Lettuce seedlings of two varieties grow at the James Sprunt Community College smart farm nursery station. They will remain here for three weeks before they can be moved into the cultivation walls. To learn more about the new state-of-the-art technology being used to teach at JSCC turn to Page 3.
Wallace teen faces rst-degree murder charge
Wallace A juvenile charged with the Dec. 15 murder of Anthony Deshaun Murray is now facing rst-degree murder charges as an adult. Jamel Xavier Keith, who was 17 at the time the murder was committed, was transferred from a juvenile facility to Duplin County Jail on Monday following his 18th birthday, Duplin County Sheri Stratton Stokes said. The Wallace Police Department responded to a shots red call at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. When they arrived at the residence at 125 Poplar St., o cers found a male with an apparent gunshot wound, as well as a shell casing on the oor. Murray was later pronounced dead by EMS personnel. Police arrested Keith on Jan. 26 and charged him with murder. He was placed into custody by the Department of Juvenile Justice. “During the arrest process, the juvenile temporarily escaped from custody,” a statement from Wallace PD on Jan. 26 read. “After a brief search, the juvenile was located and taken into custody without further incident.”
The statement continued, “The investigative unit at Wallace PD has done a tremendous job building this case.
Magnolia man pleads guilty to wife’s 2019 murder
Clinton Win eld S. Smith, Jr., 49, of Magnolia, pled guilty last Friday to second- degree murder and felony obstruction of justice in Sampson County Superior Court in connection with the murder of his wife, Barbara Ann Draughon Smith, in February 2019. Smith stated that at the time of the murder, he was convinced he was killing a demon. He was later diagnosed with psychosis due to steroid medications he was prescribed after back surgery. An autopsy showed that Barbara Smith had su ered 66 sharp force injuries, one of which perforated her heart. The murder weapon was a katana samurai sword. Smith received a sentence of 25.6 to 32.5 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge, and 8 to 19 months for the felony obstruction of justice charge.
New Detention Center marks ‘a new era’
A groundbreaking was held on July 22
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — With the ceremonial shoveling of dirt by county o cials, construction is o cially underway on Duplin County’s new detention center. The much-needed center will replace the county’s current overcrowded and outdated jail.
At the start of the groundbreaking ceremony, County Manager Bryan Miller called the new detention center “a new and essential addition to our community.”
The new detention center will allow Duplin County to house inmates not only from this county but will have space for other counties’ inmates as
“It marks the beginning of a new era for our community, one that prioritizes safety, economic growth and the e cient use of public resources.”
Bryan Miller, Duplin County Manager
well. Currently, Sheri Stratton Stokes said, 38 inmates are being housed outside the county, which is not ideal.
“It’s going to be very important for us to be able to keep inmates here,” the sheri said. “Plus … we can actually house inmates from out of county, so
that will be a bene t to taxpayers where we can save money and actually make a pro t so we can o set the cost of running this facility.”
The new detention center will be more than just a building that houses inmates, Miller said. “It’s a symbol of progress, safety and responsible government,” he said. “It underscores our commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that our law enforcement has the resources necessary to maintain order and security.”
Miller pointed out that the construction and operation of the new facility will create jobs and also boost the local economy. “The in ux of construction workers, suppliers and future employees will stimulate business and local merchants,
See DETENTION, page 12
Wallace K-9 locates missing elderly woman
K-9 Viper logs his rst rescue
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
WALLACE POLICE O -
cer Ivan Sanchez and his K-9 partner Viper helped locate an elderly woman who had wandered o from an assisted living facility earlier this month.
On July 7 at about 11:20 p.m., Wallace police were called to Wallace Gardens Assisted Living to help locate a female resident who had walked away from the facility.
“The resident was an elderly female su ering from a cognitive impairment,” a statement from the Wallace PD reads.
“After canvassing the area attempting to locate the resident, o cers on scene requested the Wallace Police K-9 Unit for tracking purposes.”
Once he arrived, Sanchez assessed the situation, used a blanket belonging to the individual as a scent article and deployed K-9 Viper for tracking.
Though it was raining and dark, K-9 Viper was able to locate the missing woman, who Wallace PD said appeared to be injury-free. “The rain makes it more difcult for the dogs, but Viper tracked her down,” Police Chief Jimmy Crayton told the town council at the July 11 meeting.
“He found her so we got her back home.”
Duplin County EMS evaluated the patient and transported her to the local hospital, where she was treated and released.
A
July is National Minority Mental Health Month
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
THERE IS NO DOUBT the pandemic brought a slew of challenges to Duplin County and beyond, and while health professionals saw an increase of people experiencing signs of stress, anxiet, and depression, they also saw a destigmatization of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, according to Glenn Simpson, ECU Health behavioral health system service line administrator.
“I think what COVID allowed us to do is to open up the discussions a little bit more regarding behavioral health care, and that it is OK to seek help,” said Simpson. “That has been a major e ort for those of us in the behavioral health care industry, and it’s because what we do know is that early intervention and prevention is often key to avoiding folks from getting so ill that they need more acute care or intensive services.
“Nationally, the data is still indicating one in ve adults will su er from a diagnosable mental illness this year. But anecdotally, some surveys and some polls have indicated that may have gone up. I think it’s too soon, just as far as data collection goes, to be able to really see if it has signi cantly gone up since COVID.”
In rural areas like Duplin County, a lot of issues can be related to social determinants of health and people taking care of themselves.
“So, folks that are having food insecurities, housing issues, employment issues, etc., are more apt, just kind of in general to become ill and it’s not just with mental illness or substance use,” said Simpson. “It really becomes an access to care. … Obviously, some of them would be getting some level of care, but like nationally, most folks aren’t getting the care that they need.”
According to Simpson, one of the main reasons is the stigma, or acknowledging there is a problem. “So, because we have seen mental illness and substance use be categorized in other ways than health care or diseases, sometimes people don’t want to talk about it.”
However, there has been an improvement according to Simpson, and it has to do with people talking about it more openly in the media, like celebrities for example.
He emphasized that it is important for folks to be aware and be on the lookout for early signs.
See HEALTH, page 5
“He hasn’t found the motherlode of cash or drugs yet, but he’s nding people,” Crayton said of the K-9. $2.00
ABBY CAVENAUGH / DUPLIN JOURNAL Duplin County o cials gathered on Monday morning to break ground on the new detention center. Pictured left to right are: Chief Deputy Phil Humphrey, Assistant County Manager Carrie Shields, Todd Davis with Moseley Architects, County Manager Bryan Miller, Rep. Jimmy Dixon, County Commissioner Wayne Branch, Duplin County Sheri Stratton Stokes, County Commissioner Justin Edwards, and with Daniels and Daniels Construction, Je Daniels, Jeremiah Daniels, Vince White and Pete Corser.
ENA SELLERS / DUPLIN JOURNAL
PHOTO COURTESY WALLACE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Wallace K-9 Viper and his partner, O cer Ivan Sanchez, recently tracked down an elderly woman who had wandered away from Wallace Gardens Assisted Living. The woman was found safe and was not seriously injured.
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Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Duplin County: JULY 25
• Visit the Thelma Dingus Bryant Library located at 409 W. Main St., in Wallace on July 25, at 10 a.m., and join them for a visit from Fresh Start Rescue. For more information, call 910285-3796.
• Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development and Novant Health will host a six-week intensive program to help participants learn how to get control of their diabetes. The program will meet every Thursday at 6 p.m. from July 25 through Aug. 29 at MCCLD Wallace Center414 N. Norwood St., in Wallace. The program will be facilitated by Lisa Robinson and Diane Brown. The event is free. Visit http:// mcleadership.org to register online or call 910-665-1352.
• ‘The Singing Senator,’ a half-hour documentary about former NC Senator Charlie Albertson of Beulaville, will air on PBS North Carolina at 10 p.m. The lm can also be streamed online at video. pbsnc.org or on the PBS App. The PBS App is free and available on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku and more.
JULY 31
JULY 26
• Tracy Byrd is coming to Duplin Events Center on Friday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m., with special guests Eli Winders and Paige King Johnson. Call Duplin Events Center at 910-275-0009 for more information.
JULY 27
• The Cowan Museum will host a Moth Night event on Saturday, July 27, from 8:30-11 p.m. The Moth Night event will include moth observation stations with sta to assist with identi cation, a movie in the schoolhouse, Moth Week sticker, lemonade and cookies, coloring pages and plant giveaways. For more information, visit www.cowanmusuem.org or call 910-296-2149.
• Enjoy a visit from Minnie Mouse at the Thelma Dingus Bryant Library located at 409 W. Main St., in Wallace on July 31, at 10 a.m. For more information, call 910285-3796.
AUG. 2
• The Summer Reading Program presents Down to Earth Aerials on Friday, Aug. 2 at 11 a.m., at the Ed Emory Auditorium, located at 165 Agriculture Drive, Kenansville.
AUG. 3
• BackStreet Festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 208 SW Railroad St., Wallace. Festivities will kick o at 10 a.m. and will feature live music, dance groups, a barbecue cook o , arts and crafts, a bike show and lots of vendors. Visit backstreetfestival. wordpress.com for more information or call 910616-7173.
AUG. 3 & 10
• Wallace Police Department will be hosting a school supply drive at the Wallace Walmart from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supplies needed include notebooks, backpacks, pencils and more. Call 910-285-2126 for more information.
AUG. 13
• Duplin County Faithbased leaders will hold the annual Prayer at the Flagpole on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The event will take place at the Duplin County Schools Board of Education beginning at noon. Everyone is invited to attend as DCS leaders pray for blessings in the upcoming school year.
AUG. 17
• Duplin Coalition for Health will host a Back To School Family Fun Day on Aug. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Charity Mission Center, located at 1333 W. Charity Rd., in Rose Hill. The event will feature free school supplies, backpacks, health services, resources, bouncy houses, and more! Child must be present for school supplies.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@ northstatejournal.com
July 16
• Franklin Snider MelgarMejia, 24, was arrested by the Kenansville Police Department for driving while license revoked not impaired, expired registration card/tag, and operating a vehicle without insurance.
July 17
• Jenifer Gale Nease, 39, was arrested by DCSO for possessing drug paraphernalia and maintaining a vehicle/ dwelling place for controlled substances.
