Community Forum Dates Announced The Bladen County Schools Board of Education will be conducting four (4) community forums for the purpose of discussing school facilities, consolidation, and construction. The forums will be held on the following dates and at the following locations:

May 1 at Tar Heel Middle School, 6:00 p.m.

May 2 at Clarkton School of Discovery, 6:00 p.m.

May 4 at East Arcadia School, 6:00 p.m.

May 9 at Elizabethtown Middle School, 6:00 p.m.

Persons living in or around these schools or who have an interest in public education in Bladen County are invited to attend.

ROSE HILL – Union’s Spartans rallied for 5 runs in their final two at-bats to defeat West Bladen 7-3 Wednesday night in Four County Conference baseball action.

The Spartans grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but the Knights answered with a run in the third. Freshman catcher Jake Butler drew a walk, and his courtesy runner, Jonathan Ashworth, stole second base. Senior T. J. Guyton knocked in Ashworth with a single.

Knight senior Trent West clobbered a long home run over the leftfield fence in the fourth inning to tie the game 2-2.

The Knights took the lead with a run in the fifth. Butler belted a single, and Guyton knocked in courtesy runner Ashworth with another single.

Senior lefthander Ian Sykes started and pitched into the fifth inning for the Knights. Senior Jarrett Williams relieved and worked a third of an inning, before junior Scott Bowen came on to retire the final 2 batters after Union had scored 3 times to take a 5-3 lead. The Spartans tacked on 2 more runs in the sixth.

Guyton batted 3-4 with a double and 2 runs batted in to lead the Knight hitters. Trent West slugged the solo home run, and Ashworth scored 2 runs. Butler and Williams connected for one hit each.

The loss hampered West Bladen’s chances for the top Class 2A play-off spot from the Four County. The Knights are now 7-3 in league play and 9-7 overall.

West Bladen is seeded fifth in the Robeson County Slugfest and will open play in the tournament Saturday at 7 p.m. at fourth-seeded Fairmont.

ST. PAULS – East Bladen reeled off ten unanswered runs to build a 14-7 lead then held off a last-ditch St. Pauls rally to claim a 14-12 non-conference softball victory Thursday night.

The Lady Eagles grabbed the early lead with 3 runs in the second inning. Freshman Izzy Smith was hit by a pitch, and freshman Abby Cross reached base on an error. Sophmore Olivia Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch, and walks to sophmore Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson, freshman Johanna Parker and junior Faith Johnson forced in the 3 runs.

Three errors, 2 hits and a walk sparked a 6-run second-inning that vaulted the Lady Bulldogs in front 6-3.

Senior Emily Scott smacked a single to begin the Lady Eagle third inning. Scott stole a base and came around to score on Cross’ fielder’s choice.

A walk and 2 hits produced a St. Pauls run in the home half of the third to push the lead back to 7-4.

Hollingsworth walked to begin the fourth inning, Moore-Peterson reached base on an error and Parker was hit by a pitch. Junior Faith Johnson’s fielder’s choice scored Hollingsworth.

Junior Kaley Smith hammered a triple that brought home Moore-Peterson and Parker. Kaley Smith darted home on a passed ball to edge East Bladen in front 8-7.

Moore-Peterson drew a 2-out walk in the fifth inning, stole second and third base and scored to pad the lead to 9-7.

Kaley Smith walloped triple to start the sixth inning and raced home on Scott’s sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 10-7.

Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh inning, advanced on a passed ball and dashed home on Moore-Peterson’s single. Parker was hit by a pitch, and Kaley Smith reached base on a fielder’s choice as Moore-Peterson scored.

Scott blasted a triple that drove home Parker and Kaley Smith and widened the gap to 14-7.

St. Pauls rallied in the bottom of the seventh using 3 hits and 2 East errors to score 5 runs and trim the final margin to 14-12.

Scott slammed a triple and batted 2-3 with 3 runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Lady Eagle offense. Winning pitcher Kaley Smith finished 2-5 at the plate with a triple, 3 rbi’s and 3 runs scored.

Moore-Peterson singled, scored 3 runs and drove in two. Hollingsworth scored 3 runs. Parker scored twice and drove in a run. Johnson had 2 rbi’s. Cross and Izzy Smith scored runs, and Cross had an rbi.

The Lady Eagles improved to 4-7 overall and will travel to Rocky Point Trask on April 25th after the Easter break.

CLARKTON – Rylee Chadwick struck out 13 batters Thursday as she pitched Bladenboro to an 11-6 Bladen Five Middle School Conference softball victory over Clarkton School of Discovery.

The Lady Bulldogs grabbed the early lead with 6 runs in the first inning. Lainey Autry walked, but was forced out by Chadwick. Savannah Turbeville smacked a single that plated Chadwick, and Hannah Pait was hit by a pitch.

