April 2014 archives

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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

More storms on the way

Wayne County and much of the central part of the state remain under the threat of severe weather today, with heavy rains, strong winds, hail and tornadoes possible later in the day. Also, the area is under a flash...

Special Olympics honors athletes, teacher

[email protected] Special Olympics Wayne County recently held its annual spring track and field games, during which the athletes of the year and Teacher of the Year awards were also announced. The two-day event was held at Eastern Wayne High School,...

Five want District 3 seat on school board

[email protected] Five people have asked the Wayne County Board of Education to consider appointing them to fill the unexpired term of the late Thelma Smith who served as the board's District 3 member for 17 years prior to her death...

GATEWAY director resigns; board asks her to stay

[email protected] The GATEWAY Transit director's resignation is on hold at the request of the GATEWAY Board while discussions continue about keeping her in the job. At a meeting April 17 Lynn Lamberth said she planned to resign her post to...

Tornadoes reported 50 miles from Wayne County

The closest report sighting of a possible tornado was just over 50 miles away in Sampson County, with a second one about the same distance away but in Edgecombe County, said Ryan Ellis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service...

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Will dangerous weather hit Wayne County?

Rain and thunderstorms, some possibly severe, are expected across the area today. However the better chance of severe weather that could produce possible hail and tornadoes, will be Wednesday, according the National Weather Service in Raleigh. "I think the primary...

Man shot, refuses to speak to police

A Goldsboro man refused to cooperate with Goldsboro police after being shot in the leg while walking in the 900 block of South Slocumb Street Monday. The incident took place just after 11 p.m. Michael Raekwon Lacey Jr., 29,...

Holocaust survivor tells story at Seymour Johnson AFB

Alfred Schnog was too young to remember the Nazi Party's rise to power. He can hardly recall the days before newspapers turned against his people -- when beaches and other public places were closed off to those who shared...

Legislative breakfast scheduled for Friday

Wayne County residents will have a chance to listen to and question their legislative representatives at a Chamber of Commerce event Friday. The "Eggs and Issue" breakfast, sponsored by The News-Argus, will be held at the Lane Tree Golf...

Volunteers head to hard-hit region

Local Red Cross volunteer Roberto Mendoza saw the destruction left by Friday's tornado right here at home. In Washington, N.C., he met a man whose mobile home was torn in half. "This part on this side was still standing,"...

Morris recognized by University of Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE -- Dr. Thomas R. Morris, a retired Goldsboro optometrist, has been recognized by the University of Mount Olive for his "generosity, encouraging spirit and Christian heritage." During a program held at the university, which included a litany...

Monday, April 28, 2014

Storms on the way

Large hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes could be spawned from a series of showers and thunderstorms that will sweep across Wayne County and the central part of the state Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday night. The latest threat...

Operation Link sends packages to troops

A group of Americorps volunteers is working with Wayne County youth to send smiles to troops deployed overseas. Operation Link mentors, together with students from the Mayor's Youth Council, put together care packages at City Hall last week to...

Armed robber hits city market

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating an armed robbery of the D&C Mini Mart, 1007 E. Elm St., that took place at just after 8:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the report, a black man with braids entered the store,...

Teen holds up 17-year-old on city road

A Goldsboro teen is in the Wayne County Jail today after he allegedly robbed another teen. Derejay Williams Speede, 17, 129 Mill Creek Court, is charged with armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to a Goldsboro police report....

Inmates begin cleaning up roads

Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce says it is time to clean up Wayne County. Wayne County Jail inmates, along with residents sentenced to perform community service hours, will soon be rotating to areas throughout the county picking up trash...

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Wayne Memorial Drive project delayed until summer

A Department of Transportation project to ease congestion on Wayne Memorial Drive by installing a median along the busiest part of the thoroughfare has been confirmed for July, DOT officials said. The median would eliminate most left turns in...

Keen resigns post

Wayne County District 4 Commissioner Steve Keen resigned his seat Friday to begin work Monday as the new director of Gov. Pat McCrory's Eastern Office. "Steve Keen's business acumen, as well as his many contributions to the common good...

All the colors

Tears clouded Barbara Lingle's eyes frequently, sometimes making it difficult for the 33-year-old to see where she was running during this year's Cures for the Colors. But she kept on going and finished the 26.2 miles she set out...

County says 'no' to lease

Wayne County commissioners Friday morning delivered what amounted to an ultimatum to the county Board of Education -- accept the method the commissioners wants to use to finance and to build two new schools, or be prepared to shoulder...

Uzzell named to VantageSouth post

Lemmie Uzzell has been named Commercial Relationship Banker by VantageSouth Bank. Uzzell, who served as market president for BB&T in northern Wayne County, has established strong partnerships in the agribusiness community over the years and he brings that experience and...

Southern Bank receives Silver Award from Small Business Administration

For the second year in a row, Southern Bank won the N.C. Silver Award presented by the Small Business Administration for being the largest volume lender in a small community. "We're honored to get an award. It shows the...

Salvation Army sets date for purse, shoe sale

Ladies, get your shopping shoes on because once again this year the Salvation Army is having its jewelry, purse, shoe and bake sale. It will be held May 3 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army...

Dill-ightful afternoon

MOUNT OLIVE -- Katie and Carli were on the lookout for a giant smiling pickle Saturday afternoon. They had seen the standard size and had even eaten some, but there was one pickle they hoped to shake hands with....

County, city will join in prayer May 1 at Y

Wayne County residents will gather as one to pray for everyone from their children to their countrymen to their world leaders during this year's National Day of Prayer. The event will be held Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m....

