April 2018 archives

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Monday, April 30, 2018

Commissioners to discuss capital improvements

Wayne County commissioners will discuss their capital improvement plan during a workshop this morning. "We are doing our budget, and that is why you need to look at your capital improvement plan, too," commission Chairman Bill Pate said. The meeting...

Summit focuses on opioid epidemic responses, solutions

By JOEY PITCHFORD [email protected] Finding a solution to opioid addiction in Wayne County is a multifaceted process which will require compassion, understanding and some creative thinking, speaker Jesse Bennett said at Monday during a Harm Reduction Summit held at Wayne...

Councilman Antonio Williams holds on to seat

When the Goldsboro City Council meets May 7, Councilman Antonio Williams will continue to represent District 1 whether or not he is in fact legally able to serve as an elected official.The Wayne County Board of Elections can investigate the...

Creating a home away from home

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is looking for host families, as a way to connect community members with young servicemen and create a "home-away-from-home" experience. Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander, introduced the idea and is working with the...

Going for the gold in Seattle

Three years ago, Special Olympics athlete Scott Britt of Grantham was encouraged to try his hand at bocce, a ball sport of skill and strategy. He excelled and has twice traveled to the state games with Special Olympics, coming in...

Saturday, April 28, 2018

A dill-ectible day for a festival

MOUNT OLIVE -- Levi Jackson Shannon, 10, of Wallace, was on a mission Saturday morning as he polished the wheels of his friend's bright yellow 2013 Corvette ZR1. Levi wanted to win a trophy at his first car show,...

Deputy, suspect trade gunfire

A Wayne County sheriff's deputy returned fire after being shot at early Saturday morning. Neither the suspect nor the deputy were hit in the exchange. According to a sheriff's office press release, Lemont Turrentine, 38, of Four Oaks, is charged...

Man accused in head-on collision surrenders

The man who Goldsboro police say is responsible for the head-on collision on Harding Drive Monday that sent a family of four to the hospital has surrendered to authorities. James Lee Morrison, 22 of 4357 Norline Drive, walked into...

Councilman to sue if removed

In the 11th hour, prior to facing removal from the Goldsboro City Council, District 1 Councilman Antonio Williams is threatening to sue the city if he loses his seat for failing to disclose his residency. The council Wednesday voted 6-0...

Wayne County farmer indicted for fraud

WILMINGTON -- A Wayne County farmer has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit various offenses, including fraud, against the U.S., false statements to the Federal Crop Insurance Corp., material false statements to the Farm Service Agency and...

Glasses ready: Three Eagles Beer Festival returns to downtown Goldsboro

The fourth annual Three Eagles Beer Festival will be held downtown next weekend, featuring entertainment, food trucks and the opportunity to learn more about craft beers and sample 50 different ones. Sponsored by the Goldsboro Three Eagles Rotary Club,...

Eighth annual Praxis Film Festival debuts this week featuring 35 films

One of the festival documentaries, "The Imaginary Village of Allan Gurganus," is also generating excitement due to local efforts to secure the documentary about the noted author, known for his novel "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." The documentary will...

Military hiring event Thursday

North Carolina for Military Employment (NC4ME) will host a military hiring event Wednesday and Thursday, May 2 and 3, at Heritage Hall on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, guardsmen and reservists are invited to attend...

Cherry Hospital volunteer honored

A college student was recently named recipient of the 2018 Edythe O. Blanton Volunteer Service Award winner at Cherry Hospital. Marc Danks, a volunteer since 2016, is currently enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and will...

Friday, April 27, 2018

Man turns himself into police after Monday head-on collision that injured four people

The man who Goldsboro Police say is responsible for the head-on collision on Monday that sent four people to the hospital surrendered to authorities this morning. James Lee Morrison, 22 of 4357 Norline Drive, walked into the magistrates office at...

Leaders to talk school safety

Community leaders will gather to continue the conversation around school safety May 3, as officials in law enforcement, education and public health will hold a school safety action group meeting at the Salvation Army. Hosted by Operation Unite Goldsboro,...

Meeting the new fire chief

Although new Fire Chief Joseph Dixon will not officially start until July 2, he was in town April 17-20 getting to know the men and women of the department. As Dixon, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, made his way...

Leaders in health care talk changes, care

When the General Assembly convenes next month it will consider two bills that will have major impacts on the health of the community and Wayne UNC Health Care, said speakers at Thursday's Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's hot topics...

