Emerge Ministries out of Beulaville is helping mobilize hundreds of volunteers to western North Carolina to help with relief efforts. Amidst all the loss and the devastation, volunteers are making a meaningful impact, helping with search-and-rescue efforts, clearing roads and building paths to get to communities that have been trapped for days without a hot meal or water. Turn to page A6 for more photos.
Candlelight vigil planned for pregnancy, infant loss awareness
Kenansville Wave of Light, a candlelight vigil for pregnancy and infant loss awareness, will be held on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Kenansville Courtyard. Candles, hot cocoa and light refreshments will be provided during the candlelight vigil in recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Voter registration deadlines loom
Duplin County Citizens who have not registered to vote can still do so until the standard deadline on Friday, Oct. 11 or during the early voting period from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. Absentee ballots must be received by the Duplin County Board of Elections no later than Oct. 29. Early voting sites are located at the American Legion Building at 529 E. Southerland St. in Wallace and the Lois G. Britt Agricultural Service Center at 165 Agriculture Drive in Kenansville. Curbside voting is available at all voting sites. Election Day is Nov. 5, voters may cast their vote at their polling place from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call the Duplin County Board of Elections Office at 910-296-2170 with any questions.
NC Poultry Jubilee adds car show
Rose Hill The NC Poultry Jubilee Car Show will be Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rose Hill Fire Department with awards going to best of show, people’s choice and other prizes. Registration starts at 9 a.m. For information or to
$2.00
Crews on Monday converted the west Wallace Walmart exit and entrance to right turn only.
The west access road is now right turn only
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
WALLACE — Starting last week, the Wallace Walmart enacted a new traffic pattern that’s designed to reduce the number of collisions and make entering and exiting the parking lot easier.
Since Thursday, the west access road, by the Murphy gas station, is right turn only, meaning motorists can only go east on N.C. 41. In order to go west on N.C. 41, motorists must exit
via the stop light by the Burger King and Zaxby’s entrance/exit or enter the Dollar Tree parking lot and turn around.
Police Chief Jimmy Crayton said the change is long overdue.
“We’ve been requesting it forever,” he told Duplin Journal, explaining that the Walmart management has included the traffic pattern change as part of their ongoing store renovations.
The town had requested that the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) add a stoplight to the intersection, but DOT had indicated it would be too close to the existing stoplight at the
See WALMART, page A5
Duplin volunteers’ relief efforts shine bright
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
AFTER THE remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed a trail of destruction and casualties across western North Carolina and the death toll continues to rise, relief efforts remain crucial.
Volunteers led by Terry Norris, executive director of Emerge Chaplains Response Team and Emerge Ministries in Beulaville, deployed to Black Mountain before the storm to help with relief efforts.
“This is our 21st mission and deployment for Emerge Ministries doing disaster relief,” said Norris during an interview.
“The Free Will Baptist organization has been kind enough to lend (the Cragmont Assembly facility) to use as the Emerge Chaplain’s Response Team command center.”
“It’s not fair to our teachers who work hard. These grades do not determine the work that our educators are putting into our children to make them better.”
Reginald Kenan, Duplin Board of Education
The board also discussed free or discounted high school game admission for senior citizens
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Members of the Duplin County Board of Education made their feelings known about state-required accountability testing at their Oct. 1 meeting.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s accountability results for the 2023-24 school year were announced Sept. 4.
Although Duplin County Schools are no longer designated as a low-performing district, the individual schools had mixed accountability grades, with only one school, Duplin Early College High School,
earning a B, while six schools earned Cs, three were graded D, and three got Fs.
After a presentation of the results to the school board, Board Vice Chair Reginald Kenan stated, “We talk about this all the time, and it’s very complex and confusing how you grade schools.”
He added that he’s frustrated to see people voice support for public schools and then vote for political candidates who are clearly anti-public schools.
“If we believe we want what’s best for our children, then we must support people who support public schools,” Kenan said.
Kenan said he hoped schools would be measured more by growth than by current standards.
“I’m not a teacher, but I’ve got enough sense to know a child
See BOARD, page A5
While Helene came into the western NC region as a tropical storm, it brought so much torrential rain to an already sodded area that it caused significant flooding and landslides, swallowing entire neighborhoods under fast-moving water.
Norris told Duplin Journal volunteers had tried to persuade people to evacuate, but some did not anticipate the severity of the situation and chose to remain. He recounted the story of two elderly people who had been friends for 50 years. Despite warnings, the two decided to stay to weather the storm. Sadly, one of them did not survive as their house was swept away by floodwaters and carried down the mountain into the river.
“Up in another hauler we went to, there was nephews and nieces and uncles, grandmas and grandpas and mothers and daughters, and there
page A6
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THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Oct. 12
• The Cultural Latino Festival will be on Saturday, from Oct. 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Clement Park in Wallace. Enjoy folk dances, a DJ, singers, soccer, dancing and singing contests, food trucks, games for children, a piñata and more! For information, email festivalculturallatinodc@gmail.com.
• Join the Duplin Events Center located at 195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville, for an indoor movie night on Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Showing the movie Coco. The event is free and open to the public. Concessions will be sold.
Oct. 15
• Wave of Light, a candlelight vigil for pregnancy and infant loss awareness, will be held on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Kenansville Courtyard. The event hosted by the Duplin Doulas and Chickgirls Ultrasound Boutique will provide candles, hot cocoa and light refreshments during the candlelight in recognition of Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Oct. 16
James Sprunt Community College will host a Blood Drive on Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the WestPark Campus, located at 946 Penny Branch Road, Warsaw.
Oct. 19
The Faison annual ghost walk, Voices from the Past, will be happening on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 5-7 p.m. at the Historic Faison Cemetery, located at 348 East Main St. The free event is hosted by Faison Improvement Group (FIG) and the Town of Faison,
Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds, issued 37 marriage licenses for the month ending on Sept. 30, 2024.
• Dallas Covan Taylor Jr., Maryland, and Tatiana Asha Henry, Maryland;
• Luis Fernando Meraz Diaz, Rose Hill, and Jocelyn Nicole Calderon Rivera, Rose Hill; Marcos Felipe Felipe Ortiz, Faison, and Migdalina Vasquez Perez, Faison;
• Sasha Adamari Cabrera, Clinton, and Miguel Angel Bailon, Kenansville; Christian Mauricio Gonzalez, Roseboro, and Destiny Alana Hicks, Smithfield;
• Jenna Blair Henderson, Wallace, and Jonathan Glenn Gable, Wallace;
• Antonio Villegas Honorio, Albertson, and Maria Isabel
Rayon Mogollan, Albertson;
• Marissa Paige Lassiter, Faison, and Bradley Michael White, Faison; Sonia Elizama Arriaga Barrios, Goldsboro, and Victor Manuel Gonzalez Ruiz, Goldsboro;
• Jorge Luis Sanchez Lopez Sr., Mount Olive, and Evelyn Lizeth Gutierrez, Mount Olive; Kayla Renee Bodzinski, Chinquapin, and Grant Wallace Teachey, Albertson;
• Juan Carlos Romero Rodriguez, Magnolia, and Kariely Diaz Ortega, Magnolia; Conner Ray Cavenaugh, Wallace, and Ashley Diane Ramsey, Wallace;
• Dayana Jasmin Mendez Martinez, Magnolia, and Milton Gustavo Ramos
and this year, it will feature six ghosts portraying real Faison people who lived through or fought in World War I. There will be light refreshments. Donations are welcomed.
Oct. 21
• The Town of Rose Hill is seeking the public’s engagement to help the town develop Rose Hill’s comprehensive plan to prepare for future growth. The meeting will take place on Oct. 21 at 109 S. Sycamore St., Rose Hill. The first 50 participants will receive a free meal. Visit planrosehill.com to participate in the Citizen Survey.
Oct. 24
• James Sprunt Community College’s WestPark Campus offers a pesticide certification course on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-9:30 p.m. from Oct. 24 through Nov. 5. For more information or to register, call 910-659-6010.
Oct. 26
Join the Kenansville Fire Department on Saturday, Oct. 26, 6-10 p.m. for their annual Fireman’s Day on Front Street, Kenansville. There will be food trucks, bounce houses, a DJ, trunkor-treating and more! If you would like to host a trunk for the Trunk-or-Treat, contact 910-650-6311.
• Cabin Lake will host Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 26 starting at 5 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the best trunks for most scary and most creative. Cabin Lake is located at 220 Cabin Lake Road, Pink Hill. If you would like to have a scary trunk and hand out candy, call the office at 910-298-3648 to sign up.
Oct. 31
• Come dressed in your favorite costumes to the Warsaw Trunk-orTreat and enjoy a spooky good time! Take your little ghouls, ghosts, and goblins for a safe, family-friendly fun night to Front Street, Warsaw on Oct. 31, 6-7.30 p.m. For more information, call the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce at 910-293-7804.
Meza, Magnolia;
• Eduardo Ramirez, Mount Olive, and Bella Dalid Morales Sanchez, Mount Olive;
Lyle Timothy McDonald III, Ohio, and Adrian Michelle Box, Wilmington;
• Cathy D. Mcmillan, Wallace, and Alvin Smith, Nashville;
• Juan De Dios Trevino, Albertson, and Brenda Lee Pena, Albertson; Bryan Ordas Perez, Wallace, and Elizabeth Torres Valdez, Wallace;
• Brianna Michaela Miller, Pink Hill, and Adam Blake Kennedy, Pink Hill; Jennifer Mary Patti, Wallace, and Zachary Logan Sholar, Wallace;
• Amelia Brook Dillon, Beulaville, and Shawn Adam Mullis, Pink Hill;
Nov. 2
• The NC Poultry Jubilee Car Show will be held Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Rose Hill Fire Department, with awards going to the best of show, people’s choice, and other prizes. Registration starts at 9 a.m. For information or to sign up, call 910-604-1769.
