the BRIEF this
week
Duplin experiences severe drought conditions
Duplin County
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council announced last week that Duplin is one of 11 counties in eastern N.C. experiencing severe drought conditions. The mid-to-longterm forecast suggests that these dry winter conditions will persist, largely due to the La Niña weather pattern. For the latest drought updates, which are released every Thursday, visit ncdrought.org.
Nominations for NCCEAPA
scholarships being sought
Kenansville
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association is accepting nominations for a $750 scholarship through March 20. The annual scholarship is available to people pursuing a college degree or a diploma program that results in a college degree in business or a business -related field of study. Applicants must be enrolled to attend classes during the 2025 -2026 school year. Contact the Duplin County Cooperative Extension Center at 910 -296-2143 or at 165C Agriculture Drive in Kenansville for information.
Free income tax assistance offered through UMO
Mount Olive
The University of Mount Olive Tillman School of Business will host a complimentary income tax service available to all eligible taxpayers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. From Feb. 12 to April 9, taxpayers can drop off their tax documents to be processed for free by student volunteers. After the tax return is completed and reviewed, the site coordinator will contact taxpayers to review and approve the tax return before electronic submission to the IRS. For general questions, call 843-446-6547.
Chinquapin Volunteer Fire and Rescue offers help with EMT certification
Chinquapin
The Chinquapin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad is searching for dedicated individuals who live in the region to join their team and is offering assistance to qualified candidates interested in getting their N.C. Emergency Medical Technician certification. For more information, visit Chinquapin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Monday nights at 7 p.m.
$2.00
Board of Education honored for School Board Appreciation Month
B.F. Grady student Emma Wallace presented the members of the Duplin County Board of Education with orchids and handprint artwork in recognition of School Board Appreciation Month at the Jan. 14 meeting.
School board addresses needs for aging high schools Mount Olive fires town manager
“We’ve not done anything significant at any of the high schools in my tenure on the board and that’s been 12 years.”
Brent Davis, Board of Education
Some schools haven’t had significant renovations in 50 years
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Some of Duplin County’s high schools haven’t been renovated since the 1970s, and the Board of Education is hoping to rectify that situation.
During the regular monthly meeting on Jan. 14, Assistant Superintendent Kevin Smith and Roger Jones, special adviser for facilities, transportation and operations, made a presentation on facility needs at the four high schools.
“Our high schools serve almost 3,200 students in total and utilize 49 total modular classrooms,” Smith said, adding that there is a need for more permanent classrooms at all four high schools, as well as needed renovations to gymnasiums, cafeterias, computer labs and fine arts buildings.
“If we address our facility capital needs at our high
schools, that will also allow us to expand curriculum needs.”
Jones shared the specific needs, which include LED lighting, ceiling replacement, electrical upgrades, painting of the buildings inside and out, flooring replacement, rekeying of interior doors and gymnasium upgrades. In the past few years, all the high school roofs have been replaced, and bathrooms have been updated, he pointed out.
Board vice chair Reginald Kenan said the board needs to get the ball rolling quickly.
“We’d love everything new, but realistically that doesn’t happen in our county for many reasons,” he said. “There’s a lot on that list, and I guess we need to just start to tackle things. Let’s be progressive with that and see where we go.”
Board member Pam Edwards agreed and said most importantly, the high school districts need to stay the same as they are now.
See SCHOOLS, page A6
Plans in motion for new agricultural education facility at HCA
“We’re very excited about the project and the expansion of our program. It’s really exciting to be able to see the possibility of offering so many more hands-on skills to our students.”
Lindsay Matthews, HCA agriculture teacher
While the project is in the early stages of planning, the school is excited about the possibilities
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
HARRELLS CHRISTIAN Academy is making significant strides with plans for a new agricultural education facility aimed at expanding the school’s agricultural program.
The initiative is led by Lindsay Matthews, HCA agriculture teacher and FFA adviser, who credits her former students for advocating for this idea.
Since starting her role in 2019, Matthews has seen the FFA program more than tripled. Matthews told Duplin Journal that the school’s FFA program for middle and high school had 40 students when
she started. Today the club has 100 students and a fully outfitted 2,700-square-foot greenhouse.
“We have also recently added a second instructor, so that’s allowed us to offer more classes to our middle school and high school students,” said Matthews. “We try to really incorporate opportunities for all of our students. We’ll interact with our lower school students, our K-5 students, whether we’re doing activities or projects or bringing our ag students to their classroom.“
Matthews emphasized the need for the new facility to support the continued growth of the program.
“Right now, we’re not able to offer classes like ag mechanics where they’re studying small engines, welding, woodworking.
