According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), cooking is the main cause of home fires. Also, the peak day for home cooking fires is Thanksgiving.

Keep your holiday safe and fun. Follow these tips from the USFA:
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the burner.
Watch what you are cooking. Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
If you simmer, bake, or roast food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you.
Keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packages, towels, and curtains) away from your stovetop.
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Then, no one can bump them or pull them over.
Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby.  Use it to cover the pan if it catches fire. This will put the fire out.
In the event of an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed until it is cool.
Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot, and kids should stay three feet away.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

For more tips, visit the USFA’s Cooking Fire Safety page. If you plan to deep fry your turkey, download the Prevent a Turkey Fryer Fire tip sheet

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Bladen County residents observed Veterans Day in different ways this year. The Knight Family,  from Dublin,  shared their day.

After participating in the Elizabethtown Rotary Club’s 8K to benefit the USO of North Carolina the Knights took a trip to Fayetteville.

The local family went to a museum that showcases what our freedoms cost.

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum conducted a Vietnam Veteran Pinning Commemoration Ceremony. Visitors toured the museum and paid special thanks to Veterans.

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A Bladen County 4-H exhibit came in 2nd place at the North Carolina State Fair.

The Bladen County Unemployment rate came in at 14.8%.

Joe Broch was appointed Plant Engineer at West Point Pepperell.

A campaign for a write in vote for “Edd Nye for House of Representatives” was begun.

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by Erin Smith

The brisk morning Saturday didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who turned out for the Elizabethtown Rotary Club’s 8K and 1 Mile Fun Walk.    The well attended event will benefit the USO of North Carolina.

The event was sponsored by Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery, Healthworks Fitness and Wellness, McDonalds Rust Enterprises, Emereau:Bladen and Waste Industries.

Runners enjoyed warm fellowship and learning about the USO of North Carolina as well as Rotary International.

Promptly at 8:30 a.m. The race began followed by the Fun Walk.

The top three finishers in the men’s division were Jason Bryant with a time of 39.32.91; Ryan Beck with a time of 39.55.68; and Jacob Avila with a time of 40.43.54.

The top three finishers in the women’s division were Rebekah Johnson with a time of 42.32.61; Donna Nicholson with a time of 57.01.04; and Tracy Durham with a time of 58.46.34.

The top three finishers in the youth division were AJ Wynn with a time of 41.23.11; Jacob Bryan 43.15.00; and Efran Vargas with a time of 53.05.49.

The Rotary Club also conducted a raffle for a Mossberg Pump Action shotgun. The winner was Darrell Todd of Bladenboro.

Following the Rotary Club’s 8K and Fun Walk was the 60 miles at Brown’s Creek event which was raising money for the Brinson Cancer Support Fund.  Both events were well attended.

1789 – Ben Franklin writes “Nothing…..certain but death & taxes”

1843 – Mt. Rainier in Washington State erupts.

1865 –  US issues 1st gold certificates.

1895 – First shipment of canned pineapple from Hawaii.

1907 – The Conference of American States, convoked in response to the war between Honduras and Nicaragua, meets in Washington, DC to promote unification.

1913 – 1st modern elastic brassiere patented by Mary Phelps Jacob.

1921 – “The Sheik”, a silent film starring Rudolph Valentino, is released.

1930 – WA Drake’s “Grand Hotel” premieres in NYC.

1937 – NBC forms first full-sized symphony orchestra exclusively for radio.

1940 – “Fantasia” animated film by Walt Disney, starring Leopold Stokowski and Deems Taylor, is released.

1942 – Minimum draft age lowered from 21 to 18.

1952 – False fingernails 1st sold.

1964 – Bob Petit (St. Louis Hawks) becomes 1st NBAer to score 20,000 points.

1969 – Vice President Spiro Agnew accuses network TV news departments of bias and distortion.

1977 – Final Al Capp comic strip of “Li’l Abner” (1934-77)

1982 – Vietnam War Memorial dedicated in Washington, DC.

1986 – US President Reagan confesses weapon sales to Iran.

1994 – 44th NASCAR Sprint Cup: Dale Earnhardt wins.

2001 – US President George W. Bush orders that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve be filled to capacity over the next few years.

2014 – Clayton Kershaw & Mike Trout wins the MVP awards for Major League Baseball for 2004.

Contributed

On Sunday November 12. Members of No. 7 Township Fire and Rescue (Craven County) delivered a 1988 EONE Fire Engine to White Oak Fire Department. Chief Tim Tatum of White Oak presented Assistant Chief Chad Smith of No. 7 Township a $1 Check for the donated engine. The Engine is very well maintained and features a 1000 gpm pump and 750 gallon tank. This truck will be used as an additional piece of apparatus for White Oak Fire Department and expand our capabilities. We greatly appreciate No. 7 Township Fire and Rescue for their partnership and generous donations to the community of White Oak. No. 7 Township has previously donated turnout gear to White Oak Fire Dept.

Left to Right: Asst. Chief Chad Smith(No. 7 Township), Lt. Justin Varley (No. 7 Township),President Ryan Varley(WOFD),Chief Tim Tatum(WOFD).

