February 2011 archives

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Monday, February 28, 2011

Goldsboro begins line flushing program

The City of Goldsboro Public Works Department began its annual uni-directional water line flushing program on Sunday at 10 p.m. Crews will be flushing lines from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. daily except Fridays and Saturdays. The flushing program...

Celebrating diversity

Grantham School held an African-American Heritage Celebration on Friday afternoon as part of its month-long observation of Black History Month. Above, Ivy Kelley, Latricia Johnson and Samantha Robinson sing "Lean on Me" during the program, which was titled "All Things...

Wayne County's first black deputy a quiet leader, father figure

Leroy Locklair doesn't see himself as a part of black history. But as the first black deputy in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, he led the way for other black officers on the force. "I'm just proud that I'm...

County will eye rezoning request

A rezoning request for land in the Mar Mac community that stirred some controversy among county commissioners last month will be back on the board's agenda when it meets Tuesday morning. No one from the public spoke during a...

Toddler killed in crossfire

A 3-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet in a Day Circle housing community about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Law enforcement officers are looking for the alleged shooter, who has an extensive criminal record. Princess Shelby King was one of...

Wayne County students win in 2011 Arts Festival

Wayne County had several student winners in the 2011 Arts Festival sponsored by District 8 of the General Federation of Women's Club North Carolina. The competition was held Feb. 19 in New Bern. A preliminary contest was held in...

N.C. Eastern Region to hold tourism meeting in Duplin County

The 2011 Tourism Mini-Summit hosted by North Carolina's Eastern Region will be held at the River Landing Country Club in Wallace on Wednesday from 9 a.m until noon. Local officials and residents will be able to hear tourism experts...

Spring Creek Elementary caricatures travel country

Students at Spring Creek Elementary School got to live vicariously through caricatures of themselves recently, inspired by a book about a boy who mailed himself in an envelope after being accidentally flattened in his sleep by a bulletin board....

Public record

Shoplifting *Chris Jordan, manager of CVS, told Goldsboro police officers that a black male wearing a white and blue jacket reached behind a store counter and stole a touch screen tablet valued at $99 and left the store. Jordan said...

Aycock Birthplace to host public Civil War Trivia Contest on March 3

"Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?" was a common question heard on the television show "You Bet Your Life" in 1959 when the Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site first opened its doors. That question and many more will be...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Adventure on the Bering Sea

MOUNT OLIVE -- Sonny Kilpatrick's fish story began in 2007, soon after he decided it was time to retire from nearly 30 years of teaching and coaching at Spring Creek middle and high schools. He was 57. But this was...

Drivers' anger rising as gas prices soar

Want to make people angry? Just bring up gas prices. In the last week alone, they've gone up an average of 20 cents a gallon. And pundits are predicting that by summer vacation months, prices will hover between $4...

State boosts DNA testing

A new state law allows the SBI to create a massive database of DNA taken from people who have been charged with certain crimes. The law, which went into effect Feb. 1, requires all law enforcement agencies in the...

Mount Olive marks month with Black History Parade

MOUNT OLIVE -- Entrants for the third annual Black History Month parade began arriving more than two hours before the 1 p.m. start time. Organizer Ricky Faire, a member of the Unity Group, which sponsors of the event, greeted...

Company: Chicken plant is delayed for year

Wayne County Develop-ment Alliance officials have little to say about last week's announcement that Sander-son Farms is delaying by a year a decision on building a chicken processing plant in eastern North Carolina. Wayne County was supposedly among the...

Taxes not off table in Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE -- Nothing is off the table where the town's budget is concerned, Mount Olive commissioners said during a Thursday night budget workshop, including the possibility of a tax increase to help the town weather what could be...

Lane twins win on ABC's 'Wipeout'

Twins Gary and Larry Lane came out on top Thursday as the duo won the team family competition on ABC's "Winter Wipeout," pocketing $50,000 in the process. Having filmed the episode for the popular TV game show in November,...

Friday, February 25, 2011

United Way honors volunteers, officially finishes campaign

Judy Pelt was named the recipient of the Emil Rosenthal Award by the United Way of Wayne County at the organization's annual meeting Thursday at the Lane Tree Golf Club. The award honors United Way's volunteer of the year....

NAACP eyes school disciplinary policies

The Goldsboro-Wayne branch of the NAACP plans to form a blue ribbon committee to examine disciplinary policies of the Wayne County Public Schools, members announced at a press conference Thursday. Charles Wright, education chairman for the group, said it was...

Parks and Rec director resigns

Another Goldsboro department head is on his way out of the city. City Manager Joe Huffman confirmed Thursday afternoon that Parks and Recreation Director Ruben Wall has accepted the same position with the town of Wake Forest. Huffman and Police...

SJAFB, WCC Career Day set for March 16 at college

The 20th annual "Career Day" co-hosted by Wayne Community College's Cooperative Education Department and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Airman and Family Readiness Center is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16. This free public job fair will be held from...