See HCA, page A5
Glenn Holland was appointed interim town manager
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
MOUNT OLIVE — Mount Olive Town Manager Jammie Royall was dismissed after a special closed session meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 13. The vote, which was held after the closed session, was 3-2, with Commissioners Delreese Simmons and Vicky Darden opposed. The board also voted 3-2 to appoint Glenn Holland, currently the utilities superintendent, as interim town manager.
The move has been anticipated for several months, with several commissioners mentioning during the December and January regular
See DISMISSED, page A3
“There was nothing racial behind it. It was strictly performancebased reasons.”
Thomas Brown, Mount Olive commissioner
THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
jim@northstatejournal.com
Ena Sellers News Editor ena@northstatejournal.com
Abby Cavenaugh Features/Business Editor abby@northstatejournal.com
Michael Jaenicke Sports Editor michael@northstatejournal.com
Loretta Carey Office Manager loretta@northstatejournal.com
CONTACT US
Office Phone: 910 463-1240
To place a legal ad: 919 663-3232; Fax: 919 663-4042
THURSDAY
Jan. 29
• Duplin County Cooperative Extension is hosting a free Using Healthcare Online session on Jan. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 165-C Agriculture Drive in Kenansville. Participants who complete the test will be entered into a drawing to win a free iPad. For more information, call 252-320-9650.
Feb. 2
• Music on a Sunday With Friends, sponsored by the Friends of the Arts, will feature a performance by Carolina Sound, the renowned a capella ensemble from the University of Mount Olive. Led by director Lester Rector, Carolina Sound will provide an hour of joy for those who enjoy music. The performance will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, at Wallace Presbyterian Church at 205 West Main St. in Wallace.
Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 24
Duplin County Senior Services is offering digital information sessions for seniors on Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at 156 Duplin Commons Drive in Kenansville. Each participant that completes the pretest and post-test will be entered in a drawing to win a free iPad. Light refreshments will be provided. Call Jennifer Moore at 910-296-2140 to register.
Feb. 7
The deadline to submit applications to nominate and recognize some of the outstanding volunteers in Duplin County in person is Friday, Feb. 7. Applications can be picked up at Duplin County Senior Services.
Feb. 14
Join the Bulls, Barrels and Broncs event on Feb. 14 and 15 for some of the best rodeo action on dirt starting at 7 p.m. both nights. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy bull riding, bronc riding and barrel racing at the Duplin Events Center heated indoor arena. Advance tickets are $15, at the door tickets are $25. Kids 5 and under are free.
Feb. 18
• The application period for Pitch It Duplin! A competition for business entrepreneurs is now open. The deadline to submit an application video, professional resume and proof of residency is Feb. 18 by 5 p.m. Pitch It Duplin! gives entrepreneurs the chance to win money by pitching a new business idea to a panel of three industry experts. Selected applicants will be notified Feb. 20-21. Visit marinefederalhb.org for more details. The first-place winner will receive $3,000, second place will get $2,000 and the third-place winner will take home $1,000.
Feb. 22
The annual Mount Olive Black History Month Parade is planned for Feb. 22 on Talton Avenue, with a rain date of March 1. Parade entries are available at Mount Olive town hall.
Feb. 27
• Join the Town of Warsaw Community Gathering on Feb. 27 at the Warsaw Park and Rec Center on 309 Memorial Drive at 6 p.m. This is your opportunity to ask questions, share suggestions and meet with local leaders, elected officials, town employees, law enforcement, first responders and community organizations. Enjoy light refreshments and engage in open discussions.
Happening Monthly
The Duplin County Board of County Commissioners meets the first and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 224 Seminary St. in 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. in 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. in 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 Road. 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.
The Magnolia town board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at 108 Taylor St. in Magnolia. For information, call 910-289-3205.
• The Rose Hill town board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at 103 Southeast Railroad St. For more information, call 910-289-3159.
• The Duplin County Health Department is offering Diabetes Self Management Classes from 1-5 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 340 Seminary St. in Kenansville. For information, call 910-372-9178.
• The Wallace town council meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at 316 East Murray St. in Wallace. For more information, call 910-285-4136.
• Duplin County Beekeepers meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., at the Duplin Extension Center.
• Friends of Horticulture meet the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., at the Duplin Extension Center.
Jackson, other Democrat AGs will defend gun regs as Trump takes office
The attorneys general are stepping in to defend challenged federal gun rules
By Mike Catalini The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. — More than a dozen Democratic state attorneys general said last week that they plan to defend two gun regulations now being challenged in court, including one banning devices that enable semiautomatic guns to fire more quickly.
