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I’ll admit that this may not be the universal reaction, but when I checked my weather app this week and saw that temperatures will dip into the 50s during Friday night’s high school football games, I got excited.

Finally, I said. Football weather.

After a summer that wouldn’t end and a couple of “false falls” in the Border Belt, it’ll finally be a little nip out when the sun goes down on Friday and our local teams take to the gridiron. While I consider something around 70 to be optimal golf weather, football is better when it’s watched in blue jeans and sweaters, not in shorts and a sweaty t-shirt.

Now, once it gets colder games won’t be in the sweet spot anymore, and with the season being extended one week by the NCHSAA due to the effects of Hurricane Helene we’ll get local high school football until at least the middle of November, and longer if anyone advances in the state playoff. And considering last year’s first-round playoff games were played on a frigid night, suffice it to say, enjoy this perfect football weather over the next couple of weeks, with only the slight chill of a fall night, before bundling up for the biggest games of the year.

As Friday night’s games play out on what it seems will be a beautiful North Carolina night, here’s a guess at which teams will look at the scoreboard and find it equally beautiful:

Last week: 4-0

Season: 20-3

St. Pauls at Red Springs

St. Pauls (4-2, 1-0 Southeastern Athletic Conference) has been deliberate about downplaying this game, a 7 p.m. start Friday, as just another game, but we all know better: this is definitely a rivalry game — though some may say to truly be a rivalry it needs to not be one-sided, and this one has been, with the Bulldogs winning six straight meetings, mostly in blowouts, and Mike Setzer combining to his last eight games against the Red Devils in his two tenures as St. Pauls head coach.

Red Springs (1-5, 1-0 Southeastern) carries momentum it hasn’t had for much of the season, winning its first game last week at Fairmont. But the Red Devils felt they should have played better against the Golden Tornadoes — and they’ll have to play better to have a chance against the Bulldogs.

St. Pauls’ defense has shut out two of its last three opponents, and will have to contain Red Springs running back Jakelsin Mack and receiver T.J. Ellerbe. Those guys are too good to be completely shut down, and the Red Devils will put some points on the board, but the Bulldogs’ balanced offense could see success against either a Red Devils defensive front that’s been hit-and-miss or a younger secondary. Either way, they’ll score enough points to make it hard for Red Springs to keep up.

St. Pauls 42, Red Springs 16

Gray’s Creek at Lumberton

The alumni that return to Lumberton (3-3, 0-3 United-8 Conference) for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. homecoming game will see the first Pirates team with three wins or more since the 2016 season, but also one that’s lost its last three outings and has been shut out in the last two weeks.

The Pirates should be able to have more offensive success against a Gray’s Creek (4-2, 2-1 United-8) team that has played some high-scoring games this season. The bigger challenge for Lumberton will be containing Gray’s Creek’s running game — something that every Bears opponent has struggled to do, with the unit rushing for over 300 yards per game with three very capable backs. The result has been 41.3 points per game for the Bears.

I expect Lumberton to be more competitive than it’s been in the Pirates’ last three games. But ultimately, I expect it to be difficult to match Gray’s Creek score for score.

Gray’s Creek 42, Lumberton 20

Purnell Swett at South View

Purnell Swett (2-4, 0-3 United-8) hasn’t been great offensively throughout the season, and that has shown in the results in the last three weeks as they’ve played strong United-8 competition, being shut out the last two weeks; they’ve scored seven points or less in four of their six games this season, and even a 21-point output against Red Springs was aided by two early turnovers that put them in good field position.

South View (4-2, 2-1 United-8) held Lumberton off the scoreboard last week. The Tigers also got their offense going in the win against the Pirates, with Rashad Dockery rushing for 270 yards and Tyriq Clarida throwing for 131. While I consider still consider Purnell Swett’s defense to be the strength of the team, things haven’t been going all that great on that side of the ball either, and they’ll face another challenge as they take on this Tigers team at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Rams coach Josh Deese said last week that the fact the Rams have been playing really good teams is part of the reason for the recent struggles. The bad news is that the Tigers are also a good team — and the Rams are eventually going to have to score some points if they want to remain competitive this season.

South View 34, Purnell Swett 14

Midway at Fairmont

While Fairmont (0-6, 0-1 Southeastern) enters this contest having lost its last seven games, Midway (5-1, 1-0 Southeastern) is having a good season under first-year head coach Barrett Sloan as the Raiders come to Hal S. Floyd Stadium for a 7 p.m. tilt Friday.

Behind running back Gehemiah Blue, quarterback Tanner Williams and wideout Kemari McNeill, the Raiders have scored 33.2 points per game this season; Fairmont has allowed that many or more each time it’s taken the field.

Fairmont has been able to move the ball moderately well at times since turning to a more frequent passing approach in the last few weeks, and I do think that will continue, allowing for the Golden Tornades to put together a couple of scoring drives. But against a Midway team that is potentially the biggest threat to St. Pauls’ conference championship hopes, the Golden Tornadoes will face a big challenge on the defensive end against the Raiders.

Midway 40, Fairmont 14

Tattoo Parlors

Changes to articles 2 and 10 of the Pembroke Development Ordinance were presented to the board.

A basic definition of a tattoo parlor was suggested in addition to Article 2.

The proposed definition, as detailed in the meeting agenda, reads, “Tattoo Parlor: An establishment whose principal business activity is the practice of producing body art, including but not limited to the placing of designs, letters, figures, symbols or other marks upon or under the skin of any person, using ink or other substances that result in the permanent coloration of the skin by means of the use of needles or other instruments designed to contact the skin.”

Amendments to Article 10 included changing the restrictions on where a tattoo parlor may be located within city limits. Proposed changes included no longer dictating how far a tattoo parlor can be from public parks and libraries, lowering the minimum distance from 500 feet to 200 feet, and adjusting the legal operating hours for the parlors.

The board passed a motion to approve the changes.

Presentation

Mr. Devon Moore, Account Executive for Enterprise Fleet Management, presented several options to the board for replacing and managing the town’s fleet of public works vehicles.

Panhandling Ordinance

The panhandling ordinance was proposed to be updated to include more specific guidelines. The board stated that Lumberton’s guidelines inspired the change.

The motion was passed.

Grant Offer

The town of Pembroke received a $250,000 grant from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, an award program that helps ensure law enforcement agencies can hire or rehire officers in communities working to reduce crime rates.

The board voted to accept the grant.

Community Events

On Oct. 31, Halloween trick-or-treating is scheduled for 6 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m.

The Pembroke Veteran’s Day Parade will be held on Nov. 11 and will begin at 10 a.m. in Milton R. Hunt Memorial Park.

CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has extended the season for several fall sports, choosing to do so after the impact of Hurricane Helene on the western part of the state.

The NCHSAA’s Board of Directors approved the changes Wednesday morning.

“Changes to the fall calendar are difficult as well as complex but necessary,” said NCHSAA President Stephen Gainey and NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker in a joint statement. “Keeping our student-athletes safe as we try to minimize risk of injury was central to any decisions made. We commend the work of the NCHSAA staff in its research, the Board of Directors in making time to consider these changes and the willingness of our host partners to accommodate any changes and make their venues available.”

Sunday practices and competitions will remain prohibited for all NCHSAA schools.

As a special provision, the board also approved for one additional contest to be allowed in sports that have a season limit, under the conditions of: the contest has prior approval from the NCHSAA; it cannot exceed daily or weekly limitations; it must exceed the season limit (i.e. be an additional game) for both schools; and cannot be entered into MaxPreps, so not to affect RPI standings. This would appear to give schools in non-storm-affected areas the option to play an extra game during the days in which the regular season has been extended, should they choose to do so to avoid a span of several days between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.

While the start of the playoffs will be pushed back by as much as one week in some sports, the regular-season impact to Robeson County schools is likely to be minimal. Western North Carolina schools, however, will use that extra time to play makeup contests and complete as much as possible of their schedules after many schools were unable to play for days or weeks after Helene hit the area Sept. 26-27.

Football

The state playoffs in football will be pushed back by one week, with a reporting deadline of 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 for all regular-season results; this deadline was originally Nov. 1.

Playoff seeding and matchups will be announced on Nov. 10 before the first round of the state playoffs on Nov. 15. Each successive round will still be one week after the previous round, with state championships will now be played Dec. 20-21.

The state will require three calendar days (72 hours) between contests, which may impact scheduling for some western schools as they try to make up games from recent weeks affected by Helene and its aftermath.

Boys soccer

The boys soccer postseason schedule was also bumped back one week, with the reporting date changed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6. Seeding and brackets will be released Nov. 7 before the first round of the state playoffs on Nov. 9. Regionals are Nov. 19 with the state championships scheduled for Nov. 22-23.

The weekly limitation of three matches has been modified to allow schools to play multiple makeup matches in a week, not to exceed four total matches. No change was made to daily limitations.

Volleyball

Volleyball’s reporting deadline was pushed back three days, from Oct. 16 to Oct. 19, with seeding scheduled for Oct. 20.

The state playoffs will begin on Oct. 22, with regionals on Oct. 31 and the state championships on Nov. 2.

Weekly limitations have been modified to allow for up to eight matches in a week.

Girls tennis

The reporting deadline for individual girls tennis results was pushed back to 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 14; it was originally 3 p.m. that day, and this change will allow for an additional day of competition for those who need it. Individual regionals will be held Oct. 18-19 and the state championship tournaments will be Oct. 25-26.