• James Dylan Norris, 29, was arrested by DCSO for resisting a public o cer, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
July 18
• Willie Bernard Kennon, 55, was arrested by DCSO for assault with a deadly weapon.
• Johnathan Ray Surey, 24, was arrested by DCSO for second-degree arson, breaking and entering, and property damage.
July 19
• Michael Anthony Carroll, 44, was arrested by DCSO for misdemeanor escape from local jail, resisting a public o cer, and assault on a government o cial/ employee.
• Edward Wayne Perez, 54, was arrested by DCSO for larceny after breaking and entering, attempted larceny, and possession of stolen goods/property.
July 20
• Brandon Louvonick Philyaw, 38, was arrested by the Warsaw Police Department for possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver cocaine.
July 21
• Christopher Erin Hunt, 31, was arrested by DCSO for assault on a female and misdemeanor probation violation.
July 22
• Marvin Alonsorivera Alvarado, 48, was arrested by DCSO for breaking and entering, communicating threats, and domestic criminal trespass.
• Andrew Donavan Fisher, 38, was arrested by the Beulaville Police Department for driving while license revoked impaired revocation and expired registration card/ tag.
• Brittany Eden Hooks, 33, was arrested by DCSO for possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
• Jamel Xavier Keith, 18, was arrested by DCSO for rstdegree murder.
CRIME LOG
County commissioners OK new ambulance service
Longtime tax o ce employee honored
By Abby Cavenaugh North State Journal
KENANSVILLE — In a rel-
atively brief meeting on July 15, the Duplin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a franchise agreement with StellarMed of Jacksonville to provide nonemergency ambulance service within the county.
Brandon McMahon, the county’s emergency services director, made the request, stating that there are currently two ambulance services in the county, CAST and Elite Medical. “However, they cannot keep up due to sta ng issues,” he said. “This causes the hospital a problem to get patients out.”
StellarMed will only perform nonemergency transports, such as hospital discharges and dialysis appointments in which a stretcher is needed, McMahon said.
The commissioners approved the agreement 4-0, with Commission Chair Dexter Edwards absent from the meeting.
Also at the July 15 meeting, the commissioners honored Kay Nichols, who worked in the tax o ce for nearly 30 years.
“Kay started to work in the tax o ce about Nov. 29, 1994, about the same time I did,” said Tax Administrator Gary Rose, who presented a retirement plaque to Nichols. “She has been there a long time, and we miss her. She mostly worked with real estate transfers and did it her way, which was the right way. She wasn’t afraid if a deed had an error in it to call up the attorney and tell him he made a mistake.”
Commissioner Jesse Dowe
Kay Nichols, who worked with the county tax o ce for almost 30 years, was honored with a retirement plaque from Tax
Administrator Gary Rose, front left, at the county commissioners meeting on July 15. County Commissioners (back, l-r) Jesse Dowe, Justin Edwards, Wayne Branch and Elwood Garner congratulated Nichols on her many years of service to the county.
“It’s such a milestone for someone to bank 30 years with the county, and we thank you for your service.”
Jesse Dowe, County Commissioner
stated that he admired Nichols’ work ethic. “It’s such a milestone for someone to bank 30 years with the county, and we thank you for your service,” he said. Rose added that Nichols had agreed to help the tax o ce with the upcoming revaluation.
In other business at the July 15 meeting, the commissioners:
• Approved the renaming of a road in the 900 block of Old Wilmington Road to Ronald Ann Lane.
• Approved a LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant from the State Library of North Carolina in the amount of $19,402 to create story walks at parks in Kenansville, Warsaw,
Stanford-Duplin ECA has existed for more than 70 years
By Theresa Bowles and Wanda Bell Duplin County Cooperative Extension
IN JUNE, Stanford-Duplin Extension Community Association (ECA) held its annual achievement program. It was a great event led by committee chairperson, Ruby Brinson. Mindful planning, down to the smallest details, included each member participating and being recognized for their contributions. The decorations were beautifully created by member Deborah Holloway. Food was catered by Daniel Pearsall, the brother of our member, Olivia Williams.
This program recognized members for their volunteering and hours contributed, cultural arts contributions, community service, etc. The ladies really came together to have an amazing program.
Betty Carraway presented the president’s re ections. Master of Ceremony was Colleen Newkirk, and greetings were by Family Consumer Sciences Agent Rachel Ezzell. Our keynote speaker was Rev. Dr. Pamela Faison; her topic was “The Content of Your Cup.” Rev. Faison referenced her upbringing and how she became a stronger person and was able
to face today’s obstacles. Duplin County Commissioner Wayne Branch attended, and recognized members for the longest years of service: Ruby Brinson for 48 years and Olivia Williams for 30 years. Colleen Newkirk was recognized as 2023 Club Woman of the Year by Carolyn Lisane. The 2023 Outstanding Fundraiser was Ruby Farrior, recognized by Catherine Lovick. The club was recognized for over 31,000 volunteer hours of community service.
The club announced the recipient of their annual scholarship. The winner of the 2024 scholarship is Shamara Laine Humphrey, a graduate of Wallace-Rose Hill High School in Teachey. Shamara’s parents are Andre Humphrey and Sharon Jarman. Humphrey will be attending James Sprunt Community College in the fall, to work toward an Associate of Arts degree.
All the members were recognized for their work, no matter how great or small. They believe that is what makes an amazing club.
Stanford-Duplin Extension Community Association was organized over 70 years ago.
The purpose of the club was to empower families in the community through continuing education, leadership development and community service. ECA is supported by the Cooperative Extension sta through education and other
resources, and ECA is an integral part of the Cooperative Extension volunteer program.
When the club was organized, the members would meet at each of the other’s homes. An agent would come to their house and demonstrate ways the housewives could help bring money to the household. They were taught to can vegetables from their garden, sell eggs and baked goods by creating their own farmer’s market, so the community could come to purchase their items. They would get together and make beautiful quilts to keep the family warm at night.
Many of the ECA members assisted with senior programs, school programs, assisting the family and consumer science Agent, Rachel Ezzell, and 4-H programs. Members make lap quilts, bibs, wheelchair/walker caddies and dget aprons for Duplin County rest homes. Educational eld trips are a part of ful lling their professional development. Members meet twice weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays for cultural arts activities, which include knitting, sewing, crocheting, and other arts projects. Several of our members took their cultural arts items to the county, district and on to state levels.
If you are interested in becoming involved in ECA, contact Rachel Ezzell, family and consumer sciences agent, at 910-296-2143.
Rose Hill and Faison. The county’s match was $2,307. “These are aluminum stands with acrylic faces where books are separated into sections so the families and children can walk through the area reading books, all the way around the park area,” explained Duplin County Library Director Laura Jones.
• Appointed Commissioner Wayne Branch as the voting delegate and Commissioner Dowe as the alternate for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual conference on Aug. 20.
• Assistant County Manager
Carrie Shields reported that the animal shelter is open one Saturday a month for adoptions, and that adoptions are free for military (retired or active duty) and rst responders with proper identi cation through July 31. Shields also reported that an elected o cials ethics course will be hosted by the town of Magnolia on July 31, 6-9 p.m. Dinner will be served by the Magnolia Fire Department. The event is only required for newly elected or reelected o cials. The county commissioners will next meet on Monday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@duplinjournal.com
Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon
Members of the Stanford-Duplin Extension Community Association gathered for an annual achievement program last month.
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
The worst political decision of our lifetime
The decision of the Biden administration to o er Donald Trump a debate deal that they thought he could not accept is the worst political decision of our lifetimes.
FROM 1776 TO 1783, Thomas Paine used his literary skills to write about The American Crisis. His e orts were to persuade the American people to support the Revolution. One of his most passionate pleas was, “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
That being said, I am going to suggest that the Democrat power brokers recently made the worst political decision of our lifetimes. At the same time I am going to suggest that Donald Trump recently made the best political decision of our lifetimes.
I am also going to suggest that on Saturday, July 13, 2024, we were eyewitnesses to a very observable incident of divine intervention in the American political processes. Even a casual student of American history knows that God has had His eye on America for a long time. Christopher Columbus declared, “I was directed by the Holy Ghost” during his journey.
Theodore Roosevelt supposedly said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing to do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
The decision of the Biden administration to o er Donald Trump a debate deal that they thought he could
not accept is the worst political decision of our lifetimes. Trump’s decision to unconditionally accept that debate o er is the best political decision of our lifetimes.
Because Trump chose to stand up in “the times that try men’s souls,” we now know how deceitful the Washington power brokers really operate. We now know why they only allowed the president of the United States of America to address the nation from the Oval O ce two times in 31⁄2 years.
The Biden folks did not want to put President Biden on the debate stage with Trump. For 31⁄2 years, they violated Roosevelt’s warning and in moments of critical decisions they did nothing. Biden was not allowed to make public appearances addressing critical issues. They could not trust him to stay on script.
They kept him hidden. They took unfair advantage of his frail cognitive condition. His wife and family knowingly abused his feeble mental capacities. Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Merrick Garland, Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas, Pete Buttigieg, Kimberly Cheatle, Kamala Harris and the biased media all quietly hovered over him. They were waiting, with bated breath, for the opportunity to continue destroying America from behind the scenes.
Hey folks, think about who these people are! The entire group of the highest level of appointed bureaucrats.
Go ahead, support public school
Do you remember the excitement of getting new notebooks, pens and pencils at the beginning of the school year? Imagine how you would have felt if your family couldn’t a ord those items.
ON JULY 11, the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA) released a one-minute video called “Public Education Does the Public Good.” (youtube.com/@ ncschoolboards) The animated video highlights the bene ts of public school with a catchy song. The chorus says, “Go ahead, support public school.” The NCSBA website (publiceducationmatters.org/) reminds us that “no matter what type of education makes sense for your family, thriving public schools lift us all” and encourages us to “spread the word around to help change the conversation about public schools.”
Here are some good suggestions from the NCSBA about how to support public school: send your kids to public school; volunteer your time; vote for candidates who support public education; support a school fundraiser; see a school play; and go to a school sports event. I will add one more suggestion to that list: donate much-needed school supplies for the 2024-25 school year. Do you remember the excitement of getting new notebooks, pens and pencils at the beginning of the school year?
Imagine how you would have felt if your family couldn’t a ord those items. Imagine how teachers must feel when they don’t have adequate supplies for their classrooms. It is estimated that North Carolina school teachers spend between $500 to $750 out of pocket for school supplies annually.