Thursday, February 24, 2011

In flight

Wayne Rhue throws his  disc toward the second hole basket at the Stoney Creek Park Disc Golf Course. The disc golf course was built in 2009 and designed by Riley Wilkens and Miles Perry. The course was redesigned last spring....

Candlelight vigil will remember children who are victims of abuse

Children who are victims of child abuse and neglect will be remembered at a candlelight vigil Monday at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Mall's center stage. The WAGES/Wayne County For Children Council will sponsor Life L.I.G.H.T.S. (love, instruction, guardianship, hope, time...

School program teaches youths life skills they need

The Goldsboro police kicked off a new program this week in the classrooms of Wayne County Schools designed to teach 9- to 13-year-old students how to make positive life choices. The program, G.R.E.A.T., Gang Resistance Education And Training, is...

Fremont police chief candidate says 'no'

FREMONT -- Fremont town officials announced Glenn Neal as the town's new police chief Wednesday, just hours before Neal told them he actually would be taking a job elsewhere. Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie thought the search for a new...

Mount Olive man shot in normally quiet part of town

MOUNT OLIVE -- A Cleveland Drive man was assaulted, robbed and then shot just feet away from his mobile home Tuesday night where a woman and young child were. Manuel C. Calderon, no age listed, was shot in his...

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Logan named interim manager for city

As the search for outgoing City Manager Joe Huffman's replacement continues, members of the City Council are putting his current assistant into the role for the time being. Tasha Logan, who has served as assistant city manager for nearly six...

Mini history lesson

Chidi Bowman, a fourth-grade student at School Street Elementary, looks over photographs of famous black Americans that are part of a mini-Black History exhibit in the classroom of teacher Teresa Joyner. Bowman was looking at a photo of baseball pitching...

County officials concerned about plan to shift expenses

Already embattled county budgets would suffer more hits should the General Assembly adopt a budget proposal that shifts millions of dollars in school funding costs to the counties. Under the proposal counties would foot the bill for replacement school buses,...

Teen saves couple from fire

Jonathan Wise was at home with his girlfriend, Paula Locklear, on Sunday morning, watching TV. Dominique Rivers, 16, was across the other side of the Beaver Street cul de sac in the Carraway Creek neighborhood, baby-sitting his nephew at his...

Airman succumbs to injuries

For the fifth time since October, members of the 4th Fighter Wing are mourning the loss of one of their own. And like three of the four Air Force deaths that preceded it, Senior Airman Cody Hendrickson's was allegedly self-inflicted....

Sudents win Human Relations poster/essay contest

The City of Goldsboro and the County of Wayne held the 37th annual Human Relations Banquet and Awards Ceremony on Saturday at Herman Park Center. Winners of the student essay contest were: Grades 10-12 1st, Chantrel Reynolds, Eastern Wayne High...

Lane twins ready to wipe out

All it took were two cases of whiplash and a week's worth of hobbling around, barely able to walk, but on Thursday, Wayne County will find out if the Lane twins' latest adventure was worth it. Appearing on ABC's...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Wilson man charged with Wayne sex offenses

Ernie Lee Warrick, 29, has been charged with six counts of sexual offenses toward a 9-year-old girl. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office charged Warrick, of Wilson, on Feb. 18, after the Wilson County Sheriff's Office informed the agency of...

A witness to history

"Don't let go of your dreams," the Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and one of the last living witnesses to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., told a gathering Monday at...

Group to focus on city's black youths

Not long after Mayor Al King granted an interview during which he unwrapped what he sees as the problems facing young black males in Goldsboro and surrounding areas, Tanyetta Strickland Sutton made a decision. "Let's come up with a solution....

Murder suspect arrested at Cherry

A Greenville man was arrested for murder Monday after being picked up at Cherry Hospital. Sgt. J. Carlton Williams, public information officer for the Greenville Police Department, explained that Greenville police traveled to Goldsboro Monday to pick up Kevin...

HazMat team clears meth sites

MOUNT OLIVE -- It looked like the kind of trash commonly found along Wayne County roads -- plastic bags and discarded metal cans. But the discarded items found Monday on N.C. 55 West at Thunder Swamp Bridge could have been...

Inmate faces murder charge in state prison guard's death

Chardan Whitehead, 24, of Edgecombe County, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Neuse Correctional Institution officer. Whitehead was arrested just five days after being released from the Edgecombe County Jail. He is charged...

Highway Patrol involved in accident

A state Highway Patrol vehicle was involved in an accident Sunday afternoon at 1:33 in the intersection of U.S. 13 North and U.S. 117 South. Neither Trooper N.J. Talley or the driver of the other vehicle, Marcus LaMont Barbour,...

Lewis not guilty of attempted murder

A jury reached a verdict Monday in Wayne County Superior Court in the attempted murder trial of Mack Recardo Lewis. He was found not guilty of trying to kill his former girlfriend but was found guilty of assault with a...

No change in airman's condition

A 4th Fighter Wing airman remained in critical condition this morning after a shooting at his home late Friday afternoon, a Pitt Memorial Hospital spokesman confirmed just before press time. Cody Hendrickson, a 23-year-old member of the wing's Component Maintenance...