Armory hands over keys to town

MOUNT OLIVE -- After nearly 60 years of service to the military and community, the town's N.C. National Guard armory will soon be serving other purposes. What those will be have yet to be determined. During a brief Tuesday...

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Vehicle Crash Sends Five To Hospital

The Goldsboro Police Department is asking to hear from anyone who might have witnessed a head-on collision on Harding Drive Monday that sent five people, including two children, to the hospital with serious injuries. James Lee Morrison, 22, of...

University names new president

The University of Mount Olive announced Wednesday that the board of trustees appointed a new president to replace Dr. Philip Kertsetter. The UMO board of trustees appointed Dr. David L. Poole, who will begin his duties July 1, as its...

Lobster Festival tickets

The annual Lobster and Shrimp Fest is fast approaching, with tickets still available for purchase through April 27. It will be held Friday, May 4, from noon until 6 p.m. This marks the 14th year for the event, sponsored by...

Guardian Ad Litem to celebrate volunteers w/ Kristin Cooper

[email protected] Guardian Ad Litem will welcome North Carolina first lady Kristin Cooper to Goldsboro Friday, as the program holds its annual volunteer appreciation luncheon. Sebastian Ratliff, program supervisor for Guardian Ad Litem in Judicial District 8, said that the luncheon...

Detention officer resigns

A Wayne County detention center officer has resigned after being charged with felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury. Jerry Walls, 32, who had been employed with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for 11 years, resigned shortly after an April 11...

City councilman could be removed

Councilman Antonio Williams could lose his seat on the Goldsboro City Council as early as Monday if he fails to show proof that he lives in the district he represents. The council voted 6-0 Wednesday afternoon to give Williams 48...

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

New initiative to combat violence, drug abuse

Law enforcement officials from several counties gathered at Kinston Town Hall Monday to announce a new initiative to combat violent and drug crime in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The initiative is known as Take Back North Carolina....

Dunsmore on short list for Florida school system

Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Michael Dunsmore is among a short list of candidates to lead Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida, after the Duval County Board of Education narrowed its search to six semi-finalists at its meeting...

Eastern Aluminum Supply still services customers after fire

In the week and a half since its Goldsboro facility went up in flames, Richards Building Supply -- known locally as Eastern Aluminum Supply -- has been doing all it can to care for its employees and customers. No...

Dianne Uzzell honored as Volunteer of the Year

Dianne Uzzell, a volunteer at Eastern Wayne High School, was named 2017-2018 Terry Eugene Pilkington Volunteer of the Year for Wayne County Public Schools recently. Individual volunteers of the year from each of the district schools were also handed...

UMO to graduate largest class in university's history

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive (UMO) will graduate more 400 students on Saturday, May 5 -- the largest graduation in the university's 67-year history. The ceremony will start at 2 p.m. in the George and Annie...

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne hosts 2018 CEO Build in Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE -- Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne hosted its 2018 CEO Build on Friday, April 20, at its newest job site at 202 W. Pollock St. Joining Habitat and event sponsor David Perry, owner of Goldsboro Builders Supply,...

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Wayne County Public Schools superintendent makes short list to lead school system in Florida

Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Michael Dunsmore is among a short list of candidates to lead Duval County Public Schools in Florida, after the Duval County Board of Education narrowed its search to six semi-finalists at its meeting Monday. Dunsmore...

House District 7 primary: Grayson Parker

Grayson Parker admits to being a political outsider and at age 32, young. But the Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 7 says he felt is was time to stand up and be counted. "I have always been kind...

House District 7 primary: Kyle Horton

People are hungry to be heard, said Dr. Kyle Horton. They are hungry to have someone ask them about their concerns -- that they cannot afford their health care, that families are still struggling paycheck to paycheck and are...

Bryan Multi-Sports Complex opens with fanfare

Flanked by a F-4E Phantom fighter jet, John Henderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force, praised local leaders for their continued support of the military at the grand opening of the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex Monday. The celebration, which drew...

Woman killed in Monday morning wreck

The N.C. State Highway Patrol says a woman was killed before 6 a.m. Monday morning after she was hit by a tractor trailer traveling in the wrong lane on U.S. 55 West near Pineview Cemetery Road. Crystal Ann Robinson,...

153 take part in start of one-stop voting

Slightly more than 150 people voted over the first two days of one-stop early voting for the May 8 primary. Last Thursday through Friday, 153 voters cast ballots at the county's one-top voting site at the Wayne County Board of...

