Each year The Robesonian’s staff selects what it has deemed as the top 10 stories of the previous year as a way to kick off a new year, which begins today. Typically we don’t rank them, but this year a No. 1 was easy. It was Matthew. Following is a recap, with the other nine stories listed in the approximate sequence that they occurred — editor.

When it comes to top stories in Robeson County for 2016, Hurricane Matthew blew the rest away.

The Oct. 8 hurricane, which was supposed to arrive as not much more than a stiff breeze and a rainy day, devastated Robeson County and its county seat Lumberton when the Lumber River swelled to record levels, swamping West Lumberton and South Lumberton, and causing damage throughout the county.

As many as 18 inches of rain fell in some places of the county, which was already saturated from a recent visit by Tropical Storm Hermine, damaging as many as 7,000 structures and displacing as many as 5,000 residents, many of whom had to be housed in emergency shelters for weeks. Four people were killed locally, and a total of 28 across the state.

The storm had a huge effect on the Public Schools of Robeson County, canceling a full three weeks of classes, destroying the central office and causing major damage at West Lumberton Elementary School, and putting thousands of students in need of school supplies and clothing.

The effect on commerce was dramatic as well, which was indicated by an unemployment rate that went from 6.8 percent at the beginning of October to 10.3 percent at its end. Among those affected was The Robesonian newspaper, whose office was destroyed, making it unable to put out a print edition for about 10 days, providing information on the storm through social media and www.robesonian.com.

Help did flood into the county in the form of donated clothes, food, water and household items, and FEMA remains here helping people and businesses that suffered, having already written checkes in excess of $22 million.

As the new year begins, there remains much uncertainty for hundreds of residents, many of whom are unlikely to ever return to the homes they once had.

— $32 million for Robeson: North Carolina voters, by a margin of about 2 to 1, favored the NC Connect Bond referendum on March 15, providing $2 billion for infrastructure improvements across the state, and bringing more than $32 million directly to Robeson County.

Support in Robeson County was even stronger, with 71 percent in favor.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke will receive $23 million for a business school, Robeson Community College will receive $7 million for a variety of projects, including improvements to the tower used for firefighter training, and the Lumber River State Park will get $2.5 million for expansion.

Additionally NC Connect provides more than $300 million for sewer and water grants that local governments in Robeson can pursue.

— William McGirt: There were a lot of firsts for Fairmont native William McGirt on the PGA Tour this year, but first on that list would be his initial win, coming at The Memorial, the baby of Jack Nicklaus, golf’s all-time leader in major titles.

After 165 career starts in six seasons, McGirt earned the victory on June 5 by draining a 6-foot putt to beat Jon Curran on the second playoff hole at Muirfield Village, with Nicklaus watching on from nearby. He earned a spot in the playoff by two-putting from 63 feet in the final hole in regulation, knocking in a 6-footer to keep his chances alive.

McGirt earned $1.5 million with the win on his way to a career-best $3.6 million for the season, good for 17th on the money list. He had 13 top-25 finishes, and seven times was in the top 10.

He played in three majors, and now has a date with The Masters in April. He made a cut in a major for the first time, at the PGA Championship, and made the Tour Championship for the first time, finishing 17th, while coming in 24th for the year in the FedEx Cup standings.

— Dog attacks: The Lumberton City Council, acting in the wake of a deadly dog attack, voted 5-3 in June to adopt an ordinance that attempts to protect the public from breeds of dogs deemed “potentially dangerous.”

The ordinance was adopted after a tearful plea from Jamie West, whose 7-year-old son Talen was killed by pit bulls in January. In April, a Pembroke woman lost an arm in a dog attack.

The policy lists bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers as potentially vicious, along with any dogs that have bitten a person or pet without provocation.

Under the ordinance, all potentially vicious dogs would have to be kept in a pen, a home or on a leash at all times and cannot be left outside on a rope or chain. Pens must have a concrete bottom and, if less than 6 feet tall, must have an enclosed top. Owners of vicious dogs have to register their dogs with the Lumberton Police Department for a fee of $25, provide a photograph of the dog and have at least $100,000 in liability insurance. City code already requires all dogs to be registered with the tax collector.

Pit bulls or pit bull mixes have been involved in all three fatal dog attacks in Robeson County since 2012.

— UNCP tuition: We include a new state law that caps tuition at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke at $500 a semester for in-state students and $2,500 for out-of-state students not for its impact this year, but for what it promises for UNCP in the future.

UNCP Chancellor Dr. Robin Cummings supported the legislation, which had its critics, but only after assurances that state money would supplant money lost by the reduced tuition fee. The legislation was introduced by Republican Sen. Tom Apodaca and included his alma mater, Western Carolina, and was pitched as a way to help historically black colleges battle declining enrollment. UNCP, which has a growing student population, was included to protect it against losing students to nearby Fayetteville State University, which was included originally.

In the end, UNCP, Western Carolina and Elizabeth City State University were included in the law, while Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State University opted out.

Cummings said the lower tuition will put the educational experience at UNCP within reach of many students in an impoverished region who otherwise might not get to attend a four-year university. The new tuition takes effect in the fall semester of 2017.

— School consolidation: Talk of school consolidation began in the spring and dominated headlines deep into the summer, but in the end nothing was done and the Public Schools of Robeson County’s aging schools just continue to get older.

In the spring, Robbie Ferris, CEO of sfL+a Architects in Raleigh, introduced a plan calling for the closing of 30 schools and the construction of 14 new ones, including a technical school, and said the savings the new schools would provide through fewer staff, reduced maintenance and solar energy, would save the county money over the life of the 40-year lease-purchase agreement.

