December 2013 archives

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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Ready to drop

The 15th annual New Year's Eve Pickle Drop will usher in the New Year tonight at the corner of Cucumber and Vine streets at the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. R.L. Grady, a maintenance technician specialist at the plant, and...

Ringing in 2014 with parties, resolutions

The start of a new year has traditionally led people to set goals for themselves, whether to stop a bad habit, lose weight or simply improve their performance at work. And Wayne County residents are no different, with many...

Driver killed in Monday accident

A Wayne County man was killed in a one-vehicle accident on U.S. 13 South between Dobbersville and Bentonville roads before 7 p.m. Monday. Deloit Cotton Best, 28, 1108 Grantham School Road, died after his vehicle, which was traveling at...

Two charged in shooting

The Goldsboro Police Department made two arrests Monday in Goldsboro's fifth homicide of the year. Tony Jermaine Lewis, 42, 802 W. Grantham St., was gunned down in the 700 block of North Virginia Street just after noon Friday. At...

Woman presses wrong pedal

A Goldsboro woman was injured Monday when her car struck a support pillar in front of the Rite Aid at 806 E. Ash St. just before 1 p.m. Frances Tyndall Wood, 75, 1313 N. Carolina St., dropped her grandson...

Closings planned on holiday

Federal, state and local offices, banks and Postal Service offices will be closed Wednesday in observance of the New Year's Day holiday. Wayne County offices, the county landfill and convenience sites will be closed. Town halls in Mount Olive,...

Open the new year with a hike

Leave the hustle and bustle of 2013 behind and walk into 2014 Wednesday with the First Day Hike at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. A tradition for the last four years at Cliffs of the Neuse, the...

Monday, December 30, 2013

School employees affected by insurance stalemate

Wayne County Public Schools employees are among those feeling the fallout from the impasse in negotiations between insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield and Wayne Memorial Hospital. Efforts of the insurance carrier and the local hospital to reach an agreement...

Property taxes deadline is Jan. 6

Monday, Jan. 6, is the deadline for Wayne County taxpayers to pay their annual property tax bills before interest begins the next day. Two percent in interest will be added to tax bills paid after that date in January....

Kwanzaa celebration

A Kwanzaa celebration Sunday night at Rebuilding Broken Places was sponsored by Greenleaf Christian Church in partnership with Kindezi Rites of Passage of Rocky Mount....

Sunday, December 29, 2013

WMH recognized by accreditation panel

Wayne Memorial Hospital was named recently as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States. The hospital was recognized by the commission for exemplary performance...

Virginia Street rebirth: Desire to preserve history leads to home restoration

It took three years for Jay and Amy Bauer to turn their dilapidated house into a home. But this month, the couple opened the doors to the renovated home on Virginia Street to show what happens when an appreciation for...

City plans on public input on greenways

A Durham company has been chosen to work with the city to develop a greenway and bicycle transportation plan over the next few months with an expected finish date next fall. Alta/Greenways and the city are in the process...

Mentoring military children: Program creates new link

A $2.35 million federal grant obtained by East Carolina University is bringing to Wayne County a unique pilot program geared toward building connections between military families, the community and schools. Operation LINK is a new AmeriCorps mentoring program that...

Scout takes glasses to Cuba, has eyes opened while there

Sam de Araujo's Eagle Scout project to help people see better also helped to open his own eyes to the plight of others less fortunate than him. Sam, 15, and his father, Dr. Bill de Araujo, were in Cuba...

Man shot, killed in city Friday

Details are sketchy in two separate shootings that happened between noon Friday and early Saturday morning that left one man dead and another injured. Goldsboro police were called to the 700 block of North Virginia Street at 12:10 p.m....

Kwanzaa celebration at Rebuilding Broken Places

Greenleaf Christian Church in partnership with the Kindezi Rites of Passage group based out of Rocky Mount will be hosting a Kwanzaa celebration today starting at 5 p.m. Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a major...

Dalton's wish comes true

The Wallace family of Goldsboro knows that not every Christmas gift comes tied up with a ribbon and bow. Sometimes they are dreams that come true. * Stephanie Wallace, a teacher assistant at Tommy's Road Elementary, loves her family...

Friday, December 27, 2013

Numbers at newly renovated local senior center continue to skyrocket

Wayne County Services on Aging Director Eryn McAuliffe can remember hoping to see an increase of at least 100 senior citizens at Wayne County's new Senior Center after it opened in October 2012. What she saw instead was an...

Family counts blessings, gives thanks for support after a year of recovery

Christmas was a bit different this year for the Floydie Harris family. This is the first holiday since the patriarch was struck down in his Dudley yard when a fully loaded semi truck left the roadway and struck him...

Knock on door ends in holdup

A subject with a gun walked a Goldsboro man out of his own home and robbed him of his wallet just before 6 a.m. today, according to a Goldsboro police report. Allen Clark Bennet, 23, whose home address is...

Christmas shooting victim identified

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office has released the identity of the woman shot Christmas Day at the residence of Johnnie Allen Jernigan Jr., who is now in custody. Jeanne Dawn Suttle, 39, remains in critical condition at Vidant Medical...