Dec. 5
• James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center will host a Small Business Expo at the Boyette Building, room 113, on Dec. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is open to the public.
• The Duplin County Board of County Commissioners meets the first and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 224 Seminary St., Kenansville. For information, call 910-296-2100.
• The Beulaville town board meets the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at 508 East Main St., Beulaville. For more information, call 910-298-4647.
• The Town of Calypso meets at the council chambers the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 103 W. Trade St. For information, call 919-658-9221. The Faison town board meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., at 110 NE Center St., Faison. For more information, call 910-267-2721.
• The Economic Development Board meets the first Friday of the month at 7 a.m. at the Duplin County Airport Conference Room.
The Greenevers town board meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m., at 314 E. Charity Rd. For information, call 910-289-3078.
• The Teachey town board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 116 East 2nd St. For information, call 910-285-7564.
• The Warsaw town board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 121 S. Front St. For information, call 910-293-7814.
• Heather Leigh James, Magnolia, and Jessie Wayne Brown, Magnolia; Adam Wayne Riggs, South Carolina, and Maria Cherrilyn Nicdao Ortega, South Carolina;
• Louis Adam Kornegay, Rose Hill, and Dawn Noelle Pittman, Rose Hill; Edwin Exequiel Gutierrez Chevez, Wallace, and Ilsa Marilena Herrera Mejia, Wallace;
• Raymond Gerald Teachey Jr, Warsaw, and Peggy Thompson Carroll, Warsaw; Abad Lopez Velasco, Rocky Point, and Angel Ronnisha Mitchell, Rocky Point;
• Dillon Elwood Batts, Chinquapin, and Hannah Elisabeth Craig, Chinquapin;
• Elsa Ines Rivera Hernandez, Teachey, and Cristian Omar
Rivera Padilla, Teachey;
• Ashleigh Diane Byrd, Pink Hill, and Bradley Ethan Bostic, Pink Hill Deep Run;
• Mark Edwin Myers, Wallace, and Emily Jo Matrakas, Kernersville;
• Kimberly Mireya Lugo, Pink Hill, and Kort Gabriel Woodward, Pink Hill;
• Miguel Angel Alvarado Alvarez, Warsaw, and Wendy Yamileth Miranda Portillo, Warsaw;
• Pearlleana Newkirk Robinson, Wallace, and James Leon Murphy, Wallace;
Toni Miranda Sinclair, Beulaville, and Cameron Douglas Lamb, Wallace;
• Katie Marie Mewborn, Chinquapin, and Josh Bailey Turnage, Wilson.
The local Board of Elections director answers commonly asked questions
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
AS THE NOV. 5 general election approaches, Duplin Journal will feature a series of Q&As with Duplin County Board of Elections Director Carrie Sullivan.
If you haven’t registered to vote yet, you can still do so until Friday, Oct. 11. Eligible individuals who miss this deadline can register and vote during the early voting period from Oct. 17 through Nov. 2. Absentee ballots must be received by the Duplin County Board of Elections no later than Oct. 29.
With presidential elections less than four weeks away, what are the main challenges ahead?
The main challenge right now is keeping voters properly informed. There is quite a bit of misinformation out there right now. We are making sure that we are listening to voters’ concerns and addressing
them. The biggest confusion so far has been third-party companies sending out mailers. If the address on the outside of the envelope does not say Duplin County Board of Elections, it is most likely coming from a third-party organization. We ask that if any voters have questions about their registration status, they reach out to us in the office.
How does the election office stop someone from illegally voting in the name of a voter who has died or moved but has not yet been removed from the rolls? How does your office keep voter rolls clean?
Voter ID is required in North Carolina; that is the most important safeguard to keep someone from voting under anyone’s name other than their own. Keeping voter rolls clean is a year-round task. Some tasks are performed daily, while others are performed weekly. Duplin County continues to perform all required list maintenance procedures which ensures that all deceased voters are removed in a timely manner.
With so many registration drives all over the county, can you explain how the process works? Are those registrations submitted to the local Board of Elections for vetting? What happens to voter registration forms that don’t provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number?
Registrations from registration drives are submitted either directly to our office or to the State Board of Elections. All registrations get scanned into our system and processed as they are received. If there is any significant change noted on a registration from a registration drive to an existing voter, we send out a letter to notify the voter before any changes are made to their record. If someone does not put a license number or the last four of their Social Security on the application, that registration will then be put into a queue in our system, and an incomplete letter is issued to the registrant notifying them that their registration is not complete until they provide that information to our office.
How do officials know that a legitimate voter has cast their ballot? Are there gaps in the chain of custody?
All methods of voting require a photo ID. When appearing to vote in person, a precinct official will check that ID to make sure that the picture resembles the person presenting to vote. In terms of absentee by mail, voters also must mail in a copy of their ID, sign their envelope, and have either two witnesses or one notary sign off and attest to
that voter filling out that ballot and sealing it into the envelope. When absentee ballots arrive in our office, they are stamped with the date they are received, they are electronically checked into the system and assigned to an absentee board meeting date. They are then put away in a secure, locked area until they are to be reviewed by the multipartisan Board of Elections. Absentee ballots remain sealed until the board is ready to review them at their absentee meeting. We take chain of custody very seriously and ensure that we follow the laws set forth by the State of North Carolina and the Constitution. For more information, call the Duplin County Board of Elections Office at 910-296-2170.
A Wallace man was charged with domestic assault and numerous drug felonies
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
According to a statement from the Wallace Police Department, neighbors called for assistance to the residence after hearing a female screaming for help. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a female who had signs of a physical assault.
Mark Andrew Fueller-Downey, 25, was arrested on suspicion of
WALLACE — A Wallace man was arrested on domestic assault charges as well as numerous drug charges after an incident on Oct. 1 on West Carr Street.
domestic assault. While in the residence, officers also noticed “significant signs of drug use.”
After receiving a search warrant for the premises, WPD seized a large quantity of narcotics. As a result of the investigation and subsequent seizure, Fueller-Downey faces the following felony charges: manufacture of Schedule VI controlled substance, two counts of trafficking in marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substances, possession of Schedule I controlled substance. He is also charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic assault. “Great work by our officers,” the statement concluded.
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
Can we all get along? Yes, by letting the states decide
What residents in red states like Montana and South Carolina object to is New Yorkers telling them how to live their lives.
AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, the outcome of the presidential race is pretty close to being a coin flip. So what I write is not in any way influenced by who will win in November, since that is unknowable.
What is a virtual certainty is that on Nov. 6, roughly half the country will be full of joy, and the other half will be in a deep depression likely to last throughout the next four years.
Don’t be surprised if the losing party’s anger and despair spill over into prolonged violent protests—especially in the streets of the major cities. Politics in America is now—regrettably—a contact sport. Whoever wins, America will be further ripped down its seams. Red- and blue-state America will even be more polarized. Don’t be surprised if half the country is near rebellion against the policies of either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Patronizing speeches by the victor about being president of “all the people” and promises to “unite” will only pour salt in the wounds of the losing side. The Left will detest the Trump agenda. The Right will fight against every element of the Harris agenda. It will feel like an occupation for the 49% on the losing side.
We need to accept the unhappy reality that we are today the Disunited States of America. The U.S. is ideologically, culturally, economically more polarized than perhaps any time since the Civil War. The conservative half of the country is on Venus and the liberal half is on Mars. Yes, there is a moderate/middle section — but the tails have grown more populated and influential.
We see in polls that more and more Americans don’t even want to associate with those with different political views. We are also becoming more geographically segregated —
not on the basis of race, ethnicity or income but on ideology. Red states are getting redder. Blue states are getting bluer. In recent years, an estimated 2 million Republicans have moved out of states like New York for states like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas.
Given these realities, is there a way for us to “all get along”?
Fortunately, yes. There is a logical way to keep America “united” as one nation and to avert chaos and mayhem. Fortunately, this solution is entirely consistent with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For those who have forgotten, the 10th Amendment decrees that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government are reserved to “the states and the people.”
We need a radical return to federalism. We need to devolve powers back to the states.
We as citizens of all states are, of course, united by a common national defense, the commerce clause, which made America the largest and most prosperous free-trade zone in world history and, most importantly, our inalienable rights as citizens as set forth in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. A state, for example, does not have the right to pass laws that would violate a citizen’s right to free speech or peaceful assembly, or to discriminate against citizens on the basis of skin color or gender.
But given the schisms in society, most everything else is better decided at the state — not the federal — level. Issues related to transportation, taxation, education, environment, energy and business regulation belong to the states. Americans are then able to escape from policies they view as oppressive by moving to a state that conforms with their values and lifestyle decisions.
People in Mississippi or Utah have no problem
People hate those who fight evil far more than those who are evil
Communists murdered about 100 million people — all noncombatants and all innocent.
I realized something very important about the human condition when I was in high school. I realized that people tend to hate those who fight evil far more than they hate those engaged in doing evil. What made me come to this conclusion was the way in which many people reacted to communism and to anticommunism.
To my amazement, a great many people — specifically, all leftists and many, though not all, liberals — hated anticommunists far more than they hated communism.
Because of my early preoccupation with good and evil, already in high school, I hated communism. How could one not, I wondered. Along with Nazism, it was the great evil of the 20th century. Needless to say, as a Jew and as a human, I hated Nazism. But as I was born after Nazism was vanquished, the great evil of my time was communism.
Communists murdered about 100 million people — all noncombatants and all innocent. Stalin murdered about 30 million people, including 5 million Ukrainians by starvation (in just two years: 1932-33). Mao killed about 60 million people. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodians) killed about 3 million people, one in every four Cambodians, between 1975 and 1979. The North Korean communist regime killed between 2 million and 3 million people, not including another million killed in the Korean War started by the North Korean communists.