On July 15, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the annual Governor’s School Supply Drive, which runs from July 15 through Aug. 19. This is a perfect opportunity to support public school. Donation bins will be located in all SECU o ces across the state. According to the governor’s press release, “At the conclusion of the drive, volunteers with Communities in Schools of North Carolina, the North Carolina PTA, VolunteerNC, the Boys and Girls Club of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Public Charter Schools, and Governor Cooper’s cabinet members will help distribute the supplies to public school classrooms across the state.” You can also check the Duplin County Schools website (duplinschools.net) to nd helpful information about needed school supplies for speci c grades in
The movers and shakers of everything a ecting our daily lives, including our safety and national security. They were intentionally mute about President Biden’s condition. They stopped at nothing to keep us in the dark.
Truly the lust for power is powerful! Their mantra to us ignorant, deplorable patriots was don’t believe what you see and hear. Their strategy steadily progressed to the point of total embarrassment even for the biased, ultra-liberal media. But, all yellow brick roads end somewhere.
With that debate decision they snatched defeat right out of the jaws of potential victory. With the decision to accept the unacceptable, Donald Trump became a modern day George Washington. By divine inspiration Trump, like Washington, did not retreat. In the face of the Biden Lawfare attempts in kangaroo courts he did not waver. He resisted all opportunities to play defense; he stayed the course and attacked by accepting their unacceptable o er to debate. He joyfully went into the lion’s den set up by CNN.
We, the people, now know that God has reached forth His hand and preserved “he that stands it now” and Donald Trump “deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
Jimmy Dixon (R-NC04) represents Duplin and Wayne counties in the N.C. House of Representatives.
our schools. Don’t forget to check our county newspapers and social media for information about local school supply drives.
For example, the Wallace Police Department is sponsoring a drive at the Wallace Walmart on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many churches, civic clubs and neighborhood associations hold school supply drives in July and August. Of course, you can always organize your own school supply drive in your workplace, neighborhood, church or club. My wife and I recently donated a new paper cutter to help a recent college graduate stock her classroom as she begins her teaching career. We hope such a practical contribution will enhance her teaching and the learning experiences of her students. Purchasing and dropping o some school supplies may not seem like much, but it’s an important way to invest in public education in Duplin County. So, go ahead, support public school!
Philip Gladden lives in Wallace. He can be reached at gladdenphilip620@gmail.com.
COLUMN | PHILIP GLADDEN
COLUMN | JIMMY DIXON
accolades
Harrells Christian Academy Head of School List
3rd grade
Gunner Arce, Emma Bailey, Brooks Beasley, Bella Cavenaugh, Abigail Dagerhardt, Wyatt Dagerhardt, Dustin Hardison, Tessa Hodge, Allie Parrish Johnson, Trevor Langston, Taylin Lyon, Nell Miller, Owen Norris, Jake Parker, James Robinson, Harbor Sholar, Annie Marie Starling, Will Starling, Harper Strickland, Herring Williams, and Axel Vilchis Bautista
4th grade
Isla Blanton, Sinia Colville, John-Ward Farrior, Kate Hall, Paxton Henderson, Johnson Ivey, Pearson Johnson, Livie Martin, Charleigh Anna Naylor, and Piper Thompson
5th grade
Jackson Beasley, Britton Blanchard, Aubrey Edwards, Aaron Garcia, Brooklyn Frederick, Leah Gonzalez Chavero, Kaleb Funes, Hadley Grace Lassiter, Landon Norris, Emory Landen Patram, Savannah Phillips, Will Rivenbark, Anna Belle Smith, Annell Grace Starling, Taylor Stranz, Annabelle Thompson, and Mary Thomas Williams
HEALTH from page 1
Care is available, although it may not always be easily accessible in rural areas due to distances that may require transportation.
According to the CDC some ethnic minority groups face more challenges getting mental health care. Some of the reasons listed are not having adequate health insurance coverage, language barriers, cost, di culty nding providers from one’s ethnic group, and implicit bias.
“It’s because of what it is, many people hesitate or don’t end up getting the help that they need until it’s in a crisis mode,” Simpson told Duplin Journal, adding that as with any health-related condition, it is better to get care sooner rather than later.
“The other thing about mental health and substance use is that it is not socioeconomic speci c. So even though I mentioned social determinants of health play a large factor in that, anybody is susceptible to having a mental illness. What we do know is oftentimes the rst signs are in teens and or early 20s. And that is both for substance use and mental illnesses.”
What kind of warning signs should people look for?
“Basically, a change. A change in mood, a change in behaviors, a change in sleep
6th grade
Anne Carlyle Brown, Ivey Brown, Emily Campbell, Hayes Clifton, Kendall Haney, Sarah-John Jackson, Emmie Marlowe, Savannah Matthews, Alexander Morkos, Marshall Rumbold, Henry Stevens, Savannah Kate Stevens, and Allie Tanner
7th grade
Fisher Blanton, Kayleigh Bowen, Brooklyn Bryan, GaryAnna DeVane, Ellis Dunn, Avery Hall, Kenzie Tate Jackson, Caroline Owens, Breelyn Peed, Wyatt Price, Scarlett Robinson, Lilly Kate Rogers, Reid Smith, Parker Thompson, Anna Williams, and Elizabeth Woolverton
8th grade
Sarah Gray Bryan, Caven Chambers, Riley Maddox Falatovich, Brantley Frederick, Addison Haney, Eve Bradlee Hardison, Nathan Hardison, Patrick Hardison, Blakely Herron, Davis Rogers, Trace Thompson, and Luke Weeks
patterns, a change in eating habits, somebody who doesn’t seem themselves — like they used to be, and that being pervasive for more than just a few days. So usually, you know, we think of at least two weeks. And there could be a physical health issue going on.”
Simpson explained that across the industry the healthcare sector is constantly looking for ways to provide folks with improved access to care.
He recommended that a person experiencing symptoms contact their primary care physician as a starting point.
“If somebody doesn’t know who to call or they don’t have primary care, there’s a national hotline called 988, which is a suicide and crisis line that is available across the nation, including North Carolina and anybody can call there and can be anonymous and just explain what’s going on. And that’s either about the person themselves, or maybe they are calling about a loved one, a co-worker or somebody that they care about.”
Simpson shared that oftentimes hospitals, especially emergency departments, are the safety net, for all kinds of healthcare conditions with behavioral health and substance use, not being any di erent than that.
“So, what we do in those facilities is provide assessment and make a determination on next steps if treatment is indicated.
9th grade
Gracie Brice, Wilson Clifton, Elizabeth Edwards, Rebecca Jackson, Ella Lynch, Piper Nelson, Trey Owens, Will Owens, Rivers Robinson, Noah Tanner, andJesus Vilchiz Bautista
Rebekah Bryan, Regan Cannon, Riley Cannon, Eli Hardison, Linsey Peterson, McKenzie Peterson, Grant Swanson, Olivia Matthews, Chesley Grace Osik, and Katie Whitman
12th grade
Evan Boussias, Chris Licona Rodriquez, Addie Long, Piper Moore, Georgia Pope, and Savannah Tatum
“What we do know is that early intervention and prevention is often key to avoiding folks from getting so ill that they need more acute care or intensive services.”
Glenn Simpson, ECU Health behavioral health system service line administrator
… In the smaller communities, an in ux of folks coming to the ED can be a little overwhelming at that point in time, but all of the facilities have mechanisms in place to at least assess and work on the next steps if somebody ends up in the emergency department with some related issue to behavioral health or substance use.”
“The mobile crisis teams throughout the state work very closely with local government o cials, managed care organizations, and they are available to go out in the community… People don’t realize that a mobile crisis is an option, “ said Simpson.
“One of the things that we’re doing at ECU Health to assist with that is we are building a state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital, 144 beds, planned to open in Greenville summer of 2025, so a little bit more than a year away, and this will increase our inpatient psychiatric bed capacity in our region to more than what we have today. That doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s all that is needed,
but it is a great step in the right direction for those people that need inpatient level of care, and what I will tell you is that even though we’ve seen, you know, I’ve mentioned one in ve folks have a diagnosable mental illness in any given year, adults, the majority of folks do not need hospitalization. That’s the good news.”
“Hospitalization is for somebody often that has a serious mental illness, and from a population standpoint that’s usually a fairly small percentage, or somebody that’s had some sort of life event, some tragedy in their life, and, you know, becomes very depressed or something like that, or in some cases related to substance use where somebody needs some services to help get o the drug or get detox and that kind of thing.”
“Sometimes those people that are su ering with an illness or substance use issue aren’t going to just reach out on their own,” said Simpson, adding that calling a local primary care provider, or 988 will put you in the right direction.
New businesses recorded by Duplin County Register of Deeds Duplin County The Duplin County Register of Deeds reported that the following business names and persons or entities engaging in business were recorded for the month ending June 30, 2024: Red Door Canines — Shelley Schwitzerlett; Family Farms — Johnnie D. Barwick; AHL Cleaning Services — Ruth C. Nantos Lopez; Charlene D’s Beauty Inside and Out — Charlena D. Lindsay; Crystal Coast Musicians — Barbara Anne Salter Shipp; Blend Construction — Kimmie Morton Raynor; Chickgirls Ultrasound & Boutique — Lynette Mills Smith; Mount Olive Motor Company — Hiram D. Grady.
JSCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design Associate Degree program ranked No. 1
Kenansville
James Sprunt Community College was named the “No. 1 Advertising & Graphic Design Associate Degree in North Carolina” by TechGuide’s 2024 Bestof-Program Ranking.
“As the lead instructor of Advertising and Graphic Design, I take pride in the program I have been honored to be a part of since 2008,” said lead instructor Amber Dail. “The courses o ered in the program provide a practical, hands-on learning experience for each student. I have strategically planned and organized each course to cover every type of realworld design job scenario. Students need to know how to navigate every type of situation.” For more information about JSCC’s Graphic Design and other programs, contact Emily Smith, College Recruiter, at ebsmith@jamessprunt.edu or 910-275-6170
Detention O cer Certi cation Course has 100% pass rate Kenansville
James Sprunt Community College’s recent Detention O cer Certi cation Course achieved another 100% pass rate on the state exam. The summer course consists of 41⁄2 weeks or 185 hours of training plus the nal exam. The mandatory training is required of anyone currently employed at the Sheri ’s O ce who assists in a position involving the care, custody, transportation or control of an inmate.
