Tribal Council members sworn in
PEMBROKE — An inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Lumbee Tribal Housing Complex in Pembroke to swear in seven members onto the 20th Lumbee Tribal Council.
Sworn in were Gerald Goolsby, District 2; Pam Hunt, District 3; Larry Chavis, District 6; Yvonne Barnes Dial, District 7; Corbin Eddings, District 8; Shelly Strickland, District 12; and the Rev. Ricky Burnett, District 13. Judge James Gregory Bell administered the oath of office. Darlene Ransom and Dr. Jo Ann Lowery were the Mistresses of Ceremony.
The Tobacco Road Drum group presented an Honor Song for the Tribal Council.
***
Town’s new police chief settles in
ST. PAULS — St. Pauls Police Chief Steve Dollinger walked along West Broad Street recently and introduced himself to business owners with a smile and handshake.
Dollinger is spending time getting to know the town and its people as part of the process of settling in to the job he assumed on Jan. 1, replacing Thomas Hagens, a 45-year police veteran. Hagens served 31 of those years as police chief.
Dollinger spent nearly two weeks shadowing Hagens before taking on the role that will see him manage 11 full-time police officers, two auxiliary officers, an Animal Control officer and five dispatchers.
***
City gets dollars for flood buyouts
LUMBERTON — Lumberton will get another infusion of money to buy out homes in flood-prone areas of South and West Lumberton and Mayfair Subdivision, this time from a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Maggie Gurule, of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience, told the Lumberton City Council on Wednesday it expects to get as much as $150 million to buy and demolish homes in flood-prone residential zones.
Most of the homes will be privately owned by low- and moderate-income families.
***
Pantless prowler picked by police
CLAYTON, N.C. — Police in North Carolina say they’ve arrested a man who they say had been walking through people’s yards without any pants on.
WRAL reported Thursday that Carlos Antonio Soto, 18, was arrested in Clayton County, which is outside of Raleigh. He was charged with indecent exposure. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
Police said social media helped them identify Soto. Clayton Police Chief Blair Myhand said the he appreciated the community’s help “in bringing this disturbing case to close.”
Residents in one neighborhood began to complain about the sightings of the alleged prowler in early December.