January 2008 archives

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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Marking history

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber David Bennett tells the story of his service to his country as a supply coordinator during the Vietnam War near the time of the Tet Offensive. For more information see Marking history: A battlefield story....

Officials start planning Union Station's future

As work continues on the old Union Station in downtown Goldsboro, officials from the city and the state Department of Transportation are all trying to figure out how best to use the revitalized facility once it is fully renovated. Helping...

Marking history: A battlefield story

Today might well have marked the 40th anniversary of David Bennett's death. Life could have taken an unfortunate turn for the Grantham native that day in Vietnam. Historians remember Jan. 31, 1968, as the beginning of the Tet Offensive --...

Five more arrested in 'Smurf' drug raid

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office upped its arrest total from seven to 12 in "Operation Pop-A-Smurf", which targets people supplying methamphetamine cooks. Five people were arrested for making buys of pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter cold medication used in illegal meth manufacture....

Owners hunting for new grocer

Wayne County might or might not be one step closer to a new grocery store, a local developer says. The Office Depot going up at Memorial Commons is on schedule, and developer Connell Radcliff of 1st Carolina Properties expects the...

City police on hunt for Wal-Mart fire starter

Goldsboro police are seeking the public's help in locating a Goldsboro 17-year-old and anyone else suspected of taking part in a Jan. 15 diversion fire at a local Wal-Mart. Goldsboro Investigator Doug Bethea obtained a felony-level warrant Wednesday for burning...

New Paramount director ready to see stage light up at theater

Sherry Archibald wants Wayne County residents to feel welcome once the curtains open at the new Paramount Theatre this February. "People may think that you have to be elite to come to the theater," Mrs. Archibald said. "You don't. But...

Leadership conference at Mount Olive College

Mount Olive College has been chosen to host the 12th annual Leadership Enrichment Achievement Development conference next month, which brings together campus leaders from across the state. The one-day event, sponsored by the N.C. College Personnel Association,will take place on...

Habitat groundbreaking Saturday

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro Wayne County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 1302 Stephens Street Saturday at 10 a.m. The house is sponsored by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Church members, led by Dr. S.J. Schaberg, have raised a little...

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Traffic stop nets knock-offs

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Wayne County Sheriff’s Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team officers Deputy Randy Thompson, left, Detective Matt Miller, center, and Sgt. Mike Cox, right, examine some counterfeit clothing and shoes Tuesday. The items, which are estimated to have a street...

Major general comes home

As a young boy, William Holland had no aspirations of climbing the ranks of the United States Air Force. The Nahunta native never sneaked down by the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base tarmac to get a look at aircraft taking...

Investigators capture $15,000 in counterfeit clothing in stop

Illegally tinted windows led the Wayne County Sheriff's Office to a stash of more than $15,000 worth of counterfeit clothes after a traffic stop, authorities said. Counterfeit clothes are simply garments that use company logos and trademarks to make forgeries...

Leaders looking to future of region

KINSTON -- Despite the acknowledgment of multiple challenges in the years ahead, officials from the 13 counties in central eastern North Carolina, including Wayne, seemed optimistic about the future Tuesday. Meeting at the N.C. Global TransPark in Kinston, the group...

Best files to defend his commission seat

With issues such as schools, transportation and economic development still on the table, Wayne County Commissioner Jack Best has decided to run for a second term in office. Originally appointed in 2003 after Commissioner Ken Gerard resigned, Best first ran...

Annexation group will appeal decision

The legal tug-of-war over annexation is not over between the city of Goldsboro and residents living along Salem Church and Buck Swamp roads. Good Neighbors United, a group representing the 1,200 homes affected by the annexation, plans to make a...

Hackney pledges focus on schools

With the 2008 May primaries growing closer, state House Speaker Joe Hackney visited Wayne County Tuesday night to give his fellow Democrats a few words of encouragement and to promise to continue the legislature's work on education. "We're all Democrats,"...

Man convicted in 1987 killing paroled

A 72-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder is out on parole approved by the N.C. Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission, according to a news release. It was the second time since July 2006 that Bill Vester Coker had come up...

Public record

Thefts reported *Bryan Jackson of Harper House Road told Goldsboro police that his red 1998 Ford Mustang, worth an estimated $1,500, was stolen from a parking lot in the 1000 block of Sunburst Drive on Monday afternoon, police said. *Titus...

Mental Health Association speaker to talk on bullying

The Mental Health Association of Wayne County will host its annual dinner meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the SJAFB Officers Club. The guest speaker will be William Lassiter, manager of the Center for the Prevention of...

Hagler joins Tuscarora staff

Scott Hagler has joined the staff at the Tuscarora Council, Boy Scouts of America, as the organization's field director. Hagler has been involved with Scouting for more than 32 years, starting as a young boy in Cub Scouts. He has...

Habitat open house Thursday

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jacquette McNair is moving into her own home built by herself and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro Wayne County. She and her family will dedicate the house and receive the keys at 4 p.m. Thursday...

February 15 deadline for ECU teaching program at WCC

Applications for the fall East Carolina University bachelor's degree teacher education programs at Wayne Community College are due by Feb. 15. The ECU Wachovia Partnership East South Central Consortium elementary education, middle grades language arts/science education and special education degree...

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Meet the author

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber Tim Tyson, author of “Blood Done Sign My Name,” signs books in the Moffat Auditorium Monday night after a lecture at Wayne Community College. For more information see Homegrown perspective....

916th breaks ground

Fritz Linsenmeyer is not used to being interrupted -- particularly in the middle of a speech aimed at community leaders and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base leadership. But the colonel and 916th Air Refueling Wing commander let it slide Monday...

Homegrown perspective

Historian Timothy Tyson told a crowd of 400 people at Wayne Community College Monday that he is still waiting for the Civil Rights Movement to bring about full integration. The author of the 2008 Wayne County Reads selection "Blood Done...

Planning board OKs new lofts' subdivision

The Goldsboro Planning Commission approved a subdivision plan Monday night that will allow the Borden Mills Loft Condominiums project to continue. The property, which is located on the corner of Royall Avenue and William Street, was formerly used by the...

EWMS student caught with pot

An Eastern Wayne Middle School student had eight small bags of marijuana in his locker and sold the drug to at least three other students earlier this month, authorities said. The Goldsboro Police Department did not file a report on...

Second suspect is charged in deadly breaking, entering

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office says the last arrest was made Monday in an August home invasion that left one accused armed robber dead. Leonard Deshea Middleton, 24, Indian Springs Road, Mount Olive, is charged with two counts of first-degree...

Public record

Break-in charge Goldsboro police investigators have charged a man in connection with two break-ins at a Park Avenue home. Police said Toby Steven Blankenship, 29, of East Beech Street faces two counts each of breaking and entering, larceny after breaking...

They were right there for Capitol Hill speech

Approximately five minutes before the 9 p.m. start of President George W. Bush's seventh and final State of the Union address Monday night, Fox News' Brit Hume told viewers that the chambers of the U.S. House of Representatives were filling...

