November 2013 archives

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Ready, set, shop

Goldsboro shoppers got an early start on their holiday gift-seeking as several major stores in the city opened on Thanksgiving. But that didn't keep people from coming out in droves early today to catch even more bargains. Maria Ponce...

Goldsboro to allow hydrant switch

The city of Goldsboro is continuing to try to find ways to reduce the economic sting of a 2009 annexation reversed by a new state law. The latest attempt to soften the financial blow from the failed annexaton is...

Youth puts helping others at the top of his list

Benjamin Stevens had a very short wish list for his birthday this year. The Northwest Elementary School third-grader turned 9 on Sept. 28, and as the date approached, he spread the word among friends and family. "I told people...

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Many will take time for thanks today

During the Thanksgiving season many families spend time thinking about what they are thankful for as they sit around the table. For some of them, that bit of gratitude centers around a reunion with a loved one. And that is...

Local club will host Santa on tree lot

This Christmas season, Santa will be at the Optimist Club of Goldsboro's Christmas Tree Lot located on Cashwell Drive between Spence Avenue and Berkeley Boulevard. Children and their families can have their pictures taken with Santa every Saturday between...

Library staff packs books for troops

At home, Austin Burke can frequently be found curled up on the couch with a good book. But when the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base airman was deployed a few months ago, he had to leave his books behind. No...

A leap of friendship

Patrick Albert went from shelter to shelter -- looking for a warm place to sleep. He had lost his job and a relationship -- and had given up on his dreams. He had no idea that a simple quest for...

Stores ready for rush of shoppers

At Belk in Berkeley Mall, General Manager Turner Wood is gearing up for his favorite work day of the year, Black Friday. "It truly is my favorite retail day," he said. "It's exciting. It's our biggest day of the...

International residents share Thanksgiving, too

While shoveling mashed potatoes onto his plate, Fernando Tacuri had a question. On Monday night, the Ecuadorian Mount Olive College student experienced his first Thanksgiving, and he wanted to know the cultural basis for the holiday. So he asked....

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Wayne Community College reports growth

Wayne Community College reached an all-time high enrollment for the fall semester, and expended nearly $3.6 million in grants for its first quarter, college officials told the school's board of trustees on Tuesday. "We just continue to be amazed," college...

Beach takes hit

National Weather Service crews were surveying damage in Atlantic Beach and Morehead City this morning after a possible tornado struck Carteret County on Tuesday night. It was expected to be mid-to-late morning before a determination is made as to...

Charities prepare holiday meals for local needy families

Two days before Thanksgiving, the Community Soup Kitchen hit a record. "We had 208 people show up. That is the most we have ever had in one day in the 30 years we have been open," director Dorcia Benton...

Crime of the Week

Between the dates of Nov. 23 and Nov. 24 the Goldsboro Police and Fire departments responded to three separate fires at vacant homes within Goldsboro city limits: on Nov. 23 at approximately 6 a.m. at 113 W. Pine St.;...

Motto contest winners awarded

The winners of the city motto contest were introduced Tuesday night at Downtown Lights Up, along with the other 18 finalists, bringing an end to the six-month contest. The winning motto, "Be More, Do More, Seymour, in Goldsboro, NC"...

Goldsboro opens holiday season

Hoping for a bit of holiday magic and cheer, Goldsboro residents huddled under umbrellas in the rain and wind Tuesday night for the annual Downtown Lights Up. As the crowd gathered in front of City Hall, Mayor Al King,...

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Investigators suspect arson

The Goldsboro Fire Department extinguished three house fires this weekend that were later deemed suspicious and are now being investigated with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation, Goldsboro Fire Chief Gary Whaley said. He would not go...

Decorating for Christmas

Spring Creek Elementary School kindergarten student Elijah Phillips adds another ornament to a Christmas tree inside the Roberts School building for "Christmas in the Village" at Old Waynesborough Park on Monday. The free event will be held Dec. 14...

Woman alleges rape

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive police are investigating a 29-year-old woman's claim that she was raped last week after she left a photo shoot at LJ Image Photography at 800 N. Church St. The attack happened across the street...

Crash victim identified

The N.C. State Highway Patrol has identified the driver killed in the Saturday evening accident in Mount Olive that also injured three other people. Yobani Palacios, 22, of Dudley, was headed south on 117 Alternate when he crossed the...

Weather changes plans for Lights Up

Predictions of high winds and a stormy night will not stop the city's annual Christmas lights ceremony downtown -- but it will curtail it a bit, officials said. Horse trolley rides will not be offered at Downtown Lights Up...

Inductees named to agriculture's local Hall of Fame

Wilber Shirley and the late Stephen Keith Waller Sr. were inducted into the Wayne County Agricultural Hall of Fame during the annual Farm-City Banquet held at the Wayne Center on Monday night. Charlotte Jenkins, Wayne County Soil and Water...

Mount Olive residents warned about water line insurance letters

Some Mount Olive residents are receiving letters and forms about purchasing insurance for water service line maintenance at their residences, but police Chief Brian Rhodes warns citizens that the town of Mount Olive has nothing to do with the...

Goldsboro Christmas Parade to be held at 4 p.m. Dec. 7

Entries are still being accepted for the Goldsboro Christmas Parade, which will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. Earlier reports had the time as 3 p.m., but officials with the Young Professionals, an arm of the...