Taylor West reached base on a fielder’s choice that retired Turbeville. Catcher McKenzie Singletary walked, and Lauren Pait was hit by a pitch that forced home Hannah Pait. Taylor Lewis walked to force home West.

Kaden Thurman lined a double to rightfield that drove home Hannah Hester, the courtesy runner for Singletary, Lauren Pait and Lewis.

Chadwick pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the second inning, before Clarkton broke through in the fourth. Khadijah Jones drew a walk, and Alyssa Futrell yanked a 2-run homer down the leftfield line to trim the margin to 6-2.

The Lady Blue Devils pulled to within 6-3 in the fifth as pitcher Lauren Bowen reached base on an infield hit, and Katie Evans singled. Jones’ fielder’s choice plated Bowen.

Chadwick drew a walk to lead-off the Bladenboro sixth inning. Turbeville swatted a single to right that scored Chadwick. Hannah Pait cracked a single to right-centerfield, and after Singletary walked, Hannah Pait dashed home on a wild pitch for an 8-3 Lady Bulldog lead.

Autry beat out an infield hit in the top of the seventh and took second on an error. Chadwick drilled a double to left that scored Autry. Turbeville knocked in Chadwick with a single to right, and after a walk to Natalie, Singletary laced a single to centerfield that brought home Natalie for an 11-3 lead.

The Lady Blue Devils rallied in their final at-bat. Evans raked a single to left, and Jones ripped a ball through the left-centerfield gap for a 2-run homer. Futrell blasted a long home run to left-centerfield to whittle the lead to 11-6.

Turbeville batted 4-5 with 3 runs batted in for Bladenboro. Singletary finished 2-4 at the plate with an rbi. Hannah Pait batted 2-3 with 2 runs scored. Chadwick doubled in a run and scored one.

Thurman doubled in 3 runs, and Autry was 2-4 with a run scored. Lauren Pait, Lewis, Hester and Natalie scored runs.

Futrell slugged 2 home runs and drove in 3 runs to lead Clarkton. Jones batted 2-3 with the 2-run homer and 2 runs scored. Evans batted 2-4 with a run scored, and catcher AnnaGrey Heustess also turned in a 2-4 game at the plate.

Bowen and Carlie Priest added one hit each, and Bowen scored a run. Bowen pitched all seven innings for CSD and struck out five.

Bladenboro remains unbeaten in league play at 2-0. Clarkton is now 1-2 in the league.

Elizabethtown Primary School 3rd 9 weeks Honor Rolls are as follows: 

3rd Grade

“A” Honor Roll 

Cabria Baldwin, Danyelle Cotten, Colton Daly, Dajour Davis, Destiny Gore, Melody Kulp, Isaiah Lee, Chelsea Lesane, Chance Miller, Aubrey Nixon, Gaby Rebollar, Hunter Simmons, Teagan Smith, Ayden Williams

“A/B” Honor Roll 

Kamille Burden, Ariel Cromartie, Erica Cupp, DeAdra Dimery, Ta’Mya Elliott, Madison Franzeo, Jacob Gooden, Madilyn Hall, Levi Harrelson, Adriana Howell, Emily Martinez, Joseph Martinez, Andrea McDowell, Caleb McGough, A’NidaMcKibben, NyQurea McRae,  Olivia Meggs, Carly Nguyen, Jayden Osborne, Jena Packer, Alina Rabanales , Alden Ross, Zachary Sholar, Gavin Smith, Grady Starling, Max Tart, A’Marra Washington, Niyah Wooten

4th Grade

Superintendent’s List

Savanna Howell

“A” Honor Roll 

Gissele Campos-Almazo, Corey Clark, Braxton Grimes, Colin King, Anna Marie Miranda, Aidan Schultz, Jaiden Steffan, Jaylen Suggs, Marco Ventura, Iveonna Ward, Brianna Wuerlger

“A/B” Honor Roll 

Gabriel Al Gozi, Jaedyn Beatty, Cameron Blanks, Chace Butler, Joshua Evans, Annosty Hall, Shannon Hankins, Kenadie Hill, Makaylee Holloman, Alex Izquierdo-Hidalgo, Lukas Johnson, Christopher Joseph, Kylie McGough, Maria Medina-Leal, Davion Miller, Lamaiya Morgan, Zipporah Morgan, Jeremiah Morton, Al’Licia Owens, Cara Priest, Wilie Rojas-Sandoval, Aubrey Schwable, Destiny Shipman, Seth Smith, JaamirStephens, Jonathan Stocks, Jada Suggs, Julio Vazquez Murillo, Marcus Williams, Arieyanna Willis

