August 2012 archives

View Archive

Friday, August 31, 2012

Help is waiting for Isaac victims

Before Hurricane Isaac even hit the Gulf Coast, area volunteers with the American Red Cross were standing by to help. A mother and son team from Spring Hope, Cynthia Ann and Jonathan Wright, took Wayne County's Emergency Response Vehicle...

Wayne Chamber has new president

The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will have a new president in place Oct. 1 after the organization announced Wednesday that it had found a replacement for Marian Mason, who resigned in June. Bonnie Grady will lead the Chamber...

Closings are set for Labor Day

Local, state and federal offices, the post office and banks will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Wayne County offices including the landfill and convenience centers will be closed. County schools will be closed, too. Town halls...

Public report

Obtaining property by false pretenses A Goldsboro man's debit card was used, along with 27 other stolen card numbers, to make a payment to an Alltel customer service account. According to a police report, Edward Richardson, Slocumb Street, noticed the...

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Local pantry low on food

The Salvation Army's food pantry needs help from the community to be able to assist families who are struggling to put food on their table. Commander Lt. Kenny Igleheart said the pantry ran out of non-perishable items last week. This...

Nearly 2 million riders ... and still counting

Generations of Wayne County area children have been thrilled, and maybe a little frightened, as the Goldsboro Kiwanis Club's miniature train clickety-clacked over the "Grand Canyon" trestle or as they yelled at the top of their lungs to drive away...

Two arrested in Duplin County murder

KENANSVILLE -- A man and his stepson have been arrested by the Duplin County Sheriff's Office, accused of murdering a Duplin County man and dumping his body alongside a road. Herbert Stroud, 69, and Jeremy Stephens, 20, of 779 Beasley...

City man among four charged in fraud

KINSTON -- Four men, including one from Goldsboro, have been charged in an insurance embezzlement scheme that investigators said Wednesday cost a Kinston company more than $5 million. The arrests stem from an investigation that started in November 2011...

Seymour Johnson AFB jets participate in training exercise

Taking their lead from Mission Commander Maj. Ronen Segal, F-15E Strike Eagle aviators from the 4th Fighter Wing are participating today in an exercise designed to provide them with a "one-of-a-kind" training opportunity. Exercise RAZOR TALON will ultimately bring together...

Public record

Armed robbery The Hasty Mart, 501 N. Berkeley Blvd., was held up at gunpoint Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. According to a police report, the robber entered the convenience store, showed a silver handgun and demanded the money. The robber exited...

Man, 77, found dead in creek

SMITHFIELD -- A Smithfield man found dead in a creek near his home along Crantock Road has been identified by the Johnston County Sheriff's Office as Edwin Summers, 77. Summers' body was discovered in the creek west of Smithfield with...

Chamber announces new president

The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce has selected a new president. Bonnie Grady, who most recently was membership director for the Elizabeth City Chamber of Commerce, will begin work Oct. 1, chamber officials announced Wednesday. She replaces Marian Mason, who...

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Delays plague fleet of school buses

The first day of school Monday might have gone off without a hitch, but transportation was another matter. Bus problems were at the top of the list of complaints received by the district. The transportation department is used to being...

School district chooses its top teacher for 2012

A first-grade teacher at Grantham School became Wayne County Public Schools' 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year at a banquet at Goldsboro Country Club Tuesday night. Glenda Crocker is a 30-year veteran educator who has been at Grantham since 1990. A...

Additional charges filed in shootout

Additional charges have been filed by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office against two suspects in custody since Friday's shootout with police. Thomas Arthur Austin Jr., 31, 1005 S. Madison Ave., is charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana with...

Armed robbers facing time in prison

Five Wayne County men Tuesday were sentenced in federal district court in Raleigh for their roles in a string of armed robberies in early 2010. Anthony David Brown, 24, Derrick Dove Jr., 22, Ivory Javaughntae Harris, 21, and Malcolm...

Group eyes plans, hopes for Fremont

FREMONT -- Some attendees had lived there for more than 50 years. Others had lived in the Daffodil Town for as little as 10 months. But all those gathered for the second meeting of Fremont's Small Towns Economic Prosperity...

Eastern Carolina Council seeking input for five-year plan

The Eastern Carolina Council is seeking input from residents of the region's nine counties into what will be its next five-year development plan. The quasi-governmental entity, one of sixteen multi-county planning and development regions in the state, is comprised...

Public record

Suspicious fire Goldsboro police and firefighters were dispatched Monday to a vehicle fire at 807 Isler St. The fire started after 6 a.m. in front of the home of Vanessa Ann Pulley, 36. Pulley's 2002 Chevy Cavalier appears to have...

Good Samaritan returns lost wallet

A Goldsboro woman who reported her wallet stolen last week, called the News-Argus on Tuesday to ask for a correction in Monday's Public Record that noted the theft. But it wasn't the usual Public Record call the newspaper staff received,...

Parks and Rec to hold last Saturday concert

The Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Department will presents its last concert in the Summer Concert Series this Saturday, Sept. 1, at 5 p.m. at H.V. Brown Park, located at the intersection of U.S. 117 South and Elm Street. Bring...

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Two die in head-on collision Monday

SNOW HILL -- A traffic accident in Greene County on Monday afternoon claimed the lives of two people, one an 18-month-old toddler, as well as an unborn child. The accident happened on U.S. 258 north of Snow Hill near its...

Board asks to deny Internet cafe sites

The Goldsboro Planning Commission recommended the denial of two requests from applicants to open Internet cafes in the city during its Monday meeting, while suggesting.approving two site and landscape plans and granting an ordinance variance as the Board of...

Laurean denied appeal by top court

The state Supreme Court declined Monday to hear an appeal by ex-Marine Cesar Laurean, who was convicted in 2010 of first-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. According to a spokesman for the state Supreme...

Czech visitor enjoys travel, and barbecue

A Czech visitor who spent part of the summer in Goldsboro leaves this week with not only some good memories and improved English, but a deeper appreciation of the culture and a newfound love of barbecue. Michal Nemethy, 21, is...

Bringing meetings to the community

PIKEVILLE -- No new issues surfaced Monday at a night meeting of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, with more time taken up by comments from the commissioners themselves than by the seven people who spoke at what was...

Wayne Community College to offer WordPress Web design class

Wayne Community College Continuing Education will teach Web design using WordPress, a leading tool of the industry. This course provides the skills needed to use one of the most popular free Web design programs available. Topics covered include downloading templates,...

Wayne Community College to offer tire manufacturing course

Wayne Community College Continuing Education will offer a tire manufacturing course that could lead to a job at the Bridgestone plant in Wilson. The "Introduction to Basic Tire Manufacturing" prepares individuals for entry-level operator jobs at a tire manufacturing...

