General News
The Pender County Register of Deeds can obtain a birth certificate for your records if you were born in North Carolina from 1971 to present. Call the office at 910-259-1225 for details.
Birth certificate
Pictured left to right are Pender County Fire and EMS Director Everette Baysden, Pender County Utilities Director Kenny Keel, Pender County Commissioner Jerry Groves, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners Jackie Newton, Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority Chairman Norwood Blanchard, Pender County Commissioner Wendi Fletcher-Hardee, and Pender County Manager David Andrews at the groundbreaking of a water infrastructure project in Scotts Hill.
BURGAW- Pender County officials broke ground at the construction site of a new elevated water tank and well fields today.
“This infrastructure project is important to Pender County,” said Jackie Newton, Chair of the Pender County Board of County Commissioners. “We’re increasing the water capacity in Hampstead and Scotts Hill by approximately 750,000 gallons per day and most importantly will improve fire flow in the Scotts Hill area.”
The Pender County Utilities projects includes construction of a new 500,000-gallon elevated water tank and three well facilities.
“The tank and one well will be located adjacent to Pender EMS & Fire Station 18 in Scotts Hill,” said Kenny Keel, Pender County Utilities director.
The additional two wells will be constructed adjacent to South Topsail Elementary School on Hoover Road and the existing Hampstead elevated water tank on US17 near Topsail High School.
“We are appreciative of the collaboration with Pender Fire and EMS co-location of the tank and well in Scotts Hill,” said David Andrews, Pender County manager.
The total project cost is $13,187,000 and has a scheduled completion date of May 12, 2024.
The final report on the Water and Sewer System Development Fee Study performed for Pender County has been released.
To read the report scroll down.
SDF Final Report
| RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a community information meeting on Tuesday, February 28, at Heide Trask Senior High School Auditorium in Rocky Point.
DEQ will share updates on private well sampling underway for PFAS contamination in Columbus, New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties. Staff will also answer questions from the public about the private well sampling and alternate water supplies. When: Tuesday, February 28 at 6 p.m. Where: Heide Trask Senior High School Speaker sign-up will be available upon arrival at the meeting. At DEQ’s direction, Chemours is sampling for PFAS contamination in eligible private drinking water wells downstream of the Fayetteville Works Facility. Chemours is required to provide alternate water supplies to residents whose wells exceed specific action levels. To have your well sampled, call Chemours at (910) 678-1100. Messages to the Chemours call-line are monitored during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); Chemours should respond within 24-to-48 hours starting on the next business day. If you don’t currently qualify for well testing, you may qualify in the future. Chemours is required to keep your contact information and notify you if testing expands to your area. Additional well sampling information for residents, including criteria for eligible wells and other resources, are available on the DEQ website. |
BURGAW- The deadline for nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award is approaching quickly.
“The deadline is Feb. 13, so there is still a little time remaining to submit nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award,” said Tammy Proctor, the Pender County Coordinator for the 2023 Volunteer Service Awards.
The awards program, created by the Office of the Governor in 1979, recognizes North Carolina’s most dedicated volunteers. Through the years the award has been bestowed on thousands of North Carolinians who have shown concern and compassion for their neighbors by volunteering in their local community.
“Each county selects up to 10 individuals, businesses, groups/teams, and one paid director of volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to our community,” said Proctor.
One of the nominees will be nominated for the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service, awarded to approximately the top 20 volunteers. A local committee evaluates the nominations.
“We have a number of amazing volunteers in Pender County,” said Proctor. “We urge every organization, director, or business to nominate someone today.”
Printed nomination forms are available in Pender County at the Pender County Tourism office, 106 E. Wilmington St. in Burgaw.
Nomination forms are available online at www.volunteernc.org.
Nomination forms are also available via email by contacting tproctor@pendercountync.gov.
The deadline to submit Pender County nominations is Feb. 13, 2023.
Award recipients will be recognized during National Volunteer Week, April 16-23, 2023.
