February 2018 archives

View Archive

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Cultivating the best

Brothers Ronald and Nelson Parks, who own a Seven Springs area farming operation, were honored Monday night by the Wayne County Livestock Development Association as its 2017 Outstanding Producer. The association also paid tribute to Curtis Shivar who is...

City says locked doors aren't a security measure

The front doors of Goldsboro's historic City Hall may appear to welcome visitors and residents interested in applying for a job or connecting with community relations staff. But as of Monday afternoon, the doors were locked in a move...

School safety under scrutiny

Gun control. Arming school teachers. Both controversial proposals to thwart mass shootings -- such as the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead -- could crop up when the state's newly created bipartisan House...

Jazz on John Street features UMO Jazz Band

Jazz on John Street features a variety of jazz music, from traditional to contemporary, from smooth jazz to energetic dance music -- and it's all free. The event is sponsored by the Arts Council of Wayne County and supported by...

Six Wayne County girls earn Girl Scout Silver Award

Six Wayne County girls were awarded the Girl Scout Silver Award by Girl Scouts- North Carolina Coastal Pines recently. The Girl Scout Silver Award is the second highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette's accomplishments...

Two Wayne County girls earn Girl Scouts' top honor, Gold

The North Carolina Coastal Pines congratulates Jennifer Renee Potts and Anna Wisniewski of Goldsboro for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest and most prestigious achievement in Girl Scouting. Awarded to fewer than 6 percent of...

Partial rate increase approved for Duke customers

The N.C. Utilities Commission approved a partial rate increase for Duke Energy Progress that is half the amount requested by the power agency last year. The commission, which issued a decision late Friday, will allow Duke Progress Energy to...

Blue Dragon Festival

The Arts Council of Wayne County will hold its first-ever Blue Dragon Festival March 3 at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. The free festival, beginning at 10 a.m., encourages local youths to ring in spring with creativity and...

After school program offers a place to belong

Doricia Benton, director of the Community Soup Kitchen, believes in serving as many people as she can. The mission of the venue goes beyond the daily midday meals, she says -- because the needs of the community do not...

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Goldsboro resident injured in kitchen fire

Goldsboro firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at a Fallin Boulevard apartment Tuesday afternoon. The fire occurred shortly before 1 p.m. at 113 Fallin Blvd., in Apartment C. Tyvon Cooper, a resident of the Legacy at Berkeley Place apartments,...

Senior program offers elderly companionship and options

When Pamela Williams showed up on Rosetta Coley's doorstep in December, the women had no idea they were on the threshold of a sweet friendship. Coley, 75, was a teacher who retired from O'Berry Center. Williams, retired from an...

State DHHS secretary visits city

The state's disability community is an untapped pool of talent for local businesses and industries in need of skilled and dedicated workers, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Cohen was the...

Board speeds some class size cuts

The Wayne County Board of Education voted to quickly reduce class sizes at five low-performing elementary schools -- without plans on how to fund it -- at its meeting Monday night, a decision which one board member called politically motivated...

Sheriff announces promotion, honors

Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce announced recently the promotion of a deputy and presented seven deputies with certificates of various achievement. Deputy Hope Shivar was promoted from patrol to the Detective Division. Pierce presented her with her detective badge...

Board hastens class size cuts at five Wayne County schools

The Wayne County Board of Education voted to quickly reduce class sizes at five low-performing elementary schools at its meeting Monday night. The vote came during a discussion on the results of the board's Student Assignment Committee meeting Feb. 8,...

Monday, February 26, 2018

Armed robbery suspect charged

Goldsboro Police have made an arrest in last week's robbery of Hi-5 Vapor located at 565 E. New Hope Road. Jason Gregory Brown, 30, of McNeill Lane in Goldsboro is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of...

Man charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly setting fire

A 60-year-old Goldsboro man was arrested for attempted first-degree murder after allegedly setting fire to an occupied home Friday night. Milford Bass, of 300 W. Grantham St., was arrested and charged Friday by Goldsboro police with two counts of felony...

Facing hard choices

MOUNT OLIVE -- Katie Whitley would rather stand on the front line and protect her classmates than hide and potentially survive a mass shooting. She is 13. Her choice, startling for her mother, Marcia Whitley, is also a reflection...

Filing concludes Wednesday at noon

The filing period for most offices to be decided in November's midterm elections ends at noon on Wednesday. The primary will be held Tuesday, May 8, and the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Also, the primary election one-stop...

Celebrating tradition at Tuscarora

The Tuscarora Council of the Boy Scouts of America celebrated 95 years of service along with hosting a live and silent auction Thursday night. Boy Scouts, their families and friends gathered for an evening of fun and fellowship at Goldsboro...