NCSU professor to deliver Martin lecture

MOUNT OLIVE -- Dr. C. M. "Mike" Williams will be the guest lecturer at Mount Olive College's 16th Annual Lorelle F. Martin Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Raper Hall. The theme for the lecture is "The...

Monday, January 28, 2008

Cemetery stories

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Mallory Peacock, left, and her father, John, pictured near the grave marker of Eliza Dyer, a black nurse/caregiver buried in a white family’s plot at Willow Dale Cemetery. Ms. Peacock, a senior at Charles B. Aycock High...

On the trail of his family's hero

For nearly a year Cary Turner has told the story of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Hargrove -- of how he was left behind on the small Cambodian island of Koh Tang in 1975 and of the years it took...

New type of director sought for Wayne County building, grounds

Knowing they would be faced with multiple county capital projects over the next several years, Wayne County officials didn't want to simply plug in a replacement after Brandt Brown vacated the building and grounds director position in August. So, explained...

Keck adds his name to commission candidates

After losing to Commissioner Atlas Price by less than 300 votes in 2004, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Harold "Hal" Keck has decided to run again for the Wayne County Commissioner At-Large seat. "During my first try I ran...

Gathering memories

As a child, Mallory Peacock's father, John, used to take her to Willow Dale Cemetery and tell her about some of the people buried there. She heard the stories about a former North Carolina governor, a young soldier killed on...

Town sells pews for community building

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Town officials are selling the pews in the church serving as the Seven Springs Town Hall to pave the way for a community building. The current Town Hall is located in the former Seven Springs Baptist Church,...

Beamon joins MOC staff

MOUNT OLIVE -- Heather Beaman of Mount Olive has joined Mount Olive College as an admissions representative. A graduate of the college's evening program, she credits Mount Olive will transforming her life, as she was able to obtain her degree...

Wayne and Duplin farmers honored by soybean group

Randy McCullen and Reginald Strickland of Mount Olive were elected to serve as directors of the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association. Current directors Jeff Parks of Goldsboro and Craig West of Fremont were re-elected to terms on the 30-member board....

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Man gets 95 years for assaults on women

Marsha Williams testified "she didn't think she mattered" -- which is why she didn't call police when Rodney Levon Williams beat her to the ground, kicked her in the ribs and tried to strangle her. A Wayne County jury...

Mount Olive police seize heroin

MOUNT OLIVE - A traffic stop early Thursday morning resulted in an unexpected arrest, as the driver of a 2000 Dodge truck was found to be under the influence of alcohol and in possession of roughly 62 grams of "suspected"...

Author to visit Wayne on Monday

Wayne Community College student Shelia Grimes is sure she would not be reading "Blood Done Sign My Name" if she hadn't returned to school at age 65. It's hard to stop reading the book, which is required reading in one...

MOC students lead drive to send supplies to troops

MOUNT OLIVE -- A younger Jessica Whitley had little understanding of the war on terrorism playing out in the Middle East. Now 20, the Mount Olive College student had just reached high school by the time the invasion of...

Annual interfaith breakfast held

More than 100 people from around the city, county and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base gathered Friday morning for breakfast -- and to talk about faith's role in their community's future. Goldsboro Community Affairs Commission and Wayne County sponsored the...

Two from Wayne named to leadership roles in emergency service

James B. Brewer of Goldsboro has accepted a captain's commission with the North Carolina Emergency Reserves. CPT Brewer will serve as the new Operations Officer for the NCER 38th RGT. He was officially sworn in at the January drill in...

Land use forum Tuesday

From staff reports MOUNT OLIVE -- Town officials want to know what residents and business owners want to see when it comes to land use in their community. Mount Olive will have a land use forum Tuesday at 6 p.m....

Duplin gets high marks on audit

After listening to the 2006-07 audit report and hearing County Manager Mike Aldridge's "state of the county" presentation this past week, most of the Duplin County commissioners were inclined to agree with his assessment that things are "stable." "It's...

Friday, January 25, 2008

Mobile home raided by SBI as suspected meth lab

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Several vehicles, along with children's toys, sit outside a mobile home at 313 Windsor Drive in the Hickory Hill subdivision off N.C. 111 South, where the Wayne County Sheriff's Office Drug Squad, along with SBI agents, made...

Seven will face charges in meth lab arrests

Wayne County's underground web of alleged methamphetamine buyers and sellers grew thinner this week as authorities shut down a clandestine lab and charged five people. Investigation in a six-month campaign dubbed "Operation Pop-A-Smurf" also continues. Charges against as many as...

Deputies looking for clues about fire

State investigators encircled the rural home of a turn-of-the-century governor on Thursday afternoon, a small wooden building not far from the high school named after him. A fire Thursday morning did an undetermined amount of damage to birthplace of Charles...

Neighbors speak out against beer sales license for Club 55

A decision in Thursday's ABC permit hearing for Club 55 El Abuelo is likely to be at least a month away, so for now, the Lenoir County nightspot will continue to operate without beer sales. That could change, however, after...

Wayne Community College reports higher spring numbers

Enrollment for the spring semester at Wayne Community College is up slightly, with efforts being made to shore up the figures, officials say. Dr. Kay Albertson, president, told the board of trustees Tuesday night that the college is "positioning ourselves...

Public record

Armed robbery Charles Allen Casteen, 36, of Pine Ridge Road, Clinton, was charged by Warsaw police with armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, larceny, possession of stolen property, fleeing to elude arrest, possession of cocaine and several traffic violations. The charges...

Wayne residents warned of scams

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is urging residents to be aware of three potential scams that have been happening around the county. The first one chooses its victim from sales ads that are placed on the Internet or any type...

Book fundraiser

The WCC chapter of Kappa Delta Pi will hold a pancake breakfast Saturday from 7-9:30 a.m. at Andy's on Wayne Memorial Drive to raise money to buy books for students. Tickets are $5. Meals will be delivered if 10 tickets...

AgriCultural tourism conference

KENANSVILLE -- The N.C. Cooperative Extension will hold its Southeast District AgriCultural Tourism Annual Conference on Friday, Feb. 1 in the Duplin County Cooperative Extension building across from James Sprunt Community College. Registration begins at 8:30. The conference will ened...

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Charles B. Aycock Birthplace fire

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber Wayne County Sherrif Arson Investigator Shawn Harris inspects the remains of a fire of unknown origin that North Carolina Historic Sites officials say started early this morning on the back porch of the Charles B. Aycock Birthplace...

Aycock Birthplace fire ruled 'suspicious'

Authorities suspect arson in an early Thursday morning fire that severely damaged the main building at the birthplace of Gov. Charles B. Aycock, the Sheriff's Office said. Wayne County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tom Effler said that unknown suspects attempted to...

Dail will get $368,493

The N.C. Industrial Commission confirmed Wednesday that they approved compensation for exonerated former inmate Dwayne Dail. Dail was cleared in August when DNA evidence showed he could not have been the man who raped a Goldsboro 12-year-old in 1987, after...

Walnut Creek cuts its water use

Residents of Walnut Creek are doing their part to help with the statewide water conservation effort. During the last three months of 2007, Village Administrator Lou Cook said he had every gallon of water that went through their system tracked...