Monday, February 21, 2011

Jury not back in Lewis case

After nearly seven hours of deliberation, the jury was still out today in the attempted murder trial of Mack Recardo Lewis. The jury deliberated for about three hours on Thursday and another four hours on Friday before Judge Arnold Jones...

Airman remains in critical condition

A 4th Fighter Wing airman remained in critical condition this morning after a shooting at his home late Friday afternoon, a Pitt Memorial Hospital spokesman confirmed just before press time. Cody Hendrickson, a 23-year-old member of the wing's Component Maintenance...

Burn notice

GRANTHAM -- Two Sunday afternoon fires fueled by the high winds, low humidity and unseasonably warm temperatures that cover much of the state damaged six Wayne County homes. A trash fire apparently fanned by a gust of wind damaged three...

More than $10,000 raised for transplant

GRANTHAM -- More than $10,000, including an anonymous donation of $6,500, was raised Friday night at Grantham School for Abby Keen, 14, who is on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Another $2,500 was donated by Mary Ann Futrell...

Human Relations Banquet honorees

The City of Goldsboro Human Affairs Commission, along with the County of Wayne, held the 37th annual Community Affairs Awards Banquet on Saturday night at the Herman Park Center. The Mental Health Association of Wayne County won the Business Award,...

County seeks legislation to speed up construction

A local bill is expected to be filed in the Legislature that would give Wayne County the option of using the design/build concept for future capital improvement projects. Commissioners last week authorized county attorney Borden Parker to contact state Rep....

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Their view from the battlefield

Four female members of the U.S. military who have spent extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan described their experiences at a panel discussion Friday night at the Wayne County Arts Council. The discussion was led by Dr. Laura Browder...

Schools recognize promising students

Exemplary students are not always measured by test scores or points made on the ballfield. Sometimes it's about heart and spirit and simply showing up for class every day to tackle the task at hand. So, four years ago, Dexter...

Officials investigating SJAFB airman shooting

A 4th Fighter Wing airman is fighting for his life at Pitt Memorial Hospital after a shooting at his home late Friday afternoon. Cody Hendrickson, a 23-year-old member of the wing's Component Maintenance Squadron, is currently in critical condition, a...

Traffic stop nets mobile meth lab

MOUNT OLIVE -- A routine traffic stop Thursday morning turned into an investigation of a mobile methamphetamine lab. Three people were charged after Mount Olive police Officer Johnny Joe Gonzales stopped a pickup truck that crossed the center line...

Pikeville puts end to gunfire at spray field

The sound of gunfire should be even more rare in and around Pikeville after town commissioners adopted a new firearm ordinance at a recent meeting. The ordinance, said town administrator Kathie Fields, was approved to keep people from discharging...

Ten girls to compete for title of Miss Eastern Wayne High

Ten contestants will vie for the title of "Miss Eastern Wayne High School 2011" on Friday at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College. Theme for the 17th annual scholarship pageant is "Ignite Your Life." Sponsored by the...

Steve Keen named president of Eastern Carolina government panel

Steve Keen, a member of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, has been elected President of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments. Keen has served as Wayne County's representative to the council since 2009 and most recently served as the...

Seats available for WCC course

It is not too late to sign up for the Foundation of Wayne Community College's mini course "The Fourth Century: Window on the Modern World," set for March 7, 14, 21, and 28. The series will look at this...

Pennies from Angels relocates

People needing help from or wanting to donate to Pennies From Angels will no longer find the charity at Southeastern Medical Oncology Center. Helen Harwood, founder and operator of the charity, has retired from SMOC and is running the organization...

Learning about Afghanistan

John Jarrel has a burqa placed on him by Kathryn Spicer during the "Celebrating Afghanistan" festival at the Wayne Arts Council on Saturday afternoon. The burqa is traditional garb for Afghan women. The event was the culmination of the annual...

Rose Banquet to be held March 1 at Wayne Center

A spaghetti dinner, entertainment, a skit and door prizes will all be part of the 12th annual Rose Banquet March 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wayne Center. Sponsored by the Wayne Council on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, the...

Mount Olive set for Black History Parade

Having watched their event grow over the last two year, organizers of the Mount Olive Black History Parade say they are expecting this year to be even bigger and better. Members of the Unity Group, which is putting on...

Johnston Democratic precinct meetings

The Johnston County Democratic Party will hold annual precinct organization meetings on Tuesday, March 1, beginning at 7 p.m., at the polling site in each precinct. All precinct meetings are held at the location of your voting place except for...

GHS debate class gets chance to see tourney

The Goldsboro High School speech and debate class is in Washington right now, getting a chance to see what it would be like to compete in a national debate contest, thanks to the support of the community and the confidence...

Fremont looks to trim 2011 budget

FREMONT -- Town officials discussed strategies for the Town of Fremont to cut costs at a Board of Alderman meeting this past week. An audit presentation reinforced what many residents already know -- improvements are needed in the town's...