Monday, November 25, 2013

Salvation Army hopes to bring gifts to children

Seven-year-old Ana wants a book for Christmas. Damarcus, 5, wants a ball. And 6-year-old Miranda wants a baby doll. All 12-year-old Allison wants is a toy car. The Salvation Army is asking Wayne County families to help make a Christmas...

Expert: Early education critical for future success

The most critical time for a child to learn is from birth until he or she is 5 years old, experts say. And how much and how well a child learns during that crucial period goes a long way toward...

Historic plane will get refresh

The Goldsboro City Council approved a budget amendment last week to spend $20,000 refurbishing the F-86 Sabre fighter jet on display at the Goldsboro Police Department. The owner of the jet, the United States Air Force, requested that the jet...

Teen killed in car in city

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating the murder of a former Eastern Wayne High School student found shot to death in his car early Sunday morning. A second person was injured in the incident but was not shot, police...

Sunday, November 24, 2013

GPD investigating murder

An 18-year-old man was shot to death early this morning in Goldsboro and members of the Goldsboro Police Department are currently investigating the incident. For complete details, see Monday's News-Argus....

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Local congregation provides Thanksgiving dinner for 350 families

People began lining up by 10:30 a.m. Saturday for the Thanksgiving food basket giveaway at Goldsboro Worship Center, even though the baskets were not scheduled to be handed out until 1 p.m. "They knew there was going to be...

Thanksgiving brings closures

The city of Goldsboro will be closed for Thanksgiving this Thursday, and Friday. All sanitation services scheduled for Thanksgiving Day will be serviced on Wednesday. All sanitation services for Friday will be serviced on Saturday. Customers of Carolina Southern...

SJAFB's Angel Tree program brings hope to needy children

4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Jeannie Leavitt might have been the first to pull an angel off the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base "Angel Tree," but organizers of the program designed to ensure needy military children have a Christmas...

Seven Springs Christmas Parade kicks off holiday season

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Santa and Mrs. Claus were perched high atop a Seven Springs fire truck with an elf hanging onto the back as they helped the county's oldest town kick off Wayne County's Christmas parade season. Nearly 100...

Livestock positions will be filled

Wayne County commissioners and local agricultural leaders are hopeful that filling two vacant livestock positions in the Cooperative Extension Service Office will ensure that the county will be able to provide the level of service needed to match its...

One dead in Saturday evening crash

A head-on collision Saturday evening just north of Mount Olive claimed the life of one person and injured several others. The extent of the injuries and the names of those involved were not available prior to press time Saturday...

Dillard Middle School student injured by fallen light fixture

A 12- or 13-year-old female student at Dillard Middle School, 1101 S. Devereaux St., was injured by glass from a falling light fixture inside the school's gym before 10 a.m. Friday, the Goldsboro Police Department said. Due to her...

Goldsboro, Mount Olive parades on tap

The Goldsboro Christmas Parade, led by the Young Professionals for the first time this year, is back on track following slow registration earlier this month. As of Friday morning, 95 floats were entered into the Dec. 7 parade The...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield makes 'final offer'

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina officials announced Friday afternoon that they have given Wayne Memorial Hospital their "final offer." "We delivered to them yesterday (Thursday) our final offer," BCBS spokeswoman Michelle Douglas said. "It is a...

Friday, November 22, 2013

The day the president died

For many Wayne County residents who lived it, the day they heard the news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination is still etched in their minds -- a jarring, disturbing and sad memory of the day when the country lost...

SJAFB pilots did 1963 flyover

Nov. 25, 1963, three days after the assassination, aviators from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base participated in Kennedy's funeral. At 2:54 p.m., 50 military aircraft -- 30 of them F-105s from Seymour Johnson -- performed a flyover above Arlington National...

Look who came to town ... and brought friends

Randy Gallagher might have looked strange on the side of Spence Avenue in front of Walmart next to a 300-pound tortoise Thursday, but he didn't care. He and his sidekicks -- six all total -- attracted quite a bit...

Driver attempts to ditch drugs

The driver of a vehicle that struck a utility pole on Olivia Lane near Carver Drive Wednesday afternoon allegedly tried to flee the scene and then ate illegal narcotics in an attempt to avoid arrest. According to a Goldsboro...

Churches unite for community Thanksgiving service

A tradition more than 40 years old will continue Sunday at 7 p.m. when several churches will join to sponsor a community Thanksgiving worship service. For this year's service, the ministers decided to broaden the participation and invited Goldsboro...

Woman swipes cameras

The Goldsboro Police Department has recovered $821 worth of the more than $10,700 in camera equipment stolen in a Nov. 1 vehicle break-in, according to a press release. One person is in custody. April Rasheeda Rhodes, 33, 921 Fairview...

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A load of Christmas spirit

Zachary Daw, left, Payton Grant and Maddie Crank team up to pass shoeboxes full of goodies down a line Wednesday at Victory Free Will Baptist in Goldsboro as part of Operation: Christmas Child. This is the 10th year the...

County to get $1.9 million windfall

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday agreed they need to act quickly to request the $1.877 million in county money now held by North Carolina's Eastern Region. They agreed as well to use the money for projects ranging from property acquisition...