Snow Hill men sentenced to prison for 2016 armed robberies

Two Snow Hill men will spend the next several years in federal prison for two armed robberies committed the same day in Goldsboro in April 2016. Isiah Kirkman, 24, was sentenced Friday to more than nine years followed by five...

Monday, April 23, 2018

Changing the color of war

Battles are taking place in neighborhoods and on nearly every corner of the city. Despite the casualties, however, at the end of these gun fights, everyone goes home alive. It's war, but with paintball pellets rather than live bullets. What...

Crowds give Garden Festival at Maxwell Center green thumbs-up

A long line formed early Saturday morning for the annual N.C. Cooperative Extension Garden Festival and Plant Sale in the parking lot of Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center. Wayne County Extension Master Gardener volunteers were on hand to answer...

Nothing but clear skies ahead

PIKEVILLE -- On a clear day, as the popular song goes, you can see forever. But the difference in what a pilot sees and what an air traffic controller sees can sometimes be vastly different. So the two factions got...

Hammers swing on Mount Olive Habitat build

MOUNT OLIVE -- Richshawn Pratt is scared of heights. But that did not stop her from climbing on top of a house to lay shingles. She has even helped put in flooring and siding. "I never thought I would...

Volunteers give back by helping kids in STEM

A $10,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne and Johnston counties by U.S. Cellular will provide educational opportunities to K-12 science students. For the fourth year, the cellphone company has provided funding to 53 Boys and Girls...

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Soul's Palette

Malissa Smith wears braces on her legs and sits in a wheelchair. She has limited mobility in both her hands. But when she's at a Soul's Palette class, she forgets about all that, and for a short time, she's just...

Multi-sports complex to open with a fly-over, dedication of F-4E Phantom

The assistant secretary of U.S. Air Force Installations, a flyover by F-15E Strike Eagles and the dedication of a retired F-4E Phantom are planned during the grand opening celebration of the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex Monday. The 10 a.m. event, which...

Changing the color of war

Battles are taking place in neighborhoods and on nearly every corner of the city. Despite the casulaties, however, at the end of these gun fights, everyone goes home alive. It's war, but with paintball pellets rather than live bullets. What...

Art on the city streets

Downtown Goldsboro was bustling Saturday afternoon for its first-ever "Made on Main Street" event, primarily down the stretch of Walnut Street between James and John streets. The street festival was also the first of its kind in the state...

Fremont collapse to cost town $10,000

[email protected] The cleanup from a building collapse in downtown Fremont will cost the town more than $10,000, town administrator Barbara Aycock said at the town's Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night. The roof of the building, at the corner of...

Reflecting on survival, loss and joy in different hues

Clouds of pastel smoke wafted over the Wayne Community College campus early Saturday morning, as walkers and runners passed through --or around, if they didn't want to get bombed by the powdered paint-- paint stations during the annual Cures...

Friday, April 20, 2018

A picnic with teddy bears

Daniela Alvarez carefully chose chalk colors for her rendering of a rainbow on the brick pathway that makes up Cornerstone Commons in downtown Goldsboro on Wednesday morning. Her mom, Mayra Alvarez, held up her smartphone to capture the moment, taking...

Survivors relay their stories

Rocky Harrison is a cancer survivor four times over. His first diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma, inside his ear canal, was only the second case of its kind that the hospital in Chapel Hill had ever seen at that time, said...

County mourns loss of Kirk Keller

Kirk Keller, by many accounts a "force of nature" for his diverse contributions in this county over the years, died early Thursday at Kitty Askins Hospice Center. He was 57. His job was instructor at Wayne Community College in the...

Gardening workshop slated for April 24

A workshop on growing vegetables and herbs will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at the Wayne County Extension office in the Maxwell Center, 3114 Wayne Memorial Drive. It is the latest in a series of...

20 years of WISH

Leaders from all over Wayne County came together at Wayne Middle/High Academy Thursday evening to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Wayne Initiative for School Health Centers. The WISH centers are located in Brogden Middle School, Wayne Academy, Dillard...

Thursday, April 19, 2018

House District 21 primary: Raymond Smith

Raymond Smith said that investing a vote in him for N.C. House District 21 is investing a vote for Wayne and Sampson counties "One of the reasons that I am in this race to begin with is because I am...

House District 21 primary: Eugene Pearsall

As a small business owner, Eugene Pearsall says the state needs to focus more time and resources on small businesses instead of rolling back taxes and regulations to court large companies. Just because a company is large does not mean...

