prevent litter.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_Trash01-2-.jpgRobeson County ranks high in the state for number of roads in the Adopt-a-Highway program, but roadside litter remains a problem. The county commissioners established the Clean and Green initiative to come up with ways to prevent litter.

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RED SPRINGS — A Shannon man has been arrested and charged with a break-in at a Dollar General store, according to the Red Springs Police Department.

Jonathan Locklear, 27, of 255 Cook Road, was arrested Tuesday and charged with breaking and entering on the same day the store at 908 E. Fourth Ave. was broken into, according to information from police Maj. Kimothy Monroe. Locklear was placed under a $5,000 secured bond.

Police were called about 11:30 p.m. about a burglary at the Dollar General store, according to Monroe, and were given a description of the culprit. Soon afterward a person matching the description was seen walking in the parking lot at Baker Chevrolet at 914 E. Fourth Ave. Monroe said Locklear was caught hiding under a vehicle.

This investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected.

Locklear

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_RS-Capture.jpgLocklear

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LUMBERTON — Two Lumberton residents are charged with a series of violent crimes in relation to an assault that occurred during a robbery attempt, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

Amber Little, 43, and Jose Hernandez ,40, both of Reagan Church Road, were arrested at their residence by Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Little and Hernandez are each charged with felony conspiracy, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon.

Little was placed in the the Robeson County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond, and Hernandez under a $75,000 secured bond.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday at about 5:43 p.m., sheriff’s deputies were called to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville in regard to an assault that occurred in Robeson County. Dilte Perez, of Lumberton, told deputies he was assaulted during a robbery try on Reagan Church Road.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100.

Little

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_amber-little-1.jpgLittle

Hernandez

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_jose-hernandez-1.jpgHernandez

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LUMBERTON — When looking for a source of energy on Wednesday night after playing a double-overtime game the night before, the Lumberton boys basketball team had to channel frustration from that heart-wrenching loss.

In doing so, the Pirates unleashed a strong performance on both sides of the ball to mirror the result they had earlier this season in the rematch with Richmond Wednesday in a 75-46 win at home.

“We knew that was a tough game and we had to bounce back,” Lumberton junior Charlie Miller said. “We knew this was a really big game so we all brought energy and that was really good for our team. We played together.”

Scotland outlasted the Pirates for a two-point win in double overtime on Tuesday, but Lumberton used that for its own good, turning in another blowout victory over the Raiders.

“That’s how this team responds for some reason. We’ve had two tough losses to Pinecrest and had big time wins,” Lumberton coach Bryant Edwards said. “They run off emotions so when they are upset they play hard. This team is really resilient and they fight hard.”

Lumberton (19-4, 10-3 SAC) took the lead late in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the way, even though Richmond (16-7, 9-4 SAC) showed some resistance.

The Pirates went up 28-12 with a Jordan McNeill layup with six minutes to go until halftime. The Raiders responded with a 16-2 run, capped off with a Dylan Lewis 3-pointer to cut the Lumberton advantage to 30-28 with 2:20 left in the half.

That would be as close as the Raiders would get the rest of the way as Lumberton’s defense locked in to hold the Raiders to 18 points in the second half.

“Our gameplan is to go at their bigs and get them in foul trouble and out of rhythm,” Edwards said. “With how they play, we knew we could take them off the bounce and get into the foul trouble.”

In the third period, Miller left his mark during a 17-5 run as he scored 11 of his 19 points in a five-minute span. He drilled pair of triples right in front of the Lumberton student section with less than a minute to go in the quarter to push the lead out to 60-37.

“I’ve been getting a lot of shots up lately, especially in practice. It’s good to see one go in and the rest seem to fall,” Miller said.

Edwards said that Miller had been in a shooting slump in recent games, but the Pirates’ outside threat didn’t shy away from behind the arc with five 3-pointers in the game.

“Confidence-wise, he’s come a long way the last couple games,” Edwards said of Miller. “Tonight he kind of broke out of his shell and finally shot it well at home. He hadn’t been shooting great at home at all so hopefully that’s a really good sign from here on out.”

The win secures the No. 2 seed in next week’s Sandhills Athletic Conference title for Lumberton as both teams shared second in the league standings coming into the game.

“That puts us in a good position. Obviously we want another shot at Pinecrest, we do,” Edwards said. “We always take it one game at a time and don’t look past a team and we are excited for the conference tournament.”

McNeill added 19 points as well for the Pirates with 10 coming in the first half as the Pirates built up the early lead. Matt Locklear added 10 points off the bench.

Richmond was led in scoring by P.J. McLaughlin with 10 points and Nygie Stroman added nine points.

Lumberton closes out the regular season against Purnell Swett at home Friday.