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Students help with LaGrange mural job

A project to restore a local artist's work turned into a labor of love for three area high school students. Angie Waller, art instructor at Wayne Community College, said she was contacted by Howell Woods, formerly Howell's Child Care Center,...

Man, 43, charged in Wednesday shooting

A Wayne County man is in jail today under a $150,000 secured bond following a Christmas day shooting. The victim, not yet identified, was transported to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Johnnie Allen Jernigan, 43, of 1558 Old Smithfield...

MPO makes its list for '14

The Goldsboro Metropolitan Transportation Organization has picked consultants for two projects for approval by the Goldsboro City Council. The city has a say in the choice of consultants for the two projects because the city is helping fund them....

Civil War battlefield site gets Park Service funding

FOUR OAKS -- The Bentonville Battleground Historic Site has been awarded a $27,763 grant by the National Park Service to purchase 13.38 acres of the original battlefield site. Bentonville Battleground, located in Johnston County just northeast of Newton Grove,...

Back at the stores: bargain hunting

It's not Black Friday, but the day after Christmas is still a big draw for many shoppers. And not necessarily as an opportunity to return presents that weren't to the recipient's liking. Machelle Bass and her mother, Ruth Outlaw,...

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

2014 tax listing period begins

Wayne County Tax Administrator David Ward remembers how years ago tax listers were sent out across the county and into municipalities annually so that residents could list personal property -- everything from jewelry to clothing to furniture. That process...

A special Christmas gift

Harold Warren says he has something in mind to give his wife for Christmas. But it can't possibly top what he received from her earlier this year -- a kidney. Harold, a Basic Skills specialist at Wayne Community College,...

Man shot, killed in Lenoir County

A Lenoir County man is dead and another in jail after a shooting near Seven Springs Monday at 855 Smith Graddy Road. Randall Thomas Lewis, 20, was killed by a gunshot wound to the head just after 1 p.m....

Airman's wandering lost pup makes surprise holiday return

Mac the Pomeranian is no stranger to trouble. Left to his own devices in the Bowden family's front yard, he has been known to set off on his own, wandering around until someone from the neighborhood turns him in....

Santa makes stop at shelter

Christmas came early for the dogs and cats at the Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center. Santa visited the shelter Friday to give out treats. The treats -- and some food -- were donated by customers at Pet...

Santa's helpers enjoy holiday

Some are born Santas; and some have the role of Santa thrust upon them, but each knows spreading holiday cheer is Job 1, especially if you are going to help the real Jolly Old Elf out at his busiest...

Monday, December 23, 2013

Library change order OK'd

A $39,185 change order has been approved by the Wayne County commissioners for additional roof work on the new Steele Memorial Library in Mount Olive. County Facilities Director Milford Smith said the problems with the roof could not have...

Holiday homecoming

Inside a room hidden from the rest of the Church on the Rock congregation, Antoinette Gibson spends several moments in quiet reflection -- repeating the prayer that has consumed her for the past several weeks. "Lord, please just let my...

Family shares holiday lights

Troy Connor's day job is working with traffic lights for the city of Goldsboro. He is able to get a little bit more creative at home, however, putting together a computerized light show of Christmas decorations. He learned the...

Teen shares warmth with patients

Angel Henn took up crocheting around age 12, taught by her grandmother. The hobby later afforded her opportunities to create unique handmade gifts for friends and family, she said. Now a senior at Rosewood High School, the 17-year-old said...

Man, 22, shot Friday outside city business

Investigators with the Goldsboro Police Department are investigating a shooting that took place Friday just before 6 p.m. outside a business at 610-A N. Madison Ave. Officers found Ty'keem Wooten, 22, of Daisy St., in the parking lot with...

Find a new best friend

The Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center has recently had a high number of dogs coming to the shelter, and is urging anyone with room in their home to adopt one during the holidays. There is a $50 nonrefundable...

Sunday, December 22, 2013

County offices to close for most of next two weeks

For many Wayne County government employees, the Christmas season is a slow time with most offices only open for four days over the next two weeks, thanks to the Christmas and New Year's holidays, as well as the county's...

Salvation Army, with help, makes Christmas possible

Jamesse Edmundson is a parent struggling to support her children. Being a low-income mother doesn't allow her any extras for Christmas. "But I wanted my children to have Christmas like any other child," she said. So she went to...

On a last-minute mission

Lynley Lancaster, 6, and Colleen Lancaster, 3, had front-row seats to a Christmas music serenade by Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra in Berkeley Mall on Saturday morning. The siblings watched the animated characters on-stage with rapt attention and smiles on...

Food, clothing giveaway grows in second year

Hundreds turned out Saturday morning for Christmas in the City, a free food and clothing distribution at St. Paul United Methodist Church. This is the second year for the pre-holiday giveaway, launched last year by a Goldsboro college student...

County makes new ag center a priority

The committee originally formed to study the feasibility of building a $12 million Wayne County Regional Agricultural Center has expanded its scope to include the county's agriculture and agri-business community as a whole. The group, now known as the...

Rape suspect apprehended

A man police say raped a 20-year-old Goldsboro woman in the midst of an armed robbery in an apartment in the 900 block of Hugh Street late Wednesday is in custody. Christopher McKinney Barrett, 20, of 901 Sycamore St., is...

