September 2012 archives

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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Police searching for suspect in Teaser's murder

The Goldsboro Police Department have issued a warrant for arrest for Quinton Leon Swinson on an open count of murder after a man was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound in a restroom in Teaser's Night Club. At approximately...

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Plane talk -- the who, what, when and how much of the city's proposed Air Force museum project

When the city of Goldsboro contracted with Verner Johnson to plan its Air Force museum in April, City Council members were, in reality, contracting with a handful of separate entities that have, at times, worked and presented independently of...

Handlers lead goats to victory

DUDLEY -- Seth Henderson's bottle-fed goat never gave him a chance in the novice showmanship competition Friday night at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The 5-year-old was nearly pulled to the ground during the first heat of handlers, but he...

John and Ty's excellent adventure - They rode the rides so you know what to expect

The Orbiter John Joyce: Just like the name describes, a spinning object revolves around a central point spinning at a different rate, much like your head and stomach are going to be. Its low impact is countered by decent speed...

Lambs take center stage at fair

DUDLEY -- Some tried to avoid the steady drizzle by covering up in towels. Some sought shelter under the tents, others wore raincoats. One refused to stand out in the rain and had to be escorted out. But all...

Cindy Sanfod wins community college award

Cindy Sanford, administrative systems technician at Wayne Community College, has been presented the 2012 Outstanding Achievement Award by the N.C. Community College System's Institutional Information Processing System Users Group, or IIPS. The award is given annually to a person...

Wayne Junior Miss to be Saturday

Thirteen young women are preparing to compete Saturday in the Wayne County Junior Miss scholarship program for the title of Distinguished Young Woman of the Year of Wayne County and a share of $7,150 in cash scholarships. Scheduled for...

WCC Foundation will take Southern literary journey

The Wayne Community College Foundation will take audiences on a Southern literary tour as part of its offerings this fall. Throughout October, the Foundation will host four University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, professors as they each offer...

Pikeville to weigh plans for town hall

PIKEVILLE -- Residents of the town of Pikeville are being urged to attend Monday night's board meeting to participate in a discussion about what to do about a new, or a refurbished town hall. At least some officials are...

Man robbed, shot at

A Goldsboro man was robbed at gunpoint Friday morning before fleeing from the two suspects as they fired three shots at him. Ervico Triplett, 37, of 1306 Stevens St. told Goldsboro police he was in the 500 block of...

Hail to the fair queen

DUDLEY -- Growing up in Mount Olive, Sarah Richards was comfortable on the stage in the Entertainment Arena of the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair. "She won the talent show at the fair when she was in second, fourth and sixth...

Christine Smith to help lead state FCA

Christine Smith, N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent for Wayne County, was recently selected as the president of the North Carolina Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. The mission of this professional association is to empower its professionals to educate...

Friday, September 28, 2012

Getting the fair's entries in line

A woman sets an unusual-looking plant down in front of Rachel Rawls. Intrigued by the odd-looking specimen, Mrs. Rawls begins examining it from all sides. She rubs one of the leaves, which releases a foul odor, one Mrs. Rawls won't...

A pig and a poke: 4-Hers do best at Market Hog Show

Gideon Linton stomped and scowled. Sarah Scott starting crying. The 6- and 7-year-olds had only been in the ring for a few minutes, but they were losing control. Their pigs were taking over. But the novice showmen were not the...

Thursday fair winners

Best of Shows * Food conservation: Julie Hales, Goldsboro * Prepared food: Virginia Tarcani, Goldsboro * Apparel and Textile: Marisa Linton, Grantham * Needlework: Rebecca Sutton, LaGrange * Crafts: Bruce Greene, Smithfield * Art: Lewis Braswell, Goldsboro * Photography: Cathy...

Police cruiser hit during funeral procession

A Goldsboro police officer was escorting a funeral procession south along U.S. 117 Thursday, when his cruiser was struck by another driver. Officer Michael Machamer, 33, was hit about 1:15 p.m. as he entered the intersection of U.S. 117...

McLaurin murder suspects have first appearance

A first appearance was held in Wayne County Superior Court Monday for all four suspects charged in the murder of Kennedy McLaurin Jr. Leonard Joyner, Jerome Butts, Kevin Smith and Curtis Etheredge each appeared via video conference from Wayne County...

Funds aimed at fixing Dudley street

Wayne County has been awarded a $500,000 N.C. Catalyst Community Development Block Grant that will be used to help revitalize the Love Drive area of Dudley. The county will provide a $30,000 local match. The project will include housing rehabilitation...

Driver OK after George Street accident

The driver of a Ford Explorer lost control of her vehicle on George Street at 8 p.m. Thursday, and crashed into a roadside ditch. Patricia Wilson Newkirk, 59, 1706 Laura Street, told emergency responders that she fell asleep at...

Thursday, September 27, 2012

A tip of their hat ... in Diana's honor

Little Joe waits. He knows it's just a matter of time -- that his best friend will soon give him his cue; that a packed grandstand is anticipating the ceremonial pass he and Diana Conley Mann have completed at the...

Man, 27, shot, killed on city street

A 27-year-old man from Dudley became the 11th murder victim in the city of Goldsboro at 1 a.m. today. Goldsboro police are investigating the shooting of Joseph Lamont Bunch II of 604 Mobile Circle. He was found in the 600...

Goldsboro High students remember classmate with 100 balloon launch

The words of "Amazing Grace," strained as much by emotion as by the aging public address system at Cougar Field, echoed around the students of Goldsboro High School Wednesday. They had gathered at the stadium's 50-yard-line to say goodbye to...

And away they go - Livestock take their places as 2012 Wayne Regional Fair opens

Speedy didn't appear to be too fretful about living up to his name Wednesday night as he stretched out and relaxed with a bowl of his favorite food just a nibble away. He was content to twitch his nose, and...

Air Force officials assist in drug arrest

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations in a recent drug raid. Early Sunday morning, Christopher Cox, 24, of 3306 Thoroughfare Road, was charged by the Sheriff's Office ACE Team at 1202...

County getting 44 jobs in Ryerson expansion

PIKEVILLE -- Good roads, a $200,000 incentive package and the partnership with local and state officials are being credited with helping Wayne County beat out Virginia and South Carolina for a $4.2 million Joseph T. Ryerson & Son Inc. expansion...