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All A’s – 4th nine week grading period
JSCC’s smart farm brings ag education to new heights
The state-of-the-art hydroponic system provides an equivalent land yield of about 2 acres
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Growing up on a farm instilled a natural born passion for agriculture in Katlyn R. Foy, agricultural instructor and smart farm manager at James Sprunt Community College.
The Beulaville native received her bachelor’s in agricultural education from NC State, graduating with a minor in agronomy. She has a master’s degree in agriculture and extension education, and in the fall, she plans to attend a doctoral program.
Foy moved back home after teaching agriculture education at NC State for two years and was then o ered a job teaching at JSCC. The rest is history.
Foy taught the rst hydroponics class at the smart farm, which is housed at West Park Industrial Park in Warsaw, last June. This was the rst of a future series that will be part of a certi cate program. Students learned about system operations, seeding, transplanting, harvesting, crop trials, yield analysis, sensor calibration and mixing plant nutrients, among other topics.
According to Foy, the rst class was an overview of everything an operator would need to know to run a hydroponic system. The next classes will break down more speci cally for each category.
“The second class will be all about seeding, what goes into that,” she said. “The next one will be cultivating — what goes into that upkeep-wise, maintenance-wise, data collection, things like that. Then it will be harvest and we will go into the last class, which is all about marketing and pro tability. So, if you want a hydroponics farm of your own, you know what you need to do to make that happen.”
According to Foy, the smart farm rst harvest produced around 200 pounds of lettuce. Approximately 20 pounds went to Sparty’s Cafe, 60 pounds to Charity Rebuild, 20 pounds to DNA Youth Community Center, 20 pounds were used at the N.C. Blueberry Festival, and 50 pounds was distributed among JSCC’s sta and students. Foy also shared that Sparty’s Cafe
will be using lettuce from the smart farm to make lettuce wraps at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, planned for July 29.
“We’re going to try to work with the family consumer science teachers at all the high schools to provide them with stu for their cooking classes … that way they don’t have to outsource the produce. Another thing that we’re going to try to do is bus in bags in the school systems, kind of like a food pantry in a way, so the students can take bags home on the weekends,” said Foy, adding that any produce leftover will be distributed among the food pantries, churches and other charity organizations in the area.
“Our biggest goal is to keep it local, to try to help, give back to the community and bene t Duplin County,” said Foy.
Currently, Foy and her students are growing collards, mustard greens, cabbage, oakleaf lettuce, kale, Swiss chard and nasturtium at the smart farm.
Foy told Duplin Journal another of her main goals is to have zero waste.
“We’ve tried to incorporate the hydroponic smart farm into all the ag classes that we have on campus, even the animal side of things. … We’re going to end up trying to make feed from the leftovers that we have out here,” said Foy. “There’s going to be no waste from it.”
Foy shared that the seedlings that are not big enough to make it into the cultivation wall will be distributed around campus and be put to bene cial use in other classes like sustainable ag, soil and plant sciences. “Those seedlings will go to use for the students,” said Foy.
The cutting-edge technology of the hydroponic container enables students to grow organic produce with soluble nutrients in a climate-controlled environment snd can produce an equivalent land yield of 2 to 4 acres annually using an average of ve gallons of water daily.
Foy has been documenting the plant’s growth with timelapse photos. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Foy, explaining that from about day three to day six the seedlings had transformed into an actual plant.
She explained that most hydroponic systems, as opposed to the one they have, are at oating bed systems where the plants sit in the beds and
the water runs through.
“These are vertical. So this is vertical hydroponics farming, which is two things at the same time,” said Foy with excitement, adding that the long rows that go up and down, take less space.
“You can also t more into it, which is kind of mind blowing.
But it pretty much brings vertical gardening and hydroponics together, which is such a crazy concept.”
Foy shared that the smart farm also cuts down water waste, adding that everything is recirculated.
“The tanks self-sustain,” she
“Our biggest goal is to keep it local, to try to help, give back to the community and bene t Duplin County.”
said, “and once the tanks ll, the nursery tanks will ll and then once the plants take up whatever it needs, it’ll ush back out into the tank and then also when they’re in the cultivation walls, the water literally just recirculates in the whole farm. So, there’s pretty much no waste.
“When they say smart farm, it is really a smart farm. You can control it from anywhere that you have a Wi-Fi connection. I can see, at all times, what’s running in there. It will tell me if the lights are on, or a pump is running. ... I have constant access to it. So if I am in a di erent state and I need to make a change, I can. I think that is the coolest thing.”
Built in a 320-square-foot freight container, the smart farm is the rst of its kind in Duplin County and is the product of a partnership between the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Four County Electric Membership Corporation, North Carolina Electric Cooperatives, Duplin County and JSCC.
ENA SELLERS / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Katlyn R. Foy, James Sprunt Community College agricultural instructor and smart farm manager, provides a preview of the software used to control the smart farm’s hydroponic system.
PHOTO COURTESY KATLYN R. FOY
Sen. Brent Jackson recently visited the James Sprunt Community College Smart Farm at West Park Industrial Park in Warsaw.
Katlyn R. Foy, agricultural instructor and smart farm manager at James Sprunt Community College
PHOTO COURTESY KATLYN R. FOY
The rst batches of green and red butterhead lettuce seedlings bask in the smart farm nursery station, under special LED lights that provide them with the necessary nutrients to grow. The seedlings will remain in the nursery station for three weeks before they are moved to the cultivation walls.
DUPLIN SPORTS
COLUMN MICHAEL JAENICKE
Three Duplin coaches close to reaching 200-win milestone
WHILE LAST week was a dead period for football, coaches work and attend to gridiron matters for 12 months.
With apologies to teachers and a few others on campus, the workload is unbelievable and more involved than any school employee.
Two other major points: They can burn out quite often and they don’t get paid enough, especially in this state, where supplements range from $2,000-$4,000.
And a lot goes on from the last snap of a season to the rst of the next campaign.
ED’s Battle Holley, WRH’s Kevin Motsinger and ND’s Hugh Martin have combined to go 452-250 as each pursues win No. 200.
When the end-of-school bell sounds, it signals the start of football, not that coaches weren’t doing that throughout the year.
With all this in mind, I’d like to venture into an uno cial report card of football coaches, looking at their record through the years, even though many prefer to view them through the microscope of how they in uenced players.
For starters, any coach who manages to win 100 games should receive a Stanley Cup lled with $100 bills.
It’s a hard task to accomplish for a number or reasons.
Three Duplin County coaches have reached that plateau — East Duplin’s Battle Holley, Wallace-Rose Hill’s Thell Overman and Kevin Motsinger, and North Duplin’s Hugh Martin.
Forty-nine active coaches and 48 inactive coaches in N.C. have logged 100 wins. That’s 97 leaders of our youth in the 102 years since the 1913 forming of the N.C. High School Athletic Association.
So the 100 club is a unique coaching fraternity.
The 200-victory club is even more imposing, as just six current and 62 inactive coaches are on that list.
Local coaches among them are led by Wallace High/Wallace-Rose Hill mentor Overman, who had a combined record there over 30 years (1946-75) of 228-80-13 (won-lost-tied). His career prep mark is 266-86-14, counting four pre-World War II years at Warrenton High (36-6-1).
Joining Overman in this century have been East Duplin’s Brian Aldridge at 251-95-1, counting four years at Whiteville, plus WRH’s Joey Price (258-57), Clinton’s Bob Lewis (334-153) and Southwest Onslow’s Phil Padgett (295-69).
300 and beyond
Only 12 coaches in N.C. have 300 or more wins.
See JAENICKE, page 10
Coaching peers honor Jenkins with ticket to Hall of Fame
The coach’s resume earned him spot in NC Softball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
BEULAVILLE — Greg Jenkins
was surprised as a boy whose parents let him open presents under the tree on Christmas Eve last week at the NCHSAA’s annual awards presentation ceremony.
He had no idea the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association clinic in Greensboro was about to grant him a Hall of Fame plaque.
“Everyone else seemed to know, my
wife (Dena), Battle (Holley, football coach and AD), my assistant coaches and you guys (the press),” Jenkins said. “Everybody but me. As they kept reading, I started thinking, ‘Hey, that happened to me. So did that. It took awhile, but I got it. But yeah, I felt like the last one to know.”
Others have long since known Jenkins as the founding father of softball at East Duplin and for that matter Duplin County as he is by far the longest-tenured and winningest coach.
ED is the only place he’s coached en route to a 349-162 record in 23 seasons.
“It’s an honor that I wasn’t expecting,” said Jenkins, who was hired as the softball coach by Panthers leg-
endary coach and then-AD Jerry Hunter.
“Judy (Hunter’s wife) got a hold of me to tell me this made her heart smile,” Jenkins said, “that made my heart smile.”
Here are a few bullet points on Jenkins’ career.
• He has a 68.3 career winning percentage.
• His rst team in 2002 went 21-3.
• The next season ED was the 2A runner-up.
• He got his 100th win in seven seasons (2002-08).
• After that ED averaged 15 wins from 2008 to 2015.
JENKINS, page 10
QB Simco key card as Wildcats chase Coastal Conference title
The third-year starter is the driving force behind Richlands’ o ensive attack
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
RICHLANDS — Football is a team sport with the e ciency of a team measured by strength of 11 individual links, each equally important as the next.
At least two players touch the ball on every snap. Yet at Richlands there is little worry about the connections on either of
its lines. The Wildcats are transitioning new running backs, but that hardly seems like a major weakness given precamp reports. That leaves one position as the keyholder: quarterback Caleb Simco, Richlands’ triggerman and decision maker has his sights on winning an outright Coastal 3A Conference title, after going 8-2 in league play the previous two seasons.
With Simco under center, the Wildcats have made consecutive postseason appearances, and head coach Pat Byrd is hoping to send o a senior class with a banner.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Simco has been with the program when things were not so glorious, such as 2021 when Richlands went 0-8 in its postCOVID season.