Businesses want water regulation done fairly

RALEIGH -- For many of the nearly 100 residents attending Wednesday's state Environmental Review Commission meeting, the discussion about future water allocation featured a handful of recurring themes -- stop blaming outdoor landscaping industries, educate everyone about conservation, provide incentives...

Abstinence banquet set for middle of February

Local youths will be treated to a spaghetti supper and entertainment while learning about the benefits of abstinence during the 11th Annual Rose Banquet. The banquet is sponsored by the Wayne Council on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and will be Feb....

Foster parents being sought in eastern N.C.

Boys and Girls Homes of NC, a non-profit organization, works to promote awareness of the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect in southeastern North Carolina. The organization is dedicated to locating need foster and adoptive parents that are dedicated...

Bartlett honored by state soybean farmers

Kenneth Bartlett of LaGrange, a soybean producer from Wayne County, has been awarded the meritorious service award by the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association. The award is the association's most prestigious recognition for outstanding commitment and contributions to the Association...

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Police dogs go airborne

News-Argus/Bobby Williams John Denny, left, co-pilot of the Wayne County Air-Watch unit, keeps a close eye on the landing zone during a training exercise with the K-9 unit. Meanwhile, Canine Officer Ryan Sasser and his partner “Cory,” prepare to...

Canines to the rescue

As helicopter blades spun above the open cockpit of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office chopper, dog handlers inside were thinking about more than their training. They were thinking about how to get out of the frigid air caused by the...

Escaping prisoner shot to death

A man convicted of second-degree murder in Stokes County in 2001 was shot and killed after scaling two fences at a Johnston County correctional facility, a spokesman said. N.C. Department of Correction spokesman Mike Stater said Adelino V. Najera, 33,...

Two school board members will seek new terms

Two school board members have announced they will seek new four-year terms. Chairwoman Thelma Smith recently took over the reins of leadership, following in the footsteps of Shirley Sims, who broke the racial and gender barrier last year by becoming...

Duplin rethinking tax vote

With less than five months to go before the May 6 primaries, the Duplin County Board of Commissioners is considering pulling the quarter-cent sales tax referendum off the ballot -- unless it can sit down and come to an agreement...

Mentors needed for children with parents in prison

Dr. Wilson Goode knows what it's like to have a parent who goes to prison. He was a teenager when that happened to him. But he also knows what it's like to have a mentor who believes in you. That...

Book describes Quaker influence in Wayne

A former Goldsboro pastor has written a book about 43 Quaker ministers who pastored without pay, several who at one time lived or worked in Wayne County. Billy Britt, interim superintendent of the N.C. Yearly Meeting of Friends, returns to...

Public record

Investigations The Goldsboro Police Department reported these investigations: *Officials with Toyota of Goldsboro on N. Oak Forest Road reported the theft of a 2007 Dodge Caravan valued at $19,000. *Patrick Chen of U.S. 70 West reported a break-in to a...

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Borden Lofts

Submitted photo This is an artist's rendering of the Borden Mill Loft Condominiums design. For more information see Borden Lofts steps closer to start date....

Rate cut good news for businesses, area experts say

Dramatic rate cuts in key interest rates by the Federal Reserve today boosted the spirits of Goldsboro businesses, which said the moves should convince consumers to take advantage of the lower rates to buy homes, vehicles and other items. The...

SJAFB gets F-15E trainers

The Air Force's push to cut spending has come home to Wayne County, materializing in a state-of-the-art training facility for air crews at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base that will reduce the number of dollars spent on F-15E Strike Eagle...

Borden Lofts steps closer to start date

The developers behind the Borden Mill Loft Condomini-ums say they need only 15-20 more people to show interest in purchasing lofts before an anticipated spring construction start. When Robby Baker, part-owner of the Borden Lofts company, announced the project in...

Public record

Copper thefts Thieves have been busy stealing copper piping around the city. Two businesses and a homeowner reported thefts of copper in the past few days. *Batesville Casket Company at 711 told police that someone did $400 damage to the...

Regional pecan growers workshop to be held February 9

On Saturday, Feb. 9, the North Carolina Pecan Growers Association will hold its 14th annual Educational Workshop in the Wayne County Extension Center. Following the indoor session, attendees will meet at the orchard of Gary Bevell south of Goldsboro to...

Nominees are sought for business women's honor

The Wayne-Duplin Business and Professional Women's Club is issuing an invitation to nominate individuals to participate in the club's Young Careerist competition. This honor is given to a woman for her personal and professional achievements. To be eligible, the nominee...

MOC Literary Festival February 20-21

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College will hold its 7th Annual Literary Festival next month, featuring a New York Times' best-selling author. Carole Boston Weatherford, who has written 30 books of poetry, non-fiction and children's literature, received the Ragan-Rubin Award...

MOC Church Night game February 9

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College will hold its 25th Annual Church Night Basketball Game on Saturday, Feb. 9. The Mount Olive College Trojans will compete against Lees McRae College. The women's teams are scheduled to play at 5 p.m....

Monday, January 21, 2008

Airmen back from Afghanistan

Bobby Williams Family and friends cheer as news reaches them Sunday that their loved ones' plane had arrived late Saturday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. For more information see Heroes' welcome....

Leaders gather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Chilly temperatures didn't stop nearly 600 people from gathering at the Goldsboro Raleigh District Assembly Monday morning to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast started out with a tribute to King. City...

NCDOT rejects request for signs for city

After spending the last few months looking at the number and location of signs directing travelers toward Goldsboro and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, state Department of Transportation officials have decided -- at least for now -- that there are...

Heroes' welcome

Saturday night was Christmas, New Year's and Thanksgiving rolled into one for more than 300 airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and their families. The largest contingent of airmen from the base in nearly two years returned from duty...

Bell announces he will run to keep his commission seat

John Bell, who is in his second term on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, has announced he plans to run for re-election during the May primary. Bell, a Democrat, was first elected in 2000 to represent District 3, which...

Radford takes job as SWHS principal

Veteran administrator Eddie Radford has been named principal at Southern Wayne High School, officials announced. Radford takes over for Tim Harrell, principal since 2006, who accepted a position as assistant principal at Princeton High School. His departure was reported last...

High school open houses

Wayne County public high schools will host several open house events for parents and students, ushering in the second semester of the school year. The open houses are scheduled for Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. at Spring Creek, Charles B. Aycock...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

No Jackpot Winner

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — None of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Saturday night matched all six numbers drawn, which were: 20-23-25-27-28 Powerball: 2 (twenty, twenty-three, twenty-five, twenty-seven, twenty-eight; Powerball two) Power Play: 5 Players matching all...

Annexation

The final chapter in a battle over annexation of property along Salem Church and Buck Swamp roads by the city of Goldsboro was likely written by an appeals court judge, who ruled that a decision in the city's favor should...

Snow problem?

Parts of Wayne County were receiving a dusting of snow late Saturday and forecasters were calling for enough of the white stuff to hit the ground after midnight to leave a white landscape upon sunrise today. The National Weather Service...

Juvenile charged in fire at Wal-Mart

Goldsboro police say a 14-year-old who set fire to a Wal-Mart lingerie rack as a diversion to steal is in custody. The North Spence Avenue retailer also reported far more damage than originally thought -- a total of $300,000 in...