Greenway trail opens behind Wayne Community College

A new greenway path is completed and open to the public along a wooded area behind Wayne Community College and Wayne UNC Health Care. Paving of the 1.5-mile Reedy Branch Greenway, from New Hope Road to Gloucester Road, was...

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Sounds of music

The Wayne County Community Band is a conglomeration of musicians. One played in school, then didn't pick his instrument back up again for 40 years. Another played in a military band. Another is a teen who plays in his high...

Black History Quiz Bowl features education, art

Spring Creek Middle School fifth-graders Maia Phillips, 11, and Raygan King, 11, said they thought they would do well in Saturday's Black History Quiz Bowl. "We have been studying a lot," Maia said. "I mean, like, a lot. I...

Complex nearly complete

Randy Guthrie smiles at the thought of Air Force fighter jets flying over the nearly finished Goldsboro Multisports Complex on Oak Forest Road. "It's a selling point," said Guthrie, Goldsboro assistant city manager, during a recent visit to the...

Mount Olive celebrates black history with parade, dignitaries

MOUNT OLIVE -- Superior Court Judge Carl Fox was out walking in his hometown Saturday afternoon -- just like he did growing up there. Well, maybe it was a little different. He was walking down the middle of Breazeale Avenue...

American pastime

America's pastime and America's armed forces -- the only thing missing from the Freedom Classic Baseball Game Friday was apple pie. The annual series, held at Historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston, kicked off with its first of three games...

Sen. Don Davis caps off Eastern Wayne's Black History Month events with speech

Eastern Wayne High School capped off a week of Black History Month events Friday, as students gathered in the school's main gym to listen to a speech from Sen. Don Davis. Speaking to hundreds of students, Davis told the...

Friday, February 23, 2018

Remains of a Goldsboro native killed in the Vietnam War are recovered

The remains of a Goldsboro native and Air Force navigator killed during the Vietnam War were recovered in Laos in mid-January, according to a press release sent by Seymour Johnson Air Force Base today. The remains of Col. Edgar Felton...

Progress 2018 -- Making A Difference: Heart in the City

There are times when Shycole Simpson-Carter returns to the public housing community where she grew up in Mount Olive. She'll visit the area along McDonald Drive with her daughter, a daughter she's been able to raise in a home with...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: In the service of the King

A broken flip-flop. A crying child. Marcia Whitley knew she had to do something to help so she took the shoes off of her daughter's feet and gave them to the crying child. The year Katie, her daughter, started kindergarten...

Progress 2018 -- Making a DIfference: A hero in disaster

Tetoya Gibson-Preston will never look at a bottle of Gatorade the same way again. As an American Red Cross volunteer, she was driving through what looked like a war zone in Florida after Hurricane Irma caused tremendous devastation, giving out...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: A mighty gift

Andrea Freile is barely 4-foot-11 and speaks with a lilting Latina accent -- which could have been reasons why this community might not have welcomed her, she said. But just as she has gathered all the energy and kindness and...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: League of extraordinary gentlemen

The Starbucks on Wayne Memorial Drive, folded in a teeming square of chain-retail flash, is a popular haunt for Goldsboro's working rank-and-file. Some enter in scrubs, well-timed and determined, destined for something significant. Others are clad in fatigues, yoga pants...

Progress 2018 -- Making A Difference: At the table

Derrell Sutton spent time in prison rethinking his decisions and considering his future following a felony conviction. His family offered consistent support as he served out his time -- 25 months in the Wayne County Detention Center -- after a...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Show of grace

The Rev. Marvin Alexander knows he was one step away from going to prison because of some of the choices he made in life. He was lucky but knows that the help of positive role models made a world of...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Change in motion

Adeen George has been called the angel of Slocumb Street -- a visionary who saw beyond the crime and chaos in the neighborhood where she grew up. For the past 37 years, she has championed those who may not otherwise...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Angel of Slocumb Street

Adeen George has been called the angel of Slocumb Street -- a visionary who saw beyond the crime and chaos in the neighborhood where she grew up. For the past 37 years, she has championed those who may not otherwise...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Going for 100

De'Marrius Turnage has his sights on one day becoming an entrepreneur and opening his own sporting goods store. The 13-year-old, seventh-grader has a lot of things he enjoys, but basketball is likely near the top of his list. Some of...

Black History Quiz Bowl slated for Saturday

In an effort to promote more unity in the community, the Goldsboro/Wayne County NAACP will host its annual Black History Quiz Bowl and art/literature competitions Saturday at the Wayne County Museum from noon to 3 p.m. "The more people know...