For every one of the 100 million killed by
communists, add at least a dozen more people — family and friends — who were terribly and permanently affected by the death of their family member or friend. Then add another billion whose lives were ruined by having to live in a communist totalitarian state: their poverty, their loss of fundamental human rights and their loss of dignity.
You would think that anyone with a functioning conscience and with any degree of compassion would hate communism. But that was not the case. Indeed, there were many people throughout the noncommunist world who supported communism. And there was an even larger number of people who hated anticommunists, dismissing them as “Cold Warriors,” “warmongers,” “red-baiters,” etc.
At the present time, we are again witnessing this phenomenon — hatred of those who oppose evil rather than of those who do evil — with regard to Israel and its enemies. And on a far greater level. Israel is hated by individuals and governments throughout the world. Israel is the most reviled country at the United Nations as well as in Western media and, of course, in universities.
Israel is a liberal democracy with an independent judiciary, independent opposition press, and equal rights for women, gays and its Arab population (20% of the Israeli population). Its enemies — the Iranian regime, Hamas and Hezbollah — allow no such freedoms to those under their control. More relevantly, their primary goal — indeed, their stated
with Californians charging a 13.3% income tax rate, enacting forced union policies, providing free health care to illegal immigrants, shutting down their power plants, abolishing gas stoves or plastic bags, or providing reparation payments to aggrieved groups.
New Yorkers shouldn’t mind if Texans impose no income tax, allow people to drive 75 miles an hour down the highways or regulate how cattle are bred.
What residents in red states like Montana and South Carolina object to is New Yorkers telling them how to live their lives.
We can, under this framework, have Harris policies prevail in blue states and Trump policies prevail in red states, and everyone goes away happy.
No harm, no foul.
Again, the federal government is still responsible for protecting the civil liberties and “inalienable rights” of all residents of the United States. There would be no bringing back Jim Crow laws.
Alas, this framework is exactly the opposite of what Democrats seek. If you examine the Biden and Harris agendas, the Dems are determined to federalize nearly all policies, which forces all Americans in every state to live under the same sets of laws and policies. They want to nationalize union policies, environmental policies, energy policies, welfare policies, taxation and so on. They want to de facto toss out the Ninth and 10th amendments altogether.
This inevitably leads to the tyranny of the majority, which now and after November will be a razor-thin majority dictating policies on all Americans. This tyranny will be even greater felt if either a victorious GOP or the Democrats overturn the filibuster rule of 60 votes to muscle sweeping legislation out of the Senate.
Amazing that some 250 years ago our founding fathers had exactly the right vision for keeping America united in 2024 and beyond.
Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is also an economic adviser to the Trump campaign.
reason for being — is to wipe out Israel and its Jewish inhabitants. Hamas and Hezbollah have built nothing, absolutely nothing, in Gaza and Lebanon, respectively. They exist solely to commit genocide against Israel and its Jews. Why did so many people hate anticommunists more than communism? And why do even more people hate Israel more than Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah?
The general reason is that it is emotionally and psychologically difficult for most people to stare evil in the face. Evil is widely described as “dark.” But it is not dark; it is easy to look into the dark. What is far harder to look at is blinding bright light. Perhaps that is why Lucifer, the original name of the Christian devil, comes from the word “light.”
Why this is so — why people will not call evil “evil” — is probably related to a lack of courage. Once one declares something evil, one is morally bound to resist it, and people fear resisting evil. The fools who mock Christianity — whether through a work of “art” like “Piss Christ” (a crucifix in a jar of urine), the Paris Olympics opening ceremony that mocked the Last Supper or the Los Angeles Dodgers honoring the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” (men in drag dressed as nuns) — would never mock Islam. They fear Muslim wrath; they do not fear Christian wrath. Yet Islamic wrath has done and is doing far more evil in our time than Christian wrath.
And there is one additional reason for hating Israel — one that is specific to Israel — rather than those who seek to exterminate Israel: Jewhatred, better known as antisemitism. The people who introduced a judging God and gave the world the Ten Commandments have been hated for thousands of years. Not those who systematically violate those commandments.
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and columnist.
A mother of two returns to school after overcoming a life-altering battle with cancer
Submitted by
Rhonda Jessup University of Mount Olive
MOUNT OLIVE — Mikia Parks, a 32-year-old mother of two, has overcome significant personal challenges to pursue her educational and professional goals. Her decision to return to college was sparked by a moment of introspection while working in the Emergency Department at UNC Wayne.
“I was just sitting there trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, so I made the choice to go back to college,” she recalls. In May 2022, she enrolled in the healthcare management program at the University of Mount Olive, where she found a supportive community and an encouraging advisor, Stacy Gray, who has been instrumental in her journey. “One of the most important things that I have learned at UMO is that there are many people who [are] willing to help you pursue your goals,” she said.
Parks’ story is one of resilience. In 2023, she faced a life-altering battle with cancer, which required her to pause her studies. However, her determination never wavered. “Once I was healed, I signed back up to finish pursuing my education,” she shared. Securing a better future for her sons Aamar (10) and Jayce (3), is her biggest motivation. Scheduled to graduate in December 2025, Parks is thriving in the HCM program, maintaining an impressive 3.65 GPA. Her choice of field stems from a gen-
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feels empowered when he or she can show some growth in their schooling,” he said. “If we continue to elect the same old people in Raleigh who are anti-public education, we will deal with this model forever. It’s not fair to our teachers who work hard. These grades do not determine the work that our educators are putting into our children to make them better.”
Board Chairman Brent Davis agreed.
“It’s no secret from anyone who knows me, I detest this testing model,” he said. “It’s just a sad perception of what actually goes on in our school system. If you look at every one of these schools, their successes last year are more in growth than there would be in simple proficiency, but unfortunately, we don’t get that benefit by this model. It’s 80% proficiency and 20% growth, is how it’s calculated.”
He called the current testing
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other Walmart entrance/exit.
“There have been way too many collisions at that intersection,” Crayton said. “What happens is, people are driving from Wallace toward Northeast and try to turn right to go in that entrance while there are cars turning left to go toward Wallace. Those people turning left, their vision is blocked by people turning right into the parking lot, and they end up pulling out
uine passion for helping others and making a difference in people’s lives. “I want to be a practice manager,” she says, a goal she is working towards through her current role as a Medical Office Administrator at UNC Family Medicine in Rosewood. “I like helping people,” she said. “I like making a difference in people’s lives.”
Parks credits the University of Mount Olive for playing a crucial role in her personal and professional development. “UMO has well prepared me for my goals. Who knew that you needed to learn about accounting in the healthcare field?” she said with a smile. Beyond academics, UMO’s
model “terribly bad for our students, really bad for our staff.”
“I say all the time: You can’t compare a rural school system like Duplin County, where we’ve got 80-plus percent of our students that are economically disadvantaged, with a school system like Wake County or Mecklenburg where they have tons and tons of resources,” Davis added. “Your median household income is two or three times what it is here. It’s just not a comparable model.”
Board Member Pam Edwards also voiced her displeasure with the current testing system, lamenting that teachers in private schools and charter schools don’t have to undergo the same rigorous certification process as public school teachers, yet they’re all lumped together under the state testing model.
“They don’t have to teach the same coursework and they don’t have to take the same tests, but yet, we’re compared to them,” Edwards said. “So you have to
in front of oncoming traffic.”
When one of Wallace’s own police officers was in a collision at the intersection, Crayton said the town realized it was time to make a change.
“That’s when we really stepped on the gas on this,” he said. “Jimmy Creech is the manager at Walmart now, and he’s been great to work with.”
Crayton said he hopes further changes will happen in the area, with the opening of a new shopping center that’s currently un-
tagline, “transforming lives and transforming education,” resonates deeply with Parks. “My life has been transformed by UMO,” she says, highlighting the university’s supportive environment and the unwavering encouragement from her advisor.
Parks’ mother, Barbara, has been a significant source of inspiration. “She always encouraged me to further my education,” Parks said.
Looking ahead, Parks plans to continue her educational journey by enrolling in the HCM master’s program at UMO after completing her bachelor’s degree. She also dreams of celebrating her graduation by taking
say hats off to our educators for what they are doing.”
In other business at the Oct. 1 school board meeting, Melisa Brown, Duplin County director of Senior Services, proposed that Duplin County Schools offer free or discounted admission to athletic events for seniors aged 60 and over.
Brown explained that a statewide Senior Tar Heel Discount Card has been revamped into the Senior Tar Heel Athletic Card, giving seniors discounts to athletic events.
“The NC Division of Aging is no longer issuing the cards,” she said. “They have pushed it down to the AAAs, and we are part of the local council of the Area Agency on Aging. There are many seniors that are guardians of their grandchildren, so they want to participate in events, and sometimes, the admission is more than they can afford.”
Other area counties offer the cards to seniors, and the cards
der construction and a new oil change garage.
“The way I understand it, both of those businesses will be right turn only,” he said, adding that he’s been talking with DOT to try to get the traffic pattern redone at the intersection of Old N.C. Hwy. 41 and N.C. 41. The businesses are both still under construction, and no timeframe for opening has yet been announced.
As far as feedback on the new traffic pattern at Walmart, Crayton said there have been
her two sons on a cruise.
For other adults considering a return to education, Parks offers heartfelt advice: “Do it! It has been the best decision I have ever made. It is often challenging balancing work life, home life, and my studies, but it will be worth it when I receive my degree.” Parks’ story is a powerful reminder that age should never be a barrier to achieving one’s goals.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists.
are good for free or discounted admission to high school athletic events.
“In looking at it, I do feel that it would benefit our senior population and we do have a lot of grandparents that are raising children at home,” Edwards stated. “It’s just recently gone up to $10 admission for our high schools.”
After some discussion over whether to offer a 50% discount or make admission free for seniors, Davis suggested the board table the item until the next meeting.