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Anthony Teachey: Home to coach kids' futures

Growing up with seven siblings, the Boys & Girls Club's teen director Anthony Teachey was a self-described "country boy" who worked in the fields. His family moved from Mount Olive to Goldsboro when he was in fourth grade. Money was...

Longtime Grange leader dies at age 96

DUDLEY -- Lloyd M. Massey, 96, a member of the Grange for 75 years, is being remembered today as the symbol of farming to many people in Wayne County. An old-style Southern gentleman, Massey leaves behind a legacy of...

N.C. Manufacturing leading way in aerospace machining

North Carolina Manufacturing has become one of the first machine shops in the state to earn an AS9100 Revision C certification -- a quality management standard to meet the demands of the defense and commercial aerospace industry. The certification...

Longtime school official dies Sunday

Members of the Wayne County public school system are mourning the unexpected loss of one of their own, after 23-year veteran Dr. Willette Stanley died Sunday. Dr. Stanley came to the area in 1982 and became the director of Federal...

WCC to offer manufacturing course

The Wayne Business and Industry Center will offer a two-part, 10-day course that will provide the skills necessary to work in manufacturing. "Introduction to Manufacturing" will be taught 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 on Friday,...

WCC to offer leadership seminars

The Wayne Business and Industry Center at Wayne Community College will offer a series of seminars next month that can lead to a "Leadership, Supervision and Management" Certificate for participants. The free leadership series includes a seminar every Tuesday...

County urges action to save flight routes

Wayne County commissioners are asking state legislators to block "all encroachment or impairments" to military training routes without state approval. They also want stricter permitting and public input processes for wind and solar energy projects. Just as importantly, they...

Queen of Fair pageant set for Friday

This year's Queen of the Fair will be crowned Friday night, with the pageant beginning at 8 p.m. in the Entertainment Arena. The contest is open to high-schoolers in Wayne County and will feature contestants competing in casual wear,...

Attorney charged in drug arrest

A local attorney will face drug charges. Officers with the Goldsboro and Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force arrested Ada L. Mason, 42, Thursday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Ms. Mason, who was one of three people arrested,...

Teen, 13, calls 911, helps catch thieves

A 13-year-old's 911 call from a closet helped sheriff's deputies and state troopers catch one of two alleged thieves Monday. The teen was alone at his home on Everett Road at about 11 a.m., when someone kicked in the...

SJAFB bone marrow drive sets sights on matches, saving lives

Amber Millerchip has been on the receiving end of a shocking diagnosis. "I had a brand new baby," she said. "I didn't know if I was going to live." So when she learned that the son and daughter of Chief...

Residents can access Amtrak

Amtrak's new Thruway Motor Coach service will begin shuttling passengers from Wilmington, Jacksonville, Kinston and Goldsboro to the passenger train service's hub in Wilson Oct. 3. The new service was announced in August and means passengers from Goldsboro now...

Partnership calendars on sale

The "Cute Kids of Wayne County" calendar contest sponsored by The Partnership for Children of Wayne County was a rousing success, organizers say. "Very exciting things are happening with the calendar," Whitney Jansta, community services coordinator for the Partnership,...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

She will soar with NASA

Isabelle Flock has always enjoyed anything to do with science, from the time she was a little girl growing up on Long Island, N.Y. "My dad was a boiler mechanic. When I was like 5, I would go to work...

Mount Olive makes plans for veterans memorial

MOUNT OLIVE -- A ceremonial groundbreaking Monday began a project that officials are calling one of the most important the town has undertaken -- memorializing its war veterans. "I get kind of choked up about this one thing because I...

Eagle Scout builds fence at battlefield

Visitors to the Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield on Old Mount Olive Highway will notice a new addition to the historic site thanks to an Eagle Scout who turned to the past to improve the county's future. Adrian Thompson, 17, said...

Date set for new eatery opening

Don't fill up on steak -- your breadsticks are on the way. Darden Restaurants' one-two plunge into the Goldsboro restaurant market began July 31 with LongHorn Steakhouse's opening at 609 N. Berkeley. The follow-up, in the form of an...

Monday, September 24, 2012

Murder suspects make first appearance in court

Four men charged with murder in the death of Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr. had their first appearance in Wayne County Superior Court this morning. Leonard Joyner, 21, Jerome Butts, 19, Kevin Smith 18, and Curtis Etheredge, 17, appeared via videoconference...

Three more days until fair opens

DUDLEY -- Work was under way by 10 this morning putting up the midway rides in advance of the 64th annual edition of the award-winning Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair, which will open at 4 p.m. Thursday and continue through...

Success coaches placed at four area middle schools

Four success coaches have been added to the rosters at middle schools in the southern end of the county, as officials use unexpected funds to offer extra help for students there. The bulk of the funding to hire the part-time...

916th officially has new leader

Sunday did not simply belong to the two Air Force officers sitting on a stage erected inside one of the many hangars on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Both made it clear that the ceremony they were at the heart...

Store objects to club

A personal letter addressed to a Goldsboro City Councilman which was submitted during a public hearing Monday will lead to that member of the council recusing himself from voting on a conditional use permit as it pressures him to...

MOC weighs moving some facilities downtown

MOUNT OLIVE -- As Mount Olive College looks to expand its program offerings, and its student population, its need for additional space will grow as well. Town officials hope some of that growth will find its way downtown. Formal talks...

NAACP gathers for annual Freedom Fund Banquet

The keynote speaker at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet at the Dillard Alumni Cultural Center Saturday evening had been arrested 18 times in seven states. But this was no speech from a man who had seen the error of...

Saturday, September 22, 2012

At long last, he was free

GREENVILLE -- Harry Pawlik closes his eyes and takes a moment to collect himself. He knows it won't be long -- that tears will fall when he talks about the moment that marked the culmination of a lifetime of struggle,...

A brother, hero, forever in their hearts

Darkness brought them back to her doorstep night after night -- the uniformed men who notified a Goldsboro family that Murray Lyman Borden's F-4 Phantom had gone down during a combat mission over North Vietnam. Sorrow traveled alongside them...

October blood drive schedule

The following is the October blood drive schedule for the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross: * Oct. 3 at Eastern Wayne High School from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Eureka United Methodist Church from 2:30 to...

Annual Mount Olive Heart Walk is in the works

MOUNT OLIVE -- The 41st annual Mount Olive Heart Walk will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, beginning with registration at 8 a.m. next to the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. hiring office at 810 N. Chestnut St. The walk will step...