Making a Difference

Each year, the Goldsboro News-Argus takes an in-depth look at what the people of Wayne County are doing through cooperation and collaboration. The Progress 2018 edition highlights people, organizations and movements that are making a difference -- and they are...

Progress 2018 -- Making a Difference: Offering a helping hand

The Rev. Lula Newkirk has no idea how many people she has helped over the past nearly 30 years. No idea how much food, clothing and comfort that she has provided. All she knows is that it will never be...

Heart Walk to be Saturday

Looking for a fun, free and beneficial way to spend a little time this Saturday morning? Walk, just for the health of it. A "Heart Healthy Walk" will be held at Berkeley Mall on Saturday from 7 until 9:30 a.m....

Black professionals offer perspective on history, success

For the students at Eastern Wayne High School, Black History Month is as much about the present as it is about the past. The school hosted a Black History Month panel discussion in its media center Thursday, bringing together...

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Former Goldsboro Family Y child care worker is charged with misdemeanor child abuse

A former child care worker at the Goldsboro Family Y was arrested last week for misdemeanor child abuse. Goldsboro police arrested 25-year-old Joshelyn Parker, 1407 Humphrey St., on Feb. 15 and charged her with misdemeanor child abuse. Information obtained from...

Two injured in head-on crash

The North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated a crash that occurred on Wednesday just after 11:30 a.m. along N.C.111 North and Lancaster Road. A 2011 Silver Kia Forte driven by 36-year-old Jason Camaioni failed to yield to the driver of...

District lines remain a hot issue after class sizes

At the joint meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners Wednesday, there was an "elephant in the room" as one school board member put it -- redistricting. The topic came up after a presentation...

Sheriff talks schools security

Anyone who sees a threat against a school on social media needs to call law enforcement or school officials instead of adding to the threat by reposting it, Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said. "We have a lot that...

Board talks safety

Wayne County School Board member Len Henderson Wednesday asked Wayne County commissioners to consider additional funding earmarked for security at the county's public schools. School board members are looking at some very particular priorities they want to put into...

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Two families displaced, animals perish in Pikeville fire

PIKEVILLE -- Two families lost their belongings and family pets when a fire engulfed their Pikeville duplex Wednesday. The fire, which destroyed their home during the early morning hours, also claimed the lives of two dogs and two cats. Two...

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Vehicle Crash Claims Life of Driver

[email protected] MOUNT OLIVE -- A one-vehicle wreck on N.C. 403 near the Duplin County line on Monday claimed the life of the driver. Jack Lee Felker, 62 of 922 N.C. 403 West in Mount Olive, died at Vidant Medical...

A solution and a contract

The six-member team was excited. Duke Energy had responded to its letter proposing a way to safely remove coal ash contaminants from the soil and groundwater. But the excitement was mixed with surprise. The energy giant's response included an...

Discover Wayne Community

College application season is either coming up or already underway for Wayne County high school juniors and seniors, and Wayne Community College wants to make sure students consider staying local. To that end, the college welcomed nearly 200 students...

Mobile unit fitted with a dentist

After being without a dentist for the bulk of a year, the Wayne County Health Department has hired Dr. Bill Radford to take over its mobile unit that travels to school campuses and serves children without a dental home. Davin...

Free Spirit plans swan-song concert

MOUNT OLIVE -- After 21 years of music ministry at the University of Mount Olive's Free Spirit is performing its final season during the spring semester. Founded by Dr. Alan Armstrong, professor of music, the group has developed a...

To make the world more beautiful

Ravonda "Pinky" Jacobs had a dream to one day paint a mural over graffiti sketched along the brick wall of a bridge underpass on George Street. As a little girl, she wanted to paint rainbows and hearts in an...

Station repairs under question

A $258,293 city cost to replace the roof on the historic Union Station train depot came under question by one member of the Goldsboro City Council Monday. Councilman Bevan Foster questioned the need of replacing the roof and asked what...

Police investigate armed robbery at Hi-5's Vapor

Goldsboro police are investigating an armed robbery that took place this morning at the Hi-5's Vapor store on New Hope Road. The robbery took place shortly after 10 a.m. at the store, which is located in the New Hope Plaza...

Second person dies from injuries sustained in Monday wreck

MOUNT OLIVE -- A one-vehicle wreck on N.C. 403 near the Duplin County line on Monday claimed the life of the driver. Jack Lee Felker, 62 of 922 N.C. 403 West in Mount Olive, died at Vidant Medical Center in...

Seymour Johnson AFB declares Torero's Restaurant off limits

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base has declared Torero's Restaurant off limits to its military personnel, citing an alleged incident at the establishment involving a military family member. The base announced the decision in a post on its Facebook page Tuesday...

