Brunswick commissioners consider courthouse name change

BOLIVIA, N.C. (WWAY) – Brunswick County commissioners tentatively plan to consider a proposal to name the county courthouse in honor of the late Judge Ola Lewis, who passed away in Dec. 2019 after a battle with liver cancer.

The news comes after commissioners approved putting a plaque in the lobby of the courthouse to honor Lewis in May, pending the completion of phase one of the courthouse renovations.

It also follows news from the Brunswick County commissioners’ meeting on Nov. 2, where commissioners directed the county staff to provide options regarding naming the courthouse after Lewis, following a recommendation from the county manager.

The agenda for Monday’s meeting, scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., has not yet been finalized, according to the county’s public information office, meaning the item could be revised or removed entirely from the Nov. 16 meeting agenda.

Ola Lewis began her law career in 1990, and worked an assistant district attorney serving in Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties from 1991-1993. Gov. Jim Hunt appointed her to the District Court Bench in 1993, making her the first woman and first African-American Judge in the 13th Judicial District. Seven years later, Gov. Hunt appointed Judge Lewis to the Superior Court Bench in the same district.

Judge Lewis was elected resident Superior Court judge in 2002, and in 2010 she ran unopposed for senior resident Superior Court judge. She went on to create several problem-solving courts in her home district including Drug Treatment Court, DWI Treatment Court, Domestic Violence Treatment Court, and a Sex Offender Accountability and Recovery Court (SOAR). Judge Lewis also made a major impact on battling the drug epidemic by helping start the Brunswick County Opioid Addiction Task Force, to deal with drug and mental health issues.