Teens get caught in pawn shop after theft

Three Mount Olive and Grantham teenagers accused of a break-in made things easy on a Wayne County Sheriff's Office detective, authorities say. How? By trying to sell off their ill-gotten goods at a local business while Detective Rick Farfour stood...

County fair brings home state convention honors

Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Manager Milton Ingram came home from the North Carolina and South Carolina Convention of Agricultural Fairs in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with his arms full of awards. The most prestigious honor the Wayne County event received was...

Bud Gray announces he's running for re-election

Roland "Bud" Gray, this year's chairman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, announced Friday that he has decided to run for a second term in office. His reasoning, he explained, is simple. He wants to see some of the...

Public record

Fire department broken into DUDLEY -- Fire Chief Chester Foss of the Dudley Volunteer Fire Department reported that the fire station was broken into on Thursday night and $2,500 in cash was stolen. A book of 500 checks was also...

Wayne County Public Library announces Black History Month writing competition

The Wayne County Public Library will host its first Black History Month Creative Writing Contest for fourth- through sixth-graders and for seventh- through tenth-graders. Participants can express themselves in any creatively written form, whether it be poetry, essay, prose, rap/rhyme...

Volunteer Center

Volunteer Wayne offers opportunities to serve Wayne County for all ages. This service is provided by Volunteer Wayne and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) at Wayne Community College. Contact Joy Pearce at 735-5151 ext. 336 or at www.volunteersolutions.org/uwwc/volunteer...

United Church Ministries honors volunteers for 2007 efforts

The annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet was held recently at Salem United Methodist Church, hosted by the Men of Salem and the Salem United Methodist Women. Entertaiment was provided by singers Jesse and Pat Kissinger. During a brief business session, Terry...

Scouts race for Derby glory

Ten-year-old Cash Benton took out all of his homemade Pinewood Derby cars for another look Friday night while he got ready for the big race Saturday. The Cub Scout has built a car each year for the past four years,...

WCC honors list announced

Wayne Community College has honored 244 students for outstanding academic achievement in the fall 2007 semester, announcing its president's and dean's lists. To make the president's list, students must be enrolled for at least 12 semester hours and earn a...

MOC plans "Winter Glitz" February 16

MOUNT OLIVE -- An evening of entertainment and dining is being planned by the Mount Olive College Alumni Association as a fundraiser for student scholarships. Planned for Saturday evening, Feb. 16, "Winter Glitz -- An Evening in Central Park" will...

MOC graduates fron Wayne County

MOUNT OLIVE -- The 54th graduation ceremony at Mount Olive College produced 374 graduating seniors. Of those, 121 were from the Mount Olive campus, 34 were from the Goldsboro location, 61 were from the New Bern location, 70 were from...

Leadership class learns about local education

Members of the 2007-08 Leadership Wayne County (LWC) class spent a day in December learning about education in Wayne County by hearing from local education leaders and visiting the public schools, Wayne Community College, Mount Olive College, and the Wayne...

Humane Society to hold telethon on Saturday 26

Just a little more than a third of the way to its fundraising goal, the Wayne County Humane Society is hoping that for most people, Saturday night will be a quiet one because its members have already made plans. Eager...

City reports handicapped parking violations fixed

Nearly 900 handicapped parking violations at area businesses have been corrected, officials said this week. The Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities found many of the violations while doing its survery of handicapped parking in the city in early 2007,...

Duplin County Tourism Authority strategic plan

Hoping to give a direction to the interest and energy created after the Duplin County Tourism Development Authority was formed late last summer, the agency released its new three-year strategic plan this week. Topping its list of goals is the...

DGDC Board of Directors discusses plans for 2008

The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Board of Directors met Wednesday to discuss projects and events the organization is planning in 2008. Construction on the three Self-Help homes on South John Street began Jan. 4. Now, if residents drive by, they...

Waste Industries holiday schedule

Waste Industries will be operating on a one-day delay schedule Monday through Thursday for the Town of Mount Olive. The subscription residential or county customers serviced by Waste Industries will observe the same schedule....

City sets holiday sanitation schedule

The City of Goldsboro will observe Martin Luther King Holiday on Monday, Jan. 21. All sanitation services scheduled for Monday will be serviced on Wednesday....

Friday, January 18, 2008

System will help control signals

The Goldsboro City Council approved a $1.6 million budget amendment Thursday night to design and build a city-wide computerized traffic signal system. The entire project is estimated to cost $4.5 million, but only $3.5 million will be available through bond...

Suspect will face charges for meth

A Seven Springs man faces charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, investigators with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office reported. Andres Reyes Flores, 49, Stanley Chapel Church Road, Mount Olive, was placed in the Wayne County Jail under $2 million bond, Maj....

Evans announces run for third commission term

The self-proclaimed mayor of Dudley, J.D. Evans, has decided to run for a third term as the District 2 representative on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners. But first, he must secure the Democratic nomination in the May primary. He...

North Drive teacher has second play published

A reading teacher at North Drive Elementary School has had his second children's script published. Gregory Brown's play "The Great Rhyme Travel Machine" will be part of Playbooks Inc.'s "Readers Theater" series and will be used to help boost literacy...

Grants intended to improve quality of rural life in region

AgCarolina Financial awarded $30,950 in grants to 12 organizations through their corporate-giving program, the Fund for Rural North Carolina. Among the recipients of the grants were the Foundation of Wayne Community College and the Wayne NC Cooperative Extension Service, for...

Public record

Water tanks, buildings vandalized Goldsboro police said Tractor Supply Co. on Cashwell Drive suffered about $5,000 in spray paint damages to water storage tanks at the business on Wednesday evening, Goldsboro police said. Also damaged with spray point was Hasty...

Thursday, January 17, 2008

County considers fee for false alarms

With sirens blaring and blue lights flashing, Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies responded 449 times in the past three months to alarm calls. The problem was that those 449 trips turned out to be false alarms. The number is of...

Fifth will answer charges in cases

A Kevin Drive man accused of multiple break-ins is among those indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury this month. Scott Alexander Cochrane, 22, Outlaw Road, Dudley, was indicted on seven counts larceny, eight counts possess stolen goods, possess stolen...

Duplin schools to make new plan

KENANSVILLE -- No formal votes were taken, but the Duplin County Board of Education seemed to agree Tuesday night on the need to at least re-evaluate its facility plans. The board's current plan, which was originally adopted in 2005 and...

New construction manager will continue Habitat's mission

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro Wayne County has hired a new construction manager. Former Michigan contractor and long-time house building volunteer Matt Howell started work last week, Habitat Vice President Jackie Gunn said. He has been involved in not only...

Accreditation leader to speak at MOC

A national leader of accreditation in the U.S. will deliver the convocation address at Mount Olive College next week. On Jan. 22, Dr. Belle Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, will...

Parental training offered

Training for parents of children with challenging behaviors will start next month, through a grant being obtained by Partnership for Children of Wayne County. Don Magoon, partnership director, said the pilot study will run for 14 weeks, using a nationally...