New GWTA executive director in waiting

An eastern North Carolina native with 25 years of public transportation experience is positioned to become the next Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority executive director. Don Willis, who most recently worked as operations manager for EZ Rider for the town of...

Carver alumni host Black History Month program

"Let ... individuals make the most of what God has given them, have their neighbors do the same, and then do all they can to serve each other. There is no use in one man, or one nation, to try...

Commissioners, school board to meet on funding, class sizes

The state's low-wealth funding formula and a new law dealing with classroom size limits will be discussed Wednesday during a joint meeting of Wayne County commissioners and the Wayne County Board of Education. Also on the agenda is a...

Monday, February 19, 2018

Law enforcement, school system say no credibility to threat to shoot up Southern Wayne High School

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday it has been investigating reports of a threat that someone was going to shoot up Southern Wayne High School. Deputies found in talking to people throughout the weekend and on Monday that there...

Passenger killed, driver critical after morning wreck

MOUNT OLIVE ---- A one-vehicle wreck on N.C. Highway 403 near the Duplin County line Monday morning around 10 a.m. left one passenger dead and the driver of a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado in critical condition. Wilma Noren Felker, 63, of 922...

Small arsenal stolen from owner's garage

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating after someone stole thousands of dollars in guns and hunting equipment from a detached garage in Seven Springs Friday morning. According to a sheriff's office investigation report, the owner of the garage in...

Under the sea

Raiford Turner's body is under a table, but his head sticks up through a hole in the top so it's on a platter under a domed lid. As the chef lifts the lid, it exposes Turner's head -- with a...

Man charged with trespassing, firing gun

A man is in custody after allegedly firing shots into the air while trespassing in a Goldsboro public housing neighborhood, according to a Goldsboro Police Department public information log. At around 9:45 a.m. Sunday, a GPD officer responded to a...

Driver killed, passenger critical after wreck

MOUNT OLIVE ---- The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal wreck on N.C. 503 near N.C. 55. Initial reports are that a single vehicle wreck claimed the life of one person this morning. A passenger is in...

Living the dream

Bill Reboli's "dream job" of being a psychology instructor at Wayne Community College was more than 25 years in the making -- starting when he became a student there. It happened when he met the late Ed Hogan, then a...

Council will talk system upgrades, pipeline approval

The Goldsboro City Council will review an installment financing package for computer-related upgrades and a resolution in support of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project during its meeting tonight. The council, which has recently considered making $850,000 in network upgrades,...

Pace of redistricting questioned

While the push to redistrict Wayne County Public Schools has become a popular topic over the last year, not everyone is completely sold on the idea just yet. Case in point: Board of Education member Chris West, who said...

Unleash the hounds

It has been several decades since the Albertson Fox Hunt involved any actual foxes, but the real reasons for the event -- community, friendly competition and good food -- have never gone away. The 33rd annual fox hunt took...

Black History Month events planned at Arts Council

The Arts Council of Wayne County will celebrate Black History Month with a variety of events. Today will kick off the celebration with a reception at noon in the main gallery with an exhibit titled "African Americans in Times of...

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Fifth-grader brings gun to school

A fifth-grader at Carver Heights Elementary School brought a handgun to school on Tuesday. School officials have confirmed that one of their students brought a pistol to school and kept the gun hidden during the school day. The student...

Remembering a leader, fellow first responder and friend

The Goldsboro Police Department paused to remember and celebrate the life of the late Maj. Jay Memmelaar, who passed away from a heart attack one year ago on Friday. While working in his office, Memmelaar suddenly became ill and...

Sisters hang their dreams on new business

A unique women's clothing store, with professional, sophisticated and casual styles, is now open in the Adamsville Gateway Center on South Berkeley Boulevard near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Velvet Hanger, at 214 S. Berkeley Blvd., offers a variety...

2017 vehicle taxes can be claimed

RALEIGH - Taxpayers can retrieve their paid 2017 vehicle property tax receipts online from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles to use when they file this year's income tax returns. Vehicle owners can view and print their vehicle property...

Mount Olive, Goldsboro men appointed, elected to Sudan Shriners offices

NEW BERN -- Tom Ferrell of Mount Olive was appointed marshal for the Sudan Shriners, and George Raecher of Goldsboro was elected to a fifth term as the recorder on Jan. 27 during the organization's annual business meeting and...

Plumber, flush with payment, doesn't return to finish the job

An investigation is underway after a woman said that she paid a plumber $773.14 to do some plumbing work at her home that never got done. The victim said she paid up front for the work to be completed...

Chinese food delivery driver taken for a ride

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating after an unidentified man gave his Chinese food delivery driver fake movie money and then ran off with the food Friday night, according to a GPD public information log. Just before midnight Friday, officers...