Monday, August 27, 2012

Jobless rate drops in Wayne

The latest jobs data from the N.C. Department of Commerce reveals a mixed bag of increases and decreases in the unemployment rate across the state from June to July, with rates declining in 47 counties, increasing in 26 and...

Inquiry ongoing in city shootout

The State Bureau of Investigation has verified the identity of a second man charged in connection with a Friday evening shootout on Slaughter Street that left one dead and at least one lawman injured. An investigation report released today by...

School bells ring for returning students

"Good morning! Are you excited?" said Donna Underwood, greeting a student outside the office of Eastern Wayne Elementary School today. Rounding the corner, with her own children in tow, she stopped to unlock the door to the classroom where...

Optimist club donates computer

The Goldsboro Optimist Club has donated a computer to a local high school student as part of its Optimist Computers4Kids program. The club refurbishes donated computers and provides them, for a small fee, to low-income families with at least one...

Health plan is saving county money

Wayne County's health care policy, which makes it more expensive to be overweight or a smoker, is realizing savings for the county's health insurance plan and for taxpayers. Over the past two years, while most insurance plans have been rocked...

Sunday, August 26, 2012

WCPS grads return as teachers

Kathryn Rikard has many fond memories of tagging along with her mother, Gina Rikard, a teacher at Greenwood Middle School. "My mom's been with Wayne County Schools for 21 years," Kathryn said. "Growing up, I always helped her in...

Elvis and fans help kick off annual United Way fundraising

As Elvis belted out hit after hit, audience members -- especially the women -- cheered and applauded. As he sang "All Shook Up," 69-year-old Effie Williams got up from her seat in the back of the theater, carrying a...

Beating the odds with bicycles, T-ball

For the first few hours of his life, Jaiden Tart was like any other newborn. As his mother cuddled him in her arms, Heather Tart dreamed of his life ahead -- learning to walk, playing ball and other sports,...

State Board of Elections will decide question of one-stop voting on Sundays

Wayne County's one-stop voting plan for the Nov. 6 general election will be reviewed by the state Board of Elections, possibly as early as the first week of September. State Elections Director Gary Bartlett confirmed Friday that his office...

Wayne Community College offering workship on small acreage farming

Wayne Community College Continuing Education will offer a free workshop and a class on succeeding at small acreage farming. Tony Kleese of the Earthwise Company promises a lively discussion of the market opportunities and production practices that are allowing...

Partnership - More at Four

For 10 years, the state's More at Four program has prepared children for kindergarten, but this year fewer local students are having the opportunity to attend -- despite Partnership for Children of Wayne County receiving the same amount of...

NAACP voter registration drive being held across 53 counties

DURHAM -- At a community mass meeting in Durham on Friday night, the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP announced simultaneous mass nonpartisan voter registration drives in 53 counties across the state this weekend. Grassroots NAACP activists and organizers...

One man killed in shootout with police

One man is dead following a firefight involving local law enforcement and a group of men inside a Goldsboro home late Friday night. It started at approximately 10 p.m. when members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office ACE Team...

Fremont economic to define its mission at meeting Tuesday

FREMONT -- The group steering Fremont's Small Towns Economic Prosperity program will continue its efforts Tuesday evening to draft a mission statement for the economic development plan that is expected to take 12 to 15 months to complete. Fremont...

Wayne County to send three to North Carolina Debutante Ball

Three young women from Goldsboro will make their debut at the annual North Carolina Debutante Ball in Raleigh the weekend of Sept. 6-8. The formal presentation of young ladies from across the state will highlight the weekend of activities...

Commissioners to meet Monday night at C. B. Aycock cafeteria

PIKEVILLE -- The first of two special night-time meetings of Wayne County commissioners will be held Monday at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria at Charles B. Aycock High School. The second meeting will be held Sept. 17 at 6...

Chamber Jr. Leadership program seeking applicants

The 2012-13 Junior Leadership Wayne County Program is seeking applicants. Participants will begin the program with a one-day orientation and then spend six days throughout the year focusing on a variety of topics. Participants will have an opportunity to...

Butterfield wants money for downtown

A congressman has petitioned the state to appropriate unspent transportation money toward two projects in eastern North Carolina, including Goldsboro's Center Street Streetscape and Union Station projects. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who represents Goldsboro within North Carolina's 1st District, submitted...

Friday, August 24, 2012

Last jam of summer

Marlie Stewart, 3, takes a sip of her drink as she listens to live music during the season's final Center Street Jam Thursday night. From 6-9 p.m., children and adults enjoyed food, face painting, and beach music performed by...

Former adult care worker charged with sex assault

The former director of maintenance at Goldsboro Assisted Living has been charged by Goldsboro police with sexually assaulting an 89-year-old Alzheimer's patient there last month. Gerald Dean Blizzard, 68, of Old Grantham Road, was arrested Aug. 9 and charged...

Dudley man charged with felony child abuse

A Dudley man arrested Thursday by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office faces two counts of felony child abuse causing serious bodily injury. According to a press release issued by the Sheriff's Office, Detective Sgt. Tammy Mozingo arrested James Linwood Montgomery...

Dillard Middle boasts mother-daughter teacher combos

It's safe to say that working at Dillard Middle School is like one big family. But now that is even more true, given that the school boasts three sets of mother/daughter teachers and almost had a mother/son combo. Sitting...

County increases ABC board stipend

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning agreed to a request from the county ABC Board to increase the monthly stipend paid its members, but only after one commissioner said he preferred to see it reduced. Commissioners approved the increase with...

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Upgrade of U.S. 117 South sought

Identifying what is necessary to earn U.S. 117 South upgraded status as a freeway, if not an interstate, will be the focus of a three-month study by transportation officials in Wayne, Duplin and Sampson counties. Alex Rickard, planning director for...

County Internet cafe law approved

Wayne County now has an ordinance regulating the location and operation of Internet or electronic gaming operations. Actually, a second vote will be required since the decision made at last Tuesday's meeting was not unanimous. The ordinance was approved last...

Expansion of railroad tracks at Goldsboro Milling complete

Goldsboro Milling Co. is putting the final touches on a rail track expansion at a cost of approximately $5 million. Goldsboro is served by the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and the railroad has gone to a 75-car unit train program....

School bus changes aimed at improving service

Getting the county's yellow buses safe and ready to roll in time for the start of school is just one of the tasks of the Wayne County Public Schools' transportation department, says director Raymond Smith. His staff also is...

Schedule changes noted

Wayne County Public Schools officials have announced a time change at two schools and a change in the traffic pattern at another. Due to the lack of bus drivers in the Spring Creek district, officials were forced to tier the...

Air Force museum panel still pondering names

Goldsboro's Air Force Museum Citizen Committee decided Wednesday to give its members an extra two weeks to mull over a name and mission statement for the proposed facility as meetings with consultants via teleconference continue. The committee also got...

