December 2014 archives

View Archive

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Police seeking ID from shooting

The Goldsboro Police Department has identified a person of interest in the Christmas Eve shooting of Daniel Clark Jr. According to the police report, Clark was found shot several times outside the Skylight Mini-Mart at 720 E. Ash St....

Bye bye, Christmas

Billy Langston of the Goldsboro Sanitation Department disposes of the Paramount Theatre Christmas tree early today by putting it into a compactor. City residents who are ready to get rid of their trees can call the Public Works Department...

Officers on lookout tonight

The Goldsboro Police Department and Wayne County Sheriff's Office will conduct normal operations tonight, New Year's Eve, but will not participate in a multi-agency DWI campaign. "We don't have anything planned, just our routine patrol," said Capt. Steve Mozingo...

Construction costs increase for county school upgrades

Rising costs for construction projects at Charles B. Aycock High School, including a nearly $30,000 price tag on asbestos abatement, have forced the Wayne County school board to scrap some of the bids it has already received while it...

College allows sign-up on Saturday

It's a holiday week and Wayne Community College is still closed, but for those interested in registering for spring classes, related departments will be available this weekend. "Full-Service Saturday" will be Jan. 3, with several departments and offices opening...

Analyst: City's fleet is in need of work

The city's fleet of vehicles, its garage operations and the number of people and resources it has to do the job need work, a consultant recently told Goldsboro City Council. Ron Hall of CST Fleet Management analyzed several aspects...

Mount Olive names interim Police Department chief

MOUNT OLIVE -- Tommy Brown has been named interim chief of the town's police department. Brown, 45, who is currently a captain on the force, will replace Chief Brian Rhodes who announced earlier this year that he will retire...

Princeton man killed in moped-SUV collision

A Princeton man is dead and charges are pending the outcome of a N.C. State Highway Patrol investigation following a fatal wreck on Princeton Road Monday. Danny G. Pearce, 36, of Princeton died when he was struck on his...

Pickle Drop to herald in 2015

By STEVE HERRING sherring@newsargus.com Mount Olive town offices will be closed Thursday for the New Year's Day holiday, but tonight the town will be ringing in the new year with the 16th annual Pickle Drop. Sponsored by the Mt....

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

$600K checks given to local groups

The largest individual donation received in Wayne Community College history, $654,496, will be used for scholarships and to support its nursing programs, said Jack Kannan, executive director of the WCC Foundation. The benefactor of the endowment, Josephine Tavzelf Dunn...

Residents displaced by Dec. 24 fire

An electrical fire at the historic Waynesborough House Christmas Eve forced the mass evacuation of the building's residents, all of whom have since been housed in area hotels. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, but is believed to...

Local charities prepare for last-minute donations

Diaz Wallace has not seen the floor of his warehouse since he has worked there. Instead, a mountain of bagged clothes, toys and assorted items covers a portion of the room. He does not mind, though. "The last thing...

Toddler is stable after Wednesday shooting

MOUNT OLIVE -- The condition of a 2-year-old boy who was struck by a bullet on Christmas Eve has been upgraded from critical to fair and stable. The child was sitting in his car seat in the back seat...

Woman's car hits home on East Elm Street

A Goldsboro woman is charged with careless and reckless driving and driving without insurance after her car crashed into a residence on East Elm Street at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The car smashed first into a heating and air conditioning...

Monday, December 29, 2014

Grant to help WAGES expand

WAGES Community Action Agency is one of 240 organizations nationwide, nine in North Carolina, awarded an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant, which will fund expansion of the local child care program for infants and toddlers. WAGES, or Wayne...

Man says he doesn't know who shot him

A man wounded by gunfire Sunday night said he did not see who fired the shots, according to a Goldsboro police report. Ramelle Malek Lofton, 21 of East End Circle, told Goldsboro police he was walking home from the...

Closings announced for New Year's

Local, state and federal offices will be closed Thursday for New Year's Day. State offices will be closed Thursday, and federal offices, banks and the Postal Service office also will be closed. City Hall will close on New Year's...

City annexing land with new law

Goldsboro recently completed annexing one property and is in the progress of annexing another. The contiguous annexation currently in progress involves land located between North William Street and Patetown Road, on the north side of Industry Court, and was...

Construction booming in city

Construction of several new businesses in Goldsboro is nearing completion, with Dick's Sporting Goods set to open by the end of January, city building codes inspector Allen Anderson says. The store will be located just south of Berkeley Mall....

Sunday, December 28, 2014

County: 2014 taxes almost tardy

Wayne County taxpayers have less than two weeks remaining in which to pay their 2014 property taxes before they will have to add a late payment penalty to their bill. The county sent out 71,000 tax bills in August...

