April 2016 archives

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Friday, April 29, 2016

Officials talk hospital's partnership with UNC

The partnership between Wayne Memorial Hospital and UNC Health Care was the focus of Thursday morning's Health Care Hot Topic program, but when it came time for questions, the focus was health care in general. Sponsored by the Wayne...

WATCH program honors medical director Dr. Clark Gaither

Dr. Clark Gaither is an artist, a gemologist, a diver, a runner, a hiker, an author, a teacher, a cheerleader and a donor. And that doesn't even touch on his profession -- a physician who has served as medical director...

Stancil expected to plead not guilty

Kenneth Morgan Stancil III, who is facing a first-degree murder charge for the slaying of Ron Dwight Lane at Wayne Community College in April of last year, is expected to enter in a not guilty plea when he appears...

Goldsboro man charged for handgun, marijuana

A Goldsboro man was arrested Tuesday on felony drug and handgun charges during a county-wide probation and parole roundup. Jeffrey Rishaw Leach Jr., 19, of 901-A Hopkins St., was arrested and charged with possession with intent to sell and...

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Free documentary viewing presented to inspire conversation about education

Wayne County Public Schools and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce are hosting a free movie night next week, with hopes it will spark discussion about ways to improve education and schools. The special May 4 event, to be...

Wayne Reads finale is Sunday

As the finale of a month-long poetry celebration, Wayne County Reads will set off the fireworks as Sunday in the Park presents the "Passionate for Poetry Festival" at Herman Park on Sunday, May 1, from 1 to 5 p.m....

Spring Spectacular

More than 1,000 students attended the Spring Spectacular on Wednesday at Wayne Community College. It was sponsored by the Student Activities Office and included free food and drinks from Chick-fil-A. Student Activities Director Paige Ham said, "It's a good...

100 cars to park it on Center Street for show

Center Street will host about 100 antique and modern cars Saturday during the first Center Street Car Show. The show is actually made up of two different groups holding shows together. The first group, the Antique Automobile Club of...

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Second robbery suspect caught

The second suspect in the April 12 attempted armed robbery of First South Bank at 2801 Cashwell Drive is now in custody. Germaine Ann Alecia, 27, of 116 Edgemont Drive Lot 4, Snow Hill, was arrested Tuesday by the...

Gaither to leave WATCH

Dr. Clark Gaither, medical director with the WATCH program, who has practiced at Goldsboro Family Physicians for a quarter century, will see his last patients on Friday. But he is not retiring. "I'm transitioning," he said. "I have been...

Boys and Girls Club gets STEM donation

Like many artists unappreciated in their time, Jyteria Ingram, 12, prefers to work in solitude. Or at least that's how she felt like working when she and several other students at the Boys & Girls Club joined volunteers from...

Wayne Reads features lecture about poet Frost

MOUNT OLIVE -- Perhaps no poet has ever been better at crafting imagery of a cold, snowy New England winter than Robert Frost. The irony is that not only was Frost not a native of New England -- he...

Autism Society to host interest meeting Friday

The Wayne County chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina will hold an interest meeting Friday at the Goldsboro Worship Center at 900 W. New Hope Road. The society acts as a liaison between families who require resources...

Technical celebration

Capt. iPad was in the house Tuesday, as Carver Heights Elementary School students were treated to a show as part of "Super Hero Day." A red carpet lined the sidewalk leading into the gymnasium, with students greeted at the...

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Mount Olive acquires funding approval for sewer project

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive has received final funding approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture clearing the way for a $1 million wastewater treatment plant project. The USDA funds include a $771,000 loan repayable over a 40-year period...

Lobster Fest ticket cutoff Friday

The 12th annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest is fast approaching, with the deadline for ordering tickets this Friday. The Partnership for Children of Wayne County is taking orders for the event, which will be held Friday, May 6. The...

Jones' trial continued to Sept. 19

The trial date for Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones II for allegedly bribing a public official has been continued from May 9 to Sept. 19. Jones' lawyers, Glenn Barfield, Joseph Cheshire and Geoff Hulse, filed a...

Monday, April 25, 2016

Reporting for duty: K-9 Ory joins Wayne County Sheriff's Office

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office has a new employee -- though, he might be a little furrier than the rest. Ory, a 2-year-old German shepherd Belgian-malinois mix, began working with Cpl. Doug Honeycutt on the sheriff's office K-9 unit...

Board talks director position

Wayne County commissioners agree on the need to market the county. Some just don't want to hire a marketing director and instead first want to look after the employees the county already has. That disagreement Tuesday morning prompted commissioners...