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Stars descend on Center Street

Wayne County residents celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Paramount Theatre with dance, music and food Friday evening. The event started with a reception at the Terrace Room then moved to the Paramount for local talent, as well as Goldsboro...

Friday, February 16, 2018

Minshew to retire as clerk of court

Pam Minshew has worn many hats as Wayne County Clerk of Superior Court -- probate judge, record keeper, comptroller, administrator, leader. She will soon add a new one -- retiree. Minshew, who is completing her third four-year term, has...

Kitty Askins event slated for Saturday

The 11th annual Mardi Gras Gala -- a fundraiser to support Kitty Askins Hospice Center -- will be held Saturday night, with four couples vying for the title of king and queen. "Feed the Kitty" begins at 6 p.m....

An exercise in coexistence

Creating a better community takes finding common goals, respecting differences and making positive contributions, speakers at the Annual Interfaith Breakfast said Thursday. The event, which brings people from different religious backgrounds together each year, drew more than 100 people,...

Thursday, February 15, 2018

WCC, Wayne UNC partnership honored

The partnership between Wayne Community College and Wayne UNC Health Care led to the two institutions being recognized with the 2018 Distinguished Partners in Excellence Award Wednesday evening. The award is presented each year to businesses or industries that...

Flu deaths in county stand at two so far this season

Wayne County has had two flu deaths, officials said, as they announced "Free Flu Friday" at the Health Department for anyone who has not had the vaccine. Josa Raynor-Vaughn, communicable diseases program manager, reported both at the Board of Health...

Not to be singled out

Valentine's Day is often considered a day to spend with "that special someone," so it is no surprise that some singles may feel left out. Every year since 2014, Rachelle Williams has tried to fix that. On Wednesday, she...

Join in, if you know the words

MOUNT OLIVE -- Do you have a dill-lightful voice or relish the idea of singing about pickles? In public? On stage? At the 32nd annual North Carolina Pickle Festival? The pickle song competition is one of the new additions...

Midterm filing update

State Sen. Louis Pate Jr. of Mount Olive filed Tuesday for re-election in Senate District 7. Pate is a Republican. The district encompasses all of Wayne County. Wayne County Board of Education District 6 member Rick Pridgen also filed...

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Dillard Middle School teacher hit as she tried to break up a fight

A teacher at Dillard Middle School was struck several times as she attempted to break up a fight inside her classroom Tuesday morning.  Information obtained from a police report stated that two female students were fighting and their classroom teacher...

Woman tries to cash stolen check worth more than $900

Goldsboro Police are investigating after a woman attempted to cash a stolen check at Friendly Check Cashing, 332 N. Spence Ave. The incident took place on Monday around 6 p.m. According to a police report, a woman entered the business...

Being the first

Ernest Lofton's father served in World War I.  Three of his brothers fought in World War II and two others in Korea.  Yet, during their service and for much of their lives after, none of them would have been permitted...

7 score and 15 years ago

In order to recognize the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation -- which occurred seven score and 15 years ago -- Wayne Country Day School has had the great honor of hosting two brilliant speakers to address the importance of...

Foundation of Wayne Community College honors top employees

The Foundation of Wayne Community College recently recognized top employees at the college for 2017. Honorees are nominated by their peers and selected by an outside committee based on initiative, enthusiasm, expertise, leadership, professionalism, productivity, creativity, involvement and dedication....

Volunteer of the Year

David Dietrich was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for the Arts Council of Wayne County recently. He is a retired Air Force veteran who volunteered at almost 36 events, wore costumes to match the theme of the events, served...

Seminar geared toward helping high schoolers gain entry to the college

The N.C. Eastern Alumni Chapter, based in Goldsboro, of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte is hosting a free seminar for high school students prepare for college. "Getting Into College" is open to students in grades 9-12, says Patricia Ford,...

A contest for the best

Black History Month is being celebrated with an art contest, with residents of the community encouraged to pick the winner. U.S. Cellular and the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County selected the top 10 drawings for the second annual...

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Another arrest made in Dupont Circle homicide

Goldsboro Police have arrested a third person in the murder of 27-year-old Terrell James in October. Chantel Davis-Taylor, 19, of 150 Cadel Lane is charged with accessory after the fact in James' murder. On Oct. 29, 2017, officers responded to...

A top producer in the county introduces a new product line

MOUNT OLIVE -- Pickled onions? "Well, yeah," says Lynn Williams, Mt. Olive Pickle Co. spokesman. "Pickled onions are really, really good. There are just a new addition to our product line along the lines of our Simply Pickles and...