Power plant smokestacks imploded on Friday

The sound of explosions followed moments later by loud thuds echoed through the Old Smithfield Road area Friday morning as a demolition specialist for Duke Energy Progress imploded the smokestacks at the retired H.F. Lee power plant. The smokestacks...

Goldsboro reported man missing

The Goldsboro Police department is asking for help from the community to locate a missing person. Ivory Terrell Yelverton, 27, left for work Thursday morning around 5 a.m., according to a Goldsboro Police Department press release. He has not...

Former teacher facing sex charges

The Goldsboro Police Department charged former Wayne School of Engineering teacher Benjamin Randall Strickland, 28, 110 N. John St. Apt. D, with one count of indecent liberties with a student. Strickland, free on $2,000 unsecured bond, is scheduled for...

Former deputy sentenced

Former Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Avon Thompson, 34, of 4709 Indian Springs Road, has been sentenced in Wayne County Superior Court for stealing from the office. Thompson, charged by the State Bureau of Investigation with four counts each...

Man, 21, killed in wreck Friday

A Wayne County man was killed Friday when the vehicle he was driving ran off the road near Fremont, struck a tree and overturned. Kyle Casey, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the North Carolina Highway...

Municipalities also closing for Christmas

Federal offices will be closed Wednesday for the Christmas holiday, as well as on New Year's Day, Jan. 1. Post offices also will be closed those days. State offices will be closed from Tuesday through Thursday and on New Year's...

Friday, December 20, 2013

A project from the heart

The "quietest Santa ever" made his entrance at Herman Park Center on Thursday morning, where more than 100 middle and high school Life Skills students gathered for the third annual Winter Dance, sponsored by Rosewood High School DECA Club...

Police looking for rape suspect

The Goldsboro Police Department is searching for a suspect in the wake of an alleged first-degree rape, kidnapping and robbery with a gun that took place at a Hugh Street apartment just after 11 p.m. Wednesday. A known suspect,...

Pikeville man sentenced

GREENVILLE -- A Pikeville man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for the armed robbery of banks in Roanoke Rapids and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and for the attempted robbery of a Fremont bank. Brian Garland Lancaster,...

Man charged with assault

A Goldsboro man is in the Wayne County Jail today, held without bond, after he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend with a hammer. Goldsboro police charged Kenneth Preston Sutton, 35, 1903-B E. Holly St., with assault with a deadly weapon...

City debuts new reporting system

After going live earlier this month, the city's new public service request reporting system, 311GIS, is allowing the city Public Works Department to respond to service calls faster and with less paper waste. The software is available over the...

Man charged in attack on girlfriend

A Hugh Street woman was held against her will and beaten inside the vehicle of her assailant just before 11 a.m. Thursday, according to a Goldsboro police report. The woman's sister was able to rescue her and call police....

Police Department offers safety tips for the holiday season

Cpl. Marissa Davis and the Goldsboro Police Department would like to wish the city of Goldsboro and Wayne County a Merry Christmas and happy-yet-safe holiday season. Cpl. Davis, of the Crime Prevention Unit, offers these safety tips to holiday...

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Would-be burglar drops ID

A dropped identification card helped put a suspect at the scene of a burglary Tuesday. Christmas Nathaniel Whitfield, 23, is in the Wayne County Jail awaiting a court appearance after he was arrested on first-degree burglary charges Tuesday. A-Shift...

City's park improvement projects continue through winter months

Work on construction projects at city parks is progressing despite the recent cold weather. Sand volleyball courts at Stoney Creek Park were completed last week, the sand is in place for another court at Berkeley Park over the former...

Raising their voices

Patricia Atkinson and Rematha Thomas sing with The Song Birds during the second annual Christmas party at the Peggy M. Seegars Senior Center on Wednesday. The Song Birds choir is made of all members of the senior center. During...

Worker confronts alleged shoplifter

An employee at the Kmart located at 201 N. Berkeley Blvd. got more than she bargained for when confronting a suspected shoplifter Wednesday. According to a report filed with the Goldsboro Police Department, Kierra Rowe, 20, while working in...

County to offer health cards

Since November 2009, Wayne County residents have saved more than $292,000 through their participation in the free prescription discount drug card program offered by the National Association of Counties. Beginning in February, the association will offer two additional health...

Apartment fire accidental

The Goldsboro Fire Department has concluded its investigation into the East Holly Street fire that displaced six families in the Fairview Housing Community Saturday at 4:30 a.m. Investigators have ruled the fire accidental. "The actual cause of the fire...

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Community rallies for six burned out families

Four days ago, they lost nearly everything -- six of the families who were burned out of their homes when a fire ravaged an apartment complex off East Holly Street. But Tuesday night, thanks to a Christmas miracle performed...

Officials hunting area dog napper

Three dogs plucked from their owners' yards on Apple Tree Creek Road Monday remain missing. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating a potential dog snatcher. Lucia Garcia, 24, reported a gray and white male Great Pyrenees and a...

County merges several VFDs

People living in Wayne County fire districts that are planning to merge can expect the same level of service they have been receiving in the past, several fire chiefs told the Wayne County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Residents...