A family's flight to freedom

A Cuban expatriate whose parents moved the family to the U.S. when she was 6 years old says she agrees with President Barack Obama's stance on her homeland and any moves to eradicate communism there. Fe Finch, who retired...

Willie's famous 'dogs' to get new address

The white clapboard country store on the corner of N.C. 581 across from Rosewood Middle School has never had all the bells and whistles of the bigger chains. But for residents in that community, Rosewood Food Liner had something...

Departments can now recoup costs

A new Wayne County ordinance will provide the county's fire departments with a way to recoup expenses associated with costly and/or time-consuming operations. "Basically what it would allow is when we have major events that are costly to our...

Grant will allow students to watch Neuse River

Environmental biology, by its very nature, is not a subject that should be taught in a classroom, Leah Connell said. "I take (students) out of the class a lot -- how are you going to teach them in a lab?"...

Officials still want to hear concerns

Attention downtown business owners affected by Streetscape. City Manager Scott Stevens hears your concerns -- and he would like to hear more. Stevens is asking those who are battling the effects of the downtown revitalization project to speak up...

Southern States scholarships available

Applications for the Southern States Cooperative and John Deere Financial scholarship fund for risig college sophomores pursuing an associate's degree with a focus on agriculture are now being accepted through Feb. 13, 2015. Up to five scholarships, in the...

Pickle will drop to ring in 2015

MOUNT OLIVE -- Wayne County residents Wednesday night can celebrate the New Year early and still be home hours before the ball drops in New York or the giant acorn falls in Raleigh. The 16th annual Pickle Drop, sponsored...

Future brighter for children, speaker tells local Partnership

Cindy Watkins, president the N.C. Partnership for Children, said she is more optimistic than ever about the future for young children. At the annual meeting of The Partnership for Children of Wayne County, the keynote speaker said she is...

Friday, December 26, 2014

Motorcyclists deliver toys to local children

It was, of course, loud. Nearly 20 motorcycles revving their engines on a narrow street means the sound of the engine will ricochet off the walls of surrounding buildings. It was, of course, noticeable. When two ride captains use...

Shots fired; man at Vidant

Goldsboro police are investigating the Christmas Eve shooting of a 44-year-old man at the Skylight Mini Mart on the 700 block of East Ash Street. Daniel Clark Jr. was reportedly shot multiple times by an unknown male Wednesday at...

Commission wary of impact fees

Some members of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners are concerned impact fees that could be charged for infrastructure improvements at new highway interchanges could stifle development. At a recent meeting, it did not take long for commissioners to...

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Power outage hits wide city area

More than 1,400 Duke Energy customers, as well as early morning shoppers at Berkeley Mall and stores up and down Berkeley Boulevard, found themselves in the dark this morning after a tree limb fell on a primary power circuit...

Remembering why

First Pentecostal Holiness Church incorporated the Nativity into its worship services. Many local churches annually recreate the birth of Jesus with live Nativity scenes at the holiday, lending a realistic air to the story....

Hearts, hands and a lot of faith

A single mom living in her car with three children under the age of 5 -- huddled together beneath blankets, groceries on the front seat. A young mother whose husband recently passed away, faced with having her electricity cut...

Grantham Grange to offer yearbooks

GRANTHAM -- The public's help is being sought by Grantham Grange No. 968 in a project to reproduce all vintage Grantham High School yearbooks. Copies will be placed in the new Grantham School, which is now under construction. The...

Flu is taking its toll

It starts with a cough, a sore throat or just a general feeling of malaise. The flu can be a nuisance -- and a concern, and it has been very active around the country this holiday season. In Wayne...

GATEWAY board extends contract for new director

GATEWAY's board of directors voted during a closed session on Tuesday to keep Fred Fontana as the program's director for at least one more year. Board members William Goodman and Brent Heath were absent from the vote, with County...

Don't panic. There's time.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the stores, shoppers were scouring for last-minute scores. If you have not gotten all your gifts yet, do not panic-- many stores in Goldsboro have elected to stay open on Christmas Eve...

Helping WCPS share greetings for Christmas

Mackenzie Jones had no idea her colored pencil drawing of a snowman surrounded by blue-tipped snowflakes would be chosen for this year's Christmas card sent out by Wayne County Public Schools. She simply likes to draw, so when her...

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Two more holdups in county

A Brooklyn Pizzeria delivery man and a Wilco gas station attendant were robbed at gunpoint Monday in two separate incidents. The robbery at Wilco happened at about 9:30 a.m., while the Brooklyn Pizzeria delivery man was robbed at about...

No arrest in robbery

Goldsboro's Police Department still has no leads on who might be responsible for the robbery of a local bank last week. Sgt. Jeremy Sutton said police are searching for a black man, 6 feet 2 inches tall, in connection...