The dual team girls tennis reporting deadline was pushed back one week, from Oct. 10 to Oct. 17, with seeding scheduled for Oct. 18. The state playoffs will begin Oct. 21, with regionals on Nov. 5 and state championships on Nov. 9.

Cross country

The reporting deadline for cross country was pushed back three days to Oct. 22, from Oct. 19. Regionals will be held Oct. 26 with the state championships set for Nov. 2.

Girls golf

No scheduling changes were made for girls golf, but instead the NCHSAA made a change to the qualification process for regional championships.

The minimum of nine-hole scores required to qualify for regionals was reduced from five to three.

Regionals remain scheduled for Oct. 21-22 and state championships will be played Oct. 28-29. The reporting deadline is Oct. 16.

FORT FISHER — Reptiles with scutes, scales or shells — if they’re cold-blooded we’re celebrating them at Reptile Awareness Day Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF). The NCAFF education team is highlighting all kinds of these air-breathing vertebrates with two special reptile encounters—a snake at 11:15 a.m. and an aquatic turtle at 3:30 p.m.

“In our work to save species, it’s important to engage visitors by sharing the unique characteristics of reptiles and why they are crucial to balancing the food chain in most ecosystems,” said Aubrey Cook, NCAFF Education.

Reptiles play both a predator and prey role. Alligators dig holes into embankments and at the bottom of ponds and lakes which provides refuge for other aquatic species during times of drought.

Alligator eggs and hatchlings provide food for a host of species. Juveniles feed on insects, snails, and small fish. Larger alligators feed on snakes, turtles, birds, small mammals and fish.

Some reptiles in North Carolina are endangered including three sea turtles: the Atlantic hawksbill, the Kemp’s ridley and the leatherback.

North Carolina biologists are concerned about declining numbers of Eastern box turtles in areas where they were once abundant—they are a priority species in the N.C. Wildlife Action Plan.

“Reptiles are often underappreciated, so by having their own special day, we can create an immersive experience for visitors who will leave the Aquarium with a greater understanding of snakes, turtles and alligators. We are excited to share our passion for protecting all species, even the ones that might be misunderstood,” said Cook.

Along with reptile encounters, visitors of all ages are invited to craft snakes and turtles from recycled materials. There is also virtual reptile fun! Visitors can scan the Aquarium Reptile Roundup scavenger hunt QR code and discover some reptiles. Educators will be giving away prizes at the exit of the Aquarium to keep things slithering along. The Reptile Awareness Day activities are included with an Aquarium visit. Visitors are required to reserve tickets online, by visiting NCAFF Tickets.

Before visiting the Aquarium, plan to be green:

- Do not bring any single-use plastic cups, bottles, bags or convenient refill stations in the Aquarium. Carpool to the Aquarium when you have a group visiting together, if possible.

- Reserve your ticket in advance and use your cell phone to show us your reservation confirmation. No need to print anything!

- Don’t smoke, use tobacco or use an E-cigarette in the Aquarium or outdoor gardens. NCAFF is a smoke-free, tobacco-free environment. E-cigarettes are also not permitted.

- Use the smoking receptacles in the designated smoking areas outside of the garden exit gate.

- Pat yourself on the back for being a green champion!

The Aquarium is committed to sustainability:

The North Carolina Aquarium leads by example offering water refill stations, compostable cups, plates and utensils at the food deck and only aluminum bottles in our vending machines. We also only percolate and pour Bird Friendly coffee at the Aquarium for staff and events. Find out more about the sustainability achievements and projects at the Aquarium at Green & Getting Greener.

One of Miss Letitia Currie’s favorite topics in her history class in the 1950s at Davidson Junior High School was the Great Flood of 1916.

Miss Currie was the daughter of a Davidson College professor.

Many of her students also knew what she was talking about because their parents had experienced that 1916 flood and talked about it whenever rain poured down hard.

Today, many of Miss Currie’s students, their parents and grandparents, great grandparents, and their children and grandchildren are having a similar experience dealing with the flooding that followed Hurricane Helene.

And they will be talking about it for the rest of their lives, calling it “The great flood of 2024.”

“News of Davidson,” the news outlet in my hometown, published the following account by Gatewood Payne Campbell, granddaughter of Davidson professor Gatey Workman and niece of the late, great opera singer William Workman. Gatewood and her husband Johnny live near Black Mountain.

“Life has stopped. We don’t know dates or times. Sirens are 24 hours a day. It’s relentless. Helicopters invade our sky. Chainsaws sound nonstop and we run outside in hopes it’s in our neighborhood. …

“Let me back up. We awoke around 6 Friday morning without power. The storm was loud and pounding but we didn’t know where we were in the storm. We could not get updates. Around 8:30 we lost internet across cell lines. I called a friend and got her to look at radar and let me know an ETA on rain ending. That was the last call I was able to make. By 9:30 ALL cell signal was completely lost. The rain was increasing. We could see the creek rising. Johnny stepped outside under the porch and was soaked from head to toe after 30 seconds.

“Around 11 we felt like we could go out and survey the neighborhood. We began to feel the weight of the destruction, yet we had NO clue. The creek had turned into a river greater than 50 yards wide. The noise of water heaters, propane tanks, bikes, grills, construction supplies and yard equipment banging on the rails of our bridge to Black Mountain was deafening. We saw two neighbors with trees on their homes and knew they were taking on water.”

Meanwhile in Asheville, Bryan King and his wife Angela Koh are assessing the damage to their 12 Bones Smokehouse on Foundry Street in the River Arts District. As I wrote in my book, “North Carolina’s Eateries,” “Even if 12 Bones had not been made famous by Barack Obama’s visits there, it would be a ‘must-do’ in Asheville.” When I first visited 12 Bones several years ago, it was located closer to the French Broad River. Had Bryan and Angela not moved the restaurant few blocks up the hill it would have been completely washed away. At its current location they may be able to repair and survive.

Angela’s sister writes, “As the floodwaters recede, we see catastrophic damage to homes and businesses, including the River Arts District, where 12 Bones was founded. Entire livelihoods have been lost. In nearly every direction you look, everything is caked in mud and scattered debris. Broken wood and mangled wiring now stand where intersections once existed.”

Coincidentally, on October 15, the publisher Blair is releasing “River Road,” a book of poems by mountain author Wayne Caldwell. His fine poetry describes the power of the flooding waters on the French Broad as shown in the following excerpt:

SELECTION FROM “RIVER ROAD” BY WAYNE CALDWELL

The French Broad, being a river, floods.

How many times over the millennia has it left its banks

and moved whatever was swept up in it

To some far away (and sometimes ridiculous) place?

Perhaps thousands. And each time it returned to its placid face.

The worst (in the last century) was in July 1916.

Asheville’s Riverside Park was washed away.

Parts of which one could have seen rushing by my house

Had it been there then. (Even this relatively high ground

Would have been inundated for several days.)

Only a half dozen people died in Asheville,

Which I’d consider a small miracle. Thanks to the telephone,

Warning came to Marshall, and only two or three drowned,

Even though the courthouse was about the only thing left

On Main Street. Fifty-Three houses disappeared.

From high ground one could have seen rushing by

Bales of cotton, houses, mules, gas tanks,

Vehicles, sheds, chickens, roosting on pieces of roof,

Tires, fences, trees, pigs, dogs, cats,

Anything thing not tied down — and many things that were.

Whether the frame of reference is North Carolina or the nation as a whole, no one can dispute the fact that there is a partisan divide — and that it has been growing.

According to survey research conducted over many years, the median Democratic voter is more progressive than in the past, the median Republican voter is more conservative, and thus the divide between those two medians is quite large by historical standards. However, when you move past this obvious fact of political topography, disputes arise.

For example, what is the cause of the partisan divide? Nationally, Republicans blame Democrats for a radicalization that began in the 1960s. Democrats blame Republicans for a radicalization that began in the 1980s.

Because most journalists, professors, and other “experts” are of the Left or deferential to it, the conventional wisdom tends to reflect the Democratic narrative. It offers a version of political history in which Republicans tend to be acceptable and sensible to the extent they become safely retired or deceased. In response, the conservative counterculture has created its own narratives — some serving as a necessary corrective, others fanciful and debilitating.

Here’s another question: Has the polarization been a net negative or a net plus? You may think the question answers itself. But speaking as a conservative, I would observe that complaints about a lack of bipartisanship are far more common when progressives are out of power.

Some evidence suggests Republicans do better electorally when there is more brand differentiation, while Democrats do better when the party lines are fuzzier. If you want to chase suspicious conservatives away from productive dialogue, cite the enactment of policies they favor as proof we have too much partisanship.

All that having been said, I do indeed believe in bridging the partisan divide. For one thing, our discourse has become coarse, often even revolting. There is a difference between arguing and bickering, between a frank and productive exchange of alternative views and the political equivalent of professional wrestling.

For another thing, legislating ought to to be about more than 51% of the elected officials getting 100% of their way. You can dislike a bill and still have something constructive to say about it, something its proponents might benefit from hearing and acting on.

Also — and this point was made many times by conservatives during the first two years of the Obama and Biden administrations — it is unwise to enact major changes in public policy without any buy-in from at least some members of the other party. Lasting success often requires negotiating the details of legislation in search of larger margins of support.