Town of Mount Olive to UMO students: Reach for the sky

MOUNT OLIVE -- A unique new program could soon be taking flight at Mount Olive's airport thanks to a partnership among the airport committee, town of Mount Olive and the University of Mount Olive. The idea is to attract...

Foundation awarded naming rights to multisports complex

The newly opened, 62-acre athletic complex on Oak Forest Road now bears the name of a Goldsboro-based charitable organization. The Goldsboro City Council approved naming the complex the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex Monday, following a $300,000 naming rights donation to...

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Fire displaces family of four

Firefighters responded to a mobile home fire at a mobile home park off Genoa Road in Dudley just after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. When firefighters arrived at 236 Beaver Drive, the mobile home was engulfed in flames. Arrington Fire Chief Randy...

Celebrating 175 years

First Baptist Church of Goldsboro has a history full of significant events that has made it what it is today. Church members are celebrating the 175th anniversary of the church, having been founded in 1843. "When Mr. and Mrs. Charles...

One-stop voting begins Thursday

One-stop voting begins at 9 a.m. Thursday for the Tuesday, May 8, primary election. There are three races are on the ballot: * U.S. House of Representatives District 7, Democratic: Kyle Horton of Carolina Beach and Grayson Parker of...

Carl Kasell dies at 84

NEW YORK -- Newscaster Carl Kasell, a signature voice of NPR who brought his gravitas to "Morning Edition" and later his wit to "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" has died. He was 84. NPR said Kasell died Tuesday from...

Kindergarten registration day will be this Friday

Wayne County Public Schools will hold its kindergarten registration day 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday at all 14 elementary schools. "We look forward to the opportunity to welcome families and offer them the opportunity to enroll their child in...

Wayne Country Day preps for upcoming final exams

We are on the academic homestretch here at Wayne Country Day School with final exams -- AP and others -- coming into focus on the horizon. Also, class schedules and advisor selection sheets for the 2018-19 school year are due...

Optimist Club hosts oratorical contest

Four local students earned honors and cash prizes in the Goldsboro Optimist Club's oratorical contest based on the theme of "Where Are My Roots of Optimism?" Jose Torres and Rebecca Eliassaint shared first place and were awarded $100 each. In...

Don't get in a pickle parking for festival

MOUNT OLIVE ---- The tens of thousands of people who will pack into Mount Olive for the 32nd annual N.C. Pickle Festival will find that parking is not nearly as plentiful as all things pickle. Finding a place to park...

Wayne Community College to host Festival of Food Science

A "Festival of Food Science" will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the campus of Wayne Community College. Targeted to those in kindergarten through fifth grade, the free family event is affiliated with the 2018...

Fighting cancer in pets, and us

Around 150 people visited Waynesborough Park Saturday for the annual Bark for Life event, where pet owners raised money to contribute toward finding a cure for cancer in humans and animals. Nancy Aughtry, organizer of Bark for Life, said somewhere...

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Demolition of Fremont building that collapsed scheduled for Wednesday

Demolition on a Fremont building that collapsed April 9 will begin tomorrow, town administrator Barbara Aycock said today. The roof of the building, at the corner of Main Street and Sycamore Street, fell in last week, likely due to decay...

Walking so that others might, too

Although polio has been nearly wiped off the face of the planet, there are still people working around the world and right here at home to make sure the job is finished. To that end, runners gathered Saturday for a...

Rosewood wrestling coach to retire this year, championship team honored by state officials

The Rosewood High wrestling team had a stellar end to its 2018 season. North Carolina General Assembly House majority leader John Bell and State Superintendent Mark Johnson visited the Eagles Monday to congratulate them and to present them with...

Council sticks to hiring process

A proposal to change the hiring process for the Goldsboro summer youth job program into a lottery selection process was shot down by the Goldsboro City Council Monday. Councilman Antonio Williams recommended the change, which failed to gain support...

County to hear of college's manufacturing center expansion

Wayne Community College President Dr. Thomas Walker will talk about the expansion and centralization of the college's Advanced Manufacturing Center during today's Wayne County commissioners meeting. The master plan and concept drawings for the center have been completed by...

Norwayne students build table, donate it to Edgewood School

Two dozen Norwayne Middle School students are heading to a state competition this weekend, with one group's project culminating in a donation to Edgewood Community Developmental School. Darlene Smith, sixth-grade math and science teacher, said the students have been working...

