Duplin Journal Vol. 11, Issue 1

Duplin 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 a ected areas and to expect possible delays. Town o cials 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 a ect Faison, Warsaw, Magnolia, Calypso, Wolfscrape, Alberson and parts of Kenansville. Moderate drought has emerged in portions of Rose Hill, Beulaville, Greenevers, Teachey, Wallace, Rock sh and Cypress Creek. The drought conditions increase wild re 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 tra c can detour via N.C. 24. Drivers should exercise caution and check DriveNC.gov for updates.

Sheri warns of USB ash drive scam

Duplin County

The Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce is warning residents about a scam involving malicious USB ash drives.

Sheri 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.

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

real-time energy management system

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

DUPLIN COUNTY’S electric grid is set for a high-tech upgrade that o cials 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

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

“For the average household in Duplin County, this means your utility is using new technologies to better manage

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 and planning data — better integrating solar panels, battery storage, demand response programs and microgrids across the state’s 26 locally owned electric cooperatives.

“One acre of land can have parking for 100 cars.”

James Crayton

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 arti cial intelligence, speci cally ChatGPT,

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 downtown, especially on Main Street.

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 nes, delayed public records and nancial 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.

enforcement response plan. However, the town has not issued formal nes 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 ned 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 nes. … 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 nes.”

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 $2.00

Consultants told the board the town has authority to issue nes of up to $25,000 per day per violation under its approved

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.

Ena

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LOCAL BRIEFS

Animal services Facebook page hacked

Kenansville

Duplin County o cials are urging the public not to click on any links, provide personal information or respond to messages from the Duplin County Animal Services Facebook page until further notice as the page has been compromised, and unauthorized or ctitious information may have been posted.

Golden LEAF scholarship application deadline

Duplin County The application deadline for the Golden LEAF Foundation Colleges and Universities Scholarship is March 1. A total of 215 scholarships will be awarded to eligible high school seniors and community college transfer students attending North Carolina colleges and universities. Awards range from $10,500 to $14,000. Students can apply through CFNC.org.

THURSDAY

New Workforce Center at JSCC draws praise from Senator Jackson

The senator visited the JSCC Electrical program ahead of the center’s opening

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

NORTH CAROLINA 9th

District Sen. Brent Jackson toured the nearly completed 22,000-square-foot Workforce Development Center at James Sprunt Community College on Monday, meeting faculty and students in the electrical program.

JSCC President Shannon Hair welcomed Jackson and updated him on campus growth, including plans for a satellite campus near Wallace.

Jackson also toured the current electrical training facility in the Hall Building, speaking with electrical systems technology instructor Philip Anderson and students.

“I am thrilled and excited from what I’m seeing,” Jackson told Duplin Journal. “This is our future, and we need these trades, especially electrical, plumbing, heating and air.”

Elizabeth Howard, JSCC’s dean of business and industry, said rapid vocational growth is fueled by local demand and the Career and College Promise Program, which allows high school students to begin vocational training while still in school.

“Since 2020, we have seen

MARK

JSCC President Shannon Hair, left, shows N.C. Senator Brent Jackson one of the large rooms inside the new Workforce Development Center that is expected to be completed in May.

“This is our future, and we need these trades, especially electrical, plumbing, heating and air.”

Jackson

Brent

enormous growth with our high school students,” she said. “Many of them are able to graduate with a certi cate, some with a diploma, before they graduate high school.”

Some instructors in the electrical systems program are alumni who chose to stay and teach others the trade.

Jacob Walker of the Pink

Hook community near Wallace told Duplin Journal he grew up on a farm where he was introduced to electrical work and started working when he was 16. Walker said being able to teach others has added an entirely di erent level to the profession for him.

“It’s a big deal. I love it,” he said. “That’s what wakes me up in the morning.”

A fellow electrical instructor, Zachary Craig of Grantham, agrees teaching others is very rewarding.

“It’s a good feeling knowing that what you gave a student he can take and run with it.”

The new Workforce Development Center is nearing completion and could be open as soon as May.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in

Feb. 27

Wallace Rotary annual Pancake Supper 5 to 8 p.m.

The Wallace Rotary Club is hosting its annual Pancake Supper at the Wallace Elementary School Cafeteria. The cost is $10 per person. The proceeds from this fundraiser will support Wallace Rotary Club Charities in the Greater Wallace area. Tickets available for purchase at the door or from any Rotarian.

Wallace Elementary School 4266 N.C. 11, Wallace

Feb. 28

Mount Olive Black History Parade 1 p.m.

Parade along Talton Avenue to Carver Cultural Center. Line-up is 11 a.m. to noon. The parade was rescheduled from Feb. 22 and the rain date is March 1.

Downtown Mount Olive

March 2

Veterans First meeting 6:30 p.m.

Veterans First will hold a meeting featuring local candidates as the speakers. The public is invited.

329 Highway 24, Highway 50, Kenansville

Got a local event? Let us know and we’ll share it with the community here. Email our newsroom at community@duplinjournal. com. Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

Water shuto s spark outrage in Warsaw

A resident was told she was “on the list” despite having proof of payment

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

PRESIDENTS DAY,

ON

Macy Hardy of Warsaw noticed a man in a Warsaw town truck parked in her driveway near her water meter. She opened her door and asked, “Is there something wrong with the meter?” Hardy told Duplin Journal the man replied no, and that the water’s being shut o .

She said she pulled the receipt on her phone to show him the bill was paid, but according to Hardy, he refused to view the receipt and told her that she was “on the list” and he had to “turn it o .”

Hardy added the man ad-

Complaints regarding downtown parking, primarily from merchants, range from people parking in spaces for very long periods of time, to employees parking in front of businesses on Main Street limiting access to spaces by patrons.

Using a downtown map on a video monitor, Taylor pointed out the current parking rules for downtown which show a mix of one- and two-hour parking restrictions. He pointed out there are signs in the area that were installed in 1965.

On the issue of charging for parking, Taylor said that has never been a consideration of the town or the town council.

Crayton added he did not want the police department to become involved in parking enforcement downtown.

“We’re not going to police for pro t,” Crayton said.

Most of the concern focused on Main Street parking, while several comments were made regarding plenty of parking available during the day on Railroad Street, Boney Street and oth-

mitted the town was “having computer problems” but proceeded to cut o her water service anyway.

When Hardy contacted town hall around 12:05 p.m., she said she was again told the town was having computer issues and was asked to email her receipt to the town clerk. She did, and her service was restored around 3:10 p.m.

Hardy was far from alone in having water service terminated by the Town of Warsaw despite having paid their bill.

Warsaw Mayor Wesley Boykin, in an interview with Duplin Journal, said he rst became aware of the issue while he was at a meeting with the town’s zoning specialist.

“When I was at town hall, I experienced an extremely explosive situation,” Boykin said, adding he heard the commo -

tion at the window where customers pay their water bills and attempted to intervene.

Boykin said the confrontation escalated to the point police had to be called. He added he did not believe the town sta handled the situation appropriately.

“My process of decision making would have been di erent,” Boykin said.

On Feb. 16, Commissioner Ebony Wills-Wells posted a notice via social media explaining that the town was experiencing a technical malfunction with the water payment system, which resulted in service disconnections for many citizens who had already paid their bills.

“I have formally advised the board of commissioners, the town manager, and the nance clerk that all disconnections must cease immediately.”

Commissioner Ebony Wills-Wells

“I have formally advised the board of commissioners, the town manager, and the nance clerk that all disconnections must cease immediately. Work orders have been prioritized to restore service to all a ected households at no cost,” wrote Wills-Wells. Boykin said he was not unaware of the details of what had transpired until after 5 p.m. on Presidents Day when he saw a message from Duplin Journal asking him

er locations. A few attendees expressed concern over employees who work at locations such as 211 Main Salon having to walk to side streets after dark. It was suggested that additional lighting on Railroad Street, Boney Street and around the Wallace Depot could make those areas safer.

Crayton said those concerned about employees walking to parking spaces not located on Main Street can call for a police escort to their vehicle.

After much discussion, a con-

Wallace Police Chief James Crayton, who facilitated the Wallace Downtown Parking Forum on Feb. 18, said he did not want his o cers to become tied up with enforcing downtown parking ordinances.

sensus was reached that it was best to eliminate all hourly parking restrictions downtown. In regard to the current signage indicating one- or two-hour parking, Michael Blackburn, who has an o ce on West Railroad Street said, “I’d take them all down.”

His remark was followed by several saying, “Amen.”

“We’re happy to do that,” Crayton said.

Another consensus was reached that the best way to handle those who may be park-

DUPLIN COUNTY CLERK OF COURT

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EARLY VOTING: FEBRUARY 12TH – 28TH

ELECTION DAY March 3rd

ing for a long period of time in front of their business while they worked elsewhere is communication. Most agreed that cars left in downtown spaces for very long periods of time can be reported to the police department for investigation.

A car that had been left in a parking space for almost two months was recently towed under a town abandoned-vehicle ordinance.

While the agreement on parking issues seemed to please most attending the forum, it is obvious that downtown parking needs will have to be addressed again in the not-too-distant future as the growth of apartments over shops becomes more common.

