THUMBS UP: Adrian Hunt, was installed last week as Pembrook’s full-time chief of

Police. We can’t think of a better person to take on the challenges of this growing Robeson

County town.

Hunt has twice held the title of interim police chief in Pembroke, giving him the intricate knowledge he’ll need to continue a long history of providing safety to the residents of Pembroke.

Pembroke Mayor Greg Cummings gave Hunt his seal of approval, saying, “Today is a very special day. Sometimes, you know, Rome’s not built in a day. Sometimes you’re always on time. This is the time for Adrian Hunt.”

Charged not only with fighting crime in Pembroke, but also fostering relations with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Hunt brings a historical perspective to the position, having been born and raised in Pembroke.

We look forward to good things happening for the residents in Pembroke.

THUMBS DOWN: Lumberton’s Purple Door Productions had to postpone its comedy-drama “Steel Magnolias” in April, because of “unexpected maintenance issues.”

This community theater is part of the fabric of Lumberton and deserves support, not only through ticket sales but also in ongoing fundraising efforts.

We never like to see the hard work of local performers stalled by facility issues. We have every confidence that the show will go on. We encourage local art lovers to reach out and support the theater

THUMBS UP: We’re giving a thumbs up to the recently staged S.T.E.A.M. Day for the school district’s multilingual families in coordination with UNCP.

The event is designed to reach out to individuals with previously acquired construction, electricity and agricultural skills, gained in their home countries of Central and South America. Parents of prospective students are often unaware of how their talents and skills can contribute to their multilingual children’s process of career readiness.

The English Language Development/Multilingual Program of Public Schools of Robeson County has created an educational initiative allowing parents and and learners to participate in Science experiments that mirror the complex and arduous jobs performed in our local agricultural fields, food processing plants and technology centers.

This is another fine example of how our educational leaders are providing usable skills to our community’s young people.

THUMBS UP: Hurricane Season is just days away, news that we shared in last week’s Robesonian. Longtime residents are no stranger to hurricane season and the disruptions it can bring. Newcomers, however, need to understand that very real dangers arrive in June each year when powerful storms form in the mid-Atlantic. Some of those storms turn out to be nothing, but others turn into powerful hurricanes, which, if they reach the East Coast, bring the threats of deaths, flooding and destruction to thousands of residents. Colorado State University’s hurricane researchers cite record warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures as a primary factor for their prediction of 11 hurricanes this year. That doesn’t mean all 11 will hit Robeson County, but in behooves all local residents to prepare now.

We praise the hurricane forecasters and encourage residents to follow the Robesonian’s news reports as hurricane season arrives.

THUMBS DOWN: We have seen a rash of violent crime in recent weeks, with more close to 20 homicides recorded in Robeson County. Sheriff Burnis Wilkins and his team of deputies and investigators have done a commendable job in responding to violent crime in our communities.

But halting violent crime is not one man’s job. It’s not even the job of the entire Sheriff’s Office, which deals with the worst in our community day after day. If we want to abate violent crime, residents must participate.

The Sheriff’s Office has a number of outreach initiatives to involve local residents in non threatening ways. We give a thumbs up to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and to those who support the office. We give a thumbs down to those criminals that threaten our families, and our communities — directly and indirectly.

THUMBS UP: W. Earl Britt, retired senior United States district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, was memorialized with a historical marker in Fairmont honoring Britt and older brother the late David M. Britt, former Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, an original judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

These two men, as well as their families are well known in both their community and among those in North Carolina’s legal community. They now will be well known by anyone passing through Fairmont.

THUMBS UP: New legislation approved by the NC General Assembly Senate Judiciary Committee requires sheriffs around the state to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials interested in picking up jail inmates believed to be in the country illegally.

The bill passed the Senate committee on Judiciary, which Sen. Danny Britt chairs; it is the first major legislation to advance in this year’s short session.

Britt, from Eastern North Carolina and practicing criminal law for more than 20 plus years, has never seen a victim not get their day in court due to a I.C.E. hold, he said.

I.C.E. detainers have been around since the 1950s. Under HB10, immigrants who are charged with serious felonies and A1 misdemeanors, would be subject to I.C.E. detainers.

THUMBS UP: The Public Schools of Robeson County’s Early College at RCC ranked 168th in the state and received an overall score of 69.25 in the recent rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Data shows that 84% of students were proficient in mathematics, 95% were proficient in reading and 93% were proficient in science. The school had a graduation rate above 95%, making it tied for the best graduation rate in the state. This is the kind of news we like to report. You can find the full report online here.