“The biggest thing I can say about Caleb is he’s a competitor,” Byrd said. “Football, baseball, any and everything he does he gives it his all. He’s our leader and ran this o ense in the eighth grade.” Simco was a starter and key contributor in 2022 when Richlands beat rival Southwest Onslow 7-6, for its
See SIMCA, page
MICHAEL JAENICKED / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Greg Jenkins and daughter Carley Grace celebrate a win. She graduated in June. Son Ty was a key baseball player for the 2019 Panthers team. His wife Dena is a media specialist.
See
ACC kicks o 17-team league with familiar favorites
Clemson and FSU look like top teams, but newcomers Cal, Stanford and SMU mix things up
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
RALEIGH — Seventeen teams in the ACC?
While it was hard for most longtime ACC fans to accept the likes of Boston College, Pitt, Louisville and Syracuse, three more entries make it a mind-boggling conference with 17 teams.
New members California, Southern Methodist and Stanford are now long road trips and possible roadblocks to the top of the league, though possibly not this season.
Florida State won the league and a national title last season and will once again be a favorite. As will Clemson. The two schools have 12 league championships in the past 14 seasons.
FSU and Georgia Tech open the season on Aug. 24 with a game in Dublin, Ireland.
Here’s a capsule look at all 17 schools.
Florida State
The Seminoles went unbeaten in ACC play last season and obtained former Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei to run its o ense.
FSU lost 12 players to the NFL Draft yet still enter as the top dog.
A repeat performance of 2023 is asking a lot, but coach Mike Norvell and the fan base expect another big season. That’s realistic because of the culture and talent in Tallahassee.
Clemson
The Tigers’ defense is superb, and it will give its o ense numerous chances for a team that has won at least 10 games in the past 12 seasons. While Clemson went 9-4 last season, its record was lled with numerous close losses.
Look for an improved offense for coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers, who have won seven ACC championships in the previous 12 seasons.
Miami
There’s tons of talent on the Hurricanes’ roster, but that always seems to be the case.
Ironically, Miami added a pair of West Coast players to supplement its roster in quarterback Cam Ward (Washington State) and running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State).
NC State
Is this the season the Wolfpack break through and become a national contender? A lot of its success will rest on quarterback transfer Grayson McCall.
Dave Doeren has made the Wolfpack into a model of consistency, while others rise and fall. NC State has made a bowl appearance nine of the past 10 seasons.
NCSU is building and perhaps will bene t the most by new schools added to the league. The Wolfpack has depth.
The Wolfpack have preACC matchups against Western Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois and Tennessee. They will not play FSU or Miami and have games against Stanford and Cal.
Fingers are crossed in Raleigh, though great things could be in the making.
UNC Mack Brown has guided UNC to ve bowl games in ve seasons. Yet the Tar Heels have a penchant for tripping over their own feet late in seasons.
UNC can’t replace quarterback Drake May, who should have a good NFL career.
Even so, look for the Tar Heels to go to a running attack more against one of the more favorable schedules in the ACC.
His replacement is Max Johnson, who played two seasons at Texas A&M. He threw for nearly 6,000 yards and had 47 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Junior RB Omari-
WOLFPACK ATHLETICS
Dave Doren has led NC State to nine bowl appearances in the last 10 seasons.
ACC COACH’S POLL
1. Clemson
State
UNC ATHLETICS
UNC’s Mack Brown has a career record of 282-149 -1 in 34 seasons but has posted a 6-7 mark against rival NC State, including three straight losses.
ALL-ACC PRESEASON
WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS
Dave Clawson hopes to return Wake Forest to a bowl game. The Demon Deacons missed out last season but went to a bowl game the previous seven seasons.
College Football News’ all-ACC preseason football players are as follows:
First Team O ense
QB Cam Ward, Sr., Miami
RB Omarion Hampton, Jr., UNC
RB Jaydn Ott, Jr., Cal
WR Elic Ayomanor, So., Stanford
WR Xavier Restrepo, Sr., Miami
TE Oronde Gadsden II, Jr., Syracuse
Virginia Tech
Boston College
Georgia Tech
Syracuse
on Hampton should have a solid season and ll in some of the gaps. Finding solutions on defense won’t come as easy at the leaky Tar Heels defense.
UNC faces Charlotte, NC Central, James Madison and Minnesota in early games. It does not meet Clemson or any of the newly added schools. It will have to handle traditional rivalries — NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia — to have a shot at a bowl game.
Duke
The Blue Devils face a brutal schedule, particularly against the best ACC schools. This will make it di cult for rst-year coach Manny Diaz as he tries to rebuild the o ensive line. But can it ever be on par with the progress of the Duke defense, which looks experienced and solid on paper?
Texas quarterback transfer Maalik Murphy, a sophomore, is tall and throws accurately, even when he was beside Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers.
Running back Jaquez Moore should do well as a replacement after NC State got Jordan Waters in the transfer portal.
Duke’s defense allowed just 19 points per game last season.
Wake Forest
The Deacon Demons had a fall-back season in 2023 (4-8), ending a seven-season string of bowl appearances. The silver lining is that three of their losses came by ve points or less.
It was coach Dave Clawson’s second-worst season since he started in Winston-Salem in 2014.
The transfer portal has taken many skill players from Wake Forest, and the O-line has just one proven starter, junior DeVonte Gordon. He will team with junior Erik Russell, a 6-foot-9, 310-pound junior, to make the foundation for Hank Bachmeier, a transfer from Boise State, who has been e ective but frequently injured during his career.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies bring back a roster lled with experience and will be solid on o ense and defense. The development of quarterback Kyron Drones, who went 6-3 over his last nine starts, is the key to success.
OT Anthony Belton, Sr., NC State
OG Michael Gonzalez, Sr., Louisville
C Maurice Smith, Sr., FSU
OG Willie Lampkin, Jr., UNC
OT Blake Miller, Jr., Clemson
First Team Defense
EDGE/DE Ashton Gillotte, Sr., Louisville
DT Cam Horsley, Sr., Boston College
DT Desmond Tell, Sr., Louisville
EDGE/DE Patrick Payton, Jr., FSU
LB Barrett Carter, Sr., Clemson
LB Francisco Mauigoa, Sr., Miami
LB Marlowe Wax, Sr., Syracuse
CB Dorian Strong, Sr., Virginia Tech
S Donovan McMillon, Sr., Pitt
Virginia Tech went 7-6 last season and beat Tulane in the Liberty Bowl, its rst bowl win since 2016.
Expectations are high in Blacksburg as the Hokies did what most college programs cannot do: Hold onto its players in a transfer portal era.
Louisville
The Cardinals cleaned up with quality players from the transfer portal but could struggle returning to the ACC title game.
Louisville’s o ense will be good, but its defense will have to grow up improve dramatically if it is to contend for a title.
The o ense will be led by seventh-year quarterback Tyler Slough, a transfer from Texas. Chris Bell, Ja’Corey Brooks and Caullin Lacy will be speedy targets who can run for extra yardage after making a catch.
SMU
The Mustangs won the AAC last season and return quarterback Preston Stone.
But SMU learns that letter arrangements mean something, and the ACC is clearly not the AAC.
SMU was more like a good mid-major team last season than a team that could make a run at an ACC title.
Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets had perhaps the most di cult schedule of any ACC school last season.
Tech has a good o ense but a defense that may not be able to stop running water from a faucet.
Quarterback Haynes King will have to have an all-ACCtype season for the Yellow Jackets to overcome nine teams on the schedule that made bowl appearances last season.
Cal
A West Coast team with a running game that will scare opponents?
S Jonas Sanker, Sr., Virginia
CB Aydan White, CB Sr., NC State
Second Team O ense
QB Tyler Shough, Sr., Louisville
RB Phil Mafah, Sr., Clemson
RB Damien Martinez, Jr., Miami
WR Kevin Concepcion, So., NC State
WR Caullin Lacy, Sr., Louisville
TE Bryson Nesbit, Sr., UNC
OT Jalen Rivers, Jr., Miami
OG Joe Fusile, Jr., Georgia Tech
C Justin Osborne, Sr., SMU
OG Timothy McKay, Sr., NC State
OT Darius Washington, Sr., FSU
Second Team Defense
EDGE/DE Jasheen Davis, Sr., Wake Forest
DT Zeek Biggers, Sr., Georgia Tech
DT Kevin Pointer, Sr., Wake Forest
EDGE/DE Kaimon Rucker, Sr., UNC
LB Power Echols, Sr., UNC
LB Tre Freeman, Jr,. Duke
CB Fentrell Cypress, Sr., FSU
S LaMiles Brooks, Sr., Georgia Tech
S Shyheim Brown, Jr., FSU
S Craig Woodson, Sr., Cal
CB Alijah Huzzie, Sr., UNC
Perhaps if Jaydn Ott shows his true colors against an upgraded schedule. He might have to channel energy and strength from mascot Oski the Bear to wear down the Seminoles, Hurricanes and Wolfpack late in the season.
Yet Cal is a veteran team, though its coach, Justin Wilcox (36-43), has only three bowl appearances and no seasons with a .500 record in conference play.
Ott is channeling his way into the NFL Draft via the ACC.
Syracuse
The Orangemen are better than 2023. But is that good enough?
Fran Brown’s rst season in upstate New York might be better than the subpar past because of Kyle McCord, a former Ohio State quarterback, who will throw to a good crop of wide receivers and tight end Orondes Gadsden II and running back LeQuint Allen in the ats.
Brown was an assistant at Georgia with a reputation of being a top recruiter.
He’ll need to do more than put good players on the eld to make a push to the top of the standings.
Pitt
The Panthers were unusually bad at the end of last season, getting plastered in at least six games of their nal nine games.
O ensive coordinator Kade Bell’s arrival from Western Carolina didn’t thrill alumni, though he has a track record of o ensive success in his back pocket. Bell will be tasked with turning around a struggling o ense, but the Panthers lost seven of their nine games last season by double digits.
Boston College
The development of quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a UCF transfer, is a top priority for head coach Bill O’Brien.
But the Eagles’ defense is also rebooting.
Wide receivers Lewis Bond, Jaedn Skeete and Jerand Bradley, a Texas transfer, and tight end Kamari Morales, a UNC transfer, will be his targets.
A bad defense, getting transformed under former Packers defensive coordinator Je Haey, is in the hands of O’Brien, who is seeking to return toughness to the defense.
Virginia
Cavaliers coach Tony Elliot might nd the going tough since the Cavaliers have one of the roughest schedules in the nation.