Entrepreneurs squeeze out 'profit'

Her feet propped up on the cooler standing next to her, Ruthie Thompson waits. She knows her 9-year-old partner, Mary Archibald, is rounding up some customers -- that she is making her way past the dozen or so vendors set...

City looks at two Internet cafe sites

An attempt to bring an Internet cafe closer to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base gate will likely fail after the applicant asking for the property to be rezoned to allow for such an establishment reversed course and asked...

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Three named finalists for Teacher of the Year

Three finalists for Wayne County Public Schools' Teacher of the Year have been announced, with the district-wide winner to be named at a banquet on Tuesday, Aug. 28, at Goldsboro Country Club. In the spring, each of the 31...

'Stuff the Bus' raises $6,760 in supplies for schools

More than $6,500 worth of school supplies were collected last week during a "Stuff the Bus" campaign sponsored by Communities in School. On Friday, a large yellow school bus parked in the News-Argus parking lot was the drop-off point....

Getting a look at the year ahead

Fifth-grader Josean Artis, 11, looks over paperwork as his mother, Tara Wells, center, and teacher Aaryn Fazarkerly chat during Dillard Middle School's open house Tuesday evening. Students and parents flooded the halls to meet teachers and prepare for the...

Man found slain in Duplin

WARSAW -- An autopsy was to be performed this morning at the state medical examiner's Jacksonville office on the body of a black man that was found early Tuesday morning lying beside an isolated stretch of road just west of...

Drug raid nets $250,000 in cocaine

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies converged on a Wayne County home Tuesday afternoon -- and their meticulous planning of the raid paid off to the tune of roughly $250,000 worth of cocaine. Members of the Wayne County...

Keen asks for school spending plans

Wayne County Commissioner Steve Keen said Tuesday morning that he was "not calling out" the Wayne County Board of Education, but that he wanted the board to set down on paper how it planned to distribute a $130,000 windfall for...

Future of Goldsboro urban area focus of discussions

In discussions with both the Goldsboro Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Goldsboro Rotary Club this week, consultant Dale Holland spelled out what factors will allow for additional growth within the city's outlying urbanized area and how the revamped land...

Honoring county centenarians

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners wants to honor Wayne County's centenarians. If you have a friend or family member who is turning 100 years old and you would like them to receive a personal letter of congratulations from the...

Teachers getting ready

Carver Elementary pre-school teachers Debbie Hughes, left, and April Sasser get their room ready Tuesday for their small students who will return on Monday....

Feeding teachers

Members of the Grantham Grange provided  breakfast Tuesday morning for the teaching staff and retired teachers of Grantham School. The Grange has been preparing breakfast for the staff for many years....

Field day

Hannah Williams, 9, jumps over the bar in the obstacle race during 4-H Field Day at the Wayne Center. Twenty-two children took part in the annual field day. The day was filled with fun activities and team building exercises....

Mulberry, Center Street intersection to be closed

Those traveling downtown will need to be wary of another closing due to construction on Goldsboro's Center Street Streetscape project. Beginning Thursday, the intersection of Mulberry and Center streets will be closed for about three weeks. Mulberry Street, which...

Fremont board makes no changes to Internet cafe rules

FREMONT -- The Fremont Town Board opted not to alter the town's ordinance concerning setback requirements between Internet cafes Tuesday night, a decision that will continue to mandate a separation of at least 500 feet between such gaming establishments....

DGDC holding downtown photo contest

The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. is accepting entries for a photo contest today through Sept. 21 with the 12 selected finalist photos to be featured in the 2013 Downtown Goldsboro Calendar. The Goldsboro Area Photography Club will select 12...

Public record

Prowler Just after 3 a.m. Monday, Kristie Marquod, 39, 207 Creek Ridge Drive, was awakened by her sons. The boys heard something outside their window. When she wen outside to investigate she was alarmed to find a man standing on...

Buck Swamp residents keep gas station from rejoining city limits

Less than two months after residents in the Buck Swamp area were released from the Goldsboro city limits, two of them were at the Goldsboro City Council meeting attempting to prevent a convenience store and gas station there from...

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Physician says he is far happier in the classroom

If there is ever a need for a poster child depicting a knowledgeable doctor, passionate teacher and enthusiastic resident of Goldsboro all rolled into one, you can look no further than Dr. Paul Mitchell. But no need to call him...

Former Mount Olive chief indicted

Former Mount Olive chief of police Emmett Ballree and his son, Michael, were indicted Monday by a Brunswick County grand jury following a two-month investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation. Michael Ballree faces one felony count of possession of...

Court of Appeals judge seeking re-election

For judges running in statewide elections, name recognition is key. Many voters don't take the time to study the judicial races, unless they involved a local seat, and when confronted with the ballot they either choose almost randomly or...

Council to consider pro tem job in December

Goldsboro's mayor pro tem of was sworn in Monday night as a member of the City Council, even as discussions about the process by which the pro tem post is selected continued. District 5 Councilman Chuck Allen was sworn...

Public record

Burglary At about 12:15 p.m. Monday, Loren Ashley Elliot, 19, 400 block East Hillcrest Drive, reported to police that someone attempted to break into her home the night before. She'd been watching television Sunday before midnight when she heard banging...

Animal center reopens; no distemper

The Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center has reopened after having been closed since Aug. 10 because of what appears to have been a false alarm concerning a potential case of distemper. The shelter was closed as a...

Monday, August 20, 2012

Wayne school open houses scheduled for this week

Three little words are in the air, signaling the end of the summer -- back to school. While two public schools are already in session, and most private schools have resumed as well, the bulk of Wayne County Public...

Wayne County to consider Internet cafe rules Tuesday

How, or if, Wayne County will regulate Internet or sweepstakes cafes could be decided when Wayne County commissioners meet Tuesday morning. A proposed zoning ordinance that would force the cafes to close by 11 p.m. and be no closer than...

Sickle cell drive Saturday at mall

September has been designated National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and the Goldsboro Epicurean Civic Club will hold its annual Sickle Cell Drive on Saturday at Berkeley Mall to raise money for research to help find a cure for the...

Fremont board meets Tuesday

FREMONT -- An Internet cafe ordinance amendment will top the agenda for the meeting of the Fremont Board of Aldermen Tuesday night. The town has proposed to reduce the setback requirement between Internet cafes from 500 feet. The city...

'Elvis' will open United Way campaign

Elvis will be back in the building Friday for United Way of Wayne County's kickoff event. Stephen Freeman, a professional Elvis impersonator, and his Echoes of a Legend show band, will provide a tribute to the king of rock...