Hospital: Lockdown accidental

In case of emergency, lift, then push. Wayne Memorial Hospital administrators say no lockdown took place at their facility Saturday, calling the incident an accidental activation and, essentially, a non-event. "There were apparently a bunch of mistakes. We have...

Friday, April 25, 2014

Survivors all

Roy Mason received his diagnosis just two months ago -- prostate cancer. He will undergo three dozen radiation treatments. So far, he has had five. "I'm feeling all right," he said Thursday night. "I'm just wrung out. I don't...

Ride offer ends with robbery

A Dudley man who offered to give a woman a ride instead found himself the victim of a kidnapping and armed robbery Thursday, according to a Goldsboro police report. Harry Thomas Oates, 46, of 372 Emmaus Church Road, told...

Final checks being made for pickle festival

The streets of Mount Olive will be filled with thousands of people Saturday as the North Carolina Pickle Festival returns for its 28th year. The all-day event will have an abundance of special events in store for the whole...

Ballots cast on first day of early voting

Nearly 200 people voted in Wayne County on Thursday during the first day of one-stop early voting for the May 6 primary. Of the 197 votes cast, 177 were at the Board of Elections Office at 209 S. William...

Man dies in one-car wreck

A single-vehicle accident on Tear Shirt Road in Duplin County Thursday claimed the life of a Mount Olive man, the N.C. State Highway Patrol said. The accident took place just before 9:30 p.m. Jimmy Dean Williamson, 50, 184 Jim...

Military spouse among those taking citizenship oath Saturday

Mei Parker left her home in Malaysia at 21, when she married her military husband. They initially lived in California before settling in Fayetteville. After 25 years in the U.S., she has been in this country longer than her homeland....

Youth compete for livestock honors

DUDLEY -- If Hank had known that winning Grand Champion Beef Calf of the Wayne County Junior Livestock Show and Sale would get him a blue ribbon, he might not have given his handler such a hard time in...

Leadercast set to return to University of Mount Olive on May 9

Leadercast, an all-day leader development broadcast, will return to Mount Olive this year May 9. Featuring speeches from international leaders, the actual conference is held in Atlanta, Ga., and then broadcast to hundreds of different sites through the nation....

Fremont STEP program drawing businesses' attention

FREMONT -- The Fremont Small Town Economic Prosperity team is gaining attention from area businesses for the work it is trying to do to improve Fremont. At its meeting Tuesday night, new local business owner, Shelia May, owner of A...

Commissioner resigns

Republican Wayne County Commissioner Steve Keen gives up his post to work with Gov. Pat McCrory's staff....

Thursday, April 24, 2014

County sets meeting to eye school funding

Wayne County commissioners have called a special session for 10 a.m. Friday "to discuss and act upon" the construction and financing method for new Grantham and Spring Creek middle schools. School board Chairman John Grantham said this morning his...

Loss of tax money would hurt city coffers

The North Carolina General Assembly is tossing around a proposal to limit the municipal privilege tax to $100 per business, a move that could cost the city of Goldsboro $430,000 in 2015. The draft proposal for the bill, approved by...

Cornhole competitors

Arthur Herring, right, throws a beanbag while Bob Whitaker gets ready for his turn Wednesday morning at  Herman Park Center. Both of them, along with other members of the Fifty Plus Group, meet twice a month to play cornhole...

Lawmen arrest another meth 'dealer'

PIKEVILLE -- The Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force and SBI raided another methamphetamine manufacturing operation Tuesday, this time in Pikeville. Marc Alan Kearney, 41, of 135 Kent Lane, is charged with seven counts of possession and distribution of...

Local youths showing off livestock today

DUDLEY -- Moxy wasn't exactly cooperating during his practice runs -- and there wasn't a whole lot his 12-year-old handler could do about it. "You can manhandle a goat, but you can't manhandle a cow," John Avery Sasser said....

Battle against heroin lands another in jail

The Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force is continuing its crackdown on heroin distribution in and around Wayne County. As a result of a search warrant executed on a residence in Goldsboro Wednesday, the task force has made an...

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Blackbeard's 'loot'

Artifacts from Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge will be on display at the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace in Fremont through May 24. Visitors will see cannonballs, platters, a gun flint and other objects that were recovered from the wreck...

Junior Livestock Show

The Junior Livestock Show weigh-in will begin today at 3 p.m. at the Wayne County Agricultural Fairgrounds with the show to follow on Thursday. The show is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday with the goat show followed...

One-stop voting begins Thursday

One-stop early voting for the May 6 primary starts Thursday at the Wayne County Board of Elections office, 209 S. William St., and at First Congregational Church, 215 Sleepy Creek Road, Dudley. It will continue on Friday, then all...

Goldsboro police officer assaulted by suspect

A Goldsboro police officer assaulted in the 900 block of South Slocumb Street during the apprehension of a suspect Tuesday night suffered only scrapes and bruises. Jonathan Junior Oneal, 24, of 808 Heather Ann Lane, is charged with resisting,...

Police: No new leads in shooting

Goldsboro police have no new leads in the shooting of a 51-year-old woman at The Reserve at Bradbury Place Saturday afternoon. The suspect remains unidentified. Lori Ruth Pate is recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen after a...

Democrats gather

For a while Tuesday night, Goldsboro's $18.9 million recreation bond referendum threatened to turn a forum to showcase Democratic candidates into a debate on the bond's merits. Questions about the bond, and a brief exchange between District 5 state...

SJAFB airmen defuse 'threat'

A suspicious package making "an alarm sound" in the parking lot of the Rite Aid at 100 S. Berkeley Blvd. prompted an evacuation of the surrounding area Tuesday evening. Bomb disposal experts from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base dismantled...

