Duplin Journal Vol. 11, Issue 2

Duplin Journal

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 rearm 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 co ee 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 tra cking charges

Mount Olive

Deputies arrested a 52-year- old man from Mount Olive on multiple drug tra cking 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 oor was honored with the DAISY Team Award. The award celebrates nurses who go above and beyond in their practice making a lasting impact.

University of Mount Olive President H. Edward Croom announces

support of the university’s comprehensive UMO GROWS! Campaign.

the

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 quali cations. 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 $2.00 UMO celebrates 75 years, names school of agriculture

The GROWS campaign surpassed $23 million supporting campus enhancements and scholarships

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — The Uni-

versity 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 signicant 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

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 someery exchanges between commis-

O cials 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 o ce part, and glass will go in the conference area soon,” Director Joshua Raynor told the board.

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

“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,

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 e orts 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

O

Magnolia Fire to hosts annual fundraiser

Magnolia

The Magnolia Fire Department is hosting its 2nd annual BBQ Fundraiser on March 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the re station located at 110 Taylor Street, Magnolia. Plates are $10 and $12 and include a chicken leg quarter, BBQ plate, or a combination plate, served with coleslaw, green beans and a roll. Guests may choose to eat in or take out. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Magnolia Fire Department, helping to support equipment, training and community safety programs. For more information, call 910 -540 -9152.

Feb. 24

• Kimesha Lashaune Canady, 41, was arrested by DCSO for second-degree trespass, simple assault, injury to personal property and misdemeanor larceny.

• Joseph James Carr, 63, was arrested by DCSO for breaking or entering a motor vehicle.

• Lazarriah Janae Johnson, 23, was arrested by DCSO for driving while license revoked, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Feb. 25

• Shajuan Dehaven Best, 28, was arrested by DCSO for failure to heed light or siren, resisting a public o cer and driving while license revoked.

• Tabitha Gail Herring, 34, was arrested by DCSO for obstructing justice, possession of methamphetamine, felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, resisting a public o cer and driving while license revoked.

• Zachary Holley, 34, was arrested by Beulaville PD for driving while license revoked and speeding.

• Deshawn Malik Johnson, 30, was arrested by DCSO for breaking or entering a motor vehicle and injury to personal property.

• Max Julius Lamb, 45, was arrested by DCSO for eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, ctitious or altered title or registration, driving while license revoked and failure to stop at a stop sign.

• Marquita Rashonda Lassiter, 41, was arrested by DCSO for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• James McClain, 51, was arrested by DCSO for possession of a rearm by a felon, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver Schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance and carrying a concealed gun.

THURSDAY

recognized distinguished guests, including elected ocials, foundation leaders and longtime supporters. Several initiatives and donors were highlighted, including the James E. and Mary Z. Bryan Foundation Fellows Opportunities Fund Scholarship Program, which will expand scholarship support over the next ve years, and the Anonymous Student International Travel Program, designed to provide students with transformative global learning experiences.

Signi cant gifts and partnerships were acknowledged throughout the evening. The Mount Olive Pickle Foundation was recognized for a multiyear commitment supporting the UMO GROWS! Campaign, and the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission contributed $1 million for a new Educational Livestock Facility, enhancing hands-on agricultural education. In a special video message, Nido Qubein announced a $1 million gift from him and Mariana Qubein to establish the future Qubein Plaza and Amphitheater, creating a new gathering space expected to be completed by fall 2026.

Twins Brittany and Victoria Badgett spoke on behalf of the current student body, highlighting the transformative power of education. Their remarks set the tone for a night that emphasized the university’s impact on individual lives and the broader community.

The evening also featured

re ections from rst lady Phyllis Croom, highlighting the university’s family spirit and its role in shaping successive generations of Trojans. Croom concluded the program by in-

viting all attendees to support the university’s continued growth, emphasizing the collective responsibility to ensure that UMO remains a beacon of faith, learning and service.

In one of the evening’s most historic announcements, President H.

revealed the naming of the House

Biological Sciences, recognizing the

Johnson,

and

House of Raeford Farms, and his family. From left, Ray McDonald Jr., Luanne and Bob Johnson, and Donnie Lassiter.

March 5

March 7

March 7, 14

367 Cedar Fork Road, Beulaville

March 14

Faison Farmers’ Parade & Festival

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Attendees can enjoy vendors, entertainment and family activities. The parade will kick o at 11 a.m.

Downtown Faison

March 15

The Call of the Drums – A Night of Belly Dance for a Cause

7 p.m.

Join The Country Squire Restaurant & Inn as Heartsong Tribal presents a belly dance performance bene ting Sarah’s Refuge. Tickets are $15.

748 N.C. Highway 24-B/50, Warsaw

Magnolia board approves funding, updates for sewer projects

Sewer improvements aim to correct shallow and improperly graded lines

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MAGNOLIA — The town of Magnolia discussed updates and funding for several key infrastructure projects during its Feb. 24 meeting, including the Magnolia Sun Valley Sewer Improvements Project and the 2022 Well Generator Project.

The Sun Valley sewer project received $525,000 through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to cover cost overruns caused by high demand in the construction market and limited contractor availability. The funding will support a new sewer pump station, approximately 1,650

feet of gravity sewer lines and 14 manholes.

Joe McKemey with McDavid Associates explained that the funds will be drawn from the 2021 CDBG allocation, requiring certain portions of the scope of the work previously included in the 2022 grant to be moved to the older grant rst. The amendment does not a ect the nearly $1,5 million already allocated for the project. The town has committed $3,000 in local funds to support the work.

“The additional funds will partially fund the new sewer pump station in Forest Lane,” he explained.

The need for the project stems from improperly installed sewer lines in Sun Valley and Bobby Baker Lane, which were constructed years ago. Many lines are shallow, not properly graded and contain too few

manholes, causing frequent backups.

“We went out there one day, and we saw the sewer line in some places ve, six inches deep,” said McKemey. “The pipes are laid so shallow and not at the proper grade that they back up, and they have to go out there, and they have to get a plumber to clean out the lines. And it’s a liability because, ultimately, if anybody were to ever make a stink about it, it’s ultimately the town’s responsibility because of the way the government’s going to look at it.”

The new infrastructure will correct these de ciencies, including a pump station designed to serve current homes and potential future development. The project also includes a short force main connecting to an existing manhole.

“There will be a new force

plant that comes from this pump station that’s only about 400 feet long, and it will discharge into a manhole that’s there at the intersection,” said McKemey. Public comment was solicited but none was o ered. For the next public hearing, the board discussed the 2022 Well Generator Project. The town completed the installation of a new generator at Well No. 2, funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant. The generator features an automatic transfer switch, ensuring seamless operation during power outages, and can run nearly 48 hours without refueling. The project budget was adjusted to re ect nal costs, including minor reductions in engineering and advertising expenses, with remaining funds transferred back to the town’s waterline project.

McKemey noted that the new generator provides critical support to the town’s water treatment plant and elevated storage tanks, maintaining water pressure during storms or utility interruptions.

“That project, the overall construction was $122,470,” he said.

“That generator is strong enough to run the well and run the treatment plant. If you have a storm and the generators are full of fuel and the generators work properly, then, yes, your system should be self-sustaining. And as long as they can keep that elevated storage tank full of water, you will have pressure.”

Board members also discussed ongoing waterline construction along Main Street, noting the contractor is navigating challenges with existing utilities, trees and limited space, but progress has been smooth, with completion expected by early September.

“It’ll be tough for him in some places,” explained McKemey. “People just need to be aware, and they need to be, we’ll be trying to be a little bit forgiving.”

Infrastructure, equipment dominate Rose Hill meeting

Commissioners address infrastructure needs after the previous meeting lacked quorum

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

THE ROSE HILL Board of Commissioners met Feb. 24 after failing to have a quorum for its Feb. 10 meeting. The board voted on several budget items related to sewer line repairs and technology needs.

A request by Rose Hill Public Works Director Blake Parker for funds to repair a gravity sewer line on Charity Road had been tabled at the January meeting in hopes of encouraging more bids for the project. Town Administrator Angela Smith told the board attempting to secure additional bids had not been successful.

“We could not acquire any more quotes for this project,” Smith said. “Nobody wants to do it.”

The board voted to accept the only bid of $31,229 for the repairs. Parker had advised the board in January that the line was broken in three places. He said repairs will be challenging because the 30 feet of line in need of repair are 17 feet deep.

In another sewer issue, Parker requested the board approve a change order for the town’s stormwater project, which is mostly funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation. Parker said the change order is to install an interference box in the sewage line near the corner of Walnut and Cherry Streets. He added the interference box will allow easier access to the line in the event of blockage and for routine maintenance. The board voted to approve the change order at a cost of $5,459.