When it comes to building bridges across partisan gaps, I have two engineering suggestions. First, understand your task. You are not trying to put hooks on each bank of the river and then yank them together. That’s impossible. You are not Paul Bunyan. You are building a bridge across a divide that will continue to exist, because we have different opinions and an electoral system that inevitably pushes opinionated people into roughly two competing coalitions.

Second, while you have every right to believe that the right bank of the river is better than the left bank, or vice versa, try not to be so obnoxious about it. Understand that others probably see things differently from you not because they are evil or stupid, but because they possess a different set of facts, experiences, assumptions, and values.

There is a natural temptation to define bipartisanship as “when those ignorant fools in the other party finally do the right thing.” Resist that temptation. In a political climate more civil than the one we have now, in which Democrats and Republicans have more productive discussions about their differences, you will still be routinely disappointed with outcomes. Government will do things you don’t agree with, or even find abhorrent.

If you refuse to live in that world, then I respectfully observe you seek not bipartisan realism but partisan fantasy.

MARIETTA — A solid waste collection site in rural Robeson County has residents in Marietta seeking help from Robeson County.

The site at 2340 Marietta Road adjacent to the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Family and Community Life Center, contains three very large dumpster style containers, all of which regularly fill up before they can be hauled away by Robeson County Solid Waste crews.

Marietta resident James Edwards, who addressed Robeson County commissioners Monday during a public comment period, said the site is well-used but it needs to be maintained better.

The site is one of “20 full-service collection sites which are staffed, secure and professionally operated,” according to information published on the Robeson County Solid Waste web page.

However, when the Robesonian visited the Marietta site on Monday afternoon, no one was around.

At least two of the massive collection bins were overflowing with bags of garbage and had more garbage bags stacked against them.

“The community is having to go in, throw their trash in these big, high dumpsters,” Edwards said. “The elderly can’t even reach to put the trash in.”

“Sometimes I’ve been out there and even seen animals thrown out there,” Edwards said. “It’s an environmental issue, it’s a health issue. It’s not just for me; I’m looking out for these elderly people out there.”

“Now, each one of you in this county — this great county of Robeson — I know you wouldn’t want this in your area,” Edwards said.

Donna Oliver Stubbs, echoed the concern saying to her knowledge the site has existed for more than 35 years.

She said she had collected the signatures of 500 people that use the site, all of whom said they wanted to keep the site.

“I was at the post office last week and two out of the four people I met there said, ‘It’s all we can do to get to the Marietta site. There’s no way we can get to sites further away.’ They were elderly people.”

On Tuesday, Kellie Hunt Blue, Robeson County manager said, “We will continue to review options and data associated with that site as we do with all the sites.”

Information posted on the county’s solid waste site states, “Robeson County Solid Waste currently employs 25 full-time staff and 79 part-time staff. The Department includes the following areas: landfill, 20 collection sites, recycling, and methane to energy generator program, environmental control as well [as] a full-time garage.”

Garbage from the 20 collection sites is hauled to the landfill in St. Pauls.

FAIRMONT — The St. Pauls volleyball team entered Tuesday’s match at Fairmont looking to take care of business against the one-win Golden Tornadoes, who the Bulldogs had swept earlier this season.

St. Pauls controlled each set from the outset and earned a 3-0 win over their Southeastern Athletic Conference foe.

“We have been working on making sure that we play where we need to be, covering each other,” St. Pauls coach Glenda Lowery said. “We had a player missing tonight and we had our backup setter step up, and everyone worked together to make those adjustments to play as a team.”

St. Pauls (6-12, 5-3 Southeastern) took an 8-3 lead in the first set and Fairmont (1-15, 1-7 Southeastern) never got closer than a three-point margin the rest of the set. From a 17-13 lead, St. Pauls outscored the Golden Tornadoes 8-3 the rest of the way to win 25-16.

The Bulldogs kept it going in the second set, taking a 13-4 lead. Fairmont got back within seven after a 5-0 run to make it 21-14, but the Bulldogs won the set, once again by a 25-16 tally.

“I think today we kind of all played together as a team,” St. Pauls middle blocker Jessica McNair said. “We came in and we were just like, this is what we’ve got to do to win, and we got it done.”

An 11-4 run gave St. Pauls a 17-10 lead in the third set; Fairmont kept battling, closing to 22-18 before the Bulldogs won three of the last four points to win the set 25-19 and end the match.

“Once they get out of their own head and get into the ballgame, they come together and they work so well together,” Fairmont coach Kaitlyn Hunt said. “Just getting out of their head and shaking the nerves is what we need to do.”

Alyssa Monroe had nine kills and McNair had seven for St. Pauls.

“Jessica, she has really stepped up this year as a leader on the court,” Lowery said. “She has been a lot more successful this year with blocking, with hitting, with playing defense. A lot of times she’s come in the clutch for us and been successful and finding the floor and making smart decisions.”

“I think I kind of set my mind to it, because sometimes I can doubt myself,” McNair said. “But today was just kind of like, OK, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to get this.”

KeMya Baldwin had 15 digs, Zykendria Cox had 11 assists and two kills and Na’Zariyah Inman had five assists for the Bulldogs.

Kensley Newberry had six kills for Fairmont, Kersten Hunt had five kills and three blocks and Paityn Bullock had 10 assists.

St. Pauls lost its first seven matches this season, won four of its next five and then lost four straight; Tuesday’s win was the Bulldogs’ second straight victory.

“We just had to grow as a team together and bond, and learn to trust each other, because we were struggling,” McNair said. “But now we kind of like trust each other a whole lot more than before we started.”

St. Pauls hosts Clinton on Thursday before finishing the regular season next Tuesday at Midway.

Fairmont also has two matches remaining, Thursday at West Bladen and next Tuesday at home against Clinton.

“I’m looking to accomplish to win one out of the two, and making sure they’re still staying together as a team and keep bringing the energy,” Hunt said.

Rams sweep Douglas Byrd

The Purnell Swett volleyball team swept Douglas Byrd in the Rams’ senior night game Tuesday in Pembroke.

Purnell Swett (10-8, 6-7 United-8 Conference) won with set scores of 25-11, 25-18 and 25-12.

Senior Adisyn Bland had nine kills, Braci Woods had five kills and Samaria McCall had 10 digs for the Rams.

Douglas Byrd is 0-18 overall and 0-13 in United-8 play.

Purnell Swett finishes its regular season Thursday at Lumberton.

RED SPRINGS — St. Pauls coach Mike Setzer doesn’t want his Bulldogs team to think of Friday’s game against Red Springs as a rivalry game.

This is not because he thinks the game is not important. It’s because he thinks it’s very important.

Rivalry or not, the in-county foes will meet for the 72nd time at 7 p.m. Friday as the Red Devils host the Southeastern Athletic Conference matchup.

“The last couple of year’s we’ve been erasing that circle (on the calendar), so I think that’s why we’ve kind of progressed even better,” Setzer said. “We’ve taken that rivalry thing out between us; we don’t look at this game like a rivalry. We just try to go about it as the next game. In our program, we know that every game is so important. This game’s a conference game and it’s important. Sometimes when people take games for what they’re not, then you kind of lose focus on what’s the most important thing, and our most important thing right now is winning the next game.”

Setzer acknowledged his players will be excited to play Red Springs (1-5, 1-0 Southeastern), and knows the Red Devils likely have St. Pauls (4-2, 1-0 Southeastern) “circled” on the schedule. But instead of treating it like a rivalry — “crazy things happen in rivalries,” the veteran coach said — he hopes that the Bulldogs instead feel a sense of normalcy, albeit while still feeling urgency, as they take the field Friday.

Red Springs coach Tim Ray agreed that there’s an importance to the game beyond just the bragging rights that naturally accompany a contest between two schools separated by just 12 miles.

“I think where we are in the conference, it’s a game that’s going to matter, with both teams being 1-0,” Ray said.

Red Springs enters Friday’s game coming off its first win of the season, a 33-20 victory at Fairmont last week.

“I think our guys were able to celebrate the win, but also not be satisfied,” Ray said. “Yeah, we won, but we’ve still got some strides to be the best team that we can be. If we can be the best we can be, we know we can play well Friday night.”

St. Pauls also won its conference opener with a 41-0 result over West Bladen, rebounding after a loss to Charlotte Latin in its previous outing.

The Red Devils defense will look to stop a balanced St. Pauls offense. Ray said the most challenging part of that will be containing the run game of quarterback Theophilus Setzer, who has rushed for 531 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.

“I think for the most part, the biggest challenge is a mobile quarterback,” Ray said. “We’ve faced teams that can pass the ball, we’ve faced teams that can run the ball, but we haven’t faced a quarterback who can run the ball like him.”

While the Bulldogs have been efficient in both the passing and running game, Mike Setzer says there’s still plenty of room for improvement for that unit.

“I think that it’s good we’ve been balanced, but we still have so much meat left on the bone, especially in the passing game, and in the running game, both sides,” Mike Setzer said. “Both elements of our offense have, at times, shown really good sparks, and other times we’ve gone to sleep. So I think this week is, how to do we continue to maintain balance, but improve.”

Asked the focus of the St. Pauls defense, Mike Setzer centered in on one name on the Red Devils: T.J. Ellerbe. The junior wideout has 30 catches for 585 yards and six touchdowns this season, and also ran for a touchdown in last week’s game.