Driver's license office closed on Monday

RALEIGH -- All of the state's driver's license offices will be closed Monday for an update of the National Driver Registry. The system update will affect driver licensing transactions around the country throughout the President's Day weekend, but is expected...

Public record

Armed robbery Two male employees at Uncle Yammy's Rib Shack on Spence Avenue were taking out the restaurant's trash when four men, one of whom had a handgun, came from around the dumpster and robbed them of more than...

Businesswomen's club seeking nominations

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Wayne-Duplin Business and Professional Women's Club is seeking nominations for the BPW Young Careerist competition. This honor is given to a woman for her personal and professional achievements. To be eligible, the nominee must be...

New coastal boating guide now available

The newly designed, free guide features a map of the state's coastline, along with information about boating safety, museums and parks, boating access areas, recreation, licenses and fishing piers. It also offers a guide to the town of Oak Island,...

American Cancer Society's 'Look Good ... Feel Better' program to be held Feb. 28

When you're undergoing cancer treatment, it's hard to feel normal.. but experts say if you look good, you'll feel better. In fact "Look Good ... Feel Better," an outreach program through the American Cancer Society, has helped nearly 500,000 women...

Friday, February 18, 2011

Interim Fremont police chief files sex complaint

Fremont interim police Chief Teresa Quinn is alleging sexual harassment and sexual discrimination in a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Town Manager Kerry McDuffie. Ms. Quinn, who was the patrol sergeant before being interim chief...

CDC: GlenCare shows need for more controls

Six hepatitis-related deaths at GlenCare last year have prompted the CDC to suggest the need for more vigilance in infection control, while local Health Department officials also hope to see expanded efforts in the inspections of facilities. In a report...

Center Street's remake gets approval from City Council

Members of the Goldsboro City Council committed to a revamped Center Street Thursday morning during the final day of their annual retreat -- a block of it, anyway. The board voted to allow staff to put the first phase of...

Mount Olive honors citizens at banquet

MOUNT OLIVE -- The people, young and old, who make a difference in their communities through their volunteer service were honored Thursday night during the fifth annual Membership Banquet and Awards Ceremony jointly sponsored by the Mount Olive Area Chamber...

News-Argus takes home honors at state contest

CHAPEL HILL -- Members of the News-Argus staff brought four writing awards back to Wayne County Thursday evening, as the North Carolina Press Association announced the results of its 2010 News, Editorial and Photojournalism Contest. The newspaper's 2010 Progress Edition,...

700 feeder pigs die in fire

Nearly 700 feeder pigs died in a fire at a Duplin County farm Wednesday. The pigs each weighed about 45 pounds and were delivered to Grey Morgan, of GM Farm, earlier this week. The pigs are believed to have...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Rezoning request raises concern

No one from the public spoke during a rezoning public hearing Tuesday morning before county commissioners that lasted less than a minute. However, some commissioners, Jack Best in particular, expressed concerns about approving the rezoning petition of John Harrell. Commissioners...

Closing arguments expected in attempted murder trial

Closing statements were expected this morning in the trial of Mack Recardo Lewis, which has the 27-year-old Rocky Mount man facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Lewis took the witness stand Wednesday to defend...

Goldsboro police to serve at La Paz for Special Olympics

Goldsboro police officers will serve as waiters and temporary staff at La Paz Family Mexican Restaurant on Spence Avenue on Friday in order to raise money for the Special Olympics. Officers will be on hand to help with serving...

City will face $500,000 shortfall

Members of the Goldsboro City Council could not come up with a viable solution Wednesday when told that the city would likely soon be facing a nearly $500,000 budget shortfall due, in part, to rising gas prices. "It seems to...

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Council begins annual retreat

For the next two days, members of the Goldsboro City Council will focus, among other things, on the future, as the board began its annual retreat this morning at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting -- one set to...

Best to schools: Let's eye building options

The Wayne County Board of Education has reason not to trust the county commissioners because of past failures to act on funding, but that is no excuse to base school construction decisions on politics, Commissioner Jack Best said. However, school...

Couple's home destroyed in city fire

An elderly couple was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital Tuesday after a fire destroyed their Randolph Street home. Richard Freeman, 75, and his wife, Karen, 71, were treated and released. Firefighters with the Goldsboro Fire Department battled the fire for...

Students get first look at career options

Busloads of seventh-graders converged on the Family YMCA Tuesday for the second annual middle schools career fair. Once inside, students hesitantly glanced around the room before receiving instructions from their guidance counselors on how to navigate. Eighty booths lined...

Family pleads to illegal lottery ring

MOUNT OLIVE -- A 3-year-old case involving an illegal "numbers" lottery operation spread over several counties that made use of runners, bag men, count houses and generated more than $1 million in income for its female banker/manager moved closer to...