Two Wayne students will attend Governor's School

Two Wayne County Public Schools students have accepted invitations to attend the 2014 Governor's School of North Carolina session this summer. Governor's School is the oldest statewide summer residential program for academically and intellectually gifted high school students in...

University of Mount Olive seeks fine arts series

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive is looking for interested supporters of the arts who want to see more fine arts events in southern Wayne County. Mary Kerstetter, volunteer chair of the newly created Fine Arts Circle,...

Crime of the Week

On Tuesday, April 15, Stanley Bowers reported that an unknown black male approached him in the parking lot of J.C. Penney. After asking Mr. Bowers for a cigarette, the unknown male snatched an envelope of money from his shirt...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

'Unpopular,' but needed

Traffic congestion on Wayne Memorial Drive is leading local and state transportation agencies to install a median along the busiest part of the thoroughfare and eliminate most left turns in that section of the street. The project is intended...

Prom season patrols begin

The N.C. State Highway Patrol announced that it will be conducting an operation this week aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents and deaths involving teenagers during prom season. "Operation: Drive to Live" will commence at 6 a.m....

Promising outlook

Three dogs look through the window of a house on Chestnut Street in Mount Olive. Warm weather has returned to Wayne County, and the forecast for this weekend's N.C. Pickle Festival has organizers excited....

Lawmen arrest woman for meth

A Newton Grove woman is charged with seven counts of possession and distribution of a methamphetamine precursor, according to a press release issued today by the Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force. Wanda Larue Long, 31, 3974 Alex Benton...

Council talks health care

A light agenda at the City Council meeting Monday night left the Goldsboro City Council free to discuss, at length, a possible change to the city's health insurance coverage. The city benefits committee recommended that the city move over...

Wayne Memorial Hospital honors its outstanding volunteers of 2013

Outstanding volunteers at Wayne Memorial Hospital were recognized during ceremonies Wednesday at Lane Tree Golf Club. The annual luncheon to honor volunteers for service hours centered around the theme, "Volunteers Make a World of Difference," said Donna Archer, director...

Video store fire shuts down traffic

A fire at an adult video store Monday started in the attic, Goldsboro Fire Department Capt. Carlton Parks said. The cause was electrical. Firefighters and Wayne County EMS responded to Southside Video at 1505 U.S. 117 S., Monday just...

Monday, April 21, 2014

Woman forced to file taxes

A Goldsboro woman told police she did not initially report a gunman forcing his way into her home and making her file his taxes at gunpoint, until the man returned a week later for corrections to be made, according...

Partnership getting ready for annual boil

The 10th annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest, sponsored by the Wayne County Partnership for Children, will be May 2 from 2 to 6 p.m. "The reason we started doing something like this is because with us receiving state funds,...

Two face charged in meth arrests

The Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force has charged two people with manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine after responding to a call regarding property damage at a home in Dudley on Thursday. Michael Britt Holmes, 23, and Kristen Rene...

'American Idol Live!' tour announces summer dates

The American Idol Live! Tour has been announced, with one summer date planned in North Carolina. Majesty Rose, the popular Goldsboro contestant who made it into the Top 10 for Season 13, will be part of the 41-city tour...

Parking options announced for Pickle Festival

MOUNT OLIVE -- Vehicles will not be allowed in the downtown area of Mount Olive on Saturday as the community celebrates a full day of events during the 28th annual North Carolina Pickle Festival. Downtown streets will be lined...

New city construction now back on schedule

Warmer, drier weather has spurred construction in Goldsboro after a tough winter of ice and snow held up work. At the Holiday Inn Express, under construction on Sunburst Drive since July, work on the exterior of the building is...

Author to speak on parks at Wayne Community College

The renowned author of "National Parks: The American Experience," Alfred "Al" Runte, will visit Goldsboro for a lecture on national parks scheduled at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, April 24, starting at 7 p.m. "I'll be talking about the national...

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Volunteers honored by WCPS

An 18-year-old aspiring teacher was named the Terry Eugene Pilkington Volunteer of the Year Award recipient for Wayne County Public Schools on Wednesday afternoon. Zach West, who graduated from Wayne Early/Middle College High School last May and is preparing to...

Getting their goats (ready)

George, Daphne and Elvis are getting ready for the show. They've gotten their hair washed, cut, and whitened and their nails done. Now, they just need to stop bobbing their heads when they walk. You know? Goat problems. Meanwhile,...

Hospital locked down after woman shot in city

Wayne Memorial Hospital went into emergency lockdown for about 10 minutes Saturday after Wayne County EMS transported a woman with a gunshot wound to the emergency room following a shooting at an apartment complex Saturday. The suspect remains at...

Police, city man face off at home

Goldsboro police are releasing few details after officers engaged in a standoff with an armed man who barricaded himself inside his home on North Jefferson Street and threatened to harm himself Saturday. The subject's name has not been released....

Pikeville names new police chief

PIKEVILLE -- The town of Pikeville has a new police chief. The Pikeville Town Board agreed this week to hire Joseph Sadler, a former state Highway Patrol trooper and currently a Wayne County Sheriff's deputy, for the job. Sadler,...

Yes to parks?

With a $18.9 million Parks and Recreation bond vote looming May 6, city officials are working hard to spread information voters need to make an informed decision. If approved, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds would pay...

One-stop voting begins Thursday

One-stop voting for the May 6 primary starts Thursday at the Wayne County Board of Elections office, 209 S. William St., and at First Congregational Church, 215 Sleepy Creek Road, Dudley. The dates are April 24-25, 28-30 and May...

Col. Leavitt gets next assignment

Two weeks after the Air Force named the next 4th Fighter Wing commander, the woman currently charged with leading Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was notified about her next assignment. Col. Jeannie Leavitt will, after a June change of...

