May 2014 archives

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Shooting victim's family offers reward

The family of Doral Deangelo Best, the man shot and killed outside his residence at 101 Ervin Drive May 13, is upping the reward offered for information leading to his killers' arrest. A felony arrest of those responsible for...

Roofer charged for not finishing work

A Goldsboro roofing contractor has been charged with failure to work after being paid, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office report. Deputies arrested Christopher Bradley Worrell, 38, 102 Sagewood Place, at his home just after 3 p.m. Wednesday....

Schools set for Saturday session

Students in Wayne County Public Schools are reminded to show up for classes tomorrow. Saturday was chosen as one of the make-up days for school days missed during the erratic winter weather experienced across the state. It will be...

Love notes

Caitlin, 3, pushes her walker through the door of her big sister's bedroom. She finds Brianna, 14, sitting on her bed in what used to be the Buss family living room. "B.B., play," she says. Brianna scoops Caitlin up...

Local businessman honored by Scouts

Jim Daniels was named the recipient of the Boy Scout Tuscarora Council Distinguished Citizen Award on Thursday night at the Walnut Creek Country Club. Daniels, co-owner of Daniels and Daniels Construction Co., was recognized for his many years of...

Bike race, disc golf tournament planned for weekend

Sections of Center Street and other surrounding streets will be closed Saturday as a USA Cycling Criterion race makes a stop in Goldsboro before heading on to Greenville for the next leg of the race. Center Street will be closed...

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Man, 59, dies after being hit by vehicle

A Rosewood man died Saturday when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle outside his residence on Rosewood Road, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol. Gary Thomas Knotts, 59, of 878 Rosewood Road, was being dropped off at home...

Commission questions automatic raise clause

Wayne County Commissioners Joe Daughtery and Ray Mayo on Tuesday questioned a provision in the county's $136 million budget proposal that new employees would be eligible for a 2.5 percent pay increase after successfully completing their probationary period. Interim County...

Alleged rapist arrested

A man police say raped a 27-year-old woman in the 600 block of West Grantham Street in the early morning hours Wednesday is in custody today under a $510,000 secured bond. Jacquarious Sequan Howell, 22, 607 W. Grantham, is...

Small business seminars

The Wayne Business and Industry Center at Wayne Community College is sponsoring free summer seminars designed to prepare people to meet the challenges facing small businesses. The options and schedule includes: *Business Plan Basics, Part 1: Development Workshop, 6-8 p.m.,...

'Indiana Jones' starts movie nights series

Action, magic and comedy -- the Paramount Movie Nights has it all this season. It will start with "Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark" Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Archaeologist and occult expert Dr. Indiana Jones is...

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wayne County woman runs over scooter, shoots home

A Wayne County woman is charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling after a neighbor discovered a bullet in his residence Sunday. Starsha Topreme Sutton, 33, allegedly shot a round into the home of Johnny Rodriguez, 31, 109 Deer...

Two men charged with drug trafficking

The Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force, investigating the ongoing illegal distribution of heroin in Wayne County, charged two men with drug trafficking following a traffic stop on Tommy's Road. Michael Patrick Obrien, 44, of Dudley, is charged with...

Commissioners schedule hearing on spending plan

Wayne County commissioners had few questions Tuesday for Interim County Manager George Wood as he presented his $136 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2014-15. Even agencies that last year were the center of contentious debate failed to generate any...

WCC students chosen for Golden LEAF scholarships

Nineteen students from Wayne Community College were selected to receive spring semester scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. Curriculum (college credit) recipients and their programs of study were Elizabeth Audela, criminal...

Cooling down

Madison Lee, 6, takes a sip of her cherry shaved ice while her grandmother, Phyllis Coley, steals a taste Tuesday afternoon. Madison, a first-grader at North Duplin Elementary School, was among those looking for a cool treat to temper...

Crime of the Week

On May 13, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Goldsboro Police Department responded to a shots fired call at 101 Ervin Drive where they located 42-year-old Doral Best deceased from gunshot wound. On May 21 at approximately 6 p.m., the Goldsboro...

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Sheriff candidate calls for change

Democrat Glenn Barnes sees room for improvement in the department he wishes to head up next year. The candidate for Wayne County sheriff said he expects it would take three terms to accomplish all the things he will set...

Never, ever, forgotten

For a moment, it was as if Judy Britt was back in the early 1970s -- finding out that her brother's best friend had been killed all over again. "It's like going back in time," she said. "I remember...

Cliffs opening

Cain Graham, Ruby Andres and Elliott Graham carefully paddle their way across the lake at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. The Memorial  Day weekend was the start of summer-long fun at the lake....

Financial aid available at WCC

Students entering certain technical programs at Wayne Community College are eligible for scholarships that will pay for their classes. The college's "Top 10" Scholarship Program is designed to encourage students to study and go into careers in air conditioning, heating...

Benefit motorcycle ride to be held Saturday

A benefit poker run will be held Saturday for Jerry Grimes of Mount Olive, a well-known member of the motorcycle community having worked with Fun Products Motorcycle Mall for nearly two decades. Grimes, 68, has been diagnosed with a...

Monday, May 26, 2014

First Pentecostal Holiness Church remembers those who fought and came home

First Pentecostal Holiness Church honored eight veterans of World War II during services Sunday, in a ceremony that recognized them as members of what is known as America's "Greatest Generation." Members of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, along...

Heroes remembered

MOUNT OLIVE -- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ben Seekell did more than just remember those who fought beside him overseas at Sunday's Mount Olive Memorial Day ceremony. He shared stories of survival, of valor and of those who didn't...