Ho Ho meet & greet

Chloe Campbell was dressed for the occasion. In head to toe green and red ruffles, the 2-year-old was ready to meet Santa. She was going to ask him for a Barbie. She held mom Mandy Jefferson's hand in line....

Mentoring group gives good scholarly habits a whole new rhythm

J Crew is taking Goldsboro by storm. Not the retail store, but a group of positive role models at Goldsboro High School. Standing in the auditorium of Dillard Middle School recently, J Crew broke down what it means to be...

Wanted fugitive caught during domestic call

The Goldsboro Police Department apprehended a fugitive Monday who was wanted in Washington, D.C., for assault with a deadly weapon. David Lee Williams, 45, was being held Monday in the Wayne County Jail under $100,000 bond. Williams was discovered when...

News-Argus holiday hours

The News-Argus will close its offices at noon on Christmas Eve, but subscribers can call the circulation department until 2 p.m. The telephone number is 919-739-7809. The newspaper will be closed Thursday in observance of the Christmas holiday but will...

Monday, December 22, 2014

Jingling in the park

Jinny Sauls and her daughter Aubrey Sauls, 4, skate on the artificial ice rink at Jingle in the Park on Saturday evening at Herman Park. Dozens of residents braved the chilly weather to enjoy the holiday festivities, which including...

County to buy WCC new facility

Wayne County and its Development Alliance are close to finalizing a deal on a former manufacturing facility that would house Wayne Community's College's Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence. The center could be partially operational in 2015 and fully operation...

Kleber awarded Congressional Gold Medal

George Washington. Charles Lindbergh. Neil Armstrong. And now, Goldsboro resident Col. Raymond Kleber, former commander of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base from 1973 to 1975. Each received the Congressional Gold Medal for outstanding achievements and lasting impact on American...

Help available for the needy around county

Many community programs are working to assure that everyone gets a holiday feast this year. Director Doricia Benton and the volunteers at the Community Soup Kitchen, 112 W. Oak St., are busy getting ready to make sure no one...

Golden LEAF scholarships available

Golden LEAF Foundation scholarships are available for college credit and Continuing Education occupational education students for Wayne Community College's spring semester. Curriculum students may receive a maximum of $750 and continuing education students may receive up to $250. Golden LEAF...

Realtor officers

New officers for the Goldsboro-Wayne County Association of Realtors are, left to right, front row, Michael Ellis, president, RE/Max Complete, Bobbi Platen, president-elect, RE/Max Complete, George Lanier, vice president, RE/Max Complete, and Christine VanLue, secretary/treasurer, Statewide Realty; and back row,...

Six students recognized for academics at WCC

Wayne Community College's Adult High School Program has honored six students for outstanding academic achievement in the first fall 2014 session. Chasmine Fuller, Christian Haithcock, Joseph Phipps, Kayla Suttles, and Brittany Vaughn were named to the Honors List. To be...

City, surrounding area to be analyzed for development

Downtown Goldsboro and several surrounding areas will be analyzed for development potential over the next 60 to 90 days. Goldsboro has entered into a $26,000 contract with University of North Carolina School of Government Development Finance Initiative to conduct...

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Veterans cemetery date set

Construction of the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery is scheduled to start Jan. 5, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 1, 2015. The dates were announced Thursday during a pre-construction meeting in Raleigh. At the meeting were officials...

Salvation Army gives gift of Christmas to hundreds of local families in need

Lacie Dawn Barrow loved to hear her mother read a story. She also loved playing with her daddy's ears. But what thrilled the little girl more than anything else was just being held. And she would have loved the...

Registers ring

What did it take to get people out shopping on a raw and rainy Saturday when parking spaces were harder to find than Santa's secret workshop? For Ronnie and Lisa Newkirk of Goldsboro, it was gifts for their four...

Sisters share vision for helping needy children in county

Jeremiah Jarmond, 4, wants a Sonic the Hedgehog game. His older sister Jamyah, 7, has her heart set on a Barbie dollhouse. Big brother James Jr., 10, has his eye on an Xbox One. They all nod their heads...

NCHP: Local driver's unknown condition caused fatal wreck

The North Carolina Highway Patrol has released new details about a head-on collision on U.S. 70 West that left two people dead and at least one injured Monday afternoon. Goldsboro resident Donna Sprinkle Morris, 60, of 101 Mint Drive,...

Commission says 'no' to tax break for Rex Hospital

Breaking with what has been a pattern of routine approval, Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning rejected a request by Rex Hospital for tax-exempt status for medical and office equipment at its N.C. Heart and Vascular Associates of Goldsboro office....

