Mary Katherine Murphy/photo Laurinburg attorney Nick Sojka, left, and state Rep.

Carolyn Walker on Friday announced her intention to run in the district, which takes in the River Road and Washington Park precincts plus part of Washington's Ward 1. She and her husband, Randy Walker, co-own G.W. Walker & Sons, a home-improvement business based in downtown Washington.

School-board member Robert Belcher will not run for re-election. Belcher, a retired public-school principal, confirmed he'll step down after serving the remainder of his eight years on the Beaufort County Board of Education.

During its Jan. 9 meeting, Washington's City Council heard two city residents talk about stop signs.