Proposed route for North Carolina State Parks Mountains to Sea Trail would bypass Wayne County

The support group for the North Carolina State Parks Mountains to Sea Trail is pushing an alternate route to the trail that bypasses Wayne County altogether in favor of a southern route to the coast. But Goldsboro Parks and...

Health Department is on list of facilities projects

As the focus on the use of county-owned property on North William Street shifts from health services to a jail, Wayne County commissioners are now looking elsewhere for a new spot for a renovated Health Department. "It is very...

Community in Schools director talks about program's successes

Success coaches in the Community in Schools program understand what it really takes to inspire and to motivate students to graduate. And they shared those challenges -- and success stories -- with the state president of their organization, Eric...

I Am Old Glory

I Am Old Glory: For more than 10 score years I have been the banner of hope and freedom for generation after generation of Americans. Born amid the first flames of America's fight for freedom, I am the symbol of...

June blood drive schedule

Here is the June blood drive schedule for the Wayne County chapter of the American Red Cross: * June 10 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. at the Red Cross chapter building at 600 N. George St. * June 11 from...

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Into the future -- Wayne Christian School

The Class of 2014 at Wayne Christian School only has 14 students -- 14 seniors who have grown up together, who have celebrated successes together and who have lamented failures together. And on Friday at the Academy's graduation ceremony...

Into the future -- Wayne School of Engineering

When Taylor Morawski's name was called during the Wayne School of Engineering graduation ceremony Friday night, classmates, teachers and parents stood and applauded her wildly. And with good reason. Taylor had five brain surgeries this year, and it was...

Memorial Day 2014: Honoring those who 'gave all'

Richard Rindy of Boy Scout Troop 8 places a flag on the grave of Private First Class Harvey Wells, who fought in the U.S. Army during World War II. Scouts placed the flags on the graves of veterans at...

City police use Taser three times on suspect

A Goldsboro police officer responding to a call of an intoxicated man outside the Sheetz gas station on North Spence Avenue ended up having to use a stun gun on the suspect three times to subdue him. Donnie Cox,...

Into the future -- Faith Christian Academy

The 2014 graduates of Faith Christian Academy didn't just have their parents and teachers to thank for their celebrations Friday. They thanked God, too. As they accepted their diplomas most of the graduating seniors acknowledged the role faith has played...

Suspect arrested in Friday shooting

A Goldsboro man has been charged and another suspect is on the loose following two shootings on William Street in Goldsboro Friday morning and early Saturday morning. The two shootings happened a block away from each other at the...

County ready to discuss budget

Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning will take the wraps off a $136 million budget proposal that maintains the current tax rate of 66.65 cents per $100 of appraised property value, provides a $500 bonus for most full-time county employees...

Store breaks ground; two up in air

Dick's Sporting Goods is coming. Panera Bread might be. And there is even speculation that PetSmart will find a home in Goldsboro. Site work began Wednesday on a Dick's Sporting Goods that will be constructed off of Mall Road...

Annual Visual Arts Awards recognize students, teacher

The Mount Olive Middle School art teacher was named Art Educator of the Year for 2013-14, and student artists in Wayne County Public Schools were recognized at the annual Visual Arts Awards recently held at Herman Park Center. Karen...

Church sets sights on healthy homes

To help eliminate some of the many toxins that are in the environment, members of First African Baptist Church's health ministry are sponsoring a toxin-free event June 11. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the...

Red Cross sets date for 'Ride for the Red'

The Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross will hold a community day May 31 from 1 until 6 p.m. The free event will be held at Wayne Community College. The college will also be the starting point...

Branch manager takes reins at Steele Memorial Library

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jerilyn Lee, former regional human resources manager with UniFirst, has been named as the new Steele Memorial Library's branch manager. Mrs. Lee, formerly retired, had applied for a page position at the library, but when she...

Cougars, Tigers recall 'the old days'

School spirit was not in short supply this year. The tradition of class participation by the Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni and Friends continued at the alumni weekend this year as the Class of 2009 entered the parade for the first time...

Central Heights/Eastern Wayne alumni enjoy parade, picnic, tradition, fellowship

For those attending the Central/Eastern Wayne Alumni and Friends celebrations Saturday, the excitement was not just in the annual parade. It was what came after. After the parade, which kicked off at noon, was the annual homecoming picnic held...

Aycock site to celebrate 'Saturday on the Farm'

FREMONT -- The Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace will celebrate North Carolina's 19th century farm heritage during "Saturday on the Farm" 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14. The program will feature vintage farm equipment displayed by the Eastern...

Friday, May 23, 2014

Wayne Early Middle students get diplomas

Brandi Doubt first arrived at Wayne Early Middle College High School nervous and dressed all in black. The concept of a high school adding college courses into its curriculum while forgoing sports and other usual high school pursuits was...

The next chapter

Patty Alexander had him for homeroom. Robin Casey taught him reading. And Heather Puckett was a resource inclusion teacher who worked closer with Marlon Coley than anyone after he was diagnosed with dyslexia in the fourth grade. So when...

Offices closed Monday

Local, state and federal offices will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Goldsboro offices will be closed Monday and will resume normal business hours on Tuesday. Goldsboro sanitation routes usually picked up on Monday will be picked...

Assault suspect runs from police

A prior felon whom police say pointed a gun at his wife Thursday remains on the loose after running away from officers trying to arrest him, according to a Goldsboro police report. The weapon has been recovered. Allen Drew...