City Council meets Monday

The Goldsboro City Council will hold two public hearings at its meeting Monday night. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at historic City Hall. The first hearing is held each year as...

Friday, April 18, 2014

West: Wood should check math

The Wayne County Board of Education Thursday night acknowledged, but declined to follow, a recommendation from Wayne County commissioners that it approve the use of the design/bid/build method to construct two new schools. Not only did the school board...

Raid nets weapons, money, heroin

The Goldsboro/Wayne County Drug Squad seized money, guns and drugs as it broke up a heroin operation based out of Pikeville Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Stacey Renard Pittman, 43, and...

Bunny money

Tammy Greene, in front of a crowd of 150 excited children, outlined the objective of "The Bunny Egg Express." Out of the hundreds of eggs spread across the Herman Park Center lawn, three were golden. "That's your goal, your...

Offices closed for Easter

Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Fremont, Pikeville and many state offices are closed today in observance of Good Friday, but banks, the Postal Service and federal government offices do not observe the holiday. All Wayne County offices, including the landfill and...

Six girls to compete in Miss Blue Revue

The Zeta Chi Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority will sponsor the Miss Blue Revue Pageant and the Junior Miss Blue Revue Pageant on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. Admission is free. Six contestants will compete....

Used computers collected Saturday

The Optimist Club of Goldsboro will be at Sam's Club Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise funds and collect used computers and peripheral equipment for its Optimist Computers4Kids program. Over the last two school years, this...

Col. Leavitt gets new assignment

The Air Force has just announced 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Jeannie Leavitt's next assignment. The colonel will be the principal military assistant to the secretary of defense....

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Dozens of Goldsboro city employees volunteer for trash cleanup

Goldsboro city employees walked the roads this morning picking up trash along some of the city's most-littered routes. About 60 employees spread out around Goldsboro this morning to spend a couple hours working 20 stretches of roadway identified as...

Three WCPS employees have new duties

Three employees with Wayne County Public Schools will absorb duties held by Assistant Superintendent for Accountability/Student Services Dr. Craig McFadden, who retired earlier this month. McFadden, whose responsibilities encompassed everything related to district testing, also handled the exceptional children...

Lawmen seize guns and marijuana

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Wayne County Sheriff's Office Warrants Division noticed drugs and weapons in the home of a Mount Olive man they were serving a warrant to Tuesday, prompting a call for additional lawmen and a subsequent arrest....

Wayne County commissioners discuss new jail

Wayne County commissioners devoted half of their eight-hour meeting Tuesday to listening to and quizzing companies vying for the job of renovating the former Wayne Correctional Center for use as a county jail. Commissioners were anxious to find out...

Goldsboro considering options on health care coverage for city employees

The city of Goldsboro is weighing its options on whether to continue to fund its own health insurance next year or pay a company to provide the city with insurance. Currently, Cigna provides administration services for the city's self-insured...

Arrest made in kidnapping

An arrest has been made in a kidnapping that took place April 10 -- an incident that saw a man taken from a residence on Ivey Lane in Pikeville and later located in Fremont. Jerry Mason, 39, of N.C. Highway...

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Opinions differ on schools

Wayne County Attorney Borden Parker and Interim County Manager George Wood Tuesday evaded direct responses when asked whether Wayne County commissioners' decision on how to build and fund two new schools is binding on the county Board of Education....

They sang their songs

Students from across Wayne County came together Tuesday evening at Goldsboro High School to share, in many voices, what they have learned this year. Hundreds of people turned out for The All-County Choral Festival....

Fremont officials: Town finances improved

FREMONT -- The town of Fremont's General Fund showed a positive cash balance in March marking the first time since the beginning of the fiscal year in July 2013 that the fund has had money. Fremont Interim Town Administrator...

'Tar Heel Traveler' Mason speaks at annual Belk Lecture

The Rotary Club of Goldsboro hosted Scott Mason, known for his "Tar Heel Traveler" segment on WRAL, as the speaker for the annual Belk Lecture held Tuesday afternoon. Mason is a broadcast journalist with 30 years of experience writing and...

Dudley man faces heroin charges

KENANSVILLE -- A Dudley man is facing numerous drug charges after he was stopped for a traffic violation in Duplin County. Monterius Smith, 28, 107 Willow Road, Dudley, was charged by Duplin County sheriff's deputies with three counts of...

Crime of the Week

On Friday, April 4, at 9:15 a.m., Reginald Donnell Price Jr., 23, reported that while standing in the parking lot of the Savemore Gas Station, 1903 E. Ash St., at approximately 3:30 a.m. he heard several gunshots, then realized he...

Arrest made in kidnapping

An arrest has been made in a kidnapping that took place April 10 -- an incident that saw a man taken from a residence on Ivey Lane in Pikeville and later located in Fremont. Jerry Mason, 39, of N.C. Highway...

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Second robbery suspect evading police

Goldsboro police continue to search for the second man identified as a suspect in Monday's armed robbery of the McDonald's at 1501 U.S. Highway 70. Joseph Simms, 25, 151 Wharton Drive, should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. Police...

Ex-Raleigh planner talks development

A former Raleigh city planner spoke at a public presentation at Goldsboro City Hall on Monday about the importance of leveraging land to maximize economic development and tax revenues. City officials, including City Councilman Michael Headen, attended the presentation in...

C.B. Aycock senior gets academy appointment

Charles B. Aycock High School senior Cady Jane Sheeks has received an appointment to attend the United States Naval Academy in the fall. She said she became interested in the military option because of her own family, which includes an...

School board argues over how to replace recently deceased member

It took four votes, all split, before the Wayne County Board of Education Monday night could decide on how to go about naming a replacement to fill the unexpired term of the late Thelma Smith. But before they did, tempers...