Goldsboro photographer recognized

ATLANTA -- The Shepherd Center, one of the nation's leading rehabilitation hospitals, located in Atlanta, has announced that a photographer from Goldsboro has been selected as a finalist in their nationally advertised photography contest. Dr. Rhonda Peters' entry entitled "Aspire"...

Public record

Wal-Mart fire Lee Carpenter of Wal-Mart on North Spence Avenue reported Wednesday night that at least three unknown suspects set a fire in the women's lingerie section, Goldsboro police said. An estimated $20,000 of Wal-Mart property was destroyed in the...

Jazz documentary series at library

The Wayne County Public Library is preparing to play host to a new documentary film viewing and discussion series, "Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form," which will begin Feb. 2. The program will continue each Saturday afternoon through March 8...

Fremont approves subdivision

FREMONT -- Fremont town officials said rumors had been flying about a new mobile home park, but the town board approved a citizens' request to subdivide her grandmother's property that could only allow four homes. After a little explanation --...

Eastpointe receives $388,400 grant

Eastpointe, the local mental health agency covering Wayne, Duplin, Lenoir and Sampson counties, has received a $388,400 grant that it will be using to help support residents who are homeless, disabled or simply in need of support services. The grant,...

Duplin Agribusiness Council meeting

KENANSVILLE -- The annual membership meeting of the Duplin County Agribusiness Council will be held Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Duplin County Agriculture Service Center across from James Sprunt Community College. The guest speaker for the annual meeting...

Blackbeard lecture Saturday

Legend depicts Blackbeard the pirate as one of the most notorious and horrifying rogues to sail the seven seas. But was he truly a murderous villain, or a hero trapped in the annals of historic change? Why was he able...

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

SJAFB's commander at annual speaker's forum

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Col. Steve Kwast, commander of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, speaks during this year’s annual speaker’s forum co-sponsored by the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. and Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. For more...

Sales tax hike will be on May ballot

Faced with a myriad of county projects looming on the horizon, and with the state General Assembly allowing it the opportunity as part of last year's Medicaid relief package, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to place...

Workers killed in site accident

Two Wayne County men died Tuesday afternoon when a 3,000-pound metal sheet fell from a crane and crushed them at a construction site in Manteo, an official says. Tim Bissette, 41, of Pikeville and Rene Perez, 33, of Seven Springs,...

AT&T gets $100,000 incentive for center

Despite the protests of several people in the audience, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners proceeded Tuesday morning to unanimously approve $100,000 in incentives for AT&T, which announced in December that it would be opening a broadband technical support call...

Commander's call: Build for the future

Steve Kwast would tell you that service means little if "home" is not something worth fighting for. In fact, part of what keeps the Air Force colonel going is knowing there are "tightly knit" communities like Goldsboro and Wayne County...

Seniors qualify as semifinalists for Morehead-Cain scholarships

Three Wayne County Public Schools' high school seniors are semifinalists for one of the most prestigious college scholarships in the nation. Vying for Morehead-Cain Scholarships to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are Emilee Quinn of Charles...

Public record

Lenoir sheriff explains message Lenoir County Sheriff W.E. "Billy" Smith said a new phone system is responsible for an answering machine message received when calling a non-emergency line at the Sheriff's Office. On Saturday, some N.C. 55 residents near the...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Dudley industry closing

News-Argus/Mitch Loeber The slump in the housing market is being blamed for causing the closure of the GAF Materials plant. The plant manufactures shingles and has been in operation for nearly a decade. For more information see GAF closes...

GAF closes Goldsboro plant

GAF Materials Corp. announced Monday that it plans to shut down operations at its Goldsboro roofing materials plant on Jan. 31, ending the employment of 108 workers. Also affected by the company's trimming will be a similar mid-sized plant in...

Club 55 still looking for beer permit

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A decision in August to disallow a beer sales license to a Hispanic-themed nightclub hears a legal challenge on Jan. 24, officials say. An administrative law judge is scheduled that day to hear Club 55 El Abuelo's...

City Council will have full plate Thursday

The Goldsboro City Council will have a full schedule Thursday night as members plan to go over an agenda that includes a variety of issues, from a city-wide computerized signal system to condemnation of dilapidated dwellings . The meeting was...

Rock 'n' roll on loan at county's library

Normally, the Wayne County Public Library is a quiet place. No loud music. No singing. You might even get shushed if you speak loudly across the table to a friend. But Friday night was a little out of the ordinary...

Mount Olive to launch new web site

MOUNT OLIVE -- Charles Brown is looking forward to the day when Mount Olive's Web site is up-to-date and "more professional." After all, if you were to click on the current site, "you would probably find minutes from town board...

Duplin girl reached third round of 'Idol'

When Blair Mozingo tunes into "American Idol" tonight, she will have a more personal understanding than most viewers do of what it takes to participate in the popular TV singing competition. This past summer, Blair made it to the third...

Public record

Thefts reported *Candace Hatch of Billy Francis Drive reported property worth $850 stolen from her unlocked vehicle while parked at home, Goldsboro police said. *Timothy Williams of Chevy Cadillac of Goldsboro on U.S. 70 reported that four rims and tires...

Linker named new clerk for town of Seven Springs

SEVEN SPRINGS -- The town of Seven Springs has hired Karen Linker as its new town clerk. Former clerk Lisa Cash resigned to accept an offer she could not refuse at JC Penny, where she has been working part-time. Last...

Monday, January 14, 2008

Goldsboro not considering water use limits ... yet

Hearing Raleigh city officials talk about increasing water and sewer rates by 50 percent might have Goldsboro residents wondering if they will see a rate increase sometime soon. City Manager Joe Huffman says, "No." "Right now, we are not...

What if there were water use restrictions?

Some of the suggestions Raleigh officials have proposed to prolong the city's water availability include decreasing use to 25 gallons per person per day. That reduction is a far cry from what most people use on a daily basis which...

Height rules set around Wayne airports

Given the opportunity to take a step toward ensuring both public safety and the future viability of the county's three airports, the Wayne County Planning Board has voted to recommend the adoption of new height restrictions. Affected would be the...

Numbers are up at Wayne Community College for spring

Enrollment is up at Wayne Community College for the spring semester, which began Jan. 7, officials announced Friday. The numbers are up 186 students from the same time last year, with 3,121 students registered for classes. A portion of the...

Wayne Commission will look at sales tax hike plan

A potential quarter-cent sales tax referendum will be on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners' agenda Tuesday morning as members look for ways to raise revenues for the myriad of capital projects they have coming up in the next few...

Blood donors can earn chance at basketballs

Wayne County's blood donors have an extra incentive for rolling up their sleeves and giving the gift of life during January and February. The Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross is holding its third annual ACC Blood Donor...

Tsunami seminar Wednesday

KURE BEACH -- The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host a presentation on tsunami planning Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the aquarium auditorium. Tom Matheson of the National Weather Service will discuss New Hanover County's preparations toward certification...

MLK parade January 21 in LaGrange

LaGRANGE -- The LaGrange Youth Council of the NAACP will hold its 3rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade Celebration Monday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. For more information, call Carolyn Ellis at (252) 566-9260, Robin Dunn at...