Library semi-annual book sale 10/11-13

The Friends of the Library will sponsor its semi-annual book sale on the weekend of Oct. 12-13 at the main branch of the Wayne County Public Library on Ash Street. A preview sale for the organization's members will be held...

Making sure God remains in Goldsboro

Some whispered their prayers, clasping hands with loved ones. Others loudly sang of how blessed they were. Still others walked silently, praying for the city and county they call home. In the face of community violence and discord, organizer...

Fundraiser Saturday for burn victim

By PHYLLISMOORE News-Argus Staff Writer Morgan Johnson has enjoyed representing the New Hope Fire Department as its fire princess and being the 2011 Wayne County Fire Princess. But as the end of her year reign is fast approaching and she...

DGDC honors top supporters at banquet

Downtown Goldsboro's celebration of its accomplishments in the past year was unusually festive Friday evening as those gathered for the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Awards Banquet found much to be proud of, especially as Mayor Al King announced that...

Clothing giveaway Oct. 6

A clothing swap/giveaway will be held at Faith Alliance Church on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. until noon. If you have clothes to donate, call the churchor stop by with your clean and gently used clothes and shoes in...

Council will eye permit requests

The Goldsboro Planning Commission will consider four requests during its Sept. 24 meeting after public hearings were held on the measures at the Goldsboro City Council meeting Monday. The commission will consider again a communications tower proposed to be...

Teen's body found

Less than 24 hours after they first announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the Sept. 9 disappearance of Kennedy McLaurin Jr., Goldsboro police have found what they believe is the 16-year-old's body -- and have arrested...

Officials look at facts on alternative school

Ideally, districts would not need alternative schools for students struggling with issues related to discipline, behavior and attendance. But other factors also necessitate the option, officials say -- a state mandate requiring public schools to operate such a school, and...

Results in from Air Force museum survey

Members of the Air Force Museum Citizen Committee had their first look at the results of the extensive community survey performed in May and June during their meeting Wednesday in the anteroom of Historic City Hall. Kathleen Tinworth of...

Friday, September 21, 2012

Police: Fourth suspect arrested; teen's body found

Goldsboro police have announced that one more arrest has been made in connection to the murder of 16-year-old Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr., bringing the total to four. They have also located a body in the Seven Springs area that they...

WEMCHS receives state honor

For the third year in a row, Wayne Early/Middle College High School has been recognized by the state for having a 100 percent graduation rate. But the school has actually held that distinction longer than the past three years. Lee...

A march for Kennedy

Several hundred people marched to the Goldsboro police station Thursday in honor of a missing 16-year-old, united in prayer as they wished for his safe return home. Family, friends and concerned neighbors marched through the city carrying pictures of...

Robber gets 16 years for 2010 home invasion

Travis Antonia Harris Jr., 21, will spend no less than 16 years in prison for his part in a brutal attack and robbery of an elderly Goldsboro couple, a Wayne County jury decided Thursday. Harris was charged with breaking...

Schools receive grants for their FFA programs

Two local high schools have been named recipients of $5,000 grants for upgrades to their FFA agriculture programs. Rosewood and Charles B. Aycock will receive the Agriculture Education Program Improvement Grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. Rosewood...

Public record

Copper theft thwarted A neighbor witnessed a suspicious man tampering with a vacant residence's air conditioning unit and called police. Lashonda Middleton told police she saw a black man attempting to steal at window unit from 108 Dewey St....

Thursday, September 20, 2012

College kicks off fundraising drive

Wayne Community College kicked off its annual internal fundraising campaign for the Wayne Community College Foundation on Wednesday afternoon and recognized two instructors with Distinguished Chair awards. Fe Finch, foreign language instructor in the language and communication department, and Tammy...

Account of country club party draws ire

A story published Tuesday, Sept. 11, said that a party at the club on the previous Saturday night allegedly involved a gun and that there were reports of gunfire. Walnut Creek officials, who were not present at the party, maintain...

Pastor planning walk for 'prayer'

God belongs in this city, just as much as, if not more than, drugs, crime and gang violence, Terry Jones says. The concept is more than a fervent wish, though. It's a movement. And on Saturday, the "God Belongs In...

Couple to face murder charge

A couple charged with murdering the man's sister have been indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury. Jurors found there was sufficient evidence to proceed with first-degree murder charges against Gary Arthur Metzger, 55, and his wife, Ann Metzger,...

County votes to reject wind farm

A proposed eastern North Carolina wind turbine project threatens not only the mission of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, but the region's other military installations. That was the consensus Tuesday morning of Wayne County commissioners, who will draft a resolution...

Nuisance violators could face penalties in Fremont

FREMONT -- The Fremont Town Board discussed making it easier for the town to crack down on habitual violators of its nuisance ordinance Tuesday night at Town Hall, as board members considered whether to strengthen the ordinance to keep...

Commissioners named to state association

Two Wayne County commissioners have been appointed to committees by the National Association of Counties. District 5 Commissioner Bud Gray has been named to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee and District 4 Commissioner Steve Keen to the...

Public record

Knife in school Officials at Tommy's Road Elementary School were notified Tuesday that one of their students had a knife. Reports made by students to a bus driver, and later by a parent of a student to the school, resulted...

916th commander to officially take post

Members of the 916th Air Refueling Wing will formally welcome their newest leader Sunday morning during a ceremony on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. And Col. Gregory Gilmour, a seasoned aviator who has logged more than 4,000 flight hours in...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Layers of history: Streetscape nears completion

It's a night that lives on in the infamous lore of local history, the April night in 1926 when the railroad tracks were torn up. The citizens of Goldsboro had grown tired of the noise pollution the tracks down...

Serial rapist goes to prison

A serial rapist, who continued his assaults despite knowing investigators were onto him, was sentenced in August to more than three decades in prison in Wayne Superior County Court. "I've been prosecuting in this district for 15 and a half...

Complicated calculations

The county uses a fluctuating workweek to determine overtime pay for Sheriff's Office and Office of Emergency Services employees. The state-approved method is for employees whose hours vary from week to week. The formula is complicated, but basically the state...

Flight nets marijuana, no suspect

During what the Wayne County Sheriff's Office's Aviation Unit calls "eradication operations," about $12,500 worth of marijuana was seized along the Wayne and Johnston County line Monday. The Sheriff's Office routinely surveys areas throughout Wayne County in an effort...

$2.3 million in projects submitted to Golden LEAF grant committee

Six local, and mostly educational, projects totaling more than $2.3 million have been selected to be eligible for a share of $2 million in funding through the Golden LEAF Foundation's Community Assistance Initiative -- a grant-making process targeting the state's...