Monday, April 14, 2014

County to eye school building plans

"Absolutely ludicrous" is how Interim Wayne County Manager George Wood is describing architect Robbie Ferris' original proposal to build two new middle schools. Not only is the capital lease method outlined in the contract the "worst option" to use...

Celebrating military children

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base held a celebration Saturday to observe the Month of the Military Child. The event featured inflatable rides, games, arts and crafts, face painting, free food and a petting zoo....

C.B. Aycock senior earns scholarships

PIKEVILLE -- A Charles B. Aycock High School senior has been awarded two prestigious scholarships, the Morehead-Cain and the Park Scholarship, offering full rides to UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University, respectively. Myra Waheed actually applied to six colleges,...

Alleged fast-food robber caught

One man is in custody and police are searching for two others following the armed robbery of the McDonald's at 1501 U.S. Highway 70 W. just after 1 a.m. today. A store manager was struck in the head with...

EWHS Key Club nets honors at convention

Since being chartered in 1996, the Key Club at Eastern Wayne High School has become one of the most active organizations on campus, its adviser, Vince Beasley, says. A social studies teacher at the school, Beasley helped launch the...

Wayne Memorial Hospital wins Spirit of N.C. Award

The Spirit of North Carolina Awards for Campaign Excellence is sponsored annually by the United Way of North Carolina. These awards provide statewide recognition for employers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and support to their community through local United...

Replicas of Columbus' ships on display

MOREHEAD CITY -- On Friday, April 25, the "Pinta" and the "Nina," replicas of Columbus' ships, will be open for visitors in Morehead City. The ships will be docked at the Sanitary Fish Restaurant, 501 Evans St., until their departure...

Top Realtor

Jeri Lynn Coker, left, accepts the Realtor of the Year Award from Bruce Gates, last year's winner, at the 48th annual Goldsboro-Wayne County Association of Realtors Luncheon held at the Goldsboro Country Club. She is a broker at Berkshire...

Officers set their sights on speeders

Slow down. That is the message Goldsboro police are sending to drivers with Operation: Safe Speeds, an initiative designed to catch speeders and to reduce collisions along the city's most congested arteries. Officials have not said when the increased...

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The apples of their teachers' eyes

Mohammed Manees Al-Harizi was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when he was 4 years old. An operation helped but affected his motor skills. Since moving to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia, he has become a thriving kindergartner at Meadow...

Daddy's home

He had only been away from home for six months, but as Luis Gonzalez approached downtown Goldsboro, his nerves got the best of him -- and questions he never would have posed before his deployment began running through his head....

County still has $500,000 in school funding

Wayne County commissioners say they would look favorably upon a proposal to use a more-than-$500,000 surplus of school funds to make supplemental appropriations to the Wayne County Board of Education. But they also questioned whether or not they would...

Man, 31, charged in assault on child

A Goldsboro man is in the Wayne County Jail today on charges of sexual assault against a minor. Investigators charged Benjamin Franklin Stone, 31, 1305 E. Mulberry St., with statutory sex offense of a child by an adult Friday....

Shooting suspect surrenders

Malik Ward, the 17-year-old Goldsboro man police say shot three people outside the Beestown Grocery at 905 S. Slocumb St. Wednesday afternoon, turned himself in to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office Friday. Investigators say security camera footage from the...

Alleged bank robber caught at mall

A suspected bank robber was caught by police minutes after allegedly robbing the New Century Bank on North Spence Avenue on Friday. Aaron Allen, 23, is being held under a $250,000 secured bond in the Wayne County Jail. According to...

Arrest made in drug case

A Goldsboro man is in custody on drug charges after an investigation involving local law enforcement and investigators from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office's Aggressive Crime Enforcement Team and the U.S. Air Force Office...

Samantha Casey is awarded Gen. Hugh Shelton Scholarship

Samantha Casey of Selma has been awarded the prestigious National Gen. Hugh Shelton Leadership Scholarship at N.C. State University for 2014-2018. The General Hugh Shelton National Leadership Scholarship is awarded each year to an incoming freshman at NC State University,...

Barbecue for a good cause

With a warm, sunny day and the promise of a tasty meal, Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County officials were optimistic about meeting their fundraising goal at the fifth annual Pig in the Park at Waynesborough Park. Many...

Mount Olive board accepts loan from Eastern Region Trust Fund

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive Town Board accepted a $100,000 loan to the town from the county's Eastern Region Trust Fund for the airport rehabilitation project at its meeting Monday night. The state Department of Transportation's Division of...

Guardian ad litem volunteers honored

Some saw an ad on television, others were recruited, but all spend their personal time making sure that children have a voice. During the Guardian ad Litem (Latin for "guardian during a lawsuit") volunteer appreciation luncheon held this past...

Groups, individuals honored for their service to community

Governor's Volunteer Service Awards were handed out to six Wayne County recipients last week during ceremonies at the WAGES office on Royall Avenue. Sponsored by the Wayne County Association of Volunteer Administration, Faye Stone, deputy executive director of the...

Four WCC students earn scholarships from State Employees Credit Union

Four Wayne Community College students have been awarded State Employees Credit Union, or SECU, Continuing Education Scholarships for the spring 2014 semester. Anthony Barnes, Tonya Callon, Savannah Hickman and Danita Kelley each received $750 for registration fees, books, certification fees...

Library baseball series to begin Wednesday

The Wayne County Public Library is sponsoring a series of lectures and programs on baseball, with the first in the series coming Wednesday evening at 7 when Author Brett Friedlander will discuss his book "Chasing Moonlight: The True Story...