Repair work on Mulberry is done

Construction work that began on Mulberry Street in August has been completed nearly three weeks after deadline. The project, which was to replace sanitary sewer lines along the street after blockage was discovered, was initially set to be completed...

Blood drive schedule

Following is the January blood drive schedule for the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross: * Jan. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the State Employees Credit Union on Wayne Memorial Drive and from 2:30...

GATEWAY to get new look next year

By this time next year, GATEWAY transit system could look quite different -- and its route and bus quality could improve. At a recent GATEWAY board meeting, director Fred Fontana revealed the rebranding committee, which is in charge of updating...

Churches share joy of true holiday spirit

There's nothing like a good syrup-drenched pancake. At least, that is what 7-year-old Million Edwards announced as he stuck another forkful in his mouth Saturday. "It's good," he said. And he should now. It was his second plate of...

Chamber accepting teacher grant applications

The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce is again accepting grant applications from area teachers to support creative and innovative projects in classrooms. The mini-grants of up to $500 are awarded on a competitive basis and designed to improve the...

Friday, December 19, 2014

Suspect shown on store tape

Goldsboro police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect in a Wednesday afternoon larceny at Dunham's Sports in the Goldsboro Promenade, 301 N. Berkeley Blvd. The man is a possible suspect in several other several other...

Christmas dramas

There is nothing fun about standing in line at a department store to return Christmas presents. But when La Verne Rouse tried to return the Christmas feeling in the short play, "Sale or Return," the audience had a chuckle. The...

Power out at Norwayne

As if there wasn't enough going on in classrooms around the county getting ready to dismiss students for the holiday, Norwayne Middle School was without power this morning. Principal Mario Re said the situation appeared to be isolated to...

Local church prepares for annual living nativity

The First Pentecostal Holiness Church is transporting visitors to Bethlehem this Sunday. The church will host a living nativity scene on the front lawn in celebration of the season. The nativity is a tableau of the manger with living...

Officials announce holiday closings

Local, state and federal offices will be closed for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays. State offices will be closed Dec. 24 through 26 and on Jan. 1. Federal offices, banks and the Post Office will be closed...

County approves ad center contract

A $267,745 contract has been awarded to HH Architecture of Raleigh to draft the schematics for the county's proposed $12 million regional agriculture center. Wayne County commissioners, who approved the contract Tuesday morning, also approved another $48,000 for additional...

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Grand jurors send up charges

A Wayne County grand jury indicted four of the five suspects apprehended after a St. Patrick's Day home invasion that was broken up when the homeowners returned. The fifth suspect pleaded guilty in October, according to court records. Navone...

Robber hits local bank

The Goldsboro Police Department is searching for the man who walked into the Wells Fargo Bank at 605 N. Berkeley Blvd. at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, yelled, "Merry Christmas (expletive)," fired at least one shot at the ceiling and robbed...

Suspects break in through pig cooker

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating how three or more suspects were able to gain entry into the Quality Jewelry and Pawn shop early Wednesday morning. According to an initial report, the would-be thieves entered through the flue of...

Father and son face charges of metal theft

A Wayne County father and son face charges for stealing and selling materials from a metal communications tower, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Kenneth Thomas Fulmer, 54, 180 N. Dunn St., and Justin Steele Fulmer, 25, of...

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wells Fargo robbed

A lone gunman opened fire inside the Wells Fargo at 605 N. Berkeley Blvd. at 2:45 p.m. today during an armed robbery. Witnesses inside the bank at the time of the robbery said the subject, a black male about...

United Way hits its goal

United Way campaign chairman Glenn Phillips seemed depressed Tuesday evening. Standing in front of his friends, family and United Way supporters, he said he had bad news. The campaign had fallen short of its goal. He then thanked everyone for...

Meals ... on wheels

Najauhn Davis, 12, rides home with a turkey for his family's Christmas dinner from the Alpha Phi Fraternity at Alpha Arms Apartments on Tuesday evening. The fraternity gave away 107 turkeys to all residents in the complex....

In it together

Inside the Spitfire on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Damien Castro practices his spy tactics. He sprints and jumps into the air. He peeks around a corner. The game? Recon. But when he, at last, acquired his target, his...

Earning the Order

J.B. Price, center, of the Grantham community has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. Pat McCrory. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the governor in recognition of community service. The award was...

Residents revel in return of lights

Christmas is still a week away, but residents in the Ashby Hills subdivision are planning to hold a parade today at 5 p.m., complete with a band to celebrate an early Christmas present -- street lights. "This is a...

Crime of the Week

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the Goldsboro Police Department responded to 102 E. Elm St. Once on scene, officers discovered 65-year-old William Andrew Alston at the residence with multiple gunshot wounds, which later resulted in his death....