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budget funds to take bids and put on new doors,” Raynor suggested and the board agreed. Work on the fuel farm is planned to begin in April to match the delivery of the new tanks. The board discussed color on the catwalk on the top of the tanks and agreed to leave it plain galvanized steel for a clean look beyond the fence line. The old tanks will be declared surplus and sold.

The apron rehabilitation project is still in the design phase. The board discussed the life cycle cost analysis that is being done to argue the value of concrete vs. asphalt. Though the long-term cost of maintenance is higher with asphalt, concrete requires an up-front investment.

Raynor reported that 296 operations were performed in February. The airport sold 865 gallons of avgas and 15,500 gallons of jet fuel. The board dis-

At the January meeting, the required annual audit results were presented via video conference. The board had to share one laptop to watch the presentation, which was not visible to citizens attending the meeting.

As a result of that experience, the board agreed at the Feb. 24 meeting to spend $3,020 to purchase two large monitors

cussed their rates and charges for items sold at the airport. The current rates will be submitted to county commissioners for approval. Potential rate changes following the airport upgrades were also discussed. Raynor said he’d want to give a “lot of lead time” before any changes are made to be fair to the current tenants. Board Chairman Jack Alphin asked about trends in aviation to help determine whether an increase would meet market demand.

and a laptop for the boardroom. The monitors will be installed on two walls so commissioners and attendees can see the screens. In addition to being used for people participating in meetings remotely, they can be used to display photos or other graphics.

In another technology expenditure, the board approved purchasing new laptops for the

Raynor suggested an annual standardized increase that would make rate adjustments easier. The board plans to discuss rates again at a later date. Local farmer Jordan Heath secured a lease agreement to rent the runway protection zone, or RPZ, for hay. The six-year agreement will bring in $850 annually for the airport.

Interest in using the runway to showcase fast cars for social media was discussed. The board opposed the request, cit-

Rose Hill Police Department vehicles at a cost of $7,800. Police Chief Michael Tyndall said the current computers were outdated and one had a failed screen. The new laptops will be rugged and designed for use in that environment.

For several months, the board has discussed a request by business owners on Church Street to repair the sidewalk on the northern side of the street for one block east of Railroad Street to allow for easier access to their businesses by older or handicapped patrons.

Smith reported to the board that bids to bring that section of sidewalk into Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance revealed a cost of $56,292 for the sidewalk repair and an additional $11,875 for the installation of a handrail for the length of the block. Commissioner Adam Quinn made a motion to table the issue one more month to see if bids to add repairs to another sidewalk downtown in front of a church that had similar issues may save the town funds overall to combine the projects. Quinn’s motion to table the request until the March meeting passed. During department reports, Smith reported that roof repairs to town hall and the police department had been completed. She also said a new heat pump to replace the failed one at the Rose Hill Library would be installed Feb. 26.

ing potential damage and liability concerns. Problems with AT&T caused a standstill in internet service at the airport. Raynor shared that the service being used was cut o because of bigger issues with the AT&T network, and a new solution needed to be found quickly. The board discussed short- and long-term options, including Starlink and mobile hotspots. The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter.

THE CONVERSATION

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

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

Supreme Court throws out Trump tari s and upholds Constitution

So much for the notion that the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 majority of justices appointed by Republican presidents, was going to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump.

SO MUCH FOR the notion that the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 majority of justices appointed by Republican presidents, was going to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump. That is a frequently voiced charge by partisan Democrats, and a fear of many ambivalent voters who nd many of Trump’s policies agreeable but worry about his overreach on policy and personnel.

That’s one political meme refuted by the court’s Learning Resources v. Trump decision last Friday, announced after more than the expected delay for the drafting of concurring opinions. The court struck down Trump’s beloved tari s, with only one Republican-appointed justice taking the president’s side while the majority consisted of three Republican-appointed and three Democratic-appointed justices.

Such a result should not have surprised those with some appreciation of Supreme Court history. Franklin Roosevelt, after seeing several of his New Deal programs ruled unconstitutional and after unsuccessfully urging Congress to pack the court with new justices, nally ended up lling eight of the court’s nine seats.

That didn’t stop a bench of Democratic appointees from disapproving of Democratic President Harry Truman’s seizure of the nation’s steel plants during the Korean War in a case, Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer, cited 15 times by the Learning Resources justices.

Justices newly appointed in times when Supreme Court decisions are subjects of partisan disputes tend to agree on contemporary issues. But in time, new problems arise, to which they turn out to have di erences. And even animosity: Some of the Roosevelt appointees even stopped speaking to each other.

One such issue brought forward by Trump’s election and reelection is the tari . There’s a strong argument that the president’s view that trade de cits impoverish the country and tari s enrich it is delusional. Alexander Hamilton backed tari s not so much to foster infant industries but because they were the easiest tax to collect with the 18th-century technology.

William McKinley, often cited by Trump as a tari advocate, delivered a speech in September 1901, just days before he was shot, calling for reduced tari s. He recognized U.S. industry was no longer as infantile as the United States became the world’s No. 1 steel producer. Later in the century, congressional Republicans kept backing tari packages as a form of pork barrel patronage for local interests and to hold the party together. But Republican presidents, educated in free-

market economics in elite colleges (Harvard, Yale, Amherst, Stanford), sought, with limited success, to hold rates down.

Learning Resources doesn’t prevent Trump from using other tari laws, but they, as Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion of the court notes, “contain various combinations of procedural prerequisites, required agency determinations and limits.” That means he wouldn’t have, in the chief justice’s evidently irritated phrasing, “the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tari s of unlimited amount, duration and scope.”

Such capricious policymaking, with enormous economic consequences, has few precedents except for what historian Amity Shlaes describes as Roosevelt’s daily settings of gold prices during several months in 1933.

Learning Resources, as anti-Trump conservative David French wrote in The New York Times, “may prove to be the most important Supreme Court case this century” because it forti es the “major questions doctrine,” celebrated in Justice Neil Gorsuch’s extraordinary 46-page concurrence.

The major questions doctrine is drawn from the constitutional architecture: Article I authorizes Congress to pass laws, Article II authorizes the president to take care that they be faithfully executed. It follows that a president can’t rummage around in the statute books, searching for some language — or, as in this case, two words separated by 16 words — that somehow can be interpreted, though no one has interpreted them that way before, to authorize him to do what he wants to do. On major questions, it must be clear Congress has already done that.

The Supreme Court, with majorities made up of Republican appointees, used the major questions doctrine to overturn major Biden administration policies — cancellation of student loans (based on authorization to “waive or modify” them), eviction moratorium (based on preventing “transmission of communicable diseases”) and vaccine mandate (based on “safety and healthy work conditions”).

In a 46-page concurring opinion, Gorsuch argues that his three Democratic-appointed colleagues are wielding the major questions doctrine against the Trump tari s, though they say they’re not, and they were unwilling to use it against Biden policies. He argues the three dissenting Republican-appointed justices should have agreed that the major questions doctrine requires overturning the tari s. He argues that Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who voted to overturn tari s, should have relied more explicitly on the doctrine.

Is this evidence of the kind of discord that

divided the Roosevelt-appointed justices so many years ago? Maybe, and the justices don’t seem as collegial now as they did before someone — a liberal justice’s law clerk? — leaked a draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

But the thrust of Gorsuch’s concurrence is that the justices are functionally in agreement with the major questions doctrine, even if they’re uncomfortable saying so. Perhaps it was written to undercut arguments by the liberal law professoriate that the major questions doctrine is defunct.

Or, as Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith puts it, Learning Resources “signals more clearly than ever that, going forward, this Court is going to view broad delegations of statutory authority to act, and/or extravagant presidential interpretations of authority to act, with skepticism.”

It’s hard for Congress to set policy as explicitly as the major questions doctrine seems to require when the two parties have signi cant disagreements, are in close competition, and are disincentivized to accept compromise when they reasonably hope that the next presidential election will give them the White House and congressional majorities. That has been the situation for the last 30 -some years, in which Democrats have won most presidential elections and Republicans have usually won majorities in the House of Representatives. It was also the case for the 30-some years after the Civil War, when policy di erences and partisan bitterness were greater than they are today.

But after three decades, new issues arose and new voter coalitions emerged. Sooner or later, that will happen again.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration may search the statute books for verbiage it can use to justify some limited tari authority, just as the Biden administration searched the statute books to nd verbiage to justify some limited student loan forgiveness.