Public record

Booze It and Lose It Law enforcement from Goldsboro, Fremont and Pikeville police departments, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, and the N.C. Department of Probation and Parole conducted joint Booze It and Lose It checking stations at the intersection of...

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Radio icon left his mark on county, region

Goldsboro and eastern North Carolina lost one of its most captivating personalities recently with the passing of Robert "Popa Bob" Swinson, whose career in gospel-oriented radio made him a virtual legend among listeners. Swinson, who was 93, not only...

Teens try out career in law enforcement

For many of the teens enrolled in the Goldsboro Police Explorers program, the activity is not just something to do after school. It's an opportunity to receive training, to learn leadership and discipline and to forge a path toward...

Into the future

MOUNT OLIVE -- A.J. Humphrey didn't recognize the meaning of the red, white and blue cords around the necks of a handful of the Mount Olive College graduates who passed by her Saturday, but she offered some words of...

Board to review anti-litter policies

Property owners who allow their lots to become choked with overgrown weeds and/or littered with bags of garbage, discarded tires, furniture or appliances could find themselves facing fines of up to $250 a day until the lots are cleaned. The...

Famous N.C. author to speak at local literacy wine benefit

A famous North Carolina author will headline a benefit in September designed to raise money to help battle illiteracy in Wayne County. Margaret Maron will speak at Reading Between the Wines, sponsored by Literacy Connections. The group is trying to...

Girl, 12, dies after being struck by truck

A pedestrian who was struck by a drunken driver Thursday along U.S. 70 West near Powell Road, has died. Heather Weir, 12, of Goldsboro was severely injured after being hit by a Ford F-150 traveling toward Raleigh at about 10...

Duplin teen dies in accident

A 16-year-old Duplin County boy is dead after a Friday morning accident less than a mile from his home. Four other people were injured, including the driver of the car and his younger brother. Francisco Zuncin of the Albertson community...

Paying it forward

FAYETTEVILLE -- He could see them burning -- the buildings that had, until an infamous fall morning, graced the horizon he was met by after long shifts inside Bronx-Lebanon Hospital. And even though Dawod Dawod was not bound, by birth,...

Internet cafe zoning request set for corner

Two public hearings concerning Internet cafes in the city are scheduled during Monday's meeting of the Goldsboro City Council. The council will entertain a conditional use permit request concerning the northwest corner of the intersection of North William Street...

Friday, August 17, 2012

WCC announces new fall enrollment

Fall semester at Wayne Community College kicked off Thursday, with enrollment figures comparable to last year at this time, officials said. College credit students for the first day totaled 3,748, but are expected to increase after another round of...

Discovery of asbestos slows library

MOUNT OLIVE -- The discovery of asbestos in the old Belk department store building has temporarily delayed progress on a new regional library that would be built there to serve all of southern Wayne County. A $3.5 million budget...

Seymour Johnson AFB runway repairs continuing

Something has been missing from Wayne County skies for the past few days -- birds of a different sort that are typically seen ripping through the clouds more often than not. But for the men and women who command...

Police hunt for missing woman

MOUNT OLIVE -- Rumors police have found the scooter a local woman was driving when she went missing on Feb. 22 are not true, police Capt. Tommy Brown said this week. Patricia Ann "Trish" Lalonde, 43, was riding a yellow...

Public record

Dudley break-in While in the process of moving out of a rental property, Jessica Shamone Morrisey, 23, of Dudley discovered she'd been robbed. More than $1,000 worth stolen property was reported when Morrisey returned to the home and found missing...

Drivers say Center Street detour confusing

Turning the wrong way on the Center Street circle and jumping barricades to avoid the detour caused by construction there will cost you, local drivers found out this week. A high volume of traffic citations handed out downtown by...

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Local cantaloupes recalled

FAISON -- Burch farms near Faison is recalling all this growing season's cantaloupes and honeydew melons that might still be on the market because they might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no illnesses reported to date,...

College starts

Holli Price smiles while Sade Mason helps her check out her school supplies for her first year in the nursing program during the first day of classes at Wayne Community College. Wayne Community College offers its more than 3,000...

Recalled melons not in city stores

Wayne County Walmarts, local Piggly Wiggly stores in Goldsboro and Mount Olive and all area Food Lions, except the Pikeville location -- that particular store declined to comment -- said they had heard about the recall but that it did...

Local projects on list to compete for Golden LEAF funds

A nine-member community review team charged with prioritizing local projects seeking a share of $2 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation will meet Tuesday, Aug. 28, to review its work and begin its deliberations. The projects under review followed six...

11-year-old makes story come to life on club's stage

FREMONT -- "Matilda" is Teandre Barnes' favorite movie. The 1996 film, based on a popular children's book by Roald Dahl, starred Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman and Mara Wilson, is the story of an odd but charming little girl being raised...

Public record

Dentist office copper theft Patients will be sweating the dentist office but not due to fear. An unknown suspect cut and removed the $5,000 air conditioning unit from behind the building at 210 N. Herman St., office of Linda...

Committee focuses on name for museum

There weren't enough members of the Air Force Museum Citizen Committee on hand Wednesday afternoon to vote on it, but those who attended the meeting selected a name for the museum for public consideration. Of 19 listed names on...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Summer countdown: For some, a few days left of freedom

His legs are covered with scrapes and bruises. His mountain bike is "falling apart." But Rajan Scott could tell you about the "coolest tree" on Audubon Avenue -- how the flowers it produces at the end of spring came and...

Back-to-school dates for the rest of the county

The majority of Wayne County Public Schools are slated to begin Monday, Aug. 27, with the exception of Dillard Middle and Goldsboro High schools, which start Aug. 23. Two other schools are already in session. Students at Wayne Early/Middle College...

Noise zone around base shrinks

The areas of Wayne and Greene County encompassed by the noise restriction boundaries around Seymour Johnson Air Force Base have shrunk by almost 2,500 acres in the Air Force's latest Air Installation Compatible Use Zone Study -- the plan...

What would you do with $320 million?

People who have bought Powerball lottery tickets for tonight's drawing might be expected to be a little more anxious than usual. And stores selling the tickets might find business picking up between now and then -- and even more so...

Ballree fired as chief of town Police Department

BOILING SPRING LAKES -- Two weeks after being suspended for alleged abuse of power, Boiling Spring Lakes police Chief Emmett Ballree has been fired by City Administrator Jeff Repp. Ballree, former chief of police in Mount Olive, had been...

Wilson man sentenced on federal drug charges

NEW BERN -- A Wilson man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for selling crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney General Thomas G. Walker announced. Steven Larue Robinson, 40, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Court Judge Louise...

Charity builds Spring Creek soccer fields

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Construction of what is envisioned as a school and youth soccer complex at Spring Creek High School is at least a month behind schedule because of July's rains -- yet it is still years ahead of...

