VOLUME 10 ISSUE 46 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026
DUPLINJOURNAL.COM
Duplin Journal THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
Voters must register by Feb. 6 for primary Kenansville The voter registration deadline for the 2026 primary election is Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. Party affiliation changes are not allowed after the deadline. Voters can check their registration at ncsbe.gov/voting/voterlookup. New registrations or updates may be completed online at ncdot.gov, in person at the elections office, or by mail. During partisan primaries, voters must vote within their registered party. Democratic and Republican voters receive ballots for their party only. Unaffiliated voters may choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot at the polls. The statewide primary is March 3.
Garden Center closed through Jan. 14 Willard The Garden Center at Johnson Nursery will reopen Jan. 15. Customers are encouraged to plan visits accordingly once the garden center resumes regular operations.
3 arrested during saturation patrols Duplin County Three people were arrested during saturation patrols conducted Dec. 22 in the Albertson and Smith township areas of Duplin County. The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to carry out the operation. Officers conducted 45 traffic stops, issuing 28 citations, one written warning and more than 22 verbal warnings. Arrests included two illegal narcotics charges and one driving while impaired. The patrols were aimed at increasing law enforcement visibility and enhancing public safety.
Partnership for Children seeks donations Kenansville The Duplin County Partnership for Children is seeking public help after a fire destroyed its building on Dec. 29. To continue serving local families, donations of diapers, wipes, and gently used children’s books are needed.Dropoff locations are Duplin County Library, Phillip Leff Memorial Library, Rose Hill Community Library, Albertson Community Library, Faison Library and Warsaw-Kornegay Library.
COURTESY BRYANNA WILLIAMS
Firefighters work at the scene of a building ravaged by fire on Limestone Road in Kenansville on Dec. 29. The building housed the Duplin County Partnership for Children, Mega Force Staffing Group and Duplin OB-GYN Associates.
Kenansville fire draws massive county response Officials praise coordination as more than 100 firefighters battled the seven-hour blaze By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal KENANSVILLE — More than 100 emergency response personnel from 17 departments across Duplin County battled a massive commercial fire for more than seven hours last week at a multiunit office building on
County departments report strong performance, clean audits LEAP applications open as officials address flu trends and staffing needs By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal KENANSVILLE — County commissioners received largely positive updates from Social Services and Health Department leaders on Monday, with both agencies reporting clean audits, strong financial
positions and ongoing efforts to meet community needs during the Consolidated Human Services meeting. Department of Social Services Director Annie Murrell reported that the agency met all state performance standards for December. Murrell also highlighted the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, known as LEAP, which opened applications to the general public on Jan. 2.
“This program assists with providing funds towards household heating,” she said, noting applications will be accepted through March 31 or until funds are exhausted. The agency is currently processing an average of 30 applications per day. Murrell also shared positive audit results, noting that the county’s single audit conducted in November resulted in no findings. She added that staff retention re-
County Commissioners accept $32.4M grant for school renovation The state grant will fund East Duplin High School upgrades By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
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Limestone Road, overcoming challenges to bring the blaze under control. Duplin County 911 received the call at approximately 9:28 p.m. on Dec. 29. Units from the Kenansville Fire Department arrived first to find an actively burning structure. Because of the building’s size and
remodeled, multioccupancy layout, additional departments were dispatched to provide fire suppression, manpower, and water support. Public Safety Deputy Director Brian Matthis described it as “a pretty complex incident,” noting that crews dealt with multiple roof layers and some structural collapse, which prompted defensive operations. “It’s a blocked building, so the fire department was having some
KENANSVILLE — A multimillion-dollar school renovation grant, employee recognition and upcoming county business highlighted the Duplin County Commissioners meeting held Monday night. In a unanimous vote, the commissioners made a motion to accept a $32.4 million state grant for the renovation of East Duplin High School, marking a major investment in local school infrastructure. The needs-based public school capital fund grant requires a county match of $1.624 mil-
lion and will be used over three years. Interim County Manager Lisa Hughes explained the funding is provided through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and is intended primarily for Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties. “When the bill was first passed, it was supposed to be for new construction and not for any type of renovations, but through the Association of County Commissioners and all the commissioners across the state, we worked with them to change it and recognize that we don’t all need new schools,” Hughes said. “Sometimes we just need to go in and renovate what we have, and that’s what this one is.” See GRANT, page A5
“It would be a big help to the county to get that $32.4 million.” Dexter Edwards
difficulty in accessing the interior portions of the building for fire suppression activities,” he told Duplin Journal. Heavy water usage quickly strained the municipal system, prompting the activation of Duplin County Tanker Task Forces 1 and 2 and the establishment of two supplemental water points to protect critical infrastructure. Crews cleared the scene around 3:17 a.m. on Dec. 30. Kenansville Fire Chief Robert Whitman stated that water levels were closely monitored with the Public Works Department and emphasized that supplies were never in danger. “The town of Kenansville never ran dry,” Whitman said, See FIRE, page A3
“As long as we can, in my opinion, retain at least 80% of those Medicaid staff or any staff in any unit, the program will continue to flourish and grow.” Annie Murrell mains key to continued success. “As long as we can, in my opinion, retain at least 80% of those Medicaid staff or any staff in any unit, the program will continue See AUDIT, page A5