“T.J. is special, he’s been special every year,” Mike Setzer said. “He’s a tremendous young man. He becomes superhero-like once he gets the ball in his hands, so that’s our job, we’re going to try to stop T.J. We don’t know how successful that will be, but that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

St. Pauls, meanwhile, has allowed just 15.0 points per game this season and has shut out two of its last three opponents.

St. Pauls has won six straight meetings against the Red Devils, including a 40-8 win last year; Mike Setzer, who has coached the Bulldogs in two separate stints from 2004-07 and since 2018, is 8-2 against Red Springs. St. Pauls leads the all-time series 40-31.

Gray’s Creek at Lumberton

Lumberton will look to snap a three-game losing streak as the Pirates host Gray’s Creek for homecoming at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Gray’s Creek (4-2, 2-1 United-8 Conference) enters the matchup coming off a 50-14 win over Douglas Byrd last week, and also previously beat Purnell Swett in conference play; the Bears’ lone conference loss is to league favorite Seventy-First.

The run-heavy Bears have three rushers with 495 yards or more on the season, led by Ezekiel Reed with 730 yards and 13 touchdowns, alongside Alphonso Myers and Dequan Anthony. The team has rushed for 1,908 yards this season, 318 yards per game. Senior linebacker Kaleb Caraway has 68 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, and is also the team’s leading receiver.

Lumberton (3-3, 0-3 United-8) has lost all three of its conference matchups so far after starting 3-0 through nonconference play; this includes shutout losses in each of the last two games, with a 30-0 decision last week against South View.

After having never met until becoming conference foes in 2021, Gray’s Creek has defeated the Pirates in each of the last three seasons; last year’s 49-34 win was the closest of the three matchups.

Purnell Swett at South View

Purnell Swett has similarly struggled through the first three weeks of conference play, and looks to get back on track as the Rams hit the road to South View for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

South View (4-2, 2-1 United-8) plays a Robeson County team for the second straight week after its 30-0 win over Lumberton. The Tigers beat Douglas Byrd 51-12 on Sept. 26, with a loss at Seventy-First as their only in-conference blemish thus far.

Rashad Dockery ran for 270 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers last week against Lumberton, while Tyriq Clarida was 12-for-16 passing for 131 yards; this continued the strong play of both throughout the season. Linebackers Gavin Williams and Bobby Soles, both seniors, lead the way for the Tigers defensively.

Purnell Swett (2-4, 0-3 United-8) has not scored in its last two games, and has just seven points in three conference games, allowing 38 or more in each of those contests.

South View beat the Rams 27-7 last year for the Tigers’ sixth straight win in the series, dating back to Purnell Swett’s last head-to-head in 2006. South View leads the all-time series 12-2.

Midway at Fairmont

Fairmont continues to seek its first win of the 2024 campaign as the Golden Tornadoes host Midway for a 7 p.m. tilt Friday at Hal S. Floyd Stadium.

Under first-year coach Barrett Sloan, Midway (5-1, 1-0 Southeastern) has won four straight games, with nonconference wins over North Johnston, Lakewood and Goldsboro preceding last week’s 45-28 home win over Clinton to open Southeastern league play.

Gehemiah Blue has run for 539 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Raiders offensively, while Tanner Williams has thrown for 494 yards and six scores, finding Kemari McNeill for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Lineman Wyatt Scott leads the Raiders defense with 58 tackles.

Fairmont (0-6, 0-1 Southeastern) has lost seven straight games and 13 of its last 14 after opening conference play with a 33-20 loss to Red Springs, though that game marked the least points allowed by the Golden Tornadoes this season and tied for the most points scored.

Midway has won all three previous meetings, held in each of the last three seasons, with each coming by 26 points or more including a 50-22 Raiders win last year in Newton Grove.

LUMBERTON — The American Red Cross continues to work to restock critically needed blood products uncollected due to the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in the Southeast. Donors outside of affected areas are encouraged to make an appointment to give now and help keep the blood supply stable in the weeks to come.

Since making landfall, the storm and its aftermath have led to the cancellation of more than 100 blood drives, causing thousands of blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. For so many people living with urgent medical care needs, blood transfusions are essential, and donations in the Southeast are key to keeping our nationwide network stocked. The Red Cross operates through a national inventory with the ability to move blood wherever and whenever it is needed most.

The time to give blood or platelets is now. Bring hope to those in need by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. As the Red Cross continues to urge people to give blood or platelets now, our teams are also on the ground providing vital relief − like food, water, shelter and support − in communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. If you’re able to help those impacted by disasters big and small across the country, like Helene, please consider making a gift of any amount.

All who come to give blood, platelets or plasma Oct. 1-31 will receive a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card by email, plus be automatically entered for a chance to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. For full details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Treat.

Lumberton

Oct. 16: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Truist Fayetteville Road, 4251 Fayetteville Road

Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., State Employees Credit Union- Lumberton, 4840 Fayetteville Road

SNOW HILL — Newcomer Ella Reed carded a seven-over-par 151 in the opening two rounds to position the UNC Pembroke golf team in sixth place at the Barton Intercollegiate on Monday at Cutter Creek Golf Club.

A native of Winston-Salem, Reed logged a team-best 75 in the second round of play, and sits five strokes behind Valentina Agostino of Mount Olive, who leads the tournament after a three-over-par total for the first two rounds. Reed (7 over) sits in a three-way tie for third place. Newcomer Catherine DeSiena (17 over) sits in a two-way tie for 25th place, while Marta Ortega (23 over) and Michelle Guerra Landa (23 over) are among a three-way tie for 34th place. Chessa Lee (37 over) rounded out the scoring for the Braves in a five-way tie for 37th place.

The Black & Gold had four players playing as individuals. Lola Barnett (21 over) is in a three-way tie for 31st place, while Melissa Guerra Landa (24 over) is in a five-way tie for 37th place. Newcomer Maya Fitzgerald (30 over) and sophomore Lauren Locklear (30 over) are in a three-way tie for 45th place.

The Braves closed out action at the Barton Intercollegiate on Tuesday at Cutter Creek Golf Club; the result was unavailable at press time.

“Milton is expected to bring catastrophic damage to Florida from potentially record storm surges along the Gulf Coast in the Tampa Bay region and areas to the south, including Fort Myers,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “Milton will bring hurricane conditions across the heavily populated I-4 corridor, including Orlando, with damaging winds, flooding rains and long-term power outages. In addition, piles of debris left on the curbs from the storm surge and flooding damage from Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago will likely be swept away by the storm surge and pushed into buildings, Porter said.

“Debris left behind after Helene could also turn into deadly airborne missiles when Hurricane Milton reaches the Gulf Coast with destructive wind gusts.” AccuWeather experts estimate that Milton could produce more than $200 billion in total damage and economic loss, especially if the hurricane makes landfall in or just north of the mouth of Tampa Bay, according to forecasters on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re facing the threat of two weather disasters in the span of two weeks in the United States, each causing more than $200 billion in total damage and economic loss,” Porter said.

Fortunately, for the hard-hit areas of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee, Milton is expected to turn more eastward late this week and is not expected to bring rain or wind impacts to the southern Appalachians. During Helene, there was also a second storm diving south into the lower Mississippi Valley which added even more energy to Helene as the storms merged, forecasters said Tuesday. That led to more wind and rain for a longer period of time, well after Helene made landfall.

On Tuesday afternoon, AccuWeather expert meteorologists increased Hurricane Milton to a 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes in the United States. In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale is based on a broad range of important factors. “In order to better communicate a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm to lives and livelihoods, the scale covers not only wind speed, but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss,” Porter said. “Some of these hazards such as inland flooding and storm surge in many storms result in more deaths and economic loss than wind.”

A 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes warns of widespread catastrophic flooding in major population centers. Flooding may last days to weeks. structural damage to buildings, power outages and trees down, as well as catastrophic inundation in populated areas will be widespread. Coastlines altered by the hurricane may take years or longer to recover, forecasters said on Tuesday afternoon.

The last time AccuWeather expert meteorologists issued a 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for hurricanes was ahead of Hurricane Ian’s catastrophic landfall in the Fort Myers Beach area of Florida in 2022. “Even if Milton loses wind intensity and makes landfall as a Category 3 storm, the storm surge will still be life-threatening, and in some places, it will likely be catastrophic,” Porter said. “Both Katrina and Rita, two storms in 2005 in other parts of the Gulf Coast, share this similarity. In each case, they intensified into a Category 5 storm before making landfall as a Category 3. Katrina’s maximum storm surge of 26-28 feet devastated Mississippi and is the record in the Atlantic basin, while also causing the catastrophe in New Orleans when the levees failed. “In Rita’s case, the surge reached 15 feet along the Louisiana coast and extended several miles inland, completely devastating many towns,” said AccuWeather Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin. “There is no recent precedent for a major hurricane to take this path toward Florida. Previous storms, including Helene and Ian, are likely not representative of the potential impacts to the Tampa area, including Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Petersburg and Clearwater. This is an increasing significant risk of devastating, catastrophic impacts to this region.” Storm surges of 15-20 feet may occur in and near Tampa Bay, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 23 feet. Some areas along the Gulf coast of Florida are at an increased vulnerability to storm surge due to the absence of protective sand dunes and barriers from damage sustained from Helene. This will create an extremely dangerous situation for coastal areas that will once again have dangerous and life-threatening surges. “Should Milton track a bit farther south and make landfall south of Tampa, the storm surge in Tampa Bay can remain dangerous but not as extreme,” DePodwin said. “Such a track would also greatly increase the risk for significant, damaging water inundation in areas that experienced widespread destruction from Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, especially areas near Fort Myers, Naples and Charlotte Harbor. Even with Milton moving up toward Tampa, there will still be life-threatening surge in the Fort Myers area.” Milton will approach the west coast of Florida Tuesday night into Wednesday then cross the Florida Peninsula Wednesday evening before moving out over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean by Thursday. Destructive wind gusts are expected as Hurricane Milton moves inland and across the Florida Peninsula. Wind gusts of 60-80 mph can occur across much of the central and southern Florida Peninsula. Near where the center of circulation makes landfall, wind gusts can reach 120-140 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 165 mph. As the storm moves across, areas along the populous I-4 corridor can experience hurricane conditions, with flooding rain, damaging winds and even localized tornadoes.