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Cadets from the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy participated in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony On Veterans Day.  During the ceremony they Cadets were also inducted into the National Society of Blackjacks which is the high School affiliate of the National Society of Pershing Rifles.  There induction was supervised by Major General(R) Higgins a Pershing Rifles Alumnus from Hofstra University.  This ceremony was held at General of the Armies John J. Pershing’s grave.  The Cadets also laid a wreath at his grave.  In addition Cadet Passion Graham was selected to lay a wreath at the grave of CPL William Buckles the last living soldier of World War I.  The Cadets witnessed a changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and toured the capital on Sunday.

Looking forward to Monday, after a busy weekend that included time in Clinton (Star TMC), Dublin (West Bladen HS), Elizabethtown (Wesley’s Chapel UMC) and Dunn (with family).  For a full-fledged, card-caring senior citizen, lots of action, but all good.

Sports highlights yesterday:
NASCAR winner (Phoenix) Matt Kenseth over Chase Elliott
PGA winner (Mexico) Patton Kizzire finished a stroke better than Ricky Fowler
NFL (late night) Patriots 41 – Broncos 16.

Seen this posted in several locations recently:
‘Listen and silent are spelled with the same letters’

Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away, Christmas time is coming soon.

With municipal elections in the rear-view mirror, filing for the next election begins noon-time Monday, February 12, 2018 and closes at noon-time February 28, 2008.  Office seekers for US House of Representatives, District Attorney, NC Senate, NC House of Representatives, county offices including Sheriff, County Commissioners, Board of Education and more.  Folks at the Board of Elections complete one election and prepare for the next.

Wrote my Congressman and both US Senators’ (email) asking for support for 401 and other such saving plans to be left ‘as is’ in tax overhaul, not for me but for those who follow.  It’s a good way for as many as care to save for retirement, pay in tax-free and pay taxes when it is collected, like a savings account for Uncle Sam and the worker.  Retirees are required to withdraw a percentage of their plan annually.  Too simple, I suppose.  Received one form letter, but not even an acknowledgement from others.  OK, busy……I hope.

It is easy to make promises – it is hard to keep them.  Boris Johnson

Vote for the person who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing.  Bernard Baruch

Promises are like crying babies in a theater, they should be carried out at once.  Norman Vincent Peale

DUBLIN – Bladen Community College extends an invitation to the community to attend a Lunch and Learn about Strategies for Improving Efficiency and Productivity through the use of a Planner, with BCC Director of Human Resources Tiina Mundy.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, November 16, at noon, in the Bladen Community College library (building 7). Bring your lunch!

For more information, call Diane Vitale at 910-879-5643.

By Erin Smith

If you have a service member in your family who is deployed, Tar Heel Baptist Church wants to know. They will play recorded messages from the soldiers to their families during the church’s annual Christmas program on Saturday, December 9.

“We are trying to do something different in Tar Heel this year. We are trying to do something more evangelistic and reach out to families,” said Ginnie Varnam.

Varnam said she recalled when she was in high school and the church she attended at the time adopted service members to pray for at Christmas time. She said it touched the hearts of their family members who attended the church.

“We want to let those families (of deployed soldiers) know they are not forgotten,” said Varnam.

Varnam said she is hoping to reach out to those who are deployed and receive a video or audio recorded message to be played on the night of the Christmas program for their families to see. Varnam said what she needs is the email address of your deployed service member, a photograph, information such as what branch of service they are serving and their rank. She needs the contact information by Wednesday, November 22.

Varnam said, the way it will work, is once she receives the recorded message from the soldier, it will be compiled into a video along with messages from other soldiers. The messages will be set to the music of Karen Carpenter’s “Merry Christmas Darling.”

Varnam said the Love Grove Puppet Team will also perform along with the Clark’s Chapel AME Zion Church’s Choir and Dance team. Tar Heel Baptist Church’s Adult Choir, Praise Team, and Children’s Choir will also perform.

She said there will also be a Remembrance Tree for those who have passed away in Tar Heel.

For more information or to submit your contact information, email Ginnie Varnam at ginnievarnam@gmail.com.

Join us for some good gospel singing on Saturday, November 18, at 6 p.m. as we give thanks for the November birthday recipients.  The birthday program will take place at Greater McKoy’s Chapel, Inc. (284 Center Rd. Dublin) where Dr. Delora LeSane is the pastor.

All branches of the Bladen County Public Library will be closed on Thursday, November 23; Friday, November 24; and Saturday, November 25, in observance of Thanksgiving.

Registration is now open for RA/GA and Acteens basketball. There are teams for grades K-3, 4-6, and 7-9. Each church is responsible for their team.

Registration ends on December 29th and games begin on Saturday, January 6th.

For more information call Connie Holland at 910-862-3496 or Pam Stephens at 910-876-0861.

Rep. Robert Pittenger

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) sent a bipartisan letter to the House Committee on Appropriations and House Leadership urging continued funding for Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts.