History brought to life

Dr. Bob Fulkerson, pastor of Madison Avenue Baptist Church, portrays President Abraham Lincoln, the nation's 16th president, speaking to fourth-grade classes at North Drive Elementary School on Tuesday. This is the second year Fulkerson has done the presentation, sharing about...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Heartfelt jumping

Sara Ponce, a kindergarten student at Rosewood Elementary, takes part in Jump Rope for Heart, an annual event held at schools around the county and across the country, to raise money for the American Heart Association. At Rosewood Elementary's Valentine's...

Huffman resigns Partnership post

Less than four months into her role as executive director of Partnership for Children of Wayne County, Patty Huffman has announced her plans to leave the area in June. The news should not come as a surprise, since her husband,...

Civil rights leader will speak at WCC event

The Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, a longtime leader in the American Civil Rights Movement and one of the last living witnesses to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, will be Wayne Community College's Black History Month celebration speaker. He...

New stop signs in plans for N.C. 55

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A major change is in the works for traffic traveling along N.C. 55 where it intersects N.C. 111 -- a four-way stop is expected to be in place within the next 90 days. The intersection, about 12...

Carolina Games Summit winners

Here are the winners from the Carolina Games Summit held Feb. 5 at Wayne Community College. The all-day event featured 22 tournaments across all gaming platforms and genres. *BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Jonathan Layton, 1st; Kyle Lee, 2nd; Shaun Cosby,3rd...

Weekend flu clinics planned for students

The Wayne County Health Department will offer free flu shots clinics over the next two weekends at local high schools. The first clinic will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at Southern Wayne High...

Monday, February 14, 2011

Hearts and flowers

Miles Primas, 6, right, and his mother, Leslie, buy a flower and gift for his girlfriend and his teacher at Pinewood Florist this morning. He is a student at Protestant Preschool. Across the nation, boys and girls and men and...

Options weighed for traffic jams on Berkeley

Realigning Royall Avenue and Central Heights Road would be the best but most expensive solution to the confusing dog-leg intersection of the two roads at North Berkeley Boulevard. But until the money -- an estimated $8 million -- is available,...

Twenty-five new teachers earn national certification

Wayne County Public Schools has 25 new National Board Certified educators, bringing the district total to 212. National Board certification is granted by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, the most accepted symbol of teaching excellence in the U.S....

County will consider proposal to give $25,000 to air show effort

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday for the first time will consider appropriating $25,000 for the Wings Over Wayne Air Show to be held April 16-17 on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The additional money is being sought to bring in...

Attempted murder trial set to begin

Jury selection was expected to begin today in Wayne County Superior Court in the attempted murder trial of Mack Recardo Lewis, 27, of Rocky Mount. Lewis is charged in connection with a stabbing that severely injured a former girlfriend, Gloria...

Middle school career fair to kick off this Thursday

This week, more than 1,400 youths will converge on the Goldsboro Family YMCA to learn more about local businesses and industries. Seventh-grade students from public, private and home schools will attend the second annual Middle School Career Fair. The...

WMH earns accreditation for MRI

Wayne MRI has earned three-year accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging by the American College of Radiology. The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs...

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Albertson ready for annual Fox Hunt

Good weather -- that's all Willie Rouse and the organizers of the 26th annual Washington's Day Fox Hunt in Albertson are hoping for. If the weather's good, Rouse said, then the crowds will usually follow. "We are looking forward...

Neuse Correctional superintendent Oates honored

Ennis Oates, superintendent of Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, has been named Superintendent the Year for 2011 announced North Carolina Division of Prisons Director Bob Lewis. "Mr. Oates' experience and ability to handle one of the more complex institutions...

School audit focused on procedures, not misuse

Wayne County Public Schools did nothing fraudulent, is not expected to have to pay back federal stimulus funds, and earlier reports by a Raleigh media outlet to that effect were erroneous, state and local officials said. Earlier in the week,...

Group works to improve Duplin County animal shelter

There is little expectation that a new animal shelter will be built in Duplin County within at least the next five years, said County Manager Mike Aldridge, but a group of volunteers is helping to make the current one...

Duplin County works to bring Events Center back in spotlight

By MATTHEW WHITTLE Assistant News Editor After a rough 2010, county officials hope they have the Duplin County Events Center back on track as commissioners voted Monday to pursue the re-acquisition of ABC permits for the facility. County Manager Mike...

Free tax return help available for seniors, low-income families

The AARP Tax Aide Service is offering free tax counseling and simple income tax preparation help for senior citizens and low-income taxpayers through April 18. Senior taxpayers, 50 and older, will receive priority. Assistance is being offered at the Wayne...

Longtime historian Charles Ellis dies

Wayne County lost one of the primary keepers of its history Friday with the death of Charles Ellis. Ellis, 81, suffered severe head injuries Monday as the result of a fall and had been in a medically induced coma...

Ava Gardner Museum ranked among Top 10

Visitors of the Ava Gardner Museum have long known that the Museum is one of North Carolina's most remarkable attractions and the one-of-kind venue is a outstanding tribute to one of Hollywood's most glamorous leading ladies. This claim was validated...