Back on campus, back in class

Fall semester begins at Mount Olive College....

Public record

Stolen vehicle A 2011 Honda Accord was reported stolen Monday. Martin Etheridge Phelps of Dudley, told the Wayne County Sheriff's Office that he believed his mother's vehicle was stolen by a known suspect. Although Phelps indicated that this was not...

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Man dies of West Nile

North Carolina's first confirmed death for 2012 attributed to West Nile virus is an elderly man from Wayne County, county Health Director Davin Madden announced Monday afternoon. "We found out about it this weekend, went ahead and had our staff...

State Board of Elections to be asked to review voting on Sunday option

Wayne County Board of Elections Chairman Joe Lofton Monday afternoon he will ask the state to review the county's one-stop voting plan with an eye toward adding Sunday voting. The local board recently approved by a 2-1 vote a one-stop...

Police say no news on murder

It only took 22 minutes for 23-year-old Jaquees Miller to get shot, but it is taking much longer to find his killer, Goldsboro police say. Miller left his girlfriend's house at the Goldsboro Housing Authority's West Haven Apartments Aug. 6...

Jurors send up charges in 22 cases

The Wayne County grand jury has handed down 22 true bills of indictment for July, including charges of statutory rape, kidnapping, child abuse, taking indecent liberties with a child, cruelty to animals and nearly a dozen drug violations. Grand...

Wayne among highest in truck crashes

Wayne County ranks as the fourth highest county in North Carolina in the number of accidents involving tractor-trailers, according to statistics released by AAA Carolinas. The AAA Carolinas ratings system listed the top five finishers in several categories, which included...

Monday, August 13, 2012

Wayne fatality blamed on West Nile virus

North Carolina's first fatality this year attributed to West Nile virus is an elderly man from Wayne County, county Health Director Davin Madden announced this afternoon. Madden was awaiting the release of more information from state health officials but in...

Tourism spending is on rise

Tourism numbers were up in every North Carolina county in 2011 as the state recorded an 8 percent increase in spending from 2010, according to data provided by the Department of Commerce's Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development....

Tourism spending -- a history

Tourism spending in Wayne County has more than doubled since 1991, the first year of available statistics for comparison, and it has increased from each year to the next except for four instances. Below shows Wayne County tourism spending data...

College releases list of classes, fall trip

Step back in time -- to the Revolutionary or Civil War periods of American history. Take in an exhibit at the state's Museum of Art. Or enjoy a literary sampler of authors and UNC professors speaking about influential southern writers....

Fremont mayor says town needs to look to its future

FREMONT -- Mayor Darron Flowers knew when he took office in June that challenges loomed ahead for the Daffodil Town, but having a good attitude makes all the difference in success or failure, he said. Flowers said that since...

Suspected distemper forces center to close for 10 days

A suspected case of canine distemper discovered Friday forced the county to close its Animal Adoption and Education Center through the first of next week. It is the second time in less than four months that the center has...

County switches how time is recorded

Wayne County's switch to a new computer-based payroll system has not been without heartburn. However, with an annual payroll of approximately $36 million and 600 to 700 full-time and 200 to 300 part-time employees, the old system could be too...

Public record

Scratch-off swindle An employee of the Kangaroo convenience store at 2007 Wayne Memorial Drive thought she was doing the right thing Saturday when she received a call from a man pretending to be a service technician with Pre Solutions, a...

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Classes starting at Wayne Community College on Thursday

Officials at Wayne Community College anticipate a strong enrollment this year as they welcome not only students and staff but announce a few changes going into the fall semester, which kicks off Thursday. "We have had lots of activity in...

Tew says he will not challenge for Allen Council seat

Write-in challenger Jerome Tew said he will not be taking an appeal to the state Board of Elections Friday, meaning the final member of the Goldsboro City Council can now be sworn in. Tew put together a late campaign...

It was still Don's day

Saturday morning was supposed to belong to a florist and his customers -- to firm handshakes, long embraces and tearful goodbyes. But when Don Worley couldn't make it out of bed -- when his wife, Patti, was forced to call...

Health survey identifies problems

With 10 focus group meetings held over the summer and responses to a community survey having been received, county health officials are now sifting through the data to determine how to make Wayne County a healthier place. In January,...

WCC instructor speaks at national conference

Angela Wall, Industrial Systems and Sustainability Technologies instructor at Wayne Community College, was a presenter at the High Impact Technology Exchange Conference held in Denver in July. Mrs. Wall joined San Francisco State University doctoral faculty and students in...

Purple Heart recipients honored

It wasn't in their nature to go into detail about the circumstances that brought them to Walnut Creek Country Club Friday evening -- to unwrap the firefights and explosions that earned them the Purple Heart and a seat inside...

Volunteer award nominations now accepted

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Governor's Volunteer Service Award. This year marks the 35th anniversary of this program that showcases North Carolina's most dedicated volunteers. Each county selects five individuals, businesses, groups/teams, and one director of...

Move-in day

 Tim Woodard, director of admissions at Mount Olive college, said the incoming Class of 2016 is one of the college's largest and academically strongest. He also noted that among the incoming students -- including 100 transfers -- are 60...

Preparing for a wedding? Don't forget to prepare for the marriage

Sometimes, couples spend more time preparing for their wedding than the marriage that will follow. Scott Jennings, pastor of marriage and family life at The Bridge Church, who also does counseling with his wife, Sherry, sees evidence of this...

Dillard grad honored by Virginia high school

Goldsboro native Ronald Wilson, a 1964 graduate of Dillard High School, has been honored by the Fairfax County, Va., School District. The district's board has named the gymnasium at J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, Va., the Ronald Wilson...

Goldsboro native to lead Alabama State University

Goldsboro native Dr. Joseph Silver Sr. has been named the 13th president of Alabama State University. The provost and vice president for academic affairs at Clark Atlanta University since January 2010, he will assume his new duties Sept. 17....

Public record

Break-in in Dudley Unknown suspects kicked in the back door of a residence in Dudley. A .32-caliber revolver was stolen along with a 19-inch television and a DVD player. Investigators surveyed the home and yard and found a plywood cover...

New resource group aims to connect services

A new resource networking group is starting in Goldsboro -- Wayne County Community Resource Connections. This group is designed to allow agencies that provide services to older adults, their caregivers and adults ages 18 and older with disabilities the...

County gets $400,000 to fix substandard housing

A $400,000 scattered site housing grant will give county officials the opportunity to improve several substandard dwellings in the county. Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning cleared the way for the project to get under way when they formally accepted...

Cliffs opens first handicapped campsite

People who use wheelchairs or motorized chairs will now find it easier to camp at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park with the completion of the facility's first handicapped campsite. The campsite features a fire pit that is built...