T.A. Loving chosen to oversee school plans

The Wayne County Board of Education on Thursday selected the team of Metcon/T.A. Loving as its top choice for the construction manager at risk for the Spring Creek and Grantham middle school projects. The selection process began with eight...

Local woman enters plea for fraud

A Goldsboro woman is facing up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution on her guilty plea Thursday morning in federal district court in Raleigh on a charge of wire fraud. According to court records, Hilda...

Mount Olive Memorial Day events on Sunday

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive VFW Post 9959 and American Legion Post 103 will hold a joint Memorial Day Service at Maplewood Cemetery in Mount Olive Sunday, May 25, at 3 p.m. Staff Sgt. Ben Seekell, a Purple Heart...

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Memorial service planned

When Monday's Memorial Day service is held in downtown Goldsboro, Kathy Moore will be there for her son, Ryan. But Mrs. Moore, a Gold Star mother, will be there not only for her son, who died in Iraq in...

One killed in early morning crash

A Seven Springs man died early this morning when the mo-ped he was driving crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming car, the N.C. State Highway Patrol said. The accident took place just after 1:30 a.m. on...

Man injured in city shooting

Goldsboro police have confirmed a Wednesday shooting in the city is related to the May 13 murder of Doral Deangelo Best, 42. Corey Ramone Best Jr., 20, 1908 N. John Court, is recovering from two gunshot wounds to the...

Firefighters called on to battle Nordic blaze

More than 50 firefighters from four departments responded to an industrial structure fire at the Nordic cold storage facility at 403 Commerce Court just after 7 p.m. Wednesday. An air conditioning unit atop the warehouse caught fire, sending smoke...

Optimist Club to collect used computers

The Optimist Club of Goldsboro will be at Sam's Club Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise funds and collect used computers and peripheral equipment for its Optimist Computers4Kids program. Over the last two school years, this program...

Commission approves study for new 911 dispatch center

When someone calls Goldsboro's water department after hours, the call winds up at Wayne County's already swamped E-911 call center. The calls do not tie up emergency lines, but they do tie up personnel. Last year alone, the center...

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

School plans move forward

Wayne County commissioners and the county Board of Education forged ahead Tuesday with plans to have their financing proposal for two new middle schools to be approved by the state Local Government Commission in July. Commissioners set a public...

Realtors set date for blood drive

Wayne County's Realtors will battle it out at a blood drive May 27 for bragging rights. The first ever Goldsboro Board of Realtors Blood Drive Challenge will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Board of...

Strawberry fields

Ron Cottle of Cottle Farms looks over a large field of strawberries as a crew of workers picks the fruit early today. The berries are picked fresh daily and shipped immediately to their destination. Strawberry season has been in...

Memorial Day schedule preview

Put these events on your schedule for this weekend -- and don't forget to fly your flag: * Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition breakfast, followed by placement of flags on veterans' graves -- Saturday, 8 a.m., American Legion Post...

Arrest made in Jo Jo's break-in

Investigators with the Goldsboro Police Department have made an arrest in the break-in reported at Jo Jo's Tea and Coffee shop, a downtown restaurant burglarized Monday. A bicycle stolen from another business nearby led police to the suspect. Akim...

Retirement rule will delay Gurley appointment a month

The swearing-in ceremony for Joe Gurley as the new District 4 Wayne County commissioner has been delayed to avoid a possible conflict with the state retirement system. Gurley, who was appointed to the board earlier this month by commissioners,...

Ten called Tuesday as part of Goldsboro Partners Against Crime

The number of probationers notified by the Goldsboro Partners Against Crime to either change their ways or be sent to prison grew by 10 Tuesday, bringing the total number to 85. Eleven have reoffended and two such cases have...

Student honored for effort to promote literacy for children

A sophomore at Wayne Country Day School was recently honored for his efforts to help young children develop an interest in reading. Nolan Davis received the 2014 Literacy Champion Award during the Reach Out and Read Literacy Summit. The...

Pools scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend

The Goldsboro city pool season will kick off May 24 for Memorial Day weekend. The pools will then go on a weekend schedule opening Fridays through Sundays until Friday, June 13, when the school year ends. This is a...

Alumni groups gather

Thousands of alumni from local high schools will be descending upon Goldsboro over the next few days to greet old friends and renew old bonds as the Dillard-Goldsboro and Central-Eastern Wayne alumni groups gather for their annual reunions. It...

Extension seeking input from community

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is celebrating 100 years of service, enhancing the lives, land and economy of North Carolina citizens. To help mark those accomplishments, and to assist Extension leaders as they make decisions regarding the organization...

Potpourri of learning

Sometimes, education can just be about having some fun. While the bulk of the continuing education program's schedule at Wayne Community College remains consistent -- technology, allied health and other courses that are organization-driven -- more diverse and unique...

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Two teens charged in church break-in

A pair of Wayne County teens are charged with breaking into a place of worship today after Wayne County sheriff's deputies connected them with a break-in at a church in the Rosewood community Monday. Dylan Garret Thomas, 16, 207...

Veggies (and plants) for sale

Dwanda Vann gets some help from Henry Pasour in carrying plants to her car after shopping at the Farmer's Market at Herman Park. The market is open every Wednesday. With the recent rain and warm weather, many early crops...

Robbers hit city eatery Monday

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating a break-in at a downtown eatery discovered Monday just after 8 p.m. The owner of Jo Jo's Tea and Coffee Shop, Joanne Morris, returned to her business at 123 E. Mulberry St. at...