Kornegays establish endowment at MOC

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive businessman George Kornegay figured out the perfect "gift that keeps on giving" for his wife this Christmas. He established an endowed scholarship in her name at Mount Olive College. Barbara Kornegay, named vice president for...

Down East Woman of the Year nominations

The Greater Greenville Chapter of NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) is seeking nominations for the DownEast Triangle Outstanding Woman in Construction Award. The deadline to submit nominations is March 3. Nomination submissions are being requested from the DownEast...

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Alliance sets stage for more growth

By almost any measure, 2007 was a successful year for the Wayne County Development Alliance as it oversaw the announcements of more than 1,000 new jobs over the next five years. But with the board of directors approving an ambitious...

Griffin will try for second chance at District 11

Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronnie Griffin has decided to again try his hand at state politics, announcing Friday his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the state House District 11 seat. He ran for the position two years...

Rest of dilapidated school buildings will be coming down, town decides

PIKEVILLE -- Two asbestos-containing school buildings won by the town through a close look at deeds a few years ago will be demolished. Just one vote -- from new and former Commissioner Vance Greeson -- stood in the way of...

Airmen collect supplies for needy families in Afghanistan

While war rages on in countries like Afghanistan, so does the prevalence of poverty among those who live there. Soldiers are deployed there to fight for peace. In stark contrast, residents wage their own battle for a better life for...

Kwast to speak at speaker's forum Tuesday

Throughout his year-plus as commander of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's 4th Fighter Wing, Steve Kwast has been charged with deployment of airmen, management of assets and setting an example for thousands of young Americans. Tuesday, the Air Force colonel...

College gets $100,000 pledge

MOUNTOLIVE -- The R.A. Bryan Foundation has pledged $100,000 to Mount Olive College to advance efforts to build a Fine Arts Village, prompting college officials to announce the amphitheater will be named in honor of the Bryan Foundation. The Fine...

Sheriff's Office departments now under one roof on U.S. 70

A new location on U.S. 70 serves to put cooperating Sheriff's Office agencies under one roof, Wayne County sheriff's officials say. Maj. George Raecher oversees the office's criminal investigators, the Agressive Criminal Enforcement Team, the drug squad and the supervisor...

Art exhibit will kick off '08 Wayne County Reads

The 2008 Wayne County Reads season begins Thursday with an art exhibit celebrating the county's racial and cultural diversity. The kick-off event, which will be held in the Arts Council of Wayne County, is free to the public and begins...

MOC announces speaker for Martin Luther King celebration on Thursday

Eddie Wayne Lawrence, the former executive director of the N.C. Human Relations Commission, will be the featured speaker at Wayne Community College's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday. He will speak at 1 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium. The...

Public record

Student caught with weapons A juvenile suspect was caught with four knives at a Rosewood High School basketball game on Wednesday evening, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said. Theft Shelton Mark Hinson of U.S. 113 South reported a 5,000-watt generator...

Jones to speak on military affairs

Third District Congressman Walter B. Jones will be addressing the Alliance of Retired Military at their regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College. All military retirees, veterans, and active duty members...

Commission wants help with sales tax referendum

KENANSVILLE -- With the May primaries less than four months away, the Duplin County Board of Commissioners is eager to begin the process of explaining why the county is putting a referendum on the ballot asking residents to make a...

Red Cross names new director of blood services

The Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross has a new blood services director. Tammy M. Forrester, 42, replaced Samia Garner in December. Mrs. Garner took the newly created position of director of development for the chapter. As blood...

Friday, January 11, 2008

Cornerstone Award

News-Argus/Dennis Hill Mayor Al King, right, congratulates downtown businessman David Weil on his receipt of the Cornerstone Award at Thursday's Wayne County Chamber of Commerce banquet. For more information see David Weil honored with 2008 Cornerstone Award....

David Weil honored with 2008 Cornerstone Award

Wayne County's most prestigious recognition -- the Cornerstone Award -- was given out Thursday to a man many thought might not even show up for the ceremony. They didn't know where else he would have been -- perhaps at the...

Chamber Chairman Geoff Hulse wants businesses to help schools

Speaking at Thursday's Wayne County Chamber of Commerce annual banquet for the first time as this year's Board of Directors Chairman Geoff Hulse outlined a very clear goal for the business organization -- help fix the county's schools. "There is...

Grant did not want a funeral

Johnny Grant, the Wayne County native who served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, was all about the entertainment business and not about himself. Keeping in that vein, he didn't want any type of funeral service when he died. Grant,...

O'Berry gets hepatitis all-clear; reschedules celebration

Concern over possible cases of hepatitis at O'Berry Center has been lifted, with a community festival originally scheduled at Christmastime now being planned for next week. On Thursay, officials at O'Berry said completion of the testing revealed "that there was...

Public record

Knife attack A Brazil Street man said he suffered minor injuries after a man he is acquainted with cut his arm with a knife while lying in bed, Goldsboro police say. Reford Bell reported the acquaintance was angry over a...

WCC gaming exposition Jan. 26

Wayne Community College will hold its third annual video gaming exposition this month on campus. Sponsored by the business student fraternity Phi Beta Lambda, the Carolina Games Summit will take place on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. until 9...

MOC gathering up supplies for airmen

Mount Olive College will collect items, create care packages, and send them to airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force who are stationed overseas. The college has joined with Capt. Ted Janicki of the 916th Air Refueling Wing at the base,...

Thursday, January 10, 2008

SJAFB air show grounded for 2008

It started as an open house, an opportunity for Wayne County residents to take an up-close look at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base -- the facilities, airmen and aircraft housed there. But when air show "headliners" like the Navy Blue...

Goodbye, Johnny: Goldsboro's star succumbs at age 84

LOS ANGELES -- As a young man, Wayne County native Johnny Grant sat in the Paramount Theater and watched Mickey Rooney on the screen. It was then that he decided to become a movie star. More than a half-century later,...

Students caught selling ADD drug

Three Rosewood High School students face 14 drug distribution charges for selling an attention deficit disorder medication at school, authorities said. School Resource Officer Larry Mitchell found out Friday that a student went home ill on Dec. 2 after ingesting...

No word yet on identity of body found near church

Authorities are still hoping to solve the mystery behind an unidentified skeleton found in November on the property of a Goldsboro city councilman. Detectives slogged through mud in waders as they logged bone fragments from a ditch behind Fellowship Baptist...

Spring Creek teacher named outstanding Wayne math instructor

A fifth-grade mathematics teacher at Spring Creek Elementary School has been named Wayne County Public Schools' outstanding elementary math teacher of the year. Amy Janning, a 19-year veteran teacher, was recognized Monday night during the school board meeting. She had...

Design for Seafood Festival shirt sought

The 22nd Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival will be held Oct. 3-5 in Morehead City. Designs are being sought for the official festival T-shirt. The deadline for design submissions is Feb. 7 by 2 p.m. The artist should be a...

Public record

Death investigated The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of Tony Ray Morene, who was found with a gunshot wound to the temple on Salem Church Road on Monday around 6 p.m., according to a report....