Aycock to act as acting county chief

Wayne County Commission Chairman Wayne Aycock will act as county manager over the next two weeks during the absence of County Manager Lee Smith. Smith said this week he is planning to have elective surgery done over the holidays...

Special Olympians go bowling in state competition

Special Olympics Wayne County sent 34 athletes and partners to participate in the eastern state bowling competition. The athletes participated in singles, doubles, unified doubles and unified team competitions. County bowlers won 26 medals and eight ribbons. The team...

Soup Kitchen ensuring that the hungry are fed

The Community Soup Kitchen served a record-breaking number of Thanksgiving meals last month and is preparing to serve even more on Christmas Day. Director Doricia Benton said the daily numbers are up between 40 and 50 meals. The numbers...

Fremont Board OKs plan

FREMONT -- The Fremont Town Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday night to send its grant application to the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center for approval. The application will go before the Rural Center for approval by Dec. 31...

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Man robbed, shot, in home

A Wayne County man was bound inside his home and shot by two subjects who forced their way in at gunpoint Friday just before 11 p.m. Wayne County sheriff's deputies called to Wayne Memorial Hospital late Friday met with...

Fire victims relocated to new homes

Six families who lost their homes in a fire this past weekend on East Holly Street have been relocated by the Goldsboro Housing Authority. Most will remain in the Fairview community, but two families have been relocated to other...

Embers perform for crowd

It was a Christmas homecoming Monday night for several members of North Carolina's favorite beach music band. The Embers performed their annual holiday concert for the Empty Stocking Fund in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College before an enthusiastic...

City moves ahead with bond

The Goldsboro City Council approved a resolution Monday authorizing the city finance director to apply with the state to hold an $18.9 million bond referendum in May. The bonds, if approved, would be sold to pay for four major...

Man arrested for B&E at fire station

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office arrested the man they say broke into the Grantham Fire Department in September and stole a game system. Investigators charged Michael Jerome Jarman Jr., 29, 253 Grantham School Road, with breaking and entering, larceny...

Monday, December 16, 2013

Suspect uses box to hide face

Goldsboro police have arrested a man they say attempted to break into a Comco gas station and convenience store on West Grantham Street in November. He was identified despite his best attempts to conceal his face during the failed...

Kettle campaign needs help

Halfway into its kettle campaign, the Salvation Army is halfway to its goal of $87,000. But the group also has five less days this year for bell ringers to raise the funds that care for the needy in the community....

Christmas in Pikeville

Cub Scouts toss candy to children lining the street during the annual Pikeville Christmas Parade held on Sunday. Hundreds of people turned out for the final Christmas parade of the season in Wayne County....

Run, run, Rudolph ... to the post office

Postal Service carriers Lori Humbert, left, and Sally Capps prepare to load up packages early this morning at the Berkeley Postal Service station on Cashwell Drive. Today is the last day for patrons to mail overseas packages to ensure...

Mount Olive College to become university

Mount Olive College has officially announced it will become the University of Mount Olive on the first day of the new year. The name change is warranted, college officials say, after the school instituted an online master's in business...

Photos honor Sandy Hook victims

A year after a gunman tore a hole in the heart of a small Connecticut town, people across the country have been trying to let them know they haven't been forgotten. In Goldsboro, photographer Brenna Wolfe heard the nationwide...

Find a new best friend

The Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center has recently had a high number of dogs coming to the shelter, and is urging anyone with room in their home to adopt one during the holidays. There is a $50...

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Never forgotten

His back stiffened at the position of attention, an airman slowly raises his right arm as his fingers unfurl and meet his brow. He renders a rigid salute. Silently his hand falls back to his side. The scene replays...

County fire departments preparing for local station mergers, closures

The 54-year-old Pinewood Fire Department is planning to cease operations and two of the county's smaller departments are planning to merge with larger ones. The dissolution of the Pinewood Fire Department is in the initial stages as are the...

Seven families homeless after fire

The Goldsboro Fire Department saved the life of a 5-year-old boy while battling a blaze that claimed seven apartments on East Holly Street in the Fairview Housing Community early Saturday morning. Investigators are still working to uncover the cause of...

Empty Stocking Fund 2013

* John Kinsey, $20 * From your wife, children and grandchildren, $50, in memory of George Edmundson * Cecil and Betty Lou Kornegay, $50, in honor of our grandchildren and our great-grandson * Willo Jean Jordan, $25, honoring all students...

Crash leaves one dead

A Pikeville man was killed early Friday morning in a single-car accident on Antioch Road near Wayne Memorial Drive. Just before 12:30 a.m., William John Harvey, 35, drove his 2009 Toyota passenger car off the road to the right, State...

Bond issue is back on council's agenda

The Goldsboro City Council is expected to pass a resolution at its Monday meeting authorizing the city finance director to file an application with the state to hold a proposed $18.9 million bond referendum vote in May. The bond,...

Salvation Army still looking for donations for Angel Tree

With just a week to go until Christmas, there are still tags on the Salvation Army's Angel Trees. The trees contain the names of local needy children who probably wouldn't get anything under their tree if not for the Salvation...