County eyes alternate jail site

County-owned property on North William Street purchased several years ago with an eye toward its serving as a possible home for the Wayne County Health Department is getting a second look, but this time as the site for a...

Council hears from greenways supporters

A representative from the Wayne County Museum was the only person who addressed the Goldsboro City Council during a public hearing hosted by the board to give local residents an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed 2014-15 budget....

Eastern Wayne senior earns Gates Millennium scholarship

An Eastern Wayne High School senior recently learned her family won't have to worry about paying to send her off to college next year, even if she decides to pursue graduate or doctoral studies. Lexus Bivins is among 1,000...

Fire does $50,000 in damage

Firefighters dispatched to a working structure fire at a mobile home in the Grantham area Monday were able to extinguish the blaze before it became a total loss. The Thoroughfare, Grantham and Mar Mac Fire Department's responded to 381...

Monday, May 19, 2014

Team helps stranded boaters with stalled craft

The Arr-Mac Water Response Team launched its craft into the Neuse River Sunday afternoon to rescue a pair of stranded boaters. Bradley Knapp and Corey Fletcher, both of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, found themselves in trouble on the...

Officers searching for alleged trafficker

The Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force is searching for an alleged Florida-based drug trafficker whom they say has taken up residence in Wayne County. Authorities so far have released only a name. No photos or descriptions of the...

Target: Graduation

The barriers to graduation might have some common themes, but the county schools' success coaches have to do more than stick to an academic script to encourage students in their schools to set their sights on a diploma. And...

Suspect will face three drug charges

A federal investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad resulted in an arrest Friday. Brandon Wayne Woodruff, 32, of 423 Hinnant Road in Pikeville, is in...

Military spouses get 'thank-yous'

Tucking a child carrier under one arm and holding the hands of her two daughters with the other, Sarah Trosclair added a fourth bundle to her full armload -- one shoe box. Despite adding to her juggling act, the...

County weighs 911 call center

Wayne County commissioners for years have discussed the need not only to expand the county's E911 Call Center, but to add a backup center as well. The process had been moving along until February 2011 when plans for a...

Optimist Club offers summer computer camp

The Optimist Club of Goldsboro's second annual Computers4Kids Summer Camp will be held in July. The camp will provide students with the skills necessary to refurbish and to build their own functional computer systems from parts obtained from used...

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Survivor strong

Getting a diagnosis of cancer is not for the faint of heart. Time stands still. Everything goes silent. And being a survivor starts that very first day. Just ask anyone who has been in the trenches. For most, the...

Thousands attend Relay for Life

Three hundred luminarias. Eighty campsites. More than 12,000 visitors. And while the number everybody wants to know -- just how much Wayne County's annual Relay for Life raised -- is not yet available, organizers of the 2014 event are...

Private schools get ready for graduations

The first round of high school graduation begin later this week, for three private schools and the two newest public schools. Wayne Early/Middle College High School will kick off commencement season Thursday at 6 p.m. at The Bridge Church in...

Youngest Relay-ers end event

After 15 hours of walking and celebrating at Relay for Life, Honorary Youth Chairman Joshua Paul Weaver had at least one more lap in him before his team packed up. To the tune of the "Cupid Shuffle," he and roughly...

Schools hiring manager for projects

The Wayne County Board of Education Facilities Committee Tuesday is expected to discuss responses to the board's request for qualifications for a "construction manager at risk" to oversee the construction of two new schools. The school board is currently advertising...

A flame for every story

He rode in on the back of an evening breeze -- the man who, nearly a decade ago, left behind a wife and daughter who have, ever since, longed to hear the tall tales he was know for telling during...

GPD has no new leads in Tuesday murder

Goldsboro police have no new leads in their investigation into the murder of Doral Deangelo Best, despite the fact that investigators have been working around the clock since the 42-year-old was shot to death in the Central Heights community...

Democrats have not yet picked candidate

Wayne County Democrats say they have not yet selected a candidate to challenge Republican Joe Gurley in November for the District 4 seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners. The office would normally not be up for election...

Friday, May 16, 2014

School district fires Smith

Wayne County Public Schools' transportation director is out. "As of Thursday, Raymond Smith is no longer with Wayne County Public Schools," said Ken Derksen, director of communication services. "He was officially terminated as of this afternoon." No reason for...

Passing the torch

Special Olympics athletes Alan Jenkins, Erica Walderman and Ryan Hood carry the torch at the start of Thursday morning's Special Olympics Torch Run designed to bring attention to the athletes. The Wayne County part of the run is sponsored...

Ready to Relay

Nancy Autry uncovers a homemade hitching post she created for the Rays of Hope campsite for Relay for Life at the Wayne County Agricultural Fairgrounds this morning. The team was formed in memory of Billy Wells, who loved to...

Lawmen arrest alleged meth dealers

An investigation conducted by the Goldsboro/Wayne County Interagency Drug Task Force resulted in two arrests Tuesday. Jennifer Howell Bannorra, 41, and Michelle Sugg Howell, 39, both of 1717 U.S. Highway 70 West, have been charged with one count each...

Three suspects sought in city home invasion

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating a home invasion that took place just before 11 p.m. Thursday at a residence on Sandborn Lane. As Bixian Liu, 32, walked through the front door of his home, three black men in...

Council eyes proposed budget; cuts, expenditures under scrutiny

Organizations seeking funding from the city of Goldsboro will have a chance Monday night to plead their cases. The City Council will hear from groups looking for financial help in the 2014-15 budget at its meeting Monday night. Council...