“Don’t get me wrong, this board’s 100% in favor of helping the seniors,” he said. “I think we just need to decide how much we can do. I think it’s really a three-part question: Are we going to do 50%, are we going to do 100% and are we going to allow for out-of-county folks? And I think that’s what we really need to do is go back to the athletic directors and see how that’s going to impact their budgets.”
some complaints but many have also responded, “Thank God, it’s about time!”
With the new right turn only exit from the parking lot, Crayton said he’s not concerned it will cause traffic congestion at the stoplight.
“I think the stoplight will control that pretty well,” he said.
“There’s a censor that powers that stoplight so the light on 41 only turns red when someone is trying to get out of the parking lot.
I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Notice is hereby given pursuant to NCGS 158-7.1(c) that a public hearing will be held on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 6:00pm in the Duplin County Commissioner’s Room of the County Administration Building, 224 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments on an economic development incentives and performance agreement for Project
Duplin County’s unemployment decreases slightly for August
Duplin County
The nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Duplin County for August decreased slightly to 4%, according to statistics released Oct. 2 by the N.C. Department of Commerce. That number translates to 1,023 people out of Duplin’s estimated workforce of 25,435 receiving unemployment benefits during the month of August. The 4% rate for August is 0.1 percentage points lower than the rate for July but 0.4 percentage points higher than the same time period in 2023. Unemployment rates increased in 49 North Carolina counties in August, decreased in 29 and remained unchanged in 22. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.4%, while Dare County had the lowest at 3.2%.
of Deeds records 12 new assumed business names
Duplin County
The Duplin County Register of Deeds Office recorded 12 new assumed business names for the month ending Sept. 30. The assumed business names and real names of the person or entity engaging in business are: The Gathering Place Events, Mo’Joe Coffee, LLC, Ramona Casteen; Cypress Creek Guns, Bobby Maready; Attract Interactive Central Carolina, Southern Urge Media, Chandler B. Singleton; Hardison & Burgette Family Dentistry, Hardison & Burgette, P.A., Christopher D. Hardison; Super Mercado Latino, Silvia Baquedano; ProGlam by Kat, Katherine Melissa Ortega Medina; Pyramid Top Trucking, LLC, Jamrica Levar Pearsall; Phipps and Sons Welding and Maintenance, Virginius R. Phipps; Hwy. 24 Grill & Grocery, Fati’s, Inc., Mohammed Hamoud Rashid; Sterling Oaks Equestrian Center, Jadriene Shuford, David Shuford; Duplin Armory, Lewis Family Ventures, Jennifer M. Lewis; Hold Fast ENC, Malcolm Ray McLeod.
Pesticide certification course available at JSCC Warsaw Anyone who wishes to apply restricteduse pesticides requires certification through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Certification is awarded after applicants pass required exams. This course is needed to obtain a private pesticide license. The course will be offered at James Sprunt Community College’s WestPark Campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 through Nov. 5. For more information or to register, contact Star Jackson at 910-659-6010 or visit bit. ly/3NrDm1T.
Panda. Potential incentives may include required local matches for pending NC Commerce state loans/ grants as well as other county incentives. The company anticipates local investment up to $16 million and the creation of up to 167 new local jobs. Duplin County welcomes public comments before acting on all potential incentive and performance agreements.
was about 30-40 of them that stayed up in one hauler, and they gathered up in the church, and it took the church — all of them are gone. … There were some two-by-fours left in the trees, but the whole church was gone. … No one was left alive,” said Norris, adding that they couldn’t even locate where the church used to be.
Norris told Duplin Journal they started moving people away from the mountainsides on the first morning.
“When we got to moving around, we realized how massive it was,” said Norris. “I started calling in our partners all around the country trying to figure out how to get equipment and stuff in here,” said Norris, explaining that Emerge works with the Emergency Management Operations Office that partners with other North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster companies.
Currently, they are taking in about 100-150 volunteers a week, and about 20% are from Duplin County. Norris also shared that law enforcement mobilized volunteers from Lenoir, Onslow and Wayne counties, to name a few. “Many of them were housed here so they could take a shower. ... I’ve got some that are here serving and working with the Pink Hill and Potters Hill fire departments,” said Norris.
“We worked with the head of emergency management out of Black Mountain. We coordinated with them, sent crews out with the town of Black Mountain and Montreat, and helped clear roads,” said Norris, adding that Emerge also partnered with the town to help them. “That’s how I got people in and out. .... Plus we have our chaplain’s passes and stuff where we can go across federal barricades. That helped us be able to maneuver people and supplies where other people couldn’t.”
Last week, Norris told Duplin Journal they had crews doing cadaver searches and that the area was like a war zone from the devastation they were seeing on the ground. “The infrastructure there is totally destroyed.”
“We could smell (the cadavers), but we couldn’t find them; they’re just so deep. And then we’ve got people still floating up in the Tennessee River, where (communities) were swept into the rivers. We ain’t found nobody alive,” he said. “We have found people alive, but you don’t find them alive when they’re in those places. There have been a lot of rescues, though, and saved many lives. We are passing out supplies and feeding about 3,000 people a day on average.”
Norris told Duplin Journal that they chose to set up a command center there for a centric location, which provided more access.
“We were almost in the center between the bottom of Old Fort and Asheville. … And we were backed off the mountain out of the main roadway zone through 70. That way, we wouldn’t block traffic in town because it’s such a small town. They started turning people away because they were just coming and drop -
ping stuff off in the middle of the street, and it just became a mess,” he said, explaining that at that point, people trying to help overwhelmed an already overwhelmed area because they went in without planning how they would get through or where they could drop off the supplies.
“We’ve honored the city and the process. I don’t want anybody to think we’ve been out here cowboying it and doing all this on our own,” said Norris, adding that he is extremely thankful for all the volunteers, donors and their partners for enabling them to set up a command center there.
“We’re bringing in agriculture drones and have four-wheelers. Besides that, it’s making its way up different parts of the mountains to deliver food and water,” said Norris, explaining that the drones help deliver about 3050 pounds of food and water to the most inaccessible areas.
“Some places the four-wheelers can’t even get to. So far, I’ve got two (drones) on their way,” said Norris, explaining the outpouring of help they are getting through their website from people donating their time and resources like the drones to support those who have lost everything.
To make a real difference, Norris emphasized the need for more volunteers to sign up through their website at Emerge for Unity.
“This will be a yearlong process,” Norris said of the rebuilding efforts, adding that volunteers will play a crucial role in the journey. Norris collaborates with the Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders, a Christian volunteer organization, to provide support.
According to Norris, homeowners who rebuild with that organization can benefit from mortgages typically under $500. Additionally, those who opt for home repairs may have the remaining mortgage forgiven if they stay in the house for three years.
“Jimmy Carter helped them understand how to do that, just like Habitat for Humanity; that’s why I partner with them,” said Norris. “They won’t move in for another month, but people will still volunteer through Emerge to get to them because I’ll vet the volunteers.”.
Amidst all the loss and devastation, a common denominator Norris sees among the volunteers is that their personal encounters with a natural disaster and hardships have strengthened their resolve to make a meaningful impact. Their involvement is not just valuable; it’s crucial in the coming months.
As of press time, they are feeding and supplying more than 7,000 people daily and need more volunteers. According to Norris, they are also starting to clean out the houses destroyed and will need all hands on deck. He also shared that they have enough supplies to last until Oct. 19, the date they have scheduled for the next mass delivery. Norris is asking the public who wishes to help to continue gathering supplies for the next delivery date. Visit emerge4unity.org/helene-volunteer for more information on how you can help.
Food and supply donations are gathered at the Cragmont Assembly facility in Black Mountain. Emerge Ministries is currently feeding and supplying more than 7,000 people daily. They have enough supplies to last until Oct. 19, which is the date they have scheduled for the next mass delivery. People wishing to drop off supplies can go to Sandy Plain Church, located at 949 N.C.-241 in Pink Hill from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The statewide general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The statewide general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day
The statewide general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id.
Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 17, 2024 to Saturday, November 2, 2024:
Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 17, 2024, to Saturday, November 2, 2024:
• Ed Emory Auditorium, 165 Agriculture Dr., Kenansville, NC 28349
Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 17, 2024, to Saturday, November 2, 2024:
• Ed Emory Auditorium, 165 Agriculture Dr., Kenansville, NC 28349
• American Legion, 529 E. Southerland St., Wallace, NC 28466
• Ed Emory Auditorium, 165 Agriculture Dr., Kenansville, NC 28349
• American Legion, 529 E. Southerland St., Wallace, NC 28466
Thursday, October 17
Thursday, October 17
Friday, October 18
Friday, October 18
Sunday, October 20
Monday, October 21
Sunday, October 20
Monday, October 21
Tuesday, October 22
Tuesday, October 22
Wednesday, October 23
Thursday, October 24
• American Legion, 529 E. Southerland St., Wallace, NC 28466
8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Thursday, October 17 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Friday, October 18 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Sunday, October 20 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
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Monday, October 21 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Tuesday, October 22 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Thursday, October 24
Friday, October 25
Friday, October 25
Monday, October 28
Tuesday, October 29
Monday, October 28
Tuesday, October 29
Wednesday, October 30
Thursday, October 31
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Wednesday, October 23 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Thursday, October 24 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Friday, October 25 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Monday, October 28 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Tuesday, October 29 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
Wednesday, October 30
Thursday, October 31
Friday, November 1
Friday, November 1
Saturday, November 2
8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Wednesday, October 30 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Thursday, October 31 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
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Friday, November 1 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
Saturday, November 2
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Saturday, November 2 8:00 AM-3:00 PM
Absentee ballots for requesting uniformed and overseas citizens (UOCAVA or MIL/OVR voters) will begin to be distributed on Friday, September 20, 2024 Absentee ballots for all other eligible voters who have requested them will be mailed beginning September 24 2024 A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the board of elections. The request must be received through the website or by the Duplin County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 29, 2024
Absentee ballots for requesting uniformed and overseas citizens (UOCAVA or MIL/OVR voters) will begin to be distributed on Friday, September 20, 2024 Absentee ballots for all other eligible voters who have requested them will be mailed beginning September 24, 2024 A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the board of elections. The request must be received through the website or by the Duplin County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 29, 2024
Absentee ballots for requesting uniformed and overseas citizens (UOCAVA or MIL/OVR voters) will begin to be distributed on Friday, September 20, 2024 Absentee ballots for all eligible voters who have requested them will be mailed beginning September 24, 2024 A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe.gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the board of elections. The request must be received through the website or by Duplin County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 29, 2024
In the general election, voters will select candidates for U.S. President, U.S. House of Representatives, N.C. Governor, N.C. General Assembly, state and local judges, district attorney, and county offices
In the general election, voters will select candidates for U.S. President, U.S. House of Representatives, N.C. Governor, N.C. General Assembly, state and local judges, district attorney, and county offices
In the general election, voters will select candidates for U.S. President, U.S. House of Representatives, N.C. Governor, N.C. General Assembly, state and local judges, district attorney, and county offices
REFERENDA that will appear on all ballots in Duplin County:
REFERENDA that will appear on all ballots in Duplin County:
REFERENDA that will appear on all ballots in Duplin County:
• There is a proposed CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Voters will be able to vote for or against the proposed amendment. The proposed amendment states: “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and
• There is a proposed CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Voters will be able to vote for or against the proposed amendment. The proposed amendment states: “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and
• There is a proposed CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Voters will be able to vote for or against the proposed amendment. The proposed amendment states: “Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State.”