Superintendent’s List – Grades of 96 or above in all classes and 7 absences or less

Ruby Arellano, Logan Autry, Alyssa Bell, Ciara Blanks, Autumn Brisson, Noah Bryan, Daniella Burga-Cupen, Alyssa Chadwick, Hugh Clark, Victory Crawford, Mariela Delvalle, Jenna Dove, Jenna Floyd, Tatianna Ford, Jennifer Gaytan Morales, Charles Gooden, James Hunter Green, Zaria Humphrey, Ashley Hunsinger , Kristen Hunt, Hunter Jackson, Nathan Kroesch, Brittney Landreth, Cynthea Landreth, Callie Lewis, Amber Long, Brianna Nance, Laikyn Pait, Ryan Pait, Luis Ramirez-Sechler, Kyla Reed, Mohagany Rozier, Oliva Sholar, Sophia Singletary, Madison Storms, Brandon Thompson, Harmony Weathers, Logan West, Jarrett Williams, Katelyn Willoughby, Taylor Willis, Daniel Zavala Lopez

“A” Honor Roll – Grades of 90 and above in all classes and 7 absences or less

Miguel Aguilar, Sarah Allen, Arely Alonzo Ortiz, Hannah Arnett, Kassidy Anderson, Victor Arellano Mata, Samuel Bedsole, Justus Belle, Jordan Benson, Ileida Berduo Lopez, Jazlyn Best, Chianne Beyor, Jamil Bostic, John Bowen, Rebecca Bowman, Maegan Brady, Kelly Bravo Verdugo, Erika Brigman, Andrew Bryan, Dawson Bryan, Kristina Bryan, Nolan Bryant, Anna Burden, Molly Burney, Zachary Burney, Madison Cierra Byrd, Alyssa Cain, Madison Cain, Dawton Callahan, Breanna Carlton, Fernando Carranza Toledo, Kelly Caulder, Janet Chavez, Veda Cheshire, Jacquelin Contreras, Taylor Corey, Gerardo Cristobal, Gabriel Cruz, Glorimar Cruz, Joseph DeMers, Abby Dawson, Bethany Davis, Raegan Davis, William Patrick Deavers, Kayla Dowless, Kolby Edwards, Oswaldo Estrade-Sagastume, Zachary Everitte, Omar Garcia, Chad Garner, Cody Garner, Mace Steven Garza Velarde, Kyle Gause, Andrew Gonzalez, Jorcahel Gonzalez Monroy, Kyla Gore, Akira Grimes, Christian Guijosa Santiago, Ashlynn Guyton, Katie Guyton, Makaylie Hammonds, Drew Harris, Matthew Harris, Richad Herrmann, Irvin Hernandez-Ortiz, Caroline Hester, Ashley Hickman,  Jaya Howell, Gary Jackson, Valerie Jessup, Del Vondra Johnson, Alana King, Edgardo Lara, Savannah Lee, Cheyenne Lewis,  Logan Lewis, Helen Lopez, Miguel Lopez-Garcia, Jean Louis, Trenton Lyons, Allie Marsh, Angel Martinez-Munoz, Sage McDonald, Sarah McLean, Danae McMillian, Michael McMillian, Ivan Mendoza Ortiz, Anna Moser, Austin Mullis, Bridgette Munoz Elizalde, Vanessa Nance, Brady Norris, Sean Nunnery, Pablo Ortega, Shawn Oxendine, Eddie Perez-Ortiz, Kiera Porter, Jerena Purdie, Diony Ramos George,  Ian Ransom, Amy Reaves, Emily Reaves, Gerardo Reyes Maldonado, Janet Rivera, Allen Roberts, Clinton Ryckeley, Tristen Sadler, Raquel Sanchez, Kathryn Schultz, Thomas Shackleford, Ariel Shaw, Destinee Singletary,  Kasee Singletary, Alyssa Smith, Cameron Smith, Chaley Smith, Claire Smith, Elijah Smith, Kaylee Stevens, Bethany Strickland, Ian Sykes, Abdiel Tapia, Jr., Alana Tatum, Anthony Ryan Tatum, Marcos Vazquez Aguilar, Brandon Walden, Christian Ward, Colby White, Marisa Williams, Jazmyne Wilson, Robert Windom, Austin Wright, Abigail Young, Jacob Young, Brigit Zuniga Labra