Richmond girls too much for Pirates

LUMBERTON — For the second straight night, Richmond Senior guard Jayla McDougald found a rhythm from behind the arch, keying another pivotal victory.

After knocking down four shots from deep to beat Seventy-First, McDougald continued her hot streak against Lumberton on Wednesday, dropping in a season-high seven 3-pointers to help the Lady Raiders pick up a 57-41 road win.

The junior guard finished with a game-high 25 points to pace three Richmond players in double figures. Fellow starters Keionna Love (14 points, six rebounds) and Jakerra Covington (12 points, 14 rebounds) helped pace the offense and defense.

Lumberton (11-12, 4-8 SAC) guard August Smith did her best to rival McDougald’s shooting spree, netting four triples and finishing with a team-high 16 points.

McDougald cashed in on four 3-pointers in the first half and powered the group to a 21-14 advantage at the break.

Covington’s steal and layup midway through the third quarter made it 27-16, then McDougald followed with a shot from deep that gave the Lady Raiders a 30-19 lead. Love connected on a short bucket, plus the foul, to widen the gap to 35-19.

But Smith responded in the fourth quarter with her team trailing 36-25. The Lady Pirates junior collected five straight points to open the final frame, cutting the margin down to 36-30.

McDougald’s shooting kept the home team at bay, however, as she scored another triple with just over five minutes left that extended the lead, 47-30. A few minutes later, her final 3-pointer made it 54-40 with just under two minutes remaining and sealed the team’s third straight win.

Lady Pirates center Hailey Werrell added six points and five rebounds, while Jaylen Carter added six points and four rebounds in the loss.

Up next, Richmond (15-8, 6-7 SAC) tries to continue its streak at home against rival Scotland on Friday for Senior Night.

Bulldogs stay perfect

BLADENBORO — The St. Pauls girls basketball team held West Bladen to one point in the second quarter of its 54-28 Three Rivers Conference road win at West Bladen on Wednesday to stay perfect on the season.

St. Pauls (22-0, 15-0 TRC) led 10-8 after the first quarter and stretched its lead out to 22-9 by halftime thanks to its defensive stand.

Iyania Evans had 15 points to lead all scorers and Jakieya Thompson added 11 points.

Lexie Carrothers had 10 points for the Knights.

St. Pauls closes the regular season at Red Springs on Friday.

St. Pauls boys survive scare at West Bladen

BLADENBORO — Needing to win out to claim a share of the Three Rivers Conference boys title, the St. Pauls boys basketball found themselves in a fight with the last-place team in the conference on Wednesday night at West Bladen.

Both teams traded out the lead over the final quarter, with a late run from the Bulldogs enough to claim the 51-49 win.

St. Pauls (18-5, 12-3 TRC) trailed 35-31 heading into the fourth quarter after leading 23-22 at the half.

In the fourth, Emonta Smith and Jevyian Tatum each had four points to lead the Bulldogs in the comeback. Smith led St. Pauls with 16 points and Caleb Henderson had nine points.

Tyre Boykin scored 30 points to lead West Bladen.

Donnell Coley | Richmond County Daily Journal August Smith looks to pass against Richmond’s defense on Wednesday in the Pirates loss at home.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_SecondaryAugust_Richmond.jpgDonnell Coley | Richmond County Daily Journal August Smith looks to pass against Richmond’s defense on Wednesday in the Pirates loss at home.

Jonathan Bym | The Robesonian Lumberton’s Charlie Miller pulls up for a mid-range jumper over Richmond’s Nygie Stroman in the second half of the Pirates Sandhills Athletic Conference win over the Raiders. Miller scored 19 points in the win.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_IMG_7246.jpgJonathan Bym | The Robesonian Lumberton’s Charlie Miller pulls up for a mid-range jumper over Richmond’s Nygie Stroman in the second half of the Pirates Sandhills Athletic Conference win over the Raiders. Miller scored 19 points in the win.

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LUMBERTON — One word that Byrce Stueck and Jon Villa both said about their relationship with each other on the diamond is “chemistry.”

That’s the norm with pitchers and catchers, and on Wednesday the Lumberton seniors signed their letters of intent to continue that chemistry to the next level with the Fayetteville Technical Community College baseball program.

“Both have them have been a big part to the program, both of them have all done the little things like the classroom, workouts and all that,” Lumberton baseball coach Jeff McLamb said. “They have constantly tried to get better doing all the right things.”

The pair joins former teammate Dylan Bruce, who is in his first season with the young FTCC program under coach Billy Gaskins.

“Over the four years with Bryce being my pitcher and then me and him going to practices together all the time and working hard together,” Villa said. “Seeing me and him get to play together at the next level, and especially at the same school, where we can have the same chemistry, and with Dylan too.”