Last season, Virginia lost four games by three points and another by two by ve points. The Cavaliers have o ensive re power in the passing game, but a defense that wilts under pressure. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has no fear, even after losing the school’s single-season receiving record en route to the NFL. Wide receivers Andre Greene Jr. (UNC) and Chris Tyree (Norte Dame) enter the picture to complement JR Wilson and Malachi Fields. The Cavs were fourth in the ACC in passing game, but their running game was dead last.
Stanford
Second-year coach Troy Taylor has Stanford in a rebuilding mode.
This might not be the season the Cardinal awaken, but the arrival of top recruit Elijah Brown to play quarterback has opened eyes. It will be signal caller Ashton Daniels’ team. For now.
Last season they had a poor running game and an o ensive line that seemed to give free passes to sack its quarterback. Elic Ayomanor is a proved receiver and Tiger Bachmeier will be another well-targeted wide out.
Running back Sedrick Irvin has to come up big. And the pitiful defense has to improve, or Sanford stays in the middle to lower part of the ACC eld.
DUKE ATHLETICS
First-year Duke coach Manny Diaz coached at Penn State and Miami before coming to Durham.
a three-run
and need just
lift
Wayne Post 11 rolls to nals at Legion State Tournament
Duplin’s Baines Raynor and Erik Rossa played key roles in three consecutive routs
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CHERRYVILLE — Timing is everything in life and thus baseball, especially when it comes to hitting a ball from 60 feet, 6 inches away.
Wayne County Post 11 found its o ensive groove and used a solid defense to forge into the nals of the American Legion Senior State Tournament with consecutive victories over High Point, Shelby and Garner.
Wayne was slated to play Tuesday at Fraley Field needing one win in two games to capture the double-elimination event. Anything short of two
first win over the Stallions in 32 years.
The Wildcats followed up with a 14-13 win last season, and a somewhat shocking 2720 win over Princeton.
Simco appears to be ready to take on additional responsibilities this season, on and off the field, Byrd said.
“He’s got decent speed, can avoid people, an above average arm, but he and every ball carrier on our team has to protect the football this season,” Byrd said. “We moved the ball against everyone last year but ended up stopping ourselves with turnovers.
“We had three against South Brunswick in the second half (a 36-28 opening night loss), gave the ball up at the 4 just before half against East Duplin in a really close game and had six straight possessions with a turnover. We had four more in a loss to White Oak.”
In hindsight, the setback to the Vikings was the most devastating as White Oak went on to top the Wildcats atop the final standings.
“Any time we’ve not turned the ball over we can play with anyone that is our schedule,” Byrd said. “I said it last year and it’s still true.
“We’ve got a good offensive line that coach (Eric) Leary has worked with and those guys on the D-line will get some looks on offense when we bring up one or two more JV players.”
Another player who could help both Simco and the Wildcats is Lenny Halfter-Hunter, who will play WR. The 6-foot - 6 senior is better known for his play on a basketball court, though he played football as a freshman and sophomore.
“How many DBs can catch a ball that’s thrown his way?” Byrd said. “You can’t coach some things (size), but you can use it.”
losses delivers a state title to the Eastern North Carolina club. Post 11 will face Shelby, which beat Wayne during the regular season, in the nals.
Duplin County out elder Baines Raynor started the biggest re in the opening game with a three-run home run to topple High Point. His rocket came in the third and teammates Everett Johnson, Nelson McLamb and J.J. Buckley added run-scoring hits to stretch Wayne’s lead to 7-2.
Former North Duplin hurler Erik Rosas quelled a Post 87 rally in the sixth en route to the con dence-building 12-2 opening-round win on Saturday. Rain caused numerous delays on Sunday, but Post 11 used a “wait-it-out” approach to wallop Post 535 from Union County 12-2. When pitches were thrown,
Post 11 hitters bashed them into the gaps.
Davis Albert punched three hits of Wayne’s nine hits, and the Post 11 gang bene tted from ve Post 35 errors.
Yet the biggest win came on Monday as Gabe Adams shut the door on Post 82 out of Shelby 8-3.
Rett Johnson was the hitting star for the night with three hits of Wayne’s nine hits.
Post 82 also had nine hits but three errors, while Post 11 played clean defensive baseball.
Adams logged ve key outs to thwart a comeback.
The win was the 35th for Wayne Post 11 against nine setbacks.
Coincidentally, the 97th annual American Legion World Series will be is played in Keeter Stadium in Shelby. It’s been contested there annually since 2011.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE
Hassan Kornegay
James Kenan middle linebacker Hassan Kornegay, the Defensive Player of the Year in Duplin County and the ECC last season, is ready to take down ball carriers this fall during his senior season.
“He’s a great athlete and the captain of our defense,” said John Bert Avent, the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, of his senior. Head coach Tim Grady has high praise for Kornegay, who could also play a role on o ense this season.
“It’s business as usual, we expect nothing less than what he gave us last year,” he said. “I think he’s the best linebacker in the state.
“He’s not a talker, a real quiet kid who lays it out there every down of every game.”
Richlands’ Caleb Simco is tricky to tackle in the open eld.
Byrd said defensive coordinator Bill Good has a front line that can hold its ground. Linebacker and play in the secondary is more of a concern. “A secondary gets way better when the guys up front put pressure on the QB,” Byrd said. Richlands went 7-4 overall last season and lost 56-28 to Northern Nash (13-2) in the first round of the 3A playoffs. That result makes the Wildcats’ league nish a key to play-
o success. Conference winners are automatic selections that come with the privilege of hosting a game or two, depending on its RPI. Richlands has the potential to power its way to a league title. And while the East Central 2A Conference is a few strides in front of the Coastal 3A, that is the level of play the Wildcats have to reach to be competitive in the postseason. To break it down further, Richlands must beat perennial league favorite West Carteret and White Oak. If the ’Cats do that they will have few problems kicking Dixon, Croatan and Swansboro into the ocean.
Five league wins will have to come after battling five nonconference foes — South Brunswick, South Lenoir, SWO, ED and Princeton. Richland likely needs to go 3-2 against the aforenoted schools to have a chance at a decent seed in the 3A playoffs, assuming the Wildcats take the Coastal crown.
James Kenan, football
MICHAEL JAENICKED / DUPLIN JOURNAL
AMERICAN LEGION POST 11
Baines Raynor hit
homer to
Post 11 to its rst tournament win. They face Shelby
one win in two games to win a state title.
SIMCO from page 7
MICHAEL JAENICKE / DUPLIN JOURNAL
One spent 16 of his 43 seasons at Wallace-Rose Hill.
The late Jack Holley (412-96 -9) was the state’s all-time leader until now-retired Murphy coach David Gentry (426 wins) surpassed him in 2019. Holley held the top spot for nearly two decades. He coached two seasons at Hallsboro, three at Harrells Christian Academy, four at South Columbus, 18 during two stints at Tabor City and two tenures totaling 16 seasons at Wallace-Rose Hill (1982-89 and 1999-2006).
Current Lee County and longtime Eastern Randolph coach Burton Cates (367-131) is the current leader among active coaches. He’s fourth all time yet not about to catch Gentry in the near future.
Tarboro’s Je Craddock (233- 46) is the third-winningest active coach.
Speeding quickly to 200 status
While getting to 300 is a dream of dreams for a football coach, hitting the bullseye at 200 isn’t for the weak.
JK’s Ken Avent Jr. has a mark of 173-61 at James Kenan, North Johnston and North Duplin, with state titles in 2007 and ’13 at JK. His father Ken Sr. at ND (172-105) had a long and successful career but could not crack the 200 mark, though one could argue that now, teams play more games each season. Long ago only conference champions were allowed into the state playo s.
Even so, it took Ken Sr. 25 seasons, Avent Jr. 18 and Overman 34 seasons to reach their respective totals.
Motsinger (165-81) needs 35 wins to tag No. 200 and should be able to make it but is unlikely to surpass the retired Price, who he trails by 83 wins.
Battle Holley (149-53) is 51 short and young enough to reach it after coaching 17 seasons. Holley delivered the Panthers their lone state title in 2022 and has a good shot of passing Aldridge, who has been Holley’s assistant since stepping
JENKINS from page 7
• He notched his 200th win in 2015.
• The last nine seasons (2016 -24) the Panthers reached a new plateau by winning 21 games twice (2016, 2017) and 19 games twice (2022, 2023). ED went 16-5 in 2018 and 15-5 the following season before the Covid-19 pandemic limited ED to a 4-1 mark in 2020. ED recovered to go 12-3 the following season.
• ED was 127-33 during that run with winning percentage of 79.3 percent.
• Career win No. 300 came in 2021.
• He’s never had a losing season. The closest he got was 2005 and 2006 when ED was 11-10 and 11-11, respectively.
• He’s never shied away from competition and loads up the schedule with strong nonconference games.
Doing things the right way
ED’s softball stadium should be named after him, not a sponsor or famed administrator or teacher.
Jenkins does things the right way and still connects with today’s players. He knows the total landscape of softball as if
down as head coach after the 2010 season.
Martin stands at 130-119 (112-96 at ND). He retired from teaching but still coaches and is ND’s assistant athletics director. And he might never see the 70 wins for his climb to 200.
Getting to century mark a challenge
The rst level of coaching stardom is 100 wins, which would take 12 eight-win seasons and four playo wins to reach. Also included in that total is a ton of lost weekends, vacations and personal time.
The coaching eld took its toll on Mike Brill, who revived programs a 1A South Robeson, 4A Lumberton and nished his coaching career with two seasons at Harrells Christian Academy, the same school where Jack Holley and Aldridge ended their careers.
Brill’s body gave out after going 132-65.
Price’s son, JP, is learning about grinding the road to climb the ladder.
The younger Price (55-15) has coached six seasons at
he were a Google Sky Mapping app.
Jenkins is quick to credit his assistant coaches. John Byrd has been by his side for a decade, Kari Westerbeek-Roberts, a former star pitcher, half that amount of time.
“I’ve had some good assistants over the years and here you always get support,” Jenkins said. “It also says so much about all the kids that have played here. And a lot of the success comes because all of our coaches take heart and support one another.
Teaching and coaching career winding down
Jenkins, 51, has three years until he can retire from teaching and coaching. He said he was leaving after this season as his daughter Carley Grace graduated. She started for him at third base for two seasons.