Hometown boy makes circus ring

"Mom, Dad, I'm joining the circus." When Andrew Hicks told his parents that, he was not clowning around. "I've been clowning my whole life, so it wasn't a surprise to my parents that I would want to go further,"...

Area chuches, Wayne County Reads partnership with Stop Hunger Now

Janette Thode went to fellow members of St. Francis Episcopal Church because she wanted to do a project to make a difference in the lives of starving children. Some of those church members happened to be affiliated with Wayne...

Andy's to expand franchise offers to 13 other states

MOUNT OLIVE -- Andy's Burgers Shakes and Fries, known for its unique mixture of 1950s décor and employees who run to open the doors as they greet customers, is poised to begin spreading into 13 other states starting next...

Friday, February 11, 2011

Base EOD unit clears package in mailbox

An envelope containing a cellular phone prompted the lockdown of the area immediately surrounding two post office drop boxes located near the intersection of Eastgate and Cashwell Drives this morning. Goldsboro police officers responded to the call -- one that...

A soldier's battle story

The story was one most in the crowd had heard before -- immortalized in print and on film. In many ways it was a story similar to that which can be told by every Medal of Honor recipient. But...

Wayne museum extends hours for poster exhibit

The Wayne County Museum on William Street is extending its hours to give the public more opportunity to view the entries in its Human Relations Month Poster Contest. The exhibit will run from today through Feb.18. The contest is...

Counselor, students honored

A school counselor who coordinated food and clothing drives, organized the district's first middle school career fair and is leading an anti-bullying campaign at her school was named Wayne County Public Schools' Counselor of the Year on Thursday. Angie Rains...

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Snow flurries, fizzles

A snowstorm this morning led to a two-hour delay for the start of Wayne County Public Schools as snow that had been predicted to start after midnight finally began to fall just before daybreak. Most business and government offices...

Plats OK'd by county Planning Board

It took the Wayne County Planning Board just about 15 minutes Tuesday night to approve to final subdivision plats and to give conditional approval to a preliminary plat. The two finals will now go to county commissioners for their...

Public record

Arrests pending in tractor theft Wayne County Sheriff's Office Det. Sgt. Rick Farfour recovered a stolen Ford/New Holland 7610-S 4x4 tractor, valued at $30,000, from the Rosewood community on Monday. Farfour said the tractor, which was reported stolen from Wilson...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Duke professor describes women in the Middle East

Americans should pay attention to the plight of individual women in the Muslim world and not consider them as a single, undifferentiated oppressed minority, Duke University professor Dr. Miriam Cooke said at a Wayne County Reads event Tuesday night at...

Jobless rate drops for December

Wayne County's unemployment rate, along with those of 65 other counties, dropped in December, remaining below the state's average rate of 9.7 percent. Falling from 8.5 percent in November to 8.2 percent, the rate is down a full percentage...

Early Valentine shopping

Adriana Davis, a kindergartner at Meadow Lane Elementary School, looks over a heart with attached candy in the school's annual Multiage Valentine sale. Parents, teachers and students from the multiage classroom prepared the inventory, which ranged from homemade cards to...

Local historian seriously injured in fall

Charles Ellis, one of Wayne County's pre-eminent local historians, suffered a serious fall Monday and is currently in critical condition at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. Ellis, 81, has been unconscious since the accident, his wife, Betty, said today....

Snow is predicted for region

Close to 1,200 tons of salt arrived in Wayne County last week just in time for winter's latest snowy swing at the state, which is predicted to mainly hit the eastern part of the state starting late tonight. "I hope...

Make time for a story

Angela Draper and her son, Elijah, 3, listen as Pikeville Library branch manager Lisa Stevens reads during the Mommy and Me story time, which attracts a good crowd every Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m....

Wayne County sheriff's deputy wrecks patrol car

A Wayne County sheriff's deputy wrecked his car on 2200 block of Antioch Road Tuesday around 11:20 a.m. while responding to a call. Deputy Ron Carrasquillo was not injured but the car is believed to be a total loss,...

Andy's pushes funding for library to $300K

MOUNT OLIVE -- Andy's Charitable Foundation, which provided the first corporate gift for the Steele Memorial Library fundraiser, has increased that initial pledge to send the total raised thus far for the library to more than $300,000 -- the threshold...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Museum plans Black History Month exhibit

The Wayne County Museum opened a Black History Month exhibit this past weekend titled "Civil War to Civil Rights," a look at the black American experience from the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 through the Civil...

Woman dies after crashing into car

Sarah Lilley Joyner, 58, of Goldsboro, was killed Saturday night after she struck a parked vehicle on U.S. 13 about eight miles west of Newton Grove, state Highway Patrol officials said. Around 11:15 p.m., Ms. Joyner's vehicle left the...

Mount Olive reviews new audit findings, considers adding new person to roster

MOUNT OLIVE -- Town commissioners Monday night accepted without comment the town's audit for the year ended June 30 only later to come out of a closed session and authorize Town Clerk Arlene Talton to make recommendations to the board...