Workers upset at payroll errors

A spokesperson for more than 20 emergency medical services employees Tuesday morning assured Wayne County commissioners they were not in revolt or pointing fingers, but were "angry and frustrated" about continued problems with the county's new payroll system, which has...

Her front yard is her church

A Goldsboro woman with a penchant for street preaching has discovered a mission field right in her own front yard. Nettie Green spent years in New York City feeding the homeless, so she has always been willing to meet...

Public record

Fire being investigated Wayne County Sheriff's deputies responded to a fire Monday at 127 Kent Lane in Pikeville. Belfast Fire Department was on scene and had contained the fire in the home of M. Kearny, 39. Fire command reported to...

Historian tells of Goldsboro's sacrifice at Battle of Antietam

On the bloodiest day in American history, the regiment that included the Goldsboro Rifles suffered the third-highest casualty rate in the Confederate Army. At the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, the 27th North Carolina Infantry Regiment lost...

Four schools lead U.S. Cellular campaign

Wayne County has the top school in the nation and three others in the Top 100 of the Calling All Communities campaign, officials announced Tuesday. Just three days into voting in the U.S. Cellular contest, more than 250 schools...

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Teen's mom pleads for tips on son's case

Kimberly Best stood in front of a crowd of reporters Monday afternoon and asked her community to help find her 16-year-old son. Goldsboro police say Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr. was abducted at about 1 p.m. Sept. 9, from the 700...

County leaders: Now is time to end N.C. windmill project

DUDLEY -- It took six speakers less than 15 minutes Monday night to say their respective pieces at the Wayne County commissioners' second and final scheduled evening session held at Southern Wayne High School. The meeting was attended by 14...

Homeowner detains burglar

The quick action of one Princeton family resulted today in the prevention of their home being robbed, and the apprehension of the would-be burglar. According to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, Kenneth Lamont Parnell Jr., 32, of Smithfield, broke...

Victim OK in Elm Street hit and run

A Goldsboro woman was the victim of a hit and run Sunday. The pedestrian was struck while crossing Elm Street at about 11:30 p.m. According to Goldsboro Police Department's Maj. Mike West of the traffic division, 20-year-old Bobbi Marie...

Goldsboro council weighs options for new W.A. Foster Center

The Goldsboro City Council was briefed Monday night on two possible locations for the new W.A. Foster Recreation Center in Mina Weil Park, but members, who had been contentious over the site at their Sept. 4 meeting, opted to...

Arrest made in cement mixer theft

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in the Sept. 11 theft of a $175,000 cement truck from S&W Ready Concrete. According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, Kevin Eason Jacobs, 24, 123 Meadowcrest Drive,...

Another meeting set for museum

The city's Air Force Museum Citizen Committee is scheduled to meet twice in the next two weeks as it continues its monitoring of the consultant team hired to design the city's museum proposal for the former Arts Council of...

Monday, September 17, 2012

Mother of missing boy pleads for son

The mother of a 16-year-old who police say was abducted more than a week ago gave an emotional plea for her son's return during a press conference that unfolded about 2:30 p.m. inside the Goldsboro Police Department. Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin...

Hug counselor: a friend with paws

Every morning, Elly bounds into the office at Goldsboro Counseling Center, eager to begin her job. She's a gifted listener, and patients often say how much she puts them at ease. And she accomplishes all of that without saying a...

Sandwich chain sets sights on Goldsboro

Jimmy John's is coming to Goldsboro, but the sandwich store's corporate executives aren't sure exactly where, yet. A spokesperson for Jimmy John's said a franchisee had purchased the rights to open a store in the Goldsboro area, but she...

ORE begins at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base

The 4th Fighter Wing's fleet of F-15E Strike Eagles will be more visible in Wayne County skies for the next several days -- and the sound of them streaking overhead will be more frequent -- as airmen participate in an...

Teen, 17, charged in man's murder

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office announced an arrest Friday in the murder of 23-year-old Uber Ortiz Salas. Detective Sgt. Robert Parchman arrested Giovanny Santos Rodriguez, 17, 210 Glen St., and charged him with one open count of murder and one...

Council will eye cellular tower

U.S. Cellular will again attempt to receive the blessing of the Goldsboro City Council tonight for a communications tower to be erected on the northwest corner of the intersection of East New Hope and Central Heights roads. The City...

Cherry Hospital to contest $15,000 in penalties

Officials at Cherry Hospital and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services have decided to officially contest the more than $15,000 in civil penalties facing the state psychiatric facility after failing to come to agreement during an informal...

More details released on deadly I-795 crash

More details have been released in the fatal accident that occurred on I-795 early Saturday morning. According to the State Highway Patrol, the driver of the Ford Explorer, Shakia Vonte McCoy, 21, of Wilson, was killed after 3 a.m. when...

4-H calls for family dinner dates

Wayne County 4-H is encouraging families throughout the county to sit down and eat together. The goal behind Sept. 24's Wayne County Family Day is for parents to help deter their children from using alcohol, drugs or tobacco, 4-H prevention...

Public record

Assault with a deadly weapon According to a Goldsboro Police report, Robert Deon'te Carmichael, 21, 315 E. Walnut St., was shot in the back Saturday while walking down the street. Shortly after 2 p.m., Carmichael was walking east along West...

Commissioners to weigh some development queries

In some respects, the agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the Wayne County commissioners looks like it could just as easily be one for the county's Planning Board. The agenda has five subdivision plats, rezoning and a special use request to...

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Man opens fire at The Pines

A LaGrange man was arrested late Friday evening after allegedly firing shots at a local retirement home. Waylon Britt Thompson, 27, of 254 Beston Road, was charged with felony breaking and entering, firing into an occupied structure and several counts...

Progress Energy closes coal-fired plant in county

The coal-fired H.F. Lee plant, which has provided electrical power for more than 60 years, closed Saturday. Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, retired the plant as part of its modernization efforts, which included closing all of...

Commission plans Monday night meeting

DUDLEY -- Wayne County commissioners Monday night will hold their second and final scheduled evening meeting. There is no set agenda for the meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Southern Wayne High School cafeteria. The first...

A little yeast: A second act

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A little girl stands alongside her grandmother and the lesson begins. Separate the dough into three equal strands. Pray as you braid them. Gently distribute eggwash across the top of the loaf. Cover it with cloth...

