October 2007 archives

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Just 16 years: Mental illness no comfort for family who lost loved one

It isn’t hard to see that Ricky Thompson had a family who loved him. He had a wife and children as well as an array of immediate family and friends who will never forget the day they lost him to...

Monday, October 29, 2007

Skewed priorities: Georgia case example of law enforcement gone wrong

In a world where there are hundreds of real crimes against children by adults every year, the Genarlow Wilson story is a puzzler. The teenager was arrested, tried and sent to prison for 10 years for having consentual sex with...

Sunday, October 28, 2007

We need you: United Way’s work depends on your willingness to help

Nothing worth having is ever easy. So, it should come as no surprise that this year’s United Way of Wayne County campaign needs your help to finish strong. The organization, which partners with agencies around this community to better the...

Friday, October 26, 2007

Get an issue: It’s time for substance from candidates for office

The men and women who have decided to put their names in the hat for positions serving their communities are to be commended. It is not easy to put yourself out there and ask voters to put you in office....

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Stop obesity 101: Show children the old ways

A statewide study is now focused on finding out what is causing children to continue to gain more and more weight — and what can be done about it. Nothing against those who are charged with finding out those answers,...

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Area matters: Downtown progress great, but there is still work to do

Drive through downtown Goldsboro and its environs and you will see lots of reasons why getting aggressive about dilapidated houses, drug-infested neighborhoods and other so-called “bad areas” is so critical. There are many plans in the works for Goldsboro’s downtown...

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Heartbreak: Story of Meals on Wheels volunteer’s death a tragedy

It is not hard to feel sad when you hear the story of the two Meals on Wheels volunteers who were stabbed while working at a local church to feed their community’s homebound senior citizens. And it will never be...

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Coffer inflation: Apathy factors into why campaigns cost so much

Between two candidates for president of the United States, there has been more than $70 million donated, raised or otherwise collected — so far. That’s right. So that means more $100 million is in the bank if you add up...

Friday, October 19, 2007

Too dry to burn: It’s not worth the risk to set fire to your brush, trash

A little rain does not a drought eliminate. So, for those out there who might think that the recent open burning ban rules do not apply to them, take heed. Do not light a fire. Not at night. Not when...

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Oh, come on: Furor over Ellen DeGeneres’ dog adoption is just silly

Gee, who isn’t just a little bit happy when a powerful celebrity gets told he or she has to follow the rules like the rest of us. So, when the Ellen DeGeneres dog scandal hit, at first glance it looked...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

A bright spot: Child’s scholarship story might be a revelation for future

With all the angst and hand-wringing that has taken place over test scores, school quality and the future, the news this week that a county fourth-grader has already earned a college scholarship was a welcome diversion. Little Nakia Atkins of...

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Water worries: Don’t waffle council. Right decision is strict regulation.

OK, so no one will be thrilled if the Goldsboro City Council decides at its next meeting that the drought situation requires drastic measures. Especially if they have planted trees or are trying to nurse a lawn back to health....

Monday, October 15, 2007

A bit at a time: Days of Caring projects prove a little means much

Volunteer Wayne/RSVP Director Barbara Stiles has reason to crow a little. After all, the number of volunteer hours donated to make the eight days of Days of Caring nearly doubled the contribution from last year. And the amount of funds...

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Imperfect justice: Dail case requires us to make the system better

Hearing a story like Dwayne Dail’s makes anyone with a sense of compassion and justice think twice about how evidence is collected in this country — and the possibility that there might be more people in jail right now for...

Friday, October 12, 2007

Come eat fish: Every year, Shriners light fryers to help sick children

If you are reading this and it is still light outside, you can still head down to Herman Park for dinner — and perhaps make a sick child’s life a little easier. The Wayne County Shrine Club gathers up hundreds...

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Irresponsible: Hundreds of animals a year die because of their owners

You have probably seen them — kittens searching for food, dogs running loose with too tight collars. They are everywhere in this and many other counties across the United States. The reason? The families and individuals who own them —...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

‘Paging: Ideas’: There will be no shortage of backseat drivers

The worst part of any political campaign is not the cheesy shots with babies and the raucous crowds of canned supporters who just happened to gather at a particular politician’s campaign stop. It is isn’t even the hundreds of hours...

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Stomping drugs: Tough, not weak. Insistent, not just compassionate.

One of the most striking facts about the drug enforcement business is how it just never seems to get better. No matter how many violators local law enforcement officers seem to arrest, there are always a couple dozen more just...

Saturday, October 6, 2007

A cheap tactic: Moore tries for political points at Gov. Aycock’s expense

Poor Richard Moore. It started off as a good idea, really. Here’s the plan: 1. Call for the name of a man who has been historically tied to segregationist ideals to be removed from the state Democrats’ most prestigious dinner....

Friday, October 5, 2007

Head to the fair: There’s still time to support volunteers, fair staff

There are only a couple of days left of the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair — and this year, it looks like it was a huge success. In addition to crowded midways and busy livestock competitions, the weather cooperated this year,...

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Care done right: Taxpayers cannot afford another ‘feel-good’ plan

A touchy, feely bill about providing health care for all children across the nation is easy politics. After all, who is against children having proper health care? Who wants to keep them from getting exams, vaccinations and other care they...

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Fewer inmates: Think fixing education doesn’t matter? Price a new jail.

Hopefully, you weren’t eating when you read today’s article about the cost of meeting the future needs of Wayne County’s jail population. If you were, when you read the nearly $50 million price tag for the cheapest option — you...

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Britney’s loss: It’s good her boys will be safe, but why did it take so long?

It was late-breaking news across the country last night. After months of bickering, tabloid rumors and accusations, pop singer Britney Spears was ordered by a judge to turn over her children to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Now, you can argue...

Monday, October 1, 2007

Pay back: Calling to service is one that too many people ignore

Busy days usually mean few people take the time to think about what they can do to help others. It is just a consequence of today’s much-too-rushed world. But when you read a story about someone like Capt. Don Haley,...