Five to compete for title of Miss Goldsboro High School

Five contestants will compete for the crown of Miss Goldsboro High School on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium. Tickets are $5 a person and can be purchased at the door. Contestant No. 1 is Emili Zelaya,...

Silver Alert issued for senior

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is asking for help locating a woman missing since May 9. A Silver Alert was issued Wednesday for Darlene Wilson, 50, 200 C North Hereford Drive, who was last seen walking in the 2300 block...

Thursday, May 15, 2014

State parks four WCPS school buses

Administrative changes, including personnel, are imminent after the Wayne County School District again scored poorly during a follow-up bus inspection earlier this week. Inspectors were in town Monday, marking the fourth time the state conducted a random inspection since...

Lawmakers foresee busy short session

Salary increases for teachers and other state employees, reinstating lottery money for school construction, coal ash ponds and Medicaid reform shared the stage Wednesday with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees and the usual pomp and circumstance of opening day...

Minister pleads in child porn case

RALEIGH -- A Mount Olive freelance minister faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court Wednesday to receipt of child pornography. Sentencing for Timothy Jack Strickland, 42, is set for Aug. 18. Strickland could...

Board eyes Health Department needs

The Wayne County Health Department building "doesn't even come close" to the quality of facilities in counties of comparable size, several Board of Health members said at a meeting Wednesday. Discussion about a recent tour of Health Departments in...

2014 Relay for Life schedule

This year's Relay for Life will include all sorts of activities, everything from special foods sales to ceremonies to live entertainment. Here's what's on the schedule: Friday: * 4 to 4:30 p.m. -- Margo Smith * 4:30 to 4:45 p.m....

Solid Waste will hold hazardous waste collection day this Saturday

DUDLEY -- The Wayne County Solid Waste Department will hold a household hazardous waste collection day Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wayne County Landfill. Household hazardous wastes include materials that are: *Corrosive - like oven...

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Ready to Relay: Teams are set for battle against cancer

If you see Santa and his elves around the Christmas tree in the summer, Dorothy and all her friends from "The Wizard of Oz" or Scooby-Doo's van, you know you're in the right place for some serious fundraising to...

Stamp Out Hunger aids local families

Wayne County postal workers collected twice as much food as expected during their recent Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Postal workers had hoped to collect 16,000 pounds of food this year, but when it was weighed, the total was...

Man shot along city street

Goldsboro police do not yet have a suspect in the investigation of a shooting death outside a residence in the 100 block of Ervin Drive late Tuesday. Doral Deangelo Best, 42, died lying in a ditch in front of...

Council to seek money to widen Berkeley

The city of Goldsboro's Berkeley Boulevard widening project could receive a nearly interest free $636,187 loan through Wayne County. The county is administering loans from North Carolina's Eastern Region Trust Fund. The money would not speed up the project,...

Candid camera: Wildlife style

A Tri-County Electric Bright Ideas grant has given a class of seventh-graders at Wayne Country Day School the opportunity to combine a study of environmental and ecological science with North Carolina history. Cathie Hooks said her students set up...

City has plenty set for summer

Summer in downtown Goldsboro kicks off this week with the first of the annual Center Street Jams on Thursday evening. The band Spare Change will lead off the concert series. Also, on Saturday, the grand opening of the downtown...

No changes in final results from primary

No surprises or changes turned up during Tuesday morning's canvass of the May 6 primary. "It went fine," Wayne County Elections Director Rosemary Blizzard said. "Everybody balanced out. Nobody showed up. It was just us, and we were done...

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Striking for good

Taylor Morawski ducks under their wrapped wrists and jutting elbows. She steps over their colorful shoes and slips easily behind the backs of their bowling league shirts with logos and stenciled names. She pops up under the arm of...

Under the gun

By the time a motorist sees them, it is too late. The radar has been locked in. Blue lights are flashing. Traffic is parting. And coming up from behind is a Goldsboro police officer. Over the two-week period that...

Inmate tries to intimidate witnesses

An inmate being held in the Wayne County Jail on rape charges stemming from an armed robbery in December 2013 is under investigation for an alleged act of witness intimidation. Christopher McKinney Barrett, 21, whose address is listed as...

Police identify woman at motel

Nearly two months after discovering her body, investigators with the Goldsboro Police Department have identified a woman found deceased in a local hotel room March 16. Officers called to the Econo Lodge at 704 Corporate Drive found the body...

Owners question raid by ALE at Internet location

Julie Tillett and Johnny Coley are up in arms today after being forced to close the doors of their Internet sweepstakes business on N.C. 111 South last week. State Alcohol Law Enforcement and FBI agents seized game machines, computers,...

Monday, May 12, 2014

Wayne farmers report tobacco plant shortage

The heart of the tobacco belt is beating a bit uneasily these days as a shortage of tobacco plants is threatening to turn what had been an expected 2-3 percent increase in acreage in Wayne County to a loss...

Woman says she knows who killed her dog

A Goldsboro woman told police she knows the man who broke into her home early Sunday morning, kidnapped her dog and then killed it by smashing it against the front fender of her car, according to a Goldsboro police...

Board to hold special session

Wayne County commissioners will meet in special session Tuesday morning to discuss and possibly act on an amended and increased loan application through North Carolina's Eastern Region. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room...

Groups would hurt under budget

Feeding 25 homebound seniors for a year. Purchasing new display cases for the Wayne County Museum. Expanding WATCH programs in the county to help those most in need. Those are just some of the things that could be accomplished...