“A/B” Honor Roll – Grades of 80 or above in all classes and 7 absences or less

Summer Addington, Alfredo Aguilar, Elizabeth Allbright, Nicholas Alioto, Katherine Tatiana Alvarez, Isaac Arellano, Jonathan Ashworth, Morgan Babson, Kristaun Baldwin, Kerron Baldwin-Washington, Joshua Babson, Jamonte Ballard, Bonnie Baxley, Daquan Baxley, Jalen Baxley, Megan Baxley, Kaitlyn Beder, Brittany Benson, Kaleigh Benson, Scott Bowen, Tyre Boykin, Jonatan Bravo Perez, Mixi Bravo Perez, Conner Brisson, Nathan Brisson, Destinee Brown, Simone Brown, Rayna Bryan, Alleigh Buchanan, Bailey Bullard, Jake Butler, India Carney, Eduardo Carranza, Wesley Chavez-Sanchez, Payton Chavis,  Kevin Chen, Brinkley Collier, Garrett Cook, Ana Cruz, Dominick Cruz, Reina Cruz-Antonio, Claudia Cuc Reyes,  Jacilyne Culbreth, Tyneshia David, Devin Davis, Ethan Davis, Jerrad Davis, Justin Davis, Carley Dawson,  Marie Deleon-Tomas, Micheal DeMers, Sayaun Dent, Hermindo Dian De Leon, Delmar Diaz Delon, Haleigh Dunn, Nicholas Edwards, Summer Evers, Jordan Paige Ezzell, Kala Marissa Ezzell, Katie Ezzell, Donovan Flinn, Mark Anthony Flores-Reyes, Trista Fores, Edgar Garcia, Edwin Garcia, Uriel Garcia Ortiz, Emily Garza, Jarred Gathings, Kailey Gause, Jaland Gillespie, Jeff Gonzalez, Larry Gonzales, Kashawn Gowens,  Winter Graham, Samaria Grant,  Shatease Grimes, Victoria Guerra, Nyzella Guions, Thomas Guyton, Ethan Hales, Trevor Hancock, Bryan Haro, Jason Haro, Tanaisia Haynes, Landon Hedgepeth, Jason Helms,  Staci Helms, Jose Hernandez Osorio, Haley Hester, Jacob Hester, Jamison Hester, Samaya Hill, Kierra Hines, Mahailiyana Hines, Kayla Hunt, Sydney Jackson, Tykee Jeffries, Edrea Jenkins, Emanuel Jessup,  Christina Jimenez, Luzsero Jimenez Rojas, Hollie Johnson, Jya Johnson, Frankie Kellam, Jacob Kinlaw, Jennifer Labra Labra, Nathan Landreth, Baamane Leak, Jaheim Lesane, Kamara Lewis, Kelsey Lewis, Keshawn Lewis, Richard Lewis, Octavian Lloyd, Tierra Lloyd, Victor Lopez Gomez, Ivanay Louis, Turea Lucy, Alanna Ludlum, Sandra Maldonado Ortiz, Hayleigh Mark, Azia McKiver, Tiara McLaurin, Rhett McLean, Joy Mills, Andrew Miranda, Deautise Mitchell, Brandon Moore, James Moore, Jodee Morphies, Matthew Morris, Robert Morris, Kiance Morrisey, Essance Murphy, Justin Nickel, Kevin Ortiz Cruz, Bailey Packer, Bryan Padilla, Kalvin Page, Alise Pait, Dalton Pait, Hunter Pait, Joseph Pait,  Diana Panameno, Madilyn Parrish, Joana Perez Reyes, Cameron Peterson, Weston Pidgeon, James Priest,  Makayla Pruitt, Caera Ransom, Shalanta Ratliff, Alexis Ray, India Rhodes, Janessa Richardson, Jasaiah Roberts, Channing Robeson, Jonathon Robinson, Taniyah Robinson Indra Rodriguez, Ivony Rosales Marchand, Tenasis Roseboro,  Hernan Sanchez Trejo, Mireya Sandoval Barrios, Marcos Sandoval Garrios, Misael Sandoval Mendoza, Dylan Saraidaris, Brett Sasser, Beatriz Servin Gamas, Raekwon Shaw, Andrew Shepherd, April Smith, Colby Smith, Hannah Smith, Traquan Spivey, Tristian Stitz, Erica Storms, Trey Storms, Tate Sykes, Zamarys Tatum, JVahn Thomas, Allyson Thompson,  Kaylee Thompson, Nolan Todd, Trey Turner, Melissa Valadez-Suarez, Jose Vasquez, Ricardo Vazquez, Dylan Vermillion, Trent West,  Alexcia White, Destiny White, Grayson White, Szkharia Whitfield, Colton Wilson, Mikayla Winebarger, Roberto Zunun, Ronal Zunun

By Dr. Mike Walden

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

We are again involved in a debate about health insurance for those not covered by their employer, Medicare, Medicaid or other group. Many want to replace the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as “Obamacare”) that addresses the uninsured, but consensus on a replacement has not been found.  