Smaller classrooms, less hassle

A bill working its way through the North Carolina General Assembly could ease the burden of class size requirements set to take effect in N.C. public schools this fall, but also includes unrelated items which have some Democrats crying foul....

Filing begins in upcoming midterm elections

There was a flurry of activity as filing began at noon Monday for most of the offices to be decided in November's midterm elections -- including a member of the Wayne County Board of Education who filed for the state...

Monday, February 12, 2018

Registered sex offender charged with statutory rape

A registered sex offender was arrested Thursday and charged with the statutory rape of an 11-year-old child in the western part of Wayne County. Daniel Arthur Louk, 40, a homeless man from Cumberland County, was arrested by Wayne County Sheriff's...

Wayne County Board of Education changes its meeting dates

Wayne County Board of Education meetings will now take place later in the month, after the board voted to change their meeting dates and do away with monthly work sessions. Board meetings will now take place on the fourth Monday...

Equipment worth thousands taken from wastewater treatment facility

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating after someone stole several thousand dollars worth of equipment from a wastewater treatment plant at 347 Old Mount Olive Highway Tuesday. According to the sheriff's office incident report, an unknown person cut the...

Local church hosts veterans

There was a large helping of good-natured rivalry between branches of the military on Saturday at St. Joseph Free Will Baptist Church, but even more prevalent was a lot of pride and respect among the ranks. Pastor Les Capers' church...

Planting the seeds of a pathway to success

One of Karen Garris' responsibilities as teen director at the Wayne County Public Library is to develop and provide fun and interesting programs for youth. February could have presented a challenge, she admits, but then she thought of her former...

Learn more about Career and College Promise

Parents and high schoolers are invited to learn more about the tuition-free option for qualified high school students at Wayne Community College. Career and College Promise, or CCP, is for rising high school freshmen through seniors. The "CCP Showcase" will...

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Trail Sisters

There was a little nip in the air, and everyone once in a while a strong breeze would blow. Being winter, the trees were bare, having dropped their leaves to the ground. The trail was dotted with pinecones and covered...

Board approves timber sales for school projects

Wayne County commissioners on Tuesday worried that making public the estimated value of stands of timber owned by the Wayne County Board of Education could adversely affect bids for the timber. However, the board voted unanimously to approve the...

Slices for the hungry

In honor of National Pizza Day on Friday, Big Jim's Pizza celebrated with a special delivery -- 10 large pizzas to the Community Soup Kitchen. Part of an effort called "Slice Out Hunger," pizzerias around the nation were asked...

Several business open in renovated Adamsville Gateway Center

Several businesses are now open in the newly renovated Adamsville Gateway Center on Berkeley Boulevard near the front gate of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The 1950s-era shopping center, better known for a former longstanding business, McFly's Barber and...

May I have this dance?

Mike Larsen dances with his daughter Sophia, 4, during the annual Daddy Daughter Dance at the Goldsboro Event Center Friday night. The event, organized by the city of Goldsboro Parks and Recreation department, featured food, a photo booth and the...

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Several business open in renovated Adamsville Gateway Center

Several businesses are now open in the newly renovated Adamsville Gateway Center on Berkeley Boulevard near the front gate of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The 1950s-era shopping center, better known for a former longstanding business, McFly's Barber and Style,...

Friday, February 9, 2018

Police charge two men in Dupont Circle homicide

The Goldsboro Police Department has arrested two men for the October murder of 27-year-old Terrell James. Tyquail Demontea Price, 18, of 902 B. Audubon Ave. and Islam Sa'he Dove, 18, of 203 Rose St. are each charged with one count...

County agrees to purchase sheriff's office a new boat

The divers are not the only ones who need an air supply when they use the Wayne County Sheriff's Office's inflatable Zodiac boat. The boat needs it as well. The boat has so many holes in it that a...

Survey looks at county schools

The Wayne County Board of Education discussed the results of a recent county-wide survey at its meeting Monday, touching on diversity, redistricting and ways to improve the school system. The survey, conducted in late 2017, asked three questions --...

Heading to nationals

After a close run last year, the girls of the Goldsboro High Cheerleading Squad are headed for nationals. The team will compete at the Cheer Ltd. at CANAM nationals in Myrtle Beach March 17 and 18, where the 16-girl...

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Equipment stolen from waste water treatment plant

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating after someone stole several thousand dollars worth of equipment from a waste water treatment plant at 347 Old Mount Olive Highway Tuesday. According to the sheriff's office incident report, an unknown person cut...

County wants natural gas pipeline

Wayne County commissioners have adopted a resolution in support of bringing natural gas to northern Wayne County and will form a working group to see that process through. Securing a natural gas pipeline for that area of the county...