Goldsboro sets times for annual Downtown Lights Up

The city of Goldsboro and the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. will host the annual Downtown Lights Up event Tuesday. Guests will be able to enjoy free sweet treats, entertainment, hot cocoa, face painting, trolley rides and more during the...

Club honors veterans with marker along highway in Wayne County

Wednesday morning's biting cold breeze didn't deter a crowd from gathering to pay tribute to veterans and the military during the unveiling of Wayne County's first Blue Star Memorial Marker. The marker was temporarily placed near the Ruby Tuesday...

Hospital: Outlook improving

Wayne Memorial Hospital officials say progress is being made toward a contract settlement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and that they are hopeful an agreement can be reached by Thanksgiving. "We are in negotiations. We've...

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Neal headed back to court

William Jackson Neal, who is serving a life term in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in 1987, has filed a motion seeking a new trial or a reduction in sentence. Neal, 58, was found guilty in Wayne County...

Chamber honors longtime volunteer Ollie Toomey

What did longtime Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ollie Toomey receive on Monday in honor of his more than two decades of service as chamber director? He got tricked. And it was a good thing, too, since...

Sending greetings to heroes

Tamiyha Ingram, 4, signs a card for a soldier with the help of her sitter, Army retired veteran Nina Willis, on Friday at the North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union on Ash Street. The card will be sent to...

Fremont board OKs rezoning property

FREMONT -- The Fremont Board of Aldermen approved the rezoning of a property on Wilson Street from residential use to a general business designation at its meeting Tuesday night. The rezoning passed unanimously following a public hearing on the...

County approves cemetery land buy

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the purchase of slightly more than 52 acres on Long's Plant Farm Road to be used for the establishment of a veterans cemetery. Commissioners also accepted another 26.3 acres owned...

Waylin Life Care closing

The Waylin Life Care Center is in the process of closing down and discharging residents after plans were scrapped to build a new facility. "We are in the process of finding placements. We're consulting with family members and the...

Crime of the Week

On Nov. 1, Brian Strickland reported that unknown people broke into his vehicle while it was parked at 301 South Claiborne Street and stole more than $10,000 worth of camera equipment. Further investigation led to warrants being secured for...

Mount Olive College celebrates 62 years

A lot can happen in 62 years. For Mount Olive College, those 62 years have meant steady growth. For MOC cashier Barbara Whitfield, they have meant at least 40 years of a meaningful career. And for college senior Elvia...

OneMain Financial also collecting cards for troops

Joining the American Red Cross movement to provide holiday well wishes to American troops is OneMain Financial. Participating in the annual Holiday Mail for Heroes program, OneMain is offering people the opportunity to show their gratitude and best wishes...

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Suspect charged in November shooting

The Goldsboro Police Department has arrested a 20-year-old Goldsboro man in connection with a shooting at a convenience store that took place Nov. 1. Larry Maurice Saunders Jr., of 502 E. Chestnut St., is currently being held in the Wayne...

Couple injured in home invasion

Two armed men kicked in the door to a northeast Wayne County home about 7 p.m. Sunday, duct taped a couple's hands and robbed them. The victims told investigators the subjects were looking for money and drugs, according to a...

Former counilman Lutz dies

Former Goldsboro City Council member Fred Lutz, 92, died Sunday at the Kitty Askins Center. Lutz, a retired educator, also served on the boards of the United Way and Arts Council and was a former chairman of the Wayne County...

Dwayne Dail settles lawsuit with city of Goldsboro

A typed apology and $7.5 million won't give Dwayne Dail the nearly two decades he spent in prison for a crime he didn't commit. They won't take away the stigma that still follows a man who was locked up at...

Dail -- Timeline

* Sept. 4, 1987 -- A 12-year-old girl tells police that a man climbed into her bedroom window in Jefferson Park and raped her. * May 9, 1988 -- A Wayne County grand jury returns a true bill of indictment...

W.A. Foster Center will be moved

A vote to alter plans for the new W.A. Foster Recreation Center to maintain its original site on Leslie Street failed Monday night by one vote. Councilman William Goodman made a motion to keep the center where it is during...

Monday, November 18, 2013

WCC nursing programs achieve re-accreditation status again

The two nursing programs at Wayne Community College have received re-accreditation status. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing granted continuing accreditation to both the Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs through spring 2021, the maximum allowed between evaluations,...

Boys & Girls Club Pancake Day set

The 35th annual Pancake Day fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club will be held the same weekend as every year, on "parade day," coinciding with several Christmas parades scheduled around the area, Saturday, Dec. 7. But for the first...

Run, run, Harley

Santa's helper Woody Wendell waves to bystanders and passing cars as he and about 300 bikers make their way down West Ash Street Sunday afternoon during the Wayne County Motorcycle Riders' annual toy run....

Second suspect arrested

Just two days after publicly naming him the second suspect in an October murder, Goldsboro police arrested Lester Clinton Jr., 29, at 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Clinton, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in at the Wayne County Magistrate's Office,...

County to weigh cemetery land buy

Wayne County commissioners on Tuesday will consider the purchase of slightly more than 51 acres on Long's Plant Farm Road to be used for the establishment of a veterans cemetery. The Wayne Development Alliance has an option to purchase...

Drivers killed in head-on crash Sunday

A head-on collision near Seven Springs on N.C. 55 claimed the lives of both drivers early Sunday morning. Alexis Rodriguez, 37, of Hilltop Path in LaGrange, was headed west on N.C. 55 when the car he was driving crossed...