New Jersey Democratic Attorney General Matt Platkin said his state and others with Democratic attorneys general plan to intervene in cases already in the court system.
One case involves devices known as forced reset triggers, or FRTs, which can be installed on weapons, functionally turning them into machine guns, according to Platkin. The other centers on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Ex-
plosives regulation that came out of a 2022 law. The rule aims to close what is sometimes called the “gun show loophole,” by requiring up to an estimated 95,500 firearm sellers to conduct background checks. Second Amendment advoca-
cy groups and Republican-led states have challenged the rules in court.
“The incoming Administration has threatened these common-sense protections, so States are stepping in,” Platkin said in a statement.
It’s uncertain exactly how Trump would proceed, but he told an NRA audience during last year’s campaign that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”
The action comes just a day after New Jersey and other Democratic state attorneys general sought to intervene in cases involving so-called Dreamers, young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and coincides with Democratic efforts to push back against Trump’s second administration.
A federal judge in Texas held in 2024 that the trigger devices don’t count as machine guns, blocking the ATF from enforcing a ban of the devices. The case is awaiting a decision before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2024, a federal judge in Texas held that FRTs do not qualify as machine guns and issued a court order prohibiting ATF from taking criminal or civil enforcement actions regarding FRTs against a broad swath of entities, and ordering ATF to re-
turn FRTs to distributors by Feb. 22, 2025. The United States appealed that decision, and the parties are awaiting a decision from a federal appeals court. North Carolina and its new attorney general, Jeff Jackson, joined New Jersey in intervening in that case, as did Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The second case centers on a rule implementing the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law. The ATF rule expanded the category of people defined as “engaged in the business” of dealing firearms. It meant that an estimated 26,000 to 95,500 dealers would be required to get federally licensed and therefore be required to conduct background checks before sales. In May, 26 GOP attorneys general filed suits aiming to block the rule, arguing it violates the Second Amendment.
Along with New Jersey, other states intervening in that case are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO
Then-attorney general candidate Jeff Jackson speaks at a campaign event for Kamala Harris in Charlotte in September.
Teachey closes alleyway, discusses annexation
to the adjoining landowners.”
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — The Teachey Board of Commissioners approved an alleyway closure during its regular monthly meeting on Jan. 13.
The request, made by the Whitfield family at the November meeting, was to close the alleyway between Page Street and Lodge Street.
“The streets were laid out years ago and have never been developed or never been used,” explained Town Attorney Joseph Ezzell. “So if we closed that alleyway, it would no longer belong to the town and it would belong
A public hearing was held at the January meeting, and one nearby property owner stated that he would like to close the alleyway on his property as well. Ezzell told him he was welcome to request the closure, and the board would consider it and hold a public hearing at a future meeting.
After a discussion, the board unanimously approved the alleyway closure. Oscar Bautista of Teachey appeared before the board to request the annexation of his property on Log Cabin Road.
Bautista said he had originally requested the annexation in 2022, but was unable to annex at that time due to the town’s lack of water capacity.
“The first step is a petition filed by (Bautista),” Ezzell ex-
plained. “Basically, it’s a fill-inthe-blank form. Once he submits the petition, the board will instruct (the town clerk) to review the petition, and then she has to certify that all the legal framework is done. Once she’s certified it, we need to have a public hearing.”
After a public hearing, the board can then approve the annexation request.
The board discussed ways to expedite the process and finally decided that if Bautista can submit the petition before a special meeting on Jan. 31, the town can start the approval process and possibly annex the property at the March meeting.
Bautista plans to build at least 14 homes on acre lots once the property is annexed. He said he may add more homes and do half-acre lots instead.
Rose Hill town board holds brief meeting
A budget amendment and capital project ordinance were approved
By Abby Cavenaugh Duplin Journal
HILL
ROSE
— The Rose Hill Board of Commissioners held a relatively quick meeting on Jan. 14, approving several items of business with little discussion.
First on the agenda was the approval of continuing an annual contract with Southern Software for the town’s administrative financial management system and the police department’s records management system. The administrative contract was for $4,724, while the police department’s contract totaled $4,751.
The board unanimously approved the contracts.
Next up was the approval of a $15,000 budget amendment for the water fund. Town Administrator Angela Smith explained that as part of the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, all water meters were to be replaced by Core & Main. However, the proposal provided by Core & Main did not include new meter lids, which are required to allow for antennas on each water meter.
If the town had not approved the budget amendment, public works would have had to drill a hole into each lid, which would be time-consuming and require a drill bit replacement for about every 10 lids, Smith said.
The commissioners approved the budget amendment.