Monday, April 16, 2018

Reception recognizes county's student artists

Forty-seven student artists were recognized at the Wayne County Public Schools 2017-2018 Visual Arts Awards Reception on Wednesday at Goldsboro High School. The occasion spotlights art education, something critical in the development of a child, said Tamara Berman-Ishee, assistant superintendent...

Social workers sprinkle enchantedness on prom goers

This year's Southern Wayne High School prom theme is "Some Enchanted Evening." Elvira Carreno, a social worker with Wayne County Public Schools, wanted to make sure that will be the case for everyone attending. She began thinking of ways...

Public meeting for $48M hospital expansion not well attended

It took less than 15 minutes Friday morning for Wayne UNC Health Care officials to state their case for spending nearly $14 million more than initially approved to expand and renovate surgical and endoscopy space. The project, originally budgeted for...

Council to talk naming rights

The Goldsboro City Council is set to consider naming rights for the newly opened Goldsboro Multisports Complex on Oak Forest Road. The council will meet at 7 p.m. today in City Hall, at 214 N. Center St. The council...

Welcome home: New Ashley Furniture HomeStore location brings jobs, commerce to vacant business

Ashley HomeStore will open to the public at its new location along North Berkeley Boulevard today. Jack Roush, president of The Parrott Group, which operates 12 Ashley HomeStores in three states, set his sights on the Goldsboro market three...

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Friends of Seymour Johnson gather for Gala

The strong relationship between the Goldsboro community and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is unique in the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. Kelly, commander, 12th Air Force, said. Be proud of it, embrace it, he told the more...

Appreciating those willing to go in first

First responders are often called upon to handle the most dangerous, high stakes situations imaginable -- so it stands to reason they might appreciate a day of fun every now and then. Saturday was that kind of day, as...

All County Choral Festival slated for Tuesday night

Wayne County Public Schools will showcase the musical talents of more than 260 student vocalists Tuesday night at the 2018 All County Choral Festival. The free event, which features representation from 26 schools, will be held at Goldsboro High School...

Adopt an airman

The biggest sacrifice that an American makes is to serve their country, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee Chairman Dr. Scott LaFevers said. "Our duty as community members is to ensure that our military members have the...

Friday, April 13, 2018

Fire at Eastern Aluminum Supply causes road closures, heavy smoke

Billows of smoke blanketed the eastern portion of the city for most of the afternoon as Eastern Aluminum Supply on Oak Forest Road burned.At 1:30 p.m., calls came in that Aluminum Building Supply, 311 N. Oak Forest Road, was engulfed...

Fire engulfs Eastern Aluminum Supply on Oak Forest Road

UPDATE at 2:14As a fire engulfs Eastern Aluminum Supply, Ash Street to U.S. 70 near Oak Forest Road has been shut down so firefighters can battle the blaze. First responders are on the scene fighting the fire, and people are...

Preparing for 'Raise the Age'

The juvenile justice system in North Carolina is preparing for a major restructuring, and Wayne County officials are getting ready. Dozens of Wayne County judicial, law enforcement and education leaders came together at the Maxwell Center Thursday to discuss...

N.C. Democratic chair: Party is energized by wins in other states

Democratic election victories in other states are encouraging, N.C. Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin said. The wins have been based on well-organized candidates who ran on issues that weren't on a national agenda, but rather were part of whatever message...

Board of Health talks job vacancies

The Board of Health made quick work of approving the proposed $8.5 million budget -- a 2.2 percent increase from last year's request -- but spent 30 minutes discussing the prickly problem the Health Department has recruiting and retaining...

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Work zone safety tips

In North Carolina, if you injure someone in a crash -- including crashes in work zones -- you are responsible for a person's injuries and any traffic violations that are issued as a result of your involvement in the...

Residential water meters replaced for automated ones

Residents across the city of Goldsboro are receiving new automated water meters designed to increase reading efficiency, streamline service and red flag costly leaks. Ferguson Waterworks started replacing residential meters in early March at different locations throughout the city. By...

With open arms

Kelly Hammerbeck and her two daughters set out one Hershey's Kiss for each day her husband was deployed overseas. But the kisses were replaced with a yellow rose Maj. Eric "Torch" Hammerbeck handed his wife as the family was...

Safety is urged in road work zones

Last year, 38 people died and more than 7,200 crashes occurred in highway work zones across North Carolina. So far this year there has been at least one crash at the intersection of U.S. 117 South and Country Club...