The health care debate includes many elements, among them politics and power. I’m not deriding those elements – they are part of the process. But they sometimes obscure some important fundamental factors that eventually must be considered to have a successful insurance plan.

Among these fundamental factors are the economics of health care and health insurance. There are some key “economic facts of life” that are often overlooked in the health insurance debate because they require us to consider tradeoffs that are sometimes unpleasant.  

Let me present examples of how economics is involved in health insurance and then you decide how – or if – they can be addressed.  

A basic economic tenet of insurance – including health insurance – is the relationship of the price of the insurance to the individual (usually in the form of a regular insurance payment called a “premium”) to the likelihood of the individual filing a claim. For example, if Jerry is a lousy driver with a track record of many accidents, he will certainly pay higher auto insurance premiums than Tiffany who has a perfect driving record with no accidents.

In health insurance a key factor determining the chances of filing a claim is age. On average, younger people are healthier than older people. For example, average annual health care spending for a 65-year old is seven times higher than for a 20-year old, and it’s eleven times higher for an 85-year old than a 20-year old. So on this basis alone, we would expect health insurance premiums to be higher for older folks than younger folks.

Private health insurance plans offered by large businesses or organizations handle this reality by making health insurance a benefit of employment and including workers of all ages. So it is also important for any publicly supported health insurance system to have a mix of ages paying into the system. This can be done by requiring everyone to have health insurance – such as most states do for auto insurance.

Obamacare mandates that everyone not insured through their employer or other private or public plan purchase health insurance, but the penalty for not doing so is relatively minor. Hence, many younger people have opted not to participate. One study estimated that for Obamacare to work, 40 percent of enrollees needed to be young people (18-34 age group). But the actual share has only been about 25 percent. The lack of sufficient numbers of younger enrollees is one reason why Obamacare premiums have risen more than expected.

Therefore, any publicly supported health insurance system has to address the age issue of balancing younger and older enrollees. Another equally important fundamental issue is the generosity of the provisions of the health insurance plan.

Less generous policies – covering fewer procedures or care and paying less of the total bill – cost less in terms of the premium, deductible (amount paid by individual before insurance starts) and co-pay (percent of any cost paid by individual). More generous policies cost more.  

Therefore, any government sponsored health insurance plan will have to confront this tradeoff between the level of guaranteed coverage and costs. If more generous plans are mandated, then the higher costs must be paid by the individual, the individual’s employer or government.  There is no free lunch!

For my last fundamental factor, I’ll shift gears to the “supply side” of the equation. Most of the discussion of health care and health insurance has focused on expanding coverage to more people. But perhaps equally important is looking at the providers – the suppliers – of health care.   If we want to moderate the costs of both health care and health insurance, one way is to expand the supply of health care services.

This hasn’t always been happening. For example, the number of medical doctors per person in the country has been falling for three decades.

So what can be done to increase the supply of health care services? There are many possibilities.  The government can work to increase the number of students entering medical school. The government could look at easing the ability of foreign-trained doctors to practice in the country.   There are also debates about expanding the care and treatments performed by medical professionals who are not MDs, such as physician assistants.

In terms of other parts of the medical supply, many states – including North Carolina – have legal restrictions on expanding medical facilities and equipment. Some recommend adjusting or eliminating these restrictions. At the federal level, there have been calls to speed the FDA’s (Federal Drug Administration) approval of new pharmaceuticals as well as shorten the time that new drugs can be offered in lower-priced generic form.

However, at the heart of the debate about expanding supply are concerns about maintaining both the quality and safety of health care. It’s a difficult balance.

There are many issues – with no easy answers – in the debate over health insurance. Maybe this is why, collectively, we are having difficulty deciding!

Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.

Contributed photos and information

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The Elizabethtown Christian Academy had a full week before the Easter holiday. Some students went on field trips, some enjoyed a field day and all had chapel according to parents and teachers. The students enjoyed activities inside and outside.

There were games, exercises, egg dying and celebrations of the Easter holiday.

1738 – Bottle opener invented.

1817 – 1st American school for the deaf opens (Harford, Conn).

1861 – Federal army (75,000 volunteers) mobilized by US President Lincoln (US Civil War).

1865 – Abraham Lincoln dies 9 hours after he is shot attending the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.

1892 – General Electric Company, forms & is incorporated in NY.

1910 – William H. Taft is first US president to throw out a 1st ball at a baseball game.

1923 – Insulin becomes generally available for diabetics.

1941 – 1st helicopter flight of 1 hour duration, Stratford, Ct.

1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes 1st African-American to play in US major league baseball (Dodgers).

1952 – Franklin National Bank issues 1st bank credit card.