Making the grade

Sherry Artis was so proud of her fourth-grade daughter receiving a $20,000 scholarship to Appalachian State University that she wrote an acceptance speech. Quiyonna Artis, a student at Grantham School, was named this year's recipient of the annual award,...

Local teachers receive funding

Thirty-one teachers in Wayne County received Bright Ideas education grants recently from the N.C. Electric Membership Corporation and Tri-County EMC. This is the 20th anniversary of the grant program, introduced in 1994. Since then, more than $9.1 million has...

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Season of giving

Alayna Abbott, 14, walks through the halls of Rosewood Middle School Monday with gifts donated by Rosewood First Baptist and Pine Forest Methodist. The gifts will ultimately be donated to needy children....

Two women killed in crash

A head-on collision on U.S. 70 West left two people dead and at least one injured Monday afternoon, N.C. State Highway Patrol Sgt. J.K. Whitley said. Goldsboro resident Donna Sprinkle Morris, 60, of 101 Mint Drive, continued driving after...

Holiday spirit

The Embers rolled into Goldsboro Monday evening, bringing their Christmas show to Goldsboro High School and delighting an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 400 people with their own brand of holiday music. The band, featuring the return of lead singer...

East Wayne sells firetruck for $1

Members of the former East Wayne Fire Department know what it is like to be a small department with a small budget. So when they found another small department they could help, they did not waste any time in doing...

Monday, December 15, 2014

Deadly crash claims lives on US 70

A wreck that unfolded earlier this afternoon left at least two people dead, State Highway Patrol officials said. The identities of the victims have not yet been released. For more details see Tuesday's Goldsboro News-Argus....

Driver will be charged

The driver of the Craven County Public Schools activity bus involved in a fatal wreck on U.S. 70 early Saturday morning will be charged, N.C. State Highway Patrol First Sgt. Jerry Burton said this morning. Tawana Lewis, 32, of...

Mount Olive gets $1.5 million grant

MOUNT OLIVE -- A nearly $1.5 million grant has been awarded to Mount Olive for water and sewer improvements on Williamson, Kelly and Fleer streets. The project is expected to reduce unaccounted for water loss and also to increase...

Hospital employees recognized for efforts

Ten representatives from the nursing areas at Wayne Memorial Hospital were recently recognized with Nurse Excellence awards. The employees were chosen from 33 nominated for the distinction by supervisors, co-workers and peers. Final selections were made by three independent...

Hope of Glory feeds 150 people during its annual Holiday Dinner

Hope of Glory International Ministries fed 150 people Saturday during their annual Holiday Dinner event. The group provided a full meal, including turkey, collards and stuffing, to anyone who came to the Madison Avenue location. In the past two...

Sunday, December 14, 2014

'Jingle in the Park' draws quite a crowd

Achilles Suncin skated circles around his mom -- grabbing her hands and trying to get her to spin with him. "He's an acrobat," his mother, Rachel Williams, said. The two were among many who tried out the artificial ice-skating...

Santa's big scene

Dominic Botsford lies on his belly in the Goldsboro High School media center. He is armed with a NERF Alpha Trooper CS-18 -- a gun he knows how to use. "You pull it back here to load the darts...

Airshow poised to bring millions

Hotels will fill and jets will soar in Goldsboro this spring as the Air Force Thunderbirds have been secured for the two-day 2015 Wings Over Wayne Airshow. And if past shows are any indication of what is to come,...

Bus, SUV wreck kills 1

A Craven County school bus carrying band members from New Bern High School back home from the Friday evening 4-A State Championship football came was involved in a wreck early Saturday morning that killed the driver of the SUV it...

University of Mount Olive honors graduates at Saturday ceremony

MOUNT OLIVE -- Susan Floyd Caines pulled off a smooth recovery after stepping on her gown. Then she had to readjust the hood after it got placed around her mouth. She was even first in line. But all of...

County board to talk light districts

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday will hold a public hearing on levying an assessment for street lights in the Ashby Hills Street Light District. The hearing will be held at 9:15 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth...

Never forgotten

Diane Van De Car kneels down in silence by a placard in Evergreen Cemetery. She kisses her finger tips -- and, moments later, places them on the name on the marker. Behind her, Sgt. First Class Dinah Tootle lays...

Residents angry over towing

Vehicles illegally parked in the county-owned parking lots at the Wayne County Courthouse will be towed, Sheriff Larry Pierce said. "The county requested that we start enforcing the towing ordinance that they enacted in October," Pierce said. "So over...

Friday, December 12, 2014

Singing about Santa

Children act out the words to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" while students from the Pikeville Library English as a Second Language program dance behind them Thursday night at Wayne Community College....