Sunday, May 11, 2014

A degree? Priceless

[email protected] The sweltering heat Friday night presented a challenge to the 634 candidates for certificates, diplomas and degrees standing outside of Love Temple awaiting the ceremony. But nothing could stop the smiles of those who came to watch them cross...

Community gives shower facilities to Camp Tuscarora

[email protected] The need had been identified for years. At Camp Tuscarora, Scouts have been using portable toilets for the last five years -- a condition that was only supposed to last one summer. For 10 years prior to that, the...

Break in at T-Mobile investigated

[email protected] The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating a break-in at the T-Mobile cell phone store located at 225 N. Berkeley Blvd. that took place Thursday night. So far, no suspects have been identified. Nearby officers responded to an alarm at...

Shooting victim tried to drive self to hospital

[email protected] DUDLEY -- A Duplin County man trying to drive himself to Wayne Memorial Hospital after being shot in the face spun his vehicle in front of a Highway Patrol cruiser to get the officer's attention. The victim was identified...

New schools are on track for next step

[email protected] Work could begin within months on middle schools in the Grantham and Spring Creek communities -- the first new schools to be built in Wayne County in many years. The Wayne County Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to...

Seven Springs remembers 'old days'

[email protected] SEVEN SPRINGS -- Standing in the shade of a large old tree and cooled by a steady spring breeze, Thurman Herring, 72, said he could close his eyes and easily recall the days before air conditioning. Herring, of Mount...

SJAFB airmen run 5K to support EOD families

Airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, along with other Wayne County residents, took part in a 5-kilometer run Saturday morning through downtown Goldsboro. The event was planned to raise awareness of the need to support the families of fallen...

Judge Finan honored for work with children

[email protected] District Court Judge Timothy Finan serves Lenoir, Greene and Wayne County, but it is his commitment to serving children that is being celebrated. The N.C. Guardian ad Litem Judicial District 8 and 3A presented the first-ever 2014 Champions for...

New leaders to take on Heart Walk

[email protected] MOUNT OLIVE -- Stan Ricker knows the dangers of heart disease. The new Mount Olive Heart Walk co-chairman has had two heart attacks in the past, and his brother died from a heart attack last year. Today, he joins...

The gift of a second chance

[email protected] Durwood Evans' heart is full of gratitude and love, and not just because of the heart transplant he received in March. He was born with a transposition of the great vessels, a heart defect where the two major vessels...

Central/EWHS Alumni reunion May 23-25

Central/Eastern Wayne High School Alumni & Friends will observe its 42nd annual homecoming Friday through Sunday, May 23-25. Classes with numbers ending in 4 and 9 will be honored. A banquet will be held at 7 p.m. at Best Grove...

City: Bond referendum had error

By MATT CAULDER [email protected] A mistake made by the city's bond attorneys invalidated the proposed $18.9 million Parks and Recreation bond before a single vote was cast, city officials say. Had the bond passed, the city would have had...

ABC appointment sparks dispute

[email protected] An appointment to the Wayne County ABC Board that led to questions about the appointment process Tuesday left Wayne County Commissioner Ray Mayo bristling -- and fellow Commissioner Ed Cromartie explaining that he simply had questions about the process....

Friday, May 9, 2014

Tassels turned

Kim Sutton is older than the typical student receiving a high school diploma. But then, so were most of those crossing the stage in Moffatt Auditorium Thursday night. The more than 400 candidates in the Wayne Community College Adult High...

Traffic stop leads to marijuana

A High Point man faces drug charges as a result of a traffic stop conducted by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team on Tuesday. Keenan Rommell Winn, 20, of 3887 Range Crest Court in High Point,...

Fighting cancer -- one head at a time

Barber Leslie Potts at the Pikeville Barber Shop shaves the head of town board member Todd Anderson, who also is headmaster at Wayne Country Day School. The town of Pikeville has proclaimed itself the "cancer-fighting capital" and has taken...

County hires architect for jail

An architect has been selected and $5 million set aside for Wayne County's proposed new jail. All the county needs now is a site for the facility. Wayne County commissioners are hopeful the site will be the shuttered Wayne...

City changes insurance requirements for workers

Beginning in July, city employees and their families on the city's insurance will notice a few changes to their health plans. The Goldsboro City Council approved a measure Monday night accepting the city manager's recommendation that the city move to...

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Wayne County's fallen lawmen

Pikeville Police Department * Constable Zeb Lancaster -- 1900 Goldsboro Police Department * Herbert C. Weegard, 1940 * Mahlon M. Parks,1960 * Frank Faircloth, 1960 * Walter J. Rouse,1968 Fremont Police Department * Chief Walter Braswell, 1965 N.C. State Highway...

Walking for a cause

About 400 people took part in the annual Mayor's Committee Walk for Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday in downtown Goldsboro. The five-block walk was intended to raise awareness of the needs of the disabled....

Gurley's last day on job is June 1

Joe Gurley will continue to serve as director of the Wayne County Office of Emergency Services until the end of the month, when he will step down to become the county's newest member of the Board of Commissioners. Gurley...

Never forgotten

The sound of cowboy boots tapping across a wooden deck. The sight of a white Chevrolet pulling into the driveway. The way a man's grin spreads into a long smile when his wife comes into view. The little things...

Gaming location raided, closed

The U.S. Attorney General's office is declining to confirm or deny whether federal agents shut down 111 Sweepstakes, a local Internet gaming establishment located at 211 N.C. 111 S., Wednesday. The agency would only say it could not comment...