Disability Awareness Walk May 7

The 18th Annual Hal Plonk Disability Awareness Walk, sponsored by the Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disability, will held Wednesday, May 7, starting with registration at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 202 E. Chestnut St. at 9:30 a.m. The...

City step closer to $200,000 trail grant

The Goldsboro City Council has officially passed the first hurdle to receiving a third Recreational Trails Program grant for $200,000. Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard presented the council with the news Monday night during its work session. The...

Hospital recognizes those who give time

Volunteers play an important role to an organization, but when it is a mental health care facility, they truly are its "champions," said Luckey Welsh Jr., CEO at Cherry Hospital. "Mental illness is something that as you well know...

Beavers named valedictorian at NCSU

James J. Beavers of Seven Springs has been named a valedictorian at North Carolina State University. Beavers will graduate from the school in May with a perfect 4.0 average in computer science after just three years. He was named to...

County students to show off choral skills in Tuesday concert

Approximately 300 choral students from Wayne County Public Schools will join their voices and musical talents on Tuesday evening for the district's 2014 All County Choral Festival at 6:30 p.m. at Goldsboro High School. The event is free and...

Friday, April 11, 2014

Un-bear-ably cute

Although both Amarii, 5, and Ki'Mirah Williams, 3, were squeezing their teddy bears throughout the afternoon, the highlight of their experience at Thursday's Teddy Bear Picnic was the dancing bear mascot and the music. When they were asked their...

Holding court

University of Mount Olive students Ellie Barnes, Sean Mitchell, Montell Solomen and Kelsey Cirrlto compete in a round of beach volleyball Thursday afternoon on campus. The warmer weather  brought out shorts and bare feet....

Daughtery talks fire taxes

Wayne County commissioners need to do a better job of justifying fire district tax rates to taxpayers instead of being merely a rubber stamp, Commissioner Joe Daughtery said this week. "My concern is this, we approve these budgets that...

Shooting suspect sought by GPD

Goldsboro police are still looking for the man believed to be responsible for the mid-afternoon shooting outside Beestown Grocery store on Slocumb Street that sent three people to the hospital Wednesday. Malik Ward, 17, is to be considered armed...

Holland speaks at BSA event

Terry Holland, the director of athletics emeritus for East Carolina University, visited Goldsboro last month as the featured speaker at the Tuscarora Council Boy Scouts of America Friends of Scouting fundraising banquet. Holland spoke on the beginnings of his basketball...

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Six hurt in four-car crash

A four-car accident on Royall Avenue just west of its intersection with Wayne Memorial Drive sent six people to Wayne Memorial Hospital at about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Goldsboro police say LaToya Danyel Davis, 28, 1100 N. Jefferson Ave.,...

Three shot in city

Goldsboro police have identified a suspect in a shooting outside Beestown Grocery on Slocumb Street just after 3 p.m. Wednesday. Three people were wounded, one in the face. Malik Ward, 17, 306 Wilmington Ave., is wanted on three counts...

Acme sells its Fremont property

FREMONT -- Acme United Corp. has sold its shuttered Fremont plant building for $850,000 to Gunma, Japan-based Kaya Products Corp. Kaya makes stainless steel pipes and metal products used for automotive antennas, broadcast equipment and other products. Kaya hasn't...

Teacher job fair Saturday at Goldsboro High School

Wayne County Public Schools will hold its annual Teacher Job Fair on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the gymnasium at Goldsboro High School. Prospective teachers can visit and learn about the programs and job opportunities at...

Barbecue 'pitmasters' featured at Pig in the Park

Two local barbecue master cooks have teamed up and will appear on the popular reality TV show BBQ Pitmasters. Carl H. Lewis Jr. and John Kearney will make their television debut on May 10 at 9 a.m. as part of...

Legislators to county commissioners: Lottery funds will be in short supply

State Rep. Jimmy Dixon's advice to Wayne County commissioners on what they should do about the county's share of state lottery revenues is simple -- "Get it all as quick as you can." Dixon's message is a reaffirmation of...

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Board eyes change

Wayne County's new county manager, who could be in office by mid-August, can expect to earn between $46,408 and $66,408 less than what former manager Lee Smith was being paid when he resigned in February. The county manager's salary was...

Home on the jet planes

Several 4th Fighter Wing F-15E Strike Eagles, and the airmen who command them, returned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Tuesday from a several-month deployment to an undisclosed location overseas....

Local Girl Scouts provide baskets for local residents

Easter came early this year for residents of Emeritus at the Pines. Members of Girl Scout Troop 95 -- some dressed as little bunnies -- hopped around the assisted living facility delivering baskets full of Easter goodies recently. A...

No more ATM fees: County courthouse taking credit cards

After years of having to direct citizens to the nearest bank or ATM, the Office of the Wayne County Clerk of Courts began accepting credit cards at its payment windows April 1. Just be sure to bring a government-issued...

Setting tobacco

Brandon Strickland and Staten Rogers, both farm technicians for Michael and Tracy Price brothers farming in Southern Wayne County, start setting their first tobacco plants of the 2014 season Monday afternoon on the Dortch Price Farm....

Miss Wayne Early Middle College High School pageant Thursday

Five contestants will compete Thursday for the 2014 Miss Wayne Early Middle College High School title. The scholarship pageant will take place at 7 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College. Alexis Mitchell is the daughter of Todd and...

Crime of the Week

On Monday, April 7, at approximately 10 p.m., Kenneth Preston Sutton, 35, reported two unknown black males entered his residence located at 1903-B E. Holly St., pointed a weapon at him and stole cash and a cell phone. On the...

Child abuse prevention highlighted

The city of Goldsboro officially opened Child Abuse Prevention Month with a proclamation decrying child abuse and highlighting the importance of children everywhere. The proclamation was read as part of a larger ceremony Tuesday featuring the Dillard Middle School choir,...