Woman dies in I-795 crash

An early Saturday morning accident left a 21-year-old Wayne County woman dead, a spokesman for the N.C. State Highway Patrol said. Shakia Vonte McCoy was driving northbound on I-795, about a mile north of Fremont, in a blue Ford Explorer...

School count is down overall

The first 10 days of schools have come and gone, with Wayne County Public Schools' officials now tasked with determining where any program or personnel changes need to be made. Friday, the central office announced its preliminary findings -- five...

Public record

Knife leads to suspension Authorities said a 9-year-old boy who brought a knife to school has been suspended. A teacher at Northwestern Elementary was informed by other students that a child was showing a knife around on the playground....

Parents can get child seat checked

Seventy-three percent of car seats are being used incorrectly, which puts children greatly at risk, say officials of Safe Kids Wayne County. Safe Kids and the Partnership for Children of Wayne County will host two car inspection events as part...

16 and ready to vote? (well, almost)

Wayne County's 16- to 18-year-olds have shown no particular political party preference over the past three years that they have been eligible to preregister to vote. Their non-preference closely mirrors figures statewide. Since 2010, the first year that young...

Event draws literary fans, benefits local literacy effort

The setting was perfect for a literary event. The historic home had all the trappings of a setting from an historical novel -- the elegant carvings, grand staircase, the beautiful high ceilings, lovely living room area and the nooks...

Election board seeking precinct officials

The Wayne County Board of Elections is seeking people who are willing to serve as precinct officials during the one-stop early voting period and for the Nov. 6 general election. To become a precinct official, applicants must be a...

Subdivision plats get planning board OK

The Wayne County Planning Board Tuesday night approved final plats for five subdivisions totaling 62 lots -- 49 of which are in two projects. However, final approval rests with Wayne County commissioners. The plats are expected to be on the...

Unusual Saturday meeting called in Pikeville

PIKEVILLE -- The mayor wasn't in attendance. Neither was the town attorney. And two other members of the board were no-shows, too. But the rest of the Pikeville Town Board -- Todd Anderson, Charles Hooks and Lyman Galloway -- went...

Race for the Hills

Miguel Monroig leaps from one hay bale to another on the "Hay Mountain" obstacle during the Hillbilly Hike obstacle course race at Waynesborough Park. Over 100 people took part in the adventure race which raised money for the historic...

NCCU alumni to honor teacher Jones

The Gold/Wayne Chapter of North Carolina Central University Alumni Association will honor Mrs. Eliza Smith Jones during its scholarship banquet. The event has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. at First African Baptist Church at 803 Harris...

National Readiness Month being observed across state

It's National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross, Eastern N.C. Region, is encouraging all households to create a family disaster plan to make sure they are ready for the next emergency or disaster. Plans should include designating a...

Goldsboro student wins top prize in WSSU radio contest

WINSTON-SALEM -- Breanna Holmes from Goldsboro, a student at Winston-Salem State University, along with fellow WSSU student Iveon Sprangle of Centreville, Va., won first place in the radio category of the 2012 Freedom of Speech PSA competition with a 30-second...

Goldsboro native to lead Raleigh Junior League

RALEIGH -- A Goldsboro native has been named president of the board of directors of The Junior League of Raleigh. Pat Wilkins is the administrative director at MassMutual Financial Group and owner of Wilkins Etcetera Clothing. She will serve a...

Disablity group seeks award nominations

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities has issued a call for nominations for its Hefner Award, an honor presented to an outstanding state resident who has a record of accomplishment in promoting a great quality of life for people...

Civil War Battle of Antietam lecture Tuesday

Pete Coffman will present a lecture on the Civil War Battle of Antietam on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium. Coffman is a retired senior master sergeant, who served as a maintainer with the 4th Fighter Wing and...

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Shots fired inside retirement home

A LaGrange man was arrested last night after he allegedly shot up a local retirement home with a shotgun. For complete details of what happened at The Pines, see Sunday's News-Argus....

Friday, September 14, 2012

Man arrested for murder

Wayne County Sheriff's deputies arrested a suspect today in connection with the murder of Uber Ortiz Salas, 23, on Sept. 1. Giovanny Santos Rodriguez, 17, 210 Glen St., Mount Olive, is charged with murder and discharging a weapon into an...

Getting a community ready to get to work

Approximately 55 people turned out Thursday night to hear how Wayne County is being positioned to be the first "work-ready community" in the state. The Wayne County Work-Ready Community kick-off event, held at Wayne Community College, featured an overview of...

Warsaw deputy fire chief charged

WARSAW -- The deputy chief, and treasurer, of the Warsaw Fire Department has been arrested. Joseph Allen Burgette, 42, has been charged by Warsaw police with five counts of embezzlement. According to the arrest warrant, Burgette allegedly stole $310,537 over...

County eyes priorities for legislators in new year

Support for agriculture, safeguarding military airspace, promoting economic development and easing detention space requirements in existing and new jails top a checklist of issues Wayne County commissioners are hopeful state lawmakers will support when they return to session next year....

Waynesborough race has array of hurdles

Saturday morning Waynesborough Park will become a race course where a mountain of hay, a chicken coop and the Neuse River will stand between runners and the ultimate prize: a gold spray-painted hub cap. The first running of the...

Chasing a new workout by any other name ...

There is barbed wire ahead and the zombies are closing in. Hundreds of survivors duck under the sharp obstacle and crawl through the mud to the other side, ever mindful that the zombies are in hot pursuit. It's not...

Public record

Shot through the house When Charles Martin Best, 31, 635 Pineview Cemetery Road, returned home from work Wednesday, he found that a bullet had passed through his bedroom. A Wayne County Sheriff's Office report said that a high-powered black powder...

Tip hotline open for Amber Alert

Goldsboro police announced today the creation of a 24-hour hotline as they are still asking the community for help in finding Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr., the 16-year-old Goldsboro High School student who has been missing since Sunday afternoon. Police...

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Extension horticulture agent named

When Jessica Strickland first came to Wayne County, she was fresh out of college and ready to bring her passion for horticulture to the area through her position with the Cooperative Extension. After a stint teaching agriculture education in...

Insurance rates drop for county's flood areas

Wayne County's efforts to minimize property damage caused by flooding in its flood plain areas have also benefited residents who have standard flood insurance policies. By exceeding the standards set by the National Flood Insurance Program, county residents will receive...