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Blaze damages mobile homes

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Mar-Mac volunteer fireman Paul Kelly hoses down a pile of trash outside an unoccupied mobile home on Durham Lake Road Tuesday afternoon after a brush fire spread to several unoccupied homes. Firefighters from Mar-Mac, Thoroughfare and Dudley...

City will condemn damaged Days Inn

The Days Inn's days are numbered. Goldsboro city officials say the structure that was ripped apart in an August 2007 storm has been an eyesore long enough. Now, Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra said he is taking the structure to...

Guy won't run for Duplin board

KENANSVILLE -- L.S. Guy surprised Duplin County staff members and his colleagues on the Board of Commissioners when he announced at Monday's meeting that he will not be running for re-election this year. "It was just the right time to...

Details on fatal crash released by state patrol

A Highway Patrol sergeant released today the details of a Monday afternoon crash that killed a LaGrange woman. Starr Ann Burnette, 48, LaGrange Road, was killed when she reportedly failed to stop for a red light while headed north on...

School board approves tennis court repairs

The school board has approved construction plans for tennis courts at four of the six area high schools. At its meeting Monday night, the board voted to proceed with the repair and replacement project, hiring Advantage Sports to do the...

New members appointed to commissions, boards

Goldsboro City Council appointed new members to a few of the city's advisory boards and commissions Monday night. Many of the entities had members whose terms expired or who had moved away. The Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission has two...

Parks and Recreation board seeking volunteers for park cleanup

In many of Goldsboro's parks, patches of brown grass, unruly bushes and fallen branches are seen every day. There just aren't enough city maintenance workers to go around. The workers rotate through the parks taking care of the big tasks,...

MOC employee honored for excellence

MOUNT OLIVE -- A Mount Olive College employee has been named recipient of the first J. William Byrd Award for Staff Excellence. Named for the college president, it was established to annually recognize an outstanding staff member. It was presented...

Public record

Business, homes shot into *Jerry Keen of Johnson Sherman Co. on West Walnut Street discovered six bullet holes in three large windows belonging to the business Monday. Damages were estimated at $1,500, according to a Goldsboro police said. *Two homes...

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Accident on U.S. 117 S. Bypass

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Mar-Mac firefighters along with Goldsboro's Station 1 crew, were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident around 3 p.m. Monday on U.S. 117 South Bypass in front of the Down East Travel Center. For more information see Woman dies...

Woman dies in crash on U.S. 117 South Bypass

A Clayton woman died from injuries sustained in an accident about 3 p.m. Monday on U.S. 117 South near the Down East Travel Center. A spokesman at Pitt Memorial Hospital confirmed this morning that Starr Ann Burnette died after being...

Student caught with gun at school

A Mount Olive Middle School student's arrest for carrying an unloaded gun into school has sparked more talk about how to keep local campuses secure. The latest black mark occurred Friday at Mount Olive Middle School, when a student was...

SBI clears Pikeville town clerk

PIKEVILLE -- Investigators have completely cleared Town Clerk Kathie Fields of allegations of financial irregularities, officials said Monday night. Mrs. Fields had already been reinstated as the Pikeville town clerk, before an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation and...

Judge withdraws proposal for new club on South Slocumb

Superior Court Judge Jerry Braswell has changed his mind about the focus of a proposed "jazz and blues club" for adults 30 years of age and older on South Slocumb Street. Braswell had asked Goldsboro City Council to change the...

Duplin agrees to settle ambulance service lawsuit

KENANSVILLE -- Presented with a proposed settlement with Johnston Ambulance Services Monday afternoon, the Duplin County Board of Commissioners voted 5-1 to agree to not only stay out of the non-emergency transport services business, but to also pay JAS $25,000...

Officials take aim at NCLB policies

The Board of Education Monday night voted in favor of a resolution to change No Child Left Behind policies. The federal education legislation is up for reauthorization, Dr. Craig McFadden, assistant superintendent for accountability, told the board. "The National School...

Public record

Assault with a vehicle Jamethon Howard of Wayne Avenue reported that a woman he knows approached his car from behind on South Slocumb Street in a green vehicle, Goldsboro police said. The woman intentionally used her vehicle to push his...

WCC lecture series

Seats are still available for a lecture course at Wayne Community College that started Monday evening. The Foundation-sponsored course on "Utopias: Dreams of Perfection or Nightmares?" will run for four weeks, taught by Bill Brettman, arts and humanities program director....

PBS videos available at Wayne County Public Library

PBS videos are now available through the Wayne County Public Library and NC LIVE. The Wayne County Public Library is a member of NC LIVE, North Carolina's statewide library consortium, and can now provide access to nearly 250 quality PBS...

Monday, January 7, 2008

Site work is continuing on Union Station project

Plans for Union Station are continuing to progress. Architect David E. Gall has spent hours walking through the building, with both his measuring tape and pencil in hand. He has been working on the evaluation of the existing architectural, site,...

Officials hope to create new arts program

A few Goldsboro city employees have an idea -- they want to extend their hands into the educational spectrum, but they don't want to teach children the same reading and writing they learn every day in school. Instead, they want...

Building not slow in county for 2007

Cooperation between city and county governments lessened the impact of the nationwide housing crunch in 2007, local officials say. And with a couple of major projects completed in 2007 and more expected in 2008, Goldsboro Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra...

McAuliffe named senior director

After serving for nearly a month as interim director of the Wayne County Services on Aging, Eryn McAuliffe was named the new permanent director just days before Christmas. She is replacing Yvonne McLamb, who retired in early December after nearly...

Public record

Thefts *Christopher Devon Jackson of Vanderbilt Circle reported that he was on the 100 block of Vanderbilt Circle when an unknown person pointed a shotgun at him and demanded that he give the person his Apple laptop, police said. Jackson...

Sunday, January 6, 2008

TransPark funds get close look in report

Despite the financial difficulties of the Global TransPark in Kinston, local economic development officials and state legislators say it is still an enterprise worth supporting. According to the recently released 2007 audit of the North Carolina Global TransPark, the...

Numbers in from 'Booze it, Lose it' campaign

The Goldsboro Police Department dedicated the most resources -- and made the greatest number of arrests -- during a holiday campaign combating drunken driving, a police captain said. But the Highway Patrol, which had far fewer patrols and checkpoints, had...

Pikeville man arrested on sex charge

A Pikeville man faces a felony-level charge for taking indecent liberties with a child, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said. Allan Lawrence Pratt, Nahunta Pines Drive, Pikeville, was jailed in lieu of $75,000 bond on Thursday, Capt. Tom Effler said....

Two will answer fraud-related charges

Two Wayne County citizens face charges after their arrests for fraud-related charges on Thursday, the county Sheriff's Office said. Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour received numerous calls from Stephanie Nichole Martin, 26, Hereford Drive, Dudley, about a car she reported stolen...

Festival-goers share fun to mark holiday

Ashley Acevedo was wide-eyed and all smiles as she watched children line up to swing at a pinata. She wasn't the only one excited to see candy rain from the papier-mache watermelon. But the 3-year-old girl was as happy as...

Council meets Monday

The Goldsboro City Council will cover everything from zoning for a new club to incentives for a company bringing new jobs to the area at its meeting Monday. Superior Court Judge Jerry Braswell can expect a decision from council on...