City, county to produce morning TV show

"WGTV Today," a morning show co-produced by the city of Goldsboro and Wayne County, will debut Sept. 10 and will air on Time Warner Cable's Channel 10 from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Portions of the...

Friday, August 10, 2012

Two charged in raid on suspected meth lab

Acting on a tip received Monday, the Goldsboro and Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force arrested a Princeton pair Wednesday on charges in connection with the manufacture of methamphetamine. In a joint investigation with the SBI, the Drug Task Force...

Jamming in the sun

Emani Jackson, 6, plays with her pink balloon as she dances to live music during the Center Street Jam in downtown Goldsboro on Thursday. The final gathering for the year will be Aug. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m.,...

County OKs $70,000 grant for water work

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning awarded a $70,000 economic development incentive to the Mt. Olive Pickle Co., and, in a separate action, approved an application for $221,865 in state Rural Operating Assistance Program funding for the GATEWAY bus system. Both...

Speed factor in fatal crash

PELETIER -- The car driven by a Goldsboro woman who died in a wreck Tuesday in Carteret County was traveling at a high rate of speed, investigators with the state Highway Patrol said. Lisa Wilson, 52, was killed when...

City accepts change orders

The Goldsboro City Council approved two change orders this week for the Center Street Streetscape project. The actions were taken at the council's meeting Monday night. One was for $138,594 to cover the cost of removing two feet of...

Amtrak plans to expand services

Goldsboro residents will be connected to the entire Amtrak service line, which offers transportation to 500 stations in 46 states, the nation's capital and three Canadian provinces, once the passenger rail service premieres its Thruway Motor Coach service throughout...

Public record

Home invasion in Dudley Armed suspects kicked in the door of a Dudley home Wednesday, put the occupants' faces down on the floor and robbed the home for a whopping $160. Victims Richard Tyquan Moore, 22, and Domonique Mysheria Williams,...

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Robber will face time in prison

After pleading guilty last month, Alfonzo Mack will spend as many as 125 months in prison in connection with the 2010 home invasion of an elderly couple in the Hood Swamp community. Mack, of Leslie Street, was 18 at the...

County plans to meet at night

Wayne County's two Republican commissioners are finally getting the evening meetings they have been pressing for -- sort of. Commissioners Steve Keen and Ray Mayo, who have been unsuccessful in convincing the rest of the board to switch to night...

State fines Cherry Hospital

Cherry Hospital is facing more than $15,000 in civil penalties after being cited by the state Department of Labor over concerns of employee safety. The citation, which was the result of an occupational safety and health inspection that began...

Last carnations: Don's Florist to close its doors after 33 years

He only had $2 in his pocket -- the little boy who walked into a local flower shop one Mother's Day. But he was determined to get something special for the woman who brought him into the world -- even...

Public record

Stolen 4-wheeler A 2004 Honda Foreman 4-wheeler was stolen Tuesday from a residential carport. Vernon Todd Bass, 41, 400 block Davis Mill Road, reported the theft to deputies saying he last saw the vehicle secure on Monday. The reported...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

A night out with some friends

There was standing room only Tuesday in the Herman Park Center as National Night Out moved indoors to escape the stormy weather. But organizers said the 29th annual gathering of community members and law enforcement personnel, which was hosted by...

Local motorcyclists plan to gather to raise money for needy children

After Allen Floars lost his 17-year-old son, Jacob, in a car crash almost two years ago, he said there were days when he and his wife could hardly function. But Floars promised himself that something good would come out...

Keen calls out school board

Wayne County commissioners Steve Keen said Tuesday he is not happy that the county Board of Education has not responded to an invitation to hold a joint meeting with the Board of Commissioners. "I am a little disappointed to hear...

Council says no to cell tower

The outgoing Goldsboro City Council on Monday night denied a conditional use permit for U.S. Cellular to erect a tower at the intersection of New Hope and Central Heights roads, but left an option for the company to quickly...

Public looks at cafe rules; vote will wait

The Rev. Jerry Mitchell would be just as happy to see the proposed setback for Internet or sweepstakes cafes be one mile outside the Wayne County line as opposed to the proposed 1,000 feet from any home, school or church....

Wayne Community College pins dental hygiene Class of '12 in recent ceremony

Wayne Community College recognized the 23 members of its dental hygiene Class of 20012 in a formal pinning ceremony recently. The annual service, which includes presentation of stoles and pins to graduates by the faculty, denotes the end of...

Wayne Community College offering business seminars in fall

The Wayne Business and Industry Center has set a schedule of 12 free seminars for this fall designed to prepare the business person to meet the challenges facing small businesses. Seminars include: *How To Write, Implement and Execute a...

Wayne Community College to offer free career test training

Wayne Community College will offer a course to prepare for non-high school graduates for the Career Readiness Certificate tests, compliments of the North Carolina Community College System. This academic year, 60 students can take either a hybrid (part classroom,...

Fremont has its own Night Out

FREMONT -- It was a night dedicated to crime prevention, but crime seemed to be on few people's minds as they crowded into the gym at Fremont STARS School on Tuesday evening for National Night Out. Although rain poured...

Optimists collecting computers on Saturday

Beginning Saturday, the Goldsboro Optimist Club will start collecting used computers from the public in the parking lot at Sam's Club on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Items needed by the club for...

Wayne Community College to offer several allied health courses this fall

Wayne Community College Continuing Education Services will be offering several allied health courses this fall. *The Health Unit Coordinator/Secretary course is a hybrid (combination of online and face-to-face components) that will be taught 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 28-Oct. 30....

Goldsboro man sentenced on federal drug charges

WILMINGTON -- Demoris Sinclair Thompson, 21, of Goldsboro Tuesday was sentenced in federal district court to 72 months in prison in connection with charges relating to a drug deal that went bad. The sentence is to be followed by...

Exchange students get a taste of U.S. in Goldsboro

While some can't wait to load up their cars and get out of town for vacation, one group of young people would gladly stay in Goldsboro for the rest of the summer. Several high school students from France and...

Women soldiers to be topic at Kinston historic Civil War program

"They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers of the American Civil War" will be presented Saturday at 2 p.m. in the summer's final "2nd Saturdays" program series for the CSS Neuse/Caswell Memorial in Kinston. The free program will be led...

Public record

Breaking and entering from within jail A break-in occurred in the most unlikely of places -- the Wayne County Correctional Center. The Goldsboro Police Department was contacted by the State Bureau of Investigation Tuesday to process a scene at the...

Andy's Foundation still helping others

MOUNT OLIVE -- Since its creation in 2000, the Andy's Foundation has raised $1.2 million, which it has given away to a host of nonprofit organizations -- most of which deal with children. The foundation is fueled by fundraising...