As the storm approaches the eastern Gulf Coast, a wide swath of 2-4 inches of rain will fall across parts of the Florida Peninsula, southeastern Georgia and the northern Bahamas. Rainfall totals of 4-8 inches can extend into much of the Florida Peninsula. Across central and northeastern parts of the Florida Peninsula, rainfall totals can reach 8-12 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches.

This heavy rainfall can lead to widespread flooding, impassable roads and standing water for days, causing major transportation disruptions. There is the potential for areas of repeated downpours posing a risk for extreme flooding over a period of multiple days. Rainfall rates can reach 2-4 inches per hour with the heaviest downpours. If this occurs in urbanized areas, it can result in catastrophic flooding, including roads becoming impassable for a time. AccuWeather expert meteorologists say tornadoes will be possible to the northeast, east and southeast of the path of Milton Tuesday night through Wednesday night. AccuWeather Climate Expert and Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said a warming atmosphere and higher ocean temperatures are amplifying the risks and hurricane impacts in the United States this year. “The ongoing marine heat wave in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in record high sea surface temperatures and record high ocean heat content, which is a measure of the amount of heat stored in the Gulf as far down as 2,000 meters,” Anderson said. “This has the fingerprints of climate change written all over it.” “This extreme amount of heat stored in the Gulf is adding a tremendous amount of excess energy to these hurricanes in the form of added wind energy and moisture, leading to rapid intensification and excessive rainfall rates,” Anderson said. “Warm water is the main energy source for hurricanes. The warmer the water, the more available energy. The higher the air temperature, the more moisture it can hold, that is why we are so concerned about the impacts that global warming is having on hurricanes and other extreme weather events.” Anderson said Hurricane Helene shattered records less than two weeks ago, and Hurricane Milton could do the same over the next 48 hours. “There is data that shows that the amount of available atmospheric moisture, or precipitable water, from Helene was the highest on record,” Anderson said. “This surge of extreme moisture was able to be directed far inland, all the way up into the southern Appalachians and the Ohio Valley. This led to a sustained period of very intense rainfall and an extremely rapid rise of rivers and streams that caught many people off guard, especially in areas that hardly ever encounter significant flash flooding. “Unfortunately, Milton will be tapping into the same moisture source as Helene as it turns northeastward toward Florida. We may see yet another new record for atmospheric moisture,” Anderson said. “There was a band of heavy rainfall that set up across the southern Appalachians well in advance of Hurricane Helene There are also bands of heavy rainfall ahead of Milton but much farther south across the Florida Peninsula, which is bad news for Florida.

PEMBROKE — After logging a pair of starts and playing all 90 minutes in both games in goal, Anna Bass has been named as the Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Week, league officials announced Tuesday.

A native of Edenton, Bass started the week by facing 10 shots against Barton and tallying three saves in a 1-1 draw against the Bulldogs. The graduate student closed out the week by matching a career-best six saves against Young Harris on 11 shots faced.

Bass has a .791 save percentage which ranks fourth in the league, and also is fourth in shutouts with two on the season.

After helping the UNC Pembroke volleyball team to a 2-1 week, Tyler Patterson has been named as the Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Week, league officials announced Monday afternoon. The announcement marks the second time this season that Patterson has picked up the weekly award.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Patterson tallied a pair of double-doubles to highlight the week. Patterson started the week with 47 assists and eight digs in a road win at Barton, and followed it up with a 46 assist and 15 dig outing against Mount Olive on Friday. The sophomore polished off the week with 37 assists and 15 digs in the sweep over Erskine.

Patterson played every point of the 12 sets over the week. Patterson ranks first in Conference Carolinas for most assists per set with 8.87.

TAMPA BAY — Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.

Here’s the latest:

Advocates are reaching out to immigrants in Tampa and Orlando to help with evacuation plans and preparation

Among them are the Farm Worker Association of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Hope CommUnity Center.

They’ve been translating official information from state and local authorities and sharing it in Spanish through WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and their social media channels to let the Hispanic community know about the location of shelters, where to find gasoline, sandbags, food, and water.

Like other organizations that serve low-income Hispanic families in the area, they’ve received hundreds of calls from Spanish speaking immigrants who can’t find information in their language and don’t understand English, asking for details about the storm.

“One of the main challenges is the language,” said Jessica Ramirez, general coordinator at the Farm Worker Association that serves more than 10,000 immigrants. “In situations like a hurricane that are emergencies, it is not easy to find information in Spanish.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis gives an update on debris removal efforts

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to continue around-the-clock efforts to pick up debris from Hurricane Helene until it’s no longer safe to do so as Hurricane Milton approaches.

In a Tuesday afternoon briefing in Ocala, the governor said Florida Department of Transportation crews had just removed more than 1,300 truckloads of debris in just over 48 hours, which DeSantis called “a huge, huge amount.”

The cleanup effort is key to sparing communities more damage, DeSantis said.

“We’ve made a huge dent in this,” he said. “The more debris we can get picked up, the less damage that’s going to happen, whether that’s floating into the Gulf of Mexico, whether it’s projectiles that go into other buildings.”

Disney World now says its theme parks and entertainment complex will close Wednesday afternoon

And Disney World says the theme parks likely remain closed on Thursday.

On Anna Maria Island, residents in Milton’s path are already fatigued from Hurricane Helene

“I’m still in shock over the first one and here comes round two,” said Evan Purcell of Anna Maria Island, who stayed for Helene but is evacuating for Milton. “I just have a pit in my stomach about this one.”

He packed up his father’s ashes and was trying to catch his 9-year-old cat, McKenzie, as he prepared to leave.

Helene left him with thousands of dollars in damage when his home flooded. He’s now worried Milton may take whatever is left.

“It’s a coin toss,” he said.

What is a hurricane’s storm surge?

Storm surge is the level at which sea water rises above its normal level.

Much like the way a storm’s sustained winds don’t include the potential for even stronger gusts, storm surge doesn’t include the wave height above the mean water level of the surge itself.

Surge is also the amount above what the normal tide is at the time, so a 15-foot (5-meter) storm surge at high tide with 10-foot (3-meter) waves on top of that can level buildings with ease, knock down bridges and flatten anything in its path.

Hurricane Milton forces Bucs and Lightning to leave Florida early and other teams to alter games

The NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.

The Bucs departed Tuesday, relocating to New Orleans, where they’ll face the Saints on Sunday. The Lightning left for Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday night to continue preparations for their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

The Lightning’s home opener against Carolina is set for Saturday night and is on as scheduled for now.

At the college level, the American Athletic Conference announced that a football game between Memphis and South Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa has been rescheduled from Friday night to Saturday. The conference plans to monitor conditions after Milton passes and adjust accordingly.

UCF’s Big 12 home football game vs. Cincinnati remains scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff in Orlando.

UCF’s men’s soccer match vs. Marshall was rescheduled from Friday night to Sunday. Other college events postponed include a women’s soccer match in Boca Raton between Florida Atlantic and Rice; it was to be played Thursday and now will be played on Oct. 17.

The LPGA Tour postponed the qualifying stage of its LPGA Q-Series that was scheduled for Oct. 13-18 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. The tour said it would provide an update for the qualifying tournament after the storm passes.

Disney World remains open while Universal Orlando will close ahead of Milton

Orlando’s tourism machine began grinding to a halt Tuesday with at least one major theme park and the main airport announcing closures ahead of Hurricane Milton ’s expected hit as a major storm in Florida.

Universal said it would close its theme parks and entertainment district at 2 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed on Thursday, canceling Halloween Horror Nights scheduled for both days.

The resort joins Orlando International Airport, which said it would cease operations Wednesday morning. The airport is the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney World said it was operating under normal conditions and planned, for now, only to close its campgrounds and rental cabins in wooded areas.

After seeing sharks in flooded streets during Helene, Florida man braces for Milton

In southwest Florida, the streets in the seaside town of Punta Gorda’s historic district, hard by the Peace River, are still filled with 5-foot piles of water-logged trashed pulled from homes damaged by Hurricane Helene’s storm surge two weeks ago. Furniture, drywall, appliances, clothes, Bibles and other books, stuffed animals and other toys and even a couple hot tubs line the streets.

It’s an area that was hit hard by Hurricane Charley in 2004 and Ian two years ago, but that was mostly wind damage.

Many of the residents have temporarily moved away as the homes are unlivable, but accountant and art collector Scott Joiner remains on the second floor of the New Orleans-style home he built 17 years ago.