The town board also approved a resolution that allows the town to apply for fund-
ing for its lead service line replacement project. Six lines will need to be replaced, Smith said, all in the downtown East Church Street area.
“Depending on the severity of the lines,” Smith explained, “this project could be costly and engineering services will be required for the project per the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).”
An amended capital project ordinance for the town’s stormwater project was also approved. The amended ordinance includes $395,800 from a Golden LEAF grant, with $32,933 coming from the town.
The commissioners held a closed session to discuss a legal matter and then adjourned.
The Rose Hill Board of Commissioners meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.
“I don’t want the town to get into the habit of making special requests as soon as they’re brought to us because it kind of seems like we might be doing special favors, from a public perspective,” Mayor Bobby Jones stated. “Other people may not have gotten that chance.”
Bautista said he understood that point and would get the paperwork to the town before the special meeting, which is planned for Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.
In other business, public works director James Parker said he was hoping to have a bulk trash pickup, with items like mattresses, bicycles and bed frames.
“They’ll bring out a compactor truck and they can just load it in and compact it,” he said. The bulk trash day is set for Feb. 21.
Items that will not be accepted include tires, batteries, liq-
uids, paints, large appliances (washer, dryer, or refrigerator), loose clothing or rugs, wood and construction debris.
Parker also reported at the January meeting that a development across from Town Hall is moving forward, with four homes scheduled to be constructed by the end of the summer.
Town Clerk Morgan Jacobs informed the board that a little mobile library is still in the works and should be built within the coming weeks. She also reported on the town’s accounts, one of which has a balance of $277,545.89, while the capital management trust account has a balance of $1,221,315.65.
The next regular meeting of the Teachey town board will be on Monday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m.
20-year-old murdered near Rose Hill
A suspect turned himself in after the shooting at a birthday party
Duplin Journal staff ROSE HILL — A shooting on Jan. 11 at 12:24 a.m. resulted in the death of a 20 -year-old man. Deputies from the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office intercepted two separate vehicles that were transporting two shooting victims to the hospital in Kenansville. According to the Sheriff’s Office, TyMarcus Newton. suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. A female victim sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the knee. Detectives said a physical altercation erupted during a birthday party, leading to Khamani Morrisey discharging a firearm and striking both victims before fleeing the area.
On Jan. 14, Morrisey turned himself in at the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. He has been charged with one count of felony murder and one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Morrisey is currently being held in the Duplin County Jail with no bond. Anyone with additional information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 910-296-2150 or the Duplin County Crime Stoppers Tipline at 910-372-9202. All calls will remain confidential.
The strife over the town manager has added to simmering tensions on the board, with Simmons speaking out at each board meeting about other commissioners, without naming names.
meetings that the town needed new leadership. Town Clerk Sherry Davis told Duplin Journal that a performance review for the town manager had been performed over the past year. Royall’s contract with the town had no specific deadline, she said, so the Board of Commissioners could terminate it at any time. Royall had been the town manager since 2021, after serving for about three months as interim manager.
The special closed session meeting was originally scheduled for Jan. 15 but was moved up due to Royall having scheduled surgery on Jan. 14, said Commissioner Thomas Brown.
Simmons took to Facebook to protest against the decision, pointing out that the three commissioners who voted for Royall’s dismissal — Brown, Danny Keel and Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Kornegay — are all white, while Simmons and Darden are black.
“How is it the three white commissioners knew who they had picked as (interim) town manager, but the two blacks knew nothing?” he wrote.
“I assure you the decision made on Mr. Royall had nothing to do with race,” Brown told Duplin Journal. “There was nothing racial behind it. It was strictly performance-based reasons.”
Keel agreed. “The only comment I would make is that the decision was based on performance,” he said. “He was just not doing the job. His performance was not to the expectations of the board.”
However, Simmons alleges that the board never gave Royall a fair chance.
“Jammie didn’t do some of the things they wanted him to,” Simmons told Duplin Journal. “But Jammie’s had his hands tied since day one. They made it impossible for him to do his job.”
“The main thing is, I don’t trust those commissioners,” Simmons said. “Maybe someone who used to work for the town and got let go wanted to be town manager. I just know that they never gave Jammie a fair chance.”
Simmons also mentioned that Kornegay had “jokingly” told him that if he were to try for the town manager position, “they would string you up.”
As a black man, Simmons took offense to the comment, saying at the Jan. 6 town board meeting, “To ‘string you up’ in my race means a whole situation. She was joking, but we don’t joke like that.” For her part, Kornegay did apologize to Simmons later in the meeting, stating the comment was “a poor choice of words.”