School board talks buses

The Wayne County Board of Education officially approved start times at four schools Monday night -- even though technicallythe district has been operating under the schedule since school started Aug. 27. Dr. Craig McFadden, assistant superintendent for accountability-student services, said...

Teen missing since Sunday

Goldsboro police issued an Amber Alert Wednesday, at 11:30 a.m., for Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr., 16, 1901 Rose St. Kennedy, a junior at Goldsboro High School, was reported missing Monday by his mother, who last saw her son at home...

916th commander ready to take post

The guidon will not officially change hands for another 10 days, but Col. Gregory Gilmour already sounds like the 916th Air Refueling Wing commander. He is well-versed on the sacrifices being made by the men and women who make up...

Public record

Shot self in foot A man was getting acquainted with his newly acquired weapon Tuesday when he accidentally discharged a round into his own foot. Damian Benjamin Vance, 24, 100 Angus Drive, was cleaning his 9mm Taurus, and apparently had...

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Hospital rates to rise

Wayne Memorial Hospital will operate under a $457 million budget for the coming year, which reflects a 5.2 percent rate increase and a $300,000 salary increase for hospital employees. The board passed the budget Tuesday. Becky Craig, chief financial officer...

SWHS students remember 9/11 in ceremony

DUDLEY -- One by one, Southern Wayne High School students, who had gathered in front of the school for Tuesday morning's 9/11 remembrance ceremony, walked down the line of volunteer firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency personnel shaking hands...

Cocaine charges filed

PRINCETON -- A DWI checkpoint held by the Princeton Police Department on Saturday led to the seizure of a large amount of cocaine and charges against three men. The checkpoint, held in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies from both...

Parks, recreation board members eye plans for new center, program ideas

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission had a heavy slate of topics to discuss Tuesday as it held its first meeting since returning from a summer hiatus. Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard briefed the group on happenings within...

Amber Alert issued for missing teen

An Amber Alert has been issued for Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin Jr., 16, 1901 Rose St. Goldsboro Police Department's Investigator Dwayne Bevell said McLaurin, who also goes by the nickname "Little Ken," is believed to have been abducted from the 700...

Woman dies in I-795 accident

A woman died Monday in an accident on I-795 North, near the Fremont exit, according to reports filed by investigators with the state Highway Patrol. Trina Mullins, 52, of Bolivia, N.C., lost control of her vehicle, veered off the road...

Calling All Communities contest starts

Calling All Communities, the U.S. Cellular program that annually raises money for schools, will launch its latest campaign as voting begins Friday. This is the fourth year for the challenge to win a share of $1 million, officials said....

Volunteers sought for Big Sweep

The cigarette someone threw out of their car on the highway will be there for up to five years. That foam cup someone tossed to the side of the road won't break down for 50 years. And the water bottle...

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Sweet 16 ends in battle of schools

A "Sweet 16" birthday party held at the Walnut Creek Country Club on Saturday ended abruptly when a fight between students of Eastern Wayne and Goldsboro high schools allegedly erupted in gunfire. According to Walnut Creek Village police Chief Ken...

A day not to be forgotten

A jostling shopping cart crossed the Sam's Club parking lot this morning, its roar competing with the chords of "The Star- Spangled Banner." A sport utility vehicle passed by the loading shelter during a group recitation of the Pledge...

Mount Olive looks at ordinance for Internet cafes

MOUNT OLIVE -- Town commissioners Monday night suggested that the town's first set of rules regulating Internet cafes, or electronic gaming operations, was not only unfair, but oppressive, and delayed action until they and the public could learn more about...

Princeton man dies in crash on U.S. 70

The state Highway Patrol has released the identity of a man killed in a car accident Thursday afternoon on U.S. 70 West. Lonnie Barnes, 44, of Princeton, lost control of his 2000 Mercury shortly before 2 p.m. near the Wayne-Johnston...

Board argues on need to meet

School board member Arnold Flowers wants to hold more work sessions. The majority of the board would support that, they said, if there is a reason to meet. "It hasn't felt like we have had enough time to talk," Flowers...

Public record

Missing person A 16-year-old Eastern Wayne High School student has not been seen in two days. Kennedy Fitzgerald Mclaurin was last seen at home Sunday at about 11 a.m. According to a Goldsboro police report, someone at the school has...

Swimming at Cliffs still open

The lake at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is still open. Days and hours are Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Swimming and boating are allowed during these hours. The lake will remain open through...

Monday, September 10, 2012

County still busy unraveling new payroll system glitches

The somewhat bumpy July launch of Wayne County's new payroll system provided the fuel to turn three minutes of public comment into almost an hour-long debate. Bob Jackson, a frequent speaker during the public comments portion of the Wayne...

Suspect sought in double murder

Goldsboro police continued their search today for the suspect in a double murder Friday night. Lawmen were looking for Angelo Mandril Burden, 38, of 1307 E. Walnut St., who is being sought in connection with the death of Donald...

N.C. DOT looks at U.S. 117's future

DUDLEY -- It is likely that within five years the intersection of U.S. 117 South and O'Berry Road will be converted into an interchange. The state already owns the necessary right of way. The surveying has been completed, and funding...

Boys & Girls clubs plan big Friday

Later this week, two local Boys & Girls clubs will launch "Day for Kids," which it hopes to make an annual event. Friday will be observed as a day to foster relationships between adults and children, said Jo Heidenreich, development...

Wayne Community College to offer quilting, jewelry-making classes

Wayne Community College Continuing Education will start quilting and jewelry-making classes this week. The quilting course will be taught Mondays, Sept. 10-Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m. in Room 106 of the Spruce Building on the college's main campus. This class...

Public record

Residential shooting Goldsboro police responded Saturday to a shots fired call in the 500 block of Olivia Lane. Upon arriving at 716 Olivia Lane officers found that the front porch of the home had been shot nine times with a...

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Two shot, killed in Goldsboro

Goldsboro police were searching Saturday night for a suspect in the shooting deaths of two men Friday night on Devereaux Street. Angelo Mandril Burden, 38, of 1307 E. Walnut St., is being sought in connection with the death of...

MAC speaks out against wind farm

A project that would result in the creation of the first wind farm in Eastern North Carolina is facing the scrutiny of local military advocates who say construction of dozens of turbines near the coast would jeopardize critical Air Force...

It's all in a uniform

Shi'Anah Williams has a system for what she will wear to school -- from what she buys to how she picks out each day's outfit. "We look for a lot of white shirts, black shirts. I like looking sometimes for...