He said during Helene’s storm surge, bull sharks swam in the flooded streets and an alligator was found nearby. A neighbor had to be rescued by canoe. His family thought his first-floor garage would be a safe place to store their property, but the surge was too high. He said the city has been trying to pick up the trash, but didn’t have enough time.

Now he’s worried Milton’s expected surge will make matters worse.

“Water is a blessing to have, but it is very deadly,” Joiner said.

What kind of destruction do hurricanes cause?

The toll of damage from a hurricane depends on its strength and where it makes landfall.

Even a relatively weak hurricane can cause major damage and many deaths if it hits a vulnerable community or damages a key piece of infrastructure. A mid-strength hurricane such as 2004’s Hurricane Jeanne in Florida will cause devastating damage to homes, infrastructure and the power grid. Deaths also commonly occur because of flooding, accidents, injuries and other disturbances caused by the storm.

What causes a hurricane?

Hurricanes often start as tropical waves that combine with warm ocean waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They may also be fueled by thunderstorms. The weather system moves west as warm ocean air rises into it, and that creates a low pressure area underneath it, NOAA said. Air rises and cools, and that forms clouds and thunderstorms.

Hurricanes have maximum sustained winds — the highest one-minute average wind speed at a particular point in time — of 74 mph (120 kph) or higher. If a tropical cyclone has maximum sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph (63 kph to 120 kph), it’s called a tropical storm. If maximum sustained winds are less than 39 mph (63 kph), it’s called a tropical depression.

Hurricanes typically occur during hurricane season, which in the Atlantic basin occurs each year from June 1 to Nov. 30.

NASA astronaut posts video of the hurricane from space

Matthew Dominick shared a timelapse video to X that showed the hurricane from the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.

Dominick and three other astronauts were supposed to return to Earth on Oct. 7 after a seven-month stay at the International Space Station. But their homecoming has been repeatedly delayed by tropical weather that is now Hurricane Milton.

The soonest their SpaceX capsule can now undock for a splashdown off the Florida coast is Sunday.

The hunt for gasoline is adding to Floridians’ anxiety as Milton nears

Long lines and empty pumps at some Florida gas stations Tuesday compounded the stress for residents planning to either hunker down or flee as Hurricane Milton approached the state’s western coast.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a morning news conference that state officials were working with fuel companies to continue bringing in gasoline ahead of Milton’s expected landfall on Wednesday.

“We have been dispatching fuel over the past 24 hours as gas stations have run out,” DeSantis said. “So we currently have 268,000 gallons of diesel, 110,000 gallons of gasoline. Those numbers are less than what they were 24 hours ago because we’ve put a lot in, but we have an additional 1.2 million gallons of both diesel and gasoline that is currently en route to the state of Florida.”

DeSantis said there wasn’t a fuel shortage. But the hunt for gasoline was another nerve-fraying task for people preparing for a major hurricane.

Officials say small plane carrying people trying to evacuate crashes into Tampa Bay

Fire officials say four passengers aboard a small airplane were trying to evacuate from Hurricane Milton when the aircraft crashed into Tampa Bay on Tuesday morning.

Three of the four passengers on the Piper Cherokee were hospitalized after the crash near Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, said Ashlie Handy, a spokesperson for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.

The passengers and one dog traveling with them were rescued from the water by a good Samaritan in a boat, Handy told The Tampa Bay Times. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.

National Hurricane Center gives another update on Milton

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tuesday afternoon that Hurricane Milton’s intensity had “rebounded,” though it was still a Category 4 storm.

The storm was about 520 miles (840 kilometers) southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph), the center said. It was traveling east by northeast at 8 mph (13 kph), it said.

Air Force Reserve hurricane hunters were the ones to find the storm had intensified, the center said.

“Today is the last full day for Florida residents to get their families and homes ready and evacuate if told to do so,” the center said.

Florida Highway Patrol says ‘the time is now’ to evacuate

The Florida Highway Patrol says “heavy traffic patterns are flowing northbound and eastbound on all roadways” Tuesday afternoon as people continue to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Milton.

“For those wishing to evacuate, the time is now,” the agency said in a statement. “Otherwise, finalize your storm preparations now.”

Troopers were continuing to escort fuel tankers to assist with delivery of gasoline Tuesday. And the agency noted that all bridges in the Tampa Bay area will close when wind speeds are consistently at 45 mph or higher, or when troopers deem road conditions a danger to public safety.

Amid hurricanes, an advocacy group calls for Southeast states to give voters flexibility

Representatives of the voting advocacy group Common Cause in a media briefing Tuesday urged Southeast states recovering from Hurricane Helene and bracing for another severe storm to prioritize flexibility for voters in November’s election.

Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida, said the state has strong resiliency plans to protect election infrastructure, but “the place where we feel like the state is a lot weaker is really assessing what voters need.”

She argued Florida officials should further accommodate its displaced and overwhelmed residents, for example by using vote centers that allow registered voters to cast a ballot in a location other than their specific precinct.

Common Cause was among organizations that lobbied Florida and Georgia to extend their voter registration deadlines Monday, to no avail.

“The expectation on voters was too high” for them to focus on registering Monday, Keith said, as they dealt with debris from Hurricane Helene and evacuated for a second hurricane expected to make landfall Wednesday.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says Milton’s storm surge could turn a house into ‘the coffin that you’re in’

The predicted storm surge could swallow an entire house.

“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in,” she said.

She also expressed concerns about how far the ocean water could spread across the city. If that happens, “that is something that you only see in movies,” she said.

“You want to pick a fight with Mother Nature? She’s winning 100% of the time,” the mayor added.

Preparations the Biden administration is making ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival

White House spokesperson Emilie Simons says the Biden administration has deployed temporary power teams, swift-water rescue teams and search and rescue teams as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida.

She said FEMA also has established two staging bases stocked with 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water, and has nearly 900 staff members in the region. That includes 440 working on recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, she said.

“To anyone in Milton’s path, this storm will be catastrophic,” Simons told reporters aboard Air Force One as President Joe Biden was flying to Milwaukee. “We urge you to listen to local officials, especially if you are told to evacuate.”

Tampa City Councilman Guido Maniscalco calls Milton ‘a potentially historically catastrophic storm’

“So I’ve been here my whole life, and I’ve never seen a storm like this,” Maniscalco said at a briefing.

“This is a potentially life and death situation, this is a potentially historically catastrophic storm,” he said. “This is the storm of the century. We haven’t had this potential impact in over 100 years. We have to be ready. It’s all hands on deck.”

Disney World and Universal Orlando remain open ahead of Hurricane Milton

Major theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal remained open Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton ’s expected hit as a major storm in Florida even as other parts of Orlando’s tourism machine shut down.

Disney said it was operating under normal conditions and planned, for now, only to close its campgrounds and rental cabins in wooded areas.

Both theme parks say they’ll continue monitoring the weather and adjust accordingly.

Meanwhile, other parts of Orlando were shutting down — including Orlando International Airport, which said it would cease operations Wednesday morning. The airport is the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked.

The Orlando area is the most visited destination in the United States due to Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and other theme parks, attracting 74 million tourists last year alone.

As Milton approaches, construction cranes in St. Petersburg are a concern

In St. Petersburg, the mayor is concerned about how some giant construction cranes will fare, as there was no time to lower the machines ahead of time.

“Due to Milton’s rapid intensification and potential wind speeds, there is a risk related to some of the construction cranes that are operating in our city,” Mayor Kenneth Welch said at a Tuesday briefing.

The cranes susceptible to high winds are at four construction sites and “residents near those four construction sites are at risk for those cranes malfunctioning during the storm,” Welch said.

Since there wasn’t enough time to take the cranes down, they will be placed in a “weather vane” position, which is the safest one during a storm, he said.

How many people are affected by the mandatory evacuation order?

The 11 Florida counties under mandatory evacuation orders are home to about 5.9 million people, according to county-level population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Two Florida counties — Desoto and Marion — have ordered residents who live in mobile homes, RVs, modular-type homes and low-lying areas to evacuate.

About 30% of Desoto County’s roughly 34,000 residents live in mobile homes, while about 20% of Marion County’s more than 396,000 residents live in mobile homes, according to Census estimates.

A venture capitalist is putting up money to clear debris from Helene in his neighborhood before Milton hits

In an area where residents are bracing for a double hit from hurricanes, Clearwater Beach homeowner and venture capitalist Arnie Bellini put up $500,000 to hire private contractors to haul away debris from his neighborhood ahead of Hurricane Milton.

He said the sheer scale of the storm debris from Hurricane Helene — and the hard deadline to remove it ahead of Milton’s expected arrival — is too much for city contractors to keep up with, so Bellini said he’s doing what he can.

Piles of ruined refrigerators, furniture and drywall lines the streets of the neighborhood in Clearwater Beach, mounds of metal sheeting and two-by-fours left behind by Hurricane Helene that could turn into storm-powered shrapnel if it’s not hauled away before Milton hits.

Bellini said he hopes his effort sends a message to other residents and business owners to do what they can to restore their storm-battered communities.

Biden says Milton ‘could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida’

Biden participated in an Oval Office briefing Tuesday with a series of top administration officials to discuss the federal government’s ongoing response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton.

The president told reporters afterward of Milton, “My priority is to increase the size and presence of our effort.”