2023 Governor's Volunteer Service Award Nomination FormHenderson Field contributes significantly to the local economy
PENDER COUNTY – The North Carolina Department of Transportation released its annual report, The State of Aviation, on Monday. The report highlights the contribution of airports across the state.
“The 2023 North Carolina State of Aviation Report highlights the positive impacts North Carolina’s airport system has on our economy,” said Gage King, Henderson Field Airport manager in Pender County. “With a total economic impact of more than $72 billion, it is clear that aviation and our airport system are a vital part of our state’s economy.”
King said Henderson Field Airport is continuing to positively impact Eastern North Carolina’s local economy by supporting 60 jobs and generating $13,350,000 in economic activity annually.
It is often viewed that General Aviation airports such as Henderson Field in northern Pender County are burdens on the taxpayers, but this report relays the exact opposite.
“It’s important to know that this report is generated from data collected in 2021 which was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said King. “While many other industries and sectors struggled through the pandemic, it is clear that aviation was very resilient and played a major role in the economic recovery.”
King points out that one of the key reasons for aviation’s role in the economic recovery was that small airports, including Henderson Field Airport, allowed businesses and vacationers to travel more safely with less human interaction. Additionally, he cited that our region is experiencing strong residential and business growth that has ultimately contributed to growth in our economic impact by more than 150 percent compared to the last aviation report in 2019.
“This report reaffirms the viability of investments made at the airport from both the local and state level,” said King. “We expect nearly $30 million in projects and development at Henderson Field Airport over the next five years. These investments will allow us to facilitate larger aircraft from further away, ultimately expanding access to our community for tourism, business, and industry.
“It will be exciting to see our local communities grow in the coming years and see Henderson Field Airport grow as an economic engine for our economy,” added King.
To read the State of Aviation report visit https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/aviation/pages/state-of-aviation.aspx.
North Carolina residents have a chance of a lifetime. Your action or inaction will impact generations after you. It is imperative that you check your data in the new Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Broadband Map by January 13, 2023.
Why It Matters!
Better data leads to better resource allocation! If you need high-speed broadband, the data needs to support your need. You can now check what the FCC data indicates about connectivity at your home, farm, or business and CHALLENGE the FCC data.
Two Types of Challenges:
Location Challenge:
The location challenge is simple and straightforward. You look at a map and see if your correct structure(s) are designated as serviceable locations. If something is wrong, you can submit a challenge on the map. For example, on the farm my parents live on in Union County, NC, their residential location, indicated by a green dot, appears in the footprint of the old chicken house on their property. So I submitted a Location Challenge to get this corrected. The challenge appears as a purple dot in the image below.
Availability Challenge:
An Availability Challenge was also needed for my parent’s home. Many years ago, cable TV was installed on our road, but for some reason, they did not run the cable past our farm. It stopped just up the road. Now Charter Communications (Spectrum) claims our farm is covered by their internet coverage. My parents cannot get internet from Spectrum unless they pay to extend the line to the farm. Therefore, I submitted an Availability Challenge, challenging Charter Communications (Spectrum) claim of internet coverage for their home.
Why is this important? If my parent’s home is labeled as covered with high-speed internet, funding would not be available to extend coverage to their home. This FCC Broadband Map will have a great deal of sway in funding allocations. That is why everyone needs to take action to be sure their map data is correct on the FCC map.
Here is the link where you can check your data: FCC Broadband Map.
Here is the link to some resources to help promote the importance of this opportunity.
Here are some links to some How To Videos explaining the steps.
Visit the Broadband Resources page for information and ways to take action on broadband issues.
Click here on Broadband News to see broadband information related to N.C. Cooperative Extension
As the statewide workforce system, NCWorks provides no-cost services and programs to businesses in North Carolina, connecting Employers with Talent. In addition to our Career Centers across the region, our online hub, NCWorks, connects Employers and Talent to an extensive network of workforce professionals who understand the specific labor force, training opportunities, and challenges in the community. The Cape Fear Workforce Development Board encompasses New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, and Columbus counties and is looking to innovate and expand the reach of our services across the region.