But the Supreme Court, regardless of partisan labels, seems ready to use the major questions doctrine to limit the billions of dollars that can be raised or spent without some clear authorization in laws passed by Congress. And someday a president will gure out how to persuade Congress to pass laws authorizing all or some of what she or he wants.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

War should never be taken lightly; not even if your cause is righteous

War should never be taken lightly. Not even if your cause is righteous.

AMERICANS HAVE good-faith concerns about the attacks on the Islamist regime in Iran. War should never be taken lightly. Not even if your cause is righteous. But President Donald Trump needs to remind the public that the murderous Islamic cultists in Iran are our enemy — and that matters.

The Islamic Republic’s war against the United States famously began with the Islamic coup of 1979, when revolutionaries grabbed 52 hostages from our embassy and held them for 444 days. But it never ended.

From the early 1980s, Iran’s proxy army of Hezbollah killed 241 U.S. servicemen in Lebanon. In the early 2000s, the Revolutionary Guard, along with Iraqi proxies, murdered more than 600 Americans with IEDs. Iran has been killing Americans.

Not until Trump atomized terrorist leader Qassem Soleimani did the U.S. really do anything about Iranian belligerence, even though any one of the above incidents was casus belli.

The Iranians twice reportedly hatched plots to assassinate Trump in 2020 and 2024. Numerous Iranian operatives have been indicted by the U.S. for meddling in our elections, cyberattacks and for stealing aerospace, tech and satellite data.

Yet both Republican and Democratic administrations have bent over backward for decades trying to appease these medieval cultists and coax them into signing agreements, sometimes sending pallets of unmarked currency and transferring billions. Each time, the regime has just strung us along, stretching

out negotiations while secretly continuing to work on their nuclear ambitions, destabilizing the Middle East and murdering Americans.

But the most important question right now isn’t what Iran’s done. It’s what it would do if it had nukes.

Iran’s Islamist regime is uniquely evil. Anyone who believes that the Iranian clerics won’t act more aggressively and violently toward the “Great Satan” when they are shielded by nukes is fooling themselves. If it is willing to massacre tens of thousands of its own people and subject its citizens to decades of destitution in a crusade to develop nuclear weapons, how will it function under the shield of a nuclear weapon? What would stop Iran from buying increasingly advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles from geopolitical foes such as China and Russia that, at some point, would be able to hit the U.S.? What would stop the Iranians from disrupting international oil markets and trade? What will we do when its proxies start killing Americans?

Some people point out that international leaders have been warning Iran was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons for decades, and yet it’s never come true. Indeed, Iran can sit perniciously close to weaponizing its uranium for a long time. But the Iranian program has been slowed by the U.S., Israel and probably other nations, through cyber warfare, clandestine operations, assassinations, sabotage and military e orts. Every time we interrupt the clerics, they become more sophisticated and more careful.

Never once will any of Iran’s Western

propagandists, however, concede that Iran can choose peace whenever it likes. What the U.S. is reportedly asking of the mullahs in Geneva is completely reasonable for a signer of the nonproliferation pact.

First, Iran must completely dismantle its nuclear sites and programs. If the Iranian regime truly has no interest in obtaining nuclear power, as it claims, this should be no problem. We bombed the country once, and we could do it again.

Second, Iran needs to hand over existing stockpiles of enriched uranium to the U.S. The only reason Iran has them is for a nuclear weapons program. If Iran wants a reactor to continue low-level enrichment for medical purposes, it’s welcome to it.

Three, unlike the toothless deal agreed to by Barack Obama, a new deal can have no sunset clauses. No enrichment ever. Islamist warmongers shouldn’t get their hands on weapons of mass destruction today, or in 10 or 20 years.

Four, no sanctions relief until Iran upholds its end of the agreement. “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has never been voted into any o ce by the people of Iran, refers to the U.S. as “the most wicked, sinister enemy.” Khomeinism is a zero-sum apocalyptic cult. The clerics are not rational actors who can be trusted to sign and abide by international agreements.

Iran is an enemy of the U.S. Of our allies. Of Christians. Of peaceful Muslims. We are not the world’s policemen, but we also can’t turn inward and ignore reality and long-term threats. One of the slogans of the Islamic Revolution is “America can’t do a damn thing against us.”

But that isn’t the case, is it?

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner, a nationally syndicated columnist and author of ve books. Copyright 2026 Creators.com

Undergrads win grant for deer research

The project supports regional wildlife management and disease studies

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — Two University of Mount Olive agriculture and biological sciences students have received a TriBeta Research Grant to support undergraduate research focused on wildlife ecology in southeastern North Carolina. Christian Gray of Chinquapin and Harley Marie Haley of Goldsboro earned the award for their project “Seasonal Shifts in WhiteTailed Deer Density During the Rut: A Comparison of Agricultural Fields and Bait Sites in Southeastern North Carolina.”

According to the announcement, the study examines how white-tailed deer populations uctuate across habitat types during the rutting season. By comparing agricultural elds and bait sites, the students aim to better understand spatial and seasonal patterns in deer density. Their ndings are expected to provide insight into wildlife management practices, conservation strategies and disease monitoring e orts in the region.

Faculty mentors Jared Locklear and Sarah Jackson will provide guidance, ensuring the research meets professional scienti c standards while giving students hands-on experience in ecological eldwork. Haley and Gray’s e orts extend be-

yond data collection. Both are active in TriBeta, the National Biological Honor Society, helping cultivate student-led scienti c engagement. Their research will be showcased at the National TriBeta Convention in Tallahassee, Florida, this May and at UMO’s research symposium this semester.

For Haley, presenting at these events provides an opportunity to showcase both the research

and the university at regional and national levels. She said presenting at conferences allows them to promote the value of biological research and student involvement while representing the institution beyond campus.

Gray brings a personal perspective to the project.

“As a hunter, I understand the importance of wildlife conservation and the need for accurate information about local fauna, including population densities

Mural artist visits town of Wallace

Locals helped artist Max Dowdle plan artwork that will celebrate the town’s history and culture

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — The North Carolina artist on a mission to paint murals in all 100 of the state’s counties dropped by Wallace on Feb. 25 to meet with locals interested in his mission and to gather ideas for what the mural will feature.

A small but enthusiastic group gathered with Wallace Town Manager Rob Taylor, town clerk Jackie Nicholson and police chief James Crayton to meet artist Max Dowdle and share ideas for the new mural in downtown Wallace.

Taylor introduced Dowdle, who shared his background with the group and showed examples of murals he has already completed across the state. It was one of the completed murals that caught the attention of Nicholson, who reached out to Dowdle to begin the exploration of a mural for Wallace.

Several recommendations were made on what the mural could contain, with everyone in agreement that Wallace’s history with agriculture and the railroad are must-haves. Nicholson also said the town had received surveys it distribut-

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

North Carolina artist Max Dowdle talks about his process and shows examples of his creations during a meeting at Wallace Woman’s Club on Feb. 25 to gather ideas for a mural in downtown Wallace.

ed seeking ideas for the mural. Other recommendations included the mural featuring portraits of popular sports gures from the area, as well as well-known musicians in Wallace.

Crayton recommended the town consider a separate mural on a building at Clement Park, since that is where many of the athletes were introduced to sports.

Nicholson said after the original plan to have the mural painted on a building across from the Wallace Depot fell through, the current owners of a building on Main Street near College Street, where the former Jim Russ Chevrolet build-

ing is located, are amenable to the idea.

The mural would be clearly visible to anyone traveling west on Main Street.

Dowdle also looked through publications, including the popular book “Wallace, N.C. Home Sweet Home” by Mary Anne Russ, which is lled with many historic photographs and history of the area.

Dowdle said his next step is to study the ideas and history, and then schedule another meeting with Nicholson to determine the nal ideas. If a decision is made on the mural’s content, Dowdle said he could begin work in late summer or early fall.

and overall health,” he said, adding that the project as an area he hopes to continue pursuing in the future.

Jackson noted the research aligns with regional interests in wildlife health and disease ecology, particularly e orts to better understand chronic wasting disease and other infectious agents a ecting wildlife in eastern North Carolina.

“This project represents an important step toward expand-

ing student-driven research in these areas,” said Jackson.

Locklear praised the students for their dedication and campus involvement, adding that their work demonstrates that undergraduates can conduct meaningful scienti c studies in areas they are passionate about while learning.

“Projects like this highlight the level of inquiry our students are capable of achieving,” said Locklear.

Tradition, tribute mark Mount Olive’s Black History Parade

Mount Olive’s 18th annual parade drew draws colorful oats and community pride

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — Crowds

lled Breazeale Avenue last Saturday for Mount Olive’s 18th annual Black History Parade. For many, attending the parade is a long-standing tradition. For two men from Calypso, Randy and Dewight, it is “a chance to meet people, enjoy the sun, and show our support for the community and those putting on the parade.” Randy and Dewight haven’t missed a single year. Enthusiastic attendees, vendors and food trucks started gathering along the parade route at 11 a.m. Parade attendees are not the only ones who have been faithful to the parade. James Kenan High School’s ROTC, Southern Wayne’s Marching Saints, and WRAL’s Gilbert Baez are longtime participants who have been in the parade for multiple years.

