Boyfriend charged in

death of girlfriend

LUMBERTON — A 42-year-old Lumberton man is in the county jail under no bond charged with the first-degree murder of his live-in girlfriend, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Maj. Anthony Thompson said deputies received a call at 2:10 a.m. Sunday about a shooting at 8517 N.C. 72 East. When they arrived, deputies found the body of 37-year-old Angela Renee Winner in the yard of the home she shared with her boyfriend, Joseph Koonce. Lawmen believe Winner was shot while she was in a vehicle, perhaps trying to flee.

Thompson said it was Koonce who called the Sheriff’s Office to report the shooting, which apparently followed some sort of “domestic dispute.”

Koonce also is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and discharging a firearm into a vehicle.

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Police chief tenders

his resignation

CHADBOURN — After only 15 months on the job, Chadbourn Police Chief Darrell Trivette resigned Monday, citing interference and attempts to micromanage police operations by one or more town council members who he did not name in his letter of resignation.

Trivette’s last day on the job will be Feb. 5. The departing chief will remain in law enforcement and has a job somewhere outside Columbus County, but he didn’t want to say Monday where he will be going.

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Teacher collapses,

later passes away

FAYETTEVILLE — A 27-year-old sixth-grade Max Abbott Middle School teacher collapsed at school Tuesday and later died, Cumberland County Schools officials said.

The teacher was identified as James Pietrowski, a sixth-grade math and science teacher, said Renarta Moyd, chief communications officer for Cumberland County Schools.

Pietrowski wasn’t teaching class when he collapsed, and there were no students around, said Superintendent Frank Till Jr.

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Eateries closed

for unpaid taxes

CLINTON — Late last week, Bessie Burger and two Subway franchises in Clinton were seized by the N.C. Department of Revenue for nonpayment of taxes. As of Tuesday, none of the locations had been reopened.

A search of Sampson County tax records revealed that $38,000 in taxes is outstanding for the Northeast Boulevard (U.S. 701 Business) property owned by Granny Scott LLC, which encompasses one of the Subways and Bessie Burger at opposite ends of the same freestanding building.

The other Subway is in Shamrock Plaza off Sunset Avenue.

From staff and wire reports.

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