Dance for Cures slated for April 28

The third annual Dance for Cures will be held April 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Acme Theatre in downtown Goldsboro. The event pairs cancer survivors with ballroom dance professionals to raise money for Southeastern Cancer Care's...

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Detention center officer charged in alleged domestic assault

A Wayne County detention officer found himself on the other side of the jail bars Wednesday, when he was arrested following an alleged domestic altercation. Just after midnight, Wayne County sheriff's deputies responded to 202 Janice Drive in Dudley where...

Long-awaited homecoming

Cameron Gall waited patiently inside a hangar aboard Seymour Johnson Air Force Base for his father's return Monday night. It's been more than six months since he's been able to play sports or attend scouting events with his dad...

Boys and Girls director wins national contest

Just two words captured the moment late Tuesday afternoon at the Boys and Girls Club when teen director Raytrell Caldwell received the news about the national contest to determine the Youth Development Professional of the Year -- "You won!!" He...

YMCA raises flags to raise awareness about child abuse

A Children's Memorial Flag Raising Ceremony was held outside the YMCA at noon Tuesday, a continuation of the Child Abuse Prevention Proclamation Ceremony held downtown in late March. The annual event was expanded into two this year, organizers said,...

Man is charged in Princeton murder

PRINCETON -- Princeton police arrested a Four Oaks man Tuesday and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a South Carolina man on April 2. Marcus Anthony Currie, 26, of 292 Buck Dunn Road,...

Serving at Kitty Askins

When members of the Rotary Club of Goldsboro take breakfast to Kitty Askins Hospice Center, they are providing more than a meal. They are showing people there that they care. The Rotary Club provides breakfast to the facility once a...

Dr. Robert Shackelford earns Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Dr. Robert Shackelford, second from left, is presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Sunday following services at First Baptist Church in Mount Olive. Shackelford practiced medicine in Mount Olive from 1949 until 2013. From left are Dr. Kevin...

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

U.S. 70 upgrade plan moves forward

Plans to upgrade a nearly 7-mile section of U.S. 70 West to freeway standards have passed the initial round of the state's evaluation process. That process will determine which Department of Transportation projects will be funded and scheduled for...

Rotary clubs host walk to eliminate polio

One reason Dr. Bryson Bateman became a Rotarian was because of the club's efforts to eradicate polio. Many may think polio is not a current issue, but that is not the case, the retired physician says. Which is why...

Building a better future

Antonio Hines can be aptly described in two words -- gentle giant. A looming figure on the football field while a student at Goldsboro High School, he was recruited for N.C. State before an injury sidelined him and changed...

Pizza delivery driver robbed

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is investigating the robbery of a Domino's delivery driver that happened on Thursday. According to sheriff's reports, the suspects called the restaurant just after 11 p.m. and ordered a pizza and inquired about how much...

Honor band, wind ensemble to perform

MOUNT OLIVE -- The University of Mount Olive's fifth annual Honor Band and Wind Ensemble concert will be 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Hazel Waters Kornegay Assembly Hall, 207 Wooten St. Music majors, high school students and community members...

Monday, April 9, 2018

No one is injured after roof collapses in Fremont

FREMONT -- No one was injured when the roof of an unoccupied building collapsed at the corner of Main Street and Sycamore Street in Fremont Monday morning. The incident occurred around 10 a.m., said town administrator Barbara Aycock. The building...

A love match made of love

SEVEN SPRINGS -- When Doug Jones' kidneys began to fail and he was placed on a transplant list, no one would have thought his wife of nearly 46 years would be a match. Except Trish Jones. She had registered...

Gone to market

"I am ready to get some tables and start selling some product," Wayne County Extension Service Director Kevin Johnson said Thursday afternoon as he walked around the building that will house the new Farm Credit Farmers Market Located behind...

Governor launches highway safety campaign

RALEIGH -- Gov. Roy Cooper has proclaimed April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month to increase awareness that distracted drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but everyone else on the road. In conjunction to the proclamation, the North...

Council waits on car wash

The Goldsboro City Council decided earlier this month to table a decision on a rezoning request that would have led to the addition of a 3,500-square-foot car wash on North Berkeley Boulevard, at Langston Drive and across from Berkeley...

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Wayne County Senior Games

Edna Watson has participated in the Wayne County Senior Games for years, but it's getting harder and harder to find someone to compete against. That's because she will soon turn 96, and not many people that age take part in...