• There is a proposed DUPLIN COUNTY MALT BEVERAGE REFERENDUM. Voters will be able to vote for or against the proposed referendum. The proposed referendum states: “To permit the “on-premises” and “off-premises” sale of malt beverages.”
• There is a proposed DUPLIN COUNTY UNFORTIFIED WINE REFERENDUM Voters will be able to vote for or against the proposed referendum. The proposed referendum states: “To permit the “on-premises” and “off-premises” sale of unfortified wine.”
The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, October 11, 2024 Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. New registrants will be required to provide documentation of their residence
Absentee meetings will be held at the Duplin County BOE Office located at 160 Mallard St., Kenansville, NC 28349. Absentee meetings will be held at 5:00 PM on October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22, October 29, November 4, and November 5. Other business may be transacted by the Board at these meetings.
Questions? Call the Duplin County Board of Elections Office at (910) 296-2170 or send an email to dcboe@duplincountync.com
Hawks take down Bulldogs to muddy the ECC race
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
LAGRANGE — No. 1 Alabama lost last Saturday afternoon to SEC doormat Vanderbilt.
No. 4 Tennessee was upended by underwhelming Arkansas later in the evening.
The previous day, the biggest upset in the NCHSAA came when North Lenoir slipped past Walllace-Rose Hill, 18-15.
Say what?
Indeed, the best football team in Duplin County and most of eastern North Carolina the past 50 years fell to the
Hawks in what was the second huge win by a Lenoir County school in as many weeks. East Duplin lost to Kinston 52-22 a week earlier.
And after years of being “everyone’s Super Bowl,” WRH was hit with a shocking upset.
“Teams circle us on the schedule,” said WRH coach Kevin Motsinger. “It’s a blessing and a curse.” Even so, WRH (4-3, 2-1) can still defend its ECC title if it can win its final four scheduled games. The Bulldogs are idle this week but return to face Kinston, East Duplin and James Kenan to end the regular season.
“We control our own destiny if we win out.” Motsinger said. “Everything this team want-
ed is still there. Then this loss is only big in terms of getting seeded in the playoffs.
“It’s a whole lot easier to climb the mountain than stay on top of it because everyone wants to knock you out. We get everyone’s best game.”
Yet much of the Bulldogs’ pain was caused by their play. It started early and never stopped.
“Some of our seniors are really upset because they know we did this through our mistakes,” Motsinger said. “So this is either a turning point or a breaking point.”
Make no mistake, there was little to be happy about for the Bulldogs.
See HAWKS, page B3
North Duplin looks to avenge a loss to Lakewood that cost the Rebels an outright CC title
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — Defense has been the calling card for the North Duplin football team.
After giving up just 37 points in four games, the Rebels logged a first en route to their fifth-straight win: a shutout.
The Rebels limited Bear Grass to 19 total yards and three first downs, and the offense went off for 408 rushing yards and two touchdown passes during a 48-0 win last Friday at H.E. Grubbs Field.
“The consistency of work our kids put in helped put us in the right spots, and we made the plays when we needed to make them,” said ND coach Hugh Martin, whose Rebels are 5-0.
“The D-line did a nice job, our linebackers reacted well.”
North Duplin will need to pay more attention to detail on Friday when Lakewood visits for a key league encounter. The
Carolina 1A Conference was decided last fall when Lakewood (5-2, 1-0) beat North Duplin 23-15 in Roseboro.
ND beat defending champion Rosewood, while the Leopards lost to Hobbton, and the two schools tied for the league flag, though the No. 1 seed from the CC in the playoffs went to Lakewood.
Rivalry game has long history
The ND-Lakewood matchup is a rivalry filled with bad blood, plenty of penalty flags and intense sidelines.
“These games usually come down to something late in the game,” Martin said. “They are tightly contested, close, physical games.”
Getting “stops” has always been the best barometer for this game, as the best defense prevails.
Last fall in Salemburg, ND led 15-8 with 4:11 to play in the third quarter only to see Lakewood score the final 15 points.
Senior quarterback Ryland Godbold (39-84 for 716 yards,
See ND, page B2
James Kenan crushed South Lenoir to stay unbeaten in prep for a game against Kinston
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WARSAW — Expect an electric atmosphere at Bill Taylor Field on Friday when unbeaten James Kenan takes on Kinston in a game that will give the winner sole possession of first place in the East Central 2A Conference.
Both teams have a quarterback who can orchestrate an explosive attack. Both have speedy running backs and re -
ceivers who can take it to the house if left unattended in the open field.
JK (6-0, 2-0) got to the showdown by whipping East Duplin 55-22, Whiteville 21-20 in OT and smothering victories over Swansboro, Midway, East Bladen and South Lenoir, which came via a 42-0 dusting last Friday in Warsaw.
Eli Avent (10-17 for 210 yards) threw four touchdown passes, three of which were in the hands of Tyquise Wilson (6 -148) and the other to David Zeleya.
Avent (7-42) also had a running score, while connecting twice with CJ Hill (2-46).
Imir Sanders paced the run-
ning attack with nine carries for 135 yards. Jeremiah Hall (2-25, TD) and Josh Mitchell (4-30) added to the homecoming victory.
North Lenoir beat Wallace-Rose Hill 18-15, making it twice that Lenoir County schools have topped a Duplin school in the past three seasons following a realignment that brought SL, NL and Kinston into the ECC.
“The ECC has had a grenade dropped in the middle, and it makes you wonder about preseason conference poll,” said JK coach Tim Grady, who is seeking to bring a conference title
See TIGERS, page B4
Harrells Christian Academy captured its fifth straight win after an opening night loss
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
RALEIGH — An unforced bye week, which came via Hurricane Helene, put a bit of rust on the gear of the Harrells Christian Academy football team last Friday against Wake Christian.
Yet the cream rose to the top quickly as the Crusaders dumped the Bulldogs 53-0 for their fifth straight win.
Reid Strickland avenged an interception on the seventh snap of the evening to throw a touchdown pass, and Demetrius Jones, Jarrod Miller, Dashaun McKoy and J’Kaeshi
Brunson had running scores in the Big East Conference matchup at a packed stadium in Raleigh for the Bulldogs’ homecoming.
HCA (5-1, 2-0) also seized on mistakes by Wake Christian (1-5, 0-2)
GRACE Christian (2-5, 0-3) pays a visit to Murphy-Johnson Stadium on Friday.
Strickland found Jeremiah Davis for a 37-yard strike for the first score with 4:42 left in the opening quarter.
A three-and-out by the Crusaders defense led to an eightplay, 59-yard march that ended with McKoy scoring from the 4. The march featured first-down runs by Brunson and Jones.
Up 14-0, HCA scored three times in a span of 31 seconds to expand its lead to 32-0. Jones hit paydirt from the 13, and then McKoy jumped a
route from his defensive back spot to intercept a pass and return it for a score.
McKoy then forced a fumble that Luke Wells recovered, and on the next play, Brunson scored from the 10.
Six plays later, McKoy returned punt 62 yards to make it 39-0 at halftime.
Miller’s 6-yard score at the 6:52 mark of the third started the clock running via the 42-point mercy rule.
Matthew Wilson notched the final points early in the fourth with a 10-yard effort.
HCA, which did not play High Point Christian (6-0) because of the weather, travels to longtime rival Ravenscroft (2-5, 1-1) Oct. 18 and ends its regular season at home against Trinity Christian (5-1, 2-0) in what could be a game that decides the Big East Conference title.
Owens scored three times as Richlands stayed unbeaten by ripping Swansboro
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
RICHLANDS — Six up, six in the win column.
The rest of the numbers were just decoration for the Richlands football team, which pounded Swansboro 42-0 last Friday at Earl Taylor Field.
Caleb Simco ran for three touchdowns, Nate Mummert returned a punt 50 yards for a score, and Christian Diaz and Cale WIlges added second-half scores. Yet the biggest number may have been a non-number, as Richlands held the Pirates to zero yards of offense from scrimmage. They had 33 yards via kick returns.
It was the Wildcats’ fourth shutout of the season. Only Princeton (41-24) and South Brunswick (28-14) have been able to crack Richlands’ defense.