Real Cloth Diaper Circle attempts to break record

On Saturday, at exactly 11 a.m., across the world, thousands of mothers and fathers changed a cloth diaper on their baby in order to break a world record. The women of the Real Cloth Diaper Circle of Wayne County...

Sunday, April 24, 2016

For the love of pickles

MOUNT OLIVE -- Gracie Hatch can't wait to get back to school Monday and ask her classmate what they did over the weekend. She is betting none will be able to top her Saturday morning camel ride. "I rode...

Tuscarora Council Boy Scouts hold fundraising event at Walnut Creek

Nearly 200 people gathered at Walnut Creek Country Club Thursday for the Tuscarora Council Boy Scouts of America Friends of Scouting luncheon fundraiser that accounts for nearly 40 percent of the council's budget. N.C. State University head basketball coach...

Council agrees to TIGER pursuit

The Goldsboro City Council voted 4 to 3 in a special called meeting Friday to allow the city to apply for TIGER VIII grant funds from the federal government that would go towards implementing wayfinding signage, improving Cornerstone Commons,...

Man in custody is believed to be perpetrator in robbery at store

Authorities believe a man arrested for the attempted robbery of First South Bank on Cashwell Drive is also responsible for the armed robbery of a gas station on U.S. 13 North. Malik Niquan Thomas, 20, of 998 N. N.C....

Friday, April 22, 2016

Relay for Life hosts survivors banquet

Anytime James McKeel gets an opportunity to talk about his family, especially his children, he is all in. Even if it means sharing the details about their battle with cancer. "I'm not a survivor but I have somebody real close...

Festival kicks off with concert

MOUNT OLIVE  -- Dill-light to the country sounds of the Blake Kearney Band and RaeLynn. Relish an extra-long day of festivities. And be sure to eat some pickles. It can all be done tonight and Saturday as the North...

Dancing in the street

Hundreds of people gathered to sit and listen or move their feet to the beat during the opening concert of the Center Street Jams series in downtown Goldsboro. Vendors with food and treats were on hand to serve their...

Board to use IRS rules in financing

Wayne County is taking advantage of IRS rules that will allow it to use future financing to reimburse itself for any upfront expenditures associated with the new agricultural and convention center and a 911 call center. Commissioners on Tuesday...

County attorney charged with DWI

Wayne County Attorney Edwin Brownrigg Borden Parker -- better known as Borden Parker -- was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Wake County on Wednesday. Parker was allegedly driving drunk when he hit a gate at the...

City Council meets today on TIGER grant

The Goldsboro City Council will meet today at 3 p.m. in the large conference room of the City Hall annex to discuss a possible revote on allowing the city to apply for TIGER VIII grant funds from the federal...

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Suspect charged in bank robbery

A Snow Hill man was arrested Wednesday by the Goldsboro Police Department in connection to a robbery at First South Bank at 2801 Cashwell Drive that happened on April 12. Malik Thomas, 20, of 998 N.C. 903 North, Snow...

Apartment on Berkeley catches fire, no injuries

A fire just after 8:30 Wednesday night at the Stoneview Apartments at 2108 N. Berkeley Blvd. left nobody injured and only one apartment damaged as firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters with the Goldsboro Fire Department responded...

Center Street Jam begins tonight

Goldsboro's 2016 Center Street Jam summer concert series begins today as the Mighty Saints of Soul will take to the stage located in the John Street parking lot downtown, where the stage will remain all summer for the other eight...

Board votes to close two crossings

FREMONT -- The Fremont town board voted Tuesday night to close two railroad crossings over concerns that vehicles could become stuck and cause traffic collisions with trains. The board unanimously voted to close the North Street and South Street crossings...

Leavitt takes reins at Nellis

Air Force officials have confirmed that Col. Jeannie M. Leavitt, former commander of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, will take the reins of the 57th Wing, becoming the highest-ranking female officer to command at...

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Celebrating completion

Members of the Charles B. Aycock High School Student Advisory Council, staff and representatives from Wayne County Public Schools cut a ribbon to celebrate the completion of the school's new construction Monday....

Suspect charged in arson case

A Goldsboro man was arrested Tuesday in connection to a suspicious fire at 710 N. Virginia St. that occurred on April 16. Stephen Leon Williams, 34, of 602 W. Mulberry St. was arrested on charges of second-degree arson and...

Board remains split on support

Even with the elimination of offending wording that hinted at the use of eminent domain, Wayne County commissioners Tuesday still split on a resolution supporting CSX's planned massive intermodal terminal in Johnston County. Commissioners Joe Gurley and Wayne Aycock,...

Towns disagree on library location

A new library in northern Wayne County is among the goals being considered by Wayne County commissioners. But County Manager George Wood told the board Tuesday morning that progress has been hampered by Fremont's and Pikeville's inability to agree...