Goldsboro resident earns Congressional Gold Medal for service

James Swinson, 88, of Goldsboro, recently received the Congressional Gold Medal for his service with the Montford Marines in World War II. He was one of more than 20,000 black men who were trained as Marines from 1942 until...

Jingle in the Park continues Friday

Jingle in the Park kicked off Friday for its first of two weekends in Herman Park with fun and family time for all who went. The Saturday event may have been called off because of the weather, but don't fret...

Griffin appointed to N.Y. Green Bank

NEW YORK -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that Alfred Griffin, a Goldsboro native, has been appointed as president of the New York Green Bank, a $1 billion initiative to leverage private sector financing for clean energy projects....

Christmas comes early ... because of you

Most were eager to see if the rumor was true -- that Santa Claus was around the corner. And their eyes lit up not just when they saw the pile of toys and the stocking full of goodies, but...

Commissioners to eye radio issue

Repairing the county's troubled $10 million communications system will be back before Wayne County commissioners when they meet Tuesday morning at the Peggy M. Seegars Senior Center. The session will begin with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m. followed by...

Friday, December 13, 2013

18-wheeler rams into house

A car collided with an 18-wheeler just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday, sending the truck into a roll that ended with the cab of the vehicle in the side of a house at 876 Spring Bank Road. The N.C. State...

Jolly old Saint Nick?

Khalaziah Dodd, 10, and her brother Ky'aier Joyner, 6 months, pose for a photograph in a cutout of Santa and an elf made by volunteers from high schools during the Wayne County Public Library Trim-A-Tree event Thursday night. The...

Empty Stocking Fund 2013

* Jackson & Sons, $4,000 * Joe and Jane McLamb, $100, in honor of Mike Harrold, Betsy Harrold, Bud King and Jackie King * Marianna, Johnnie Bell, Joseph Jr. Robert and Chris, $25, in memory of Joseph "Joe" Meal *...

Cherry Hospital earns top ratings on performance

RALEIGH -- Cherry Hospital is one of two psychiatric hospitals in North Carolina to be named among 1,099 hospitals nationwide for exemplary performance on specific quality measures during the 2012 calendar year, officials at the N.C. Department of Health...

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Alliance looks at existing spaces

MOUNT OLIVE -- Identifying urban sites for redevelopment was among the ideas that emerged from the Wayne County Development Alliance's planning retreat held Wednesday. Such projects could help the organization beef up its inventory of available buildings, enabling it...

City finishes work on paving paths in Stoney Creek Park

Visitors to Stoney Creek Park this week will notice more accessible asphalt trails connecting the parking lot off of Ash Street to the cul-de-sac on the west side of the park. The path is 8 feet wide from the...

Another house destroyed by fire

The Goldsboro Fire Department arrived at 703 Corney St. Wednesday, just before 5:30 p.m., to find smoke pouring from the vacant residence located across the street from the W.A. Foster Center. After about 10 minutes, the fire was under...

Light announces run for district attorney

Assistant District Attorney Terry Light has announced she will run for district attorney for Wayne, Lenoir and Greene counties, hoping to fill the job being vacated by Branny Vickory, who has said he will retire next year. The official...

Empty Stocking Fund 2013

* Marian J. Westbrook, $50 * Goldsboro Chapter 54 OES, $100 * Anonymous, $50, in honor of Ada and Ben, Merry Christmas * Lib and Kenneth, $100, in honor of our neighbors on Pineridge Lane * Mark and Regina Lesnau,...

DGDC holding Santa Stumble bar crawl on Friday

Bring out your worst Christmas sweaters and your fluffy Santa hats to the downtown Santa Stumble bar crawl beginning at 8 p.m. Friday at Matchbox. The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. is looking for a better turnout than was seen...

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Student, 15, starts his own reading campaign

Nolan Davis has always enjoyed a good book. "I like to read, pretty much anything," he said. "When I was little, my parents would read to me, but mostly I just always liked to read." The 15-year-old now realizes that...

Wreaths will go on veterans' graves

PIKEVILLE -- The public is invited to a Saturday ceremony at the town cemetery to pay tribute to the 116 veterans interred there. The noon ceremony is one of the hundreds of Wreaths Across America events being held simultaneously...

Cookie drop

Hannah Palmer, 9, opens a container of cookies Tuesday before dozens of volunteers arrive to assemble boxes that will be delivered to more than 500 airmen at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. This is Hannah's first year helping with...

Fremont STEP proposal gets final approval

FREMONT -- The Fremont Small Town Economic Prosperity grant team met Tuesday to give final approval on a plan for how the town will spend the $100,000 in grant funding from the state. The North Carolina STEP program allocates $25,000...

Empty Stocking Fund 2013

*Shirley and Arthur Raiford Jr., $25, in loving memory of our daughter Melanie Raiford Griggs *Billy and Ann Thornton, $125, in memory of Mark and Edwin Parks, Jessie and Maggie Thornton and in honor of Margie Parks *Thurman C. Futch...

Getting a view of the world

As a U.S. and world history teacher at Spring Creek High School, Scott Hardy enjoys giving his students a glimpse of what the rest of the world is like. And while a virtual tour from his classroom is fine,...