Stueck was an arm that Lumberton called on for 12 appearances last season as a junior, and will be needed even more this season for the Pirates. The proximity to home was a major draw for the right-handed pitcher.

“I had one from Greensboro College too, but that’s too far,” Stueck said. “Coach Gaskins, I love him. He’s also tough on us and that’s what I like.”

Stueck last year pitched 37 1/3 innings and struck out 22 batters.

“(Gaskins) said he liked my attitude and he liked the way I throw my curveball,” Stueck said.

“They are getting a good, solid pitcher and a good young man,” McLamb said of Stueck. “I can see him, once he gets all his pitches keyed in, constantly growing.”

Villa saw time behind the plate and as a utility player last season for the Pirates. He said the plan for him at FTCC is to make him a two-way player behind the plate and in the outfield.

“I knew I would have the ability to play baseball there at the next level, especially in college, which has been my dream for all my life. Just the fact they enjoyed, they enjoy Lumberton and the school itself with the coaching staff said they would love to have me there.”

“Villa gives them a great athlete who can play behind the plate and at other positions as well,” McLamb said. “Just a tremendous athlete and kid.”

Jonathan Bym | The Robesonian Lumberton seniors Jon Villa, third from left, and Bryce Stueck, seated to the right of Villa, sign to play baseball at Fayetteville Technical Community College on Wednesday.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_IMG_8752.jpgJonathan Bym | The Robesonian Lumberton seniors Jon Villa, third from left, and Bryce Stueck, seated to the right of Villa, sign to play baseball at Fayetteville Technical Community College on Wednesday.

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PEMBROKE — Even with The University of North Carolina at Pembroke baseball team posting double-digit runs for the third straight game on Wednesday in a 14-3 non-conference home win against Chowan, coach Paul O’Neil still sees room for improvement in his offense.

“I’d just like to see some guys be more consistent and take what they are giving you,” O’Neil said. “The second kid they threw at us, this Cowan kid, he was throwing really slow. He went 3 2/3 (innings) and we didn’t get to him until the end. We’ve got to do a better job of making adjustments offensively.

“It’s just about being more disciplined and having more confidence. That’s the biggest thing. Some of our guys are good offensive players, but some of our guys aren’t making the adjustments or feeling good about ourselves in the box.”

The 20th-year coach for the Braves now shifts focus to Friday as UNCP starts Peach Belt Conference play on the road at Columbus State with a 4 p.m. first pitch.

“I wish we were a little better offensively,” O’Neil said. “I feel good about where we are going to be on the mound and what we’re going to do there. I wish we were doing a few things better offensively. Then again, we are going to see better pitching this weekend and we are going to be locked in.”

UNCP (6-2) got a big lift from its offense in the final five innings of the win over Chowan (3-4) as the Braves scored 12 of their runs from the fifth inning on. The pitching staff showcased its depth and parity in the game, sending seven arms to the mound, tallying 16 strikeouts and allowing two walks as a staff.

“Pitching-wise, I’m very happy with how we are pitching the baseball,” O’Neil said. “We are really throwing the ball well. Guys are doing their job throwing strikes and hopefully it continues this weekend.”

Five runs came in the bottom of the fifth after Chowan posted two runs in the top of the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Ethan Baucom launched a three-run homer to put the Braves up for good before Jarratt Mobley’s two-run shot later in the inning pushed the Braves lead to 7-3.

Mobley had a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning as the Braves pushed three more runs across in the seventh inning. Mobley drove his fifth run of the game across in the eighth inning with a two-run single to center field before River Ryan closed out the scoring with an RBI triple.

Mobley, Ryan, Bobby Dixon, Gage Hammonds and Garrett Littleton each had multiple hits in the game, while Hammonds and Littleton each homered. Hammonds’ towering two-run shot in the bottom of the first put the Braves up 2-1 and Littleton’s bomb led off the eighth inning.

Ryan added three RBIs and was the final arm of the night for the Braves as he struck out two Hawks in the top of the ninth to close out the win.

The Braves started the game with Red Springs grad Darren Bowen on the mound. After surrendering a solo home run to Jared Fry two batters into the game, the freshman locked in to finish his two innings of work with three hits and just the lone hit.

“I thought Darren did fine,” O’Neil said. “He gave up one hit. One hit, three strikeouts and he didn’t walk anybody.”

Tanner Routh earned the win on the mound for his one inning on the mound without surrendering a hit. St. Pauls grad J.J. Oxendine pitched the eighth inning for the Braves and struck out a Chowan batter.

St. Pauls grad Ted McNeill crossed home when he came on as a pinch runner in the eighth inning,

Chowan was led at the plate by Dallas Trevena with two hits.