Currently, there are two apartments already occupied on Main Street that have a total of four occupants. That number may soon change. Edward Troubleeld, a developer originally from the Faison area who now lives in California, attended the forum and said his plans to convert the Carter Building on Main Street into rst- oor shops with apartments above are being delayed

to comment on the situation. Town Manager Lea Turner was not in the o ce Monday or Tuesday. Boykin said neither he nor the town’s zoning o cer were aware she was out of the ofce. Duplin Journal left several messages and emails for Turner between Feb. 16 and Feb. 20. She responded late Friday afternoon by email.

“I was out of the o ce on Monday when (the cuto s) occurred,” Turner said in the email. “I was noti ed there was a high number of cuto s which was out of the normal. With me being in a conference, I was unable to investigate. However, on my lunch break, I did advise sta to stop cuto s and reconnect all services until the problem could be resolved. On Tuesday morning, my sta reviewed the billing information and resumed a normal cuto schedule.”

because of the lack of parking for future residents of the apartments. He said banks nancing the project want to be assured adequate parking will be available. He said the bank is asking there be a minimum of 28 parking spaces available for residents and their guests.

Taylor asked Trouble eld to meet with him to discuss options. Crayton said one possibility would be for the town to purchase a tract of land speci cally for parking.

“One acre of land can have parking for 100 cars,” he said. Crayton added the one suggestion of a parking deck downtown would be very expensive, saying it costs almost $80,000 per level to construct a parking deck.

As far as the elimination of all time-restricted parking currently in e ect, the town council will have to approve that recommendation. It is likely it will be on the agenda of an upcoming meeting. At the conclusion of the forum, Crayton suggested there be other forums in the future to allow citizens and town o cials to gather to discuss issues.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 11 marriage licenses for the month ending on Jan. 31, 2026.

• Josel Yuanan Valdez Acosta, Wallace, and Indira Dayanary Rubi Munguia, Wallace;

• Milton Ray Ward, Turkey, and Brittany Mae Blackburn, Turkey; Leroy Mathis Sr, Wallace, and Ethel Mathis, New York;

• Jessica Katelyn Batts, Wallace, and Lucas Lee Carter, Harrells;

• Edgardo Melgar Martinez, Wallace, and Adalinda Amaya Canaca, Wallace;

• Gary Marcus Quinn, Pink Hill, and Misty Ruth Wallace, Pink Hill;

• Gabriella Borja Gomez, Magnolia, and Jose Manuel Herrea Cruz, Magnolia;

• Joseph Lee Cole, Warsaw, and Lovey Ash Burgess, Warsaw;

• Je rey Keith Chestnutt, Beulaville, and Nettie Rose Herring, Beulaville;

• Adam Michael Mangum, Deep Run, and Celia Amy Bartholf, Deep Run;

• Bobby Earl Price, Clinton, and Angela Marie Miller, Beulaville.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Grandparents’ advice, parents’ wisdom and the call to be a good citizen

“Be a good boy or girl.” Four simply beautiful words that express how we should act and treat each other.

DO YOU REMEMBER some of these pearls of great price given to you by your parents, grandparents, a coach, a teacher or a good friend? Be sure to wash behind your ears. Make sure you put on clean underwear, in case you have a wreck. Hold your shoulders up. I said, eat those vegetables. Do that one more time and I’m going to tell your daddy. I told you no! Don’t do that again! Did you brush your teeth? Have you nished your homework?

To your mother you asked, “Why?” She said, “Because I’m your mother!” To your daddy you asked, “Why?” He said, “Because I said so!” This spanking is going to hurt me more than it hurts you. Just because his/her parents let him/her wear that kind of clothes doesn’t make it right for you.

It’s going to take a lot of hard work to make the team. You know you could have done better on that test if you had studied any at all. Hey, quit complaining and go to work. I want to see more e ort from you; you’ve got plenty of talent, but it’s going to take more e ort. Don’t let winning go to your head. You better not quit trying. Maybe you set your goal too low. The most important shot you will take is the next one.

Additionally, many of us remember being told, as we left home, “Remember who you are.” That

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

admonition carried with it the idea that family reputations were enhanced or diminished by each family member’s actions. Honor, pride and character were important characteristics to be carefully maintained both in word and in deed.

As we got older and had children of our own, we found ourselves saying some of the same things to them as our parents said to us. Then we realized it was out of righteous love and genuine care for our wellbeing that they said and did what they did.

My grandmother more than a few times instructed me, “Be a good boy.” Four simply beautiful words and four beautifully simple words. For most of us it takes a lifetime to understand how profoundly that phrase, “Be a good boy or girl” really expresses how we should act and treat each other.

Sadly, many children today do not and cannot remember or understand what I am saying here, nor have they had the necessary experiences to understand the value of these kinds of memories.

With those thoughts in mind, can anything be more important than letting others know who we are — who we really are by our actions? Can there be any more important time than during our elections to be who we say we are? Do we realize that the freedom and liberty we enjoy in America depends on protecting our precious

right to vote? Do we realize that we should feel duty bound to exercise our precious right to vote?

After over eight years of debate, court cases and radical left wing Democrat opposition, presenting a photo ID to vote seems to be rmly established. It is amazing how long it takes for good ol’ common sense to reestablish itself. Over and over again state and national Democrat leaders bemoaned how racist and oppressive the requirement for photo ID would be and how it would discourage voter turnout. That has been dramatically proven wrong.

Some time back, I expressed my opinion that there are only two forces that we deal with in mortality: good and evil. I understand that many may think that conclusion is too simple. However, the older I get the smarter my Granny’s advice and instructions have become in my daily actions. When, in honest hindsight, I review my actions in the light of her admonition, “Be a good boy,” I am left to conclude that when I was a good boy my problems were few, and when I was not a “good boy” my problems increased. We the people should be good boys and girls, inform ourselves and vote.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon represents Duplin and Wayne counties in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Marco Rubio: more than just the good cop

In February 2025, the audience at Munich took Vance’s comments as insults. In February 2026, the audience, as evidenced by its standing ovation, took Rubio’s as compliments.

MY FIRST REACTION to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech, delivered on Valentine’s Day, at the Munich Security Conference, was, “Last year, President Donald Trump sent the bad cop, Vice President JD Vance. This year, he sent the good cop, Rubio. Progress.” In February 2025, the audience at Munich took Vance’s comments as insults. In February 2026, the audience, as evidenced by its standing ovation, took Rubio’s as compliments.

Yet, as even journalists writing on deadline quickly discerned, Rubio’s words were no less critical than Vance’s of what have been European elites’ cherished policies.

“Mass migration,” Rubio said, is “a crisis which is transforming and destabilizing societies all across the West.” He decried a “climate cult” and “energy policies” that “impoverished our people.” He condemned policies that “outsourced our sovereignty to international institutions” and “invested in massive welfare states.”

Red meat substance, suitable for delivery at any of the three Trump Republican National Conventions — more than have nominated any one person, the president might remind you, except for President Richard Nixon. But leavened, as the above quotations suggest, with frequent employment of the rst-person pronouns and adjectives — “we” (69 times in the text, by my count), “us” (11), “our” (65).

“What comforted worried attendees,” wrote Michael Froman, head of the Council on Foreign Relations and Obama trade negotiator, “was the undertone of the secretary’s remarks.”

But it wasn’t just the undertone that had many Republicans and others start thinking of Rubio as a possible future presidential candidate, despite his recent avowals of support for Vance for the Republican nomination in 2028. And as a national leader with an intellectually serious grasp of history. Rubio began by summoning memories of the rst Munich conference, in 1963, when the Iron Curtain ran

through a divided Germany and the Berlin Wall was just two years old.

Halfway through the speech, he went further back, to the postwar years when “our predecessors,” faced with a “Europe in ruins” and expanding communism, “recognized that decline was a choice, and it was a choice they refused to make.” An interesting way to frame the decisions that produced the Truman Doctrine and the NATO treaty.

Against that, he described the post-Cold War euphoria that “the rules-based global order” would replace national interest. “A foolish idea,” he said unemolliently, that “has cost us dearly.”

A Trumpian take, followed by an implicit denunciation of opening up trade relations with China.

Rather than dwell on that critique, however, he segued back to “centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry,” all parts of “the common civilization to which we have fallen heir.”

This might have rankled, and perhaps was intended to rankle, the European Union leaders who, out of secular conviction or for fear of angering Muslim immigrants, successfully blocked mention of Europe’s “Christian roots” in the EU charter.

As he neared his peroration, Rubio celebrated Christopher Columbus and the English, ScotsIrish, French, German, Spanish and Dutch roots of Americans from Davy Crockett to “the cowboy archetype ... born in Spain.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), in Munich for her rst security conference, ridiculed that last claim, apparently unaware that the Americas had no horses until Hernan Cortes brought some to Mexico in 1519.

More importantly, Rubio’s emphasis on America’s European heritage is a rebuke of the Franz Fanon-inspired theory, fostered on campuses for decades and sweeping the streets in post-Oct. 7, 2023, “anti-Zionist”

demonstrations, that colonialism was the greatest evil in history, and that Europeans and Americans should do penance for their complicity.