Rediscovered: 135th USCT comes alive

The forgotten history and service of the 135th U.S. Colored Troop was celebrated this weekend with re-enactments, a symposium and pop-up museum in downtown Goldsboro. The 135th USCT Living History Weekend: The Lost Troop began Friday with an encampment of...

World Without Hate presents message of love, forgiveness

The events of Sept. 11 forever changed the lives of a lot of people. For a small community in Texas, however, the life-altering changes came in the days and weeks after the terrorist's deeds were done. Raisuddin Bhuiyan was...

New store is a barrel full of items and discounts

When you walk in the door at The Discount Barrel, you're already saving money, say owners and managers Tom Cosner and Jesse Cowger. It's a discount store, yes, but it's not a thrift store or a consignment shop. Everything is...

A hero is laid to rest

Edgar Felton Davis is finally home. And after 50 years he is at last reunited with the love of his life, his wife Sue. There was more laughter than tears as more than 300 people gathered Friday at noon at...

Friday, April 6, 2018

A hero's return

It was a homecoming decades in the making, and a welcome fit for a hero. Hundreds of people lined Wayne Memorial Drive from New Hope Road to Seymour Funeral Home and Cremation Center Thursday to watch as the remains...

Competitors keep their cool in the final day of livestock show

The pigs were petulant and the hogs were unhappy, but the contestants kept their cool Thursday at the 70th annual Wayne County Junior Livestock Show and Sale at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The show began around 10 a.m. with...

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Goldsboro man dies in head-on collision

A Goldsboro man died in an early morning wreck when his pick-up truck collided with with a tractor-trailer on N.C. 111. Shortly after 5:30 a.m. today, Bradley Keith Nelson, 26, 1800 E. Walnut St., was driving north along Broadhurst Bridge...

County flood damage prevention ordinance revised

Regulations for recreational vehicles, in-ground and elevated tanks and equipment that service homes in the county's flood zones are included in Wayne County's revised flood damage prevention ordinance. Also, the proposed ordinance includes a conversion agreement so that when...

City leads state in Main Street awards

The city of Goldsboro led the state in receiving the highest number of 2017 N.C. Main Street awards during a recent ceremony in Clayton. The city, along with 14 other communities, captured four awards recognizing excellence in downtown revitalization...

Annual livestock show herds in the crowds

Isaac Linton, 13, was admittedly nervous as the minutes ticked down to when he would show his goat at the annual Wayne County Junior Livestock Show and Sale at the fairgrounds Wednesday night. It didn't matter that he's been in...

Council approves body cameras

Goldsboro police will be upfitted with body cameras as early as the summer, following a Goldsboro City Council decision to spend nearly $90,000 on the technology. The council Monday approved a N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety...

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Dudley man charged with assaulting a handicapped person

A Dudley man is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a handicapped man. Carlos Lee Williams, 46, of 100 Rollingwood Drive, Dudley, was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault on a handicapped person and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious...

Princeton police investigate shooting death of S.C. man

PRINCETON -- Princeton police are investigating the shooting death of a South Carolina man who was wearing body armor during a visit in the Johnston County town Monday. Michael Lorenzo Joyner, 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, was shot in...

A cry for justice

Tyrone Beamon Jr., 27, and his girlfriend Shondrea Millhouse, 21, were found bound, beaten and strangled to death inside his Mount Olive home in November 2013. Their bodies were left for several days in a bathtub inside the home....

Procession, funeral planned for returning colonel

Air Force Col. Edgar Felton Davis, at long last, is coming home. Davis' remains, recovered nearly 50 years after he was shot down in the skies over Laos during the Vietnam War, will return to Goldsboro Thursday. Davis' remains...

Fill the Theatre is a success with every seat filled with donations

Wayne County residents pitched in last week and filled all 500 seats at the Paramount Theatre with food, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies. It was United Way of Wayne County's first ever Fill The Theatre campaign, and was held...

Chosen for a 'space' adventure

A Southern Wayne High School junior had her own "lost in space" adventure recently when she was chosen to attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. The scholarship program was developed in partnership with the U.S. Space...

Wayne County 4-H Robotics team earns $2,000 grant

A 4-H Robotics team in Wayne County, FRC Team 3737, has received a $2,000 Grant from the Duke Energy Foundation/FIRST North Carolina Fund. Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, who introduced the IBOT Mobility System and the Segway Human Transporter,...