His son Ty, who was an ED baseball star, got his diploma in 2019 and played two seasons at Lenoir Community College. He was a speedy center elder who was key to an 18-5 campaign his senior year.
Dena Jenkins is a former teacher and media coordinator at ED.
“I said I was going out when
Whiteville and just passed the halfway point to 100.
It took all Billy Byrd had to go 119-68 at James Kenan as an example of another Duplin coach who showed excellence and endurance during a career that lasted 17 seasons (1978-94).
After a JK revival to an 11-2 season in 1998, the bottom fell out for the Tigers during 2002 when they tumbled to 1-10, the school’s worst-ever football record.
Motsinger arrived the following season and the Tigers went 24-14 in his three seasons, with the last two rising to 10-3 and 9-4 before he left for a successful nine-year stint at New Hanover.
Avent Jr. completed the rebuild at JK and won two state titles in his 12 years.
Yet winning is not the end-all for Battle Holley, Motsinger, Martin and other area coaches. Each of these programs do things the right way as the lives of boys maturing into adulthood is fostered.
When you teach the game of football and life, and nurture players, records and results take care of themselves.
Carley Grace left, but I’ve not found the right person who is ready for this position yet,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins’ surprise season came in 2022 when a new roster produced a 19-6 mark and a share of the ECC with South Lenoir. ED would win the ECC the following season.
Basketball was Jenkins’ game before softball, yet he still coached the boys’ junior varsity basketball team for 15 years.
Jenkins said holding on until he reaches win No. 400 might be out of the question even though it would be quite possible with three 17-win seasons.
One memorable season came in 2018 when bad luck came into when senior pitcher Taylor Jones got injured a game before a rst-round playo matchup against Wallace-Rose Hill. Jenkins rallied his troops to upend the Bulldogs and Ms. Softball in Duplin County Haven Williams, 7-4.
“Every team has its own character with special moments,” Jenkins said. “Every team has its own chemistry and identity.”
Fortunately, every team found its own way of following the traditions Jenkins brought to East Duplin: Winning and making better players and young adults.
TAKE NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY
FILE#2024E000261
The undersigned, SANDRA WORSLEY TOWNSEND, AND ESTHER MURPHY, having quali ed on the 1ST DAY of JULY 2024, as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of ROBERT CHARLES BALLARD, 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 2nd Day of OCTOBER 2024, 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 is the 4th Day of JULY 2024.
The undersigned, DOROTHY C. BYRD, having quali ed on the 24TH DAY of JUNE 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BETTY KATEN GAINUS, 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 9TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, 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 is the 11th Day of JULY 2024.
The undersigned, SONYA TEACHEY, having quali ed on the 15TH DAY of MAY 2023, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of NANCY GRACE TANTAWY, 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 23RD Day of OCTOBER 2024, 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 is the 25th Day of JULY 2024.
SONYA TEACHEY, ADMINISTRATOR 132 LILLIAN MOORE LANE ROSE HILL, NC 28458
Run dates: Jy25,A1,8,15p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY
FILE#2024E000118
The undersigned, YOLANDA BLACKNELL, having quali ed on the 21ST DAY of MARCH 2024, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ANNIE RUTH PARKER, 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 16TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, 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 is the 18th Day of JULY 2024.
The undersigned, DEBORAH MIZE, having quali ed on the 1ST DAY of JULY 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARILYN PADGETT HECKMAN, 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 16TH Day of OCTOBER 2024, 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 is the 18th Day of JULY 2024. DEBORAH MIZE, EXECUTOR 309 PERCYTHE ST. FAISON, NC 28341 Run dates: Jy18,25,A1,8c
MICHAEL JAENICKE / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Hugh Martin is 130-119 overall and 112-96 at North Duplin, taking the Rebels to the 1A nals twice.
MICHAEL JAENICKE / DUPLIN JOURNAL
ED’s Greg Jenkins has never had a losing seasons and also never shied away from competition and loads up the schedule with strong nonconference schools.
Faison Delano Smith
Jan. 4, 1938 – July 16, 2024 (age 86)
Faison Delano Smith, age 86 of Albertson died Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at his daughter Katrina’s home in Clayton, surrounded by loved ones.
Also known as “Buddy Boy,” Faison was born Jan. 4, 1938 in Kinston to the late Katie Susan “Susie” Grady Smith and Faison Smith. After growing up on the family farm, he served in the Army Reserves. Once discharged he attended NC State College, graduating with an Entomology degree. He worked post graduate doing research with the NC State Entomology Department. He was a lifetime supporter of NC State University.
Faison married Clara “Linda” Alphin Smith of Summerlin’s Crossroads in 1962 and raised three daughters in Raleigh. He worked over the years as a successful entrepreneur and as a contractor, building many custom homes in Raleigh and the surrounding areas. In his later years, Faison returned to Albertson, where he enjoyed a beautiful garden and became a successful farmer with two large farms.
Faison enjoyed traveling, camping, shing, dancing, calling a square dance or two and he could barbeque the best pig with his eastern NC homemade sauce. He was a southern “soft shoe” dancer and was a joy for his daughters to watch dancing. They know he is dancing in Heaven with his daughter, Karen, who loved to dance with her Daddy!
Faison maintained his sense of humor until his nal days. Faison never hesitated to tell those he loved that he loved them, especially his three daughters for which they are eternally grateful and have passed on to their children. He referred to his daughters as “My Angels.”
Faison is survived by his daughters, Kimberly Smith Todd and Katrina Smith Muirhead of Clayton; his granddaughters, Kaitlyn Todd Driver and Kara Todd Bass (Collins) of Clayton, Kristin Klaire Estes of Youngsville; and his grandson, Rockford Faison Reck of Raleigh; and two great-grandsons, Waylon Vann Driver and Clint Brooks Driver of Clayton. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Olivia Smith of Albertson, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Faison was preceded in death by his former wife, Linda Alphin Smith; his daughter, Karen Smith Estes; his sister, LouGene Smith Hemphill and his brother, William Aaron Smith; a brotherin-law, James Hemphill; two nephews, Jimmy Hemphill and Dan Hemphill and his former companion, Betty Boone.
The deepest gratitude to Faison’s Hospice team, including Cheryl, Elaine, Alison and Paula and his various caregivers over the years in Clayton. A special Thank You to his granddaughter, Kara Todd Bass, who was his main caregiver over the past few years and who provided an unlimited source of love, compassion and care for her Papa. In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to Transitions LifeCare at http:// transitionslifecare.org/donate or ATTN: Philanthropy Dept., Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.
The family received friends and family on Wednesday, July 24, at Tyndall Funeral Home in Mt. Olive, followed by a service in the chapel, and then burial at the Alphin Cemetery in Summerlin’s Crossroads in Mt. Olive.
Larry Williams Johnson
March 13, 1941 – July 12, 2024 (age 83)
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Larry Williams Johnson, a cherished husband, brother, uncle, brother-in-law, and friend on Friday, July 12, 2024, at the age of 83. He was born March 13, 1941, in Duplin County, the son of Eusebieus Williams Johnson and Mary Weise Wells Johnson. In addition to his parents, Larry was preceded in death by his sister, Gloria Wells.
Larry is survived by his beloved wife of 62 happy years, Joann Hester Johnson; brothers, Joel Johnson (Jan) and Delana Johnson (Kay); many nieces and nephews; great nieces and great nephews; and numerous other extended family members all of whom loved Larry.
He retired from NC Department of Corrections as maintenance director, working many years in Pender County. Larry served proudly in the US Air Force.
In past years Larry and Joann were active members of Burgaw Baptist Church, where Larry lled many roles for the betterment of the church. Most recently he was an active member of Grace Baptist Church where he sang in the choir, served as a deacon, as well as many other leadership roles. Most of all Larry lived his life with his Christian beliefs as his daily guide. Larry’s quiet faith and thankfulness for all his blessings spoke clearly to family and friends.
Larry was a master craftsman being pro cient in wood working, crafting many beautiful items made from wood. He was an avid outdoorsman always nding time for hunting, shing, and excavating Indian arrowheads. Larry was known for his wisdom, thoughtfulness, and humility, and for his great devotion to his family, loyalty to friends and faithful service to his church.
The family received friends Monday, July 15, 2024, at Quinn McGowen Funeral Home Burgaw Chapel with funeral service following in the funeral home chapel. Interment followed in Riverview Memorial Park.
Larry lived his life by a simple creed: Do justice, love your neighbor and walk humbly with God. Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into your rest.
Constance Carlton
Oct. 14, 1950 – July 14, 2024 (age 73)
Constance Carlton, 73, of Warsaw, heard the voice of her Master and quietly submitted to His will on July 14, 2024 at Warsaw Health & Rehabilitation Center. Funeral service was scheduled for Sunday, July 21, 2024 at Hawes Funeral Home Chapel, Warsaw. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service. Interment followed in the Faison Chapel Church Cemetery of Warsaw.
Braxton Lawton Sholar
March 18, 1933 – July 11, 2024 (age 91)
Braxton Lawton Sholar, 91, passed away on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at his home.
Funeral service was held on Sunday, July 14, 2024, followed by visitation, at the Church at Pin Hook in Wallace. Graveside service was held on Monday, July 15, 2024 at Dail Family Cemetery, 5730 S. NC 50 Hwy., Wallace.
Survivors include: sons, J.B. Sholar (Linda) of Beulaville, Robert Sholar of Wallace; daughters, Linda Stewart (Danny) of Chinquapin, Donna Albertson of Beulaville, Carol Davis (Leon) of Wallace; sisters, Doris English of Wallace, Eloise Register of Clinton, Kathleen Jones (Jack) of Willard; brothers, Bobby Sholar (Peggy) of Wallace, Richard Sholar (Nancy) of Wallace; 13 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Jan. 10, 1943 – July 11, 2024 (age 81)
Gentry James Jones, Jr., 81, passed away on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 in Carolina Rivers Rehab and Nursing Home, Jacksonville.
He is preceded in death by a son, Gentry Jones, III and a brother, Paul Jones.
Services will be held at a later date.
Survivors include: spouse, Lori Rochelle Jones of Jacksonville; daughters, Rebecca Jones of Las Vegas, Holly Hollins of Florida, Krystal Jones of Louisiana, Angel Nightingale of Surf City; and brother, Michael Jones of Catherine Lake.