Wayne Memorial honors 10 employees

Ten employees were honored Tuesday night at Wayne Memorial Hospital's annual recognition of its excellent nurses, nursing assistants, technicians and surgical staff. The 10 were chosen from among 32 employees nominated by supervisors, co-workers and peers. Final selections were...

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Open hearts, full carts

Come kick off your Thanksgiving weekend with us by getting your Thanksgiving Day papers hot off the press for $1.50 Wednesday night -- complete with everything you need to shop Black Friday bargains. Have a cup of hot cocoa...

Providing a blessing

The line extended out the door, down the breezeway and around the corner. There were men without jackets, women without shoes. Some were just hungry. Goldsboro's First Baptist Church, 125 S. John St., opened its doors to the city's...

Food donations surpass expectations

On Monday, Wayne County residents waved flags and cheered veterans and the military in the Veterans Day Parade. By Friday, they had raised nearly $7,000 and donated enough food to surpass the goal of a Thanksgiving food drive to...

Officials want highway project ideas

For the next 30 days, the public will have the opportunity to suggest transportation projects it would like to see included on the Goldsboro Metropolitan Transportation Organization's priority needs list. MPOs are created by the federal government and charged with...

Council to weigh result of Dail case

The Goldsboro City Council is expected to enter into a settlement agreement Monday night with Dwayne Dail, whose civil lawsuit was scheduled to be heard later this month in federal court. Dail, who was convicted in 1987 in Wayne...

Blue Star marker to honor veterans

The public is invited to a dedication ceremony Wednesday morning for Wayne County's first Blue Star Memorial highway marker, which pays tribute to veterans and members of the country's armed forces. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m....

City to start sewer line smoke tests on Monday

The city of Goldsboro will begin testing its sewer system on Monday, searching for leaks that allow rainwater to get into the lines, causing inflated sewage processing costs. Hydrostructures, a Pittsboro company hired to do the testing, will pump...

Owner tries to honor father with Pizza Inn upgrade

More than 40 years after her father opened the doors to his first Pizza Inn on Norwood Avenue, Jill Nielson opened those same doors Thursday for a grand re-opening following a major renovation to the inside of the restaurant....

Mount Olive College students hear tale of forgiveness and the justice system

A story that challenged beliefs, while keeping students entertained -- that's what Mount Olive College faculty wanted for their freshman reading assignment this year, and that's what they got from "Picking Cotton." And to expand the understanding of the...

Operation Santa Claus needs help

The Mental Health Association in Wayne County is conducting its annual "Operation Santa Claus" drive to bring a brighter holiday to those living in facilities and often forgotten this time of year. The MHA effort targets the elderly, those...

Spreading holiday cheer

Garrett Taylor candy eyes to his cupcake as the Jack and Jill of Eastern North Carolina community service group gathers Saturday at First African Baptist Church in Goldsboro. Cookies and other baked goodies will be given to seniors at...

Mail for the Heroes

Tamiyha Ingram, 4, signs a card for a soldier, with the help of her babysitter, Nina Willis, on Friday at North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union on Ash Street. The card will be sent to one of the many...

New dentist fills health department need

Wayne County Health Department's new dentist has only been on the job about a month, but already she has a full patient load. Davin Madden, health director, introduced Dr. Tera Harrison to the county Board of Health last week....

Georgia-Pacific donates to two VFDs

Two volunteer fire departments will receive urgently needed safety equipment under the Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade grant program. Arrington Bridge Volunteer Fire Department will receive $3,500, while Pikeville-Pleasant Grove Volunteer Fire Department will receive $1,500. "We're proud to have the...

We need your help

For more than a century, Goldsboro and Wayne County residents have been helping needy children have a happy Christmas by donating to the Empty Stocking Fund, which has provided gifts and a party to hundreds of youngsters every year since...

Two new businesses changing landscape of Berkeley Boulevard

Two Berkeley Boulevard properties are getting new life as a realty office and a mattress store. The former Home Credit location at 313 N. Berkeley Blvd. has been purchased by Sasser Home Builders for its real estate branch, East...

Officials review county health plan

The Wayne County Health Department may be charged with being a watchdog for public health, but its clinics and services can't take care of everything, the county health director told the Board of Health on Wednesday. Health Director Davin...

Friday, November 15, 2013

School's practical side

Schools used to offer home economics class to cover bases not found in other academic classes -- cooking, sewing, even learning how to sign a check. A variation on that theme was "Exploring Life Skills," which was renamed this year...

Board: Two schools might be too much

The price of building a new school will be higher than first anticipated, between amenities like an auditorium and interest rates, prompting the Wayne County Board of Education to consider building only one new school and asking commissioners for additional...

Arrest made in October murder

An arrest has been made in the investigation surrounding the Oct. 15 shooting death of Alton Leevon Fields Jr., 35, the Goldsboro Police Department said Thursday. Today, investigators announced a second man is wanted in connection with the case....

First Baptist, others seeking to Warm the World Saturday

The First Baptist Church, along with several others in the community, will hold the annual Warm the World event Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. at First Baptist, 125 S. John St. Begun four years ago by First Baptist, the...

Charities taking funds to help victims of Philippines typhoon

The local Salvation Army and American Red Cross are helping victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The Salvation Army is taking monetary donations of any amount, said Lt. Kenny Igleheart, commander. "If you're sending a check, in the...