Six Wayne County students named service scholars

Six Arendell Parrott Academy students from Wayne County were recently named service scholars. The Kinston private school recently inducted 191 students into its SERV Society, which stands for Students Effectively Realizing their Value. Goldsboro area students included seniors Catherine Denton...

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Deputies suit up to dive under

Under cloudy skies the already murky water becomes even more difficult to see through. Yet two members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office Dive Team are able to don scuba gear, submerge and -- working together and mostly by...

Council denies apartments

The Goldsboro City Council sided with residents Monday in its denial of a rezoning that would have added an 80-unit apartment complex on Cuyler Best Road. Morgan and Associates sought council approval to rezone a 6.2-acre property on Cuyler...

Monday, April 2, 2018

Two charged in robbery, kidnapping

Goldsboro police have two people in custody and are continuing to investigate a recent armed robbery and kidnapping at a local hotel Sunday. The robbery occurred on March 25, just before 6:30 a.m., at the Serena Inn hotel at...

Bean bag baseball

Patricia Curtis stands in front of a board on the floor with holes cut in it. She's tense as she prepares to toss a bean bag at the board. She throws underhanded. The 67-year-old used to take the bean bag...

Building a world without hate

A grassroots, fundraising effort to help reduce crime in Goldsboro will result in bringing a hate-crime survivor and international peace activist on April 7. Rais Bhuiyan, founder of World Without Hate, will share his story during an admission-free event...

UMO holds 17th annual State of the Child Conference

The 17th annual State of the Child Conference, held recently at the University of Mount Olive, was packed -- with educational workshops as well as people attending. The conference was formed in response to the state budget being stretched so...

Council to eye police cameras

The Goldsboro Police Department has been approved to receive nearly $90,000 in state funding that could lead to every officer receiving a body camera. The N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety grant, which requires a $89,138 city...

Consider the wind before burning debris

RALEIGH - The N.C. Forest Service is urging residents across the state to think safety and exercise caution during the spring fire season, which typically lasts from March to May. "Burning debris is the No. 1 cause of wildfires,"...

Task force seeks community input on poverty

WAYne Forward, the task force recently formed to address the causes and symptoms of poverty in Goldsboro and Wayne County wants to hear from residents their thoughts and experiences. In addition to a series of upcoming community meetings and neighborhood...

Barton College art competition recognizes two local students

Two Parrott Academy art students from Wayne County were recently recognized at the Annual Eastern/Central North Carolina Scholastic Art Competition at Barton College. Middle and upper school students earned a combined total of 50 Gold Key, Silver Key and...

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Justice sought for those who can no longer speak

A fresh new set of fliers hangs taped to light poles throughout the city. The photo printed on each is grainy, indistinguishable when viewed through the passenger window of a car idling at a stoplight. For Eddie Wynn, however,...

Brantley retires after 30-year law career

After more than 30 years serving the people of Wayne County, Chief District Court Judge David Brantley has decided to take a break -- for now. Brantley retired Saturday, after working his last official day Thursday. After a long...

Spring blossoms at Fremont Daffodil Festival

FREMONT--Kayla Curatolo tried to keep up with her 2-year-old son, Brody, blonde curls bouncing as he made his way to the inflatable slide at the Daffodil Festival on Saturday afternoon. He was on a mission, and he was not alone....

Easter Eggstravaganza draws crowd to Herman Park

Saturday marked 3-year-old Kelli Hann's very first Easter egg hunt, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She carried a pale pink basket in one hand, while her other hand clutched that of her great-grandmother, Brenda...

WorkKeys certification test dates set

The WorkKeys(r) tests for the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) will be offered at Wayne Community College four times during April. The Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success (WORKS) program will provide testing sessions 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on April 3...

Pikeville Pizza Inn expands

Pizza Inn in Pikeville is about to get a new look, as the restaurant will open up a 1,400-square-foot expansion in early April. The addition will add space for enough seating to accommodate 66 people, and will come with...

Education, job search seminar promises motivation plus instruction

A free seminar will be offered in April based upon sending a powerful message to the community -- "Remaining Positive in a Negative Environment." Everlasting Investments is spearheading the three-hour event on Saturday, April 21, at 2:30 p.m. at the...

Calypso native inducted into ECU Nursing Hall of Fame

Deborah Kornegay of Calypso has been inducted into the East Carolina University College of Nursing Hall of Fame. The prestigious program honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of nursing through clinical practice, teaching, administration and...