DJ Troy G, who has served as MC every year, opened the event with the national anthem followed by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Mayor Jerome Newton led the parade followed by a ag-carrying color guard and Wayne County Sheri Larry Pierce. This year’s grand marshal, Alma Darden, followed, as well as several of the town’s ocials, including Commissioners Vicky Darden and CJ Weaver. Sponsored by the Unity Organization, the parade hosted more than 20 area businesses, political candidates and community organizations. Though most of them were Mount Olive organizations, some came from farther away, such as the Greene Central High School Rams Color Guard and Marching Band. Another parade participant of special honor was the Triple Nickels, an all-black airborne unit of the U.S. Army that served during World War II.

Crowd favorites returned with more motorcycles, ATVs, Corvettes, trucks and classic cars. There were several vehicles and oats decorated with images of African Americans who made a mark on history. The Mount Olive Pickle Company mascot, Ollie, promoted the company’s 100th anniversary and threw shirts to the crowd. Throughout the parade, handfuls of candy were tossed to spectators. The parade started at 1 p.m. and lasted for about an hour.

end, please consider the following. All users; residential, commercial and industrial; should pay for the cost of services. Collections policy should be applied consistently and to all customers, no exceptions.”

Simmons challenged Weaver, saying the email referred to rates and not disconnect fees. He also accused Weaver of saying a business customer had received special privileges after getting their water cut o , a charge Weaver denied, saying Simmons had misquoted him.

Coincidentally, Simmons came under re last year when an audit of the town’s billing practices by the North Carolina State Auditor’s O ce revealed he had not paid a water bill account in his name for months, the water service had not been disconnected, and he had not been charged late fees.

The discussion of the discon-

nect fee was not up for a vote at the meeting, but it will likely be tackled at an upcoming meeting.

Another lengthy discussion occurred during a report on a revised Townwide Storm Water Treatment Master Plan presented by David Honeycutt, a project manager and engineer with McGill Associates, the company hired to create the plan under a grant.

A public hearing on the plan was held at the board’s November meeting last year which resulted in commissioner and citizen input to add several additional areas in town that were subject to ooding after heavy rains.

During Honeycutt’s presentation, both Mayor Jerome Newton and Simmons appeared to interrogate him as he attempted to make his presentation.

Honeycutt was attempting to update the board on the revised plan when Newton appeared

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Duplin County Request for Quali cations (RFQ) #030526-001-1

Duplin County is soliciting requests for quali cations (RFQ) from quali ed and licensed design-build rms interested in providing design and construction services for one (1) pre-engineered shell building. The shell building will be located at the Duplin County AirPark industrial park. The building is planned to be 30,000 square foot (SF) and will be a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB). The cost estimate range is $1,900,000 to $2,300,000. A guaranteed maximum price (GMP) will be established after selecting the Design-Build Team based upon quali cations. The intent of this RFQ is to select a design-build rm, by Quali cations-Based Selection (QBS). Submittals are due by 2:00PM on THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 2026 and must be submitted or delivered to the Duplin County Airport (260 Airport Rd., Kenansville, NC). The complete RFQ can be found at duplinnc.gov. Questions may be submitted to scott. summerlin@duplinnc.gov. The successful design-build rm shall be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Duplin County reserves the right to waive any informalities, to reject any and all responses to the Request for Quali cations, and to accept any responses which in its opinion may be in the best interest of Duplin County.

frustrated and interrupted him.

“If you could just speak more in general terms and just explain. It appears that you’re reading,” Newton said.

“I’m actually not reading, other than to look at the number of events,” Honeycutt replied.

When asked by Newton to jump to what the xes are, Honeycutt said, “From a big picture perspective, these are costly and challenging xes.”

He said just the repair of the ooding from stormwater at the town’s Piggly Wiggly would be a $20 million x. Commissioner Gena Messer Knode asked Honeycutt, “We don’t have $20 million, so why should I say yes to this plan.”

Honeycutt explained that the grant was for his rm to create the plan to handle the issue, not to determine the methods to pay for the repairs needed.

Simmons asked if handling the stormwater problems would

help relieve the town of the state-mandated wastewater moratorium.

Honeycutt responded that the plan was speci cally to handle stormwater. As he attempted to explain how stormwater could add to the sewage issue, Simmons interrupted him.

“I just want the people to know, his grant, it don’t matter,” said Simmons. “If we don’t go no farther with it, it’s not going to hurt us. All he’ll do is get paid and go on about his business.”

The Storm Water Plan does matter to the Town of Mount Olive. Town Clerk Sherry Davis told the board that approving the plan could be a precursor to the town receiving future grants to address storm water issues.

Weaver told Honeycutt, “You were hired by the grant money to do a job. You did it. We can use the information, and if we go forward we may (be able to) use the information to get other grants.”

After Weaver’s comments, the board voted to approve the plan.

Holland reported to the board that several notices of violation had been issued by the state due to the sewage treatment system not operating properly. Holland placed some of the blame on new state inspectors, who were ignoring previous inspectors’ instructions to continue to operate the system “as it was intended” despite the system not being approved to operate in that manner. He also said the town is working with TRC Engineering and the N.C. Department of Water Quality to create a program to control illegal industrial discharges that are being introduced into the sewer collection system.

After holding a public hearing early in the meeting, the board voted to name the Mount Olive Town Hall o ce annex in honor of late town manager Jammie Royall.

DUPLIN SPORTS

No. 2 Cougars push past Tigers, reach East Region nals

Goldsboro beats James Kenan for the fourth time this season

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

GOLDSBORO — Lions and Tigers don’t get along in the wild or on the basketball court.

Goldsboro beat James Kenan for the fourth time on Monday, and this time, the 62-41 triumph meant more than a regular season, conference or tournament game.

The No. 2 Cougars dominated the

No. 3 Tigers from start to nish to earn a ticket to the East Regionnals opposite No. 4 Northwood, which upset No. 1 Kinston 45-33 on Monday.

Goldsboro (26-2) won its 17th consecutive game and improved to 11-0 in the Cougars’ Den this season.

The game was an opportunity for JK to avenge a 60-49 setback on Jan. 9 in Goldsboro, a 45-24 loss in Warsaw on Feb. 11 that sealed the Swine Valley regular season crown and a 47-41 loss in the conference tourney nale. That it was the most important

game and the Cougars won by its largest margin was heartbreaking to JK, whose only other loss during the campaign was to Croatan (58-39) with Y’Anna Rivers out of the lineup.

Both teams missed shots and made turnovers in the opening quarter.

Goldsboro took control in the second quarter and entered the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead that would only grow. It went from 46-30 to 56-30 to 62-30 before JK’s lineup, which was mostly reserves, came through

Red

Raiders

roll past Panthers in third round

Panthers coach Mark Lane guided ED to its 10th season of 20 or more wins since 2008 with a second-round win over Southwestern Randolph

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

HIGH POINT — Simply put, T.W. Andrews High School had too much overall power.

That’s what East Duplin will likely remember after its 59-21 third-round 4A tournament loss to the Red Raiders, which seemed a step faster and a touch stronger than the Panthers.

ED fell behind 20-0 before coming to life nearly a minute into the second quarter with a basket by freshman Bennett Holley and 3-point play by Zakoya Farrior.

The bleeding didn’t stop until after halftime with the No. 1 seed in front 41-7.

“I didn’t have our players prepared for their speed,” said ED head coach Mark Lane, whose Panthers nished 20-7, the 10th time ED captured 20 wins since 1998. “Their size hurt us, but we had trouble staying in front of them defensively.

“We had good shots to begin with, but they

Slow start, Jaguars’ repower send Tigers packing

JK ran out of ammunition during its third-round loss to No. 1 Farmville Central

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

FARMVILLE — James Kenan

basketball coach Taylor Jones said the key to his team’s success this season was “playing harder than anyone we played.”

“We had to, and we emphasized that and rebounding every game for all ve of our players on the oor,” Jones said. “Eight- ve percent of our games we were within ve rebounds (of the opposition), and we lose when we lose the defense and rebounding game.

“It’s the story of all three games against Goldsboro. We have to win 5050 balls, win box out opportunities.”

The Tigers (18-6) didn’t get its fair share on the glass last Saturday in their third-round game against Farmville Central, a power program and the No. 1 team in 3A most of the season. Both the environment and players were bigger than JK could have imagined during a 79-59 loss that started out with the Jaguars (26-0) scoring the rst 18 points of the game.