Simmons accepted her apology but told Duplin Journal, “If I called her a derogatory name, they would try to censor me. But not one white commissioner said an apology to me or anything about it, yet they all voted to fire Jammie.”
Brown called the tension on the board “disheartening,” and reiterated that the decision on the town manager was a necessary one.
“We were put in a position where we had to do something,” he said. “We have a lot going on in town, and we need someone to steer the ship.”
Keel added, “I hate it because I want everyone to get along. With time, I believe things will get better. I think we’re no different from many other boards in that we don’t always agree.”
Kornegay and Darden didn’t respond to calls for comment as of press time.
Oscar Bautista hopes to build 14 homes on Log Cabin Road
Khamani Morrisey
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
Minors and porn
The Texas law is a mess.
OF COURSE THE STATE has a legitimate interest in preventing minors from accessing porn online that is intended for adults.
Who could be against that? Certainly not the state of Texas, which overwhelmingly passed a law requiring porn sites to verify the age of users seeking access to their sites. Sort of like showing your ID when you’re buying alcohol or cigarettes. Actually, it’s not like that at all.
The Texas law’s constitutionality was up before the United States Supreme Court last Wednesday in the case of Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. I’m on the coalition’s side. Not that I’ve ever accessed pornography online — not my taste — but tens of millions of adults do, and they have every right to, at least according to the district court that enjoined the Texas law from taking effect because giving your drivers’ license to a porn site as a condition for access unreasonably burdens the rights of adults to free speech.
But the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — the country’s most conservative — reversed the district court, refused to apply the strict scrutiny that laws restricting adults’ free speech are supposed to be subject to, and upheld the law.
Now it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide.
Will it follow its own precedent and protect the freedom of adults to access such speech privately, without having to provide identifying documents online that will make the site a target for hackers and blackmailers?
The devil is in the details. The porn industry doesn’t challenge the state’s right to try to protect kids from porn. But the Texas law is, in a word, a mess.
It won’t stop kids from accessing porn: It only applies to porn sites doing business in Texas, not to foreign sites or social media sites or search engines that can be used to access the same images; it only applies to sites where more than one-third of their content is “sexual material harmful to minors”; it doesn’t stop kids from using VPNs (ask any teenager what a virtual private network is and they’ll know even if you don’t) to access sites, nor does it do anything to discourage kids from resorting to the much more extreme (and dangerous) sites on the dark web.
But it means that every adult who wants to look at images they have every right to see has to sacrifice their anonymity and their privacy to do so. The sites don’t want that information. Unlike every other vendor, they don’t want to identify and track their users any more than their users want to be identified and tracked by them. Pornhub stopped doing business in Texas rather than collect driver’s licenses or passports from everyone there who accessed the site. Can you imagine a juicier target for hackers or for unscrupulous operators?
When a state regulates free speech, even for a very good reason, it is required to use the least restrictive alternative to do so. Employers have figured out how to block their employees from surfing Facebook, or whatever, at work. They use content-filtering software, which
parents can easily install on their kids’ computers and phones. If you don’t want to put it on parents, the state could require device-based age verification. Device-based age verification refers to any approach to age verification where the personal information that is used to verify the user’s age is either shared in-person at an authorized retailer, inputted locally into the user’s device, or stored on a network controlled by the device manufacturer or the supplier of the device’s operating system. The user will then be prevented from accessing age-restricted content over the internet unless they are age-verified. Such an approach requires the cooperation of manufacturers and operating-system providers, which should be forthcoming. Texas did not consider any of these options before settling on a “solution” that could only be upheld by jettisoning the strict scrutiny that has long been applied to content regulation of protected speech. The Supreme Court asked tough questions to both sides: To this observer, they seemed sympathetic to what the state was trying to do but also concerned with the Fifth Circuit’s plain rejection of precedent and with the implications of weakening or abandoning strict scrutiny.
That concern is well-placed. State legislatures that are concerned with minors’ access to porn would be welladvised to do a better job of considering alternatives that Texas ignored.
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.
Europe takes a bite out of America’s Apple
The United States innovates while Europe regulates.
ENVY IS AN UGLY thing — one of the seven deadly sins.
Europeans have long been dripping with jealousy that American firms dominate the tech sector — cellphones, search engines, social media platforms, artificial intelligence and robotics. Our “magnificent seven” tech companies — including Google, Nvidia, Apple and Amazon — saw massive stocks market gains in 2024.
Meanwhile, Europe has flatlined.
One reason for this success: The United States innovates while Europe regulates. Instead of fixing their economies, the European Union bureaucrats want to kneecap America’s tech success stories with lawsuits and regulatory barbed wire fences to keep American firms from competing on a level playing field.