Biden postponed a planned trip later this week to Germany and Angola because of the storm, explaining, “I just don’t’ think I can be out of the country at this time.”

He said he still planned to make his scheduled trips, though when he’d do that is unclear.

Biden also spoke about misinformation and disinformation surrounding the federal response to Helene, which Vice President Kamala Harris has blamed on her Election Day opponent, former President Donald Trump. Biden said of such misinformation, “Those who do it do it to try to damage the administration.”

Asked about Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has complained about Harris’ comments about Helene, Biden said DeSantis “has been cooperative” and “said he’s gotten all that he needs.”

Biden said he told DeSantis, “You’re doing a great job” and “we thank you for it” and said he gave DeSantis “my personal cellphone number.”

The University of South Florida’s football game Saturday against Memphis has been rescheduled

The game in Tampa has been rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 12.

The American Athletic Conference and teams will assess the conditions and overall situation after the storm passes to determine whether any other adjustments need to be made, the school announced Tuesday.

The latest National Hurricane Center advisory on Milton

The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. Tuesday that Hurricane Milton was about 520 miles (835 km) southwest of Tampa. It had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and was moving in an east-northeast direction at 9 mph, the hurricane center said.

The center said a storm surge warning has been extended southward along the East Coast of Florida to Port Canaveral. The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos, and Bimini, the center said.

The hurricane was a Category 4 storm at late morning Tuesday, the center said.

“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,” it said.

It’s a race against time to clear debris as Hurricane Milton approaches

Nick Szabo’s fleet of excavators and dump trucks got to work at about 6:30 am on Tuesday, racing against the clock to haul away the three-foot-high piles of waterlogged couches, appliances, mattresses and two-by-fours that line the streets in this residential stretch of Clearwater Beach — all left behind by Hurricane Helene.

“All this crap is going to be missiles,” if they don’t haul it away ahead of Hurricane Milton, he said. “It’s like a spear coming at you.”

Szabo said he was hired by a local resident eager to help clear the roads — and unwilling to wait for overwhelmed city contractors to get the job done.

His team hauled away some 260 tons of debris as of 5 pm on Monday and they plan to keep working until 7 pm on Tuesday.

“It feels good to help,” Szabo said.

A couple’s vacation has turned into them being stuck in Florida as Milton approaches

It’s easily the worst vacation John Fedor and his wife Laura have ever been on. After losing their phone on a Caribbean cruise, they missed their flight home to Philadelphia – and then missed the flight they rebooked Tuesday morning, after the bus they took to the Tampa airport was delayed.

“It’s just been utter hell,” Fedor said.

With the city’s airport closing its doors at 9 am on Tuesday, the Fedors are among those who are now stuck in this city ahead of a major hurricane the likes of which the Tampa Bay region hasn’t seen in a century.

“We looked into driving home, taking the train home,” he said, but nothing worked out.

“We don’t really have a whole lot of options … we’re kind of like stranded here.”

President Biden postpones trip to Germany and Angola because of hurricane

President Joe Biden is postponing a planned trip to Germany and Angola to remain at the White House to monitor Hurricane Milton, which is bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the White House announced Tuesday morning.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the change was necessary “given the projected trajectory and strength” of the storm.

It wasn’t clear when the trip might be rescheduled. Biden had promised to go to Africa during his term in office, which ends in January.

An unusual hurricane season goes from ultra quiet to record busy and spawns Helene and Milton

Explosively intensifying Hurricane Milton is the latest freaky system to come out of what veteran hurricane scientists call the weirdest storm season of their lives.

Before this Atlantic hurricane season started, forecasters said everything lined up to be a monster busy year, and it began that way when Beryl was the earliest storm to reach Category 5 on record. Then, nothing. From Aug. 20 — the traditional start of peak hurricane season — to Sept. 23 it was record quiet, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Then five hurricanes popped up between Sept. 26 and Oct. 6, more than double the old record of two. On Sunday and Monday, there were three hurricanes in October at the same time — something that never happened before — Klotzbach said. In just 46.5 hours, Hurricane Milton went from just forming as a tropical storm with 40 mph winds to a top-of-the-charts Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds and then it got even stronger.

“I was looking as far back as the Atlantic records go and there’s not really any good analogs for this season, just how neurotic it’s been,” Klotzbach said. “You know, obviously the season ain’t over yet. We’ll see what pops up after Milton.”

Schools in Sarasota County, which could suffer a direct hit from Milton, will be closed all week

“We will let you know — as soon as possible — about school reopening after Hurricane Milton has passed. Our facilities team will need time to safely conduct countywide assessments on all of our sites to ensure our traditional public schools and offices are safe to welcome back students, teachers, and staff members,” the district said in a Facebook post.

The county was also urging residents in evacuation zones to seek shelter. The county is setting up evacuation centers, but those should be viewed as “last resort,” county government said in a statement.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency is moving staff and supplies into place in advance of Milton

And Criswell pleaded with residents to listen to their local officials for guidance on what to do as the storm bears down.

“This is an extremely dangerous hurricane,” Criswell said Tuesday morning. “I need people to listen to their local officials to get out of harm’s way… People don’t need to move far. They just need to move inland.”

Authorities in the Mexican state of Yucatan reported only minor damages from Milton

The hurricane remained offshore early Tuesday. Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatan Gov. Joaquín Díaz, but he did not report any deaths or injuries.

Are residents ready?

While Floridians are no strangers to storms, Tampa hasn’t been in the direct path of a major hurricane in over a century.

In that lapse, the area has exploded in growth. Tens of thousands of Americans moved to the area during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many choosing to settle along barrier islands near Clearwater and St. Petersburg overlooking the normally placid, emerald Gulf waters. More than 51,000 people moved to the area between 2022 and 2023, making it the fifth-largest-growing U.S. metropolitan area, according to U.S. Census data.

Longer term residents, after having experienced numerous false alarms and near misses like Irma in 2017, may be similarly unprepared for a direct hit. A local legend has it that blessings from Native Americans who once called the region home and used to build mounds to keep out invaders have largely protected the area from major storms for centuries.

MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said a hurricane in Tampa is the “black swan” worst-case scenario that experts have worried about for years.

Control the path and power of hurricanes like Milton? Forget it, scientists say

Hurricanes are humanity’s reminder of the uncontrollable, chaotic power of Earth’s weather.

Milton’s powerful push toward Florida just days after Helene devastated large parts of the Southeast likely has some in the region wondering if they are being targeted. In some corners of the internet, Helene has already sparked conspiracy theories and disinformation suggesting the government somehow aimed the hurricane at Republican voters.

Besides discounting common sense, such theories disregard weather history that shows the hurricanes are hitting many of the same areas they have for centuries. They also presume an ability for humans to quickly reshape the weather far beyond relatively puny efforts such as cloud seeding.

“If meteorologists could stop hurricanes, we would stop hurricanes,” Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, said. “If we could control the weather, we would not want the kind of death and destruction that’s happened.”

How bad is Milton’s damage expected to be?

The entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge.

Hurricane Helene came ashore some 150 miles (240 kilometers) away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) above normal tide levels.

Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, hurricane center spokesperson Maria Torres said.

The storm could also bring widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) expected in some places.

Gov. Ron DeSantis assures residents there’s enough fuel for them to get away from Hurricane Milton

“There is no fuel shortage. Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida” despite long lines at gas stations, DeSantis said at a Tuesday morning news briefing. He said officials are working with fuel companies to continue bringing in gasoline.

“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away,” DeSantis said. “You can evacuate tens of miles; you do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”

DeSantis said the state has helped evacuate more than 200 health care facilities in Milton’s path and that 36 county-run shelters are open.

LUMBERTON — One of the great treats of teaching about the night sky is the occasional apparition of a bright comet, or two.

Hale-Bopp, Neowise and McNaught are three fairly recent examples of comets that have graced our skies in the last 30 years.

If all goes well, there will be another, beginning tonight, and continuing for most of the rest of October.

Disclaimer: Comets are notoriously unpredictable. This one’s no exception, especially given its current transit behind the Sun, and the fact that as far as we’re able to determine, this comet has taken 80,000 years to get into the inner solar system.. A fairly famous example of another great comet that fizzled out was Kahoutek, in 1973.

It graced the morning sky, becoming bright enough to be seen until just before apparent sunrise. Then it went behind the Sun, and broke into lots of little bits, most of which were consumed by the Sun’s great gravity.

So, all of what follows assumes a “safe” transit behind the Sun.

The comet will continue its trek behind the Sun until Oct. 10.Then, it starts to ellipse itself out away from the Sun, coming within 70 million miles of Earth on Oct. 14.

So, how do you find this thing?

Step one: find a clear Southwestern horizon near you. During the first few nights of its apparition in the night sky, it will be slightly left of where the Sun appeared to set.

You can use an object along that horizon to mark where the Sun descended into twilight.

Step two: Go out about 30 minutes after the apparent Sunset, and look for bright Venus in the sky to the left of Sundown. Draw an imaginary line between the Sundown point and Venus. On Oct. 12, the comet will be along that line segment, near the Sundown point.. After Oct. 22, the comet is predicted to dim below what you can expect to see with your unaided eye.

Here’s the best news of all:

There may be another, even brighter comet, on Tschunashin/Atlas’ heels. Comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1). As this comet’s orbital elements and brightness predictions are still being refined, we’ll know more about this next visitor to our skies soon.