City Council faces committee appointments dilemma

The Goldsboro City Council couldn't agree on which commissions and committees to scrap during Tuesday's meeting, much less which council members should be assigned to which boards. The discussion was carried over from the council's Aug. 20 meeting, when...

County officially 'ready to work'

Wayne County is poised to be among the first Work Ready Communities in the state, and the public is invited to help it reach the designation. The Wayne County Work Ready Community Event will be held Sept. 13 in Moffatt...

Senator to speak

WALLACE -- State Sen. Eric Mansfield will be the guest speaker at a fundraiser for Democrat Rebecca Judge, candidate for the District 4 seat in the state House of Representatives, on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Mad...

Public record

Excavator stolen A $35,000 excavator was stolen from a field in the 2300 block of Antioch Road, a Wayne County Sheriff's Office report said Friday. The large piece of machinery is yellow in color and has some damage to the...

Academic Abundance gets grant

Academic Abundance, a local non-profit organization in Goldsboro, received a $75,000 second- year grant from the North Carolina Division of Public Health aimed at lowering teen pregnancy rates. The grant will allow the non-profit to continue serving students at Hobbton...

Honoring local veterans

Gerald Jones takes a picture of a 1960 Chevy Impala that sits on display during the second annual Military Appreciation Day Bike and Car Show held at Shelton's Harley-Davidson Saturday afternoon. From 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., cars and...

'Military Through the Ages' event Saturday in Kinston

KINSTON -- The CSS Neuse State Historic Site and the Governor Caswell Memorial will be hosting a special program on Saturday, Sept. 15, focusing on "Military Through the Ages." The event will be a chance to look back at the...

Malpass Brothers to perform Saturday

After playing from California to Delaware this year, the Malpass Brothers are set to perform live in their hometown of Goldsboro at Wayne Community College on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. Christopher and Taylor Malpass are known for keeping...

Johnston County Finance Department honored

Johnston County has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report. The award is the highest form of recognition...

Flu shots are now available

Flu vaccinations are available at Wayne County Health Department. Officials said the yearly vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza, and stressed the importance of getting immunized. Carolyn King, health education supervisor, said the vaccine is safe and...

Federal grants for food and shelter available through FEMA

Wayne County has been awarded $50,595 in federal funds under an Emergency Food and Shelter Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In 2011 this program assisted local charities in providing emergency assistance in the form of meals, shelter,...

Duplin Hall of Fame nominations sought

The deadline for submitting nomination applications for the 2012 Duplin County Hall of Fame is Sept. 25. Nomination forms can be obtained by contacting any member of the Hall of Fame board. Duplin annually inducts two people into its Hall...

Annual Benson Mule Days Festival set for Sept. 20-23

BENSON -- The town of Benson will hold its annual Mule Days celebration on Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 20-23. The festival is considered one of the largest in North Carolina and will kickoff with a barrel exhibition and open barrel...

Thank-you card project aims to honor heroes

With the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, approaching, the North Carolina LiteracyCorps is sponsoring a literacy-based service event in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Students and members of the community will be...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

GPD investigating double homicide

The Goldsboro Police Department is currently investigating a double homicide that occurred late Friday evening near the 1000 block of Devereaux Street. The News-Argus arrived at the scene shortly after a report of shots fired reached law enforcement and remained...

Friday, September 7, 2012

Teen charged in break-in

An investigation into the Aug. 28 break-in and shooting that took place in the Lakewood Subdivision at Dudley, resulted in an arrest Wednesday. According to a press release from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, Jeffrey Leach Jr., 16, 1202 Mimosa...

Blizzard named elections director

A former voter registration director for the North Carolina State Board of Elections has been hired as Wayne County's new elections director. Rosemary Blizzard, 38, who also served for several years as Duplin County's elections director, will assume her new...

Four sentenced to prison time

NEW BERN -- The four people who pleaded guilty in a bid-rigging and bribery scheme involving Wayne County Public Schools were sentenced Thursday in federal court in New Bern. Pamela Carol Turner, 46, of Selma, was sentenced to 20...

Council denies two cafe permits

The Goldsboro City Council denied two requests concerning Internet cafes at its Tuesday meeting while approving a slate of measures by consent, including the awarding of four downtown business incentive grants in the amount of $4,800 each. A conditional...

Chamber kicks off annual total resource campaign

The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce kicked off its total resource campaign Thursday night with a swanky celebration at the Historic Goldsboro Fire Station bringing members, staff and guests together as the Chamber seeks to build on momentum from...

Public record

Serial shoplifter On seven occasions, each documented on video by store security, a known female suspect has entered the Sam's Club on North Park Drive and left without paying for concealed DVDs and video games. The sum of all the...

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Four sentenced in school bribery scheme

Four people were sentenced today in federal court in connection with a bid rigging and bribery scheme between construction company All American Roofing and Construction and the Wayne County Public Schools system. Pamela Carol Turner, 46, of Selma, was...

Schools ask for patience with bus routes

Chancey Thompson was not happy with how the school year kicked off this year. First, she learned at the "last minute" that her children's school time had been changed. She tried to be understanding about the need for the change...

Voting dates affect polls

One of the county's one-stop polling sites in advance of the Nov. 6 general election could have to be relocated because of two possible scheduling conflicts including the addition of Sunday one-stop voting. Sunday voting had not been included in...

Harley group to honor military on Saturday

A group of local motorcycle enthusiasts is calling on the public to help honor those who have served -- and those who currently serve -- their country. The Goldsboro Harley Owners Group is hosting a military appreciation day Saturday at...

Museum specs: The numbers are in

It had been two weeks since the Air Force Museum Citizen Committee had learned how much it would cost to renovate the former Arts Council building to museum specifications and the estimates were encouraging. A little more than $2.3...

Public record

Guns stolen Upon returning from school Tuesday, David Hill Jackson's two sons discovered a break-in at their home, 404 Weathervane Road. The front door appeared to have been kicked in. A pair of Mossberg shotguns and a pellet rifle were...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

City eyes plans for W.A. Foster

The city of Goldsboro is moving toward replacing an aging recreation center although staff is finding it difficult to find nearby land to acquire to build on. The rebuilding of the W.A. Foster Recreation Center was discussed late during...

State Board of Elections approves Sunday

The state Board of Elections by a 3-2 party-line vote Tuesday morning overrode last month's decision by the Wayne County Board of Elections not to include a Sunday in its one-stop voting plan. Democrats Larry Leake, chairman, Robert Cordle, secretary,...