T.A. Loving Relay fundraiser Friday

T.A. Loving Co. will hold a "Shoot for the Cure" fundraiser for Relay for Life on Friday at the Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville, N.C. Participants will be provided with two full rounds of sporting clays, shotgun shells, water and...

Lottery held for city's new charter school

Wayne Preparatory Academy held a lottery Tuesday to determine which children would be admitted to attend the charter school during its pilot academic year. Nearly 500 applicants were vying for placement there. "In the charter school application to the...

Local student chosen to speak at N.C. State

An N.C. State University student from Goldsboro has been chosen as student speaker at his commencement ceremony on Friday. Joshua Russell Chappell was selected by faculty members from the Department of Chemical and Biomecular Engineering after submitting a speech proposal....

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

School board: Each picked

The Wayne County Board of Education lived up to the letter of the state's Open Meetings Law even though informal discussions between candidates seeking appointment to the District 3 seat and individual board members took place outside of any...

County voters' choices mirror state trend

Despite a lack of local races, voter turnout in Wayne County for Tuesday's primary was nearly double compared to that of the May 4, 2010, primary. And for the most part, the local vote followed the statewide trends in...

Read their lips: No new taxes

There will not be a tax increase to fund a new W.A. Foster Recreation Center and a renovated Herman Park. There will not be a revenue source to construct a multi-sports complex in the foreseeable future. In a vote...

Communities in Schools hopes to expand

Positive outcomes from the success coach programs at the high school and middle school levels have Communities in Schools looking toward expanding down to the elementary grades in the future. CIS Executive Director Selena Bennett credited the addition of...

WCC graduations Thursday

Wayne Community College will confer more than 1,000 diplomas at week's end, during two graduation ceremonies. The Class of 2014 curriculum ceremony, for 643 candidates enrolled in the college credit programs, will be held on Friday evening at 6 p.m....

Seven Springs festival Saturday

SEVEN SPRINGS -- The 14th annual Ole Timey Days festival will be held Saturday. The first event of the day will be a pageant at 9 a.m. at town hall. The court will reign over the festival that will...

Postal Service food drive Saturday

To help fight hunger in Wayne County, letter carriers are collecting nonperishable foods during their annual food drive. Letter carriers are encouraging people to put nonperishable foods in their mailbox Saturday. Or you can put it in a bag...

Crime of the Week

On Monday, May 5, 2014 at approximately 9:10 p.m., 23-old Andrea Broadie reported picking up two males from the 900 block of South Slocumb Street and giving them a ride to a residence on Isler Street in Goldsboro. Once they...

City water flushing program to start

The City of Goldsboro Public Works Department will begin its annual unidirectional water line flushing program on Sunday, May 11 at 10 p.m. Crews will be flushing lines from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. daily, except on Fridays and Saturdays....

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Deal is reached on new schools

The Wayne County Board of Education and Wayne County Board of Commissioners have reached a compromise over how to finance and construct two new middle schools. The deal ends a months-long, and sometimes terse, war of words between the...

Man with Goldsboro ties pleads to two counts, second-degree murder

RALEIGH -- Ray Rouse IV pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of second-degree murder in the death of an elderly couple in Raleigh. Rouse, 35, also pleaded guilty to drunken driving. He was sentenced to between 10 and 13...

At the polls

Chief judge Blair Elliot and poll worker Bobby Jones insert a ballot into an electronic counter from a curbside voter this morning at WAGES on Royall Avenue. Wayne County voters took to the polls today to cast ballots in...

Teen to face murder charge

Greene County investigators had to look no further than the Wayne County Jail to locate a Goldsboro teen they say is guilty of a Greene County murder. Derejay Williams Speede, 17, of 129 Mill Creek Road, is being held...

Gurley to retire to take seat on commission

County Republicans nominated Joe Gurley, the longtime director of the Wayne County Emergency Services Department, Monday night to fill the unexpired term of former county commissioner Steve Keen. Keen represented District 4 on the board of commissioners until he...

Council eyes city budget

No increase in utility or solid waste treatment fees. No funding for WAGES. And no new taxes -- unless, of course, the city's $18.9 million Parks and Recreation bond passes today. The Goldsboro City Council got its first look...

Former GHS principal Burden named to seat

The Wayne County Board of Education Monday night appointed retired Goldsboro High School principal Patricia Burden to complete the unexpired District 3 term of the late Thelma Smith. There was no public discussion by the board, or comments from...

Woman, passenger robbed at gunpoint

Goldsboro police are investigating an armed robbery that took place in the 600 block of Isler Street just after 9 p.m. Monday. According to a Goldsboro police report, Andrea Shanquel Broadie, 23, of Hugh Street, gave two men a...

Kinston man is facing drug charges after stop

A Kinston man faces drug charges in Wayne County following a traffic stop Monday. Braxton Hunter Spence, 20, of 3536 En Dickerson Road in Kinston, is charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine and possession of...

Monday, May 5, 2014

Burden named to school board

Former Goldsboro High School principal Patricia Burden will take over the Wayne County School Board seat held by the late Thelma Smith. For complete details, see Tuesday's News-Argus....

Primary vote is Tuesday

One-stop voting in advance of Tuesday's primary totaled 1,893 votes -- 321 at First Congregational Church at Dudley and 1,572 at the Wayne County Board of Elections office in Goldsboro. The polls for Tuesday's primary will open at 6:30...