Choral festival

Members of the Wayne County Public Schools Middle School Chorus sing "Shine On Me" under the direction of clinician Susan Townsend on Tuesday during the Wayne County Public Schools All County Choral Festival at Goldsboro High School. A standing...

Military support plan is unveiled

RALEIGH -- The North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans and the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission have unveiled the state's new Strategic Plan for Supporting and Enhancing North Carolina Military Missions and Installations. The Strategic Plan builds on...

Morgan Yelverton elected as district governor for Key Club

A rising senior at Wayne School of Engineering has been elected District Governor of Carolinas Key Club for the 2016-2017 school year. Morgan Yelverton had been a lieutenant governor this year. Key Club International is the largest high school...

Hulse co-hosting policing program

Diana Hulse, formerly of Goldsboro, is currently co-hosting a groundbreaking pilot program on interpersonal skills for Connecticut police officers at Fairfield University. The professor and chair in counselor education in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions of...

Crime of the week

On April 12 at approximately 7:30 p.m., an employee of the Handy Mart at 2495 U.S. 13 North reported being robbed at gunpoint by two black men. The suspects were described as wearing all black clothing and face masks. Witnesses...

Ceremony welcomes children, raises awareness about abuse

Children from the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Child Development Center crowded onto the top three steps of City Hall Tuesday morning, absorbed in the blue and silver pinwheels each had been given. Some enacted virtual sword fights with...

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Wayne Reads continues with panel discussion

Why poetry? That was the subject of a panel discussion by four North Carolina poets at Wayne Community College on Monday night. Part of the annual Wayne County Reads program, the event was part of the study of the...

Wayne Community College to host concert, art show

The renowned Red Clay Ramblers will be performing at a free concert at Wayne Community College next week, in tandem with a juried art show and sale to benefit the fine arts and music programs at the college. Sponsored by...

Islamic Center request is met with opposition

A public hearing regarding a rezoning request from the Islamic Center of Goldsboro that would allow for the construction of a private cemetery on the center's property met with opposition Monday night during the Goldsboro City Council meeting The...

SWAT team apprehends suspect in Astor Court

A Goldsboro man was arrested by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office just before 11 a.m. Monday in connection to a shooting at 664-B Durham Lake Road in Dudley that happened earlier that same morning. Parker Jaylin Brown, 33, of...

U.S. 117 utility work to begin

Motorists on U.S. 117 South can expect to see utility relocation work begin within the next few months at the highway's intersections with O'Berry Road at Dudley and Country Club Road just north of Mount Olive. That work will...

Woman safe after elevator fire

A local woman is safe after Goldsboro firefighters saved her from being trapped inside a smoking elevator in the BB&T bank at 201 N. Spence Ave. The elevator's hydraulic pump froze as the elevator was in operation while Angie Archambault...

WCC job fair Wednesday

A job fair at Wayne Community College on Wednesday has been opened up to the public, officials said Monday. Nearly four dozen employers will be participating in the 24th annual Job Fair on the Goldsboro campus. It will be held...

Monday, April 18, 2016

Teacher arrested for felony larceny

A Wayne County public school teacher was arrested Friday on felony larceny charges and misdemeanor larceny charges. Tara Denise Tiller-Deeming, 47, of 2605 Pine Knoll Drive, Kinston, was arrested for three counts of felony larceny from a merchant and...

For the heart

A joyous swarm of students at the Wayne Preparatory Academy ran, jumped and played outside Friday as part of the Jump Rope for Heart fundraising event. The academy raised $13,760.80 for the American Heart Association, the most out of...

Dudley man shot in head

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating the attempted murder of a Dudley man after an acquaintance shot him in the head this morning. The report stated that deputies were dispatched to 664B Durham Lake Road in Dudley around...

Board to talk debt service

Wayne County could borrow up to $19 million to build the new Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center and a 911 call center. On Tuesday morning, Wayne County commissioners will consider adopting resolutions that would allow the county to...

Festival to feature performances of 300 students

Wayne County Public Schools will host its annual musical showcase Tuesday night, featuring nearly 300 students representing 30 schools. The 2016 All County Choral Festival will be held at Goldsboro High School at 6:30 p.m. The event is free...

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Month of the Military Child observed at Rosewood

"My home is nowhere." These were the first words spoken by Rosewood High School 11th-grader Tal Webber during her speech Friday at Rosewood's Month of the Military Child celebration. Tal is the daughter of not one, but two active military...

Tribute to a statesman

Lindsay Warren, a true Renaissance man, passed away last week at the age of 91. Warren, a legend in the legal community, was an attorney who led the commission that created the modern-day North Carolina court system. As a...