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Pikeville to put alcohol on ballot this November

PIKEVILLE -- Voters in Pikeville will again get a chance to cast ballots for or against the sale of beer and wine inside the town limits, as the Pikeville Town Board unanimously approved putting the issue on the November...

The jets are back

To those Wayne County residents accustomed to seeing F-15Es coming in for landing, the sight of a group of Strike Eagles making its way toward Seymour Johnson Air Force Base this morning might have seemed routine. They had no way...

City Council eyes where to put plane

The Goldsboro City Council is moving forward with placing the city's F-86 Sabre fighter jet on a single stand once it is refurbished. The jet, on loan to the city from the U.S. Air Force since 1970, has been...

Chalk art

Ethan Tremlett, 8, along with his sister, Isabella Tremlett, 10, uses chalk to paint on the street during Sunday in the Park at Herman Park on Sunday. Unlike last year, when Sunday in the Park was a monthly event,...

Man shot in leg while walking in city

A Goldsboro man shot twice in the leg while walking in the 1100 block of Lemon Street just after 11:30 p.m. Monday told Goldsboro police he did not know who shot him. Dana Andrew Humphrey, 23, 601 S. Oleander...

Mount Olive chamber to host Leadercast

MOUNT OLIVE -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Laura Bush will headline the 2014 Leadercast, scheduled for Friday, May 9, and to be broadcast live in the Southern Bank Auditorium at the University of Mount Olive. The event will be...

Ex-city officer indicted on sex charge

A former Goldsboro police captain is free on a $500,000 unsecured bond after he was arrested and charged Monday with statutory sexual offenses against a minor. Chad E. Calloway, 43, 205 Graces Farm Road, is charged with two counts...

Monday, April 7, 2014

Checking on Mount Olive library

MOUNT OLIVE -- Since November, Mount Olive residents have listened in anticipation as the sound of hammers and drills rang out from the interior of the old Belk building at Chestnut and Main. And Steele Memorial head librarian Melanie...

Officials eye prison

The old two-story story brick building at the shuttered Wayne Correctional Center survived Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Whether it survives Wayne County's dream of turning it into a jail remains to be seen. And if it does, it could...

Mount Olive officer clipped at checkpoint

MOUNT OLIVE -- A Mount Olive police officer narrowly escaped injury recently when the driver of a pickup truck suddenly accelerated as the officer was preparing to arrest him at a traffic checkpoint. The officer's name was not disclosed...

Man shot in back on Ash Street

A Dudley man was shot in the back early Friday morning in the Save More parking lot located at 1903 E. Ash St. Reginald Donnell Price Jr., 23, of 103 Barnwell Road, Dudley, reported that he was shot in...

County to begin retreat, talk goals

Wayne County commissioners are expected to spend all day Tuesday talking about the county budget, their search for a new county manager, and state legislative issues during a planning retreat at Walnut Creek Country Club. The retreat, which will...

Driver hurt in bus crash

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A Wayne County Public Schools bus driver was charged with failure to yield after a two-vehicle accident early this morning in the area of the intersection of N.C. 55 and Drummersville Road near Seven Springs. Ken...

WCC students inducted into honor society

Wayne Community College's Upsilon Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, has inducted 41 students into its membership in its spring 2014 ceremony. Phi Theta Kappa members represent the top 10 percent of students...

UMO student art show April 17

MOUNT OLIVE -- The opening reception for the annual spring Student Art Show is Thursday, April 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Teresa Pelt Grubbs Fine Arts Gallery and Laughinghouse Hall Student Gallery. The show will be...

Forum on 'prison complex' held

The second forum on the "Prison Industrial Complex" put last week by the African-American Caucus of the state Democratic Party drew a much larger crowd than the first forum held in February. Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce and Maj....

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Home ... at last

Hundreds of members of the 4th Fighter Wing returned Saturday from a deployment to an unspecified location....

Thousands attend Daffodil Festival

FREMONT -- Fremont United Methodist Church's preschoolers' performance might have been more about cuteness than proficiency. At 4 years old, singing is a sort of controlled yelling and dancing looks more like random muscle contractions. But make no mistake, the...

Wayne County Democrats gather

The pending November showdown between U.S. Senator Kay Hagan and her eventual GOP challenger, while important, is overshadowing another vital election, Wayne County Democratic Party Chairman Gene Britt told the party faithful Saturday. "There is one primary going on that...

Pig in the Park set for Saturday

The fifth annual Pig in the Park festival will take place Saturday to flaunt the area's best barbecue and a wide array of activities. Goldsboro Milling Co. and Sam's Club put on the festival each year in partnership with Goldsboro...

Goldsboro man charged with sex offense with child

A Goldsboro man was arrested Friday afternoon after being charged with a sexual offense with a child. Willie Futrelle, 25, was arrested at Irish Inn, 1104 Sunburst Drive, at around 2:40 p.m. Friday afternoon on one count of sexual...

Hero comes home

Charlie understands. He was touched by a unique bond -- one typically reserved for those who have fallen under attack alongside a comrade. He was marked with a sense of loyalty -- a commitment so powerful that it drives him...

Club's ABC permits threatened

In response to a shooting that took place inside a Goldsboro night club March 29, the state Alcohol Beverage Control Commission on Friday issued an official notice to the registered alcohol permit holders for Sid's Showgirls at 1931 N....

More bats found at Northeast Elementary

Two more bats found above a classroom at Northeast Elementary School were caught and released Thursday afternoon, and efforts continue to ensure the school is rid of the problem, district officials said Friday. Earlier in the week, conflicting stories...