Europeans are or should be aware, from the totalitarian tides of the 20th century, that there are worse evils than colonialism — and that to exclude di cult-to-assimilate immigrants is to commit another Holocaust.

But rather than belabor that last point, Rubio instead made the point earlier that “it was here, in Europe, where the ideas that planted the seeds of liberty that changed the world were born.” Including “the rule of law, the universities and the scienti c revolution,” plus Mozart and Beethoven, Dante and Shakespeare, Michelangelo and Leonardo, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Europe should be “proud,” a word he repeated half a dozen times, “of its heritage and its history.” Proud of a “spirit of creation and liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization,” with a Europe that has the means to defend itself and the will to survive.”

Among American and European elites, open expression of pride is something, well, just not done. They prefer to denounce the “systemic racism” of their fellow citizens or the “oppressive colonialism” of their forebears, to disparage the motives of “settlers” and idealize the virtues of the “indigenous.”

But pride in one’s nation and one’s civilization, properly understood, is not a warrant for selfsatisfaction but a summons to duty, a reminder that for us to whom much has been given, much is asked. In Munich, Rubio was not just Trump’s good cop but a mature American leader towering above the crowd.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Pitch It Duplin! returns to spotlight local entrepreneurs

Five participants will complete an eight-week REAL program and pitch for cash prizes

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

IN WHAT CAN easily be described as a local version of “Shark Tank,” Duplin-area entrepreneurs are participating in a competition to win prizes of up to $3,000 to fund their business ideas. The program, Pitch It Duplin!, is thanks to a partnership between the

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distinction between nes and surcharges, with some board members stating they had previously been told industries were being ned.

Town o cials said grace periods were allowed while facilities, including Villari and C2NC, constructed or upgraded pretreatment systems. One facility experienced equipment failures requiring additional investment before meeting standards.

The wastewater discussion preceded presentation of the town’s annual audit by Austin Eubanks of Thompson, Price, Scott & Adams for the scal year ending June 30, 2025. Auditors con rmed that all pro-

James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center, the Kenansville Area Chamber of Commerce and Marine Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville. This is the second year the competition has been held.

Duplin Journal spoke with Joy Wynne, associate dean of continuing education based at WestPark, who said participants in Pitch It Duplin! not only have the opportunity to share their ideas with a panel to win prizes, but they also get valuable training. “They have to participate in eight training events, classes

cedures were completed with one notable de ciency: Expenditures in the Memorial Park Project Fund occurred without an adopted budget ordinance. The board approved a required response letter to the Local Government Commission.

Financially, the General Fund reported approximately $3.9 million in revenues and a net decrease of about $173,000. The unassigned fund balance totaled $3.6 million, well above the commission’s recommended minimum threshold. The town’s tax collection rate was 97.64%.

The Water and Sewer Fund reported roughly $3.18 million in operating revenues and $3.4 million in expenses, re -

that meet eight times,” Wynne said. “They learn about entrepreneurship, how to properly start up a business, market it and write the business plan. We do that through a curriculum called REAL, which is a nationally recognized curriculum.”

REAL is the acronym for Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, a program created more than 30 years ago by Johanthan Sher in North Carolina and Paul DeLargy in Georgia.

Wynne said the classes not only prepare participants for

ecting an operating loss before accounting for capital contributions.

Commissioners also revisited a proposed Cash Flow Policy governing how the town handles cash, checks and electronic payments. Concerns were raised about internal controls, documentation of shortages and whether the nance o cer had formally vetted the policy. One commissioner warned that adopting nancial control procedures without clear nance department certi cation could blur accountability and complicate future audits. The board ultimately approved the policy with one dissenting vote, noting concerns about sta involvement.

running a business but also help them prepare for their pitch.

The rst of the eight classes begins this week.

At completion of the REAL program, the ve contestants this year will make their pitch in May to a panel of judges called the Business Bulldogs, made up of four or ve business representatives from across the county, as well as a judge selected by Marine Federal Credit Union. The actual pitches very much resemble an episode of “Shark Tank.” Marine Federal Credit Union sends a lm crew to

After a contentious meeting, Boykin stressed the importance of civility, collaboration and timely citizen responses, particularly regarding Freedom of Information Act requests. He criticized delays in processing requests. This came after Jessica Thomas, representing the Duplin County NAACP and Cape Fear River Watch, noti ed the board that a public records request submitted on Oct. 20, 2025, concerning a wastewater discharge incident had not been ful lled nearly four months later. She reported receiving acknowledgment of the request by the town manager and assurances of rolling production but no documents as of late-February.

capture the pitches which will be available for public viewing in June.

Wynne said the public has an opportunity to weigh in on the judging by voting after viewing the videos. Public voting can a ect the entrants’ scores by as much as a 25-point increase. They are competing for one of three cash prizes: $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000.

For more information on Pitch It Duplin!, visit the James Sprunt Community College or Marine Federal Credit Union websites, or see their Facebook pages.

local energy resources, such as solar and batteries at customer sites and at substations, not only to provide backup power during outages, but also to help reduce energy costs for all customers,” said Ali Ipakchi, OATI chief visionary o cer.

According to Ipakchi, the system helps prevent outages by reducing strain on the grid and can speed up restoration — in some cases automatically — by tapping into nearby energy resources while full service is restored.

Critical facilities such as hospitals, emergency shelters and water systems can directly bene t as this technology can create microgrids that keep these essential services powered during outages.

“The new technologies being deployed also allow these same resources to support the grid during normal conditions, helping reduce energy costs for the facility and for other customers in the region,” he explained.

Duplin County’s strong agricultural sector also stands to gain, according to Ipakchi, who told Duplin Journal that these capabilities are already deployed and in active use at one of the largest poultry operations in the region, though the company was not publicly identi ed.

“The system ensures constant, 24/7 power to the farm, as well as to a nearby housing community,” he added. “In addition, the system can now use these same resources to provide certain grid reliability services that traditionally come from large power plants.”

OATI says the new real-time capabilities represent a major industry advancement and will also support long-term economic development.

“Reliable and a ordable electricity is one of the most important factors companies consider when choosing where to locate or expand. By investing in proven, modern technologies that improve reliability and reduce energy costs, the utility is helping make Duplin County a more attractive place for new businesses and expansions,” said Ipakchi. “These upgrades strengthen the region’s competitiveness and support long-term economic development.”

Ipakchi explained while Tri-County Electric Cooperative already o ers several energy eciency rebates and programs for its members, with the new technologies being deployed, the cooperative will also be able to introduce modern demand response options that help residents save money.

“These programs work by rewarding members for shifting energy use to lower cost periods — for example, running appliances later in the evening — or by allowing the utility to make small, temporary adjustments to devices like smart thermostats during times of very high demand. In return, participating households receive bill credits, incentives or reduced energy costs,” said Ipakchi.

“As these technologies continue to roll out, members can expect more opportunities to participate in exible use programs that lower bills while helping keep the entire system reliable and a ordable.”

While electric bills depend on many factors, leaders say the long-term goal is a more exible, e cient grid that keeps power dependable and a ordable for the community.

The next time a storm rolls through Duplin County, the lights may come back on faster — and in some cases may not go out at all — thanks to a new smart grid technology project.

Faith, music drive family success

The Penny Family celebrated 10 years of bluegrass gospel music

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — For The Penny Family, bluegrass gos-

pel isn’t just music — it’s a legacy written into their very bones. From family reunions lled with harmonies to the miraculous story of 18-year-old Jeremiah Penny, music has shaped their lives, their faith and their dreams of performing together on stages near and far.

“My momma’s family was a very musical family,” said Brent Penny, a Beulaville musician.

“Before I was born, they had a gospel bluegrass band — The Simpson Family. They were farmers and went out to sing at churches and homecomings but didn’t want to pursue anything professional. All our family reunions consisted of the family getting together to play music.”

Brent’s mother was one of 13 children — all sang in family harmony, and the majority of them played. In the 1960s, Brent’s father played too, and he traveled around in a band with some of his wife’s brothers.

“I decided one day if I had a family, that would be my dream: to have my own little band with my family,” Brent said. When Brent married Sonia, the dream started to come true.

Before their son Jeremiah was born, he was immersed in music, hearing the gentle strains of his mother’s banjo from the womb. After his birth, Brent played gospel bluegrass for him every night at bedtime.

Around the age of 1, things started to change for Jeremiah. He began regressing, stopped making eye contact and spoke less. Still, he joined the family on the stage with toy instruments as soon as he could stand.

“He’s never known stage fright because he grew up on the stage,” Brent said. Jeremi-

COURTESY BRENT PENNY

ah couldn’t play yet; he was just strumming. “I tried to teach him a little bit, and it seemed like it was going nowhere there for a while,” Brent said. At one point, Jeremiah was diagnosed with autism.

One night during a church service, everything changed.

“I’ve never been one to say I hear the voice of the Lord all the time, but I know when I hear it,” Brent recalled. “I heard the voice of the Lord tell me, ‘Go down right now and lay your hands on him in Jesus’ name.

You’re gonna pray for Jeremiah, and I’m gonna touch him.’”

He was obedient, stopped in the middle of his sermon, and went and prayed for his son.

“When I put my hand on his head, I felt the power of God.

God touched Jeremiah miraculously,” Brent said.