UNCP Athletics UNCP freshman pitcher Darren Bowen delivers to home against Chowan on Wednesday in his first collegiate start on the mound. Bowen struck out three in two innings on the mound.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_B77Y9398.jpgUNCP Athletics UNCP freshman pitcher Darren Bowen delivers to home against Chowan on Wednesday in his first collegiate start on the mound. Bowen struck out three in two innings on the mound.

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GREENWOOD, S.C. — The 17th-ranked University of North Carolina at Pembroke men’s basketball team turned 17 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points and used a big run late in the second half to pull away for good on the way to a key 81-66 win at upset-minded Lander on Wednesday evening.

It is the 13th win in the last 14 outings for the Braves (19-4, 13-2 PBC) who matched an NCAA Division II era record with their ninth-straight victory as well. The setback marked the second loss in the last three outings for the Bearcats (17-6, 11-4) who have now dropped nine of the last 10 matchups in the series with UNCP.

The opening period produced five lead changes and seven tie scores as both sides shot better than 48 percent from the field. The Bearcats opened up a five-point lead, 14-9, following a 3-pointer from Sidney Robinson at the 15:01 mark, but the Braves answered with eight-straight points and eventually grabbed a 17-14 advantage on Tyrell Kirk’s 3-pointer nearly four minutes later. The hosts retook the lead thanks to six-straight points later in the stanza, but it would be the Braves that inevitably lugged a 39-36 lead into the locker room.

The Braves converted on 17 of their 31 field goal attempts in the second half, and keyed the final result with a 5-for-6 mark from the perimeter. Lander trailed by eight points, 45-37, with 15:40 left to play, but tacked up eight consecutive points to knot the score back up three minutes later. UNCP maintained the momentum, however, and used a jumper from Akia Pruitt with 6:33 left in regulation to spark a game-changing 18-6 run over the next four minutes.

Junior David Strother scored 13 of his team-best 16 points in the second half. The Lumberton native registered 6-for-7 shooting in the latter stanza, and finished his night with a trio of assists as well. Spencer Levi came off of the bench to put up 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while also adding six rebounds.

Kirk posted 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes of action. He connected on all three of his 3-point attempts on Wednesday.

Seniors Akia Pruitt and Jabrie Bullard both tallied 10 points. Pruitt also logged seven rebounds and the only block of the game for the Braves.

UNCP will close out its three-game road trip on Saturday when it heads to Georgia to take on league nemesis Augusta (16-7, 11-4 PBC) in the back half of a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader inside Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Jaguars won their fifth-straight game with an 87-67 victory at Francis Marion on Wednesday.

Turnovers cost UNCP women at No. 21 Lander

GREENWOOD, S.C. — League-leading Lander scored 40 points on 31 turnovers by the UNC Pembroke women’s basketball team and stayed perfect in Peach Belt Conference play with a 76-59 victory over the Braves on Wednesday evening inside Horne Arena.

The result marked the fourth loss in the last five road outings for UNCP (10-13, 5-10 PBC) who fell to 4-10 away from Pembroke in 2019-20. The Bearcats (20-3, 15-0 PBC) stretched their win streak out to 16 games and improved to 12-1 in Greenwood this season as well.

Lander pushed its lead out to five points, 10-5, on a 3-pointer from Jessica Harris at the 6:02 mark of the first quarter, but the Braves used a five-point swing to tie the score up 2 1/2 minutes later. Lander answered with four-straight points, but Jillian Ebron’s shot at the buzzer cut UNCP’s deficit to two points heading into the second period.

The Braves trailed by just three points, 19-16, after Aliyah Farmer’s jumper just 45 seconds into the second quarter, but the Bearcats put together an 18-0 run and eventually stretched their lead out to 37-16 with 4:40 left in the half. Tiara Williams broke the silence for UNCP with a layup 30 ticks later, but the hosts took a 44-24 lead as the teams into the locker rooms.

UNC Pembroke scored the first nine points of the second half and cut its deficit back to 44-33 with 7:15 left in the quarter. The Braves shot better than 55 percent in the period and outscored the Bearcats 18-15, but the hosts held a hefty 59-42 advantage going into the final stanza.

Lander took its largest lead of the night, 68-43, off of a layup from Amiaya Melvins with 7:32 left to play. The hosts limited UNCP to just 4-for-14 shooting from the field in the final period to fuel the outcome.

UNCP’s ShaNiya Lester scored a team-high 13 points highlighted by a 6-for-7 clip from the field. Alcenia Purnell added 11 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block.

The Braves will close out their three-game road trip on Saturday when they travel to Georgia to face Augusta (7-15, 4-10 PBC). Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Christenberry Fieldhouse.

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