Their first target was Google, with a rash of expensive antitrust lawsuits against search engines.
Even worse, the EU bureaucrats are waging war against Apple with the “Digital Markets Act” — a law that requires “contestable and fair markets in the digital sector.”
They are also demanding of Apple something called “interoperability,” which absurdly requires Apple to hand over access to its private operating systems to
its competitors and will require iPhones to offer competitors’ applications.
This makes as much sense as requiring McDonald’s to offer Burger King fries with their Happy Meals.
The iPhone’s amenities and apps are part of a package deal that have made these devices the most popular in the world, with billions of customers. This hardly sounds like monopolistic behavior. If people don’t like Apple’s apps, there are many other cellphone products (such as the Galaxy) made by Samsung, Google or other companies, including some in China, that consumers can turn to.
For all the talk about Apple’s monopoly, it now controls slightly less than 20% of the global cellphone market.
What is especially dangerous about interoperability is what it means for security and privacy. If third parties are given unfettered access to the Apple platform, this shield of privacy will be pierced.
Apple warns that outsiders could “read on a user’s device all of their messages and emails, see every phone call they make or receive, track every app that they use, scan all of their photos, look at their files and calendar events, log all of their passwords, and more.”
But the biggest danger of these kinds of raids on successful companies that spend billions of dollars innovating is that the incentive to innovate at all is stifled — in which case everyone loses. Sharing patented information with competitors in the name of “fairness” is a socialist idea that has rusted the Eurozone economy. If Europe wants to get back in the tech game, EU bureaucrats should focus on what made these companies so successful in the first place — and then try to create a public policy environment that will foster innovative companies that can compete and win — rather than run to the courts for protection. Punishing the winners is a good way to keep producing losers.
In the meantime, let’s hope the incoming Trump regulators at the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department defend American companies against aggressive and hostile lawsuits to hobble our made-in-America companies. In other words, put America first, and don’t let Europe take a bite out of our Apple.
Stephen Moore is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. His new book, coauthored with Arthur Laffer, is “The Trump Economic Miracle.”
COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH
Police chief reaffirms vow to serve all residents regardless of immigration status
Magnolia police attempt to ease fears among law abiding residents and promise not to target people solely on citizenship status
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
MAGNOLIA — A law requiring police to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) went into effect last month. The new law, H.B. 10, applies to illegal immigrants who are processed through the jail system for serious offenses and aggravated felonies.
There has been a sense of uncertainty among some undocumented residents living in Duplin County. Many fear disclosing their immigration status, worried that they could be arrested and deported at any moment.
“There has always been some apprehension among folks who have citizenship issues,” said
HCA from page A1
And we also don’t have any facility on campus for us to have live animals,” said Matthews, explaining that they have been using online technology for animal science instruction. “We’re really just trying to be able to offer more opportunities and continue to expand our programs.”
The new building will be more than 6,000 square feet and will be located beside the
Magnolia Police Chief Jerry T. Wood, “However, I’ve seen that apprehension ease among those who have been here a while once they realize the role of local police is not to open investigations based solely on citizenship issues. But each time there’s a stir in the rhetoric at the state and national levels, people get scared of seeing their whole lives pulled apart. I don’t blame them. It’s a scary thing to think about.”
According to House Bill 10, when a person is charged with serious offenses such as homicide, sexual offenses, kidnapping, human trafficking, gang-related crimes, felony assault, or Class A1 misdemeanors like child abuse, sexual battery, and misdemeanor death by vehicle or assault with a deadly weapon, jail authorities are required to verify their immigration status. If the suspect’s legal status cannot be confirmed, authorities are required to initiate an immigration query with ICE. If this query triggers a de-
Harry Shaw Greenhouse in the Cargill Ag Complex. Though the project is still in its early stages of planning, the school is optimistic about the potential benefits the new facility will provide for growth.
“It will have a mechanic’s bay that will house the ag mechanics, small engine, welding, and woodworking,” she said. “And then we’ll have animal stalls and a classroom within the building.” Matthews noted that al-
“The
Magnolia Police Chief Jerry T. Wood
tainer, law enforcement is obligated to comply. Under this law, suspects can be held for up to 48 hours following a detainer request to provide ICE agents time to take the suspect into custody.
Duplin Journal asked Wood if the new law has impacted his department, his answer was that as far as how they carry out their duty to serve and protect citizens — it hasn’t.
“But it does make it more difficult to prevent and/or investigate crime within certain populations when you have victims or witnesses who are afraid to come forward,” Wood told Du-
though students have participated in livestock judging and ag mechanics competitions, they had to practice those skills using online tools or by going off-campus.