City to give base $75K for air show

The city of Goldsboro is getting into the air show business -- to the tune of $75,000. "We have been asked to help with securing some of the entertainment and marketing expenses," Assistant City Manager Tasha Logan told members...

Board: No change to school facilities blueprint

The Board of Education is committed to moving forward with its facilities plans for Norwayne and Eastern Wayne middle schools, which call for an improved storm drainage system. Commissioners last week expressed concern about drainage issues at Eastern Wayne,...

Wayne Reads: Women in Afghanistan talk tonight

Dr. Miriam Cooke, a professor of Asian and African languages and literature at Duke University, will address the topic of war and its impact on women in the Middle East on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Arts...

Free finanical aid workshops to be held at two colleges

Two free financial aid workshops will be held in Wayne County on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. One will be held in the W. Burkette and Rose M. Raper Hall at Mount Olive College. The other...

CCOG helps raise $2K for youth soccer

Chevrolet Cadillac of Goldsboro was one of 21 Chevrolet dealers in central and eastern North Carolina area that partnered with local youth soccer leagues for the 2010 season, raised a total of nearly $62,050 in total donations from the...

Monday, February 7, 2011

Officials eyeing use of stimulus money

Amid media reports that Wayne County Public Schools' portion of the $380 million in stimulus funding received by the state two years ago is under investigation, officials said today that the money was distributed appropriately. Ken Derksen, public information officer...

Pickle festival lineup released

MOUNT OLIVE -- The North Carolina Pickle Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary in April with a mix of traditional favorites -- like the Friday night Band of Oz concert and children's carnival rides -- and new events -- a...

County wants more local money for Day Reporting Center

Additional employees and salary increases for the most part will once again be absent as the county begins work on its budget for fiscal year 2011-12. In rare cases where additional staff is needed, like at the Day Reporting Center,...

Daddys' girls

Kaitlyn Wilson, 3, dances with her father, James, during the seventh annual Daddy Daughter Dance at the YMCA. More than 100 daughters danced the night away with their fathers while raising money for the YMCA's mentoring program, WARM Hearts....

Public record

Two found dead Two men were declared dead by Wayne EMS after been found unresponsive in two separate incidents, Goldsboro police said. Johnny Ray Price, 64, Hugh Street, was found by his brother, Ronald Price who said he had forced...

Local man recovering from hit and run crash

The family of a Wayne County man struck by a car last month while walking along Old Mount Olive Highway is still waiting to see whether he will make a full recovery. Gary Lynch, 48, remains in critical condition at...

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Mental health workers protest

Mental health workers from across North Carolina turned out Saturday night to share their experiences with a system many of them described as broken, and to rally for collective bargaining rights for state workers. Many of the complaints voiced...

Senators: Cuts won't hinder development

Both of Wayne County's state senators voted for the measure given initial approval Thursday that would cut approximately $800 million from this and next year's budgets by clawing back monies from such funds as the Golden LEAF Foundation and...

A community says goodbye: Rosewood remembers its coach Tech. Sgt. Les Williams

They came to remember a local hero -- the dozens who occupied bleacher seats inside the Rosewood High School gymnasium for more than an hour Saturday afternoon. They came to cry on shoulders and in hands -- to tell those...

Goldsboro overall crime rate down 2 percent

Goldsboro Police Chief Tim Bell is crediting better relationships between the department and the public as the reason behind the 2 percent drop in city crime in 2010. But, he said, while these numbers are a resource for tracking...

Thieves charged in more store robberies

The Goldsboro Police Department has completed its investigation into a months-long spree of robberies at local businesses by two men. For four months, police officials allege, convenience stores were the primary targets for Antell Nobles, 21, of Isler Street,...

Tart 1 of 8 Regional Principals of the Year

Lisa Tart, principal at Grantham School, has been named one of eight North Carolina Regional Principals of the Year. Part of the Wachovia Principal of the Year program, she competed against other principals in the southeast region for the...

GPD D.A.R.E. officer retiring

For more than 16 years Cpl. Willie Thomas has served as the face of D.A.R.E. in schools throughout Goldsboro. Now, with 23 years at the Goldsboro Police Department, Thomas is handing in his shield. "I don't think the full...

It's all fun and video games

Joshua Bevell bobbed and weaved to avoid the zombies rushing toward him. He was able to avoid the walking dead, but not the time limit that meant he had to turn the game controller over to the next player. And...

Duplin officials talk about school funds

Duplin County commissioners and school board members met last week as the two bodies continue to iron out their differences over school funding. At that meeting, County Manager Mike Aldridge said the two boards decided on the dates that...

Former Sen. Davis files suit against Sen. Pate over TV ads

Former Democratic state Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill and two of his former colleagues have filed suits against their November opponents and the state Republican Party, alleging that a GOP committee paid for campaign advertising that individual candidates...

Friday, February 4, 2011

Multi-county chase leads to charges

A man accused of attempted murder was arrested Thursday night after a chase that led lawmen from Goldsboro into Johnston County. Onza Lee Brown Jr., 33, of Goldsboro, was charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder. He...