Two charged in local meth bust

Two Goldsboro residents have been jailed under a total of more than $1 million in bonds in connection with charges relating to the manufacture of methamphetamine. Jarvis Christopher Chase, 43, and Millie Edwards, 41, both of 714 National Drive,...

Tree-dition

MOUNT OLIVE -- To passers-by, Lori Martin's tree is far from perfect. There are noticeable bare spots -- a few holes where the needles did not grow in quite as full as others on her family farm. But Lori sees...

John Gainey to speak at UMO fall graduation

MOUNT OLIVE -- The first graduates in the University of Mount Olive's MBA program will be among the nearly 300 students who will receive their degree on Saturday, Dec. 13. The graduation exercises are scheduled for 2 p.m. in...

Legion Post 541 will hold annual Wreaths Across America Saturday

PIKEVILLE -- American Legion Post 541 will hold its annual Wreaths Across America ceremony Saturday at noon in the Pikeville Cemetery on Mount Carmel Church Road. Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization that seeks to place a wreath...

Thursday, December 11, 2014

History made in Courtroom No. 5

The first case in the state of North Carolina under a newly enacted law allowing a trial by judge rather than by jury began in Wayne County Superior Court on Wednesday -- the State versus Tyquan Sutton. The law...

Hooked on hats

It started as a hobby -- a woman taking up a craft she learned some 15 years ago from her mother. But when Joy Magoon hit her stride -- when she got to the point where she could crochet...

Mobile dental van to park at first school next week

The mobile dental van acquired by the Wayne County Health Department earlier this year will be moved to its first school site next week, officials said Wednesday. Health Director Davin Madden told the Board of Health that the van...

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Thunderbirds say 'yes'

One word sums up the excitement over the announcement that the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds will return to Wayne County for the 2015 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, said Julie Daniels, chairman of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce...

So crafty

Autumn Scott, center, helps  Madison Harlan, 5, left, and Skyler Wanamaker, 4, work on a colorful Christmas tree craft at Small World Child Care Center this morning....

Man, 65, shot to death Tuesday

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating the death of a man found shot inside his home late Tuesday night. William Andrew Alston, 65, died following an apparent robbery at his home at 102 E. Elm St. around 11:30 p.m., according...

Teaching the beats

Adrian Mayes' feet swing above the ground as he tries to straddle the drum. His eyes light up as he looks at the conga, an unlimited noise maker -- a 3-year-old's paradise. "Can you copy what I do?" Joel...

WCC professor's work may be famous in fiction writing circles

Dean Tuck may one day write a book. But for now, you are more likely to find his work online. Or in journals. His grassroots celebrity may only be familiar to those in fiction writing circles. He has had...

Crime of the week

On Aug. 22, Pamela Jackson reported a break-in had occurred at her residence in the 100 block of Dupont Circle in Goldsboro. Ms. Jackson reported approximately $1,000 worth of property stolen. Further investigation lead to warrants being secured against Joshua...

Greenway construction begins

Construction on a new greenway system behind Bicycle World on Ash Street recently began and is set to be completed by January. "We should have it completed by the first of the year (2015)," Parks and Recreation Director Scott...

Council names Allen pro tem

Chuck Allen has been named Goldsboro city council's next mayor pro tempore after a motion by Bill Broadaway at last week's city council work session was met with unanimous approval. Allen served previously as mayor pro tem for nearly...

Four area schools make state 'best' list

Four area schools have made lists of the best high schools in North Carolina by Niche K-12, which reviews more than 120,000 K-12 schools. An online ranking and statistical forum founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University, Niche has...

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Bringing the thunder

The 4th Fighter Wing has just confirmed that the Air Force Thunderbirds will, in fact, headline the two-day 2015 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, scheduled for May 16-17. For complete details -- including a listing of the other acts set...

Bringing the thunder

The 4th Fighter Wing has just confirmed that the Air Force Thunderbirds will, in fact, headline the two-day 2015 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, scheduled for May 16-17. For complete details -- including a listing of the other acts set...

Pierce looking to future

A new jail, riot gear and possibly an armored vehicle are all part of the newly elected sheriff of Wayne County's vision for the future. But before anyone accuses Larry Pierce of militarizing his force, it should be noted...

GHS student makes threat against school

A Goldsboro High School student was charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession of marijuana following a public disturbance at the high school Monday. Denzel Rashad Dancy, 17, 804 Isler St., was released to his mother after being charged,...

Tickets still on sale for Embers concert

Tickets are going fast for the Embers concert scheduled for Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Goldsboro High School. The renowned beach music band has performed a holiday concert to help the Empty Stocking Fund for the past several...

Another Aycock student charged

A C.B. Aycock High School student charged with possession of a weapon on school property also shot at students with a BB gun while they were walking home from school Friday, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office press release....

A taste of home

Morgan Palmer loves Christmas. She has had her braces colored red and green for the holiday. The white pompom on her Santa hat bounces with every step she takes. But the 12-year-old's favorite part of Christmas is spending time...

Toys for Tots dropoff sites listed

The following locations are dropoff sites for the annual Toys for Tots campaign: Goldsboro Best Western, Spence Ave. Edward Jones Investments, 690 N Spence Ave. Edward Jones Investments, 2005 A East Ash St. Hutch Construction, U.S. 70 West Walgreens, Wayne...

Monday, December 8, 2014

Don't talk with ...

Dorian Cruz, 3, enjoys a mouthful of pancake at the Boys and Girls Club's 36th annual Pancake Day fundraiser on Saturday morning....

Passion project

Her shelves are full of salt and pepper shakers and lighthouses. Every surface has a knickknack, a picture or a figurine. Peggy Parks is a collector. "Some call it junk," she says. But to her, each one carries with it...

Man could face more charges at grand jury

A Mount Olive man charged with selling marijuana might soon face additional charges, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office press release. Eddie Carroll Lewis, 55, 2173 Indian Springs Road, is charged with possession with intent to sell and...

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Rain-deer games

John Michael Southerland's feet started moving before he could hear the drums. He danced in excitement, waiting for the Christmas parade in Fremont to begin. The 5-year-old clutched his bucket, ready to grab the candy being flung from the floats....

Sheriff Pierce talks Aycock incident, race

Less than a week after one of his deputies used his taser on a 15-year-old black male inside Charles B. Aycock High School -- and as protests of grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y., continue...

Donors ensure needy teens will have a merry Christmas

Santa's sleigh is not the only thing riding through town this Christmas. The Spokes Group of Eastern N.C. dropped off 80 bicycles at the Salvation Army on Friday morning -- gifts that will soon make their way under the...

Tempers flare during Mount Olive Town Board meeting

MOUNT OLIVE -- Voices were raised, tempers flared, and comments teetered on the edge of becoming personal as College Heights subdivision residents called the town board on the carpet during a Dec. 1 public hearing involving a potential rezoning....

GPD closes two cases

The Goldsboro Police Department solved two cases dating back to September, according to a press release. One case involves a car stolen from a dealership and the other revolves around a series of gift cards sold to pawn shops...

Gingerbread joy

Collin Gardner's gingerbread house was beautiful -- so beautiful that the little boy gasped in delight just looking at it. Sure, a marshmallow stuck jauntily off the roof, towering over the rest of the small house. But to him,...

Friday, December 5, 2014

Dillyn's battle

Rashes on 2-year-olds are common. But this was different. Suzy Q. Hamilton knew something was off. So she did what any mother would do -- especially the mother of an infant. She took Dillyn to the doctor. * On Sept....

Coats for Kids event delivers on warmth

Chrishonna Jones, 5, did not need any help putting on the gloves she picked out. "I can do it," she said with a big, wide grin. "Ta-da." And when she sat on Santa's lap her grin only widened as...

Aycock tightens security

Classroom doors were kept closed and locked. Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies patrolled the grounds. Students were, according to several who spoke to the News-Argus, required to have an escort to use the bathroom, and attendance was noticeably down...

Rare Diamonds offer emotional and practical support to young women

Tanisha Eutsey was not always the polished, effervescent young woman she is today. Growing up in Florida, she lived a hardscrabble life -- abused as a child, she was plucked from her home and became a ward of the...

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Wayne County Reads makes selection; book focuses on sustainable lifestyle

The book selected for this year's Wayne County Reads program should generate much enthusiasm among readers who are interested in how and where their food comes from. "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" is a non-fiction narrative of how one family decided...

WATCH expands

It did not take long for people to find the newly opened Wayne Action Teams for Community Health clinic at Wayne Memorial Hospital. "The new patient load is what is so surprising, that we are having so many new...

Woman saves children from fire

ALBERTSON -- An infant and a young child were rescued from their burning mobile home early Tuesday morning by their mother who climbed through a window to reach them and Albertson volunteer firefighter Taylor Best who helped her. The...

Aycock students charged

Extra deputies were on campus at Charles B. Aycock High School this morning in the aftermath of a fight that broke out at the school Wednesday that saw a 15-year-old get tased and resulted in three students being arrested...

Aycock admits to error during recent meeting

Wayne County Commission Chairman Wayne Aycock Wednesday evening said that he had made a mistake in parliamentary procedure during the board's election of officers Tuesday morning. Aycock said that he had failed to call for a no vote during...