“So, to be able to offer our students this opportunity in-house, we feel like it’s going to be a great benefit,” said Matthews.
With the new facility, HCA will be able to offer two to three classes simultaneously each period.
plin Journal. “Criminals feel free to victimize those populations when they feel confident no one will report it. Law enforcement and citizens working together with a strong mutual trust is absolutely necessary if we (the community as a whole) are to be effective in combating crime and making our neighborhoods safer. That has always been a necessity — it always will be.”
Wood emphasized that individuals who are not breaking the law have nothing to fear. He stated that police will not target anyone solely based on their citizenship status.
“As always, if you’re breaking laws — we’re coming for you,” he said. “If you’re not, you have nothing to fear from us. While we will always do our sworn duty to assist other agencies acting lawfully, we will not unilaterally target anyone based solely on citizenship status. Don’t ever be afraid to call on us. If you need us, we’re here for you just like we’ve always been.”
“We’re very excited about the project and the expansion of our program,” Matthews said. “It ‘s really exciting to be able to see the possibility of offering so many more hands-on skills to our students.”
The school has received substantial support from parents and the community for the project, as evidenced by the approximately 150 attendees at their latest and largest fundraiser.
Del Rio Express opens inside Isaak’s International
Wallace
Del Rio Express is now open inside Isaak’s International in Wallace. The menu is takeout only with no wait staff, but diners are welcome to eat inside. Del Rio Express is open 5-9 p.m. and can be reached at 910 - 665-1464.
Free prom dresses available at First Baptist Church
Wallace First Baptist Church of Wallace is hosting its annual Prom Glitz event, offering more than 500 prom dresses and accessories to those in need. The event will be held at the church at 408 W. Main St. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Shopping hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Wallace-Rose Hill High School, Pender High School and Pender Academy, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for East Duplin High School, James Kenan High School, and Duplin and Pender Early College High Schools.
Barbecue fundraiser, car show on Feb. 1
Beulaville
The Cedar Fork Community Club will host a barbecue fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1412 Cedar Fork Road in Beulaville.
Queen?
Duplin County The NC Watermelon Association is accepting applications for the next North Carolina Watermelon Queen through Feb. 1. The winner will represent the state’s agriculture industry by serving as an ambassador for watermelon farmers. Go to ncwatermelonqueen.com for more information.
Got local business news? Let us know about any grand openings, new businesses, noteworthy achievements,
PHOTO COURTESY EVA THORNTON
The 2024-25 HCA FFA officers pose for a photo. Front row: Magdalene Parker, Linsey Peterson, Gracie Barnes, Christina Barnhill, Marleigh Sidbury, Olivia Matthews and Lily Powell. Back row: Brantley Frederick, Jase Blanchard, Joesen Pope, Grant Swanson and Brayden Frederick. For nearly two decades the school’s chapter of the
HCA senior recognized for spirited campaigning, loyal
support
Right: Camryn Fussell, a senior at Harrells Christian Academy, was recently named the 2025 Miss Crusader. This title, awarded by the Upper School vote, recognizes one HCA senior who demonstrates both spirited campaigning and loyal support for Harrells Christian Academy. Fussell is the daughter of Leah and Jonathan Fussell of Wallace. Above: The HCA queen’s court selected on Jan. 16 included Chloe Bowles, Christina Barnhill, Ella Campbell, Riley Cannon, Savannah Grady, Camryn Fussell, Mabel Parker, Katie Whitman, Olivia Matthews, Regan Cannon, Rebekah Bryan, Lexi Bass and Izzy Bradshaw.
Magnolia inacts wastewater treatment changes
The mayor pro tem calls for unity and encourages community involvement
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
MAGNOLIA — Magno -
lia Town Manager Charles Banks reported that the Public Works Department has completed work on Well No. 1 at the Jan. 14 town board meeting. Banks shared that all system checks look good. At the time of the meeting, they were waiting on a final test of the filtration system to confirm that the water is safe for drinking so it could go live.
Next, Banks informed the board about two DEQ violations the town received for excessive fecal matter in Magnolia’s wastewater discharge.
“These violations actually go back to September of 2023 in the amount of $2,673.51. And also then one in July of 2024 for the amount of $2,453.51,” said Banks, emphasizing that these issues are related to the town’s wastewater treatment, not its drinking water.