Faith, love and Relay

The 2011 Relay for Life Kickoff Banquet started with a list of superlatives -- No. 1 in money raised in North Carolina, No. 11 for most money raised in the nation, a new designation as one of 16 "mega-Relays"...

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Huffman takes job as city manager in Mississippi

A city council unanimously agreed Tuesday that Joe Huffman should be its next city manager. But it wasn't Goldsboro's board. More than a month after announcing his retirement from city government, Huffman has accepted the same position in Pascagoula, Miss.,...

29-year-old charged in sex case

Andra Edwards, a 29-year-old man, has been charged by Goldsboro police in the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl with whom he shared a residence on the 800 block of Rudolph Street. Two families, a total of four people,...

Window twin

Dandre Faison takes advantage of spring-like temperatures to get the windows clean at his father's church, the House of Deliverance on Mulberry Street in Goldsboro. Temperatures have been unseasonably warm in North Carolina this week as much of the rest...

AT&T, workers raise $50K for United Way

Donations totaling almost $51,000 from AT&T and employees at its Goldsboro Call Center were presented Wednesday morning to United Way of Wayne County. Employees at the call center, as well as other AT&T employees who live in Goldsboro, raised $40,093...

Motivational rally tonight

Unity Baptist Church will host a rally featuring Bob Holmes, "The One Man Volleyball Team," 6:30 p.m. today at Mount Olive College. Holmes has been to several area schools, playing the students and faculty, and then giving a speech about...

Habitat seeking home bids

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is looking for companies to bid on work for the nonprofit agency's next set of homes. Expecting to build eight to 10 homes during the 2011-12 fiscal year, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is looking...

Butterfield says Congress is working to build bipartisan relationships

It was not by accident that Charlotte was chosen to host the 2012 National Democratic Convention, 1st District U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield said during a Wednesday morning stop in Wayne County. "There is a purpose behind it, and it...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Clock ticks to spring

A student walks across Wayne Community College campus. For many walkers the time for spring is now, but despite a chance of showers remaining for Wednesday, temperatures are expected to climb to 75 degrees. Tomorrow will be much cooler...

Officials eyeing fire at school

Goldsboro Fire Department investigators and officials with Wayne County Schools were still trying to determine today how a fire started at Greenwood Middle School on Tuesday. A fire report listed the cause as "suspicious." According to firefighters, it started...

Bill filed to give authority to schools

State Reps. Efton Sager, R-Wayne, and Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, have filed a bill in the state General Assembly that would give appointment powers back to the Wayne County Board of Education. Stemming from the controversy that occurred last year...

Fremont hoping for grant for water

FREMONT -- Using $10,000 from the town's water and sewer fund is a "pretty good gamble" that Fremont officials hope will pay off with a $750,000 grant to make improvements to the town's water system, Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie said....

Concern raised on plan for new school

Consolidating Eastern Wayne Middle School with Greenwood on the latter's campus would be more efficient and be money better spent than investing millions of dollars in renovating an antiquated Eastern Wayne Middle School campus, Wayne County Commissioner Jack Best told...

New face at the Cliffs

The first time Daniel Schewlakow had a run-in with a wild animal at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park was a little frightening. He heard something in a trash can making noise, but had no idea what it...

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Wayne County Chamber of Commerce chooses president

On Steve Hicks' last day with the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, the board of directors named his replacement Monday. Marian Mason, the former president of the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce in Robertsdale, Ala., in Baldwin County, is...

Airmen share their prespective on Afghanistan from the inside

They saw Afghanistan through different eyes -- the handful of enlisted airmen and Air Force officers who unwrapped their respective experiences in the country Monday evening inside the Arts Council of Wayne County headquarters. But as an F-15E aviator,...

Goldsboro man will face statutory rape charge in Raleigh

RALEIGH -- Gabriel Germaal Smith, 28, of Goldsboro, has been arrested by the Raleigh Police Department and charged with statutory rape. Smith reported his address in the 100 block of Hare Road. The victim, a 14-year-old female, and Smith are...

Committee is looking for Mount Olive's next chief of police

MOUNT OLIVE -- A five-member search committee will review applications for the town's chief of police job that will be vacant as of March 1 when Chief Ralph Schroeder, 54, retires. The town is advertising the position on its...

916th taking on Operational Readiness Inspection

Tensions are mounting around the world and the U.S. military is on alert. The nation's aircraft need fuel to carry out the missions they might be called on to execute. It's a task left to airmen like those who make...

School fire

A fire at Greenwood Middle School that reportedly started in a restroom in an auxiliary classroom building soon after 10 a.m. this morning was quickly extinguished by units of the Goldsboro Fire Department. As of press time, Fire Chief...

Public record

Carjacking, robbery suspects arrested On Jan. 27, Goldsboro police officers responded to 300 Block of Virginia Street for an apparent robbery. The victim stated he had been beaten and robbed and his vehicle had been stolen. The victim was transported...