15 TDs in 2023) is returning from an injury. He threw for 90 yards in a 7-6 loss to North Johnston on Sept. 30 in his first game back from an injury. He also runs the ball in the Leopards offense (26 -143, 3 TDs), as do his classmates in the backfield — Chris Carr (37277, 3 TDs) and Nakai Owens (23-201, TD). Backup quarterback Reed Ammons (15-22, 191 yards passing; 22-146, 4 TDs rushing) has filled in well as a freshman pressed into action.
While the Leopards are not a big-play offensive team, their defense is spearheaded by OLBs Dashaun Carr and Owens, who have 51 and 50 tackles, respectively. Cooper Ivey, Devin Jones and Calvin Lacewell each have 30-plus tackles for a team that has 10 interceptions.
“To me, we weren’t very sharp,” said Richlands coach Pat Byrd. “And some of the things we didn’t do well won’t go so well against the teams we have to play later.
Lakewood’s other loss came via a 37-34 setback to 2A Midway. The Leopards are giving up 16.1 points per game.
Rebels run over Bear Grass
Carell Phillips ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns, which included scores from 34- and 65-yards out.
Donavan Armwood added 67 yards on four carries, and quarterback Luke Kelly fired touchdown passes to Branson Martin and Lucas Dail.
ND cranked out 435 yards of offense, which included contributions from running back Vance Carter (7-72) and eight other rushers.
Phillips (71-726, 13 TDs) leads the Duplin Journal area in yards and touchdowns. Kelly’s touchdown tosses were his first of the fall.
“But some of that is me because when we won a state championship at Jacksonville, I always saw things we could do better, felt we didn’t play to our full potential.”
Stretch runs starts with Cougars
Richlands starts the meat of its Coastal 3A Conference slate on Friday by hosting Croatan (4-2, 0-1).
“They do stuff defensively that could give us fits,” Byrd said. “Croatan powers the ball at you and I think we can handle that, if we stay aware, based on how our kids have played this season.
“But I think we’ll see Croatan rush us … on pass plays and running plays. Our defense has been good. We took a lot of our starters out against Swansboro with seven minutes left in the third quarter. They’re ready.”
Cougars quarterback Coleman Davis (46-95) has thrown for 608 yards and 10 touchdowns to a variety of receivers, while Andrew Boucher (52438) paces the running attack, with support from both Davis (48-218) and JP Baccoli (46-198).
Croatan has passed the ball for 638 yards and ran it for 848 yards, and it has wins over Beddingfield, East Carteret, Pamlico County and Washington, which have a combined record of 7-20.
The Cougars lost to White Oak 27-7 last Friday. A trip to West Carteret (4-2, 1-0) and a home game against White Oak (5-1, 1-0) follow. Richlands closes the regular season against Dixon (1-5, 0-1).
Gridiron notes
Simco has touchdown runs runs of 36, 11 and 3 yards. He was 4-of-11 for 26 yards passing. Diaz bolted 27 yards for his score. Richlands cranked out 318 yards of offense, which included 16 first downs. They were 3 of 9 on third down and 3 of 5 on fourth down.
Simco has run for 12 touchdowns and passed for seven while accounting for 986 yards.
Lineman CJ Marra returned after injuring his knee in July.
“He got cleared and probably got 25 or 30 snaps,” Byrd said. “He’ll give us depth. Byrd is also thinking about giving rising lineman Nick Herring extended playing time after a lower back injury stalled his progress. “He’s working his way back and will compete for a spot somewhere.”
Anthony Kornegay, from left, Donovan Armwood, Marcus Hill, Gavin McClenny and ND will face archrival Lakewood on Friday at H.E. Grubb Field.
James Kenan logged its seventh shutout of the season via goals by Ordones and Ramirez to push aside
WRH
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — Rivalry games in Duplin County bring out the best soccer.
Wins are special, losses a reflection point and fan-friendly classics expected.
Robert Ordones and Ronny Ramirez notched goals Monday night to send James Kenan past Wallace-Rose Hill in a battle between the defending ECC champion Bulldogs and the Tigers, winner of the previous three league titles.
The win lifted the Tigers (9 -2, 6-0) into the catbird’s seat of the league.
WRH coach Rodrigo Diaz said the play of striker Peter Omega and the JK defense played a significant role but says his Bulldogs would be a better team with a better plan for the Oct. 30 rematch in Warsaw.
“Peter is a phenomenal player, and he possessed the ball and controlled the play a little too much,” Diaz said. “He’s a next-level talent. They’re also a well-coached and well-disciplined team in what they try to do. They play fast and moved the ball well.”
The Tigers kept WRH (11-2-2, 3-1) at bay by heavily checking Bulldogs striker Alex Zepeda, whose 24 goals rank seventh among all players in the state, according to MaxPreps.
“We’ll be a different team our
last match of the season (vs. JK),” said Diaz, who has seen growth in players such as sophomore Cristian Calderon, juniors Steven Acosta and Junior Ayestas and senior forward Chris Mejia. “It’s always about who wants it more and for us taking everyone’s best shot.”
The win was the biggest this fall for James Kenan and the seventh time the Tigers logged a shutout and limited its foes to a paltry seven goals in 11 matches.
That, more than anything, puts a smile on veteran Tigers coach Mitchell Quinn.
JK will ride the Duplin County rivalry wheel its next two matches, hosting East Duplin two days after the win over WRH, and then traveling to Beulaville next Tuesday.
Comeback Panthers push Bulldogs to limit before falling
East Duplin tried to lock down Zepeda but found out there are ways he can still contribute and that the supporting cast can fill in the gaps when the Bulldogs’ all-state player is blanketed.
Calderon broke a scoreless tie four minutes into the second half and the goals seemed to flow like a facet from that point forward during the Bulldogs 6-5 overtime win.
Calderon’s second header made it 2-0 before Panther Hayes Rogers punched in a score from a crossing pass to cut the margin in half.
Ayestas quick-punched a ball in the box into the back of the net to give WRH a 3-1 lead.
But the match was far from over and ED found ways to rally each time WRH seemed to pull away.
A penalty kick by Oskar Canales with 11:34 to play and goal six minutes later by Brayan Mendez knotted it at 3-all and forced overtime.
WRH got a score from Zepeda to go in front 5-3 after the first 10-minute OT, and the game looked all but over, especially after Acosta jammed in a goal early in the second OT to put the Bulldogs in front by two scores.
A score by Eliel Estrada made it 6-3.
It’s all over, right?
Hardly.
But Marvin Sanchez and Orlando Rodriguez scored to trim the lead to 6-5 with 1:11 to play before a potential penalty-kick showdown.
WRH held on to continue its dominance of ED in the past three seasons.
“We didn’t play to our potential and mental mistakes cost us,” Diaz said. “They didn’t quit, but we also gave them opportunities. We’re crosstown rivals who will always play extra hard in games like these.
“We rose from the dead, really, after our loss (5-1) to Clinton. We showed our character, much the same as East Duplin did. It was a very physical game.”
No less than 10 players from both schools were on the ground due to a hard hit or fall in the slugfest.
ED actually controlled the pace and had more scoring chances in the first 40 minutes, though WRH missed a few opportunities to score.
Bill Carone
Tyquise Wilson has given the James Kenan football team a special weapon with his speed, footwork, jukes, sure hands and the amount of yardage he gains after catching the ball.
Wilson, the top wide receiver in the Duplin Journal area, nabbed six balls from quarterback Eli Avent for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 homecoming win over South Lenoir last Friday.
The senior has caught 19 catches for 329 yards this season and also has three interceptions.
HAWKS from page B1
“Our offense was horrific, our defense was horrific, and the officiating was horrific,” Motsinger said. “Walking by our fans going to the bus, I felt we need to refund their money for gas and tickets to get in. We were not prepared to play, and I knew it.
“At one point I turned and yelled at our kids, ‘You’re in Lenoir County, not in bed asleep.’ But some losses can be good. It was for us in 2017 when East Dupin beat us (and WRH won a 1AA title in December). What I don’t think people see is that across the nation football is dying in the country and growing in cities.”
WRH went in front 7-6 in the second quarter only to see the Hawks counter with a score to lead 12-7.
The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead at 15-12 in the third quarter, but a touchdown pass on fourth-and-5 from the WRH 10 with 1:11 to play sealed the win for the Hawks (2-3, 2-0).
“North Lenoir has size and athletes and are good at what they do offensively, (running an option offense),” Motsinger said. “They made plays, and we didn’t.”
Junior running back Jamarae Lamb (15-187) scored both touchdowns for WRH, while Irving Brown added
90 yards carries on 12 carries and had two receptions for 32 yards.
Dane Turner ran in the 2-point conversion.
WRH rushed for 324 yards, and quarterback Matthew Wells added 46 yards via three completions.
None of that mattered in the end as the team that wins, and wins despite the odds, fell hard. This time, the WRH mystique was not enough.
Brown named to all-star team
On Sunday, Brown was named as one of 44 players on the North Carolina roster for the 88th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. The Dec. 21 game at Spartanburg High in South Carolina features seniors from both states. Roberts, who committed to play at Division 1 Ohio University, was one of three running backs on the Tar Heel all-star team. The N.C. team will be coached by Richard Bailey from Scotland High School. Alexander Central’s Butch Carter, Western Alamance’s Jeff Snuffer, Pine Forest’s Bill Sochovka, Hickory’s Joe Glass, Mallard Creek’s Kennedy Tinsley and West Brunswick’s Scott Loosemore are assistant coaches on Bailey’s Tar Heel staff.
TAKE NOTICE
CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY FILE#2024E000394
Wallace-Rose Hill needs two wins to claim its first outright conference crown in 40 years
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — Winning a conference title in volleyball is so rare at Wallace-Rose Hill that no one seems to remember if the Bulldogs have ever toted home a title.
