TUESDAY MAY 14 2024 THE NEWS OBSERVER THE HERALD-SUN 3A The pilot of a single- engine plane that crashed at Raleigh-Durham In- ternational Airport last month was apparently attempting to take off after an aborted landing when the aircraft stalled about 100 feet in the air and hit the ground, ac- cording to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot, Art Johnson, and his sole passenger, UNC Health physician Paul Chelminski, were injured. Chelminski was treated and released from a hospital the day of the crash, April 24, but John- injuries were serious enough that he was not available to speak with NTSB investigators. Investigators based their report on the con- dition, airport surveillance video, reports from the air traffic control tower and interviews with Chelmin- ski. The Socata TBM-700 is owned by Medical Air Inc.
and used by UNC Air Operations, which was bringing Chelminski to RDU from Wilmington, where he had met with staff at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center that morn- ing. Chelminski told in- vestigators that the plane was and ganing as if we were descending a hill on the as it approached the runway. He said the airplane touched down twice, before the the pilot appeared to and roll the airplane left as if to take off Chelminski said the plane seemed to lose pow- er as Johnson attempted to climb but that he tell if the engine had stopped. He said Johnson did not say anything to him between the initial touchdown and the crash. The nose and the tip of the left wing hit the ground almost simul- taneously, causing signif- icant damage to the wing and engine, according to the report.
But the plane remained upright on the ground, and the wind- shield, instrument panel and the co*ckpit area were intact. The three-page report describes information the NTSB has gathered about the crash but does not draw any conclusions about the cause. A final report could take a year or more. Johnson has flown for UNC Air Operations since 2013, according to UNC Health. Medical Air which owns the 18-year- old plane, told the NTSB that Johnson has 16,000 hours of flight experience, including 2,500 hours on the Socata TBM-700.
The crash took place next to secondary runway, 5R-23L, on the east side of the passenger terminals. It happened at about 10:10 a.m. on a Wednesday and prompted airport officials to halt all flights in an out of RDU for 1.5 hours as emergency crews responded. Richard Stradling: 919-829-4739, ABC11 A small plane crashed near a runway at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on April 24, 2024, resulting in all flights in and out being halted. Passenger tells NTSB about moments before RDP plane crash BY RICHARD STRADLING Seven years after a 22- year-old woman died from a drug overdose, the man who supplied the drugs that killed her has been sentenced to prison.
Reginald Webb, 33, of Garner will spend the next 16 years in federal prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl in the Raleigh area. Webb was the source of the fentanyl distributed to the young woman, who overdosed twice on drugs he supplied within two days, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. The second over- dose was fatal. The wom- an was not identified in the release.
Webb pleaded guilty in January, while two co- defendants, Amanda McLeod and Treveris Coward, pleaded guilty in 2021 and 2022 for dis- tributing a quantity of fentanyl to the woman who died. They are both waiting for sentencing. TWO OVERDOSES IN TWO DAYS On April 10, 2017, the woman suffered a non- fatal drug overdose after taking drugs laced with fentanyl, distributed by McLeod and sourced by Webb, the department said. McLeod contacted Cow- ard and Webb to revive the woman. The next day, court documents show, the woman bought heroin from McLeod.
She with- drew money from a Food Lion and got into a car driven by McLeod and accompanied by Coward, the department said. Raleigh police respond- ed to an overdose call that day and found the woman. An investigation deter- mined Webb was the source of the fatal drugs. The investigation un- covered a case from 2016 in which a young man suffered a non-fatal over- dose and identified Webb as his supplier, the release stated. In addition, a con- fidential informant bought heroin from Webb in 2015.
Webb was arrested in March of 2017 after a traffic stop in Duplin County, in which 18 bin- dles of heroin were found in his underwear. Bindles are small packages of heroin meant for street sales. dealers who lace fentanyl into their supply and prey on vulnerable individuals who have an addiction should know that the U.S. Office will use every tool available to seek justice for victims of fentanyl poisoning and their fam- U.S. Attorney Mi- chael Easley said in the release.
actions show a complete disregard for human life motivated by sheer NC DRUG OVERDOSES DECLINE BUT REMAIN HIGH Last year, 4,156 people died from suspected opioid overdoses in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Office of the State Medical Examiner. In March 2024, the latest monthly statistics available, there were 267 suspected overdose deaths in the state, down from 355 in March 2023, a nearly decrease. All told in March 2024, there were 1,176 emergen- cy-room visits for over- doses involving medicine or drugs with dependency factors, down from 1,518 in March 2023, a 22.5% decrease. Opioids ac- counted for about half the visits in both years.
Overdose deaths in recent years have been driven by illegally manu- factured fentanyl, accord- ing to the N.C. Depart- ment of Health and Hu- man Services. In 2021, three-quarters of overdose deaths in the state likely involved fentanyl, often combined with other sub- stances. Kristen Johnson: 919-829-4532 Garner man sentenced for selling drugs that killed woman, 22 BY KRISTEN JOHNSON Just a few miles from the North Carolina-South Carolina state line lies Dillon, S.C., a small city of about 6,000 residents where many North Car- olinians once traveled to elope. A North Carolina resi- dent posted to Reddit last year writing that of their relatives eloped in Dillon through- out the mid-20th century.
did one user commented. in S.C. and living in N.C. in 1992 because it was like going to Vegas. Drove down, filled out paper- work, and within 2 hours we were parents got mar- ried in the (from eastern NC) and they eloped to Dillon another wrote.
mom was 18 dad was the story is pretty entertaining but I recall the impe- tus other than it was the thing to do at the WEDDING CAPITAL OF THE The high number of nuptials in Dillon could be due to the once-relaxed marriage laws in the state. In 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that, with parental consent, kids as young as 14 years old could get married in South Carolina, and those re- quirements could be waived in some cases. At the time, South Car- olina only required a 24- hour wait for marriage licenses, the L.A. Times reported. And, unlike neighboring states, South Carolina did not require tests for sexually-transmit- ted diseases or mental competence to receive marriage licenses.