Public record

Investigations *Clifton Williams of Greenvalley Drive said he was in a car with a friend when three men shot at the rear of the vehicle, causing $650 in damages, police said. *Bobby Benton of Airport Road, Pikeville, reported that a...

Friday, January 4, 2008

Fueling Up

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Kurt Russell, a delivery driver with New Hope Gas Co., delivers propane fuel this morning. On average a driver would deliver about 2,000 gallons of fuel per day on a residential route, but with the temperatures dropping...

Retiring Kerr: County will still have a strong voice

Although state Sen. John Kerr has said he is ready to retire for a multitude of reasons, most notably a desire to slow down and spend more time with his family, he has also said that the decision was...

'Most Wanted' list nets tips, prompts 3 arrests

Goldsboro police reported locating three men wanted on felony charges less than 24 hours after their pictures were published in a News-Argus feature on outstanding warrants. Investigator Dave Cloutier said the first suspect turned himself in Wednesday after seeing his...

Suspect throws 'bomb' at house

A Legion Lake Drive man faces prosecution for reportedly trying to burn down a neighbor's home with a "Molotov cocktail," authorities said. Clarence Cleveland Bos-well, 57, was jailed in lieu of $40,000 bond on New Year's Eve after allegedly throwing...

Alumnus donates large book collection to MOC

From staff reports MOUNT OLIVE -- A Mount Olive College alumnus has donated 619 volumes of books to its library. George Stevenson, who attended MOC in the late 1950s, later returned to the school as a cataloguer a decade later....

WCC course offerings

Several new continuing education courses will be offered this spring at Wayne Community College: *Airport operations -- duties and responsibilities of an airport worker -- runs 17 weeks starting Jan. 8, costs $60. *Aviation instrument rating, designed to prepare students...

Mount Olive fundraiser successful

From staff reports The Original Free Will Baptist Church dinner program, providing financial support to Mount Olive College, had its most successful year yet, officials have announced. Jean F. Ackiss, director of church support, said that more than 2,400 donors...

Public Record

Assault David Earl Solomon of South John Street was injured after a man he knows hit him in the forehead with a knife handle, Solomon told Goldsboro police. Solomon obtained a felony-level warrant against Antquawn Crawford, 31, of Crawford Street,...

Thursday, January 3, 2008

First Baby

News-Argus/Greg Sousa Jimmy and Janice McClarin are all smiles as they spend some time with their newborn son, Kamren, Wednesday at Wayne Memorial Hospital. For more information see County welcomes first baby....

Officers chase man on U.S. 70

A Trenton man led authorities from two counties on a high-speed chase Thursday morning, reaching speeds of up to 110 mph before finally stopping in Kinston, a sergeant says. Daniel Waters, 53, faces charges of careless and reckless operation of...

Huffman: City plate of projects full for '08

Had you asked Joe Huffman in September 2006 just how he intended to pull off construction of a new Paramount Theater and community building, he might not have been able to answer. Goldsboro's city manager said there was "just a...

Reporting center gets new chief

When her younger brother committed suicide in August 1999, Theresa Barratt vowed that she would do whatever she could to help people in similar situations. Now, Mrs. Barratt, the new director of the Wayne County Day Reporting Center, will...

Police search for bank robber

A Smithfield bank just off the U.S. 70 Bypass on U.S. 301 was robbed by a lone man Wednesday morning, authorities there said. A black man described as about 6-feet tall, heavyset, wearing dark clothing entered the Heritage Bank...

County welcomes first baby

Janice McClarin's due date of Jan. 14 was fast-approaching, so she gave little thought to "feeling the baby all day" Monday. It was not enough to keep her and husband, Jimmy, from attending a family gathering that night. "We...

Public Record

Soda stolen Coca-Cola delivery driver Marty Parker said he called police Tuesday when he noticed a suspicious vehicle in the area of his South George Street workplace around noon, Goldsboro police said. About three hours later, Parker reported $150 in...

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Weather roller coaster continues

News-Argus/Greg Sousa WEATHER OUTLOOK: David Arreola, a worker with Allen Grading Co., tries to stay warm while working in the frigid temperatures at the site of the new Memorial Commons Plaza on Wayne Memorial Drive this morning. Over the...

Wayne County's 'Most Wanted'

Goldsboro police have announced the list of people they most want to catch in 2008. Investigator Dave Cloutier compiled the list of suspects, who are wanted on a variety of charges including drug trafficking and murder, by talking with his...

County agenda set for next year

A new animal shelter is being raised on Clingman Street. There appears to be progress on addressing school facility needs. And the county commissioners have been presented with a comprehensive plan for growth for the next 20 to 30 years....

A Bible and a desire for faith overflowing

Natsume Lanning devotes hours each day to studying her Bible, underlining and highlighting passages and posting little sticky notes as reminders of valuable lessons found within its pages. Dog-eared and bursting at the seams, it is clearly a book that...

Courses still open at WCC

Openings are still available in several medical training courses offered this spring by Wayne Community College's Continuing Education Division. A health unit coordinator course, preparing students for certification through the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators, will begin Jan. 7...

Medical technician course at JSCC

The Continuing Education department at James Sprunt Community College will be offering a medication technician course beginning Jan.10 and meeting on Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. for eight weeks. The course is designed to prepare unlicensed medical persons...

Foster care needed

People interested in opening their home to children who have either temporarily or permanently left their birth parents' homes because of abuse or neglect are invited to join the Boys & Girls Homes of NC Foster Care and Adoption Program....

Bloodmobile stop

Goldsboro city employees will sponsor a bloodmobile stop Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the maintenance building on Clingman Street....

Public record

Shooting *Jamethon Howard told Goldsboro police Saturday that as he was starting his vehicle on Wayne Avenue, a white Cadillac drove by and someone inside it fired two rounds into the vehicle with a handgun, damaging the right rear quarter...

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Tooting in the New Year

News-Argus/Bobby Williams Two-year-old Ashley Harvell tooted her party horn last night during the 9th Annual Mount Olive Pickle Drop. The New Year's Eve event underway around 6 p.m., when the public starting lining up at the front gate. People...

Dail, storm top local story tally

If you were to take a stroll through downtown Goldsboro, snapshots from the 2007 chapter of the Wayne County history book would be all around you. As you make your way down John Street and toward Center, you might remember...

2007 - the winds of change

From staff reports JANUARY Jan. 1 -- Seven Springs native Lyndon Sutton appointed superintendent at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. Jan. 3 -- The Eureka Town Board awarded $864,000 in contracts to repair its ailing sewer system. Jan....

Victim of fatal crash identified

Police have identified the victim of a two-car crash on Interstate 795 Monday. Jimmy Russell Pearson, 73, of Carey Road, Kinston, was killed when a car driven by Marcia Irene Rohde, 47, allegedly ran a stoplight at the intersection of...

Public Record

Third robbery suspect arrested A Fountain resident has been arrested in connection with a summer robbery at a local fast food restaurant. Jarvaris Quante Whitted, 17, of Best Drive, was arrested on charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon in...