Holiday Mail for the Heroes drop-off at N.C. Community Credit Union

North Carolina Community Credit Union is holding a Holiday Mail for the Heroes kickoff event today at 2401 E. Ash St., the main branch of the financial institution. The program, spearheaded by the American Red Cross seeks to deliver holiday...

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Man arrested for October murder

A Mount Olive man was arrested by the Goldsboro Police Department this afternoon and charged with the Oct. 15 murder of Alton Leevon Fields Jr. For complete details on how James D'Angelo Raye came into contact with lawmen, see Friday's...

Teachers get grants

When Charles B. Aycock High School engineering teacher Steven Thorne noticed a group outside his classroom door with a bouquet of balloons Wednesday morning, he was not entirely surprised. "Today was my birthday," he said. But that was not the...

Pikeville workers injured in crash

PIKEVILLE -- Pikeville town employees Patrick Hall, 44, and Larry Daughtry, 53, were injured on the job when a passenger car crashed into the back of one of their parked utility trucks on U.S. 117 North near East School...

Bridge is now open

Traffic on Salem Church Road began using a new bridge between Titleist Drive and Belfast Road this week. The bridge is part of a larger state Department of Transportation project to construct the western section of the U.S. 70...

DHHS chief takes tour of Cherry Hospital

The sheer number of state jobs means there is not enough money in North Carolina to increase the salaries of all state employees, and any increases must be strategic, state Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos told the...

Finance report for city is 'good'

The city of Goldsboro's tax revenues are up by more than $660,000 after the first quarter of the fiscal year, which ended in September. Sales tax collections also have increased by about $17,000 to $1.64 million in the first...

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Board certifies election results

It took less than 15 minutes Tuesday morning for the Wayne County Board of Elections to certify the results of last week's municipal and sanitary district elections that included upset wins by write-in candidates in Pikeville. The vote canvass...

Call for turkeys

The food boxes will be packed Monday and will be distributed on Nov. 22. The base's first sergeants are spearheading Team Seymour Operation Warm Heart and have been working with the base squadrons to collect the food for the families....

Mount Olive town board backs hospital

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive town board voted unanimously Tuesday night to support a resolution drafted by the Wayne County Board of Commissioners backing Wayne Memorial Hospital in its contract negotiations with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield....

Man, 31, sought in robberies

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is searching for Kent Robert Gilbert II, 31, of LaGrange, on charges of breaking and entering and possession of stolen firearms. Gilbert, whose address is listed as 153 Old Jason Road, is wanted in...

Medical community recognizes Dr. Tayloe

Local pediatrician, Dr. David Tayloe, recently received the T. Reginald Harris Memorial Award during the N.C. Medical Society's fall meeting. This is the 15th year for the award, given by The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence in honor of...

Wayne Community College retains its title of 'military friendly'

Wayne Community College has been named a "Military Friendly School" for the fourth year. The Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's military members,...

Holiday Art Market opens Thursday

If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind Christmas present this year or just want something for yourself, the Holiday Art Market is sure to have it. It's a version of the Arts Council of Wayne County's year-round Art Market, but...

Fremont panel forwards list to board

FREMONT -- The Fremont Small Town Economic Prosperity grant committee voted Tuesday night to forward its projects proposal to the Town Board of Aldermen. The town board will review the proposals for how the committee plans to spend the $100,000...

Local churches give $73,000 to Mount Olive College

During a dinner held recently at Mount Olive College, more than 192 people from across Wayne County -- all members of the Free Will Baptist denomination -- gave $100 or more to further the goal of secondary education. Altogether,...

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Wayne County schools to encourage students to seek college scholarships

The Wayne County Public Schools is engaged in a year-long push to educate students and their parents about the availability of college scholarships. The campaign started last spring, when the district invited Mychal Wynn to speak at a parents...

A salute to heroes

Thousands of people, many waving small U.S. flags, lined downtown streets Monday morning to honor those who have served or are serving in the military. Organized by the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition, the Veterans Day Parade featured...

There is still time to join the holiday march

With relatively few entries so far in the Goldsboro Christmas Parade, organizers have pushed the deadline for entering the parade until Nov. 19. The original deadline for entering the parade without a late fee was today. But the Young...

Monday, November 11, 2013

Wayne County schoolchildren will honor veterans

Even though Veterans Day is a school holiday, its message will still be part of the curriculum in Wayne County Public Schools throughout the coming week. While the district's 31 schools and administrative offices are closed today, high school ROTC...

Tennis tournament brings city $200,000

The U.S. Tennis Association singles tournament held in mid-October brought close to $200,000 to Goldsboro's local economy through tourism spending, city officials said. The tournament fell short of the projected $300,000 largely because of the wet conditions throughout the...

Vote recount ordered for Seven Springs

The Wayne County Board of Elections has ordered a discretionary recount of last Tuesday's vote totals for the town of Seven Springs. The recount will start at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Board of Elections office, 209 S. William...

Three arrested in liquor house raid

Local and state law enforcement authorities raided a "liquor house" off Durham Lake Road early Sunday, arresting three people for illegal liquor sales and possession of marijuana. Members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department SWAT Team, along with agents...

