VOLUME 11 ISSUE 2 | THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2026
DUPLINJOURNAL.COM
Duplin Journal THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
Mobile bank comes to Magnolia Town Hall Magnolia A Marine Federal Credit Union mobile banking service will operate on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Town Hall parking lot at 110 E. Carroll St., providing local residents access to full-service banking. Membership is open to everyone.
Area man pleads guilty in 2022 shooting Mount Olive A Goldsboro man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and firearm charges in connection with the 2022 shooting death of Vincent Woodley Jr., 33, near Reyes Verdin Lane outside Mount Olive that killed. According to authorities, Antonio Hodges, 44, was sentenced last week to 20-25 years in prison.
Ribbon cutting set for new inclusive playground Wallace The Town of Wallace announced a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Clement Park Inclusive Playground on March 5 at 3:30 p.m. The event is open to the public, and a coffee truck from Trillium Health Resources will be on-site. Residents are invited to join the celebration and enjoy the new playground, designed to provide inclusive, accessible play opportunities for children of all abilities.
Man arrested on meth trafficking charges Mount Olive Deputies arrested a 52-year-old man from Mount Olive on multiple drug trafficking charges following a Special Operations Division investigation. Nathan Cotton faces numerous felony counts, including manufacture, sale and delivery of Schedule II controlled substances, possession with intent to manufacture, maintaining a place for controlled substances, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. According to authorities Cotton was placed in the Duplin County Jail under a $300,000 secured bond.
Nursing team receives DAISY Award Kenansville ECU Health Duplin Hospital recently announced that a team of nurses on the medical surgical floor was honored with the DAISY Team Award. The award celebrates nurses who go above and beyond in their practice making a lasting impact.
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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE
University of Mount Olive President H. Edward Croom announces to the crowd that $23.74 million has been raised to date in support of the university’s comprehensive UMO GROWS! Campaign.
UMO celebrates 75 years, names school of agriculture for House of Raeford The GROWS campaign surpassed $23 million supporting campus enhancements and scholarships By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal MOUNT OLIVE — The University of Mount Olive marked a historic milestone Feb. 26, celebrating its 75th anniversary at a gala at The Maxwell Center in Goldsboro. The evening honored more than seven decades of academic excellence and faith-based education, featuring one of the most significant announcements in the uni-
versity’s history: the naming of the House of Raeford Farms, Inc. School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences. The dedication recognized the generosity and leadership of Bob Johnson, president and CEO of House of Raeford Farms, and his family, whose support will enhance the school’s programs and provide expanded opportunities for future generations of students. President H. Edward Croom
emphasized the importance of the gift, noting that it positions the school to become a leader among agricultural programs, strengthening hands-on learning and preparing students to advance agriculture across the region and beyond. The university also announced that the UMO GROWS! Campaign has raised $23.74 million to date. North Carolina Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt delivered the keynote address, linking her family’s history with the university to its broader legacy. Her grandfather, James B. Hunt Sr., served 25 years on the Mount Olive
Mount Olive commissioners clash over water disconnect fee Debate over the $100 charge highlights tensions as the board also approved the stormwater master plan By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal MOUNT OLIVE — The regular monthly meeting of the Mount Olive Town Board of Commissioners was once again the scene of some fiery exchanges between commis-
sioners, and at times, the mayor. The most contentious exchange happened during a nonaction item on the agenda regarding the cost of the fee charged by the town to reconnect water service if it was discontinued after nonpayment of the bill. At last month’s meet-
ing, Town Manager Glenn Holland announced the town would be reinstituting the disconnect charges due to the town having $149,128 in past due water bills. Mayor Pro Tem Delreese Simmons told the board he was concerned the $100 disconnect charge, in addition to a late fee, was too steep. He said the board should consider cutting the disconnect charge in half, to $50. Commissioner C.J. Weaver
Airport upgrades continue as board considers future rate changes Officials discussed hangar improvements, fuel system installation and long-term planning By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal KENANSVILLE — Discussion about the ongoing construction and hangar rehabilitation project headlined the Duplin County Airport Board meeting Tuesday night. “All the outside metal is almost done, walls and doors are going up in the office part, and glass will go in the conference area soon,” Director Joshua Raynor told the board.
Potential charge order No. 6 to reskin the old hangars was approved at the January meeting, but the board discussed adjusting the plan to make room for upgrading the doors. New hydraulic doors would use the available budget funding but are outside of the original approved request for qualifications. The board discussed submitting a request for proposal (RFP) to adjust the project plans and get approval to use the funding on the new doors. “I recommend that we upgrade everything else but the doors then request the RFP adjustment and use the rest of the See AIRPORT, page A3
“Glass will go in the conference area soon.” Joshua Raynor
Board of Trustees, including 13 as chair. “Mount Olive didn’t grow because of one person,” said Hunt. “It grew because generations decided this institution was worth building. Worth protecting. Worth believing in.” Throughout the evening, the university celebrated philanthropy and partnership as critical drivers of its success. Donnie Lassiter, chair of the UMO Board of Trustees, and Ray McDonald Jr., chair of the UMO Foundation Board, See GALA, page A2
read from an email from Caroline Bari of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Infrastructure, who has been assisting Mount Olive in its efforts to be relieved from a sewage capacity moratorium issued by the state that is preventing the town from issuing new building permits, basically bringing growth in town to a halt. “It is imperative that the town implement a collection policy that enables the town to responsibly operate and maintain the water and wastewater treatment systems,” Weaver read from the email. “To that See MOUNT OLIVE, page A6