Mar. 23—THIS WEEK IN BLADEN COUNTY HISTORY

Five Years Ago: Sheriff Jim McVicker announced the arrest of several drug dealers following a joint investigation and search warrants at two different locations last week.

"We have been working jointly with several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Elizabethtown and White Lake Police Departments and the Robeson County Sheriff's office," said McVicker.

"These joint efforts allow us to utilize assets and officers from several agencies which makes our enforcement efforts a joint venture that greatly benefits smaller agencies such as ours," he added. "It increases our manpower and is not as big a drain on our budget. We are working harder and smarter to curb illegal drugs in the county."

On Friday, March 16, officers executed a search warrant at 620 McLeod St., Apartment 19B, in Elizabethtown following a month-long undercover investigation that lead to several undercover buys and culminated in a search warrant and warrants for arrest for one area drug dealer.

Arrested was Houston Junius Smith, 26, of Elizabethtown. Smith was charged with possession of cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver cocaine; maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling controlled substances; manufacturing Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine); possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of adulterants; and felony flee to elude arrest.

Smith was booked into the Bladen County Detention Center on a $53,000 secured bond. He is also facing more narcotics charges and probation violation charges.

From the March 23, 2018 Bladen Journal, Joint Drug Operation Nets Several Arrests

One Year Ago: Three balloons will be released on Friday here on the one-year anniversary of Brandon McDonald's disappearance. Dena Cox, the missing man's mother, said the three balloons are a way to say "I love you" to her son.

McDonald, 35, went missing on March 25, 2021. According to previous reports, he was last seen leaving his Clarkton home, but his cell phone last pinged in the Laurinburg area of Scotland County. His 2003 Ford F-150 pickup, however, was later found wrecked and abandoned in Hope Mills.

Back in October, McDonald's sister Shannon Russell said the previous six months after McDonald was reported missing were a "pure nightmare" for the family.

"Just not knowing where he is or what happened to him," she said. "We've been in agony and wanting answers and desperate for answers."

In December, Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced that the state is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the disappearance of McDonald.

Not long after, the Community United Effort group, which has been working with the family, built a billboard in Clarkton giving information about McDonald's disappearance. It will be at the site of that billboard where the family and others will gather Friday.

From the March 22, 2022 Bladen Journal, 3 balloons and birdseed to fill the sky

Source: Bladen Journal Archives

THIS WEEK IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY

On March 22, 1948, it was reported by the Census Bureau the number of milked cows in North Carolina increased by 33,515 from 1939 to 1944, an 11% increase, with the number of cows at each farm in the state increase, and that around twice as many families have to five to nine cows in 1944. The article also reported 3.8 million less pounds of butter in 1944 compared to 1939 and milk production had increased.

Source: Historic North Carolina Digital Newspaper Collection, Cows Increase In State 11 Percent

THIS WEEK IN NATION AND WORLD HISTORY

On March 20, 1996, a jury in Los Angeles convicted Erik and Lyle Menendez of first-degree murder in the shotgun slayings of their wealthy parents. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On March 21, 1997, President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin wrapped up their summit in Helsinki, Finland, still deadlocked over NATO expansion, but able to agree on slashing nuclear weapons arsenals.

On March 22, 1882, President Chester Alan Arthur signed a measure outlawing polygamy.

On March 23, 1919, Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy.

On March 24, 2016, a U.N. war crimes court convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide and nine other charges for orchestrating a campaign of terror that left 100,000 people dead during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia; Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The sentence was later increased to life in prison.

On March 25, 1960, Ray Charles recorded "Georgia on My Mind" as part of his "The Genius Hits the Road" album in New York.

On March 26, 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna at age 56.

Source: Associated Press