Family scuffle ends in death

LAGRANGE -- A Lenoir County man is accused of shooting his brother to death during a fight Sunday night on Little Wiggins Road near the Wayne-Lenoir county line, the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office reported. Scott Wiggins allegedly shot Davis...

Companies seek jail contract

Wayne County received responses from seven companies interested in conducting a study of the feasibility of converting the former Wayne Correctional Center into a new jail for the county. The study also will review the use of the existing...

N.C. Cooperative Extension making new strategic plan

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service has launched a Strategic Planning Initiative. The Extension Service has experienced federal and state budget cuts of approximately $20 million over the past decade. In the past four years alone, its budget has...

Help is needed for base families

Wayne County paid tribute to its veterans and military community Monday with a parade and other activities in observance of Veterans Day. Now, the community has the opportunity to show its appreciation even more by helping with a food drive...

DOT to improve traffic flow at SJAFB's Oak Forest gate

RALEIGH -- Traffic is about to improve for motorists leaving Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Starting next week, the state Department of Transportation will begin construction of a second left-turn lane from northbound Oak Forest Road to U.S. 70,...

New health care agency to focus on sickle cell and other diseases

A new health care agency opened late last month in Wayne County -- one devoted to the prevention, care and education of people affected by sickle cell disease, as well as HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The organization,...

Sunday, November 10, 2013

A moment for courage

They knew they had to avoid this particular stretch -- that a desert road peppered with craters and lined with broken down Soviet tanks was no place for an American convoy. But when Senior Airman Justin Beasley and his...

Wayne County Veterans Day Parade is 11 a.m. Monday

The 2013 Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Monday and will travel through downtown Goldsboro. Leading the event to honor those who are serving and those who have served will be parade grand marshal Hugh Howard, a...

Miss Goldsboro receives crown

A 22-year-old sales associate at Belk was crowned Miss Goldsboro 2014 Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre. Emily Tucker, a graduate of Eastern Wayne High School and East Carolina University, also won the talent award and a $500 scholarship...

Highway impact eyed

Wayne County's comprehensive land use plan adopted in 2005 called for the U.S. 70 Bypass and Interstate 795 highway projects to be completed as soon as possible. But local officials did not expect the projects to move along as...

Panel: Future of education rests in collaboration and preparation

Wayne County has much to be proud of, in terms of "high content and high rigor" in schools and collaborative partnerships between the school district and its colleges. "(It) has an advantage that a lot of rural counties don't...

Wreaths Across America donations sought

The deadline for donations to "Wreaths Across America," a project to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran, is drawing near. On Saturday, Dec. 14, at noon, ceremonies will be held across the nation to lay the wreaths...

Two win honors as school leaders

Wayne County Public Schools recognized two outstanding administrators last week. Gary Hales, principal of Wayne School of Engineering, was named the 2013-14 Principal of the Year and Makita Jenkins, assistant principal at Greenwood Middle School, is the district's Assistant Principal...

Warsaw remembers the nation's heroes

Boy Scout Troop 50 from Kenansville tosses candy to spectators Saturday during the 93rd Warsaw Veterans Day Parade. The parade, which is known as the oldest consecutive Veterans Day celebration in the nation, kicked off with a pancake breakfast...

In times of struggle, an appetite to serve

More than a dozen churches and an array of civic groups and organizations pooled their resources to make Thanksgiving better for 200 families. "We're called the Community Outreach Harvest event," said Shirley Perry of Woods Chapel Free Will Baptist Church,...

Friday, November 8, 2013

Schools: Test score drops were anticipated

Wayne County Public Schools officials were not surprised that school performance test scores dropped dramatically, attributing the results to the transition to the READY school accountability model. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction released the state's final 2012-13 results on...

County trying to reach veterans

The Wayne County Veterans Services Advisory Board is continuing its efforts to get a clearer picture of how many veterans call Wayne County home. The true number may never be known since most of the necessary records are confidential....

Reward offered in couple's death

MOUNT OLIVE -- A $3,000 reward is being offered by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for information leading to an arrest in the double homicide discovered Tuesday at 638 Waller Road just west of town. "It looked personal," Wayne...

Jo-Ann's now open at Berkeley Mall

The eagerly awaited opening of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store at Berkeley Mall was expected to draw hundreds of customers today as it opened its door at 10 a.m. this morning. A grand opening is planned for Nov....

Event gives officers, people chance to relax, sit and talk

Goldsboro Police patrol officers took a break from their official duties Thursday morning to sit and linger over a cup of coffee with residents from across the community. Holding its first ever Coffee With a Cop event, officers from...

Most government offices to close for Veterans Day

Local, state and federal offices, as well as banks and post offices will be closed Monday in observance of Veterans Day. All Wayne County offices will be closed, as will Wayne County Public Schools. Town halls will be closed...

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Write-in campaigns swing votes, decide three municipal elections

Write-in votes decided the outcome in three of the five Wayne County municipal elections Tuesday, including one upset in which write-in votes topped the totals for the candidates whose names were on the ballot. That happened in Pikeville, where a...

N.C. school scores released today

North Carolina's public schools are getting a new report card, and state officials are putting out the word that this time the grades test whether children are on track for life. The new READY assessment of student progress being...

Questions continue over dog shooting

The Goldsboro Police Department is refusing to release the use of force report that was likely completed shortly after officer Edmund Gillette fatally shot a local dog four times. The document, officials claim, has been handed over to the...