Jeremiah started to talk again, and his interest in music increased. He developed a perfect pitch and could play instruments by ear. By age 8, he could play the banjo as well as Earl Scruggs. He became the banjo player for the family band. His siblings, Leah and Silas, came along and started playing. The whole family now plays multiple instruments and sings together. While they mostly perform hymns, The Penny Family also play Easter Brothers and the Lewis Family songs.

Jeremiah, 18, along with his siblings Leah, 15, and Silas, 10, have been homeschooled and nurtured in the rhythms of blue-

Members of the Penny Family — from left, Silas, Sonia, Brent, Leah and Jeremiah — are pictured with their primary instruments, showcasing their musical heritage.

grass gospel. Jeremiah graduated at 16, and his dream is to one day perform professionally in the genre. He loves Martin guitars and Gibson banjos, and he can talk in detail about every instrument he plays. He also holds his learner’s permit and looks forward to getting his license — milestones he was once told he might never reach.

One of his dreams was to play at the Lorraine’s Co eehouse in Garner, and the family got to play there. Another dream was to celebrate his 18th birthday in a local concert with other bands. That dream came true earlier this month on the 10th anniversary of The Penny Family Band.

Anonymous sponsors helped make it possible to rent the Fine Arts building at East Duplin High School and bring in two other bands: The King James Boys and The Churchmen. Another dream yet to come true is to perform at The Song of the Mountains in Marion, Virginia.

“I told Jeremiah to hold on to those dreams and keep pushing forward,” Brent said. “He’s been told by a lot of people that he can’t, but we tell him he can. Philippians 4:13: ‘With God, all things are possible.’ The Lord has been generous to provide for us to be able to do what we do, and we give Him the glory all along the way.”

The family, who currently performs at events and shut-ins, plans to record an album later this year.

Duplin County prepares for primary amid busy early voting

O cials report increased voter interest and changes in party a liation

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

FOR VOTERS, GOING to the polls to cast their vote seems like a simple process — go to the polling place, show your ID, complete your ballot and turn it in. For those who may be unavailable to vote during early voting or on Election Day, voters can submit an absentee ballot by mail. The early voting period ends Feb. 28.

For the sta and Duplin County Board of Elections, months of preparation have gone into getting everything set for this year’s primary election on March 3. The process started last year when the Board of Elections began contacting about 900 voters whose registration was missing identi cation information. Those who did not respond to the county request were sent a letter from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Duplin County Board of Elections Director Carrie Sullivan told Duplin Journal the past two weeks have been very busy setting up the early voting sites, sta ng them and completing the nal upload of voter records into their electronic pollbooks. She said the Board of Elections has been participating in weekly meetings.

“These meetings are for the review and approval of absentee ballots that have been returned by the voters,” Sullivan said. “Board members check over each envelope to ensure that voters have met all the requirements for acceptance.”

“We are seeing that increase this year due to the sheri and clerk of court candidates having no Democrat opposition.”

Carrie Sullivan

The chairperson of the Duplin County Board of Elections, Ann Henderson, told Duplin Journal, “We have to literally vote on every single absentee ballot submitted.”

Sullivan said a great deal of sta time is committed to the absentee ballot process before the board votes on the individual ballots.

“Prior to these meetings, ofce sta must complete an initial review of each envelope,” she said. “If there are de ciencies, we must reach out to voters to notify them. Depending on the de ciency, voters are given the option to cure the ballot or be reissued a ballot.”

Sullivan said they have seen an increase in voters modifying their registration in order to change their party a liation.

“We are seeing that increase this year due to the sheri and clerk of court candidates having no Democrat opposition.” Often, midterm elections, especially primaries for the midterms, do not get the attention elections get during years voters are choosing the president. However, both Henderson and Sullivan said they believe there is more interest than usual this year.

“I feel like it de nitely is,” Sullivan said. “Midterms are especially important this year.”

DUPLIN SPORTS

Panthers power way to ECC titles

Kinsey Cave took control as ED took down previously unbeaten Clinton

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Kinsey Cave can take over a basketball game and, in the process, get every player on her team involved.

Last Friday, the junior scored 24 points when East Duplin stunned previously unbeaten Clinton 55-43 in the ECC Tournament nals on Jerry Hunter Court. She was one-point shy of tying her career high and had 11 rebounds and four assists.

Zakoya Farrior added 14, while Zoe Cavanaugh nailed a pair of key 3-pointers and Lorena Rodriguez chipped in with a key basket in crunch time.

The win exacted revenge on two close regular season losses — 51-47 and 48-37 — to Clinton (23-1). It likely cost the No. 3 Dark Horses a spot seeding position for the 4A playo s, while also giving No. 8 ED (19-6) a two-step leap.

ED had to overcome a size advantage and did so by spreading the court, being deliberate with the basketball and playing standup defense.

“We had a lot of players step up and make plays, and we took much better care of the ball,” said Panthers head coach Mark Lane. “They are longer than us overall, and we got hurt of some o ensive rebounds. But we did a much better job in the second half keeping them out of the paint.”

Cave scored 17 points in the second half after Clinton took a 21-20 halftime lead.

Three-point shooting serenaded the Panthers into a lead late in the third quarter and early in the fourth.

Cavanaugh ripped in a pair of treys and Cave one in the nal two minutes of the third as ED went in front 37-34.

Farrior zipped in a bomb to start the fourth as the bulge expanded to 40-34. It ballooned to 50-38 as Cave had two hoops

and two charity tosses and Lorena Rodriguez sank two layups via long connection passes.

ED held its ground the rest of the way, e ectively using a spread o ense that Clinton couldn’t solve.

Phoenix Everett (16), Ciara Stuart (11) and Jayla Pickett (10) paced the Dark Horses, but ED held them to 28% shooting from the eld.

A pair of bombs by Farrior started the game, yet Clinton led 12-8 at the rst break. Farrior scored with nine ticks left on the rst-half clock

to trim the de cit to a point.

A jump shot by Bennett Holley and layup by Farrior tied the game at 26-26 with four minutes left in the third quarter. Cave, who was Ms. Basketball in Duplin County the previous two seasons but missed a few games with an ankle injury late in the season, was the master controller of the game from that point forward.

And her young, less-experienced teammates followed her lead.

See GIRLS, page B3

The East Duplin boys turned back the clock to 2009 when head coach Blake Lanier led ED to its last conference title

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — East Duplin grad Blake Lanier took the head basketball coaching job in 2019 to see crowds rush onto Jerry Hunter Court after winning a championship. It didn’t happen until last Friday night when the Panthers pulled out a 65-60 overtime win over Clinton to capture the East Central Conference Tournament title.

The irony is that it was 17 years ago to the day that ED won nearly anything of significance, including early playo games.

Lanier and his 2009 Panthers beat the Dark Horses 66-63 win the ECC tourney after taking the regular season crown. ED went on to nish with a program-best 23-7 mark before falling to Northwood in the region nals.

“It’s been 17 years, so I don’t take it for granted,” said Lanier, who has also coached the boys’ soccer team the past ve seasons. “It’s something that doesn’t happen every year, even though we are building the pro-

gram. There are no guarantees in sports.

“We also have to remember that it’s just one game.”

Yet an event of signi cance for the packed gymnasium as both sides pounded on the bleachers and roared to baskets, fouls and turnovers as if each possession were the last of the night.

Zachary Ball had 20 points and hauled down 10 rebounds, Dominick Hall and Aaron Hall each netted 13, and Shawn Davis (7 points, eight rebounds), DJ Davis (5 points, including a big 3-point play in OT) and reserve Obediah Miller (5 points, which included a big trey) made contributions in what was a team e ort.

“I told the kids before the game that I wanted them to have the opportunity to know how it feels, what it feels like in a championship setting,” said Lanier, who had to play point guard against the Dark Horses in ’09 because Tyson Lane (son of ED girls coach Mark Lane) was out sick.

“We played consistent the whole time, and I was really proud of the way our players responded when Clinton hit a few shots and we made some mistakes.

The Panthers (11-11) were seemingly in control in the

See BOYS, page B4

Tigers roast ’Dawgs, fall to Cougars in Swine Valley nals

23

to

JK

WRH

JK will likely face WRH for a fourth time in the second round of the 3A playo s

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

GOLDSBORO — Anyone ready for this winter’s fourth rivalry chapter of James Kenan vs. Wallace-Rose Hill?

Barring an upset, it will be featured fare in the second round of the 3A playo s on Feb. 27 in Warsaw if the No. 9 Bulldogs get past No. 24 South Columbus (6 -15). JK earned a rst-round bye and will wait.

The winner will get to trav-

el to No. 1 Farmville Central (24 - 0) two days later.

The No. 8 Tigers (17-5) picked up their second win over WRH (18-5) in the semi nals of the Swine Valley Conference Tournament last week.

Three of JK’s losses are to No. 5 Goldsboro, which tagged the Tigers 45-33 in the nals on Feb. 20.

Bulldogs overwhelmed in Cougars’ gymnasium

WRH might have played its worst game of the season, while JK was at its best during a convincing 75-61 win in Goldsboro.

