VOLUME 9 ISSUE 44 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2024
DUPLINJOURNAL.COM
Duplin Journal THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
the
BRIEF this week
Free adult wellness screenings at Thelma D. Bryant Library Wallace ECU Health will offer free adult wellness screenings at the Thelma D. Bryant Library in Wallace on Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The screenings will include body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol checks and health coaching.
Walk-in clinic closed through Dec. 27 Kenansville The Duplin County Health Department walk-in STD clinic will reopen on Dec. 30. The testing clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8-10 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. at 340 Seminary St. in Kenansville.
Duplin County Partnership for Children reopens Dec. 30 Kenansville Duplin County Partnership for Children will be closed for the holidays and will reopen on Dec. 30 at 8 a.m.
Duplin County 4-H closes the year strong Duplin County Duplin County 4-H successfully reached 8,995 school-age youth in 2024, according to the annual report shared by County Manager Bryan Miller at the last County Commissioners meeting. Last year, 46 youth and 183 adults volunteered with Duplin County 4-H. “That’s the kind of participation you see out of a successful program,” said Miller. “I could not be more happy and more excited about Duplin County’s 4-H program.”
ENA SELLERS / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Citizens plead for DEQ to revisit Lear Corp’s draft permit, protect public health Participants of the Dec. 18 N.C. Department of Environmental Quality public comment session in Kenansville urged DEQ to revisit Lear Corp’s draft permit regulating chemical discharges into the Northeast Cape Fear River. Speakers expressed concern for their families who swim, fish and rely on wells downstream of the facility, noting that fish in the river downstream of Lear, near the Sarecta bridge, are 20 times more toxic than those deemed unsafe to consume by the state. They also asked DEQ to mandate the implementation of technology-based effluent limits in Lear’s permit to remove PFAS before discharging into the river. Stay tuned for the full story on the Jan. 2 edition of Duplin Journal.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Duplin saw significant growth, infrastructure achievements in 2024 “It really brought up the need that we need to dredge our rivers.” Carrie Shields, assistant county manager
County offices holiday closings Duplin County Duplin County offices will be closed Dec. 24-26 in observance of Christmas, and on Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day.
Law enforcement seeks help identifying two individuals Warsaw The Warsaw Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects in a credit card fraud and identity theft case. These individuals have been linked to multiple incidents at gas stations in Warsaw and other locations throughout Duplin County.
KENANSVILLE — The year 2024 was marked by significant growth and notable infrastructure achievements in Duplin County, with a lot of development taking place at Duplin Commons and the Airpark. One of the most notable highlights of the year was the county commissioners decision to move forward with building a new jail to replace the deteriorating facility currently in use. An article published in January after touring the facility provided an inside look at the many challenges employees and inmates face daily. In February, the board took a decisive step and approved moving forward with the construction of the 236-bed facility, estimated to cost $44.1 million. On
“I appreciate everyone who’s served and certainly those who have made the supreme sacrifice. It’s very important to me that they’re never forgotten.”
Charles Ingram recently visited a WWII soldier’s grave in Normandy By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal CHARLES INGRAM never knew Arnold Jackson, a 22-year-old Beulaville man who was killed in Normandy during World War II. In fact, Ingram was born years after Jackson’s death. But still, Ingram has made it his mission to remember fallen service members from Duplin County like Jackson who otherwise may have been forgotten in history. Ingram, an attorney, served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years and was born on July 4. “I’m a very patriotic person,” he said. “I revere the flag. I appreciate everyone who’s served
Shawn Miller won $3,000 on the popular game show By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
July 22, Duplin County officials gathered at Fairgrounds Drive in Kenansville for the groundbreaking ceremony, marking “the beginning of a new era for our community, one that prioritizes safety, economic growth and the efficient use of public resources.” The new jail is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026. Duplin celebrated the opening of the Duplin County Animal Care Control and Adoption Center, a $3.7 million facility, in May. Also, the Transportation Department moved to their $4.27 million facility at the Duplin Commons in the Spring. June 4 marked a significant milestone for Duplin County with the unveiling of the George Futrelle Terminal at the Duplin County Airport in memory of the late airport
SHAWN COSTON MILLER, who lives outside Wallace, was recently a contestant on the longtime popular game show “Wheel of Fortune.” Miller’s episode aired Dec. 18. “She’s going to put Wallace on the map,” said her sister, Priscilla Coston. “It’s very exciting.” Miller and her husband, Kelvin, flew out to Los Angeles the week of Oct. 17 to film the episode and waited almost two months for the show to finally air. In the meantime, neither of them told anyone what prizes she may have won on the show. “They haven’t told anybody,” Coston said at a watch party in the Millers’ home before the show came on at 7 p.m. “Her daughter has been dying to
See REVIEW, page A2
See MILLER, page A2
Duplin man makes it his mission to remember fallen servicemen
Charles Ingram
$2.00
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
Wallace woman appears on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
and certainly those who have made the supreme sacrifice. It’s very important to me that they’re never forgotten.” Because of his Navy service and his passion for honoring the military, as well as his post as president of the Duplin County Historical Society at the time, Ingram spearheaded an effort in 2006 to build a monument on Kenansville’s courthouse square to honor service members from Duplin County who died in the Vietnam War. He’d been inspired by his high school English teacher, Jo Jones, who wrote a column about the Duplin County men who’d died in the Vietnam War. Later, Ingram also helped place monuments for the Korean War, World War I and World War II. Through his research on See INGRAM, page A6
“It was literally the best experience ever.” Shawn Miller