Just in time for the holidays

Springs Creek students Daniel Ludlum and Joshua Best load up boxes of fresh holiday fruits Monday afternoon. The fruit was sold by students to raise funds for their school....

Post office on Cashwell to be open on Saturdays

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that it will extend retail hours in a number of select postal offices across the state during the last two weekends before the Christmas holidays. The Berkeley Station at 100 Cashwell Drive is...

Crime of the Week

On Nov. 11, a representative of the T-Mart No. 2 convenience store, located at 301 W. Grantham St., reported that on Nov. 10, a known subject damaged the business, freezer door and the store's security camera when they attempted...

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Wayne Community College earns accreditation for childcare degree

Wayne Community College's Early Childhood Education program has received accreditation status from the NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children. To earn the recognition, programs conduct a rigorous self-study process, which culminates in a report demonstrating...

Wayne Memorial Hospital wins marketing awards

Wayne Memorial Hospital won four awards recently during the annual fall conference of the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society. Kids' Page, a newsletter published by the hospital and targeting more than 9,000 Wayne County Public Schools students...

Family adds to reward in case

The family of Mount Olive murder victim Tyrone Beamon Jr. plans to match the $3,000 reward offered by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the double slaying of Beamon and his girlfriend,...

Tickets benefit fund for needy children in area

With a little less than a week to go until their annual Christmas concert, tickets for The Embers are going fast. The band will once again take to the stage as part of the campaign to raise money for...

Public gets peek at plan for Herman Park renovation

The Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Department held its first session for public input on the proposed renovations to Herman Park and its center Monday. City voters will be asked in May to vote for an $18.9 million bond referendum...

Only 40 tickets left for Diamond Dip

About 40 tickets are still available for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's annual fundraiser Thursday. This year, the chamber broke from its tradition of having a reverse raffle, to hold an event capped at 150 participants where one person...

Monday, December 9, 2013

WCC program offers guide to fed contractors

In addition to preparing students for the workforce, Wayne Community College also has a secret weapon in its arsenal for supporting existing and future local enterprise -- the military business center and small business center. The North Carolina Military...

Meth lab located in Pikeville

The Goldsboro Wayne County Interagnecy Drug Task Force, responding to citizen concerns, located a meth lab operating in Pikeville Wednesday, resulting in an arrest. Additional arrests and more drug-related charges are pending, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office...

Man, 45, tries to abduct his 'ex'

A Mount Olive man is charged with kidnapping and assault on a female after abducting a former girlfriend at gunpoint Sunday. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office and Goldsboro Police Department arrested and charged Terence James Garner, 45, of 154...

Officials: Theater has a big impact

It has been five years since the city reopened the Paramount Theatre following a fire that gutted the interior of the building in 2005. And after a $4.5 million renovation to get the theater on its feet, is the...

Special Olympics

Wayne County Special Olympics recently participated in the 2013 Special Olympics North Carolina Eastern Bocce Tournament in Wilson. The athletes competed in the tournament in singles, doubles and unified doubles competitions. All athletes and partners had to previously qualify...

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Third-graders face new test

A law that went into effect last year has drastically changed the way teachers educate students -- and has limited the power of school administrators to pass them on to the next grade. In what was characterized, by director...

Santa Claus comes to town

The cold, wet and windy weather may have dampened holiday spirits at the Mount Olive Christmas parade Saturday, but by the time it was Fremont and Goldsboro's turns, conditions had improved and people were eager to welcome Santa Claus...

Excess profits to fund alcohol program

Wayne County commissioners plan to use $42,000 from an unexpected $84,285 donation from the Wayne County ABC Board to help clear a backlog of cases in the Family Drug Treatment Court program. The program has been delayed because of...

Students join links of hope for victims

Carmelita Abad has lived in Goldsboro with her military husband for nine years. But growing up in the Philippines, she still has vivid memories of life in the eye of a typhoon -- the intense winds and rain that ravage...

City wraps up weeks of sewer smoke tests

Two weeks and several false alarms to the Goldsboro Fire Department later, smoke testing on the city's sanitary sewer lines was completed Thursday and a report will be issued in the coming weeks. The non-toxic smoke was pumped into...

Parkstown not letting lack of parade dampen spirit

Stringent new state rules might have been the Grinch that stole the Parkstown Christmas Parade, but they aren't keeping this close-knit community from celebrating the holiday season. Instead of a parade, community leaders have pulled together a Christmas Festival...

Meals on Wheels looking for extra help

WAGES is asking for the community's help in assembling 500 bags of shelf-staple foods and goodies for nutrition program participants for Christmas. For the second year, Prudential The McMillen Real Estate Group has taken on the effort as a...

Friday, December 6, 2013

Weather will not scuttle parades

With rain and wind likely Saturday, Christmas parades in Mount Olive, Fremont and Goldsboro are expected to go ahead as planned. The temperature for Saturday is expected to peak around 65 in the morning before dipping back down to...

Christmas concert

Jaylin Sykes, 8, Ariyana Jackson, 6, and Maliyah Moore, 8, perform "Jingle Bells" with a group of young singers from Carver Heights Elementary during the last night of the Wayne County Choral Showcase at Goldsboro High School on Thursday....