Eastpointe gives 3 percent raise to health care professionals

Health care professionals in Wayne County will receive a 3 percent rate increase following a recent decision by Eastpointe Human Services. Eastpointe Human Services, a managed care organization that oversees behavioral health services in 11 counties, including Wayne, implemented...

Breaking ground for the KC-46A

After years of planning, the 916th Air Refueling Wing is a step closer to some substantial new hardware. The wing hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new KC-46A hangar Wednesday, expected to be operational some time in 2020. Held...

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Police say man asked for his ID pulls marijuana from his pocket instead

A man suspected of having drugs in his parked car reached into his pocket to produce his ID for sheriff's deputies and instead dropped a bag of marijuana at his feet. That is what deputies say happened Monday when members...

Name released of woman found dead in home

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office has released the identity of the woman found dead in her home Thursday at 987 McArthur Pond Road in Mount Olive. A cause of death has not yet been reported by the medical examiner. Joyce...

Employee charged in setting Pikeville Town Hall on fire

PIKEVILLE -- The State Bureau of Investigation arrested a Pikeville employee and charged him with allegedly setting fire to the Pikeville Town Hall and stealing $900 in cash. The SBI arrested Kelvin Robinson, 38, of Goldsboro, on Feb. 1 and...

Police investigate after a woman is found dead on Magnolia Street

The Goldsboro Police Department is investigating after a woman was found dead in the 400 block of Magnolia Street Tuesday morning. According to a police investigation report, a man was walking down Magnolia Street from his girlfriend's house nearby when...

Teaching a dark history

Wayne County Public Schools hosted a multi-county teacher workshop Tuesday on "The History of Anti-Semitism," equipping middle and high school educators to teach on the subject of the Holocaust. The training was provided by the N.C. Council on the...

As temperatures drop, risk of fire increases

With each cold snap comes an added risk that goes beyond cold or flu -- deaths due to fires in the home. Each year during December, January and February, as the temperatures drop and the heat is turned on,...

Council approves contract for center

Renovations of the former W.A. Foster Center on Leslie Street will continue with the Goldsboro City Council approving a contract for the work Monday. The council voted in favor of a $118,390 contract with Billy Brock Construction for reconstruction...

Busy time at Wayne Country Day

Times at Wayne Country Day School are as bustling as ever. The transitional period from January to February marked Spirit Week 2018 last week, complete with customized T-shirts, themed costume days and class competitions, in which the junior class...

Papering the wall with acceptance and accomplishment

It used to be that the headmaster's door at Wayne Country Day School served as a billboard of sorts for students' college acceptance letters. Over time, that space became insufficient to display the growing numbers at the college prep...

Potholes form in wake of winter weather

Snow and ice from the recent winter storms have melted. But motorists could still find themselves facing one of the side effects of that winter weather -- an increase in potholes in roadways. Potholes are common during the winter...

Chip Crumpler becomes assistant manager for county

Wayne County Planner Chip Crumpler has been promoted to assistant manager for the county, effective immediately. Crumpler will continue his duties as planning director until a replacement can be hired. Crumpler succeeds former assistant manager Craig Honeycutt who was...

History speaks

The top floor of the Wayne County Museum Tuesday night looked more like a festival or a bazaar than a historical enclave. During an intermission from the Black History Month social taking place ---- complete with speakers, poetry performances...

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Making a difference

Four teenage girls spent many hot days in the sun sanding and staining wood, replacing a small roof and even using power tools -- something they had never done before. But they were determined to do whatever it took to...

Investigation underway after woman's body is found in home

MOUNT OLIVE  -- A woman's body was found in a home Thursday during a welfare check conducted by Wayne County sheriff's deputies. The woman's identity has not been released pending an autopsy report from the state medical examiner's office. Deputies...

Complaints of prostitution result in arrests

Recent complaints of prostitution in the area of Lionel, East Walnut and North Leslie streets have so far resulted in two arrests this month. An ongoing Goldsboro Police Department investigation in that area saw a Pikeville woman charged last week...

Exhibiting change

Jennifer Kuykendall left Goldsboro 30 years ago, but has recently returned with one goal -- to make the Wayne County Museum more representative of Wayne County. That's her passion. As the new museum director -- she took the job the...

Honoring, remembering black history in Wayne

The Wayne County Museum has planned a calendar full of events for Black History Month. The theme of National Black History Month is "Blacks in the Military." "The exhibit is about pioneers and entrepreneurs from Wayne County's black history," said...

A few good men

Goldsboro is widely regarded as an Air Force town, but the other branches of the military have long found ways to aid the community. One such group is the Marine Corps League, a small gathering of Marine and Navy...