They will become the second team to accomplish that feat sometime this week as coach Kevin Wiliams’ club (16-2, 9-0) has a nearly insurmountable lead over North Lenoir (11-3, 6-2) after dunking the Hawks 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-15) on Thursday in Teachey.
All the Bulldogs need to do to clinch is beat winless Kinston (0-10, 0-7) on Thursday to earn at least a co-ECC regular season crown.
A victory over East Duplin on Oct. 15 would make it official, but even a loss to the Panthers and a win two days later against James Kenan (6-10, 1-7) would serve up a league title.
WRH won an ECC title in 1984 under coach Steve Robinson, better known as the longtime boys’ coach who guided the Bulldogs to a pair of state basketball titles.
The second season of volleyball at WRH went 17-4 to capture an ECC crown, according to the school’s yearbook of that season when Williams was 16 years old and a junior at the school.
Bulldogs sweep Hawks to pave way to title
The huge win over North Lenoir came after Angelina Cavallaro punched home 19 kills and had four blocks. Jansley Page added 15 kills and 15 digs, while Analiese Rivenbark added seven kills and Mattie Gavin 40 assists.
The match was less intense than when the Bulldogs slipped past the Hawks 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 16-14) on Sept. 10 in LaGrange.
Three wins will exceed its victory total from last fall (18-5), and with at
TIGERS from page B1
least a pair of home games on Steve Robinson Court in the 2A playoffs, WRH could top the 22-4 mark set by the 2016 team, which did not win a conference title.
The Bulldogs would have to reach the fourth round of the tournament to reach the 23-win plateau.
Midway (14-3) has tagged both losses to the WRH ledger, the second of which came last week before a pair od ECC encounters. The Bulldogs dusted South Lenoir in three sets, a day after falling to the Raiders.
Panthers tune up in key ECC matches
East Duplin (12-4, 5-3) merely had to flex its muscles to throttle Kinston and Liberty Christian in straight sets last week. The vic-
tories were two more than the Panthers had last season, as coach Susan Raynor’s squad tuned up for final five ECC matches, which include two tussles against North Lenoir and matches versus South Lenoir (9-6, 5-3), Southwest Onslow (7-15, 2-6) and WRH.
At stake for the Panthers is second and third place in a battle between NL, SL and ED for playoff positioning. All three will likely make the 2A playoff field.
Zoe Cavanaugh and Kinsey Cave each had 10 kills in the win over the Heat in Beulaville.
Karsyn Parker added 10 digs and Anamarie Rodriguez had eight digs and two aces.
Two days earlier, Cavanaugh came through with 10 kills and five aces and Sophia Jones and Cave combined for 10 kills. Parker zipped in eight aces, while Rodriguez had 13 assists.
Rebels look for win over Wildcats for playoff positioning
ND (10-6, 5-3) needs a win over Hobbton (12-4, 4-4) on Thursday in Calypso in its regular season finale to maintain sole possession of third place in the Carolina 1A Conference standings.
That came about because the Rebels pushed over Lakewood (3-1) and Union (3-0) last week. Rosewood (18-2, 8-0) wrapped up the regular season title and Neuse Charter (13-7, 5-3) will no doubt whip Lakewood (3-14, 1-7) and Union (1-17, 1-7) to keep second place in the standings. While possible, it’s not probable that ND would beat Rosewood this week.
The two wins last week were two more than the Rebels finished with last fall.
Eva Quintanilla (12 kills), Tateyawna Faison (nine kills, eight blocks), Lilly Fulghum (37 assists) and Marissa Bernal (21 digs) set the pace in the sweep of the Leopards. Faison, Maggie Brown and Abigeal Norris-Brown combined for 19 kills in the destruction of the Spartans. NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, DEBRA EVERTON HOWARD, having qualified on the 12TH DAY of SEPTEMBER 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ROGER RAY EVERTON, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 18TH Day of DECEMBER 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 19th Day of SEPTEMBER 2024. DEBRA EVERTON HOWARD, EXECUTOR 10225 BUSHVELD LANE RALEIGH, NC 27613 Run dates: S19,26,O3,10P
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF DUPLIN NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, STEPHEN M. WILLIAMSON, JR and NANCY WILLIAMSON STEWART, having qualified as Co-Executor/ Executrix of the Estate of STEPHEN M. WILLIAMSON, Deceased, hereby notifies all persons, firms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said STEPHEN M. WILLIAMSON, JR and NANCY WILLIAMSON STEWART, at the address set out below, on or before DECEMBER 16, 2024, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 16th day of September, 2024.
STEPHEN M. WILLIAMSON, JR NANCY WILLIAMSON STEWART Co-Executor/Executrix OF THE ESTATE OF STEPHEN M. WILLIAMSON 209 STEPHEN STREET KENANSVILLE, NC 28349
to Warsaw for the first time since 2015, a season during which the Tigers beat WRH, East Duplin and North Duplin in the regular season.
“The Kinston quarterback can get the ball to players’ hands and they go on yards after a catch. Defensively, they flow to the football.”
Yet Grady says his team is level-headed despite its success.
“I’ve never been around such a humble team,” he said. “So let me say this: We’re not, to a man, overlooking Kinston. We’re staying humble and hungry.”
Vikings explode for five straight wins
Kinston (5-2, 3-0) fell to 3A South Central (5-2) and Greene Central (3-4) before getting in sync to rip Ayden-Grifton, Washington, ED and South Lenoir by a combined total of 104-48, and then push by Southwest Onslow 26-17 last Friday.
The Vikings have as many as 10 transfer players, including quarterback Tyler Jones (82-155), who has thrown for 1,150 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Tyreek Cooper (32-538) has seven
scoring receptions and Okie Edwards (23-345) five, while Alex Moore (35219, 2 TDs) and Jeremiah Hart (53279, 2 TDs) pace the running attack.
The Vikings offense is a definition of balance — Kinston is averaging 215 yards per game in passing and running.
Tigers defense will get toughest test to date
Defensive coordinator John Bert Avent has an 11-man group that has allowed just over 10 points per game, and there are leaders at many spots.
Linebacker Hassan Kornegay leads the Tigers in tackles with 74, but Ty Morrisey (54), Josh Mitchell (45), Dakota Henderson (34) and Cal Avent (33) have played key roles for the tackle-by-committee Tigers.
Zeleya has six interceptions and Wilson three. Zeleya has two pick6s, returned a punt for a touchdown and is tied with five other players for second place in picks in North Carolina. Charlotte Country Day’s Mac Summerville is tops with seven interceptions.
And the kicking game is on target as well. Emerson Gomez has split the uprights on 18 of 21 times after a touchdown.
The JK secondary is solid, but the Tigers will still need to put pressure on Jones and tackle after receptions.
The Tigers offense, which is spearheaded by Grady and assistant coaches Tyler Pugh and Ken Avent III, has as many weapons as Kinston.
Avent (39-64 for 739 yards), who is Ken III’s cousin, has thrown for seven scores and ran the ball 47 times for 202 yards and another seven touchdowns.
Speedy Wilson (19-329, 4 TDs) is his top target, with Chris Hill (7142, TD) and Zeyela (10-142, TD) as options.
Imir Sanders (41-383), Hall (35246) and Mitchell (27-229) push through holes from a solid O-line.
JK will travel to WRH and NL and host SWO in its final three regular seasons games. The biggest hurdle is the Bulldogs, who have tamed the Tigers the past 12 games. The Hawks are a mystery, and the Stallions capable yet clearly looking like they are not ready-for-primetime in the ECC.
“Our kids don’t show up for practice with big heads,” Grady said. “They earn the success they’ve had and listen so well to the instructions of our coaching staff.”
May 3, 1978 – Sept. 28, 2024
Brenda Sue Register Jones, 46, of Wallace, passed from this life to her eternal rest on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
She was born on May 3, 1978 in Duplin County and was the daughter of Bobby Register and wife, Patricia “Pat” of Wallace and the late Ella Grace Ammons Register.
In addition to her father and stepmother, Brenda is survived by her sons, Brandon Scott Jones, Christopher Aaron Jones and Jason Lee Register, all of Kinston; grandson, Grayson Cole Jones; sister, Lisa Register and fiancé Michael Davis of Rose Hill; nephew, Chase Michael Davis; extended family and friends that loved her dearly.
Brenda was a loving mother, daughter and sister who loved her family with all her heart. She was a simple woman who enjoyed the simplest things in life, but her family was her greatest joy. With a big heart and love for others, Brenda loved everyone and was loved in return. She will surely be missed but treasured memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew her.
Funeral service was held on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at The Church of Pentecostal Gathering with Pastor Rodney Bonham officiating.
The family received friends on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home Wallace Chapel.
Burial followed the funeral service at Riverview Memorial Park on Thursday.
Sept. 12, 1950 – Oct. 4, 2024
Jennie Fields Stroud, 74, passed away on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 in Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington. Arrangements were incomplete as of press time.
Survivors include: spouse, Herbert Stroud of Rose Hill; son, Robert Myrick of Wilmington; daughter, Danielle Stroud of Kinston; sister, Bobbie Jean Rivenbark of Rose Hill; brother, Skipper Fields of Wallace; and grandchild, Lola Grace Waters.
June 25, 1952 – Sept. 28, 2024
William Lawrence Boseman, 72, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Warsaw Health & Rehab., Warsaw.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Boseman and Dollie Adams; stepfather, William Adams and a granddaughter, Constance Boseman; grandmothers, Pearl Howell, Maybell Adams, Mrs. Strickland.
Graveside service was held on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at Odell Thompson Cemetery, Odell Thompson Lane in Beulaville. Visitation took place at the cemetery.
Survivors include: sons, William Earl Boseman, Anthony Wade Boseman, Eric Boseman, and Frank Allen Thompson, all of Beulaville; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Special cousins that helped William through the years, we thank them for their help: Mary Adams, Barbara Jarvis, Judy Brann and Joy Brann.