Yes, I’ll be writing an article about it. It will be what’s called a Sun-grazer, meaning that its orbit takes it within 1.2 million miles of the Sun.

This means that it is a lot less likely we’ll actually see this comet, as it stands a good chance of being consumed and/or destroyed by the Sun’s gravity field. The best nights to see it will include Halloween, assuming a successful passage of the Sun on Oct. 28.

So, what is so special about comets?

First of all, a comet sporting a bright tail behind it relative to the Sun is an awesome sight — and worth looking for.

In the days before we could accurately predict a comet’s orbital elements, comets were strange apparitions that usually portend something bad happening, depending on who’s interpreting the apparition.

A famous example was the appearance of Halley’s comet shortly before the battle of Hastings in 1066. That didn’t end well for English King Harold. William of Normandy won the field, and the crown, on that fateful day.

“Dr. Vincent Ohaju, a second year family medicine resident, and I have been deployed to UNC Health Blue Ridge in Morganton for a three-day assignment. Their hospital had lost power and water for two days but now are providing the care. It is an honor to serve alongside these teammates.”

Dr. Joseph Roberts, UNC Health Southeastern chief medical officer, talking about an assignment to help with hurricane recovery in western North Carolina.

***

“The devastation brought by Helene in many communities across western North Carolina has been profound. The entire division wants to provide whatever assistance we can to our neighbors and to these areas that were hit hardest. We want to prioritize our resources, both staff and equipment, towards immediate lifesaving needs.”

State Parks Director Brian Strong, talking about the operation of state parks.

***

“I wanted to see first-hand what being a nurse was all about. I want to work as a CNA while in school. It’s a good job to have on the side, and you can make decent money for attending this three-month class.”

Hilina Hailemariam, an international student from Ethiopia, talking about the nursing program at Robeson Community College.

***

“The best of humanity on display. God bless them!”

U.S. Sen. Dan. Bishop, R-North Carolina, in a post on X in reply to the following post on X: “My dad, my grandpa, all my nieces, I was Air Force, my son is a Marine — so I said, ‘Hey, I want this.’” Linemen hike nearly two miles to restore power to Asheville Veterans Hospital after #Helene. @Southern_Living http://spr.ly/6019Ue1VB.

***

“It feels surreal! I was very nervous coming into this, but being able to participate was honestly the most rewarding part—getting out there and speaking in front of people. The fact that I won was just a bonus.”

Gabby Hyson, a UNCP student during the inaugural Braves Pitch-a-thon hosted by UNC Pembroke’s Thomas College of Business and Economics.

LUMBERTON — Nicole Hall, the Lumberton native who was recently crowned Miss America’s United States, was recognized by Lumberton City Council during the board’s monthly meeting Monday, with a proclamation made declaring a city holiday in her honor.

Monday was declared “Miss Nicole Hall Miss America’s United States 2024 Day” in a proclamation by Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis.

“Miss Hall is a product of Lumberton and never misses the opportunity to promote her upbringing about the city of Lumberton,” Councilman John Cantey said during the presentation. “And just wait to hear some of the ideas and things she has planned for the city of Lumberton. Nicole, this Council, this city is proud of your achievements and the path that you have taken to uplift your community, your city and all of the goals promoting efforts to ensure that there is food for everyone in the world.”

Hall has won numerous pageant titles over the last few years. Her crowning as Miss America’s United States came on Aug. 10.

Hall comes from an agricultural background, growing up on the farm in Lumberton. Among her philanthropic efforts are plans to establish a community garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Lumberton, with “the ability to access fresh and locally-grown produce regardless of your socioeconomic background,” Cantey said.

Council also approved $1,400 in Community Revitalization Funds to support an event Hall is involved with, a scholarship pageant on Nov. 2 at Lumberton Junior High School sponsored by the Lumberton alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Hall was also presented with flowers, the Pride in Lumberton Award and the proclamation.

“It’s like my pageant day all over again,” Hall joked. “Look at these flowers, y’all.”

Update on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts

Later in the meeting, City Manager Wayne Horne gave an update on the city’s role in Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Western North Carolina.

The city’s fire and police departments and the Lumberton Municipal Airport have partnered to collect supplies and send them to the affected region. Airport manager Gary Lewis lined up 14 aircraft to move 4,000 pounds of supplies, with additional larger supplies such as pallets of water being sent by truck. Fire and recreation department employees have worked to weigh, store and load items onto planes and trucks. The airport’s upcoming Fly-In event will also make a push for more donations, Horne said.

Some employees from the city’s Electrical Utilities Department spent five days working in Kings Mountain, then were relocated to Laurens, South Carolina, to restore power. Some Fire Department employees spent seven days working on storm-related tasks in Old Fort.

Lumberton Fire Chief Chris West was scheduled to leave Tuesday morning to work at an Emergency Operations Center in Yancey County as a resource leader, helping to assign personnel, etc. Director of Emergency Services Tammy McLeod worked in a 911 center in Transylvania County, relieving local dispatchers.

The city’s Water Rescue Team is currently on standby, Horne said, and may soon be called into service as recovery missions continue.

“Our employees ought to be commended,” Horne said.

Other matters

In other business, Council:

— Approved a special use permit for a mental health outpatient facility on Fayetteville Road. The vote was 7-0, as Councilman Leroy Rising recused himself due to a conflict of interest.

— Approved a conditional zoning for a paint and body shop and auto sales business on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, with the condition of a screened fence to close in any wrecked or disassembled vehicles being stored in the rear of the property. The motion passed 7-1, with Councilman Alfred Douglas voting no.

— Awarded a $1 million professional services contract to The Wooten Company for Phase One of the city’s Lead and Copper Inventory project. The project is being funded by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Water Infrastructure; Council also authorized the city to apply for another $1 million in grants to fund the upcoming second phase of the project.

— Awarded a $762,000 bid to McGill Associates for a project to clean out the Alum sludge basin at the city’s water treatment plant. McGill will compost the materials and return it to a biological mixture at its facility in Sampson County, Public Works Director Rob Armstrong said. The bid was less than the city’s original $1 million estimate; project funds will be paid from the Water and Sewer Capital Reserve Fund.

— Awarded a $381,280 engineering contract with Wildlands Engineering for a project to reestablish floodplain/wetlands at the former Fuller’s BBQ site on Highway 211 near the Mayfair Subdivision. The project will remove any existing structures, asphalt, concrete, etc., and then reinforce the area with wetlands-like materials.

— Awarded a $448,798.13 bid by Cinderella Partners for the second phase of the city’s Memorial Park. The completed first phase included raising the elevation of the park, installing additional drainage and building the first section of parking. The second phase will include installation of things like benches and sidewalks; this will include “pretty much everything except the memorials themselves,” Deputy City Manager Brandon Love said. This will be paid for from a combination of North Carolina General Assembly special allocation, General Fund obligations, lapsed salaries and General Fund contingencies.

— Approved the following allocations of Community Revitalization Funds: $1,000 for Southern Sapphires Dance Company; $600 to the Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a float in the Lumberton Christmas Parade; $501 to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8969 in support of National Wreaths Across America Day; $500 for a Community Day in Precinct 8; $250 each to the homeowners associations in Mayfair subdivision and Mayfair North subdivision for beautification; $200 to Birthing Place Ministries for a Trunk or Treat event; and $100 to the Cheer XCel golf tournament fundraiser.

HOPE MILLS — The Lumberton boys soccer team earned at 6-2 win over United-8 Conference road foe Gray’s Creek on Monday.

Lumberton (14-4-1, 10-1 United-8) led Gray’s Creek (7-6-3, 5-5-1 United-8) by a 4-2 margin at halftime after taking a 3-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the match; Gray’s Creek closed to 3-2 before the Pirates got another goal just before the break.

Emilio Carrera, Korbyn Walton, Justin Lopez, Alexis Adler, Antonio Alvarado and Joshua Badillo each scored goals for the Pirates. Adler had two assists and Henry Greene, Walton and John Watts each had one.

Isaac Juarez had four saves for the Pirates.

The Pirates play Wednesday at Douglas Byrd.

LUMBERTON — Robeson Community College is proud to announce that the recent cohort of students in the Detention Officer Certification Course at Robeson Community College has successfully completed the intensive five-week program, achieving a remarkable 100% pass rate on the state exam.

The Detention Officer Course is a comprehensive 192-hour program that prepares participants for certification to work in a Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility in North Carolina. The course includes a rigorous curriculum that prepares students with the necessary skills and knowledge to gain employment in this critical role within the criminal justice system.

“We are thrilled with the success of our students,” said Director Matt Dimery. “Their hard work and dedication truly reflect the quality of our program and their commitment to serving our community.”

“This is wonderful news regarding our Detention Office program at Robeson Community College,” stated RCC President Melissa Singler. “We are so proud of our law enforcement program, our staff, and of these students who achieved a 100% pass rate on the examination.”

The program’s next session is scheduled for Spring 2025. Dimery strongly encourages interested individuals to apply early, as spots are expected to fill quickly.

“The detention officer certification is an excellent opportunity for those looking to pursue a career in the criminal justice system and contribute positively to public safety,” Dimery said.

For more information about the upcoming course, including registration details, please visit https://www.robeson.edu/public-service/docc/ or contact Director Matt Dimery at 910-272-3480 or tdimery@robeson.edu.