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Here were some of the stories making news in Bladen County in 1973:
• Seven East Bladen JROTC cadets received awards for excellence: Carlton Mathis, Steven Wright, David McFadgen, William Neal, Shelton Rhodes, Phil Corbett and Jefferson Corbett.
• Wachovia Bank and Bank of Elizabethtown announced a merger.
• Marilyn Clark of Booker T. Washington School in Clarkton defeated eight other school spelling champions to win the Bladen County Spelling Bee.