1955 – Ray Kroc opens first McDonald’s Inc. fast food restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.

1958 – 10th Emmy Awards: Gunsmoke, Robert Young & Jane Wyatt win.

1960 – Guy Garawan sings “We Shall Overcome” to a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh – popularizing the song as a protest anthem.

1961 – “Music Man” closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 1375 performances.

1962 – US national debt above $300,000,000,000.

1975 – 1st appearance of San Diego Chicken.

1989 – Then largest lottery in North America ($69M) drawn in Illinois.

1997 – America On Line begins service in Japan.

2012 – US Secret Service inappropriate conduct scandal begins with at least 11 people implicated.

2013 – Boston Marathon bombings: 3 people are killed and 183 injured after two explosions near the finish line.

ELIZABETHTOWN –Pitcher Kayleigh Raynor and catcher Abigail Madden belted 3 hits each to lead Elizabethtown to a 12-0 Bladen Five Middle School Conference softball victory over Tar Heel Thursday.

Raynor scored 3 runs and Madden scored twice. Teammate Katlynn Tatum batted 2-2, and Cheylee Mathis finished 2-3 at the plate. Lainey Hughes smacked a single for the Lady Cougars.

Mathis and Alyssa Suggs scored 2 runs each for Elizabethtown. Tatum, Carlie West, and Alexus Mitchell scored one run each for the winners.

Madden, Hughes, Raynor and Mathis started the Lady Cougar first-inning with consecutive singles that produced one run. Tatum knocked in Raynor and Mathis with a single that put Elizabethtown ahead 3-0.

West was hit by a pitch to begin the second inning, and Madden, Raynor and Mathis cracked back-to-back-to-back singles that scored West and Raynor. Suggs walked and Tatum delivered a single that scored Mathis and Suggs. Tatum raced home on a fielder’s choice for an 8-0 lead.

Madden led off the Lady Cougar third inning with a single and scored on a Raynor single. Suggs reached base on an error, and Raynor and Suggs both scored to pad the lead to 11-0.

Mitchell was hit by a pitch and scored the final Elizabethtown run in the fourth inning.

Nykia Lewis and shortstop Emily connected for one hit each for Tar Heel.

Raynor pitched the first two perfect innings for Elizabethtown and struck out 5 of the 6 batters that she faced. Suggs relieved and pitched the final 3 innings, striking out 3 batters and giving up two hits.

Coach Tarrah Woodruff’s Lady Cougars remained unbeaten at 2-0, while Tar Heel dropped to 0-3.

ELIZABETHTOWN – Brady Hollingsworth pitched a 3-inning perfect game to lead Elizabethtown to a 15-0 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Tar Heel Thursday.

Hollingsworth struck out 5 of the 9 batters that he faced. At the plate Hollingsworth batted 2-2 with 3 runs scored.

Jay McKoy, Freddie Wooten and Raymond Autry connected for 2 hits each for Elizabethtown. Zach Meares, Ethan Johnson, Tyler Hill and Elijah Bullard belted one hit each the Cougars.

Coach Tripp Lancaster’s Cougars raised their league-leading record to 2-0. Tar Heel is 0-2.

CLARKTON – Ayden Piland hammered a triple that keyed a 3-run winning rally and propelled Clarkton School of Discovery to a 9-6 Bladen Five Middle School Conference baseball victory over Bladenboro.

With the score knotted 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Weston Hodge walked and raced home with the go-ahead run on Piland’s triple. Jacob Priest knocked in Piland with a single. Priest dashed home on an error to pad the lead to 9-6.

Bladenboro put four runners on base in the top of the sixth inning, but base-running problems resulted in all 3 outs coming on tag-outs on the bases.

The Bulldogs grabbed the early lead with a second inning run. Alex Strange belted a single and scored when Andrew Pait smacked a single.

Bladenboro added 2 runs in the third inning. Elijah Crabtree walked, and Brycen Blackman reached base on an error. ShyRon Adams reached base on an error that scored Crabtree, and Devon Strange’s fielder’s choice plated Blackman for a 3-0 lead.

Will Hester, Hodge and Andrew Kahn drew walks to begin the Clarkton fourth inning. Piland reached base on an error that scored Hester and Hodge. Priest walked and J. T. Junious was hit by a pitch that forced home Kahn with the tying run.

Victor Campbell’s fielder’s choice plated Piland. Jacob Bryan walked, and Hester was hit by a pitch that scored Priest. Junious darted home to put the Blue Devils in front 6-3.

Blackman and Adams were both hit by pitches in the Bulldog fifth inning. Devon Strange cracked a single that scored Blackman, and Bryley Williams delivered a single that scored Adams. Alex Strange swatted a single that brought home Devon Strange with the run that tied the game 6-6.