May 10, 1939 – July 10, 2024 (age 85)
Barbara Jean Alstyne, 85, of Kenansville formerly of Wilson, completed all her earthly assignments and entered into her eternal rest on July 10, 2024 at Kenansville Health and Rehabilitation.
Funeral service is scheduled for noon July 26, 2024 at Hawes Funeral Home Chapel, Warsaw. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until noon (one hour prior to the service).
Maria Alicia Arbaiza
May 3, 1958 – July 14, 2024 (age 66)
ROSE HILL — Maria Alicia Arbaiza, 66, was born on May 3 in El Salvador, daughter of Maria Santos Jimenez and Vicente Ramos.
Survivors to appreciate and honor her memory: her husband and best friend of 42 years, Adan Arbaiza; sister whom she loved very much, Martha Teachey and brother Manuel Jimenez; Mr. Sebastian, whom she loved as a father; Sandra Mendez whom she loved as a daughter; several granddaughters, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. Likewise nephews, friends, and brothers/sisters in Christ. María enjoyed her free time playing Candy Crush or another game on her “phone,” as she said. She was a big fan of natural owers, especially red roses. Maria was kind to everyone, with a strong and determined soul, but at the same time she was sweet and a ectionate. Her love for God, family and friends made her life complete. María and her family received a lot of support and love during her battle of her illness. For she believed; John 11: 25-26 Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he is dead, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me, will not die forever.” Maria will surely be missed, but the most precious memories will remain forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
The family received friends from 6-9 pm on Thursday, July 18, 2024 at Sharon Baptist Church in Chinquapin.
Funeral service was held on Thursday, July 18, 2024 at the church.
You may share your memories and send condolences to the family by selecting our Tribute Wall above.
Durwood McCoy Williams
Jan. 17, 1929 – July 17, 2024 (age 95)
FOUNTAINTOWN — Durwood McCoy Williams, age 95, died Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at home. He is preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Williams and son, Teddy McCoy Williams. Mr. Williams is survived by his daughter, Vicky W. Quinn and husband Donald of Chinqupain; son Randy Williams and wife Angela of Chinquapin; three grandchildren, Dee Q. Harris, Zackary Williams, Austin Williams; and one great grandchild, Caydence Harris. Funeral service was held on Friday, July 19, 2024 at Serenity Funeral Home, Beulaville with visitation one hour before the service. Interment followed in Devotional Gardens, Warsaw. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to the Bethlehem OFWB Church, 2106 NC 111 S. Chinquapin, NC 28521.
Connie Jo Buck Thigpen
Jan. 12, 1957 – July 12, 2024 (age 67)
Connie Buck Thigpen, 67, of Maysville, passed away Friday, July 12, 2024. Funeral service was held at Bethlehem Baptist Church Gumbranch Road on July 17, 2024, with visitation preceding, with Rev. Shane Kennedy o ciating. Burial was held at Onslow Memorial Park, Jacksonville. Connie was born January 12, 1957 in Maysville. She worked for First Citizens, NCNB, Jones Onslow, and served all of Onslow and surrounding counties as a top A ac agent. Her greatest joy was spending time with family and friends, being in sun, shopping, and listening to beach music. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Robert Buck Sr., Myrt Leighton Buck; her sister, Jane Ellen Miller; her niece, Shannon Michelle Buck; niece, Sarah Jane Miller. She is survived by her husband Neal Thigpen; son, Tiger Davis and his wife Erin; daughter, Kristen Spain Hansley and husband Lawrence; stepdaughter, Brittney Wheeler and husband Brian; brother, Robert Buck and wife Sandy; grandchildren, Haylie Davis, Nicholas Herring, Kaydence Davis, Landon Hansley, Collin Hansley; niece, Ti any and husband Steven, children, (Rien, Sophia), Pete Miller and wife (Susan), children, Robert, David, Krystina, Christopher, Andrew, Britney, Matthew, William, Zachery, Joshua. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to: Alzheimer’s Association Eastern North Carolina Chapter; 5171 Glenwood Ave., Suite 101; Raleigh, NC 27612 or alz.org/nc/donate. Please include Connie’s name in your donation.
Mona Turner Shepard
Dec. 1, 1950 – July 18, 2024 (age 73)
Mona Turner Shepard, 73, passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in ECU Health Medical Center, Greenville. She is preceded in death by her parents, Brewster and Mille Hall Turner; sister, Nona Turner; and brother, Randy Turner.
Graveside service was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at Turner Family Cemetery, 798 Church Road, Pink Hill. Visitation was held at the cemetery. Survivors include: son, Tommy Wright (Brenda) of Florida; sisters, Sue Turner Smith of Kinston, Connie Turner Whaley (Randall) of Richlands; brothers, Ronnie Turner (Mona) of Georgia, Charles Turner (Joan) of Albertson, Douglas Allen Turner (Cheryl) of Potters Hill; grandchildren, Elizabeth Wright, Kristin Wright, Alek Wright and MaKensie Tyler; and great-grandchild, Blake Wright.
Gentry James Jones, Jr.
Barbara Jean Alstyne
Three-time Teaching Excellence Award recipient honored for contributions
Submitted by the University of Mount Olive
BRENDA CATES, a professor at University of Mount Olive was recently named recipient of the Dr. Thomas R. Morris Excellence in Teaching Award. This marks the third time Cates is honored with this recognition.
‘The accolade is a testament to her outstanding contributions to mathematics education and her unwavering commitment to her students over a distinguished career spanning more than four decades,” read the UMO announcement.
Cates who teaches lower and upper-level mathematics, elementary education math content and pedagogy courses, joined the UMO faculty in 1982. She serves as NCAA Faculty Athletics representative and is the UMO Honors Program director.
Q. What does being the UMO Professor of the Year mean to you, especially having received the honor multiple times?
A. Being recognized by students for something I’ve loved doing that has positively impacted their lives is the greatest possible honor. It is hard to put into words the depth of appreciation I have for students who considered me for this honor.
Q. What are your greatest strengths as an educator?
A. Students repeatedly report on evaluations, that I explain things very well. However, if I dig deep, I’d have to say one of my greatest strengths
DETENTION from page 1
restaurants and service providers, further invigorating our community’s economic health,” Miller said. “This new detention center is designed with e ciency and cost-e ectiveness in mind. It will eliminate the overcrowding in our current facilities, thereby reducing the strain on our law enforcement and judicial systems.”
Perhaps most importantly, the new detention center will not cost Duplin County taxpayers a dime. “This is not going to cost our taxpayers any money,” Stokes said. “We’re thankful to the legislators for getting that money for us.”
Rep. Jimmy Dixon had made a ceremonial check presentation of $80.206 million to the Duplin County Board of Commissioners in February, which represented the cumulative total of the funding secured for Duplin County over the last two General Assembly budgets.
“This and other journeys actually began about 14 years ago when there was a political change that took place in Duplin County,” Dixon said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Because of the political change that took place 14 years ago, in the last three budget cycles, we in Duplin County have been the bene ciaries of approximately $88 million from other North Carolina citizens, for which we should be grateful.” Miller and Stokes thanked the state legislators who helped the funding become available, as well as other community leaders, law enforcement and the county’s taxpayers.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a signi cant milestone,” Miller said. “It marks the beginning of a new era for our community, one that prioritizes safety, economic growth and the e cient use of public resources. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this facility will have on our community for years to come.”
County Commissioner Wayne Branch also thanked Dixon, as well as Sen. Brent Jackson, who was not present.
“This has been an e ort that has been ongoing for quite some time,” Branch said. “This jail is
is the ability to make students feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. I also set clear expectations for success. I encounter so many students who perceive themselves as failures when it comes to math, that convincing them that they can do it, takes a lot of reassurance and a lot of small successes before they feel some measure of con dence in the classroom. It’s a balancing act of encouragement, badgering, joking, productive struggle, and praise in getting students engaged who would often rather not try than risk failing.”
Q. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
A. What I enjoy most about teaching are the day-to-day interactions I have with students, not just in the classroom, but also in the hallway, in my o ce, across campus, at games, and at other events. Teaching is not just about what we do in the classroom. Learning takes place everywhere, and every interaction we have with students is an opportunity to connect, relate, and engage.
Q. How do you make connections with students?
A. I try to build a classroom environment based on mutual respect. First and foremost I try to be completely honest with students. I don’t sugarcoat
problems, but I let them know I’m there to help. I’m also usually upbeat. I try to have some fun in the classroom and I don’t take myself too serious. People who are stuck on position and authority tend to really annoy me!
Q. What do you like about working at UMO?
A. This is a hard question to answer since I have no basis for comparison, but I’d have to say what I’ve enjoyed most about my career at UMO is the opportunity to teach a variety of mathematics and math-related courses. Also, the students I’ve taught over the years, coupled with a high degree of exibility and autonomy in developing and designing courses to meet the needs of our students are thing I enjoy about UMO.
Q. What advice would you give to new educators?
A. There will be challenging days, but ultimately if you love what you do, it will be worth it. In this day of 24-7 communication, it is OK to give yourself permission to say ‘no’. You have to take care of yourself, and nd a balance that works, or you and your students will su er.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with de ning Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
something that I’ve walked in and out of in my days as a highway patrolman many, many, many years ago. As life transitions and as teams come and go, an understanding for what is important to the people becomes a reality.
“Detention centers such as this is something we can truly be proud of. At the end, it’s a win, because we all come together to do what is right, what is necessary and what’s in the best interest of all.”
The sheri summed up the event by expressing appreciation for all who made the new detention center a reality. The detention center is expected to be completed by the rst quarter of 2026, Assistant County Manager Carrie Shields said.
“Right now, our jailers work in a facility that’s outdated,” Stokes said. “It has served its purpose, and we’re thankful that we’ve had it, but now our inmates will be safer, our employees will be safer, and the community will be safer.”
PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE Professor Brenda Cates has been named the recipient of the Dr. Thomas R. Morris Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of Mount Olive.
PHOTOS BY ABBY CAVENAUGH / DUPLIN JOURNAL County Commissioner Wayne Branch thanked his fellow commissioners, law enforcement and state legislators for helping to make the new detention center a reality.
Duplin County Sheri Stratton Stokes speaks during the July 22 groundbreaking ceremony for the new detention center.
