VOLUME 9 ISSUE 7 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024
DUPLINJOURNAL.COM
Duplin Journal THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
the
BRIEF this week
JSCC’s BLET, Detention Officer Certification Classes get 100% passing rates Kenansville James Sprunt Community College’s night Basic Law Enforcement Training class and day Detention Officer Certification class recently had 100% pass rates on their state exams! “Thank you, Eric Southerland and Brian Bailey, for all the hard work you put into these programs that serve our community in such important ways,” the college stated in a Facebook post.
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Duplin County Schools get $10K from Pilot Company Warsaw Pilot Company, on behalf of the New Horizons renovation project at Pilot Travel Center No. 6696 in Warsaw, recently awarded $10,000 in grant funding to Duplin County Schools. James Kenan High School and Warsaw Elementary School received $5,000 each. James Kenan High School will use the funds to conduct workshops focusing on different STEM subjects such as robotics, coding, 3D printing, cybersecurity, and more. Instructional technology tools like coding platforms, simulation software, or virtual reality will be used to make these sessions interactive and accessible. The school will also invite professionals, educators, and experts from STEM industries who specialize in instructional technology to share their experiences and insights as guest speakers at the school. Warsaw Elementary School will use its funding to purchase virtual reality equipment for their Media Center. The grant request aims to revolutionize the media center into an immersive hub of learning through the integration of virtual reality technology. Through VR technology, students will be transported from passive observers to active participants within educational narratives. The immersive nature of VR cinema promises an unparalleled learning experience, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of various subjects.
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ABBY CAVENAUGH / DUPLIN JOURNAL
All eyes (safely) on 2024 Solar Eclipse Brittany Hall and her daughter Karsyn used a welding helmet to view Monday’s partial solar eclipse in downtown Wallace. At the midpoint of the solar eclipse, about 3:19 p.m., the sun was 78% covered by the moon in Duplin County. Those who didn’t take the time to look at the eclipse through safety glasses probably didn’t notice much of a change outside, save for a few crescent-shaped shadows, though schools did release at noon due to safety concerns. Prior to Monday’s eclipse, the last solar eclipse occurred on Aug. 21, 2017, with the path of totality much closer to southeastern North Carolina.
Draft permit would allow New Beulaville police Lear Corp to discharge chief still on hold PFAS into northeast Cape Fear River The “forever chemicals” are linked to serious health conditions By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal A DRAFT PERMIT issued to Lear Corporation in Kenansville that would allow them to discharge PFAS into the northeast Cape Fear River is raising concerns in Duplin County. “The draft permit said that DEQ, Department of Environmental Quality in North Carolina, was going to allow this company to continue to discharge PFAS into the northeast Cape Fear River,” said Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear River Watch’s Riverkeeper adding that they were shocked the state is allowing them to keep discharging PFAS. “We know people fish downstream of this discharge… We know how bad PFAS are for humans and for the environment, for fish and for anything that they come in contact with.” Burdette initially discovered this a couple years ago while doing a patrol watch on an aircraft. “I was taking photographs of the watershed,” said Burdette, explaining that he saw white foam being discharged in a small stream while flying over Kenansville and thought something didn’t look right. “I asked the pilot to circle
The Beulaville town board held a brief monthly meeting
“They want the company to do their own testing. … Self-reporting is generally not a good way of ensuring this is safe.” Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear River Watch’s Riverkeeper around, and I took a bunch of photos…I looked up what they do and it said they did performance fabrics, and anytime I see the word performance fabrics, I think PFAS, because anytime you want to make something waterproof, or stain resistant, or fire resistant, you add PFAS to it.” Burdette told the Duplin Journal that the next morning he took a water sample and sent it off to a lab. “It came back really high in PFAS and so I reported this to the state… eventually the state issued a notice of violation for them discharging this foam, which they’re not supposed to do.” According to Burdette, eventually after almost a year the state issued a notice of violation to Lear Corp. See PFAS, page 3
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal THE BEULAVILLE Board of Commissioners held a brief monthly meeting on April 1, hearing updates on various projects in town. First up, Nanette Outlaw and Shannon Blizzard addressed the board, seeking guidance for an abandoned house on their property. Town Manager Lori Williams said she is investigating what steps need to be taken and who’s responsible for the property. The owner of the house recently passed so the town is looking into the property rights. The town’s sewer line project is estimated to be completed in about 30-40 days, Williams said. The board learned at the March meeting that Carl Mobley has been hired as the new police chief. He will officially start the job once state paperwork is completed and approved, which Williams said the town is still waiting for. A special meeting and budget workshop was held on March 25, during which the
The board learned at the March meeting that Carl Mobley has been hired as the new police chief. He will officially start the job once state paperwork is completed and approved.
board discussed various aspects of the 2024-25 budget, including the approval of the purchase of new public works equipment. At the April meeting, some old equipment was declared surplus. The town board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on May 6, Williams said. Williams also reported that a town hall renovation project is nearly complete. The elevator will be finished this week, she said, and then appliances will be installed. A newsletter was also distributed to town residents this week, announcing updated policies. The Beulaville town board will next meet on Monday, May 6, at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.
Law enforcement investigates 2 fatalities in Wallace fire Two seniors were found inside the mobile home fire
the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies. The Duplin County Fire Marshal’s Office, Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the cause of the fire.
Duplin Journal Staff TWO PEOPLE were found dead in a mobile home located at 8360 South NC 41 Highway in Wallace. According to Emergency Management officials, the Duplin County 911 Center was notified of a residential structure fire at 5:08 a.m. on April 3. Responding units found the mobile home engulfed in flames as they arrived, and the home showed loss of structural integrity. First responders found two deceased victims inside of the residence as they were performing fire suppression and search-
PHOTO COURTESY OF HARRELLS FIRE DEPARTMENT
Two deceased victims were found inside the Wallace mobile home on April 3. es of the structure. The victims were later identified as James Everett Willis,
71, and Diana Moore Brown, 70. Both victims were transported to the North Carolina Office of
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