CJ Hill scored 23 points, Kentrall Morrisey 21 and Zamarion Smith 13. The threesome com-

bined for 47 second-half points to continue to stretch JK’s lead, which was 41-23 at halftime.

Morrisey got hot early in the third quarter, scoring three baskets, and after a Hill 3-pointer, the JK lead ballooned to 52-32 midway through the stanza.

A driving bucket by Smith, 3-pointer by Mari Graham and three charity tosses by Morrisey extended it to 60-36 to begin the fourth, and it looked as if WRH didn’t want to be playing.

Bulldog Jamari Carr scored 10 of his 14 markers in the second half to keep WRH from disappearing from the court.

Matthew Wells and Darrius McCrimmon had 13 apiece,

See TIGERS, page B3

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Abby Rose

North Duplin, girls’ basketball

Abby Rose is on a tear. And it could be a sign of things to come in the next two seasons.

The North Duplin sophomore scored 50 points in her last two games as the new leader of the Rebels.

Rose is averaging 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 steals this winter and has rmly taken over for Addy Higginbotham (a 1,000-point career scorer) and Tateyawna Faison (a 1,000-point scorer who had more than 1,000 rebounds).

That club went 24-5 with Rose putting up 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds as a starter in 29 games.

She’s on a roster with just one senior this season and has been a consistent performer, hitting double gures in every game, 15 times throwing down 15 or more points.

Rose red in 24 points in a semi nal win during a 60-13 Carolina Conference Tournament round win over West Columbus and then 26 in a 67-50 loss in the nals to Lakewood.

She led the Rebels to a 17-7 mark this season and has scored 578 points in two seasons. Only an injury can keep her away from the prestigious 1,000-point plateau.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Crusaders rally to reach Final Four; Rebels comeback falls short

Harrells Christian got revenge on Burlington, while No. 4 East Bladen clipped No. 3 North Duplin in the CC Tournament nal

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

UNION TOWNSHIP — Revenge was sweet for Antonio McKoy, cousin Dashaun and point guard J’Kaeshi Brunson, though they waited a year for a rematch.

Harrells Christian got the NCISAA playo matchup it wanted to beat the Burlington School 57-55 in the 2A quarter nals.

Antonio McKoy scored 24 points, Dashaun McKoy 17 and Brunson eight with four assists as the Crusaders exacted revenge from a 53-48 loss that ended their season last winter.

Yet it didn’t come easy and HCA trailed 19-4 after eight minutes of play.

“We started slow and turned it on late and got down by 18 in the second quarter and kind of panicked,” said HCA head coach Clayton Hall. “We made an adjustment in the second half and got some steals and easy baskets by opening up the oor. They were getting us on a dribble hando and slipping a guy o it to the basket.”

Yet HCA (29-7) had a 22-7 third-quarter blitz to get back into the contest.

“We didn’t lose our condence, played with discipline and started making shots,” Hall said.

HCA, which was seeded third in its conference and rallied to take the league’s tourney title the previous week by stomping the Green eld School, the No. 1 team in 2A and regular-season champion of the Coastal Plain 2A/3A Conference, is in the Final Four opposite last year’s champ

Caldwell Academy (20-9).

“They can’t match our power inside, but we have to defend really well because they are extremely athletic and shoot the ball very well,” Hall said. “We have to limit their 3-point attempts. Green eld (26-5) meets No. 4 Fayetteville Academy (25-6) in the other semi nal matchup. The 2A nal is Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Novant Health Fieldhouse in Greensboro.

Antonio McKoy tossed in 44 and Dashaun McKoy 24 two days earlier during a 107-78 rout of Freedom Christian Academy (16-16). It might have been as much fun for the Crusaders as their 93-32 stomping of Epiphany (New Bern) in the second round. Antonio McKoy had 25 markers on 12-of-17 shooting, while Dashaun McKoy added 21 on 10 of 13 from the eld, which included a pair of treys. Colten Harrell came up with nine and Jeremiah Davis eight for HCA, which has won its last seven games.

Antonio McKoy (28.1 points per game) has scored 1,010 points this season and is 43 shy of 3,000 for his career. Dashaun McKoy (18.1) has

1,859 career points and is two rebounds short of 1,000. Meanwhile, Brunson is averaging 6.4 assists this season.

Rebels need OT to subdue Vikings; fall to Eagles

Jae’lyn Ingram and Missah Cooper combined for 46 points as North Duplin avenged two previous losses by beating West Columbus 54-53.

Ingram’s 3-point play with 1:13 left and free throw with 5.9 to play was the di erence, though Carell Phillips added a key putback with 36 seconds remaining.

Ingram and Cooper worked well together in the fourth quarter as ND rallied from a 25-21 halftime de cit.

WC clipped ND 50-49 on Jan. 16 in Cerra Gordo and by same score three weeks later in Calypso.

Ingram hit one of two charity tosses for the win after WC’s Ayden Scott’s hoop tied it at 53-all with 18 second left.

East Bladen (10-15), which upset top-seed East Columbus, roared to a 22-1 lead in the rst half in the nals last Friday. But the Rebels (14-10) chipped away and got to within 46-40 after a nine-point fourth-quarter rush.

Lucas Dail’s jumper made it 53-50 with a little more than a minute to play.

Keyshawn Kemp, who had game-high honors with 30 points, canned three free throws in the nal 14 seconds. Ingram, who led ND with 15 markers, swished in a late 3-pointer as the Rebels refused to go down easy.

Lucas Gregory added 11, Cooper 10 and Quan Stevens eight. No. 11 ND hosts No. 22 Triangle Math and Science Academy on Feb. 24. The winner plays at No. 6 Holmes (13-11) on Feb. 26.

Tigers close gap on Cougars; Rebels ahead of the curve

JK lost for a third time to Goldsboro, while ND looks to the postseason after its second loss to Lakewood

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

GOLDSBORO– If scores are any indication, James Kenan is closing the gap on the top teams in 3A as the NCHSAA playo s begin this week.

The Tigers (17-3) have three losses on their resume to Goldsboro (23-2), the No. 2 seed in the 3A playo s, and will enter as the No. 3 seed.

That was nalized after the Cougars’ 47-41 triumph over the Tigers in the nals of the Swine Valley Tournament last Friday. Yet it’s a reason to have faith in Aaron Smith’s club, which will host the winner of No. 14 Ayden-Grifton (12 -10) and No. 19 Bedding eld (8 -14) in the second round of the playo s.

JK’s previous two setbacks to the Cougars were not close — 60-49 on Jan. 9 and 45-24 on Feb. 20.

To get a fourth shot at Goldsboro, JK will have to advance to the fourth round. No. 1 Kinston (21-1) could await the winner. But the Vikings will run into JK’s archrival in Duplin, No. 8 Wallace-Rose Hill (16 -10) in the second round if the Bulldogs beat the winner of No. 9 Northeastern (10-10) and No. 24 Pasquotank County (3-19).

Cougar rush to early lead, hold on late

Goldsboro went in front early by having two 9-0 first-quarter spurts to lead 18-2. Hoops by Y’Anna Rivers and Zanyia Brown got the Tigers moving, though they trailed 24-12 in the middle of the second quarter and 25-17 by halftime.

from page B1

but WRH had no answers for JK and made the Tigers look like professionals.

The bulge went to 66-40 after a 6-2 run and then 72-50 with 3:19 to play.

Carr, who is playing his best basketball, had two driving scores to stake WRH to an early 12-6 lead.

JK got its rst lead — 14-12 — when Smith scored o a nice pass from David Zeleya.

But Carr tied it before Eli Avent’s bucket sent JK to an 18-16 edge heading into the second quarter.

Aspen Brown scored o an assist from Wells, but JK ran o 15 of the next 18 points to forge a 33-21 edge 3:17 before the extended intermission. The kickers were a Smith trey, a baseline move by Morrisey and a pair of layups by Hill.

But JK wasn’t done streaking after a WRH timeout to regroup and led 42-23 as Jeremiah Hall got involved in the Tigers’ o ense.

JK trimmed the lead to 35 - 31 entering the fourth quarter on the strength of three baskets by Rivers and two from junior post Aleyah Wilson.

The comeback got JK to 44 - 41 late in the fourth quarter but, missed free throws and two technical fouls detoured the rally.

Wilson finished with 16 and Rivers 15. Nieirah Smith led a balanced Goldsboro attack with 14.

Tigers take down Bulldogs in semi nals

WRH hung with JK for the better part of two quarters before falling to their rival for the third time this season, 63-43.

Rivers connected for a 3-pointer and three free throws, and Outlaw and Wilson each canned two charity tosses as JK expanded on it six-point halftime lead with a 9-2 run to start the third quarter. It got out of hand quickly after the burst and the edge went to 39-25 entering the fourth quarter.

A 3-point play by Rivers midway through the quarter amped the lead to 20 and a driving layup by Outlaw pushed it to 30 with 1:11 to play.

Rivers nished with 15, Outlaw 13, Wilson 11, Brown six and LaBria McGowan ve.

Post Marion Francis had 12 for WRH and guards QuoRyiona Vines and Sophie Sloan combined for 15.

Vines and Francis each pumped in 10 in a 47-20 rst-round win over Princeton. Smith and Savannah Smith each hit for eight and Amana Newkirk six.