The county Board of Commissioners endorsed the plan, promising $4 million a year in the short-term, and County Manager Ricky Harris said it would require a modest tax increase, but was the cheapest way to build schools for taxpayers.

But the plan never won the endorsement of the Board of Education, and died in August when the General Assembly did not move on a key piece of legislation that was needed to allow the local system to use state money for the mortgage. The matter is expected to be revisited when legislators return to Raleigh.

— Pembroke mayor’s race: A story that began in November 2015 finally came to an end in September of this year when Greg Cummings was certified as the new mayor of Pembroke.

The wait ended for the former town councilman and current industrial recruiter for Robeson County when the state Board of Elections denied an appeal from challenger Allen Dial, also a former councilman. It ended a saga that include a do-over election in March that showed Cummings winning with 351 votes to Dial’s 343. That triggered a series of challenges, protests and appeals until the state board decided enough was enough.

Even then Cummings had to wait some more for a ceremonial swearing in, which had been scheduled for Oct. 12, but was rescheduled because of Matthew. The town had been without a mayor since the death of Milton Hunt in April 2015. Mayor Pro Tem Channing Jones had handled the gavel in the interim.

GOP surge: The November General Election didn’t result in any major upsets on the local level, but did indicate a change in how local voters were darkening their ballot.

For decades, Robeson County residents have dutifully voted Democrat, but a decline in the number of registered voters in that party, and an invigorated local Republican Party, resulted in the best-ever showing for GOP candidates locally on Nov. 8. Danny Britt, a lawyer running for state Senate, won election with a strong showing in Robeson, and the county also favored Donald Trump for president, Pat McCrory for governor and Richard Burr for U.S. Senate.

Democratic officials dismissed it as an aberration that could be linked to Trump’s unusual candidacy, as well as depressed turnout of some voters in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, but Republican leaders touted it as a shift toward a local two-party system that would benefit a county too long taken for granted by Democrats in Raleigh.

— Economy surges, stumbles: Robeson County’s economy, which featured one of North Carolina’s worst unemployment rates at the peak of the recession, was on the mend — but suffered a big setback during Matthew. The county’s 6.8 percent in October, about half of what it was at the end of the recession, soared to 10.3 percent following the hurricane and flooding, suggesting a loss of about 1,800 jobs.

What remains unknown was how many of those workers returned to work when the waters receded.

What is clear is that Sanderson Farms, the giant chicken-processing plant, is on schedule to open this month, putting as many as 1,100 people to work. The company’s incubator, which is on N.C. 41 in Lumberton, is already open with about 80 good-paying white-collar jobs.

There was also some sweet news in the immediate aftermath of Matthew when Pepsi Bottling Ventures announced it would build a $16.5 million distribution center near St. Pauls, creating 50 new jobs and preserving 200 more that might haven been lost if another site has been chosen. Compensation will vary by position, with an average annual salary of $39,500.

— Empty Stocking Fund: Perhaps this selection is a bit self-serving, but we found it emblematic of the generosity that followed Hurricane Matthew. We at The Robesonian partner with the Robeson County Department of Social Services in raising money for the fund and helping needy children, but only twice since 1996 has enough money been raised to serve all the registered children.

Make that three times.

This year the fund reached $85,899.80, just 20 cents shy of enough for 1,718 children and almost $20,000 more than had ever been raised before. After all of the 1,435 children registered with DSS were served, the department’s staff provided the $50 vouchers for children in state custody and some of those stuck in hotels with their families after losing their homes to Hurricane Matthew.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_greg-cummings-2.jpg

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Robbie-Ferris_cmyk-1.jpg

Fairmont native William McGirt is all smiles after his first PGA career win, which came at Jack Nicklaus’ The Memorial. Nicklaus, who has golf’s best resume when counting majors, is pictured with McGirt and his family. It was the highlight of a record year for McGirt, during which he won $3.6 million, played in three majors, including the U.S. Open and British Open, and made the Tour Championship.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_william-mcgirt-memorial-1.jpgFairmont native William McGirt is all smiles after his first PGA career win, which came at Jack Nicklaus’ The Memorial. Nicklaus, who has golf’s best resume when counting majors, is pictured with McGirt and his family. It was the highlight of a record year for McGirt, during which he won $3.6 million, played in three majors, including the U.S. Open and British Open, and made the Tour Championship.

Sanderson Farms’ chicken-processing plant being built near St. Pauls is on schedule to open this month. It is expected to create about 1,100 jobs, taking a bite out of the county’s unemployment rate.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Sanderson1-3.jpgSanderson Farms’ chicken-processing plant being built near St. Pauls is on schedule to open this month. It is expected to create about 1,100 jobs, taking a bite out of the county’s unemployment rate. Terri Smith | The Robesonian

Hurricane Matthew blew into Robeson County on Oct. 8, dumping as many as 18 inches of rain in 18 hours in some parts of the county, and causing historic flooding that damaged more than 7,000 structures and displaced for than 5,000 people. Almost three months later, the effects remain widespread as many people are still without homes and out of work. This photograph is of one of the hardest hit areas, West Lumberton.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_matthew1-1.jpgHurricane Matthew blew into Robeson County on Oct. 8, dumping as many as 18 inches of rain in 18 hours in some parts of the county, and causing historic flooding that damaged more than 7,000 structures and displaced for than 5,000 people. Almost three months later, the effects remain widespread as many people are still without homes and out of work. This photograph is of one of the hardest hit areas, West Lumberton. Courtesy photo | Keith Ross

Danny Britt
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Danny-Britt-1.jpgDanny Britt Courtesy photo | Keith Ross

Donnie Douglas

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Editor Donnie Douglas can be reached at 910-416-5649.