U.S. 117 to be down one lane

MOUNT OLIVE -- Northbound traffic is down to one lane on U.S. 117 South at its intersection with Country Club Road and is expected to be down to one southbound lane later this week depending on the weather. A...

Board to talk timber sales

Wayne County commissioners will consider a request from the Wayne County Board of Education to sell timber to help pay for school projects when they meet today. County Manager Craig Honeycutt said in a letter to the board that...

Former board member of the N.C. State Martin Luther King Jr. Commission receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Earnest Lee Waters was recently presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on an otherwise already auspicious occasion -- a surprise party for his 80th birthday. The award, considered the highest honor for private citizens of North Carolina,...

Monday, February 5, 2018

Council to consider contract for the reconstruction of the former W.A. Foster Center

The Goldsboro City Council will consider a $118,390 contract for reconstruction work at the former W.A. Foster Center during its meeting tonight. The reconstruction of rooms inside the Leslie Street building is part of a larger effort to restore the...

Wings Over Wayne 2017 crowned Event of the Year

Wings Over Wayne Air Show has been crowned Event of the Year -- the most prestigious award given by the N.C. Association of Festivals & Events. The award was announced at the 2018 ShowFest Conference held Jan. 28-29 in...

Gas needed to court industry

Wayne County commissioners will ask the state and Piedmont Natural Gas Co. to begin looking at the feasibility of helping to provide natural gas in the northern part of the county. Commissioners are expected to do so in a...

Filing for midterms begins Feb. 12

Filing for most offices to be decided in November's midterm elections begins at noon Monday, Feb. 12, and ends at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Filing for judicial offices had been scheduled for June 18 to 29 in the wake...

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Fire displaces mom, two small children

DUDLEY -- A woman and her two small children escaped unharmed Saturday afternoon from a fire that destroyed their Durham Lake Road mobile home. Shauna Lewis, her 5-year-old son and 18-month-old son were home at the time the fire broke...

Wayne Republican Party's Wade Latham: 'Midterm is important this year -- very, very important'

Wayne County Republican Party Chairman Wade Latham is frustrated by the uncertain future of North Carolina's state and national voting districts lines. It is a frustration shared by many, he said. "It is right at the edge of a...

The screenings are in, let the registration begin

Beaty Dobson likes to keep informed on the latest health topics for seniors and also likes to take advantage of free health screenings offered to them. That's why she attended the Senior Games health fair at the Peggy Seegars Senior...

Annual games summit returns to Goldsboro

The offensive line gets into position. The defense adjusts. Excitement mounts among the spectators and armchair quarterbacks. "You see what they are doing?" one spectator shouts. "Do you see what they are doing? They are eating up time." The...

Wayne Democratic Party's Barbara D'Antonio: 'People are riled up and rallied up'

Despite the uncertainty of the voting districts that Wayne County is in, Democratic Party Chairperson Barbara D'Antonio said the local party has been preparing for the upcoming November elections for quite some time. "There are people coming out of...

Local business owners saw a need and addressed it, from shared 'points of view'

During his more than 30-year career as a barber, Luby Jackson, owner of His Point of View barbershop and Her Point of View beauty salon, consistently ran into the same issue -- there was nowhere to buy supplies in...

Friday, February 2, 2018

Poverty task force meets to 'chip away at the mountain'

More than 70 people from organizations, nonprofits and different sectors of the community met Thursday to start working on solutions to combat poverty in the community. The first meeting of the poverty task force was held at WAGES, on...

Local church will hold military appreciation/information service

A Goldsboro church is hosting a military appreciation and information service to address some of the pending changes that will be taking effect. The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Free Will...

Former Mount Olive mayor honored with Cornerstone Award

Ray McDonald Sr.'s name is in good company. The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce formally recognized the former mayor of Mount Olive Thursday, as chamber members unveiled McDonald's Cornerstone Award plaque in a ceremony at Cornerstone Commons. McDonald received...

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Mystery will abound at the Arts Council Saturday

The Arts Council of Wayne County will hold its annual Mystery Masterpiece art lottery fundraiser Saturday at 7 p.m. More than 80 miniature works of art will be for sale. "We invited professional and amateur artists from around the...

Work progresses at Meadow Lane site

Work is moving along at the new Meadow Lane Elementary School site after cold weather and snow kept crews away for a few weeks. Tim Harrell, director of project operations for Wayne County Public Schools, said Wednesday that the...

Annual interfaith breakfast will take place Feb. 15

People from different religious backgrounds will join together for the Annual Interfaith Breakfast on Feb. 15 in Goldsboro. The event, under the theme "Where Do We Go from Here," includes guest speakers from two churches and a mosque. The...