County commissioners OK new ambulance service; Longtime tax office employee honored

KENANSVILLE — In a relatively brief meeting on July 15, the Duplin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a franchise agreement with StellarMed of Jacksonville to provide non-emergency ambulance service within the county.

Brandon McMahon, the county’s emergency services director, made the request, stating that there are currently two ambulance services in the county, CAST and Elite Medical. “However, they cannot keep up due to staffing issues,” he said. “This causes the hospital a problem to get patients out.”

StellarMed will only perform non-emergency transports, such as hospital discharges and dialysis appointments in which a stretcher is needed, McMahon said.

The commissioners approved the agreement, 4-0, with Commission Chair Dexter Edwards absent from the meeting.

Also at the July 15 meeting, the commissioners honored Kay Nichols, who worked in the tax office for nearly 30 years.

“Kay started to work in the tax office about November 29, 1994, about the same time I did,” said Tax Administrator Gary Rose, who presented a retirement plaque to Nichols. “She has been there a long time, and we miss her. She mostly worked with real estate transfers and did it her way, which was the right way. She wasn’t afraid if a deed had an error in it to call up the attorney and tell him he made a mistake.”

Commissioner Jesse Dowe stated that he admired Nichols’ work ethic. “It’s such a milestone for someone to bank 30 years with the county, and we thank you for your service,” he said.

Rose added that Nichols had agreed to help the tax office with the upcoming revaluation.

In other business at the July 15 meeting, the commissioners:

• Approved the renaming of a road in the 900 block of Old Wilmington Road to Ronald Ann Lane.
• Approved a LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant from the State Library of North Carolina in the amount of $19,402 to create story walks at parks in Kenansville, Warsaw, Rose Hill and Faison. The county’s match was $2,307. “These are aluminum stands with acrylic faces where books are separated into sections so the families and children can walk through the area reading books, all the way around the park area,” explained Duplin County Library Director Laura Jones.
• Appointed Commissioner Wayne Branch as the voting delegate and Commissioner Dowe as the alternate for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual conference on Aug. 20.

Assistant County Manager Carrie Shields reported that the animal shelter is open one Saturday a month for adoptions, and that adoptions are free for military (retired or active duty) and first responders with proper identification through July 31.

Shields also reported that an elected officials ethics course will be hosted by the town of Magnolia on July 31, 6-9 p.m. Dinner will be served by the Magnolia Fire Department. The event is only required for newly elected or re-elected officials.

The county commissioners will next meet on Monday, Aug. 5, at 6 p.m.