Beginning in Pender County, the CFWDB has shifted from a single-site methodology to a wide-net strategy. We are eliminating the single point-of-service, brick-and-mortar site in favor of multiple Access Point locations across the county. The Access Points will be hosted at Community Partner locations and will be staffed by Mobile Career Advisors providing career services at scheduled times. In addition to these in-person service opportunities, Employers and Talent will have access to a wide array of Virtual Services. All of the Access Points and Virtual options will be supported and connected to our centralized flagship, New Hanover NCWorks Career Center.
The Access Points, coupled with Virtual services, allow collaboration with our NCWorks partners such as the Community College System, Departments of Health and Human Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other community-based service providers while helping to alleviate potential barriers to access resulting from transportation challenges in rural areas.
The attached schedule outlines the current schedule and address of the various Access Points to be utilized beginning December 15, 2022. In addition, this schedule will be available on our social media outlets, including https://www.facebook.com/PenderNCWorks, and our websites https://capefearcog.org/workforce-development/ and www.ncworks.gov. Lastly, a variety of workshops will be available to the public at no charge at each of the Access Points. The workshop schedule will include such topics as resume preparation and interview strategies. These events can be found on our Facebook page as they become available.
For more information about this release or other programs offered through NCWorks Career Centers, contact Rhonda Royster at 910-465-7813 or rroyster@capefearcog.org.
| NCDOT, WMPO agree on adjustment
WILMINGTON – The proposed timeline of a major project is moving up, which means improvements to a corridor in New Hanover and Pender counties are expected to come sooner than originally planned. Recently, the N.C. Department of Transportation and Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) agreed to adjust multiple projects in the draft 2024-2033 State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). With the adjustments, construction of the second portion of the Hampstead Bypass, N.C. 140 to N.C. 210, would move from fall 2026 to summer 2025 in the draft plan. “I am glad we agreed to move this project forward,” said Division 3 Engineer Chad Kimes. “Together, NCDOT and WMPO understand how important it is to the people who live, work and visit the area.” Construction of the first portion of the Hampstead Bypass, N.C. 210 to north of Hampstead, began in early 2022. When both sections are complete, the project is expected to improve safety and relieve congestion around the town of Hampstead. NCDOT and WMPO agreed to adjust the proposed timelines of other future projects as well:
The draft 2024-2033 STIP can be viewed here and will be updated to reflect the changes above. More information on the STIP process can be found on this NCDOT webpage. The Board of Transportation is expected to adopt the 2024-33 STIP in spring 2023. |
Raleigh, N.C. – The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to three action plans for the use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds in areas of the state impacted by hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The proposed action plan amendments include changes to previously approved federally funded programs that support the state’s long-term recovery from storm damage while also building future resiliency.
The proposed amendments are intended to expand programs to help more North Carolinians benefit from ongoing disaster recovery work and provide a more comprehensive approach to mitigating the impacts of future storms. Proposed changes include allocations to the Homeowner Recovery Program, Affordable Housing Development Fund, Public Housing Restoration Fund, Infrastructure Recovery Program, and Strategic Buyout Program, among other updates.
The public comment periods for all three action plans begin Dec. 9 and close at 5 p.m. on the following dates:
Drafts of the Substantial Action Plan Amendment 10 for Hurricane Matthew funding, Substantial Action Plan Amendment 4 for Hurricane Florence funding, and Substantial Action Plan Amendment 4 for Mitigation funding are available for review online. The public is strongly encouraged to submit comments by email to publiccomments@rebuild.nc.gov. Comments may also be submitted by U.S. Postal Service to NCORR Public Comments, P.O. Box 110465, Durham, NC 27709.
Governor Cooper established NCORR in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence to streamline disaster recovery programs statewide and help communities rebuild smarter and stronger. In addition to disaster recovery and mitigation, the office administers programs that support resiliency, community development, affordable housing, strategic buyout, infrastructure and local government grants and loans. Learn more about NCORR programs at https://www.rebuild.nc.gov/