Prison terms possible for four in scam

The four people who have pleaded guilty in a bid-rigging scheme involving the Wayne County Public Schools could receive prison terms ranging from just over three years to up to 10 years. Pamela Carol Turner, 45, of Selma, owner of...

Commissioners approve new Internet cafe ordinance

As of Tuesday morning Wayne County has a countywide ordinance regulating the location and operation of Internet or electronic gaming operations. All that is missing are the fees the county might charge. Wayne County commissioners' unanimous approval Tuesday morning of...

Wayne Community College to offer restaurant food code course

Wayne Community College Continuing Education Services plans to offer a class this fall for restaurant workers, in line with the state's recently adopted "food code." Joyce Hamilton-Fleming, WCC continuing education allied health coordinator, said she was approached by the...

Wayne Community College to hold Constitution Day talk Sept. 17

"The Constitution and the American Military" will be the topic of a Constitution Day talk at Wayne Community College on Monday, Sept. 17. The event, which will be held at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium in the Wayne Learning...

WATCH nurse sees positives in Cuba

When Wayne Action Teams for Community Health, or WATCH, was introduced more than a decade ago to provide health care for the uninsured and underinsured in Wayne County, Kathy Johnson was hired as nurse practitioner. Except for a brief...

Duplin Hall of Fame nomination deadline Sept. 25

Nomination applications for the 2012 Duplin County Hall of Fame are now being accepted. Applications for the award recipients are now available from any Hall of Fame board member. The annual banquet will be held Nov. 8. Each year,...

Public record

Residential shooting When she heard gunshots about noon Monday, Ivey Oden, 62, 922 Seaboard St., did not know her home had been the target. By noon Tuesday, Ms. Oden discovered her bathroom window was shot out. The damage occurred on...

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Lieutenant governor candidate visits

As he travels on his third statewide tour of the year, Dan Forest, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, is campaigning in support of innovation. But, he says, innovation is not something that government creates, it comes from allowing small...

Food ratings system changes

The rules governing food handling and sanitation at eating establishments are about to change. The FDA "food code" must be approved every three years, said Shane Smith, food and lodging supervisor with the environmental health branch of Wayne County Health...

Looking for Angela

For more than 20 years, since the day her 21-year-old daughter Angela Toler disappeared, Delois Sherard has waited, wondered and worried. She cried until she had no more tears. She asked God why as she searched for Angela -- and,...

One-stop voting plan gets look

The state Board of Elections was expected to review Wayne County's one-stop voting plan today. The state review was requested by Wayne County Board of Elections Chairman Joe Lofton, who wants the county's one-stop voting to include one Sunday. The...

Public record

Assault A fight between two women escalated Sunday, to the point of gunfire. Kaneesha Battle, 21, 900 block Carver Drive, was assaulted in her own backyard, but soon got the upper hand in the altercation, according to Goldsboro police. At...

Monday, September 3, 2012

Five injured in shooting and crashes on N.C. 24

CLINTON -- Five people were injured, some critically, in what is believed to have been a shoot-out on Sunset Avenue (N.C. 24) near the U.S. 421 Bypass. A portion of Sunset Avenue was expected to be closed to traffic...

Dancing for teachers-to-be

Wayne County celebrity dancers have helped some aspiring teachers live their dreams. A portion of the proceeds from this year's Dancing Stars of Wayne County is benefitting a scholarship program for those who have decided that they would like...

Keen appointed to state panel

Wayne County Commissioner Steve Keen has been appointed to North Carolina's newly formed Blue Ribbon Commission on Transitions to Community Living. The commission was established by N.C. Session Law 2012-142 Section 10.23. "A(b) for the purpose of examining the state's...

Internet cafes on Goldsboro council agenda

The Goldsboro City Council will vote on two Internet cafe operations that were recommended for denial by the Planning Commission when the council meets Tuesday. The City Council generally meets on the first and third Mondays of each month,...

Wayne County Commissioners will vote on Internet cafe rules again

Wayne County commissioners at their Aug. 21 meeting seemed unsure of what they wanted to do with an ordinance regulating the location and operation of Internet or electronic gaming operations. Tuesday they will have a second chance to decide....

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Neighbors, friends, always -- in Little Washington

Urban renewal projects might have erased the face of the Little Washington community, but it did not dim the memories of the people who grew up there -- recollections they want to pass on to future generations. So the 10th...

New county VA clinic on schedule

By early 2013, thousands of local veterans will be able to forego long drives to Durham and Fayetteville and replace them with much shorter trips to a new clinic off Wayne Memorial Drive. But VA officials were quick to...

New hotel welcoming guests to Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE -- Nearly 200 people were on hand Thursday afternoon for ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new $5 million Sleep Inn and Suites on N.C. 55. The event included hors d'oeurves, games with prizes and tours of the hotel...

Norwayne alumni hold reunion

The annual Norwayne Alumni Parade was held in downtown Fremont early Saturday morning, featuring a fleet of cars carrying members of past classes of Norwayne School, which eventually consolidated with Charles B. Aycock....

The Great Goldsboro Mayor Pro Tem Debate

It had been nearly 25 years since William Goodman was first sworn in as the District 3 representative of the Goldsboro City Council, but when Goodman returned to the council after more than eight years away from City Hall,...

Linda M. Jones receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Linda M. Jones of Goldsboro was recently awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine -- the state's highest civilian honor that is conferred by the governor in recognition of community service. In accepting the honor, Mrs. Jones said...

Corn prices high, but yield average

North Carolina, unlike most of the country, is anticipating a bumper corn crop that will benefit from what is being reported as all-time record prices being paid for the grain. The picture in Wayne County, however, is not as...

Man, 23, dies after Saturday shooting

Wayne County lawmen are currently looking for a "person of interest" in connection with a shooting that killed a 23-year-old early Saturday morning. Uber Ortiz Salas, of 130 White Dogwood Lane, was pronounced dead at Wayne Memorial Hospital not long...

AAR Corp. lays off temporary workers

AAR officials Friday confirmed the layoff of 169 temporary workers at its Goldsboro facility's Mobility Systems Division. The plant, which opened in Park East in 2006, is home to two AAR divisions -- the Mobility Systems Division and the...

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Saturday shooting death being investigated

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating an apparent murder today after responding to a call of shots fired at 2 a.m. Saturday at 130 White Dogwood Lane. The victim, identified as Uber Ortiz Salas, 23, of the residence,...