Islamic cemetery again before council

A rezoning request from the Islamic Center of Goldsboro to construct a private cemetery will reappear in front of the Goldsboro City Council Monday night when another public hearing will be held on the matter after the vote was canceled...

County to delay street assessment hearing again

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning will reconvene a public hearing on street assessments for Canterbury Village and North Creek subdivisions. But instead of proceeding, the board will be asked to recess the hearing for a second time. The hearing...

Wayne Democrats hold annual county convention

The Wayne County Democratic Party held its convention at the Wayne County Courthouse Saturday, with representatives from the county's 30 precincts hearing from North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall who delivered the keynote address. Ms. Marshall urged those in...

UMO graduation is scheduled for May 7

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive will graduate approximately 375 students on Saturday, May 7, during a 2 p.m. commencement exercise in the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena. A baccalaureate service will beheld at 10:30 a.m....

School board to pay for sewer

After a nearly four-hour meeting Tuesday afternoon -- the bulk of it spent in closed session -- Wayne County Board of Education tentatively approved a request from the town of Fremont to foot a $114,508 sewer bill attributed to issues...

New ECA club formed in Wayne

Moviendo America (Moving America) is the newest club to be formed in the Extension and Community Association in Wayne County. Club members are planning a fundraiser to provide supplies for students in the Wayne County Public Schools. The club's first...

Epicurean Civic Club disbands

After nearly four decades of community activism and service, the Epicurean Civic Club has disbanded. Formed in 1967 by a small group of Seymour Johnson airmen, the club was originally conceived as a social group for people who enjoyed good...

Eastern Wayne students receive scholarships

Two Eastern Wayne High School students have received prestigious scholarship awards, with the potential to pay the bulk of their college expenses. Gray Sasser has been offered an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and was...

Beer festival held downtown

No, it wasn't a "hop"-tical illusion, and no, the beer didn't cause anybody's eyes to play tricks on them. On Saturday, the beer was flowing freely as Cornerstone Commons in downtown Goldsboro transformed into a beer lover's paradise as 15...

Friday, April 15, 2016

Schools honor volunteers

An 11-year-old dynamo with a penchant for battling hunger was named this year's volunteer of the year for Wayne County Public Schools, while a town and two churches were recognized for their support of the district. The annual volunteer and...

Realtor of the Year

News-Argus Publisher Hal Tanner III, right, congratulates Michael Ellis on being named the Wayne County Realtor of the Year Thursday at the annual Realtors Luncheon sponsored by The News-Argus....

Murder suspect arrested

Billy Renaldo Hamm, 44, of 912 N. John St., was arrested Tuesday by the Montgomery County Police Department in Silver Spring, Md., in connection with a Jan. 9 shooting in Dudley that left one person dead and another injured....

Scoping meeting

Air Force officials hosted a public scoping meeting Thursday night at the Herman Park Center for the public to learn more about a reserve squadron of KC-46A Pegasus tankers that is being considered for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Pilots...

Rabies clinics scheduled

Rabies vaccination clinics will be sponsored by the County of Wayne on the dates and at the locations listed below. The cost will be $ 10 per dog or cat. The owner of every dog and cat over four...

GWTA holds customer satisfaction study

The Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority held its first customer satisfaction survey the week of March 7. The study was designed to set benchmarks for company improvement moving forward. Surveyors interviewed 137 fixed-route passengers and 78 rural van passengers over the course...

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Teddy bear picnic

Preschoolers from child care centers across the county attended the Teddy Bear Picnic, sponsored by the Partnership for Children of Wayne County, Wednesday at Cornerstone Commons. The annual picnic promotes the national "Week of the Young Child," focusing on...

CSX resolution back on table

A resolution in support of a proposed CSX intermodal freight terminal in nearby Four Oaks will be back before Wayne County commissioners Tuesday but minus two offending paragraphs that had raised the unpopular specter of eminent domain. The nearly...

Two attempt to rob bank

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating an attempted robbery of the First South Bank at 2801 Cashwell Drive on Tuesday morning, according to police reports. The reports stated that two suspects entered the bank at 9:16 a.m. One brandished...

Board of Health talks of grading

Getting A's and B's on a report card is usually considered a good thing. But when it applies to restaurants, anything less than a "A" is a problem, the Board of Health said Wednesday. Kevin Whitley, environmental health director...

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

A lecture for the books

The Goldsboro Rotary Club celebrated National Library Week on Tuesday and in doing so celebrated the life and legacy of the late Henry Belk. "Not only are we celebrating libraries and library workers, we are also celebrating a special...

Dillard Academy students, staff help clean up neighborhood

Hundreds of children from Dillard Academy joined academy staff and local business owners to clean up their community April 9 during "Community Cleanup Kids Day." The event began at H.V. Brown Park. From there, the crowd of more than...