JK had just an easy time

WRH earned the tournament’s No. 2 seed by beating JK 66-64 in the regular season nale for both schools. But JK leapfrogged the ’Dawgs in RPI for the 3A playo s with the tourney win. The Tigers also whipped WRH 52-49 on Jan. 20. The loss snapped the Bulldogs’ six-game winning streak.

WRH pounded Spring Creek 85-48 in the rst round, while JK manhandled Rosewood 55-32.

Kinston (17-3), which played in the ECC against both JK and WRH before this year’s realignment and move from four to eight classi cations, took the No. 2 seed in the 3A East. Northeastern (18-3) got the third seed and Martin County (22-4) the fourth.

Fans will certainly show up in numbers for JK-WRH IV.

JK won two battles this fall in football over WRH, while WRH captured two matches on the soccer eld from the Tigers.

One of the best rivalries in the east still packs the seats with fervent fans. Try nding that at larger schools.

and JK are the No. 3 seed in the 3A

during its 47-8 win over Spring Creek in its tourney opener as Outlaw and Wilson each netted 11.

Leopards’ McKoy stings Rebels in CC semi nals

North Duplin allowed Lakewood’s Areona McKoy to roam free and paid a big price for it. McKoy scored from nearly every spot on the oor to tie her career high of 40 points as the Leopards won the rubber match of the series 65-50 in the Carolina Conference Tournament semi nals at Union High. McKoy also hit for 40 last season against the tourney’s host school.

Lakewood (18-7) won its 10th in a row by beating East Bladen 45-40 in the nals. EB (19-7) upset regular season champion East Columbus (15-6) in the semi nals.

Lakewood was seeded fth, EB sixth, ND seventh in the 2A playo brackets, while EC was fth in the 1A tournament.

“The top four teams in our conference best up on each other and that kind of competition makes you better,” said ND coach Jon Kornegay, who, despite losing two 1,000-point scorers, has the Rebels at 17-7 entering its second-round game on Feb. 26.

“We’ve really improved, and I was proud of how we competed

against Lakewood and how we go out and compete each night. Hats o to Lakewood. They’re on a hot streak.

Sophomore Abby Rose tossed in a career-high 26 points, her eighth game of 20 or more points this season. She’s averaging a team-high 16.7 points and just seems to be beginning to peak.

“Abby loves to play — a lot — and is a special player we’ll look to lean on in the playo s and beyond,” Kornegay said.

Lilly Fulghum and Maggie Brown each chipped in 10.

“Maggie’s a greatly improved player who, like Abby, had a strong summer,” Kornegay said. “She can bring the ball up the court, shoot and defend and is third in the 2A East in blocks.”

ND was never in the game against Lakewood after an 18-0 push that turned a ve -point cushion into a 32-13 lead early in the third quarter, even though ND fought back.

A mid-range jumper by Brown, 3-pointer by Fulghum and layup and putback hoop by Rose fueled a 9-0 blitz to trim the de cit to 32-22.

Rose tallied eight markers in the last 3:12 to once again make it a 10-point game — 43-33 — entering the fourth quarter. The Rebels never got closer, and while they bene tted from full-court pressure, anytime Lakewood beat it McKoy drove to the iron for a layup.

A Rose steal and layup made it 57-50, but Lakewood hit all six of its free throws in thenal 1:41, and McKoy and Trinity Bell (15 points) each added an uncontested layup as part of a 10-0 nish.

Rose red in 25, Brown 11 and Fulghum nine when ND beat West Columbus 50-13 in the semi nals. The Rebels held the Vikings to 4-of-42 (10%) shooting from the eld, and Demya Powell had all but two of WC’s points.

from page B1

Cavanaugh and post Andraia Scarborough are the lone seniors on ED’s roster.

Both had 16 markers during a 74-36 semi nal victory over Trask.

Cave chipped in 15 and had eight assists, Holley eight markers, six assists and 10 rebounds, while Rodriguez had six points. ED had 25 assists, 20 steals and 12 blocks. Hoops notebook

ED, which has won ve straight, is one win from its 10th season of 20 or more wins since Lane became the head coach in 2008-09. That win will also make it four 20 -win seasons in a row. The Panthers also had four consecutive 20 -win seasons from 2017-20.

Another may have followed, but the COVID-19 pandemic limited schools to only conference play in 2021 when ED was 12-2 overall and 11-1 in ECC play. Lane (329-130) has guided

ED to wins in 71% of its games. His lone losing seasons came in 2022 (3-18) and 2023 (11-14). Cave is 121 points from breaking the 1,000-point mark for her career. She also notched 24 points last season during a win over James Kenan. She’s scored 20 or more points six times this season.

The No. 8 Panthers earned a bye in the rst round of the 4A playo s and will host the survivor of No. 9 Southwestern Randolph (17-5) and No. 24 Jordan Matthews (5-19) on Feb. 26.

That winner will square o against No. 1 TW Andrews (19-4) if the Red Raiders can dispose of either No. 16 Cummings (12-8) or No. 17 John M. Morehead (14-10).

Yet being in the bottom half of the bracket with No. 2 First Flight (18-2) and No. 3 Clinton might have been an easier road. ED made it to the fourth round fourth round last season before falling to Seaforth. The Panthers exited in the third round in 2023-24.

Doug Moe, former coach of Denver Nuggets, dead at 87

The former Tar Heel was an ABA legend

By Eddie Pells

The Associated Press

DENVER— Doug Moe, an ABA original who gained fame over a rumpled, irreverent decade as coach of the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s, died at 87 after a long bout with cancer.

Moe went 628-529 over 15 seasons as a head coach, including stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. He never won a title and was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988.

More than for wins and losses, Moe will be remembered for his motion o ense and for the equally entertaining shows he put on while prowling the bench during his coaching days.

His Denver teams led the league in scoring over ve straight seasons in the early ’80s, and he rarely ran a set play.

He called the people he liked the most “sti s” (or worse) and used more colorful language to drive points home to some of his favorite foils — Kiki VanDeWeghe, Danny Schayes and Bill Hanzlik stood out.

The coach stalked the sidelines in one of his well-worn sports coats, usually without a tie (he had a small stash of “emergency suits” in his closet for bigger events), his hair a mess and his overtaxed voice barely at a croak by the end of most games.

The Nuggets bench, along with the 10 rows behind it, was no place for children, but within hours, Moe would be at the bar or co ee shop hanging with many of those same players he’d excoriated, often himself wondering where that foul-mouthed man on the sideline had come from.

“Sometimes I think I have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. I clown around a lot before and after a game, but once a game starts, my emotions just take over,” Moe said in a 1983 interview with The New York Times.

Moe paired with good friend Larry Brown at UNC, where as a 6-foot-5 small forward he twice earned All-America honors. But Moe’s college career was terminated early because of a point-shaving scandal for which he received $75 to y to a meeting; he refused to throw games.

After a few years in Europe, Moe again became a package deal with Brown, as they winded their way through the new

and edgling ABA. Moe was a three-time All-Star over a ve-year career that ended early because of his perpetually ailing knees.

His playing days done, he teamed again with Brown, working as his assistant with the Carolina Cougars and then with the Nuggets toward the end of the franchise’s ABA days.

Alex English and VanDeWeghe nished 1-2 in scoring in the 1982-83 season, a feat no teammates have accomplished since. The Nuggets lost a 186 -184 game to the Pistons in 1983 that remains the highest-scoring game in NBA history. Moe won 432 games with the Nuggets, and the franchise retired that number, with Moe’s name attached.

It took more than 30 years after Moe retired and moved back to San Antonio for the Nuggets to break through and become NBA champions.

Oddly enough, one of Moe’s most colorful coaching coups came at the expense of the Nuggets on the last day of the 1977-78 season when he was with the Spurs. In an early game, Denver, coached by Brown at the time, fed David Thompson on the way to a 73-point outburst against Detroit that brie y put him ahead of Gervin in a neck-and-neck battle for the scoring title.

So that night, Moe told the Spurs to get out of “Ice’s” way. Gervin scored 63 against the Jazz to win the title by 0.07.

Though the focus of the Nuggets was o ense, Moe spent ample time preaching defense — insisting it, not the team’s scoring ability, would make the di erence between winning and losing.

Once, incensed at the lack of e ort during a blowout loss at Portland, he commanded his team to stop trying on defense and to let the Blazers make layups at will over the nal minutes to set the franchise scoring record for a single game. That earned him a ne and suspension, only weeks after he was ned for throwing water on an o cial.

For the most part, though, Moe made a career out of not taking himself too seriously — a wryly wrinkled counterbalance to the slicked-down Pat Riley and the Laker Showtime teams that dominated the NBA’s Western Conference over the decade.

Moe even punctuated one of his lowest moments — his ring by the Nuggets in 1990 — by wearing a Hawaiian shirt and popping open champagne at the news conference while his wife, whom he called “Big Jane,” looked on. A day to celebrate, he insisted, because he would now be getting paid to do nothing.

third quarter at 46-37 after Ball’s buzzer-beater.

Down 50-41 after a Ball layup, the Dark Horses (13-11) went on a 10-2 tear to trim the lead to 52-51 with three minutes left in regulation.