Board of Education to move ahead with plans to replace two schools

Wayne County school board members maintain they still want to move forward on building two new schools, even if it means cutting back on some of the extra amenities pitched to them by architects. The Wayne County Board of...

Thursday, December 5, 2013

No deal; deadline passes

Unable to come to a new contract agreement, Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced today that Wayne Memorial Hospital is no longer an in-network provider -- effective today. Negotiations had broken down in September after 18 months of talks,...

County to pay back wages

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday authorized the payment of just under $12,000 to approximately 65 county employees who were underpaid by the county. The payment was not part of the board's published agenda, but instead emerged following a 45-minute closed...

Robbery suspect sought

A black man dressed in all black wearing white gloves and with a gray shirt wrapped around his head and brandishing a weapon attempted to rob the Hardee's in Princeton Monday at 7:40 p.m., Princeton police said. The suspect...

City's new motto

Banners that bear the new Goldsboro city motto are installed by Kim Best, Jerry Chandler and Bill Weaver, top, on the front of City Hall Monday afternoon. The city motto, "Be More, Do More, Seymour, in Goldsboro, NC," was...

Timetable in place for demolition of former H.F. Lee Power Plant

The smokestacks that have towered over the Wayne County countryside for more than 60 years will soon be gone -- and by mid-2015 what had been the old H.F. Lee Power Plant will be just a memory. Progress Energy...

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Goldsboro Pediatrics to focus on child literacy

Parents, turn off that TV, put down the electronic devices and talk to your child. It just may make all the difference in their reading scores and keep them from dropping out of school, says Dr. David Tayloe, founder...

Suspect tells story; pleads

One of the four men charged with the murder of a Goldsboro teenager pleaded guilty this morning to his role in the crime -- and agreed to testify against the remaining three defendants when the case goes to trial....

Board weighs cutting project

The Wayne County Board of Education plans to vote next month on whether or not to continue requiring students to complete a graduation project. Board Policy 3460, spelling out requirements for high school students, was among policies presented for...

Power shift: County commissioner elect new leaders

For what is likely the first time in Wayne County's history, Republicans and Democrats share the leadership of the county Board of Commissioners. Republican Wayne Aycock was elected as chairman and Democrat Ed Cromartie as vice chairman Tuesday. A...

Annual pet food drive extended to Dec. 13

The fifth annual pet food drive sponsored by Prudential The McMillen Real Estate Group has been extended another week until Dec. 13 to allow for more pet supplies to be collected before they are given to the Wanye County...

Alleged victim ends up in jail cell

A Goldsboro man reportedly shot in front of Brookside Mini Mart at 2000 S. Slocumb St. was not there when police showed up. This morning, he is in jail. Goldsboro police found Aaron Moore, 18, of 1906 Day Circle,...

Mount Olive swears in new board

MOUNT OLIVE -- Monday's meeting of the Mount Olive Town Board was more ceremony than business as state Rep. Jimmy Dixon and state Sen. Louis Pate swore in new town board members for the next two years. Returning to...

Stewart recognized with FFA's highest honor

A little determination can go a long way, and MOC student Brian Stewart proves it. Stewart, a sophomore at Mount Olive College from Goldsboro, recently received the American Degree -- the highest honor given by the Future Farmers of...

Guilty plea in McLaurin murder case

One of the four men charged with the murder of a Goldsboro teenager pleaded guilty this morning to his role in the crime -- and agreed to testify against the remaining three defendants when the case goes to trial. Kevin...

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

McLaurin defendants to appear in court Wednesday morning

The four men accused in the September 2012 murder of Kennedy F. McLaurin are scheduled to appear for an arraignment in Wayne County Superior Court Wednesday morning. Complete coverage of what transpires will appear in the Thursday edition of the...

Christmas and The Embers

The Embers, North Carolina's official music ambassadors, will be performing Monday, Dec. 16, as part of the Empty Stocking Fund campaign to provide Christmas gifts to hundreds of needy youngsters. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Wayne...

Pikeville Town Board annexes land at Monday meeting

PIKEVILLE -- The Pikeville Town Board annexed 30 acres of land on the southeast and southwest corners of the intersection of I-795 and Pikeville-Princeton Road at its meeting Monday night. Following a short public hearing on a request by...

Light the lights

Caleb Becker, 3, Alana Santos, 4, Karyn Watkins, 3, and Giselle Jones, 4, sing Christmas carols with a group from the Child Development Center at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base during the base's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Monday evening....

Council members elect Broadaway to serve as city's mayor pro tem

The Goldsboro City Council unanimously voted in Councilman Bill Broadaway as its mayor pro tem for the coming year at its meeting Monday night. Broadaway will replace Councilman Michael Headen on Jan 1. The mayor pro tem leads council meetings...

Board keeps leader; will pay bonus

In a break from tradition and by a split vote Monday night, the Wayne County Board of Education decided to keep its leadership status quo for another year. The board was unanimous, however, in awarding the schools superintendent a $6,500...

County: Holidays won't mean more euthanizations

Rumors are unfounded that dogs and cats housed at the Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center will be euthanized because the center will be closed during the holidays, officials said. The animals will be well taken care of...