“We’ve not seen anyone as physical with that kind of speed and size,” Jones said. “We were a little shellshocked and only held our own the rest of the way. We weren’t ready for their physicality, speed and size.”

Farmville Central has won four state titles (2023, 2021, 2019 and 2016) and gone 223-26 the past nine seasons. In early January, head coach Larry Williford guided his team past Kinston for his 500th career win. Every win came at Farmville.

Jones said the inside play of Farmville got the best of the Tigers.

“We were told their weakness was outside shooting. So we didn’t want to open up in a zone, but (we) did and got down and started to press. So we switched to man-to-man,” Jones said. “They beat us up inside.”

The championship banners around the school’s gymnasium told of past exploits made an impression on JK’s players, though they fought their

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Aleyah Wilson

James Kenan, girls’ basketball

Wilson is a power source in the paint for James Kenan.

The junior forward isn’t afraid to mix it up anywhere on the court for the 20-win Tigers.

She’s second in scoring on her team (12.3) and rst in rebounding (6.1) and free-throws made and attempted (82 of 182).

The junior is a perfect complement to Y’Anna Rivers (15.7 points) and sharp-shooting Gabi Outlaw (10.5) because she takes her aggressive game to the defensive end where she is averaging 3.3 steals.

Her best game might have been an 18-point, 21-rebound, seven-steal performance during a 51-46 win over 7A Ashley.

She also pumped in 21 markers and had six boards in a 58-57 squeaker over 6A Jacksonville.

The 5-foot-7, 155-pound hammer has cat-like quickness. She averaged 8.7 points last season and also plays soccer in the spring and volleyball in the fall.

JK is having its best season in basketball since going 21-5 in 2012-13.

Panthers rattle North Pitt for rst playo win in decade

The Rebels exited in second round in 2A; theBulldogs fell in the opening round in 3A

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BETHEL — East Duplin

won’t have fond memories of its season nale, but the Panthers made a bit of noise before leaving the gymnasium after a 66-55 loss to No. 5 Eastern Wayne (20-8) in the third round of the 4A playo s.

A week after winning its rst conference tournament in 17 years, the Panthers scratched their way past No. 22 North Pitt 62-52 for ED’s rst playo win in 10 years.

Dominic Hall scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds, while senior Zachary Ball had 11 markers and classmates Shawn Davis, DJ Davis and Jordan Pickett each chipped in with six points.

Obediah Miller netted nine o the bench.

“We’re trying to establish a standard that other teams in the future follow,” said ED head coach Blake Lanier. “We improved a lot over the course of the season. We put ourselves into too big a hole in both playo games with slow starts.”

The setback to the Warriors broke ED’s four-game winning streak. The Panthers won eight of their nal 12 games.

“We didn’t make shots in the rst quarter and missed six or eight free throws,” Lanier said. “We needed longer possessions against Eastern Wayne, and it’s kind of hard to change what you’ve done all season. It’s a di cult adjustment to hold the ball when you’re used to shooting in 15 seconds.”

ED trailed by 19 at halftime but cut the de cit to 10 in the third quarter.

“Eastern Wayne defended well and had enough size to run to the other end and make things happen,” Lanier said.

Eastern Wayne faces No. 1 Reidsville (21-1) in the fourth round with the winner taking on the survivor of No. 2 Washington (22-5) and No. 6 Southwest Edgecombe (18-7) in the East Region nal.

Rebels open with home win, fall on road to Holmes

North Duplin found out who will replace seniors Lu-

from page B1

with a trio of 3-pointers — two by LaBria McGown and another by Janay Peterson.

Tigerx stars Rivers, Gabi Outlaw and Aleyah Wilson struggled against a Cougarx team that spread the oor well, had balanced scoring and used its transition game to score easy baskets. Yet the loss couldn’t put out the ame of a revival season for the Tigers, who were coming o playo wins over Wake Prep Academy (67-40) and Bedding eld (59-31).

Furthermore, it was JK’s best nish since going 21-5 in 2012-13.

While the Tigers didn’t win a title, it bodes well for next season as only Outlaw and McGowan are June graduates.

Outlaw hit for 16, Rivers 13, Kendria Smith 11 and Zaniya Brown nine when JK thumped the Bulldogs (13-11) in the second round.

JK lost to Goldsboro at home but won 11 other times, including in the third round as Rivers connected for a season-high 24, while Wilson added 16 and eight rebounds to humble the Guardians.

Smith and Kendonya Morrisey each tallied seven markers.

Wilson checked up for ve points in the opening quarter, and Brown hit a layup at the buzzer to post JK to a 19-6 lead heading into the second quarter.

A 14-2 run then featured 3-pointers by Outlaw and Smith to increase the margin to 33-8

cas Dail, Quan Stevens, Carell Phillips and Holden Williams. Enter underclassmen Nick Price, Lucas Gregory, Nick Bennett and Missah Cooper, who will return next season to play alongside sophomore forward Jae’lyn Ingram, who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds.

During a 1-1 run in the 2A playo s the future added to the stable present for the Rebels (15-11). Ingram took over in the rst half of ND’s 59-48 rst-round win over the Triangle Math and Science Academy in Calypso. He scored 13 points in the rst six minutes of the game and then the nal three baskets of the second quarter as ND led 29-19 at the extended intermission.

Two days later, the season ended with a 62-49 loss to No. 6 Holmes, which lost to No. 3 Franklin Academy (20 -7). The Wake Forest club faces No. 2 Voyager Academy (21-7) in the fourth round, hoping to meet the winner of

No. 8 Warren County (12-9) and No. 5 Bertie (17-8). Ironically, it was Holmes that ended ND’s football run last fall in the third round.

Bulldogs zzle out with pair of puzzling losses Wallace-Rose Hill lost its edge after getting dunked, 75 - 61, by rival James Kenan in the Swine Valley Conference Tournament semi nals. The margin of victory turned out to be signi cant as the Bulldogs’ lost energy and focus. That continued into the 3A playo s when No. 24 South Columbus, which had won just six times this season, shocked the No. 9 Bulldogs 78-75 in the rst round in Teachey.

Five players wore the WRH uniform for the nal time. First-year head coach Dustin Squibb’s club ended up 18-6. The Stallions gave JK all it wanted in the second round before falling 59-53.

after a Rivers putback hoop.

JK led 37-24 at halftime and 55-28 at the start of the fourth quarter as the Tigers kept turning up the intensity. Hoops notebook

Second-year coach Aaron Smith led JK to seven wins in its rst eight games, an eight-game winning streak in midseason and triumphs in seven of its nal eight encounters. The Tigers were 9-9 last season, 10-14 in 2023-24, yet 14-40 the three previous seasons.

Big wins came against 4A East Duplin, 6A Jacksonville and 7A schools Ashley and Topsail.

The one victory that never came against Goldsboro was the only scar on an otherwise stellar season. Rivers wound up averaging 15.7 points, Wilson 12.3 and Outlaw 10.3. Rivers averaged 3.2 blocks and 4.1 steals, and if she stays healthy, she will hit the 1,000-point plateau in her senior season. Look for Brown, Smith and Morrisey to become key players next season.

Crusaders fall in 2A semi nals to defending champ Caldwell

The sharp-shooting Eagles ended the four-year, 101-win run by Harrells

Christian Academy

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

GREENSBORO — After Antonio McKoy drove to the iron and sunk his layup, he heard a whistle.

Down 67-63 to Caldwell Academy with four minutes to play in the NCISAA’s 2A seminals, the best player to wear a Crusaders jersey had a chance to make it a one-point game after Harrells Christian Academy had trailed by as much as 18 points.

But the o cial’s call was a charge on McKoy, which nullied the basket.

“I thought it was a one-and (bonus free throw),” said HCA head coach Clayton Hall. “But it is what it is. It seemed like our chance in a tough basketball game.”

The defending champs responded with a 15-2 blitz en route to an 82-65 win. Caldwell (26-9) was tripped 68-63 on Saturday by No. 1 Green eld (27-5).

McKoy nished with 41 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for the season and to go over 3,000 for his four-year career. Additionally, he nabbed 1,119 rebounds.

The Western Carolina signee averaged 28 points and 10.1 rebounds this season with 23 double-doubles.

Cousin Dashaun McKoy has

SIDELINE REPORT

NBA

been his steady running partner. He put in 16 against Caldwell and had 11 rebounds.

Dashaun McKoy is headed to play at the University of Mount Olive after logging 1,875 points and 1,009 rebounds in 126 games for HCA. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 blocks this season.