March 13, 1965 – Oct. 3, 2024
Tanya Casteen Mercer, 59, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at home. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Jennifer C. Mercer and her parents, Daniel Casteen and Carolyn Rogers Sanderson.
Tanya is survived by her husband, Gary Daniel Mercer of Pink Hill; daughter, Isabella Carol Mercer of Pink Hill; sisters, Renee Casteen of Kenansville, Trena Casteen Bryan and husband Bill of Jacksonville; and brother, Royce Kinan Casteen and wife Susan of Beulaville.
Funeral service, followed by visitation, was held on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville. Graveside service was Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 at East Duplin Memorial Gardens, Beulaville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sandy Plain OFWB Church, 949 NC 241, Pink Hill, NC 28572.
Sept. 3, 1966 – Oct. 2, 2024
Tonda Michelle Osteen, 58, of Greensboro, after declining health due to HOCM (Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy) and a stroke, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, at her sister’s home in Wallace.
She was born on Sept. 3, 1966, in Darlington County, South Carolina; the daughter of the late Jack Hendrix Osteen and Sarah Margaret Mahaffey Osteen. Tonda was also preceded in death by her brother, Jack Hendrix Osteen Jr. and brother-in-law, William H Moore.
Surviving is the apple of her eye, her son, Jack Champion Osteen of Greensboro; sisters, Jacqueline Moore of Wallace and Pamela King and husband Bill of North Myrtle Beach; nephews Sid King and Paul Basciano and numerous extended family and friends.
Tonda grew up in Hartsville, South Carolina, where she attended The Patterson School (earlier known as Episcopal Boarding School) in Lenoir. After graduating, she attended Guilford College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Community and Justice Studies.
Most of Tonda’s working career was helping others as she worked as a social worker in mental health. She took her job seriously and enjoyed giving of herself to others. Tonda had a big heart and she would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need. Most of all, Tonda loved her son more than anything in the world. She enjoyed spending time with him and watching him grow into a kind hearted young man. Tonda will surely be missed by everyone who knew her, but she will never be forgotten.
Memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Room at the Inn. 734 Park Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27405. This is a licensed shelter for homeless pregnant women. SPONSORED
Nov. 24, 1966 – Oct. 3, 2024
Neal Wayne Thigpen, 57, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, at his home. Visitation was Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 at Tarkil Branch Farm, 1198 Fountaintown Road, Beulaville. Funeral service was Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville. Interment followed at East Duplin Memorial Gardens, Beulaville.
Survivors include: daughters, Brittney Thigpen Wheeler (Brian) of Richlands, Kristen Hansley (Lawrence) of Maple Hill; brother, Ray Thigpen (Renee) of Hampstead; and grandchild, Nicholas Herring.
Sept. 16, 1932 – Oct. 4, 2024
Anita Graham Fussell Cottle, 92, passed away Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the Lower Cape Fear Life Care Center in Wilmington. She was born in Rose Hill to Henry Graham and Emily Arlene Fussell. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her daughter, Kay Cottle Wells. Left to cherish her memory is her husband of 73 years, Doane Jackson Cottle; sister, Lois Rivenbark and husband Jack; children, Debbie Cottle Powell, Joy Cottle Hufham and husband Gurney, Herbie Cottle and wife Sue Ellen; grandchildren, Justin Powell and wife Rachael, Ryan Powell and wife Jenna, Bradley Cottle and wife Kristin, Christopher Hufham and wife Kristin, Ashley Cottle Quinn and husband Adam, Scott Hufham, Michael Hufham and fiancé Sara; great-grandchildren Jackson, Allie, Bryson, Callie, Tucker, Cohen, Phoebe, and Harris.
After graduating from Rose Hill High School, Anita attended Meredith College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where she received a BA in English.
Anita was a lifelong member of the Rose Hill Baptist Church, where she was the organist for over 30 years. She also taught piano lessons in her home and at Rose Hill Elementary School. Anita was an excellent cook and she loved preparing meals for her family and friends. She also enjoyed reading, playing the piano and solving crossword puzzles. Anita loved spending time with her church family and Rose Hill friends. Many friends have recently shared how much she has blessed them. More than anything, she loved her grandchildren dearly and treasured the time spent with them.
A memorial service was held on Monday, Oct. 7, at Rose Hill Baptist Church, beginning with visitation at 1 p.m. and service at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in her memory to Rose Hill Baptist Church.
March 5, 1945 – Oct. 4, 2024
Evelyn Stallings Moore, 79, passed away on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Memorial Service will be on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 at 2 p.m. at Community Funeral Home, Beulaville. Visitation will follow the service. Interment will be private.
Survivors include: children, Michael Braxton, Walter Braxton, Canary Albritton, Crystal Pickett, Tina Ginn; 19 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren.
April 5, 1973 – Oct. 3, 2024
Shannon Blalock Strickland, 51, a resident of the Seven Springs area, passed away early Thursday morning, Oct. 3, 2024, while at home. Though recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, her passing came quite unexpected.
Preceded in death by her father, Thomas Elliot Blalock; her mother, Sandra Mathis Blalock Marham; and her only brother, Jonathan Elliot Blalock, Shannon leaves behind her husband, Dwayne Strickland; daughter, Mikayla Starnes of Newport; son, Robert Dwayne Strickland of Seven Springs; grandson, James Sutton of Newport and Calypso; stepmother, Cecilia Wise of Mount Olive; and many dear and loyal friends. She is also survived by the Strickland family who loved Shannon deeply and thought of her as their own.
She was employed with Villari Foods of Warsaw, where she was involved with scheduling. Prior to Villari, she had worked at Butterball in quality control office management.
Shannon, whose personality was larger than life itself, brought cheer everywhere she went. She loved bright things, jewelry with shine and bling, and plenty of it, fashionable clothing, and fun and laughter. An immaculate housekeeper, she enjoyed working in her yard, especially mowing the lawn and in complete Shannon-style. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, neighbor, and friend, and she will be sorely missed.
The Strickland family received friends Sunday, Oct. 6, at Tyndall Funeral Home, and at other times at the residence. Funeral services were held by the graveside Monday, Oct. 7, in the Strickland Family Cemetery, with Bishop Ralph Parker presiding. The family welcomes floral tributes, as well as memorial gifts which may be made to the charity of one’s choosing.
The small town sent two 18-wheelers full of supplies to Madison County
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — Last week, Calypso Fire Department trucks were parked outside, and the station was packed full of paper towels, toilet paper, toiletries, diapers, wipes, potato chips, bottled water and more supplies for the victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. It was enough for two tractor-trailer loads that were trucked to Madison County and the small town of Marshall over the weekend.
“It started with a phone call Sunday morning,” said Calypso resident Roger Davis. The result was an outpouring of donations from Calypso and surrounding communities Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“It has taken a lot of people to make this happen,” Gail Herring, who volunteered to help gather and organize the supplies, told Duplin Journal. “We’ve had local fire departments that all provided support. Industries and schools, just everybody has been so wonderful. We also had some students from North Duplin in the middle school that have done some volunteering.”
Calypso Fire Chief John Davis said he made some contacts with companies Cash Trucking and Tomahawk Trucking to line up the trucks to deliver the supplies to Madison County.
“We’ve had a lot of problems with storms like this, too,” he said, “and they helped us, so we want to help them.”
The townspeople also partnered with NC Baptists on Mission on the supply drive.
“Baptists on Mission has several thousand trained volunteers,” said Paul Langston, missions mobilization consultant with NC Baptists on Mission.
“I’ve never seen anything like this town.”
Teresa Gionet, Calypso resident
“Up there, we’ve connected with churches giving out food, baby items, etc. We’ve got 11 recovery sites up there with volunteers going in.”
Teresa Gionet said she’s only lived in Calypso for four years, but she has been impressed with how the community bands together to help others.
“I’ve never seen anything like this town,” she said. “They have fundraisers all the time for people, and now this. It’s wonderful.”
None of the Calypso residents wanted to take credit for all the supplies that were donated. Instead, Roger Davis said, “This was all the Lord’s work. He deserves all the credit.”
All are invited to celebrate Latino culture, food and entertainment
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
WALLACE — A group of Wallace residents have worked together over the past few months to organize a festival that will celebrate Latino culture, food, sports and entertainment. The first Festival Cultural Latino is planned for this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Wallace’s Clement Park.
“We’ll have dancers, yard games, food trucks,” said Wallace Mayor Pro Tem Francisco Rivas-Diaz, who chairs the committee planning the festival. “It’s an event for the whole community to come experience and celebrate our Latino community.”
The event will include a young group playing Mexican music, as well as music and dancing from Honduras. There will also be a soccer tournament, DJ and plenty of food trucks on hand serving Latino delicacies.
All are invited, he said, adding that he hopes to see folks from
all over the county at the park on Saturday.
Rivas-Diaz said about 15 years ago, a nonprofit organization called the Latinos would hold a festival every year in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. However, that tradition kind of fell by the wayside, until this year.
“We were hoping we would pick it back up and it will become an annual event,” he said.
In addition to Rivas-Diaz, the planning committee is made up of Vice Chair Luis Galan, Brenda Rivas-Diaz, Olga Polanco, Mar-
“It’s an event for the whole community to come experience and celebrate our Latino community.”
Francisco Rivas-Diaz, Festival Cultural Latino
goth Barahona, Geovanny Paredes and Nimia Sabillon.
“It’s all volunteer,” Rivas-Diaz said. “We’ve got a little bit of everything planned.”
When asked why Wallace was the ideal location for the Festival Cultural Latino, Rivas-Diaz said, “Wallace is the biggest town in Duplin County, and on top of that, we have a lot of Hispanic businesses in town. It’s just a place where folks want to raise their kids.”
The committee hopes the event will continue to grow, and become a festival all of Duplin County can celebrate.
“Our folks value the Latino community and their commitment to our country,” Rivas-Diaz said.