New Extension agent getting her feet wet

Stefani Garbacik's first day on the job Thursday as Wayne County's new Extension Service livestock agent was a whirlwind of paperwork, learning the computer system and meeting people. And she does not expect to slow down for some time...

Teenager faces heroin charges

A Wayne County man faces heroin charges after a traffic stop on N.C. 111 South on Saturday. Collin Lee Johnson, 19, 100 Delia Trail, faces charges of possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia...

GATEWAY views differ

Goldsboro City Councilman Gene Aycock is not convinced. He is not convinced that Goldsboro needs a new $3.8 million transfer station for its urban bus system. He is not convinced that if his fellow council members determine that one...

Board to talk vacant seat, jail

Wayne County commissioners could vote Tuesday to set aside $5 million for construction and renovation of additional jail space and to hire an architectural firm to design the project. The money would come from the unassigned fund balance in...

Winning outfit

Casey Wilkerson, right, talks to Cliffs of the Neuse State Park Ranger Autum Kahl after Casey won the recyclable fashion show held at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. Her dress was made of paper and plastic straws....

Swinging for the fences

Cole Grady keeps his eye on the ball as he swings his bat Saturday morning at the opening day of tee ball season at the Calypso Ball Park. Hundreds of people turned out for the all-day event. With spring...

DAR essay contests winners are announced

Members of the David Williams Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a reception at the Wayne County Museum recently for students who wrote essays for the American history, Christopher Columbus and Good Citizen Awards competitions. There were...

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Her year

For years she has walked for those cancer has stolen from her -- for each grandmother taken by the disease. But this year, when Michelle Marks and the members of her Relay for Life team, Team M&M, take their...

Candidates for school board speak

The Wayne County Board of Education is expected to appoint someone Monday night to fill the unexpired term of the late Thelma Smith, who represented District 3 for 17 years prior to her death on Feb. 28. Five people...

Politicians, residents and community leaders gather

Money that otherwise could provide salary increases for teachers and other state employees is instead being diverted to plug massive budget holes created by Medicaid costs. That is just one of the reasons it is vital those costs be...

Five firms vying for county contract

Architectural firms vying for the contract to design Wayne County's proposed $12 million regional agricultural center will have the chance to convince the county they should get the job later this month. The Wayne County Agriculture Advisory Committee received...

New beginnings

The University of Mount Olive, formerly Mount Olive College, graduated its first class under its new name during the institute of higher learning's 60th Spring Commencement in the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena Saturday. More than 300 degrees...

Group hosting event for military spouses

In an effort to honor the people who stand beside those who wear the nation's uniform, Support Military Spouses, a local non-profit, will host a "Shoebox Delivery" event at the North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union May 16 from...

Council will get first look at budget Monday

The Goldsboro City Council will hold a public hearing Monday at 7 p.m. to listen to the public's opinions about plans for how it will pay for various projects in downtown, including the $4 million match to pair with...

Local GOP urges 'no' vote

Goldsboro voters should reject a bond referendum Tuesday to pay for improvements to parks and recreation sites, says the chairman of the Wayne County Republican Party and a city property owner. City officials have said sale of the proposed...

Friday, May 2, 2014

GOP set to fill Keen's seat

The Wayne County Republican Party Executive Committee will meet Monday night to name its choice to replace, at least for the next seven months, Steve Keen as the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 4 representative. As of Tuesday...

Little Bank granted extension

The city of Goldsboro has granted the Little Bank an extension on its lease agreement for the purchase of the former Arts Council property at the corner of Ash Street and Spence Avenue. The Little Bank agreed to pay...

Golden games

Irene Johnson took a quick turn and cut in front of the two senior citizens walking the track. "I can't walk that slow," she said. At 85, Mrs. Johnson doesn't need a walker or cane. She can get around...

Another man shot in city

Goldsboro police are searching for the man suspected in today's early morning shooting in the Fairview Housing Community. The victim, Chad Donnavan Herring, 26, was shot several times in both legs and transported to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville....

Residents gather for National Day of Prayer

Warriors of Christ is what Lt. Col. Dwayne W. Keener called those attending the fourth annual National Day of Prayer at the Family Y Thursday night. Keener, a chaplain at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, was the featured speaker...

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Wayne Community College discontinues student loans

Wayne Community College will no longer offer direct student loans and is introducing a deferred tuition payment option in time for the fall semester. At a special called meeting Wednesday, the college board of trustees voted to discontinue participation...

Victorious

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Eight months ago, he was just another teenager -- a typical 14-year-old looking forward to his first day of high school. But when a routine eye exam led to a shocking diagnosis, Joshua Paul Weaver's life...

One-stop voting ends on Saturday

Half of the nearly 1,000 ballots cast so far in one-stop voting have been by Goldsboro residents. There are no county races on the ballot for the Tuesday, May 6 primary, but Goldsboro residents will decide the fate of...

School placed in lockdown after gun report

North Drive Elementary School was locked down for about 30 minutes this morning as officers conducted a search for a student reported to have boarded a school bus with a gun. The student, who has not been identified because...

Man, 33, dies in one-car accident

A Goldsboro man died in an accident on West Grantham Street Wednesday evening after allegedly running a red light and colliding with a tractor-trailer near the intersection of Grantham Street and Jordan Boulevard. Glyn Daniel Allen, 33, of 209...

City police: Bradbury shooter is already in local jail

Goldsboro police investigators say the man who shot a 51-year-old woman in an apartment complex parking lot April 19 is currently in the Wayne County Jail facing charges related to an incident that occurred the day before. Derejay Williams...