HCA’s third senior, point guard J’Kaeshi Brunson (6.5 assists), is also going to be a Trojan next season.

The threesome went 101-29 in the past four seasons.

“What else can you say about all those wins?” Hall said. “All three of those guys are very special players and individuals. You can’t replace those points because Antonio is a generational player. Senior Colin Cole and Josh Crumpler added key outside shooting late in the season, including during a big win over the Green eld School.”

Caldwell’s outside shooting was greater than the inside game of HCA, a fear Hall had going into the a air.

“They shot the lights out in a tough environment for us,” Hall said. “But even so, this year was a great success and the end of a really great stretch for our school.”

HCA got to the semi nals by beating the Burlington School three days earlier, shortly after winning the Coastal Plain Conference Tournament.

The Crusaders (29-8) also lost in the 2A semi nals last winter to wind up 30-3.

“Max Preps listed us as the No. 14 team in the state, and I think that’s a fairly impressive accomplishment,” Hall said. “I can sleep well knowing that.”

Blaring horn after power surge delays PistonsCavaliers

Detroit

The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers were delayed for 18 minutes in the third quarter by a blaring horn after a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction. During a timeout, the horn sounded to signal the teams to return to the oor. It kept blasting despite frantic work from the arena maintenance crew. The teams returned to the benches and eventually went back on the oor to warm up. After 13 minutes, the arena sta shut down the entire overhead scoreboard and the horn stopped. The scoring crew used a manual airhorn when play resumed.

NHL

Kings re coach Hiller, name Smith as interim replacement

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Kings red coach Jim Hiller after losing ve of their past six games and falling out of playo position. D.J. Smith was named the interim replacement for the rest of the season in the rst coaching change by general manager Ken Holland, who kept Hiller behind the bench when he took over the front o ce last May. Hiller was in his second full season in the charge of the Kings, who looked lifeless in an 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday.

MLB

Cuba says 8 World Baseball Classic delegation members denied U.S. visas

Eight members of Cuba’s delegation were denied visas to the United States for the World Baseball Classic, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation said. Cuba is set to play against Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama and Canada in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during pool play of the WBC, which is scheduled from March 5-17. Among the Cubans that were denied visas are FCBS president Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo and general secretary Carlos del Pino Muñoz. Pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo was also denied.

way to the end, as the Tigers have all season.

“We couldn’t adjust early enough, particularly to the physicality,” Jones said.

Shooting guard Eli Avent and forward CJ Hill got JK moving better in the second quarter, though the Tigers were down 40-18 at halftime.

Yet as hard as JK would play, Farmville Central was the aggressor.

Hill had ve points in the rst two minutes of the third quarter, but JK was losing ground at 51-25 midway through the stanza. Three-pointers by Avent and Zamarion Smith got JK to 63-40 entering the nal quarter.

Late in the fourth, Avent swished a pair of 3-pointers and Jeremiah Hall had a conventional 3-point play, but it was far too little, especially after the Jaguars had roared to a 73-45 lead with 5:03 to play.

Sophomore forward Kentrell Morrisey and senior guard Smith were nulli ed by the defense of Farmville Central, which plays No. 4 Martin County (24-4) in the fourth round. The winner will take on the survivor of No. 2 Kinston (19 -3) and No. 6 Northwood (21-4).

Morrisey scored 18 and Smith scored 17 points during a 59-53 second-round win over South Columbus, which had upset Wallace-Rose Hill in Teachey in the rst round.

Hall added eight markers, six boards, ve assists and ve steals.

Jones said he was grateful for the play of his team.

“In the end of the day, our players gave it all they had,” said Jones, whose team went 8-12 a year ago. “This is one of the toughest and hardest-playing team I’ve ever coached. They never bucked me and always responded to a challenge or direction. It was funny because against South Columbus, Jeremiah (Hall) asked, “if I was sure” about a call I had made and then came to me after it and said, “OK, coach, great call.”

While JK lacked the depth, size and muscle against teams like Farmville Central, Kinston and Goldsboro, it didn’t lack heart of hustle.

Rebels fall to No. 2 Roxboro; No. 1 Kinston stops ’Dawgs

ND’s rebuilding season ended with 18 wins, while WRH won 17 and its rst playo game in a decade

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — North Duplin’s rebuilding season was a success.

So was the comeback year of Wallace-Rose Hill.

Both were eliminated in the playo s last week but have stable futures given the on-court achievements this winter given they had surprising seasons for even their most ardent fans.

Rebels make it work with limited bench

ND showed its resolve during a 52-43 loss to No. 2 Roxbury Community, scratching its way back from early de cits of 17-2 and 23-7 heading into the second quarter.

The Rebels exploded with a 15-0 run to get to within 23-20 at halftime.

Abby Rose started the rush, and Lilly Fulghum added the next seven points to trim it to 23-14.

Round two of the push saw Rose can a pair of free throws and Fulghum bank in a pair of layups.

But the Bulldogs (18-2) were relentless in the second half, rst building a 10-point cushion midway through the third quarter and then by continuing to match baskets with the Rebels.

Fulghum hit a trey to put ND to within 43-36, but Roxbury responded by scoring the next eight points.

Scores by Maggie Brown and Raegan Herring and two charity tosses by Rose made it 33 -27,

but Roxbury’s scoring depth was too much for the Rebels.

Post Karrie Obie had 12 points and was trouble for ND in the paint.

Kia Dobson added 11, and Nancy Carver nailed three 3-pointers. Down 37-31 entering the fourth quarter, ND’s last chance to close the gap came after a Fulghum bomb made it 43-36.

Roxbury scored nine of the nal 16 points.

Fulghum paced ND with 18 points. Brown added 12, while Rose, the Rebels’ top scorer, was limited to eight markers as the Bulldogs were able to control the tempo of the game for much of the evening.

Roxbury plays No. 3 Gates County (24-4) in the East Region semi nals, and the winner will face the survivor of No. 1 Pamlico County and No. 5 Lakewood, a Carolina Conference school that ND beat once and lost to twice this season.

The Rebels earned a rst-round bye and then shot down Holmes 49-35 in Calypso.

Rose had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Fulghum added 19, and Brown, Herring, Abby Norris cleaned the glass with 25 boards.

Brown had seven of ND’s 10 blocks.

ND’s 18-8 mark came after the graduation of 1,000-point scorers Addy Higginbotham and Tatewayna Faison.

Fulghum, a softball signee at Charlotte, is the Rebels’ lone senior.

New additions, veteran players lead Bulldogs

WRH won 11 more games than it did last season under

rst-year head coach Jermel Miller.

Following a rst-round bye, the Bulldogs beat Northeastern 79-69 for their rst playo win since 2016.

They also matched that team’s win total of 17. WRH beat Cape Hatteras and Franklin Academy behind Ms. Basketball Justice Carr.

WRH used the play of veterans Savannah Smith, Sophie Sloan and Jansley Page while getting e orts from upstarts such as post Marion Francis and freshman point guard QuoRyonia Vines.

To be fair, WRH’s win total was aided by wins against three struggling Swain Valley Conference schools – Spring Creek (1-22), Princeton (3-19) and Rosewood (6-16).

Yet the Bulldogs (17-11) clearly played better basketball than in the past.

And that was the central goal of Miller, a former assistant coach for the boys’ team.

Vines pumped in 19 points in the win over the Eagles. Francis, a sophomore transfer, had 19 and 11 rebounds for the 10th double-double of the season. Francis and Vines went a combined 14 of 26 from the eld.

Seniors Smith and Page chipped in 12 apiece, while Sloan had a half dozen.

The dream ended with a 59-27 setback to No. 1 Kinston (23-1). Francis hit for seven points, and Smith and Page combined for 10.

Kinston faces No. 4 Northwood (20-5) in one East Region semi nal, with the winner taking on the survivor of No. 2 Goldsboro (25-2) and No. 3 James Kenan (20-4). Goldsboro has beaten JK three times this winter.

this season for 20-7 ED.

Panthers’ defensive prowess proves bene cial

weren’t falling. I thought we’d pull out of it, but in hindsight, I probably should have called a time out when it was 7-0, 9-0. The o cials were letting the players play, and our girls didn’t make the physical adjustment. It got away from us and kind of snowballed, though we played much better in the second half.”

ED, playing as if it had cement in its sneakers, were outscored 18-14 in the nal two quarters.

Andrews (21-4) faces No. 5 Fairmont (25-2) in the East Region semi nal, with the winner taking on the survivor of No. 3 Clinton (25-1) and No. 2 First Flight (20-2).