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Goldsboro National Night Out going forward

The Goldsboro Police Department's crime prevention unit announced this morning that tonight's National Night Out celebration will still be held at 6 to 9 p.m., regardless of the weather. However, in order to protect against inclement conditions, it will...

Company films new Air Force commercial

The formula seemed a bit off. Professionally styled hair. Makeup. And fighter jets? But Capt. Cynthia Nogueras played along. She has, after all, gotten used to representing her country from the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle. So when...

Residents offer views on parks

More than two dozen people turned out for the last community meeting on the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation master plan Wednesday evening at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, where city residents floated dozens of suggestions and critiques of the city's...

Pikeville board looks at town hall

PIKEVILLE -- Town officials voted Monday night to move forward with discussions on renovating the old town hall, although it's still uncertain how much the project could cost. The town's government had to vacate the building on Railroad Street...

Council member calls for rotating pro tem

The newly elected members of the Goldsboro City Council were asked to vote on a measure just moments after sitting down Monday night, as William Goodman made an unscheduled motion during his opening remarks shortly after being sworn in....

1 of 2 riders dies of accident injuries

One of the two out-of-state riders injured in a motorcycle collision July 21 on Royall Avenue has died. Tracy Holt, 42, of Louisville, Ky., died Saturday at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Ms. Holt was the passenger on a...

Flowers wants more school board meetings

Arnold Flowers wants more school board meetings. The Board of Education member lobbied Monday night for monthly work sessions in addition to the board's monthly meetings. "I came here tonight in the hopes of making a motion and the...

Councilman Chuck Allen not sworn in yet

Despite a handful of recounts and a ruling against a preliminary hearing, Mayor Pro Tempore Chuck Allen's election to represent District 5 isn't completely settled yet. Allen sat and watched as the members of the Goldsboro City Council took...

Monday, August 6, 2012

Worker hits downtown water main

Construction workers on the Center Street Streetscape project caused a flash flood along the 200 north block of Center Street this morning when they accidentally struck a water main in front of The Little Bank near the Mulberry Street...

A Sunday train ride

Children enjoy a ride on the Kiwanis miniature train at Herman Park on Sunday afternoon during "Sunday in the Park," an event sponsored by the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Department. Family fun at the park included games, food, local...

Crime statistics released

Statistics can be misleading. Numbers can be skewed. Perspectives can vary. But there is nothing up for debate when it comes to murder. The Department of Justice has released findings that announce a 0.9 percent decrease in statewide crime from...

Man, 23, killed in housing project

Investigators are still processing the scene where Jaquees Miller, 23, of Kinston, was shot and killed at about 2:30 a.m. today. According to a Goldsboro police report, Miller left the home of Tiffany Nicole Sutton, 20, of 127 Vanderbilt Circle,...

Leaders will cast their last city votes tonight

When the gavel sounds at tonight's meeting of the Goldsboro City Council it will officially end the municipal careers of three public servants who have dedicated more than 85 combined years to the city, as Jackie Warrick, Don Chatman...

Continental Community Children's choir offers students chance to sing, shine

Victoria Ruffin knows what it is like to live your dream -- she has been there. The director of the Continental Community Children's Choir has tried out for "American Idol" twice -- once just recently at age 28. She sang...

Hearing on rules for Internet cafes planned

A $70,000 economic development incentive for Mt. Olive Pickle Co., an application for $221,865 in state transportation funds for the GATEWAY bus system and proposed rules regulating Internet cafes will be the topics of three public hearings when Wayne County...

Public record

Armed robbery A Princeton man was pulled from his vehicle and assaulted Sunday. Joshua David Strout, 75, of Princeton, told Goldsboro police that he was pulled by two black males from his 1997 Ford Explorer at a stoplight on...

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Chambliss: It's about the economy

Hope and change promised, but not delivered. That was the message Saturday as the Wayne County Republican Party welcomed Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. Chambliss, a North Carolina native, stopped at the downtown headquarters as part of his tour of...

Fugitive captured, charged in sex case

For 11 months he was a fugitive. Today he is an inmate. Goldsboro police have arrested Rashawn Ray McDuffie, 26, 105 Brogden St., in connection with a statutory rape complaint filed more than one year ago. McDuffie is accused of...

Costs for city not just new PIO

Despite the hiring of a public information officer, the city of Goldsboro will continue to contract out video services to a third party as it seeks to promote its programs and services in the community -- and is on...

Hop, skip and croak: Toads for a cause

And they're off. The first ever Ken-Toady Derby is under way. Hopping into first place is No. 20 in Lane 3, followed closely by No. 14 in Lane 4. A battle begins as No. 26 makes his move, and 20...

Board of Elections: No basis for Tew District 5 challenge

A final challenge by District 5 write-in challenger Jerome Tew was deemed insufficient Friday afternoon as the Wayne County Board of Elections declined to schedule Tew a full hearing to discuss concerns he had with the results of the...

County will eye $400,000 housing program

Wayne County commissioners will be asked to approve Tuesday a $400,000 grant agreement to help rehabilitate dilapidated houses in the county, and to hire a company to administer the grant program. The county was awarded the $400,000 for scattered...

Breastfeeding class set

Wayne Memorial Hospital will kick off its new Live Well community education series Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with a presentation by Chanee Sullivan, registered nurse and International Board Certified lactation consultant. Her topic will be: "Breastfeeding: How Important Is It?"...

United Way hands out Day of Caring mini-grants

United Way of Wayne County's mini-grant challenge drove significant traffic to United Way's revamped volunteering website, volunteerwayne.org. "It is great that the community has become so engaged. Both non-profits and volunteers have responded well to needs and events," said...

Public record

Thefts The following thefts are being investigated by Goldsboro police: *A gold 2012 Chevrolet Impala was stolen Friday from the parking lot of Brookside Mart, 2000 S. Slocumb St. The vehicle was rented from Express Car Rental, LLC., 3300...

Sen. Hagan checks on mood of Greene County constituents

SNOW HILL -- Jobs and education were on the agenda Friday as residents of Snow Hill and the surrounding area met with Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan to tell her their concerns. The visit was part of Hagan's "Conversations with Kay"...

Learning to fish

The Goldsboro Recreation and Parks Department's Big Cat Catfish Tournament at the Goldsboro Golf Course on Saturday allowed youngsters the chance to catch their own catfish. Fifty children and parents came out for the event....

One-car crash

Law enforcement officers prepare to tow away the wreckage of a black Jeep Grand Cherokee that crashed Saturday afternoon on Smithfield Highway about a mile west of O'Berry Center. The driver lost control of the vehicle, eventually hitting an...

National Night Out event offers fun and information

Herman Park will be filled with music and dancing Tuesday as families come together to enjoy the evening -- and to meet their local law enforcement personnel. Goldsboro's celebration of the 29th annual National Night Out takes place the first...