Piland tripled home a run and scored twice. Priest and Junious added one hit each for the Blue Devils. Priest and Hodge scored 2 runs each, and Junious, Hester and Kahn scored one run each. Priest, Junious, Hester and Campbell had one rbi each.

Williams batted 2-2 with an rbi for Bladenboro. Alex Strange finished 2-3 at the plate with a run scored and an rbi. Devon Strange singled, scored a run and drove in two. Pait singled in a run, and Crabtree singled and scored. Blackman scored twice, and Adams scored a run.

Devon Strange started on the mound for the Bulldogs and kept the Blue Devils off the board until the fourth inning. Hodge and Piland combined to pitch the victory for Clarkton.

The Blue Devils improved to 2-1 with the victory, while the Bulldogs are 0-1.

It is a beautiful day for an Easter Egg Hunt and many are scheduled for today. One of the largest will be held at Jones Lake State Park beginning at 11 AM. Must have pre-registered.

Weather, perfect. Mostly clear skies with temps in the 80s by mid afternoon.

Many will rise early Sunday morning for sunrise services.

Easter is a very special day.

Youngsters will be dressed up for services tomorrow in their pretty new outfits to worship at churches throughout the area.

Christmas and Easter are two of the most important events for Christians everywhere.

Switching topics, I keep hearing there are no jobs in our area. There are numerous jobs available for those who are willing to work. Spoke with a couple of small business owners in the past few days who need workers. Have had some tell me they could add more crews if they could hire workers. Little or no experience, but willing to rise in the mornings, do a good days work for a decent salary. And, with a little training, better jobs and higher wages are available. Bladen Community College can provide training for those really looking to better themselves.

JOBS ARE AVAILABLE.

Must be sober – drug free, willing to work, on time and open to learning new skills.

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. Audrey Hepburn

If we had no winter the spring would not be so pleasant. Anne Bradstreet

By his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53.5

MONTEVALLO, AL – Bladenboro native Abbey Walters blasted a grand-slam home run in the final game of her UNC-Pembroke softball career Friday as the Lady Braves defeated Montevallo 11-2.

Walters finished 3-4 at the plate with 2 doubles, 3 runs scored and the grand-slam homer. The West Bladen grad ripped a double to left-centerfield in the first inning and scored on Taylor Gerhart’s home run for a 2-0 UNC-P lead.

Montevallo tied the game with 2 runs in the third, but Walters crushed the grand-slam home run over the right-centerfield fence for a 6-2 lead. A 3-run homer later in the inning by Alex Watkins padded the Lady Brave lead to 9-2.

Walters hammered a double down the leftfield line in the sixth inning and scored on a Watkins single.

In the first game of Friday’s double-header, Walters pitched a complete game in a 4-1 UNC-Pembroke loss to Montevallo. The senior righthander struck out four and gave up 8 hits and 3 walks. For the season, Walters posted a 12-11 record, 115 strike-outs and a 2.59 Earned Run Average.

At the plate Walters batted .415 with 68 hits and 39 runs batted in. She led the team in home runs (10), doubles (17), runs (54), slugging percentage (.701), and total bases (115).

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Today, April 15th was a perfect day for an outside event in Bladenboro. The annual Bunny 5K Fun Run had another great crowd out in support of their event.

Most everyone has been affected, or knows someone that has been affected by cancer. In 2015, Otis Evans started the Bunny Fun Run to raise money for the American Cancer Society in memory of his loved ones affected by cancer.

Otis, a cancer survivor himself, helps raise money each year for the Bladen County Relay 4 Life benefiting the cancer society non-profit with the Bunny Fun Run and hopes to raise even more each year. The event started at the Town Hall in Bladenboro, NC on Saturday, April 15th, 2017 beginning at 9:00 a.m. All types of different age groups participated. Otis had added a leisure Bike Ride this year to which started immediately after the walk awards where announced and distributed.

There were about 80 folks participating in the event according to Otis. Winners of the fun run were as follows:

Men’s category: Holden Srague, Jimmy Tatum and Jonathan Brooks.

Women’s category: Madison High, Denise Singletary

Other category winners were:

Conner Padrick, Eli Locklear, Brian Hardin, Rachel Brooks, Victor Welch and Levy Welch.

The Bladen County Relay For Life will be held at the Elizabethtown Middle School May 12, 2017.