Monday, December 2, 2013

Hearing set in child's death

A man charged with beating his 4-month-old son to death will appear Wednesday in Wayne County Superior Court. Brenden Pemberton, 22, faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Jaylin Maurice Pemberton in May 2012. The...

Deadline looms; no deal yet

With just three days until Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina terminates its contract with Wayne Memorial Hospital, the two sides are no closer to an agreement than they were more than a week ago. But, in...

District chief surprised by Keen comments

Fork Township Sanitary District Board Chairman Henry Braswell said he was surprised and disappointed at comments by Wayne County Commissioner Steve Keen that the districts could stifle economic development. Braswell said the comments are particularly disconcerting in light of...

Commissioners to elect new chairman, vice chairman

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning will elect a new chairman and vice chairman for the coming year. Commissioners nominate and then vote on both offices. Chairman Steve Keen told commissioners at their meeting two weeks ago that he had...

Suspects to appear in court this week

The four men accused of kidnapping and killing 16-year-old Kennedy Fitzgerald McClaurin Jr. in September 2012 will be arraigned in Wayne County Superior Court on Wednesday. Leonard Eugene Joyner, 23, Jerome Jilah Butts, 21, Kevin Smith, 19, and Curtis...

Stevens appointed to water treatment board

Goldsboro City Manager Scott Stevens has been appointed by Gov., Pat McCrory to the state Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board The board works to protect public health and conserve and protect the water resources of the state. It protects...

Truck goes off bridge

A man driving a Dodge Ram 2500 with a trailer in tow died Sunday when his vehicle went off the overpass on U.S. 117 Bypass and fell 23 feet onto N.C. Highway 55 in the eastbound lane, the state Highway...

Sunday, December 1, 2013

United Way campaign in final push

Compared to past years, the United Way of Wayne County is a little behind in raising funds for its capital campaign due to lower input from corporate campaigns across the county. "We're not ahead this year, but we're not...

Small businesses get a chance to strut their stuff

Small Business Saturday was pretty much a normal day for most of Goldsboro's small business owners. But the designation did give some a chance to offer customers special deals while shining a light on the often overlooked importance of...

Sanitary districts were formed on their own

Sanitary districts were authorized by a state law that dates back to the 1920s. However, Wayne County's first district, Southern Wayne, wasn't formed until May 1976. Fork Township Sanitary District was the second in September 1986. They were followed by...

County wants power to alter water boundaries

Wayne County commissioners' campaign to win legislative approval allowing them to alter sanitary district lines amounts to forced annexation, Wayne Water Districts Manager Steve Hamilton said. "If a group of people touch our district, and they want to be annexed,...

City Council to choose mayor pro tem

The Goldsboro City Council is expected to choose which councilman will serve as mayor pro tem for the coming year at its meeting Monday night. The mayor pro tem leads Council meetings in the absence of the mayor and represents...

Salvation Army looking for volunteers to cut costs

The Salvation Army spent $15,000 last year to pay people to ring bells for its kettle campaign. The organization is hoping more people volunteer this year so that more money can be used to help more people in this community....

New law aimed at stopping vehicle thieves

A new law designed to reduce the number of vehicles that are stolen and then sold for parts or crushed goes into effect today. Salvage yards and recyclers will now be required to verify vehicle information with the North...

Seven Springs Christmas tree

Camden Jones gets a boost from his father, Shorty Jones, in order to help trim the tree at the Seven Springs Town Hall on Saturday. Almost 100 people turned for the second annual event, at which residents place ornaments...

Black Friday cash winner

Byron Gould, left, of Goldsboro was the winner of $200 in the News-Argus Black Friday Cash Giveaway. Managing Editor Dennis Hill presents him with the check. The drawing was held Friday after the Thursday night event held by the...

Mount Olive veteran says real story of 'Black Hawk Down' untold

According to former Staff Sgt. Thomas Oates, Hollywood got it wrong. Oates wants his former fellow solders recognized for their part in the infamous fight portrayed in the movie "Black Hawk Down," saying the movie version of the battle...

Family looks for help in fighting cancer

After years of battling skin cancer that resulted in more than 100 minor surgeries, Bobby Edwards, 48, has now found a battle that he needs more than the usual help to win. Recently diagnosed with adena squamous-cell carcinoma, Edwards...

Energy assistance applications taken beginning Monday

Wayne County residents may begin applying Monday for energy assistance through the federally funded Low Income Energy Assistance Program. Applications will be taken through Jan. 31 or until funds are exhausted at the Wayne County Department of Social Services,...

Choral Showcase Tuesday through Thursday

The 13th annual Wayne County Public Schools Choral Showcase will be performed over three nights this week. Holiday season songs will be featured on the program, which will be presented Dec. 3, 4 and 5 at Goldsboro High School....

Berkeley post office to extend hours

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that it will extend retail hours in a number of select postal offices across the state during the last two weekends before the Christmas holidays. The Berkeley Station at 100 Cashwell Drive is one...

Aycock birthplace to celebrate holidays

FREMONT -- Visitors will be able to see the feast of a late 19th century Christmas including meats, collards, biscuits, and plum pudding as might have covered the table at the Aycock farm when the Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic...