March 2015 archives

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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Family opens a classroom on its farm

When J.R. Odom was deciding on a career, he had to look no farther than his own back yard. "I grew up on this farm," he said of the tract of land in Rosewood known as Odom Farms. "This...

Suspect on bond faces new charges

A Goldsboro man already out on bond awaiting charges for manufacturing the illegal street drug methamphetamine is back in the Wayne County Jail on charges of possession. Bradley Russell Stade, 43, 1904 Margerette Drive, is charged with possession of...

Rash of vehicle thefts reported

More than 10 motor vehicle break-ins have been reported to the Goldsboro Police Department since Thursday. Four break-ins were reported Monday, all of which took place in the 100 block of Fallin Boulevard. On Sunday, two break-ins were reported...

Meeting sets stage to fight coal ash issue

Goldsboro resident Michael Carroway wants his neighbors to know what they are drinking. Coal ash from a local energy plant is finding its way into the area drinking water supply and it is making people sick, he said. More...

Shots fired near Eastern Wayne Middle School

Eastern Wayne Middle School went into lockdown for more than an hour Monday following a drive-by shooting in the parking lot of a gas station across the street from the school. No injuries were reported. Wayne County Public Schools...

Monday, March 30, 2015

Two new interchanges slated for 2018

Interchanges at U.S. 117 and O'Berry Road at Dudley and U.S. 117 and Country Club Road at Mount Olive are currently on schedule to be built in the fall of 2018. Other road projects that are closer to being...

Suspect to face murder charge

SEVEN SPRINGS -- One Seven Springs man is dead and another is in custody following a fight inside their shared residence early Sunday morning, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office press release. Timothy Morris Holmes, 49, 113 Al...

City woman dies in three-car crash on I-40

A Goldsboro woman is dead following a three-car wreck on Interstate 40 in Burke County Friday afternoon. Nancy Jergensen, 65, 214 Creekside Drive, was killed when the car she was riding in was struck from behind near mile marker...

Dixon: County needs agriculture center

MOUNT OLIVE -- Sitting at the kitchen counter in his rural Duplin County home one morning last week, state Rep. Jimmy Dixon, dressed in a starched white shirt and suit, looked more like a statesman than farmer. But only...

Sheriff's deputies chase H&R suspect

A traffic stop initiated by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office after 10 p.m. Saturday turned into a high-speed pursuit when the driver failed to stop. The chase led all the way through downtown Kinston in Lenoir County before returning...

Investigators are looking into fire

SEVEN SPRINGS -- The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating a suspicious fire that took place in Seven Springs on Wednesday. The damage and the blaze were not reported, however, until Friday. A cause for the blaze has still...

A new idol

Chelsea Olsen reacts after being named the first "WCC Idol" at Wayne Community College on Thursday night. Ten finalists competed for the title, with 38,850 votes cast to determine the winner. Miss Olsen, who sang the Toto song "Hold...

Sunday, March 29, 2015

General describes stay at Seymour Johnson

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer sat down with The News-Argus for a brief chat Saturday night before delivering the keynote address at the second annual Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Gala. Spencer...

A base of support

As Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Larry O. Spencer assists the chief of staff with organizing, training, and equipping 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. But Saturday night Spencer...

Bus driver handles clash with road rage

A charter bus used on a Mount Olive Middle School field trip Wednesday was involved in a possible road rage incident, officials said Friday. Teachers and a group of seventh-grade students were reportedly on the bus en route to...

Trip: Yes; Attendance: Hit or miss

District 2 school board representative Dr. Dwight Cannon is continuing his missed-meeting streak, but managed to take advantage of more than $3,000 worth of district funds to attend the National School Boards Association conference last weekend in Nashville. The...

Walstonburg 'Proud to be an American Day' to be held April 18

WALSTONBURG -- Walstonburg is having its seventh annual "Proud to be an American Day" celebration on Saturday, April 18. The event will take place at the American Legion Building at 102 S. Main St. in Walstonburg. The event is designed...

Honoring the heroes

Candy Smith used a tissue to dab away the tears. "I always get choked up," she said following Saturday morning's Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Celebration. Her husband, Jay, served in Vietnam in 1966. "These kind of programs are very...

At last, closure in teen's death after murderer is found in jail

After 18 years of waiting, the Graybeal family finally has closure. At least now they know who was responsible for 16-year-old Jared's murder -- and that someone will be punished for the crime. They have been waiting for justice...

Disability Walk set for May 6

The 19th Annual Hal Plonk Disability Awareness Walk, sponsored by the Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities, will be held Wednesday, May 6, starting with registration at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 202 E. Chestnut St., at 9:30 a.m. The...

County Republicans gather, choose officers

Wayne County Republicans Saturday morning elected new leadership and approved resolutions in support of Israel, calling for the dismantling of the federal bureaucracy and for state lawmakers to change the date of the state presidential primary. Also, the 50...

Council focuses on codes, eyesores

The final day of the Goldsboro City Council's retreat focused on code enforcement -- for both trash collection and dilapidated buildings. Public Works Director Jose Martinez presented his findings on trash collection downtown. Businesses, he said, do not all...

Fremont celebrates daffodils, and spring

FREMONT -- The 2015 Fremont Daffodil Festival kicked off a few minutes late Saturday due to the cold, wind and rain, but the crowd remained undeterred. Mayor Darin Flowers opened the festival shortly after 10 a.m. as the skies...

Fighting to find a cure -- for them

More than 400 people filled the gymnasium at First Pentecostal Holiness Church on Friday night for the second annual Cures for the Colors survivors' dinner. The event served as the kickoff for Cures for the Colors, which raises money...

Friday, March 27, 2015

Vultures will hang out on tank

There's something lurking on the Harris Street water tower downtown -- turkey vultures, to be specific. But not to worry. They aren't alive -- not anymore, at least. Goldsboro Fire Department placed several taxidermied turkey vultures on the water...

And the band played on ...

The Wayne County Public Schools All-County High School Band performs in the auditorium of Dillard Middle School Thursday night. The annual program featured two bands, made up of more than 105 students from middle and high schools in Wayne...

N.C. lieutenant governor makes campaign stop in Goldsboro

As lieutenant governor, Forest presides over the state Senate's daily sessions, but only votes in case of a tie. However, Forest said that when the Senate is not in session he is "all over the state." Forest said the return...

Man leaps out of a car

A Knightdale man jumped out of a moving car and sustained non-life-threatening injuries Thursday after the man he was riding with turned a gun on him and threatened to kill him. The incident took place at 5:47 p.m. in...

Rosewood band performs at Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Members of Rosewood High & Middle School Marching Band and Chorus became stars of their own Disney show last week when they entertained resort guests at the Magic Kingdom Park. The group traveled from Goldsboro to the Walt Disney...

Event being planned to teach healthy living, cooking tips

Wayne Memorial Hospital is hosting a free event next week promoting living healthier. "Eat, Move, Live Well" is the theme of the March 31 event that will include a healthy cooking demonstration by one of Wayne Memorial Hospital's registered...

Veterans to be honored

Wayne County will observe Saturday as National Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. The event will kick off at 10 a.m. with a celebration at the Wayne County Museum, 116 N. William St., and ceremony at the Wayne County Veterans Memorial,...

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Wayne Community College board OKs transfer of acreage

The Wayne Community College board of trustees on Tuesday approved land transfers for three projects, including up to six acres for the county's proposed agricultural and civic center at the corner of New Hope Road and Wayne Memorial Drive....

Employee steals $25,000 in cell phones

A U.S. Cellular employee working in both Goldsboro and Wilson confessed to stealing more than $25,000 in smart phones from the business, a Goldsboro police report said. Craig Scott Capps, 33,131 Adler Lane, is charged with larceny by employee...

Project switches lanes

Streetscape, the downtown street renovation project that has been going on since August, will switch construction from the southbound to the northbound lane of Center Street today. Traffic patterns will switch as well while construction occurs simultaneously on each...

Local youth earns Boys & Girls Club honor

A 16-year-old junior at Charles B. Aycock High School has been named runner-up "Youth of the Year" for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne/Johnston counties. T'Keya Banks has been an active member of the Northern Wayne unit in...

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Student picked for NASA program

Craig Bennett II has always loved space. This May, he is one large step closer to exploring the final frontier. The Wayne Community College student has been selected to travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center this spring to participate...

Work proceeds on new veterans cemetery

"Is this where the veterans cemetery is being built?" a man shouts from a car that has just stopped in front of Bill Royall of Daniels and Daniels Construction Co. "Yes sir," Royall replies. The driver and passenger look...

Crime of the week

On Wednesday, Dec. 17, at approximately 2:50 p.m. the Goldsboro Police Department responded to Wells Fargo Bank at 605 N. Berkeley Blvd. regarding an armed robbery. Employees and patrons of the bank reported a black male entered the bank with...

Council eyeing device to track shots

Technological improvements for the Goldsboro Police Department and future projects and concerns for the city's Public Works Department dominated the first day of the City Council's retreat. The retreat was held at the Wayne County Museum, starting Tuesday. Police...

Fremont committee reviews logo

FREMONT -- The Fremont Small Town Economic Prosperity committee viewed potential options for the new town logo at Tuesday night's meeting. None of the options met with approval. STEP chairman Keith Spivey said he would be open to feedback,...

Northeast Elementary wins Battle of the Books

Northeast Elementary School students won the recent Elementary Battle of the Books competition for Wayne County Public Schools. Nearly 70 students in grades 3-5 from 12 elementary schools competed for the title. The annual quiz bowl style competition encourages...

All-County Band Festival will be Thursday

Wayne County Public Schools will hold its annual 2015 All-County Band Festival on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Dillard Middle School. More than 105 band members representing middle and high school bands will join together to showcase their instrumental...

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

NC DOT worker killed along highway

The N.C. Department of Transportation has released the name of a worker killed by a vehicle along U.S. 70 East near Capps Bridge Road Monday. The wreck took place at 10:59 a.m. A Princeton woman is in custody charged with...

Fremont daffodil festival to be held this Saturday

FREMONT -- Fremont residents and visitors are expected to line Main Street this Saturday for the town's 29th annual Daffodil Festival that celebrates the yellow flower associated with the arrival of spring. Patrons of the festival have no excuse to...

Church dedicates new $2.5 M student center

First Pentecostal Holiness Church held a grand opening Sunday for its new $2.5 million student center. Pastor Bill Rose said the center is the result of a year of planning and another year of construction work. "We thank our...

Goldsboro Police say scam calls on the rise

A person claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service contacted a local citizen's cell phone recently and threatened to have him jailed over money owed to the government. The Goldsboro Police Department said these kinds of calls are...

Man arrested at Wayne County Landfill

A Mount Olive man found hiding in a 40-yard container at the Wayne County Landfill Friday is charged with first-degree trespassing, a sheriff's office press release said. Justin Paris Best, 29, 716 NE Church Road, was placed in the...

Tickets are on sale now for 11th annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest on May 1

Tickets are now on sale for the 11th annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest, sponsored by the Partnership for Children of Wayne County and coming up on Friday, May 1. It's all for a "good claws," says Charles Ivey, executive...

Monday, March 23, 2015

Woman uses knife to stop man's assault

A Goldsboro woman defended herself with a knife Saturday when her boyfriend broke into her home, assaulted her and stole her cell phone, a Goldsboro police report said. The incident took place at 8:30 p.m. Jerronte Parks, 36, 408...

In the key of history

Imagine picking up pecans and selling enough to buy a Steinway piano. Musician and retired educator Jimmy Aycock can. Back around 1954, students at Fremont Graded School were spurred on by community support to purchase a studio upright piano...

Program offers meals to hungry city children

The city of Goldsboro and community volunteers have launched a weekend program to help feed the city's low-income children. Each weekend through June 7, volunteers will serve meals at two local schools in an effort to make sure that...

Ag center plan changed

Converting what had been destined to be office space in the county's proposed $14 million agriculture/convention center into a larger assembly area is not expected to add to the project's cost. The county agreed to increasing the size of...

Woman robbed while on city street

A 74-year-old woman robbed on South Center Street in downtown Goldsboro Saturday said the man who took her money put his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun. The suspect got $3, most of it in...

Bentonville, Day Two

Civil War re-enactors dressed as Confederate troops return fire with black-powder rifles Sunday during the second day of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville at the Bentonville state historic site. More than 20,000 of spectators attended the...

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Fund balance: Friend or foe?

Wayne County's $70 million fund balance has been a target of critics, including some county officials as well. Most recently, county commissioners Joe Daughtery and Ed Cromartie questioned how much the county has in its rainy day fund and...

Break-in suspect arrested

A 16-year-old Goldsboro youth is being held under a $30,000 secured bond in the Wayne County Jail after a series of residential break-ins, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Benjamin Elijah Fentress, 317 Camden Park Drive, is charged...

Bentonville ... LIVE

The thunder of gunfire echoed across the fields and woods at the Bentonville Battlefield Historic Site on Saturday as thousands of Civil War re-enactors re-created the desperate battle fought here in the spring of 1865. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000...

'You get a line; I'll get a pole'

Some put in as early as 3 a.m. Others tempted fate, waiting until 4 -- the brave, 4:30 -- to ease their slip into the Neuse or Little River to find their honey whole. By 10 a.m., crafts littered the...

Deadline looming for county's annual Senior Games contests

Jeanne Lovings loves competition. She loves performing. It has something she has never outgrown. She has spent the last 15 years competing in the Wayne County Senior Games. And this year, she and Terry Right serve as ambassadors to...

Grant to allow study of land use

The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Division has chosen Matrix Design Group to prepare a joint land use study for the region surrounding Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, including the Dare County Range. The Department of Defense Office of...

County students honored at Key Club state convention

Key Clubs from four area high schools made an impressive sweep during the recent Carolinas District of Key Club International Convention, held recently in Durham. The student version of the worldwide Kiwanis Club are sponsored by two local affiliates,...

DPI director slated for UMO Braswell Lecture

MOUNT OLIVE -- Dr. Tammy Howard, director of accountability services at the Department of Public Instruction, will speak at the University of Mount Olive's annual Braswell Lecture. The lecture will be Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Southern Bank...

Dispatches from the field

Coffee prepared over an open fire tastes better -- and it works better, too. After little sleep and a night chock full of stories from re-enactment veterans, you don't mind that there's ash from the fire in your coffee cup...

Friday, March 20, 2015

Hospital lifts flu limits on visits

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Wayne Memorial Hospital officials lifted visitation restrictions that had been put into place in late December because of concerns about the flu. The restrictions were lifted because of a "steep decline" in positive influenza...

Two men arrested in robbery of KS Bank

Two suspects are in custody and more arrests are expected in connection with the bank robbery on Wayne Memorial Drive Wednesday. Two gunmen entered the KS Bank at 1601 Wayne Memorial Drive at 10:13 a.m., fired a shot into...

On seat belt patrol

Chances are drivers in Wayne County had no idea law enforcement officers were behind them until they saw the flashing blue lights. Even more surprising to the citizens of Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Pikeville and the Grantham area might have...

150th anniversary of Battle of Bentonville is Saturday

Thousands of Civil War buffs are expected to descend on the quiet Johnston County community of Bentonville this weekend for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville. The battle, the largest ever fought on North Carolina soil, was...

Children's choir set to perform Sunday

The African Children's Choir is returning to Goldsboro for a concert Sunday night at The Lord's Table Church on Parkway Drive. The world-renowned group of children, ages 7-10, will perform familiar children's songs, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes. The...

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Remembering Tuskegee heroes

"Lord, don't send me to Goldsboro," Roy C. White said to himself when he toured Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as a JROTC cadet. "Lord, don't send me to Goldsboro," White said when he was stationed at the base...

Fight breaks out at Southern Wayne High School

DUDLEY -- A brawl broke out at Southern Wayne High School Wednesday afternoon, with six students being charged and one student sustaining a minor injury. Wayne County Public Schools communications director Ken Derksen said the fight began at the...

Bank robbed

Two gunmen walked into the KS Bank at 1601 Wayne Memorial Drive on Wednesday, fired a single shot into the ceiling and proceeded to rob the bank. According to a Goldsboro police report, the robbery took place at 10:13...

His road to success

MOUNT OLIVE -- It took 15 months to finish "Behind the Drive," which was launched at Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes and Fries in Mount Olive Saturday, but it really was 24 years in the making. The official national launch of...

Martin lecture April 8

MOUNT OLIVE -- The 22nd annual University of Mount Olive Martin Lecture, which had to be rescheduled because of the February snow and ice storm, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 8. Dr. Santanu Bose will be the guest...

Residents asked to report potholes

Anyone who sees a pothole on state-maintained roads can report it to the state Department of Transportation by calling 1-877-368-4968 or by filling out a form online at www.ncdot.gov/contact. Click on "County Contacts" on the left side of your...

Two charged in bank robbery

Goldsboro police have charged two Goldsboro residents in connection with a bank robbery that unfolded Wednesday morning. Marquize Marcel Harris, 25, and Phillip Alexander Williams, 30, are being held in Wayne County Jail for their alleged roles in the incident....

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Work on W.A. Foster to begin in mid-May

Work on the new W.A. Foster Center is expected to start by mid-May, members of the Goldsboro City Council learned Monday night. Scott Wynne with T.A. Loving Co., accompanied by Kristen Heiss and Dave Carey of HH Architects, announced the...

United Way eyes ways to help kids

It takes a village to raise a child -- and over the next two years, the United Way of Wayne County is focusing on how to improve the lives of children in the county. After a year of planning,...

Southern Bank donates $300,000 to project at UMO

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Southern Bank Foundation has made a $300,000 commitment for the University of Mount Olive's proposed track and field/lacrosse complex. The cost for phase one construction of the track and lacrosse complex is estimated at $1.5 million...

Legislators push legal notices bill

RALEIGH -- A bill under consideration in the Legislature would still require local governments to publish legal notices in newspapers but would force newspapers to give them a discount on second publication and make the notices free and easy...

Would-be thieves break window at library again

For the second time in two weeks, the Goldsboro Police Department is investigating an early morning break-in at the Wayne County Library at 1001 E. Ash St. This time, however, nothing was taken. Executive Director Donna Phillips said the...

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Teachers receive chamber grants

When the "Prize Patrol" from Wayne Chamber of Commerce set out to surprise a few teachers with grant money to fund their projects, Brandi Strickland did not expect to be among those moved to tears. The winner of the...

Flooding problem plagues residents

Bobby and Della Mathis, of 104 Powers Court,  in the Maplewood subdivision, have an erosion problem. And a flooding problem. A bad one. Every time it rains, water pools up in front of their driveway and in their front...

Guilty plea

Five months after her husband was convicted of murdering his sister in 2011, Ann Metzger pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for her role in the death of Jean Metzger Hubbard. But unlike her husband, Gary, Mrs. Metzger will not...

Proposal rejected

A proposal to build an 80-unit apartment complex on Graves Drive between Berkeley Boulevard and Malloy Street was killed on the cutting room floor at Monday's meeting of the Goldsboro City Council. After a petition of protest was signed...

Seminar planned for local parents

Wayne County Public Schools will hold a Title I Parent Seminar on Thursday, March 19, at Bethel Church at 2308 N. William St. The seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. Julia Cook will be the guest speaker for the...

Monday, March 16, 2015

Potter turns clay into everyday art

Maybe it was Patrick Swayze's arms. Or the soulful lyrics of "Unchained Melody." Either way, Sue Gregg's life changed started when she saw "Ghost." "I fell in love with that movie," she laughed. It was the pottery scene that...

Shots fired in city

Goldsboro police are working to determine whether two early Saturday morning shootings are connected -- a shootout in the parking lot of a local strip club during which at least 10 shots were fired and another that resulted in...

Jogger dies after being hit by car

A Pikeville man died Sunday after he ran into oncoming traffic while jogging, the N.C. State Highway Patrol said. Cody Watkins, 21, of Benifold Drive was jogging with his girlfriend on Old Kenly Road near Nahunta Road when he...

Police hunt for clues in shooting, robbery

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred during an attempted robbery Friday. The shooting took place between 2 and 2:10 p.m., according to a Goldsboro police report. Carlton Jackson, 24, of Olivia Lane made his own...

Council to talk about W.A. Foster project

The Goldsboro City Council will discuss a proposal to build a controversial apartment complex during its meeting tonight -- and is scheduled to review a plan during its work session for a new center that also sparked some debate. The...

Metzger guilty of second-degree murder

The wife of a man convicted for killing his sister in 2011 pleaded guilty this afternoon to second-degree murder. Ann Metzger was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison for her role in the death of Jean Metzger...

Sunday, March 15, 2015

A bridge to history

One of the most celebrated and historic bridges of the Civil Rights Movement -- the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama -- has ties to Goldsboro. By now, most have seen images of the renowned site, featured in the...

Ollie Toomey dies

WINSTON-SALEM -- Oliver "Ollie" Toomey, a former director of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and a fixture on the county's business and civic scene for half a century, died Friday. He was 96. Toomey died in hospice care...

Runners put kilts on for St. Baldrick's

The Irish never let a little rain spoil an afternoon of beer and friends. Saturday's rainstorm did not damper the spirits of runners at the first Flying Shamrock Kilt Run. Sixty-six runners registered and participated in the run. Flying...

County to eye U.S. 70 study

It could cost approximately $6.5 million to bring water and sewer to interchanges along the new U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass, Interstate 795 North and U.S. 117 South when it becomes I-795 South -- but that total does not include...

Friends of SJAFB gala set for end of March

Jimmie Edmundson is a firm believer in the old adage that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. He believes as well that the nonprofit Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base supported squeaking played a role in gaining approval...

The last battle: 150 years later

The fields and forests in southeastern Johnston County are quiet for now. Trees wave gently in the breeze, and visitors can walk among the monuments erected to fallen soldiers at the Bentonville Battlefield Historic Site. They are welcomed by smiling...

Bypass will be complete in 2016

The western leg of the new U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass is expected to be carrying traffic by this summer and the entire 20-mile, $246 million road is expected to be finished by early next year. When completed it will...

Goldsboro resident nets top teaching honor at Wilson Daniels Learning Center

A Goldsboro man was named a Teacher of the Year for the alternative school where he teaches in Wilson. Jeffrey Winbush, 53, has been teaching health and physical education at Daniels Learning Center, a middle and high school, for...

GATEWAY officials: Finances improving

After experiencing financial turmoil in the past, GATEWAY's finances are improving and on track to be the healthiest they have been in five years, said Paul Nunn, a certified personal accountant with Nunn, Brashear and Uzzell, when presenting GATEWAY's...

Friday, March 13, 2015

Forty-five years of promising to protect and to serve

He bought the boat. He cleaned out his office. Then he took a job. It turns out Sgt. Jerry Maxwell isn't good at retirement. But the 44-year veteran of law enforcement still plans on hanging up his handcuffs today...

High water delays city's shad fishing tournament

Shad fish in the Neuse River are safe -- for one more week, at least. The 2015 Shad Fishing Tournament, hosted by Goldsboro Parks and Recreation and EZ Bait and Tackle, has been postponed until March 21 due to...

Two men robbed while in car outside store

While a Goldsboro woman was inside the Beestown convenience store at 905 S. Slocumb St. Tuesday, two armed men robbed her son and his friend as they sat outside in a parked car. The robbery took place at 6:30...

Health Department wants spot on facilities list

A Board of Health member on Wednesday raised questions about the status of new facilities for the Health Department and the likelihood that a move might be included in the county's long-range facilities plan. Dr. Allan Harvin cited a...

Board planning to build ABC store

Wayne County commissioners have expressed mixed emotions about the new U.S. 70 Bypass. They see the road as a vital piece of needed infrastructure that will play a role in economic development, but at the same time, are worried...

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Couple charged in break-ins in county

A man the Wayne County Sheriff's Office first charged in February with multiple counts of breaking and entering is again in custody today, according to a series of press releases. The help of a Wayne County citizen was "instrumental"...

Thieves break into Wayne County Library

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating an early morning break-in at the Wayne County Library on Ash Street. Between the time employees left the building Tuesday and returned to work Wednesday, someone broke into the facility and stole a...

Fountain's statue getting makeover

A popular fixture in Herman Park is gone -- at least temporarily. The Lady in the Park statue has been removed from its pedestal after a brutal winter caused the statue to freeze and tilt off its center axis,...

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Lecture shares view on Civil War general

One hundred and fifty years ago this week, residents of Goldsboro were scared. The Civil War had raged for more than four years, the army of Union Gen. William T. Sherman had entered North Carolina after laying waste to...

Another shooting reported in area

For the second time in two days, a vehicle struck by gunfire in the area of North George Street and West Grantham Street has been reported to the Goldsboro Police Department. The vehicle hit Tuesday was unoccupied and parked...

School board discusses property

The Wayne County Public Schools system does not need to be in the real estate business and should divest itself as soon as possible of any property that it no longer has any use for, school board member Arnold...

Music teacher releases children's book

Big Dessa lumbered into the Steele Memorial Library on Monday afternoon. She leaned heavily on her cane. She wore a long blue dress and her white hair was curled for the occasion. She was there to read a very...

Wayne athletes compete in national bowling tournament

Alan Jenkins had his eye on more than the prize when he headed down to the Special Olympics National Unified Bowling Tournament in El Paso, Texas, last week -- he wanted to make sure his Special Olympics teammate, Tyler...

Crime of the week

On Dec. 22 at approximately 7:05 pm, an armed robbery occurred at the Wilco Hess located at 1221 U.S. 117 in Goldsboro. Two suspects entered the store through a door located on the west side of the business. One suspect...

Neighbors protest apartment complex

The Goldsboro City Council will hold a public hearing Monday night on a proposed 80-unit apartment complex that would be built on the south side of Graves Drive between Malloy Street and Berkeley Boulevard. The preliminary plans for the...

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Groups want SWHS on list

Representatives from Southern Wayne High School Advisory Council and Saints Booster Club have petitioned the Board of Education to consider including the school in the next round of facilities projects. More than 40 residents from the southern end of...

Acquitted

Not guilty. Chad Calloway walked out of a Wayne County Superior courtroom a free man Monday, acquitted on charges of sexual abuse against his then-teenage stepdaughter. He descended the courthouse stairs hugging his youngest daughter and holding back tears....

Man's car hit by gunfire in city block

A Goldsboro man is unharmed after the car he was driving was struck by gunfire Monday evening in the intersection of West Grantham Street and North George Street. The incident took place at 5:55 p.m. Bruce Kornegay, 58, of Goldsboro,...

Monday, March 9, 2015

School board member asks: Does WCPS need so many cars

A member of the Wayne County Board of Education is questioning why the school district has so many cars in its lot -- and school officials are going to take a look to see why. The "sheer volume" of...

A long life -- in 10,000 steps a day

Susan Moneypenny is on a mission. She walks through the mall briskly. She is not distracted by the sales, kiosks or shoppers. She walks toward the Belk entrance and sharply turns off to loop back in the direction she...

Mystery gunman fires on workers

KENANSVILLE -- No one was injured Friday when a man dressed in camouflage allegedly fired on utility workers on N.C. 24 just northwest of Kenansville. No arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing, Sheriff Blake Wallace said...

School bus, vehicle collide; no one injured

DUDLEY -- No injuries were reported in an early morning accident between a Wayne County Public Schools bus and a vehicle, resulting in both vehicles being towed from the scene and a student being charged. Trooper C.S. Grainger of...

Black History Parade

Southern Wayne High School cheerleaders, dance team and marching band fill the area with music as they march down Breazeale Avenue in Mount Olive during the annual Black History Parade held Saturday. The parade was rescheduled from its original...

Taylor Shoop exhibits patchwork of photos

Taylor Shoop sees the world through kaleidoscope-like eyes, and that's what visitors to his art exhibit at the Arts Council of Wayne County will see, too. "Make Quilts, Chapter 14 of the Art of War: A Photographic Exploration of...

Woman continues searching for her treasured pet cat, Phoenix

Phoenix had a habit of sleeping in the crook of his owner Mary Lou Park's legs at night. Each morning, he would snuggle a bit with Mrs. Park then jump up in the bathroom window to go out exploring...

Not guilty

Former Goldsboro police Capt. Chad Calloway was found not guilty this morning in Wayne County Superior Court of sexually abusing his stepdaughter, Diamond Coley Smith, from the time she was 9 years old until shortly after her 15th birthday. See...

Sunday, March 8, 2015

UMO hits $20.7 million in capital funding

MOUNT OLIVE -- Just three years into a five-year, $20 million capital campaign the University of Mount Olive already has received gifts and pledges totaling $20.7 million. However, university officials have announced an additional $3 million extension of the...

School district culling pool for top job

sherring@newsargus.com The field of candidates has been narrowed from 30 to 15 applicants for the office of superintendent of the Wayne County Public Schools. School Board Chairman Chris West made that announcement following a nearly three-and-a-half-hour closed session Wednesday morning....

Remembering the fight right here at home

His first question -- about the goals of the Civil Rights Movement -- drew a powerful response. "It was about wanting our nightmares to stop so we could sleep peacefully in this so-called land of opportunity," Simmons said. "In the...

New school superintendent in Ferguson, Mo., started career in Wayne

pmoore@newsargus.com The new superintendent of schools in Ferguson, Mo., began his career in education in Wayne County. Dr. Joseph Davis, a native of Wilson, was recently named chief administrator of the Ferguson-Florisssant School District. He will take over duties July...

Jurors to decide abuse case

jjoyce@newsargus.com A jury of 12 Wayne County citizens will return Monday to decide whether to convict a former Goldsboro police captain of sexually abusing his stepdaughter. For the rest of this weekend, however, Chad Calloway, 44, remains free. Calloway is...

Dual vision: City and county pool efforts for convention and ag center

sherring@newsargus.com A partnership between Wayne County and Goldsboro could finally turn decades of dreams of a convention center into a reality. The deal also will allow the county to build an agriculture center on Wayne Memorial Drive and for the...

County sets new rules for billboards

sherring@newsargus.com Billboards are no longer prohibited along Wayne County freeways. Wayne County commissioners Tuesday eliminated that rule and made several other changes to the county ordinance governing outdoor advertising signs. The ordinance added how signs may be placed in zoned...

Friday, March 6, 2015

A ready workforce

Linda Berard was ready to go back to work. In 2010, she was laid off from her job of 13 years. In November, the unemployment office wanted her to prove she was ready and capable of working. It was...

University of Mount Olive to build two new dormitories

MOUNT OLIVE -- Ground has been broken and construction will begin soon on two new residence halls at the University of Mount Olive to keep up with the university's growing traditional student enrollment. Construction is also being planned for...

Jurors to eye abuse charge

Monica Calloway does not believe that her husband, Chad, sexually abused her daughter. Diamond Coley Smith's mother testified on behalf of the defense Thursday in a trial stemming from allegations that a former Goldsboro police captain had a sexual...

Literary Festival offers opportunity to showcase talent, promote writing

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive English Department and Sigma Tau Delta will hold the university's 14th annual Literary Festival and poetry slam on March 18 and 19. The event, which is open to the public as...

Thursday, March 5, 2015

City, county eye joint project

Plans for a Wayne County agricultural and convention center, a multi-sports complex at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and the Goldsboro Country Club are expected to be unveiled Friday afternoon. An invitation was sent out Wednesday afternoon announcing the...

Charter school project gets county OK

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning without discussion unanimously endorsed the issuance of up to $50 million in charter school revenue bonds for charter schools in Wayne and Mecklenburg counties. And Bob Jackson, who said he had just returned to...

Former officer denies sexual assault

At times, Chad Calloway became agitated -- challenging the assistant district attorney who, on behalf of the state, is trying to convince a Wayne County jury that he sexually assaulted his teenage stepdaughter. But the former Goldsboro police captain...

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

State rests abuse case

The state of North Carolina rested its case against a former Goldsboro police captain this morning in Wayne County Superior Court. Chad Calloway is on trial for allegedly sexually abusing his stepdaughter, Diamond Coley Smith, from the time she...

Southern Bank to build new $1 million branch in city

Southern Bank and Trust Co. officials announced this morning what is expected to be a more-than-$1-million project to build a two-story branch office at the corner of East Ash Street and Spence Avenue. The two-story building is expected to...

Officer hired for Dillard Middle

The Goldsboro City Council approved a request from Wayne County Public Schools this week to add a temporary, full-time school resource officer at a local middle school. The item, which was added after the official release of the council's...

McCall's faces third fire

McCall's Bar-B-Q and Seafood at 139 Millers Chapel Road will be closed for at least three to four weeks after a dryer fire Sunday night caused extensive damage to the restaurant, owner Randy McCall said. Employees reported to the...

K-9 officer takes down male suspect

A Goldsboro man is recovering from minor injuries to his legs caused when Goldsboro Police Department K-9 Officer Suzie ran him down Tuesday. The suspect was allegedly attempting to force his way into his girlfriend's residence and threatening to...

Nickels, nails and a warm welcome

Kate Wagner stood on her tiptoes and leaned her body onto the desk. She gripped a fat Crayola marker firmly and concentrated as she formed each letter. Her name was one of hundreds on the bright yellow banner in...

Mayor makes an error in appointment

PIKEVILLE -- Mayor Glenn Hartman erroneously appointed Commissioner Jay Hare as the mayor pro tempore Monday evening during a board meeting. The mayor, under state law, is not authorized to appoint the mayor pro tem, rather, the council must...

Drills for safety

Star Whitmore, teacher at Carver Heights Elementary, directs her students into position for the statewide tornado drill on Tuesday morning. The drill prepares students and administrators for the upcoming severe weather season....

Crime of the week

On Feb. 16, Ibrahim Odeh reported that between 11:15 and 12, the Islamic Center of Goldsboro that is located at 506 Fedelon Trail their surveillance system revealed a subject damaging the front door of the business, then entering and stealing...

Council to weigh facility for Goldsboro Fire Department

The city might soon have a new place to train its firefighters. Goldsboro Fire Chief Gary Whaley and Lisa Johnson, an assistant fire chief in charge of training, presented a plan to construct and to begin operating a training...

Career explorers

More than 1,400 eighth-graders converged at the YMCA on Tuesday to explore possible answers to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The sixth annual Middle School Career Fair was hosted by Wayne Education...

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Car in ditch leads WCSD to robberies

A car left in a ditch off Claridge Nursery Road Friday led Wayne County sheriff's deputies back to the scene of two residential break-ins that occurred side-by-side, a Sheriff's Office press release said. One man is in custody. Austin...

Pikeville hires new police chief

PIKEVILLE -- Pikeville town commissioners unanimously appointed Bryan Leonard as the town's new police chief Monday evening. Before his appointment, Leonard, 33, spent two years with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and moved on to the North Carolina Highway...

Testimony begins in trial of ex-officer

Diamond Coley Smith broke down when she detailed, for a Wayne County jury, how her mother reacted when she confided in her that her stepfather sexually assaulted her. "She put it back on me. She said our lives would...

Board acknowledges subdivision

Wayne County Board of Education dispensed with its business quickly Monday night, with the smattering of action items receiving unanimous votes, 6-0. The only thing missing was its seventh member, Dr. Dwight Cannon. The District 2 representative was again...

Downtown restaurant adds on a new bar

There's a new spot in town to grab a mean martini and a cold beer after a long day of work. The owner's name -- JoJo -- is splashed across the back of the bar in all capital block...

It's a Cat in a Hat; How about that?

The children listened to the story about the Cat in the Hat. They listened quietly as they sat and they sat. March 2 was Dr. Seuss' birthday at the library on Ash. More than 100 children registered to attend...

Man charged with theft

A Goldsboro man is charged with using his employer's company credit card to make unauthorized purchases, according to a Goldsboro Police Department press release. The alleged transactions took place in July 2014. Javarus Juante Wooten, 34, 609 Wilmington Ave.,...

Monday, March 2, 2015

Walmart robbed by note

A man walked into the Walmart at 2908 U.S. Highway 70 W., Saturday and robbed the service counter by handing the clerk a note, according to a Goldsboro police report. The robbery took place at 12 p.m. and was...

Jury seated in Calloway assault case

With 12 jurors and two alternates impaneled, opening statements commenced in Wayne County Superior Court Friday in the statutory rape trial of former Goldsboro police Capt. Chad E. Calloway. Calloway is accused of sexually assaulting his then-stepdaughter over a...

Logan's proxy

Logan Burch is a typical 7-year-old. He likes Spider-Man, Sponge Bob and playing Disney Infinity 2.0. Teachers says he is smart and witty and often engages in good-natured teasing. His classmates in Sarah Dunn's second-grade class at Northwest Elementary...

School seeks funding OK

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday could adopt a resolution approving the issuance of up to $50 million in charter school revenue bonds for charter schools in Wayne and Mecklenburg counties. If approved the $50 million would be evenly split between...

Ambulance crew involved in wreck

Two Wayne County Emergency Medical Services employees were taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital Sunday morning after the ambulance they were riding in was involved in a one-vehicle wreck in Greene County. Jeremy Rouse, 24, intermediate EMT, was treated and...

UMO faculty recital to feature 'The Carnival'

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive will present a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12,  in the Hazel Waters Kornegay Historic Assembly Hall located at 207 Wooten St. in Mount Olive. Dr. Alan Armstrong and Dr....

Town reports 720,000-gallon wastewater spill

MOUNT OLIVE -- Heavy rain on top of melting snow and ice is being blamed for causing a sewer spill of 720,000 gallons of untreated wastewater. The overflow started at 6 a.m. on Thursday at the town's sewer treatment...

Meeting will address changes to U.S. 70 flow

PRINCETON -- A public meeting will be held in March regarding proposed improvements to U.S. 70 at its intersections with Martin Livestock Road and Pondfield Road near Princeton in Johnston County. The N.C. Department of Transportation will host the...

City Council to discuss program to combat child hunger locally

Goldsboro's City Council will kick off March with a discussion about a program that is expected to help ease the problem of child hunger within the county. A program to combat child hunger in the community will be launched...

'Legacies' panel set for Thursday

The "Living Legacies" presentation scheduled for Feb. 26 at Wayne Community College has been rescheduled for next Thursday. Wayne Community College's Cultural Diversity/Global Education Task Force and the Wayne County Historical Association are partnering to provide a discussion with Wayne...