Goldsboro native elected to Masonic leadership position

Eddie N. Sauls III, a Goldsboro native, was elected the 56th Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons for the state of Iowa at the organization's 125th Annual Communications. A 1980 graduate of Goldsboro High School, Sauls was inducted into the...

Officers, school try out policy in 'real-life' practice scenario

The stillness shattered at exactly 9:40 a.m. as the report came in -- shots fired, man with a gun on the campus of the old Wayne Community College. A mass shooting and potential hostage situation was unfolding at Work Source...

Council to say goodbye to three members

Three members will attend their final Goldsboro City Council meeting as members Monday night as the newly elected members of the board will be sworn in following a discussion of the city's business at Historic City Hall beginning at...

Friday, August 3, 2012

Yes, it was just an exercise

City residents who might have heard gunfire or explosions near the former Wayne Community College campus off U.S. 70 need not have been alarmed. Goldsboro and Wayne County law enforcement officers, fire and rescue personnel and emergency medical service personnel...

Construction moving along on state-of-the-art psychiatric facility

It's definitely not some place people would want to go for psychiatric help right now, but walking through new Cherry Hospital on West Ash Street, one can begin to see the facility taking shape. Inner walls are up; windows...

First results in from survey

Conversations about names and mission statements began in earnest Thursday afternoon as the Air Force Museum Citizen Committee met and studied preliminary demographic results from its community survey held earlier this year. There were 482 submitted surveys, which came...

Local ABC results are in

Performance scores increased at more than half of the 31 public schools in Wayne County, and the four-year cohort graduation rates also rose, from 74.6 percent to 80.1 percent. According to the state's final 2011-12 ABCs/AMO results, released Thursday, one-third...

Hitch named to lead Shelton Leadership Center

RALEIGH -- Dr. Chris Hitch has been selected as director of the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University and program director in the N.C. State Poole College of Management's Executive Programs office. He begins in...

Public record

Landscapers discover break-in A lawn care crew arrived at a vacant home Wednesday and discovered the door had been pried open. The residence at 430 Branch St. is owned by Christopher Boone, 34, of Raleigh. Intruders damaged the side...

Catfishing tournament for children to be held Saturday at city golf course

Goldsboro Parks and Recreation is giving kids an unprecedented opportunity to learn to fish at the Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course Saturday through its Big Cat Catfishing Tournament. Children ages 5 to 15 can earn prizes for fishing at the...

Courthouse closed due to failure of air conditioning system

The Wayne County Courthouse has, in effect been evacuated. A mass exodus of employees took place around noon today as all offices were closed and operations suspended until 7 a.m. Monday.The air conditioning system has failed throughout the entire building....

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Training exercise Friday morning

Goldsboro and Wayne County law enforcement, fire and emergency medical service personnel will be conducting a training exercise at 902 Corporate Drive on Friday morning between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Officials say the exercise will involve simulated gunfire and...

Partnership for Children starts 'Day of Caring' early

The Partnership for Children of Wayne County started caring early this year. The annual event sponsored by the local United Way -- United Wayne's Day of Caring, which encourages volunteer opportunities in the community -- is actually Friday. But the...

Network of city greenways proposed

A greenway that would follow the Little River from near Lane Tree Golf Course back toward Goldsboro could one day be the start of a network of greenways across Wayne County. No timetable has been set, nor cost estimates...

Murder suspect to face judge

The same day that Goldsboro's most recent murder victim is laid to rest, his alleged killer will appear before a judge. Goldsboro police filed first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges Wednesday against Antony Jacob Lewis, 26, of 205 E....

Linin' up for chikin' and takin' a stand

The chicken sandwich "wasn't anything to write home about." The waffle fries were not her "cup of tea." But two things left Missy Blackburn feeling satisfied as she wrapped up her first-ever trip to Chick-fil-A. "I must admit, I do...

Parks meeting draws crowd

South End Park was filled with children Wednesday afternoon as part of the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation's master plan meeting in the Day Circle Community Building. Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard brought pizza and the city Fire Department...

Public record

Attempted fraud Employees of The Little Bank, 201 N. Center St., reported to police Tuesday that someone attempted to wire $74,000 from an account that was not theirs, to an address in Maryland. An unknown suspect called the bank Monday...

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Suspect arrested in Saturday's fatal stabbing

Goldsboro police have arrested a suspect, Antony Jacob Lewis, 26, 205 E. April Lane, in connection with Saturday's fatal stabbing. Lane faces first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges for the stabbings that took the life of Vanico Dicole...

Woman killed while walking along highway

A woman was killed walking along U.S. 117 Tuesday night a few miles north of Mount Olive. According to a state Highway Patrol report, Samantha Williams, 22, of Dudley, was struck by a vehicle and killed at 10:16 p.m., about...

'Group 5-6' volunteers lend big hand at Boys & Girls Club

Marvin Ford recalls getting a call a few months ago from a man at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base who was interested in volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club. Appreciative as always, Ford, the unit director at the...

New museum director's focus on local history

Brantley Partin knows the story of the Battle of Goldsborough Bridge. He knows where Union Gen. William Sherman stayed during his march through Wayne County. But on the scale of local history, Partin said Sherman's March isn't as important...

District 10 GOP won't replace LaRoque

State House District 10 Republican Party officials have indicated they will not seek a replacement to fill the state House seat left vacant by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, whose resignation from office becomes effective today. LaRoque's resignation comes two weeks to...

Police: Man stabbed Saturday now stable

The surviving victim of Saturday's early morning stabbing incident that left one man dead is now stable, according to Goldsboro police. Goldsboro Police Department's commander of investigations, Maj. Theresa Chiero, said Tuesday that Brian Christopher Wynn, 35, 1512 Hart...

Wayne Community College golf tournament raises record total

Wayne Community College Foundation has had another banner year, boasting its most successful scholarship golf invitational to date and awarding its largest number of scholarships to students. Jack Kannan, executive director of the Foundation, said Tuesday that the 20th...

Mount Olive College graduation Aug. 18

Mount Olive College will graduate approximately 320 students at its 59th summer commencement on Saturday, Aug.18. Graduation exercises are scheduled for 2 p.m. in the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena. The commencement speaker will be Mount Olive College...

Residents hear more about plan for station

A workshop Tuesday night at School Street School shared the N.C. Department of Transportation's plans concerning the acquisition of right of way along the railroad corridors near Goldsboro's Union Station downtown. The informational meeting showed the NCDOT's next steps...

Public record

Armed robbery A couple were abruptly awakened before 3 a.m. Tuesday when two unidentified men burst into their home and demanded money at gunpoint. Lia Elaine Jackson, 29, and Shadell Issiah Barksdale, 22, of 414 Beech St. reported to police...