THIS WEEK IN ROBESON COUNTY HISTORY

100 Years Ago: Five gallons of corn “likker” was ordered poured into the gutter Monday morning by Recorder Ivey, it being the same “evidence” which partially caused the conviction of Claud McCormick, who was sent to the roads for 12 months, and appealed.

As soon as the officers finished pouring the “joy fluid” into the gutter, someone threw a lighted match into it, possible to test it as to it’s quality. It immediately caught fire and burned, giving off an offensive odor and a flame which resembled the flame from burning wood alcohol.

From the March 29, 1923 Robesonian, Five Gallons Corn “Likker” Poured Into Gutter

75 Years Ago: Watch Repair: if your watch will not run or keep time, bring it to me and then you will be satisfied. No long wait and no worry about the time. G.L Canady, Jeweler, 4th & Chestnut Street, Linkhaw Building, Lumberton, N.C.

From the April 02, 1948 Robesonian

50 Years Ago: Twenty-five fields of study will be offered at Pembroke State University this summer for its town sessions of summer school. Dates of the first session are June 4 through July 6. The second session begins July 9 and ends Aug. 10.

From the March 28, 1973 Robesonian, Summer Session Begins On June 4 At PSU

Five Years Ago: The Robeson County Board of Elections on Monday will get a fourth member with the swearing in of a longtime Democrat who has been active in local politics.

Larry Townsend, a Pembroke businessman and former member of the Lumbee Tribal Council, is scheduled to take the oath during a ceremony at noon, making the three-member board one with four members.

He will join Daniel Locklear and Steve Stone, both Republicans, and Tiffany Peguise-Powers, a Democrat, on the board. The board’s first duty will be to appoint a Democrat as chairman and Republican as vice chairman.

“I look forward to serving the people of Robeson County,” Townsend said. “I was born and raised here, moved away, moved back. I think public service is admirable and everyone should step up and serve.”

From the March 29, 2018 Robesonian, Townsend to join county’s election board

One Year Ago: A March 2022 performance audit of Golden LEAF states the organization has not monitored how $83 million was spent by small businesses in a loan program that assisted businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Golden LEAF did not monitor to ensure Program loan recipients were spending approximately $83 million of Coronavirus Relief Funds in accordance with the 2020 COVID-19 Recovery Act (Recovery Act). The Recovery Act required loan recipients to use funds only for employee compensation, mortgage, rent, utilities, and other operating costs and expenses incurred on behalf of the business,” according to the audit.

Because no monitoring mechanism was in place for funding, the result included a higher risk of misused funding and no way to recoup such funds to help other businesses, according to the audit.

“We have been unable to locate other state or federal loan programs that monitor borrowers’ use of loan proceeds or that require businesses to submit documentation regarding use of loan proceeds. We have only found monitoring of that kind in loan forgiveness programs, such as the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program],” said Kasey Ginsberg, director of External Affairs at Golden LEAF, in an emailed statement to The Robesonian.

The audit stated that Golden LEAF’s “management did not develop a method for determining loan recipient compliance” and cited limited staffing to monitor funds.

From the March 30, 2022 Robesonian, Golden LEAF failed to monitor $83 in Rapid Recovery Loan Program

Source: Robesonian Archives

THIS WEEK IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY

Brevard, March 25. —(AP) — Richard Harrison, young Transylvania county school teacher and a son of a former Mississippi lieutenant-governor, late yesterday shot and fatally wounded John Hinkle, leading citizen of the Sapphire community and patron of the school taught by Harrison. The Mississippian gave himself up last night and was lodged in the county jail here to await a preliminary hearing.

Harrison had come to Transylvania county about a year ago from Mississippi, and was teaching the school at Namur. Trouble between school patrons and teachers in the community has been frequent during recent years, it was recalled today. Some of Hinkle’s six children were pupils of Harrison.

Harrison will be given a preliminary hearing next Friday. Meanwhile he is held in jail without bond.

From the March 28, 1929 Robesonian, Teacher Kills Patron on His School

Source: Historic North Carolina Digital Newspaper Collection

THIS WEEK IN NATION AND WORLD HISTORY

On March 27, 1968, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (gah-GAH’-rihn), the first man to orbit the Earth in 1961, died when his MiG-15 jet crashed during a routine training flight near Moscow; he was 34.

On March 28, 1999, NATO broadened its attacks on Yugoslavia to target Serb military forces in Kosovo in the fifth straight night of airstrikes; thousands of refugees flooded into Albania and Macedonia from Kosovo.

On March 29, 1867, Britain’s Parliament passed, and Queen Victoria signed, the British North America Act creating the Dominion of Canada, which came into being the following July.

On March 30, 1842, Dr. Crawford W. Long of Jefferson, Georgia, first used ether as an anesthetic during an operation to remove a patient’s neck tumor.

On March 31, 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict expelling Jews from Spanish soil, except those willing to convert to Christianity.

On April 1, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television, to take effect after Jan. 1, 1971.

Source: Associated Press