VOLUME 11 ISSUE 1 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026
DUPLINJOURNAL.COM
Duplin Journal THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
the
BRIEF this week
Magnolia launches water line replacement project Magnolia The town of Magnolia has begun a major water line replacement project expected to last approximately six months. Work will impact multiple streets, beginning with the section from Railroad Street to McRae Street. Residents and motorists are urged to use caution while traveling in affected areas and to expect possible delays. Town officials ask for patience and understanding as crews work to improve the town’s water infrastructure. For more information, contact Town Hall at 910-289-3205.
Drought conditions expand Duplin County According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, severe drought conditions now affect Faison, Warsaw, Magnolia, Calypso, Wolfscrape, Alberson and parts of Kenansville. Moderate drought has emerged in portions of Rose Hill, Beulaville, Greenevers, Teachey, Wallace, Rockfish and Cypress Creek. The drought conditions increase wildfire danger across the area and could potentially impact farmers as planting season approaches. For the latest drought updates and maps, visit ncdrought.org.
Road closure underway Duplin County The N.C. Department of Transportation has closed a section of N.C. 50 over Tea Swamp near N.C. 24 in Duplin County for bridge maintenance. The road is expected to reopen by 5 p.m. March 19, weather permitting. Local traffic can detour via N.C. 24. Drivers should exercise caution and check DriveNC.gov for updates.
Sheriff warns of USB flash drive scam Duplin County The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam involving malicious USB flash drives. Sheriff Stratton Stokes said scammers leave infected drives in public places or mail them to victims disguised as promotional materials from legitimate companies in hopes they will plug them into a computer. Once connected, the device can install malware or ransomware. Residents are advised to contact local law enforcement immediately if they believe they have been targeted by a scam.
$2.00
MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
State Sen. Brent Jackson tours James Sprunt Community College’s new Workforce Development Center Sen. Brent Jackson toured the nearly completed Workforce Development Center at James Sprunt Community College on Monday, meeting faculty and students from the electrical program. Jackson, front row center, is joined by JSCC President Shannon Hair, left, and Electrical Systems Technology Instructor Philip Anderson, far left, along with students and other faculty from the program. Turn to A2 for more.
Energy expansion promises stronger, smarter grid for Duplin The real-time energy management system is said to strengthen reliability for homes, farms and facilities By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal DUPLIN COUNTY’S electric grid is set for a high-tech upgrade that officials say will improve reliability, strengthen support for agriculture and position the re-
gion for future business growth. N.C. Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC) and OATI recently announced plans to deploy next-generation smart grid technology in Duplin County, part of a broader effort to enhance grid resilience
across rural North Carolina. As part of the project, NCEMC will upgrade its energy management platform with OATI’s advanced Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), adding real-time monitoring, coordination and control capabilities. The enhanced system will allow utilities to manage electricity using live system conditions, forecasts
Downtown Wallace parking forum discusses current issue, future needs The consensus favors removing restrictions, the town council is expected to consider recommendation soon By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal WALLACE — A mix of downtown Wallace merchants and interested citizens gathered in the Wallace Woman’s Club on
Feb. 18 to give their input on issues involving parking downtown. Wallace Town Manager Rob Taylor told Duplin Journal that the forum was scheduled after the town received some complaints about parking down-
town, especially on Main Street. Taylor, who facilitated the Wallace Downtown Parking Forum along with Wallace Police Chief James Crayton, apologized for a graphic he posted on social media that insinuated the town was considering the installation of parking meters downtown. Taylor said he used artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT,
Warsaw faces questions on enforcement, transparency Consultants say the town failed to enforce its own wastewater penalty policy despite violations By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal WARSAW — Questions about fines, delayed public records and financial oversight dominated a tense February meeting of the Warsaw Board of Commissioners, as town leaders confronted mounting concerns over transparency. Mayor Wesley Boykin and the board of commissioners centered much of the three-hour-long meeting on governance and oversight. A representative from McDavid Associates updated the board on the town’s wastewater pretreatment program, which has faced multiyear permit violations tied to industrial discharges. Consultants told the board the town has authority to issue fines of up to $25,000 per day per violation under its approved
enforcement response plan. However, the town has not issued formal fines to industrial users despite repeated violations, placing it out of compliance with its own adopted program. “The town submitted that plan to the state. The state approved it. In as much as that, the town has not fined these industries. It is in violation of its own town adopted enforcement response plan,” said McDavid Associates. “We’ve got oodles of violations every day. So, I mean, you’re talking millions of dollars a month in potential fines. … So that’s one of the problems we have between the town and the state that we’ve got to reconcile. It’s because we adopted rules that said we were going to issue fines.” Instead, commissioners said costs associated with violations, including state-imposed penalties, have been “passed through” to industries as surcharges. Confusion arose during discussion over the See WARSAW, page A5
and planning data — better integrating solar panels, battery storage, demand response programs and microgrids across the state’s 26 locally owned electric cooperatives. “For the average household in Duplin County, this means your utility is using new technologies to better manage See GRID, page A5
“One acre of land can have parking for 100 cars.” James Crayton to create a graphic for the forum which automatically generated visual images of a parking meter and a sign saying, “enforcement coming soon.” The graphic created a negative response on social media. See PARKING, page A3