“We showed a little ght in the second half, and I thought our seniors — Farrior, Zoe Cavanaugh, Andraia Scarboro — did a great job,” Lane said. The loss broke ED’s six-game winning streak, which included a win in the ECC Tournament nal that knocked Clinton from the unbeaten ranks. No. 8 ED (20-7) picked up its 20th win by thwarting No. 9 Southwestern Randolph 44-37 in the second round earlier in the week.

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NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#26E000086-300

The undersigned, BARBARA SMITH ASHLEY AND BELINDA SMITH MAY having quali ed on the 24TH DAY of FEBRUARY 2026, as COADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of BOBBY GLENN SMITH, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5TH Day of JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 5TH Day of MARCH 2026. BARBARA SMITH ASHLEY, COADMINISTRATOR 7228 LEDFORD GROVE LANE WAKE FOREST, NC 27587 BELINDA SMITH MAY, COADMINISTRATOR 1909 AMETHYST RIDGE DRIVE RALEIGH, NC 27604 Run dates:M5,12,19,26p

With nearly every school attempting to make a push for better o ense, ED’s team defense was a key, according to Lane.

“Our defense just kept getting better,” Lane said. “Against Southwestern Randolph, we shut down two good guards. We knew our lack of size was something we would have to address throughout the season. We battled that all year.

“Going in, we knew we had tough nonconference games. Then we get wins against Jacksonville, Ashley and twice against Croatan, who is still alive in the third round. O ensively, we could have gotten a little better.”

ED went 3-1 without its best all-around player, Kinsey Cave, Ms. Basketball in Duplin for the past two seasons. Her ankle sprain gave Panthers fans stress, though the junior guard has a full bill of health.

As strange as it sounds, it was a rebuilding season for ED. And that statement is a compliment to Lane’s program, which hasn’t always had superstar players like Cave.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#26E000068-300

The undersigned, MICHELE M. THOMPSON, having quali ed on the 24TH DAY of FEBRUARY 2026, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of WILLIAM DWIGHT THOMPSON, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5TH Day of JUNE 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 5TH Day of MARCH 2026.

MICHELE M. THOMPSON, ADMINISTRATOR 4660 E. NC HWY 24 BEULAVILLE, NC 28518

Run dates:M5,12,19,26p

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.

obituaries

Willie Joseph “Joey” Street

Sept. 15, 1955 –Feb. 23, 2026

Willie Joseph “Joey” Street, 70 of Beulaville, NC, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Lower Cape Fear Hospice, surrounded by his loving wife, son & daughter.

Born on September 15, 1955, Joey was a devoted husband, proud father, loving grandfather, son, brother and loyal friend. He was a man of strength, quiet wisdom, and unwavering love for his family. Those who knew him will remember his steady presence, his hardworking spirit, and the deep pride he carried for his children and grandchildren.

Joey is survived by his beloved wife, Debra Waters Street, who stood faithfully by his side. He leaves behind his son, Jeremy Street (Christina), and his daughter, Amanda Blizzard (Josh), who were the

Feb. 16, 1950 – Feb. 25, 2026

Jackie Lanier Sloan, 76, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

She is preceded in death by a

Albert Thomas Swinson

May 11, 1935 – Feb. 22, 2026

Albert Thomas Swinson of Wallace, North Carolina, passed from this earthly life to his eternal rest on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at the age of 90 years old. He was born on May 11, 1935, in Maple Hill, North Carolina, the son of the late Charlie Thomas and Ada Mae Ezzell Swinson. He was also preceded in death by nine siblings.

Albert proudly served in the National Guard and in the US Navy’s Construction Battalions (“CBS”). He loved his country dearly. Surviving to cherish his memory is his best friend and wife of 51 years Cecilia “Peaches” Giambo Swinson; sons, Thomas Roy Swinson and wife Victoria of PA; Ricky Allen Swinson and wife Trichelle of VA and Scott Thomas-Lee Swinson and wife Stacie of Watha; daughters Kerry Mae Swinson and Julie Lee Swinson, both of AL and Amy Teresa DeMott and husband Ted of Wallace. Albert was blessed with nine grandchildren, seven greatgrandchildren, brother Roy Lee

pride of his life. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Jamey Street, JJ Street, Brody Blizzard, Noah Blizzard, Josie Blizzard, and Molly Kate Kennedy. His grandchildren were his greatest joy, and he treasured every moment spent with them.

He is also survived by his loving mother, Paulette Futrell; his brother, Bobby Futrell (Linda); his sisters Debbie Horne, Karen Royall (Steve) and sisters-in-law Marilyn Futrell and Lorraine Street, along with many other special friends and extended family members.

Joey was preceded in death by his father, Delbert Futrell; his brother, Kenny Futrell; and his brother, Randy Street.

His legacy will live on through the love he gave, the values he instilled, and the family he cherished so deeply. He will be profoundly missed.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. at Community Funeral Home of Beulaville.

Funeral service will be held Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Community Funeral Home with interment to follow at Hallsville Baptist Church Cemetery. Services of Love & Compassion have been entrusted to Community Funeral Home of Beulaville, North Carolina.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Community Funeral Home, PO Box 715, Beulaville, NC 28518.

daughter, Joyce Lynn Sloan

The funeral Service is Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC.

A graveside service is Monday, March 2, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Tom Lanier Cemetery at 692 South N.C. 111 Highway in Chinquapin, NC.

She is surviverd by husband Terry Sloan of Chinquapin, NC; daughters Terri Lanier of Chinquapin, NC, and Michele Rivenbark, Pink Hill, NC; brothers: Hilton Lanier (Pauline) and Gerald Lanier (Sue), both of Chinquapin, NC, and Carlton Lanier (Marissa) of Beulaville, NC; grandchildren: Sydney Blue (Chance), Zoe Rivenbark and Mylee Rivenbark.

Swinson of Maple Hill, sister Alma Hemby of Jacksonville, numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends who loved him.

Albert was a devoted husband and caring father, grandfather and brother. He was a simple man who enjoyed simple things in life, but his greatest joy was spending time with his family and friends. Albert was an avid gardener who could grow the prettiest garden around. He took great pride in his cucumbers, tomatoes and other delicious veggies that he grew and shared them with others. Albert loved to barbecue pigs on his pig cooker. He catered many celebrations in his younger years sharing his famous barbeque sauce with his barbequed pigs. He really enjoyed meeting people at these events. Albert never met a stranger and could talk to anyone about anything, but his favorite discussions was politics. He knew what he believed and stood by it. Albert was a loving man who loved others and especially his wife and children. They were his life and he would do anything he could for each of them. Albert will surely be missed but he will never be forgotten.

Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home Chapel.

The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. on Friday, one hour before the service at the funeral home.

Burial will follow the service at Riverview Memorial Park in Watha.

Casket bearers will be Steve Hemby, Tom Swinson, Scott Swinson, Cody Swinson, Dustyn DeMott, Jordan Swinson and Ronald Swinson.

SPONSORED BY

QUINN MCGOWEN FUNERAL HOME

Martha Wilson Jones

Feb. 23, 1931 – Feb. 22, 2026

Martha Wilson Jones passed away peacefully at home in Beulaville, surrounded by family and friends, one day shy of her 95th birthday. Martha was born in Duplin County on February 23, 1931, to the late George Taylor and Inez Pickett Wilson. In addition to her parents, Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Beasley

Evelyn “Polly” Kennedy Quinn

March 15, 1945 –Feb. 23, 2026

Evelyn “Polly” Kennedy Quinn, 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 23, 2026, in The Gardens of Rose Hill.

The funeral service is Friday, February 27, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC.

Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

Interment will be at Sand Hill Cemetery in Potters Hill, NC.

She is survived by many loved nieces and nephews.

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

Murray Jones, and all ve of her siblings: Margaret Batts (Fayette), Annie Mae Matthews (Gordon), Joe Wilson (Dolly), Mary Alice Dail (Gerald) and Johnnie Gray (Pat).

Martha and husband Beasley were the perfect farm couple. She tirelessly worked alongside him in their elds, country store and feed mill in nearby Jones County, NC. She was also a longtime member of Beulaville Baptist Church, loved singing in the choir and was reportedly its oldest living member at the time of her death.