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to host scoping meeting

Wayne County residents are being encouraged to attend Thursday's open house information session at Herman Park Center concerning Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's selection as the preferred alternative for a reserve squadron of 12 new state-of-the-art KC-46A Pegasus tanker...

Shots are fired in robbery of store

Shots were fired at a clerk in a Handy Mart convenience store Tuesday as two unknown suspects were robbing the establishment. The suspects entered the Handy Mart, located at 2495 U.S. 13 North, just after 7:30 p.m. with a...

Poetry panel discussion Monday

As Wayne County Reads continues into April, four of North Carolina's best poets and statewide leaders of literature will answer the question, "Why Poetry?" The second event in this year's "Passionate for Poetry" series takes place at 7 p.m....

Teens asked to weigh in on issues for essay contest

Area teens are encouraged to weigh in on county health issues, with scholarship money as an incentive. This is the first year for the Charles T. Gibson Teen Public Health Leadership Essay, but the contest has been around for...

Man is reported missing by wife

Police are searching for a Goldsboro man after his wife reported him missing the morning of April 11, according to police reports. According to the reports, Jean Marcelus Chery, 58, was last seen at 9:50 a.m. April 11, after...

Authorities seek man who robbed KFC earlier this month

On Monday, April 4, at approximately 9:50 p.m. an unidentified black man entered the KFC located at 700 East Ash St. He approached the counter, then went into the office containing the business safe and ordered the employee to open...

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Phase II of project comes in $628K over

Phase II of Goldsboro's Streetscape project, which renovated several blocks of the downtown area and finished in October 2015, came in $628,361.30 over budget. Originally, the project was projected to cost $15,484,889, but wrapped up with a final price...

Lindsay Warren dies at 91

Noted Goldsboro attorney and former state Sen. Lindsay Warren died Monday at Kitty Askins Hospice Center. He was 91. Warren, a native of Washington, N.C., was a fourth generation lawyer who had practiced law in Goldsboro since the 1950s....

Downtown art master plan is focus of session

Downtown Goldsboro could become an area filled with vibrant works of art rooted in its railroad history if a concept for a downtown public art master plan that was presented by artist Walter Hood Monday night comes to fruition....

Hospital opening delayed again

State officials continue to push back the timetable for the opening of the new $93 million Cherry Hospital. The 316-bed facility is nearly four years past its original projected completion date. Last November, state officials said they expected the...

Monday, April 11, 2016

St. Stephen's gets new leader

The Rev. Raymond J. Hanna, rector at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, loves to see things grow. Hanna, who began his work at St. Stephen's in February, has a history of bringing people to the church. During the 12 years...

People talk of fate of center

Members of the Goldsboro community met with city representatives April 7 to discuss the fate of the W.A. Foster Center located at 516 Leslie St. The building was marked as hazardous in 2011 after city inspectors found potentially dangerous...

Finally honored

Marine Sgt. Oscar Harris was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Saturday for his service with the Montford Point Marines during World War II. The medal is the highest award that can be given to a civilian. The...

Library storytelling Saturday

The Wayne County Public Library will holds its first ever storytelling festival Saturday. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of the library at 1001 E. Ash St. During the free family events,...

Water for Flint

Members of the Goldsboro-Raleigh District Assembly Church of Christ Disciples of Christ Missionary Convention stand with a tractor-trailer loaded with 960 cases of bottled water on Saturday at the church. The water is being donated to citizens of Flint,...

Three honored by WCC Adult High School Program

Wayne Community College's Adult High School Program has honored three students for outstanding academic achievement during the "Summer 1" session. Gabby Glover and Manuela Kenny were named to the honors list, comprised of students who completed at least two courses...

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Wayne Memorial gives recognition to volunteers for work at hospital

The volunteer program is a big part of what makes Wayne Memorial Hospital great, Bob Enders, interim president, told the gathering at the annual volunteer recognition event Wednesday. Unlike other jobs in the health care profession, the volunteers bring that...

A.J. Talbert earns scholarship, will become officer in Reserve

A.J. Talbert knew he was going to make it when the announcers shouted "15:30." He was running, and he had been running for three years, trying to pass the physical training test that would get him to Fort Knox,...

Policy issues take spotlight at forum: Bell encourages attendance of SJAFB scoping meeting

State Rep. John Bell, a member of the Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Friday morning said Wayne County residents need to fill Herman Park Center next Thursday for an Air Force open house information session about plans...

Pig in the Park

Twenty-three cooking teams from across North Carolina gathered at the Old Waynesborough Park Saturday for the annual Pig in the Park barbeque festival. Joined by dozens of vendors, two live bands and a crowd of hundreds, the chefs created their...