By Erin Smith

Jones Lake BB Gun

Jones Lake Egg Hunt 2

Jones Lake Egg Hunt 4

Jones Lake Egg Hunt 5

Jones Lake Face Painting

Jones Lake Fire Truck

Jones Lake Football Toss

Jones Lake Game

Jones Lake LEO

Jones Lake Les Litter

Jones Lake State Park was bustling with activity on Saturday morning and the Easter Bunny made an appearance during the park’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. The annual event is a crowd favorite. Park Superintendent Shane Freeman said more than 400 people pre-registered for the event and park staff prepared 4,500 plastic eggs for the hunt.

Barbara Patrick, with Friends of the Bay Lakes, said “It is a beautiful day for an egg hunt and games.” She explained the annual event is something the Friends of the Bay Lakes group has become involved with at Jones Lake and the kids all seem to enjoy it.

In addition to the egg hunt and an appearance by the Easter Bunny, games included a Wet T-shirt race, a football toss, bean bag toss, ring toss, fishing rod casting, and BB gun target shooting. The East Bladen Keyettes were offering face painting and the USDA Wildlife Resources trailer was on hand with their displays of various wildlife native to North Carolina. Also, the Elizabethtown Fire Department, Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, Bladen County EMS and North Carolina State Highway Patrol all had displays.

Jaimie Pruess and her children were in attendance for the event. She said her family is camping at Jones Lake for the weekend. “Actually this is our first time here. We found out about by looking up North Carolina camp sites and State Parks,” said Mrs. Pruess.

Quran Dennis and her family were also at the park. “We just come out to enjoy the kids and we like doing family things.”

Park staff were anticipating a huge turnout according to Freeman and they were not disappointed. A large crowd of visitors made their way into the park and spent the day playing games or swimming.

Boy Scout Troop 701 from Cumberland County volunteered to assist with games and food. Bladen County Sheriff’s Deputy Willoughby and K-9 Kain and Deputy Williamson and Trooper Atlas McVicker explained to children what it is like to work in law enforcement and displayed their patrol cars.

Park Ranger Lane Garner said a lot of different public agencies were invited to take part in the day. He said by learning about the different agencies and what they do, it could spark an interest for a child to pursue a career in a particular field.

1787 – 1st American comedy, “The Contrast,” made its debut in NYC.

1789 – George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration.

1861 – US President Lincoln outlaws business with confederate states (US Civil War).

1900 – US Post Office issues 1st books of postage stamps.

1922 – Annie Oakley sets women’s record by breaking 100 clay targets in a row.

1935 – 1st radio broadcast of “Fibber McGee & Molly”.

1940 – 1st televised baseball game, WGN-TV, (White Sox vs Cubs exhibition).

1945 – US troops land on He Shima, Okinawa.

1956 – 1st solar powered radios go on sale.

1959 – NY Yankees unveil their 1st message scoreboard.

1962 – Walter Cronkite begins anchoring CBS Evening News.

1967 – “Walking Happy” closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances.

1970 – Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands).

1978 – NBC’s premiere of miniseries “Holocaust”.

1987 – FCC imposes a broader definition of indecency over airwaves.

1987 – Michael Jordan becomes the second NBA player in history to score 3000 points in a season.

1995 – 56th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Ray Floyd wins.

2007 – Virginia Tech massacre: The deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. The gunman, Seung-Hui Cho, kills 32 people and injures 23 others before committing suicide.

2007 – 41st CMT Music Awards: Carrie Underwood & Kenny Chesney wins.

2008 – Start of Papal Journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States.

FAIRMONT- Fairmont rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat West Bladen 5-3 Saturday night in the opening round of the Robeson County Baseball Slugfest.

The Tornadoes pushed across single runs in the third and fourth innings to tie the game, then Seth Throndyke doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Knights scored all 3 of their runs in the third inning. Freshman catcher Jake Butler drew a walk, and his courtesy runner, Cody Garner, was sacrificed to second base by senior Weston Pidgeon.

Senior Jarrett Williams was hit by a pitch, and senior Trent West knocked in Garner with a single. Scott Bowen walloped a double to deep-rightcenterfield that scored Williams and Trent West and put the Knights up 3-1.

Bowen finished 2-3 at the plate with the 2-run double to lead the Knight offense. Senior Caleb Sholar also batted 2-3, and senior T. J. Guyton was 2-4 at the plate with a double. Trent West’s rbi single accounted for the other West Bladen hit.

Sholar pitched 5-plus innings for West Bladen, and Bowen relieved him in the sixth inning.

“We put the ball in play but except for that one inning we hit it at people,” said Knight Coach Kim Cain. “We only had one error in the game, and Jonathan Ashworth made a diving catch in rightfield to save us a couple of runs.”

Randy Floyd pitched the complete game victory for Fairmont and scored 2 runs. Hunter Watts drove in 2 runs for the Golden Tornadoes.

West Bladen will play South Robeson Monday at 10 a.m. in a consolation bracket game.