Clinton’s bigger surge — 9-0 — happened after a putback by Aaron Hall to give the Dark Horses a 60-54 lead.

Ball then canned a 3-pointer, and Dominick Davis had a conventional 3-point play to knot the contest at 60-60 with eight seconds to play. His play was set up by Dark Horse Jaden Bell, who cracked under pressure to miss both of his free throws with 34 seconds remaining.

Given new life, the Panthers seized the victory by getting a 3-point play by DJ Davis and two charity tosses by Ball. Shawn Davis and Ball had change-of-possession blocks in the nal minute of the extra session.

“We got our composure back, and that’s a credit to the kids,” Lanier said. “I’m kind of a glori ed waterboy.”

And-one shots

The rubber-game series win helped ED earn the No. 12 seed in the 4A playo s and a home

game opposite No. 22 North Pitt (7-15), with the survivor traveling to No. 5 Eastern Wayne (17-8) on Feb. 26. Aaron Hall netted a career-high 25 points in the semi nals as ED dunked Trask 64 -53. Dominick Hall added 15 and point guard DJ Davis 10. Clinton upset No. 1 South Lenoir 53-42 on the same night. ED is 7-3 since beating Clinton 49-47 on Jan. 20 and avenged a 67-65 setback to the Dark Horses on Feb. 6. Lanier guided ED to a 15-10 mark his rst season and to a 7-5 record during the COVID-shortened season in 2020-21, but the Panthers only other .500 or better season was last season’s 11-11 record. That season came after ED recovered from a 2-22 campaign. He’s 64-87 in nearly seven seasons with a 36-49 mark in conference play. His predecessor, Robert Ross, went 76-92 overall and 34-44 in league play in seven seasons. According to longtime sportswriter Bill Rollins, ED lost 51-44 to North Edgecombe in the 2A nal in 1962-63 behind the play of Charlie Lanier (ECU) and Jerry Simpson, who is known as the rst great athletes at the school. Lanier died in 2019 and Simpson three years later.

NOTICE

TOWN OF WALLACE TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE March 12, 2026, after 6:00 PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council of theTown of Wallace has called for a Public Hearing at the Wallace Women’s Club, located at 216 N. East Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466, on Thursday, March 12, 2026, after 6:00 PM for the following:

The applicant is seeking to rezone 192 +/acres, Pins 331603003661 and 331603115966 located on the north side of River Road, west of Highway 11, from RA-20 (residential, agricultural, minimum lot size 20,000 sq. ft.) to Conditional. Persons wishing to speak on the issues are invited to attend and be heard at the scheduled public hearing.

Persons having questions may contact Rod Fritz, Planning Director at (910) 285-4136 or rfritz@wallacenc.gov.

and invites the submission of proposals from minority and women-owned rms.

Martha Merritt Teachey

Sept. 13, 1922 – Feb. 17, 2026

A gracious, kind, and loving lady, Martha Merritt Teachey, entered into the arms of Jesus on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at the age of 103. She was born on September 13, 1922, in Rose Hill, North Carolina, the daughter of the late Willie Gregory and Margaret Ann “Annie” Teachey. Martha was also preceded in death by her husband Bennie F. Teachey Sr.; their sons Bennie F. Teachey Jr., William “Billy” Teachey, and James Gregory Teachey; daughter Nancy T. Iredale and granddaughter Amanda Lancaster. She was a lifelong dedicated member and active worker of Poston Baptist Church. She was a faithful Sunday School teacher, Deacon, WMU president and a member of the Eastern Baptist Association.

Surviving to cherish her memory is her daughter Glenda T. Moore and husband John of Lawrenceville, Ga; grandchildren Denise Houghton and husband Tim of Holly Ridge, NC, Lori Keir and husband Allen of Harrells, NC, Jennifer Rinderle and husband Ed of Crested Butte, CO, Brent Iredale and wife Genie Decatur, GA, John C. Moore and wife Virginia of Suwanee, GA, Melissa Teachey of Wallace, NC and Kayla Murray and husband Je rey of Wallace, NC; great grandchildren Ben Houghton, Matthew Keir, Hailey Carr, Abby Moore, Ellie Moore, Eva Claire Moore, Sam Moore, Tilly Rinderle, Leona Rinderle, Thomas Iredale, Jack Iredale, Bella Lancaster, Zayne Robinson, Madison Daniel, Rowan Murray, Gracie Murray and Colt Murray; great-great grandson Graham Carr; daughters-in-law Janice Kennedy, Clara Teachey and Gail Teachey; special caregivers Peggy Creech and Diane Barrett; numerous extended family and friends that loved Martha dearly. Martha was a diligent homemaker who enjoyed being a wife, a mother and “Granny”. With a big heart for the Lord and her children, she instilled love of family and love of God in each of them. Martha taught Sunday School until she was 82. She was an inspiration to many youth who later gave their hearts to Christ. Martha loved everyone and made sure that

Bernabe Antonio Venegas

June 11, 1937 – Feb. 19, 2026

Mr. Bernabe Antonio Venegas, age 88, of Magnolia, NC, passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at his home. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Iglesia Nuevo Renacer, Carroll Street in Magnolia, NC. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Funeral Home Cemetery in Magnolia, NC, on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

He is survived by his children: Bernabe Antonio Venegas Jr. (Stephanie) of Florida, Lionel Venegas Ramos of Magnolia, NC, Dulce Venegas Padilla (Aly) of Rose Hill, NC, Ruben Venegas Ramos (Joni) of Teachey, NC, Rosa Venegas Ramos and Ricardo Venegas Ramos, both of Magnolia; eleven grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.

those she met knew God loved them more. Although Martha had a big family to care for, she always opened her home to everyone for a bowl of delicious veggie soup. Many visiting missionaries enjoyed spending Sunday afternoon around her dinner table, sharing their stories of evangelism. Martha enjoyed gardening, both vegetables and owers. She was the last surviving member of the Quilting Club, which produced several quilts for loved ones. At age 94, Martha and Aileen Moore delivered Meals on Wheels to the “Old People”. On Martha’s 102nd birthday, she was honored with a big birthday celebration given by her family. She was blessed with many family, friends and special guests to honor her on her special day. Duplin County Commissioner Jesse Dowe was in attendance and read a proclamation from Duplin County and a letter from Governor Roy Cooper’s o ce wishing her a happy birthday. Representatives from Duplin County Senior Services came and informed everyone that Martha’s picture would be placed in their Centennial Club Facebook page which was an honor. Martha’s pastor, Chris Jarman came and spoke of her many years of service to her church. He told how she always remembered everybody’s name, prayed for everyone and how involved and faithful Martha had always been. He stated she had always been a part of the backbone of Poston Baptist Church. What a grand time everyone had celebrating Martha’s birthday, but no one enjoyed it more than Martha herself. She was overjoyed and felt so blessed to have so many people who loved her and came to celebrate.

Martha was a true servant of God, a Proverbs 31 woman, a Christian mother, grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, and a loyal friend to all. She will surely be missed but her legacy will live on for many years to come.

A celebration of Martha’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Poston Baptist Church with her pastor, Chris Jarman, and her grandson, John C. Moore, o ciating.

The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, one hour prior to the service at the church.

Burial will follow the service at Riverview Memorial Park, Watha, NC

In lieu of owers, the family requests donations be made to Wallace Christian Academy (WCA), 4121 S NC Hwy 11, Wallace, NC 28466.

The family would like to especially thank the sta at DaySprings of Wallace for the exceptional care they gave to Martha. For the love you showed her and for being so good and attentive to her needs (and wants). The family will forever be grateful to you.

Felicia Ann Swann

Jan. 13, 1960 – Feb. 19, 2026

Ms. Felecia Ann Swann, age 65, of Spring Lake, NC, passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC. A memorial service will be held at noon on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill, NC. Left to cherish her precious memories are her mother, Annie Swann Maynor of Moncks Corner, SC; two brothers: Raeford Carr Jr. (Donyell) of Summerville, NC and Allen Carr (Monica) of Goldsboro, NC; one sister, Gisele Dixon of Columbia, SC; three aunts, three uncles; a host of extended family, other relatives and friends that will miss her dearly.

Iris Beechie Lunny

Sept. 8, 1945 – Feb. 16, 2026

Iris Beechie Lunny, 80, of Turkey, North Carolina, passed peacefully on Monday, February 16, 2026, at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She was born September 8, 1945, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to the late Clifton Beechie Lutterloah and the late Linnie May Streeter Lutterloah.

Iris drifted through life like a song carried on the wind- never bound by maps, clocks, or expectations. Born with a restless heart, she sought beauty in every horizon and found home in the laughter of strangers and the quiet of starlit nights. Though her path led her away from the role of a traditional parent, her children remain a part of her story, carrying forward pieces of her spirit in their own journeys.

She is survived by her children, Tina (Gary) Kudlack, Stan (Heather) Olive, Teresa (Emanuel) Olive; her sisters and best friends, Elizabeth, Rosa Lee, Lynn; her brothers, Cli , Chris, Eric; six grandchildren and several extended family members. A special thanks to Asya Taylor for helping care for Iris in her time of need.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Quinn McGowen Funeral Home, with Pastors Daniel Brown and Billy Cooper o ciating. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m., one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will follow the service at Prospect Cemetery in Wilmington.