NCPF concert features RaeLynn

MOUNT OLIVE -- The 2016 N.C. Pickle Festival planning committee made it a goal to book a nationally known entertainment act for the Friday night concert this year, and that goal was met with the booking of The Voice star,...

Possible Medicaid changes debated

The state director of Medicaid made a stop in Wayne County on Thursday night, addressing the Wayne County Medical Society about the current 1115 Waiver Proposal to revamp the program. Dave Richard, director of the N.C. Division of Medical Assistance,...

Lobster and Shrimp Fest tickets are on sale now

Tickets are on sale for the 12th Annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest, the annual fundraiser for The Partnership for Children of Wayne County. The event will be held Friday, May 6, from noon until 6 p.m., with drive-through pickup...

Cases of heroin overdoses spike

Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause of a large spike of heroin overdoses that have been treated at Wayne Memorial Hospital in a seven-day period. "It's very dangerous right now," Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's...

Policy issues take spotlight at forum

Republican state Rep. Jimmy Dixon and Democratic state Sen. Don Davis agree that radicals are responsible for the controversy surrounding HB2, better known as the bathroom bill. But they disagree as to who those radicals are. Dixon blames a...

Improving county promotion discussed

The creation of a Wayne County communications department that would oversee advertising, media relations, assist with speech writing and even provide training for making public presentations and that would promote and market the county is being developed by Wayne...

Friday, April 8, 2016

STEM Fair welcomes 1,500 local students

Barrett Howell and A.J. Brown were more than happy to discuss their science project, aptly entitled "Frog Experiment." "They have no teeth and no tongue," Barrett said of the 10 African dwarf frogs housed in a plastic container. "They...

Shave it for later

Jerimee Hooker's mustache was born in February, and on Saturday, its short but magnificent life will end, but not in vain. At the behest of Hooker's wife, Amy, the mustache was to be banished from his face, but Hooker...

Art master plan input meeting to be Monday

A public input meeting for the development of the downtown Goldsboro public art master plan is scheduled to be held on Monday, April 11, at 6 p.m. at the Arts Council of Wayne County. Goldsboro was recently selected by...

Truck in river was stolen

A truck that disappeared into the Neuse River on March 31 was recovered Wednesday by Wayne County authorities roughly 300 yards from the boat landing where it initially went into the river. Maj. Tom Effler with the Wayne County Sheriff's...

Fire destroys building

A storage barn located at 1558 Old Smithfield Road caught fire and burned down early this morning, and the incident is currently under investigation by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. "We're examining the scene and figuring out what it is...

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Forum to focus on hot issues

Hot breakfast and even hotter public policy topics will be served at the "Eggs & Issues" legislative forum Friday at the Lane Tree Conference Center. Invited state legislators include Sen. Don Davis, D-District 5; Sen. Louis Pate, R-District 7; Rep....

Field trip in the classroom

"Where do you want to go now?" Michael Taylor asked his 12th grade students gathered in the Wayne Country Day School Library. "World War II," came back the response. Tablet in hand, Taylor worked the controls to take them...

Board tables freight support

Wayne County Commission Chairman Joe Daughtery's attempt to drum up support for a proposed intermodal freight terminal in neighboring Johnston County Tuesday morning drew a quick rebuff from his fellow commissioners who tabled the issue. A resolution calling on...

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Pig in the Park slated for Saturday

When the sauce settles at this year's Pig in the Park on April 9, only one cooking team will finish high on the hog. This year's Pig in the Park, held in Old Waynesborough Park, begins at 9 a.m....

Event Center officially opens

With a packed parking lot and hundreds of people coming out to see the freshly completed Goldsboro Event Center, city staff and elected officials marked the official grand opening of the center on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting and...

Teenager gets heart transplant, fundraiser planned for Saturday

Ashley Larimore's heart has always been in the right place -- prioritizing faith and family and thinking of others before herself. Even when her own physical heart appeared to be failing. Born a twin, brother Matthew weighed 2 pounds,...

Wayne Reads kicks off with poetic presentation

The Wayne County Reads campaign kicked off Tuesday night with a reading by Dr. Anthony Abbott, a professor of English at Davidson College and the author of seven books of poetry. His presentation was on "Poems to Remember Always"...

Crime of the week: Authorities seek suspect in robbery

On Sunday, at approximately 4:30 p.m., an employee of the Franklin Bakery Thrift Store located at 400 West Holly Street reported a black man came into the store and robbed her while holding a knife. The employee provided the suspect...

Town agrees on grant pursuit

PIKEVILLE -- The Pikeville Board of Commissioners voted Monday night to approve an application for an approximately $3 million federal water and sewer grant which would allow the town to finance a wastewater collection project. The grant, offered by NC...

