BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The Bladen County Board of Elections met Tuesday morning and decided to have a hearing on May 31 to discuss protests made by Matt Dixon and Robert Brooks, according to Elections Director Cynthia Shaw.

Brooks said law week that he believes votes were being bought and had an issue with the people who were signing absentee ballots as witnesses. He said many of those ballots were all voted on the same way.

Albert Beaty dropped his protest. The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in the County Commissioner's meeting room.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WECT) – Over $8 million was awarded to over 600 fire departments across the state recently through the 2012 Volunteer Fire Department Fund.

The Fund was created in 1988 to provide dollar-for-dollar matching grants to assist volunteer fire departments, according to a news release from Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshall Wayne Goodwin. A total of $8,717,495.18 was awarded to 644 departments and some of that money is going to Bladen County. Here’s the list of local grants:

• Ammon V.F.D., Inc., $3,850
• Bay Tree Lakes Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., $11,111.44
• Bladenboro Fire Department, $19,050
• Clarkton Fire Department, $30,000
• Dublin Fire Department, $10,622.50
• Elizabethtown Fire Department, $3,500
• Kelly V.F.D., Inc., $7,105
• White Lake Fire Department, $13,465

 “I’m proud that so many fire departments are taking advantage of this important grant program. These grants help our volunteer fire departments stretch their budgets to better serve our communities,” stated Goodwin in a news release.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The National Committee for Quality Assurance gave all three Bladen Medical Associates clinics a level three designation, according to a news release.

Level three is the highest level possible and it recognizes “facilities that use evidence-based, patient-centered processes to address a patient’s entire range of healthcare needs, including disease prevention, early detection and care coordination.”

The three Bladen Medical Associates clinics are in Elizabethtown, Bladenboro and Dublin.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.