Linwood Earl Sumner

June 7, 1942 – Feb. 19, 2026

Linwood Earl Sumner passed away on February 19, 2026, at The Service of League of Greenville Hospice House, Greenville, NC

He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Tynia Thigpen Sumner, and his parents, Martin and Ruby Blalock Sumner.

After a short time in the Air Force, he returned to Beulaville to help his father on the farm while partnering with his friend, Guy Miller, to run the Texaco gas station. Shortly afterwards, he was employed by DuPont, where he worked for 38 years until his retirement. After his retirement from DuPont, he delivered LP Gas for Sandlin’s Oil Company for several years.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at East Duplin Memorial Gardens, Beulaville, NC, at 3 p.m.

He is survived by daughter Donna Sumner Padgett of Beulaville, NC; granddaughter Kimberly Simpson Whaley (Johnny) of Potters Hill, NC; great-grandsons Christopher Whaley (Nicole) and Grayson Whaley, both of Potters Hill, NC; great-great granddaughter Penelope Whaley of Potters Hill, NC; sister Shelby Sumner Blizzard of Beulaville, NC; and brother Charles Sumner (Jean) of Beulaville, NC. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made in Linwood’s memory to the Beulaville Fire Department, P O Box 738, Beulaville, NC 28518

James “Jimmy” H. Southerland

April 27, 1939 – Feb. 19, 2026

James “Jimmy” H. Southerland, 86, of Teachey, left this earthly life on Thursday, February 19, 2026, to be forever with his Lord and Savior.

He was born on April 27, 1939, in Duplin County and was the son of the late Joseph H. and Lillian James Southerland. Jimmy was also preceded in death by his sister Mary Faye Southerland; brotherin-law Wayne Brock and sister-inlaw Betty Sue Gidden Hill and her husband Glenn Hill. Jimmy served in the United States National Guard for 9 years and was a member of Antioch Church.

Surviving to cherish his memory is his best friend and wife of 58 years Charlotte Giddens Southerland; his son James “Bart” Barton Southerland and wife Kimberly; his grandchildren and ‘apples of his eye’ Timberly Southerland and Kendall Southerland; niece Cindy Mobley Jarrett and husband Richard; sister-in-law Althea Brock; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Jimmy dearly.

Jimmy was a devoted husband and caring father, grandfather and friend. He was a hard worker who always stayed busy as long as his health allowed. Jimmy was an avid football fan and especially a Wallace-Rose Hill football fan. He enjoyed watching football games on TV and always pulled for his local team, WRH. Jimmy also spent time outside on his favorite 140 tractor which he really enjoyed. Most of all Jimmy loved the Lord and was a dedicated Christian, husband, father and grandfather. He enjoyed spending time with his family and helping Bart with landscaping when he was able. Jimmy will surely be missed but never forgotten. Funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home Wallace Chapel with Reverend Tommy Blanton o ciating.

The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will follow the service at Rock sh Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Wallace.

You may share your memories and send condolences to the family by selecting our Tribute Wall above.

Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home of Wallace, NC.

Joyce Byrd

April 16, 1942 – Feb. 16, 2026

Joyce Rena Scott Byrd, 83, passed away at her home on February 16, 2026. She is preceded in death by her mother, Beatrice Scott, father Archie Scott, and sister Margaret Elbrnk, all of Charlotte, Michigan. Joyce was born in Charlotte, Michigan, on April 16, 1942. She graduated from Charlotte High School in 1960. She worked for the State of Michigan for 32 years.

She is survived by her spouse of 63 years, Joseph (Gene) Byrd of Pink Hill, NC, son, Bill Byrd of Kinley, Nebraska, daughter, Teresa Roshong (Randy), of Pink Hill, NC, four wonderful grandchildren; Chris Rector (Stacey), Amanda Rector, Sarah Byrd and Brooke Byrd, and one great-grandchild, Elizabeth Rector. Arrangements will be made at a later date.

Alvin Ray Batchelor

Oct. 1, 1941 – Feb. 19, 2026

Alvin Ray Batchelor, 84, passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at his home. Memorial service will be held Sunday, February 22, at 3 p.m. at his home, 240 Futrell Loop Rd., Richlands, with Reverends Sammy Boone and Richard McKenna o ciating. He is survived by his daughters, Nichelle Batchelor Jinks and Charliss Batchelor Gwynn (Scott), both of Richlands; sister Linnie Crosley of Texas; brothers Ellis Batchelor of Kentucky, Archie Batchelor of Virginia, Arthur Batchelor of Burgaw, NC, and Barthur Batchelor of Alabama.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Batchelor family.

Pamela Brock Quinn

Oct. 22, 1966 – Feb. 17, 2026

Pamela Brock Quinn, age 59, died on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at her home. She is preceded in death by her sister, Sheena Stover. Pam, known to her loved ones as “Pam Pam”, is survived by her husband, Steven Quinn of Kenansville; daughter Lindsey Jane Quinn of Kenansville; bonus daughters, Jessie Jones of Potters Hill, Christa Parker of Beulaville; father, Phillip Brock of Rose Hill; mother, Jane Stover of Rose Hill; sister Shauna Stover of Kenansville, Erin Clark of Carlsbad, CA, Elizabeth Hardy of Shallotte, NC; brothers, Ned Brock of Kenansville, Jeremy Carr of Rose Hill; and many extended family that she really loved, no one more than the Lord who she loved with all her heart! Memorial visitation will be Friday, February 20, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville.

A private burial of her ashes will be held at a later date in Kenansville, NC.

Brodie

Frederick Jr.

Feb. 21, 1951 – Feb. 14, 2026

Brodie Frederick Jr., 74, of Warsaw, NC, passed away February 14, 2026, at his residence. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026, at New Kenansville First Baptist Church. Public viewing will be from noon to 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment following the service at Devotional Gardens in Warsaw.

Helen Whit eld

Oct. 29, 1929 – Feb. 19, 2026

Goldsboro- It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ms. Helen Whit eld, age 96, who passed into the arms of Jesus at Kitty Askins Hospice Care in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The arrangements are incomplete at this time. The Sta of J. B. Rhodes Funeral Home & Cremations Inc. extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Vivian Richardson

Oct. 30, 1958 – Feb. 20, 2026

Goldsboro- It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ms. Vivian Richardson age 69, who passed on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Gentiva Hospice in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The arrangements are incomplete at this time. We extend our condolences to the family, and please keep the family in your prayers.

John Edward Tooley

May 30, 1937 – Feb. 13, 2026

John Edward Tooley, formerly of Wallace, passed away in Winter Park (FL) on February 13, 2026, while a resident of Winter Park Care and Rehabilitation Center. Born in Decatur (IL) on May 30, 1937, he is the son of the late John Charles and Althea Louise Peck Tooley. Also preceding him in death is his wife, Pauline Joyce Tooley.

Left to cherish his memory are his children—Scott Tooley and wife Amal of Winter Springs (FL), Dinah Ho man of Rose Hill, Wendy Allen and husband Paul of Debary (FL), Jodi Aikens of Turner (MI), Mark Tooley of California, and Sue Hunt and husband Tracy of Taylorville (IL); fteen grandchildren; and eighteen great grandchildren.

Mr. Ed spent his early life in Iowa, where he was the owner/ operator of his own trucking business, and Mrs. Tooley operated a day care for children. In 1993, his trucking business brought them to Wallace, where they later retired. During his ftyyear trucking career, he traveled over ve million miles. In his younger years, he served his country as a private in the United States Army from 1963 to 1965.

A funeral service to celebrate his life is set for 6 p.m. on February 26, 2026, in Ban eld Funeral Home & Crematory in Winter Springs (FL). Family will greet friends during a visitation from 4-6 p.m. prior to the service. Interment is set for 1 p.m. on March 2, 2026, in the Rock sh Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Wallace (NC).

Ibrahim Alaya

Aug. 10, 1975 – Feb. 19, 2026

Yemen- Mr. Ibrahim Alaya, age 50, slipped away into eternal rest on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Genesis Skilled Nursing Home in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. The arrangements are currently incomplete at this time. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please keep the family in your prayers.

Jarvis Charles Mathis

June 9, 1939 – Feb. 15, 2026

Jarvis Charles Mathis, 86, of Magnolia, NC, passed away February 15, 2026, in New Bern, NC. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, February 26, 2026, at St. James AME Zion Church in Magnolia, NC. Public viewing will be noon – 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment following the service at Magnolia Town Cemetery.

Andrew Dale

Jan. 19, 1964 – Feb. 19, 2026

Fremont- Mr. Andrew Dale, age 62, passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The arrangements are incomplete at this time. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please continue to keep the Dale family in your prayers during this time of their bereavement.

Julia Boseman

Feb. 12, 1944 – Feb. 20, 2026

Goldsboro- It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ms. Julia Boseman, age 82, who left us on Friday, 20, 2026, at Kitty Askins Hospice Care in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Though her voice is silent, her spirit lives on in every heart she touched. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2Corinthians 5-8 ( KJV) The arrangements are incomplete at this time. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and ask that you keep them in your prayers.