South mar- riage laws have since been updated, but trips to the altar are still abundant in Dillon. According to the Dillon Marriage Chapel, more than 7,000 weddings take place each year in the town, earning the appro- priate nickname of Wedding Capital of the ULTIMATE HONEYMOON DESTINATION After saying many couples made their way to South of The Border right off Interstate 95 for their honeymoons. Why was it so attractive to newlyweds? The business started as a small beer stand known as South of The Border Beer Depot in 1949, ac- cording to its website, allowing North Carolina residents who lived in nearby dry counties to purchase alcohol. Twenty motel rooms were added to the proper- ty five years later, and the business was expanded to include trinkets imported from Mexico. In the years that followed, a co*cktail lounge, gas station and souvenir shop were con- structed.
In 1962, fireworks which were illegal in North Carolina at the time became a hot commod- ity at the motel. In the mid-1960s, the business broadened to include a barber shop, drug store, variety store, post office, outdoor go- kart track and an 104-foot tall of the mascot, Pedro. HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO GET MARRIED IN NC? According to the N.C. Judicial Branch, people who plan to get married must be at least 18 years old unless specific re- quirements for minors are met. Minors ages 16 and 17 must file with the Register of Deeds a written consent to the marriage signed by a parent with sole or joint legal custody, or legal guardian, the N.C.
Judicial Branch says. Those ages 14 and 15 must file a court action if they want to get married. Both of these options are only available in cases of preg- nancy or teenage parent- hood. Children under the age of 14 cannot get married in North Carolina. HOW TO GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN NC Couples whose wed- dings are in North Car- olina can get a marriage license from the Register of Deeds in any county in the state.
Applicants must pay a fee of $60 and fill out a form stating their names, ages, marital status and intention to marry. In most cases, both partners must visit the Register of Deeds office, but some counties, in- cluding Mecklenburg, allow online applications to be submitted before visiting the office to save time. HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO GET MARRIED IN SC? According to South Carolina law, people under the age of 16 can- not get married in the state, but there are excep- tions. Those who are at least 16 years old can get mar- ried with the permission of a parent or guardian, according to the S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center.
If a woman who is 16 or 17 is pregnant or has a child, she and that father can get married without the consent of his parent or guardian, but the wom- parent or guardian must still give permission. HOW TO GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN SC Couples who plan to marry can apply for a marriage license at Applicants must pay a fee of $70, upload a valid form of identifica- tion and proof of social security number and sign a sworn statement saying they are legally entitled to enter a mar- riage in the state. According to South Carolina law, there is a 24-hour waiting period after the application is filed before the marriage license is released Evan Moore: SC Department of Archives and History The Dillon County Courthouse is part of the Dillon Downtown Historic District in Dillon, South Carolina. NC residents once traveled to Dillon, SC, to elope BY EVAN MOORE Southern Living named three North Carolina beach towns among the most beautiful coastal towns in the South. Wilmington, South- port and Beaufort were ranked among the 10 pret- tiest coastal towns in the south.
The top spot went to Fairhope, Alabama. To read the full report, visit southernliving.com. PRETTIEST BEACH TOWNS IN NC FOR A SUMMER TRIP what Southern Living said of the three spots: A Wilmington: Ranked the second-prettiest beach town in the South. The coastal spot was also named Southern southern city on the rise. charismatic city of Wilmington is tucked be- tween the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, meaning have not one but two waterways with two entirely different feels to Southern Living wrote.
the city you can watch boats dock along the 1.75-mile-long River Walk, while you decide which seafood restaurant on the boardwalk will offer the best views. A tiny bit out- side of town, get to known Atlantic side through its three beach communities: Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, and Wrightsville Wilmington is a two hour drive from Raleigh. Learn more about the city at wilmingtonnc.gov/ visitors. A Southport: Ranked the fifth-prettiest coastal town in the South. tiny harbor town finds its home near the Cape Fear River outlet and is a certified nautical- themed dream.
The best place to enjoy the sights may be from the 9-acre Waterfront Park dotted with porch swings, benches and a beloved fishing Southern Living wrote. could also be at one of many dockside seafood restaurants known for the fresh oysters and accessi- bility by land or sea. A quick ferry ride will take you to explore other beach- es and areas of the Bruns- wick Islands including remote Bald Head Island (where cars al- and Fort Fisher. Southport is a two and a half hour drive from Ra- leigh. Learn more about the city at cityofsouthport.com.
A Beaufort: Ranked the tenth-prettiest coastal town in the South. former fishing village, over the years Beaufort has transformed into exactly the kind of seaside retreat that we yearn to return to year after year. The Beau- fort Inlet, Newport River, and North River each claim a portion of this salty little maritime Southern Living wrote. be hard to tear your eyes away from the waterfront scenery, the 12-block historic district with its intricate architec- ture, cheery shops, and mouth-watering restau- rants make a pretty com- pelling Beaufort is about a three hour drive from Raleigh. Learn more about the town at beaufortnc.org/visitors- section.
Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska: 919-419-6630, kcataudella 3 NC beach towns named among most beautiful in the South BY KIMBERLY CATAUDELLA TUTUSKA.