Christmas parade route altered

Goldsboro's annual Christmas parade will be held Saturday with a slightly different route due to construction on Center Street. The parade will circulate around Center, Mulberry, John and Spruce streets. The following areas will be closed from 8 a.m....

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Pikeville introduces interim police chief

PIKEVILLE -- After more than a month without a police chief, the Pikeville town board Monday named Sgt. Eva Scott as the interim chief until they can hire a full-time replacement. Sgt. Scott has been on the police force...

County buys more land for future jail

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved the purchase of nearly four acres adjacent to the site where the county plans to build a new jail. The land is south of the county-owned old Masons department store on North William...

Aycock re-elected chair

Wayne Aycock and Ed Cromartie were re-elected chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. And while the process lacked last year's overt divisiveness, there were still signs of that fracturing as Republican...

Snow show: 'Downtown Lights Up!' draws a crowd

Carson Pratt only wanted one thing for Christmas -- snow. The boy got his wish early Tuesday evening when downtown Goldsboro was transformed into a winter wonderland for the annual Downtown Lights Up! event hosted by the Downtown Goldsboro...

Student tased today at CBA

A 15-year-old Charles B. Aycock High School student was tased after a fight broke out this morning before the school day started, officials said. Ken Derksen, director of communication services for Wayne County Public Schools, said the incident was...

Singing in the season

The first show of three in the Wayne County Choral Showcase was held Tuesday in the Goldsboro High School auditorium. The entire showcase includes performances from 29 schools and spans three days. Tuesday night's choral presentations included performances by...

Cold weather preparation begins at local DOT office

When it comes to long-range snow or ice forecasts, Luther Thompson jokes that some people he works with at the state Department of Transportation's Wayne County maintenance office turn to an almanac. "The only forecast we get is the...

Y's Men hope to help

Goldsboro's YMCA is looking to do something special this holiday season, and it needs your help to make it happen. The YMCA's annual "Y's Men" event will take place on Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. this year, and there...

Upgrades to town sewer lines advance

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive town commissioners Monday night unanimously approved a resolution to accept a $1.124 million federal grant/loan to improve the town sewer system. The town would use the money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to...

Crime of the week

On Sunday, Nov. 30, the Goldsboro Police Department responded to a call from a citizen at the business parking lot located at 803 N. Berkeley Blvd. regarding a deceased dog in the parking lot. Once on scene, officers determined the...

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Season 'begins'

Col. Mark Slocum was ready to begin the countdown. "Let's get this party started," he shouted. And when, moments later, he and a group of children lit the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Christmas tree Monday evening, the holiday...

Split board picks leader

The division among Wayne County school board members continued Monday night, with vice chairman Chris West narrowly moving up to the chairman role by a 4-3 vote. The contested vote came on the heels of West's being sworn in...

Council ponders park

The Goldsboro City Council's public comment period stole the show during Monday night's meeting, as seven residents stepped forward to voice concerns and requests. Two youths, Josh Lancaster and Kevin Gillepse, requested a skate park for the city. The...

New floodplain maps on view as comment period opens up

Wayne County residents on Wednesday will have an opportunity to review the latest flood hazard and flood risk data for the county. New digital flood maps will be shown Wednesday from 5 until 7 p.m. in the large conference...

Monday, December 1, 2014

Grantham resident to appear on show

John Tart III never considered himself a redneck, but he's willing to play one on TV. The former state 4-H president from Grantham will be among the 12 men and 12 women on season four of "The New Redneck...

Oath taken

Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce, center, takes the oath of office as administered by Superior Court Judge Arnold Jones in the Wayne County Courthouse this morning. Looking on is Pierce's wife, Rita. Pierce was elected sheriff in November after...

Wayne County Public Schools will present choral showcase this week

Choral students from Wayne County Public Schools will participate in the 14th annual holiday showcase this week. The districtwide event will span three nights, being held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 2, 3 and 4, in the auditorium at...

County board to talk bypass exits

Officials with Dewberry Engineers will present a proposal for an engineering study of utility needs at the new interchanges being created by the new U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass at the Tuesday meeting of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners....

Blood drive schedule

Following is the December blood drive schedule for the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross: * Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Spring Creek High School. * Dec. 9 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. at...

Career Readiness Certification tests will be offered this month

The WorkKeys(r) tests for Career Readiness Certification, or CRC, will be offered four times in December in Wayne County. The Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success (WORKS) program will provide testing sessions Dec. 4, 12:30-4:30 p.m.; Dec. 9, 8:30...

Two killed in Wilson crash

Two Goldsboro women were killed Sunday morning in a single-car crash on Interstate 795 in southern Wilson County, according to investigators with the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Sylvia Holmes was driving a 1999 Suzuki when the rear passenger-side tire...