Co-signed by the entire North Carolina Congressional delegation, the letter asks that North Carolina recovery funding be included in future legislation related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

“As Congress considers funding for long-term recovery efforts for states and territories affected by storms this year, we ask that North Carolina and other states with unmet needs from 2016 remain eligible for potential funding in future disaster relief legislation,” writes Congressman Pittenger and his North Carolina colleagues.  “This includes any changes that would allow for the provision of funding for HUD mitigation and resiliency projects, which was not included in the Congressional response to 2016 natural disasters.  Finally, we urge you to consider additional federal programs, such as those administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Economic Development Administration, that were included in previous disaster response efforts but have not been significantly utilized in recent supplemental appropriations legislation.”

Congressman Pittenger sent today’s letter to Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen of the House Committee on Appropriations and Speaker Paul Ryan.

Nearly 98,000 homes and 19,500 businesses were damaged by Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina.  To date, $1.28 billion in federal funding has been provided for recovery efforts.  Much of that money is released to the State of North Carolina, which is then responsible for distributing it to affected counties and municipalities.

November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a complex disorder of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism that is primarily a result of deficiency or complete lack of insulin secretion by the beta cells of the pancreas or defects of the insulin receptors.

In order to educate the community regarding this disease process Caitlin Dalton, Nutritionist/Life Coach, and the Health and Wellness Ministry of Baldwin Branch MBC will be offering the community an opportunity to improve their health. This educational opportunity will consist of a series of 16 classes.  Support our efforts to make Bladen County and surround areas a healthier community!

Many senior adults live in homes without smoke detectors. Donna Taylor, with the Bladen County Department of Aging, has come up with a plan to help seniors obtain smoke detectors for their homes. 

Taylor said she spoke with Anthony Norris of the Elizabethtown Fire Department about her idea and then contacted BladenOnline.com. 

“There are no smoke detectors available because of the scarce funding available for smoke detectors,” said Taylor. 

You can help to change that. You can drop off new smoke detectors and batteries at your local fire department or make a donation to the Elizabethtown Fire Department. Norris said the fire department is working on a grant to help. 

By Erin Smith

Area offices and agencies have announced their Thanksgiving holiday schedules.

All banks are closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and will re-open for business on Friday, Nov. 24. However, State Employees Credit Union will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24. They will resume normal operations on Monday, Nov. 27.

There will be no mail delivery on Thursday, Nov. 23. The Postal Service will resume its normal operating schedule on Friday, Nov. 24.

North Carolina state offices, courts and county and municipal government offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24. They will re-open for business on Monday, Nov. 27.

All Bladen County Public Library branches will be closed from Thursday, Nov. 23, Friday, Nov. 24, and Saturday, Nov. 25, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. All library branches will reopen on Monday, Nov. 27.

Bladen County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

1832 – First streetcar (horse-drawn) (John Mason) debuts in NYC; fare 12 cents ride on 4th Avenue between Prince and 14th streets.

1851 – “Moby-Dick” by Herman Melville first published by Harper and Brothers in the US.

1881 – Charles J. Guiteau put on trial for the assassination of US President Garfield.

1883 – “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson is first published as a book by Cassell & Co.

1896 – Power plant at Niagara Falls begins operation.

1904 – King C. Gillette patents Gillette razor blade.

1910 – 1st airplane flight from deck of a ship, Norfolk, Va.

1935 – FDR proclaims Philippine Islands a free commonwealth.

1943 – Chicago Bear Sid Luckman passes for 7 touchdowns vs NY Giants (56-7).

1957 – Henry Aaron wins NL MVP.

1960 – Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind” reaches #1.

1964 – “Oliver!” closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 774 performances.

1965 – US government sends 90,000 soldiers to Vietnam.

1968 – Yale University announces it is going co-educational.

1972 – Dow Jones closes above 1,000 for 1st time (1003.16)

1981 – 2nd Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 2-returns to Earth.

1981 – Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant ties Amos Alonzo Stagg with 314 football wins.

1991 – Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” video premieres on FOX TV.

1997 – Disney’s “Lion King” sets Broadway record of $2,700,000 daily sale.

2002 – The United States House of Representatives votes not to create an independent commission to investigate the September 11 attacks.

2013 – Boston gangster Whitey Bulger is sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years for his crimes.

The Broncos (pictured) defeated the Patriots Monday night to improve to 4-1 in Bladen Recreation’s Flag Football League. Their season will conclude Thursday night with a game against the first-place Falcons.

Here are Monday’s results from Bladen County Recreation Department’s football games played at Bladen County Park.

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Falcons defeated Panthers

Broncos defeated Patriots

The Falcons are 5-0. The Broncos, now 4-1, must defeat the Falcons by two points or more to win the championship.

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Torrean Cogdell scored the only touchdown of the game as the Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 6-0 to complete an undefeated season with a 6-0 record.

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Stefan Jessup scored two touchdowns to lead the Pirates to an 18-13 victory over the Gators that clinched the league championship for the Pirates. Aaron Lewis also scored a Pirate touchdown.

Lee Barnes and I’Keir Murchison scored one touchdown each for the Gators. Aaquan Cotton scored an extra point for the Gators.

The Pirates now have a 4-1 record, while the Gators finished 2-4.