Enjoying their golden years

Clara Forte, 78, left, and Gloria Sutton, 68, both of Goldsboro, add beads to their necklaces during a jewelry-making class Wednesday at the Peggy M. Seegars Senior Center in Goldsboro. The center offers a number of activities and classes...

Commissioners approve $13,500 for organization

Wayne County commissioners agreed Tuesday to appropriate an additional $13,500 for Literacy Connections, the county's free adult literacy program. The amount, combined with a September allocation of $2,000, and $12,000 given by the Goldsboro City Council, will replace the...

Armed robbers await sentence

Five men who robbed at least 15 restaurants across eastern North Carolina from September 2011 through January 2012 have pleaded guilty in federal court and are awaiting sentencing. The armed robbers struck the KFC on Berkeley Boulevard on Jan....

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Write-in candidates appear to upend board in Pikeville

Pikeville voters, by an almost two-to-one margin, cast more write-in ballots in Tuesday's municipal election than they did for the official candidates for mayor and two open seats on the town board. Pikeville Mayor Johnny Weaver this morning confirmed...

Two seats change hands in Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE -- Handshakes, hugs and cries of celebrations filled the tiny room of the Mount Olive Civic Center when the winners of the races for Mount Olive town commissioners gathered there last night. Incumbent Ray Thompson defeated challenger...

Sheriff: Two found dead

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is not yet releasing many details surrounding a double homicide discovered in the early evening hours Tuesday at 638 Waller Road near Mount Olive. The investigation is in the preliminary stages,...

Eastern Wayne students honor special classmate

Special education isn't just about students with special needs -- sometimes it represents teachable moments the youths provide for their classmates. Furman "Smokey" Johnson III, a senior at Eastern Wayne High School, proved that recently when he was crowned homecoming...

County board passes resolution supporting Wayne Memorial Hospital

Wayne Memorial Hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield have resumed their contract negotiations, Wayne County Commissioner Joe Daughtery told his fellow board members Tuesday. To support those efforts, commissioners unanimously approved a resolution supporting the hospital's side of the...

Harvest cascade

Charlie Casey unloads soybeans Monday on his farm off U.S. 70 East in the Elroy community. Wayne County farmers took advantage of sunny weather early in the week to harvest beans and other crops still in the field. Despite...

Wayne Memorial Hospital, Blue Cross and Blue Shield are still talking

Contract negotiations between Wayne Memorial Hospital and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina are continuing, even as the insurance company sent letters to its customers Tuesday explaining what it will mean if the hospital is pushed out...

City has new words to live by

The Goldsboro City Council agreed to a motto for the city at its meeting Monday night, choosing "Be More, Do More, Seymour in Goldsboro, N.C." over 925 other submissions. The winners of the motto contest will be announced at Lights...

Chat with cop over morning coffee

"Coffee with a Cop," a nationwide program, is making its Goldsboro debut this week. Goldsboro police officers on patrol Thursday morning will be stopping by the Bojangles at 1025 N. Spence Ave. between 7 and 9 a.m. to meet the...

Council backs $18.9M bond referendum

The Goldsboro City Council voted to begin the process of getting an $18.9 million bond referendum on the ballot in May during its work session Monday night. Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Superintendent Felicia Brown gave a presentation to the Council...

Art from the heart

The collected paintings of Gene Rouse on display at the Arts Council of Wayne County represent his life as an artist. They fill up the main gallery downstairs, as well as the gallery upstairs. In addition, Rouse also has artwork...

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Double homicide in Mount Olive

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is currently working the scene of a double homicide in Mount Olive. See all the details in Wednesday's News-Argus and follow www.NewsArgus.com for developments, as they occur....

City Council member tries to change W.A. Foster site

The location for the new W.A. Foster Recreation Center came up for a vote again Monday night, a year after the Goldsboro City Council unanimously approved Mina Weil Park as the proposed location for the center. Councilman William Goodman made...

Car collides with school bus; five hurt

Wayne County Public Schools bus No. 358, carrying eight students to Wayne Middle High Academy, was struck by a passenger car at the intersection of East Elm Street and South John Street, just before 8 a.m. today. No serious...

Pikeville approves annexing parcel of land along I-795

PIKEVILLE -- The Pikeville Town Board took steps to annex a parcel of land along I-795 at its meeting Monday night. Town leaders indicated the landowners plan to seek to have the property rezoned from agricultural to commercial use....

Voting day

Latashia Williams, left, chief poll judge at the Mount Olive Civic Center, hands Major Jones an "I Voted" sticker after Jones cast his ballot in the races for the Mount Olive Town Board early this morning. Voters in Mount...

Goldsboro man wins $1 million in lottery

Dean Thompson came home from work Saturday morning with a big surprise for his wife. Thompson, who works as a supervisor at a Kinston food manufacturing company, bought a pair of Gold Bullion lottery tickets at Murphy Express on...

City, Dail settle civil case

The city of Goldsboro has agreed in principle to settle out of court with Dwayne Dail, who was exonerated of rape in 2007 after spending 18 years in prison, City Manager Scott Stevens said Monday night. Dail was convicted...

Board eyes dropping graduation projects

Told to brace for "significantly lower" scores on statewide tests this year, the school board Monday night hinted at reversing its stance on requiring a graduation project in the district. Last week, Gov. Pat McCrory laid the groundwork for...