Martha is survived by her two children: Murray Wilson Jones (Louise) and Joseph Timothy Jones (Denise); four grandchildren: Murray Wilson Jones Jr (Anna), Louise Reston Jones Chambers (Ben), Timothy Dock Jones (Chelsea) and Kate Jones Lanier (Paxton); 8 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Serenity Funeral Home, 1100

Annie Lou Turner Smith

Sept. 23, 1942 – Feb. 23, 2026

Annie Lou Turner Smith, age 83, of Wallace, left this earthly life for eternal home in Heaven on Monday, February 23, 2026. She was born on September 23, 1942, in Duplin County and was the daughter of the late Ben and Mary Brock Turner. She was also preceded in death by her son Tommy Hobbs. Annie attended The Church of Pentecostal Gathering as long as her health permitted. She loved the Lord and her church. Surviving are her children, Victor Hobbs of Wallace, Joann

S NC-41 & 111, Beulaville, NC 28518, with Dr. Bartley Wooten o ciating. Visitation will occur at 1 p.m., followed by the funeral at 2 p.m. and burial afterwards in Oak Ridge Memorial Park, 985 NC-11, Pink Hill, NC 28572. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Beulaville Baptist Church, PO Box 394, Beulaville, NC 28518 or the charity of your choice.

The family is especially appreciative of Martha’s local Beulaville friends, including but not limited to Doris Bostic, Katie Miller and JoAnn Cavenaugh, and two very special care-givers Beverly Murphy and Jennifer Roberts. Lastly, an additional thank-you goes to all the wonderful sta at 3HC Home Health & Hospice Care.

The funeral service is Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville with visitation one hour before the service.

Interment will be at Oak Ridge Memorial Park in Pink Hill.

Hunter and husband Greg of

of

and Gloria

include

Allison Surcy and Brandy

great-grandchildren Freddy and Joseph and one great-great-grandson; brother Ben Turner, Jr. numerous nieces, nephews and extended family and friends who loved Annie dearly.

Annie was a loving mother and caring grandmother and sister. She was a simple lady who enjoyed the simple things in life but her greatest joy was her family. She enjoyed shing and planting owers. Annie was a loving person who loved everyone and was loved in return. Most of all, Annie loved the Lord and was a true servant for him. Annie will surely be missed, but treasured memories of her will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew her.

Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home, Wallace Chapel, with her Pastor Rodney Bonham o ciating.

The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.

Je Galloway, who inspired people with run-walk-run method, dead at 80

His strategy made marathons accessible to everyday runners

By Ed White The Associated Press

JEFF GALLOWAY, a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team who for decades inspired elite athletes and countless everyday runners by promoting a run-walk-run strategy, whether in a marathon or just a neighborhood jog, died Wednesday at age 80.

Galloway had a hemorrhagic stroke and died at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, daughter-in-law Carissa Galloway said.

His in uence was evident in the nal days of his life: Throngs of people posted videos online, hoping for Galloway’s recovery from emergency neurosurgery and thanking him for advice that boosted their con dence and took them to race starting lines.

Galloway’s family announced the surgery Feb. 20 and invited the public to express support.

Jim Vance, an elite endurance sports consultant in San Diego, said Galloway was a “pioneer” in getting people to run.

“He removed the barrier to entry, which was mostly mental,” Vance told The Associated Press.

“Running isn’t supposed to be a su er-fest. It should be something peaceful, something enjoyable, so people can enjoy running and not dread it.”

Galloway survived heart fail-

ure in 2021 and was still hoping to complete another marathon after logging more than 230 during his lifetime.

“My mission now, at the age of 80-plus, is to show that people can do things that are normally not done, and can do them safely,” he told The New York Times in December.

Galloway’s run-walk-run method began in 1974 when he agreed to teach a running class through Florida State University, two years after competing in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. He gured it might attract customers to Phidippides, his new store for runners.

“None had done any running for at least ve years. So we started walking with a few one-minute jogs,” Galloway said on his website.

“I spent some time with each group, during the runs, to adjust the frequency of walk breaks so that no one was hu ng and puing — even at the end,” he said. “Walk breaks kept the groups together. Everyone passed the nal exam: nishing either a 5K or a 10K with smiles on their faces.”

Galloway believed walking during a run reduced the risk of injury, conserved energy and kept con dence a oat.

“I’ve been using them ever since,” he said, “continuing to ne-tune the ratios of running to walking based upon pace per mile and individual needs.”

And Galloway even had his own recipe. He walked through every water station during the

1980 Houston marathon and nished with a faster time, 2:16:35, than his previous run-only 26.2mile races, the Times reported.

He shared his running philosophies through books, websites and retreats. Galloway was the o cial training consultant for runDisney, a series of races at Walt Disney Co. resorts, and would be among the runners. Many admirers went online to o er tributes after his recent surgery.

“I never thought I would be a runner. I never thought I’d run a half marathon,” Karen BockLosee of Jacksonville, Florida, said in a video. “I’m 70 years old, and I’ve run several since my 60th birthday when I discovered Galloway running. I just want to say thank you.”

Susan Williams recalled seeing Galloway as she struggled toward the end of a half marathon in Murray, Kentucky, in 2011.

“You passed me, and my butt was cramping,” she said. “You turned around and came back. You talked me through it. It was awesome.”

Bobby McGee, a Colorado-based running coach, said Galloway’s run-walk-run approach made running more accessible to the masses.

“When a group of people in any kind of run — from marathons to fun runs — get together afterwards they talk about their time,” McGee said. “Nobody asks them if they ran the whole thing.” Galloway is survived by two sons and six grandchildren.

COURTESY JAMES SPRUNT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Shannon Hair, left, stands next to Taylor Sandlin, center, and Jimmy Smith holding a check for $2,500 from Four County Electric Membership Corporation.

The annual award recognizes full-time students in co-op service area

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — James Sprunt Community College announced last week that the college received a $2,500 contribution from Four County Electric Membership Corporation to support the Four County EMC curriculum scholarship.

The funding provides ve $500 scholarships, split between the fall and spring semesters, for full-time students enrolled in curriculum programs who live in the co-op’s service area.

“Their investment is truly making a lasting impact on student success,” said Taylor Sandlin, JSCC Foundation director. Shannon Hair, JSCC’s new president, added that Four County EMC’s gift is a testament of commitment to the success of JSCC students.

“Thank you, Jimmy Smith for this long-standing relationship and investment in our JSCC students,” wrote Hair in a social media post.

The scholarships are awarded annually, helping local students pursue their educational goals at James Sprunt Community College.

The application deadline is May 1. For more information call 910-275-6152.

Four County EMC awards $2,500 in scholarships to JSCC Students ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

TOWN OF WALLACE

including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing O ce.

Bonding/Licensing Requirements: Each bid must be accompanied by a certi ed check or a bid bond by an acceptable surety company of not less than ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, made payable to the Owner, The Town of Wallace.

A Performance and a Payment Bond will be required for the successful bidder in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract, payment of all persons supplying labor or furnishing materials, and payment of all liabilities incurred in connection with the work under this contract. North Carolina law requires any contractor bidding on work in the State which costs $30,000.00 or more to show evidence that he is licensed under the “Act to Regulate the Practice of General Contracting.” Bidders shall be properly licensed under Chapter 87, General Statues of North Carolina.

Other Requirements:

O ce on Mondays through Fridays between the

of 8:00

5:00 PM, and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from

O

as

Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing O

during the

indicated above. Bidding Documents are available on compact disc (as portable document format (PDF) les) for a non- refundable charge of $50.00, including shipping via overnight express service. Alternatively, printed Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Issuing O ce either via in-person pick-up or via mail, upon Issuing

Una liated candidate hits signature goal to run for District 2 commissioner

Surrounded by her children, candidate Jessica Thomas submitted her petition Monday ahead of the noon deadline on March 3, turning in 256 signatures — more than the 4% of registered voters required in Duplin County District 2. Her successful submission secures her spot on the November ballot as an una liated candidate for county commissioner.

No consideration will be given any request for Plans and Speci cations within the ve (5) day period immediately prior to the date for receiving bids. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the scheduled closing time for receiving bids.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and any part of a bid and to waive informalities and technicalities in the bidding procedure.

Bids must be submitted on the printed form, or exact copies thereof, contained in the Contract Documents. Bids must be enclosed in a sealed envelope addressed to The Town of Wallace, and plainly marked “Bid, Town of Wallace Sewer System Expansion”. The name, address and license number of the bidder shall be plainly marked on the outside of the envelope. Small, under-utilized, minority, or women-owned businesses are encouraged to submit Bids. All bidders are required to make positive e orts to use small and minority-owned businesses and comply with GS 143-128 and the MBE/WBE goals established by The Town of Wallace. Bidders shall have a veri able ten percent (10%) goal for participation by minority businesses in the total value of work. Bidders shall conform to the speci ed Minority Business Enterprise solicitation procedure as de ned in the Bid Documents. The Town of Wallace is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

Community gathers for Wallace Rotary pancake fundraiser

The Wallace Elementary School cafeteria was full of smiles last Friday evening as the Wallace Rotary Club hosted its annual pancake dinner. Families enjoyed plates of regular and blueberry pancakes with sausage and beverages while raising funds to support the Rotary Club’s many local civic projects.