Board approves increase in costs

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning voted 4-3 not once, but twice before settling on an increase in out-of-pocket medical insurance costs over an increase in premiums. But for both sides the divide came down to what would benefit employees...

Board of Education talks about Goldsboro High School, audit

Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Michael Dunsmore said the district is "aggressively pursuing" ways to improve Goldsboro High School -- from curriculum to certification of teachers -- he told the school board during a special called meeting Monday. The two-hour...

4-H team qualifies for state competition

Members of the Goldsboro 4-H Roto-Raptors robotics team qualified for the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) state championship Sunday after winning the Chairman's Award at the regional competition. The award, presented to the team that "best...

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Wreck results in death of woman

MOUNT OLIVE -- A woman died from injuries sustained in a wreck Monday afternoon in Mount Olive after her car went airborne, hitting Southern States' fencing and coming to a stop after colliding with concrete barriers. Mount Olive Police...

Welcoming everyone: New W.A. Foster Center opens

As throngs of people walked into the new W.A. Foster Center at Mina Weil Park following the center's ribbon cutting ceremony Monday, center leader Gladys McClary hugged nearly all of them -- and laughed with joy. "This is amazing,"...

Event to benefit historic areas

Preservation North Carolina, the state's only private statewide historic preservation organization, will sponsor a presentation celebration Sunday in Goldsboro and eastern Johnston County. Support of the event will benefit downtown Goldsboro's historic neighborhoods where Preservation North Carolina has been...

Next step in parcels purchase approved

During the work session of the Goldsboro City Council Monday night, the council unanimously approved allowing the city to accept a letter of intent from Second Act Communities to purchase two parcels of property in the downtown area. Second...

LaTerrie Ward retires, receives Order of Long Leaf Pine

LaTerrie Ward has spent the past three decades traversing her way around Goldsboro's City Hall and, as she learned upon her retirement April 1, straight into the hearts of everyone she worked with. Ms. Ward was honored with The...

Cruisers car shows April 23, 30

The Wayne County Cruisers Car Club will be holding two shows in the near future. The first will be the club's annual show at the Mount Olive Pickle Festival on April 23, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Center...

Monday, April 4, 2016

Worley elected chair of university board of trustees

MOUNT OLIVE -- Earl W. Worley Jr. has been elected chair of the University of Mount Olive board of trustees, replacing Darrell Horne, who has served on the board since 1986 and as chair since 1999. "I want to...

Robbery attempt results in arrest

A man is being held in the Wayne County Jail under a $150,000 secured bond after someone attempted to rob the Speedway gas station at 400 E. Ash St. over the weekend. A man entered the gas station at...

Finding treasured gold

When Lee Casey wed Pamela Cox on June 28, 1980, the ring she placed on his finger was too big. But not enough of a problem that he went and had it sized. Three years later, when it went...

Court of Appeals judge visits city

Conducting a nonpartisan judicial campaign is difficult because people want to talk about hot-button cases -- something no judicial candidate should do, said Court of Appeals Judge Linda Stephens. Ms. Stephens, 65, who has been on the bench since...

Communities in Schools rallies for funding this year

It's been a "wait and see" funding year for Communities in Schools, says executive director Selena Bennett, who is busily planning this month's fundraiser to keep the program afloat. "It's all about trying to keep the funding coming into...

University of Mount Olive alumni honored for achievements

MOUNT OLIVE -- Several University of Mount Olive alumni have been recognized for their outstanding personal and professional achievements, as well as for their dedication to the UMO Alumni Association. The honors were presented during Alumni Weekend activities. Jean...

Sunday, April 3, 2016

New W.A. Foster Center to open Monday

The new W.A. Foster Center is the future for community recreation in Goldsboro. The gym floors are unscuffed and newly painted in brilliant blue, green and orange that shine under the vaulted barrel roof. The roof itself an homage...

Saying goodbye to an old friend

The W.A. Foster Center postures on the corner of Leslie and Corney streets, a jazz eighth swinging in the fold of barrel maples and public works concrete. Most days, the building is lively. It is voiced over by fast-breaking...

School board to hold special meeting

The Wayne County Board of Education will hold a special called meeting Monday to discuss, among other things, the annual audit for fiscal year 2014-15, after several bristled at the March meeting over the idea of "rubber stamping" something they...

Council to decide on rezoning

A decision regarding the development of an 80-unit apartment complex behind Goshen Medical Center will be left up to the Goldsboro City Council at its meeting Monday night after a public hearing held on the matter drew sharp criticism from...

Zeta Phi Beta Blue Revue Pageant April 9

The Zeta Chi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority will sponsor its Miss Blue Revue Pageant and the Junior Miss Blue Revue Pageant on Saturday, April 9, at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. Admission is free. Six...