Monday, November 4, 2013

Longtime Goldsboro tire shop closes doors

Gas was 79 cents a gallon when White's Tires moved to Ash Street from its building on John Street in 1982. Used tires started at just $5 a tire. The gas pumps are gone now and so is the...

Altercation ends with gunshots

Several gunshots fired inside the Beestown Grocery at 905 S. Slocumb St. late Friday damaged a cooler and sent one man to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment, according to a Goldsboro police report. The glass...

Voters heading to polls Tuesday

The 13 days of one-stop voting drew 256 people who cast their ballots in the handful of municipal and sanitary district board elections to be decided Tuesday. The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The...

Literacy program back on agenda

Representatives from Literacy Connections of Wayne County will once again be before Wayne County commissioners when they update the board Tuesday on the agency's funding plans. The meeting will start with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m. followed by...

Mount Olive College visitation day to be held Monday, Nov. 11

MOUNT OLIVE -- People interested in attending Mount Olive College will have the chance to visit campus, Monday, Nov. 11. Registration is required for the visitation day and will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Lois K. Murphy Regional...

Career bytes

In the three years since the launch of Microsoft IT Academies in high schools around the country, North Carolina students and teachers have earned more than 100,000 professional certifications through the program and Wayne County Public Schools has proven to...

Debbie Worley appointed to WCC board of trustees by governor

Debbie E. Worley has been appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory to the Wayne Community College board of trustees. Mrs. Worley is co-owner and operator with her husband, Bryant, of Bryant Worley Farms in western Wayne County. A graduate of...

Commissioners trim some nonprofit funds

The budget adopted earlier this year by Wayne County commissioners reduced direct county funding for nonprofit organizations by $674,051.30. The total was reduced from $1,532,942.3 to $858,891, thanks mostly to eliminating $640,000 for Eastpointe. The 2013-14 total includes two...

Casey Sutton to sing in finals of national competition in January

Goldsboro native Casey Sutton will compete in finals of Texaco Country Showdown Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn. It will be held in the historic Ryman Auditorium. Recently, Casey won the Northeast Regional round of the competition...

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Mum's kitchen

A little girl walks into her mother's kitchen and begins to dream. It has been more than 30 years, but JoJo Morris can still see all that unfolded when the "camera" zeroed in on her. "I always used to...

Miss Goldsboro Pageant to be held Saturday at Paramount

Miss Goldsboro 2014 will be crowned Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre, along with the area's Outstanding Teen representative. Six contestants are vying for the title this year, while seven teens will be competing in the event, which starts...

Bikers ride for children, the hungry

Harley after Harley rumbled through Goldsboro Saturday afternoon, as more than 200 bikers rode from Smithfield to Shelton's Harley-Davidson for the 22nd annual H.O.G. Toy Run. The bikers were riding to the dealership for a cookout to raise money...

Voters will head to polls Tuesday

Voters in most of Wayne County's municipalities and all of its sanitary districts will go to the polls on Tuesday to choose new governing boards. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Municipal elections are being...

Education forum will be held Thursday

Some of the state's most influential leaders in education will be on hand this week as part of a panel discussion on the subject, and the public is invited to be part of the audience. The 4th Quarter Hot...

Council set to discuss bond issue

The Goldsboro City Council will continue its discussion Monday regarding asking voters to pass a $18.9 million parks and recreation bond this May. The bond would fund the construction of a new W.A. Foster Recreation Center, a multi-sports complex,...

Record retirement

A short ceremony and a quick prayer. It takes just a few reverent moments before battered, tattered and soiled U.S. flags are retired with respect. And while the ceremony doesn't take long, Boy Scout Troop 64 leader Jason Schoenholz...

Local veteran honored

Some of Goldsboro's most notable veterans converged on the Wayne County Veterans Memorial Friday afternoon to honor a man characterized, by one of them, as a "giant" in the local veterans' community. Retired Marine Bill Carr, a Vietnam veteran...

Site could be perfect for proposed agricultural center

The old state-owned dairy property near Cherry Hospital has emerged as the favored site for a proposed $12 million Wayne County Regional Agricultural Center. The property is located across from O'Berry Center on Old Smithfield Road. While somewhat off...

Friday, November 1, 2013

Witness arrested for 2011 murder

In a surprising turn of events, a witness in a murder trial in Wayne County Superior Court was arrested and charged with the murder after indicating on the stand that he was involved in the death of Laquan Devon...

Fall fun at Wayne Community College

Austin Vicars races against friends in the Crash Course during Thursday's Fall Fest at Wayne Community College. The festival was held to give students a break from classes. It was held on the graduation field and sponsored by the...

Board hears school options

The architect hired by the Wayne County Board of Education to design two new schools rolled out three possible design options and a construction timeline Thursday, but his hopes of getting the go-ahead from the Wayne County Board of Education...

Crop agent: Several local harvests will be taking a hard hit this season

An unusually cold and wet summer and late frost have hurt traditional Southern crops this year while the higher-than-average rain gave boosts to Wayne County's corn crop. More specifically, the wet weather hurt tobacco, and the cold is expected...

Christmas in the Forest

Jennifer Branch arranges her holiday gift items for sale early today at St. Francis Episcopal Church. The church is holding its annual Christmas in the Forest event today and Saturday. Vendors will be selling holiday crafts and decorations through...