16-year-old killed in crash on U.S. 70

A 16-year-old was killed after midnight on Friday between Goldsboro and LaGrange while he was walking in the westbound lane of U.S. 70. James Edward Johnson, 16, of 234 Byrd Yancey Bass Road, Clinton, was struck at approximately 12:24 a.m....

Friday, April 4, 2014

Majesty comes home

"I never did anything like this before but I fell in love with her," Ms. Hill said. "My kids called me anti-social before this but I was social when I had three phones calling in votes. I tried to look...

Kiwanis train is back

Saturday's opening day for the Goldsboro Kiwanis Club's miniature train will be held in conjunction with the international Kiwanis One Day project promoting a day of community service. "All Aboard: Connecting Kids and Community" will be held Saturday from...

Most food stamp cases resolved

North Carolina "kind of, sort of, almost got it done" in its attempt to meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Monday deadline to clear its backlog of food stamp applications or face the possible loss of $80 million in...

Thursday, April 3, 2014

City refinancing buildings

The city of Goldsboro will refinance loans on the Paramount Theatre and City Hall annex in order to borrow $4 million needed as a local match for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant. The city has applied for a $16.5...

One-man volleyball team motivates Rosewood High School

A "one-man volleyball team" who travels the country using the gimmick as part of his anti-bullying message for students is participating in assemblies at several area schools and a free event for the public on Friday night. Bob Holmes...

Spring has sprung

Spring is in the air at Tommy's Road Elementary School as, clockwise from top, studnets Joshue Davila, Evan Abondanza, Troy Jernigan, Aubrey Varney, Juzion McIntyre, Makenzie Batton and Jesse Fitzsimmons play on the jungle gym at the school's playground...

Deputies seize drugs, pistol

Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies took more than $31,000 in marijuana off the streets and arrested two in separate operations Tuesday. A pistol also was recovered. Regent Yvon Joseph Joubert, 25, of Durham, is charged with possession with intent to...

Three charged with meth after traffic stop

Patrol deputies with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office charged three people with possession of methamphetamine following a traffic stop conducted Wednesday after 5 p.m. in the area of Arrington Bridge Road. Deputies arrested Clark Nathan Sharp, 44, and April...

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Case closed

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Arnold Jones this morning sentenced the three men whose testimony helped the state convict Leonard Eugene Joyner for his role in the Sept. 9, 2012, first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping of 16-year-old Kennedy McLaurin...

Merger faces new scrutiny

East Wayne Fire Chief Linwood Earl Sauls Tuesday said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" that the proposed administrative merger of his department and the New Hope Fire Department had been delayed after last-minute opposition surfaced, even though the issue...

Longtime doctor decides to retire after 65 years

MOUNT OLIVE -- It would be impossible to determine how many people Dr. Robert Shackelford has treated in his 65 years as a doctor. But this coming Sunday, patients and the community in general will have the opportunity to...

Air Force names new 4th Fighter Wing commander

An F-15E pilot who learned how to command the Strike Eagle during his first of two stints at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is returning to the Goldsboro installation to lead the 4th Fighter Wing. And while no official...

Soup Kitchen's Benton honored at annual meeting

Doricia Benton received a special award at the annual meeting of the Community Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro for her years of service to the group. Mrs. Benton volunteered 10 years with the Soup Kitchen under former director Barbara Berkeley...

Test dates are set for WorkKeys

The WorkKeys tests for Career Readiness Certification, the CRC, will be offered six times this month in Wayne County. The Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success, WORKS, program will provide testing sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April...

District: Bats are under control

PIKEVILLE -- A report of a colony of bats infesting the gymnasium at Northeast Elementary School is not true, Wayne County Public Schools officials say. Officials said a handful of bats were able to enter the building through an...

Crime of the Week

On March 27, 2014 at 7 a.m. a break-in was reported by the Dairy Queen located at 1803-A Wayne Memorial Drive. Video surveillance reflects a suspect breaking the drive-thru window and entering the business. Employees reported less than $200 stolen....

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Driver arrested after skipping checkpoint

A Mount Olive man who attempted to avoid a DWI checkpoint Monday now faces weapons and drug charges after K-9 officers with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office tracked him down. Daniel Ray Boseman, 30, ran from his vehicle after...

Welcome home set for singer at YMCA

The public is invited to a welcome home reception for Goldsboro's top 10 "American Idol" contestant, Majesty Rose, at the Goldsboro Family YMCA Preschool Thursday. Majesty will be available at the reception, set for noon to 2 p.m. at...

Kim Best statement

"I am relieved with the guilty verdict and speechless at the same time. I thank God, first and foremost, and I thank Det. Dwayne Bevell ... and Assistant District Attorney Matt Delbridge for his strong and diligent pursuit for justice...

Life in prison

Kennedy McLaurin's mother, Kim Best, was not moved to tears when she heard the verdict inside a Wayne County courtroom late Monday morning. She didn't crack a smile or hug the relative sitting closest to her. Senior Resident Superior...

City finances part of Dail settlement

The city of Goldsboro will retroactively finance $1.7 million of $2.7 million it paid to a man who spent an extra 12 years in prison for a rape he did not commit due to the Police Department's negligence. Dwayne...

Traffic stop results in felony cocaine charge

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office announced charges of felony possession of cocaine against Trina Louise Smith, 43, of 200 Marlette Drive, following a traffic stop Monday. Deputies pulled Ms. Smith over due to a motor vehicle violation at the...

Tea party planned Sunday for all pickle 'princesses'

Tea parties don't necessarily need pickles, but the N.C. Pickle Festival needs a Pickle Me Pink Tea Party. That's what pickle festival chairwoman Julie Beck decided four years ago, and this weekend, 20 to 30 little girls and their...