WorkKeys tests being offered

The WorkKeys tests for the National Career Readiness Certificate will be offered four times in April. The Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success (WORKS) program will provide testing sessions 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on April 5 and April 19, 12:30-4:30...

Veterans march for unity

Dozens of veterans took to Center Street on Saturday morning to march in honor of the American Legion Post 215's Walk for Veterans. Among those taking part was 90-year-old World War II veteran Freddie Lee Jones of Goldsboro. Jones,...

Tryon Palace welcomes garden lovers

NEW BERN -- An assortment of multicolored tulips and diverse spring blooms will be on display for visitors at Tryon Palace during its semi-annual Garden Lovers Weekend, April 8-10 in historic downtown New Bern. "These gardens are here for...

For safety, slow down for farm vehicles on the road

We've all been there. You're cruising down one of North Carolina's many rural highways or secondary roads, perhaps off to vacation at the beach or in the mountains, when all of a sudden you come up on a tractor...

Rain doesn't slow down Daffodil Festival

FREMONT -- Alayna Johnson raced up and down the street, occasionally leaping into the air, as she tried to pop bubbles being churned out by a bubble-making machine. Dressed in her brightly colored raincoat and rain boots, the 5-year-old...

Rabies clinics April 23, April 30

Rabies vaccination clinics will be sponsored by the County of Wayne on the dates and at the locations listed below. The cost will be $10 per dog or cat. The owner of every dog and cat over four months...

Plonk Disability Walk set for May 4

The 20th annual Hal Plonk Disability Awareness Walk, sponsored by the Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities, will be held Wednesday, May 4, starting with registration at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 202 E. Chestnut St., at 9:30 a.m. The...

North Carolina receives federal funding for early childhood

The United State Health Resources and Services Administration announced approximately $3,289,101 in funding to North Carolina to support the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Nationally, $345 million in funding was awarded to 55 states, territories, and nonprofit...

Dudley resident Edward Best honored

Despite their shortcomings, Edward Best loves people. So much, in fact, that the Dudley resident was named a Citizen of the Year by the United States Deputy Sheriffs Association and a Donor of the Year by Help Hospitalized Veterans in...

Cures for Colors banquet held Friday

More than 500 people of various ages and backgrounds packed into the First Pentecostal Holiness Church on Friday night, all with one thing in common -- survivorship. Each with a story to tell about living through cancer, some still battling...

County to discuss insurance

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning will once again discuss the county's self-insurance plan that could experience a 9.3 increase unless they can settle on an option being offered by the county's insurance broker. Inflation and a nearly 31-percent jump...

Coldwell Banker honored with award

Officials with Coldwell Banker say they are proud to share that their company was recently awarded the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup for its residential relocation services and performance last year. Presented by the Cartus Corporation, the worldwide leader in employee...

Friday, April 1, 2016

Public mourns loss of Raymond A. Bryan Jr.

The public will never know all of the things that Raymond A. Bryan Jr. has done for Wayne County -- things he did out of the kindness of his heart and without seeking any public recognition, say the people...

Goldsboro man shot in Fairview Circle Thursday night

A Goldsboro man was shot in Fairview Circle Thursday night after a man in an orange hoodie asked to borrow his lighter. Kelvin Lance, of 902 B Fairview Circle, was standing outside of his residence when an unknown man approached...

Junior Livestock Show winners

HOG SHOW Senior showmanship: Taylor Glover, first place; Cody Nassef, second place; and Jensen Barwick, third place. Junior showmanship: Gideon Linton, first place; Isaac Young, second place; and Isaac Linton, third place. Novice participants: Kayden Newcomb and Payton Williams. Grand...

Putting on a show

When dealing with an animal that weighs at least twice what you do, the concept of "control" might seem tenuous at best. For the 27 contestants at the 68th annual Wayne County Junior Livestock Show, it was all in...

Chipotle expected to open in city

Goldsboro will soon be getting a Chipotle and a Vitamin Shoppe that will be part of a new shopping center to be constructed on Berkeley Boulevard at the corner of Cashwell Drive and Berkeley Boulevard. Chipotle, a chain of...

Search teams continue efforts to find truck in Neuse River

Wayne County search and rescue teams are continuing their efforts today to recover a truck that was reported as being seen in the Neuse River just off of Prices Landing at 2042 Bill Lane Blvd. early Thursday morning. It is...

Groups to host MS fundraising event

Bike MS and the Trail and River Rovers of Eastern North Carolina (TRREC) will host a Mini Golf for Multiple Sclerosis event April 2 at Larry Bill's Fun Time Golf in Goldsboro. Games of mini golf will cost $7,...