Banks explained that Public Works has been collaborating with engineers and is transitioning back to chlorine treatment since the UV lighting sys-
“I think we need to put most of our efforts on renovating and remodeling what we have,” she said. “I’m worried about expansion at some of these schools. I know North Duplin doesn’t have any room to do anything, and there’s not a cafeteria for the high school. I know that we don’t have equality in fine arts buildings. The parking lots, whenever these parking lots were built at these high schools, they were built for probably 30 students that had cars at the time. Now, just about every student in the high school has a car.” She suggested that the board
tem they had used for years is becoming obsolete and costly. He also noted that they have addressed the violations and are optimistic that the changes implemented in the wastewater treatment process will prevent future issues.
In the financial updates for the month, Banks addressed the need for two budget amendments due to a budget shortfall in the fiscal year 2024-25 allocations for CSX Railway and Unemployment Security Commission. The CSX Railway intended for a maintenance contract, amounts to $3,705.61 including a penalty charge of $112.61, while the Unemployment Security Commission requires an allocation of $700. The board approved the amendments.
Magnolia Police Chief Jerry T. Wood provided an overview of departmental activities and a breakdown of calls for last month, which accounted for 645 events. These events included welfare checks, responses to speeding offenses and interactions with individuals seeking to speak with an officer. He explained that it is very common for them to receive calls from individuals who want to make a complaint, learn about their rights or discuss a situation with an offi-
contact an architect and start getting plans in place to maximize the buildings that are already there.
“I think that might be a starting point for us,” she said.
Board chair Brent Davis said he wholeheartedly agreed with Edwards.
“With the capacity issues at some sites, particularly at North Duplin, that is going to take an architect to come up with some ideas on how to handle that,” he said. “I do think releasing it to an architect would be the best thing to do at this point to try to get some visuals and some preliminary numbers to see what we are looking at.”
The board members said they
cer. “We had 267 occasions of checking on businesses. That’s something that we’re very, very proud of,” Wood said.
Wood also mentioned that they collected 19 signs around town, primarily advertisements for services that people failed to remove afterward. These signs tended to accumulate at intersections, cluttering the community. He suggested that those responsible for leaving the signs should be charged for loitering.
“It’s one thing if you’ve got a charity or a church or a special event, that somebody goes and they put a sign out for a limited time, let people know of the event, and then they go and pick it up when the event is over,” Wood explained, adding that people have expressed that they wished the town had stricter sign enforcement.
The police department typically collects these signs and holds them for three days to allow individuals time to claim them before they are discarded. Additionally, Wood spoke about the issue of unregistered vehicles and junk cars, noting that junk cars can create safety hazards for residents and children as they can attract snakes, rats, and other disease-carrying pests. He shared that several property owners have been asked to clean their yards, and
realize time is of the essence because these schools have not been updated in decades.
“First, we’ve not done anything significant at any of the high schools in my tenure on the board, and that’s been 12 years. So that’s been a long while,” Davis said. “Each campus is in need of significant renovations and improvements.”
Edwards pointed out that the high school gymnasiums are woefully out of date and said vocational areas haven’t changed since she graduated in 1971.
“If those areas are the same as ’71, that makes you wonder if we’re doing our job as leaders,” Kenan said. “If the build-
noncompliance will result in fines. Wood added that their upcoming goals include addressing abandoned properties and trash clearance.
Mayor Dawn Ward encouraged the public to participate in the Land Use Survey, which has been extended until the end of January.
N.C. lead fellow Marco Barrientos reported that the town has received applications for the planning board and plan to start reviewing them soon. He expressed hope they can approve the board’s reinstatement and select applicants at the next meeting. Once the survey results are in next month, they will present them to the planning board and the public. Barrientos aims to have a draft ready by May and finalize it by June.
Mayor Pro Tem Jeanine Cavanaugh shared that the Magnolia Fire Department will host its first annual fundraiser March 21-22. Barbecue plates will be sold on March 22 starting at noon. The menu includes barbecue, beans, potatoes and coleslaw for $10 each, and a combo with chicken for $12.
“Any cash donations or product contributions to the fire department would be greatly appreciated,” said Cavana-
ings are the same as 1971, somebody’s not doing their job.
(The students) deserve better than that.”
In other business at the Jan. 14 meeting, the members of the school board were honored for School Board Appreciation Month. Student Emma Wallace presented each of the board members with a white orchid, a handprint from students and a special gift.
“We remind you that your words are a part of the DCS family, from the smallest learners to the oldest graduates,” Wallace said. “Your decisions allow us all to grow stronger together as a family.”
Susan Sellers, Rose Hill-Mag-
ugh. “I want to encourage everyone to support this cause. I know some people in town may not be able to contribute financially, but many can purchase a gallon-sized can of string beans or potatoes to donate to the fire department. I feel like we, as a community, should help them make this a fundraiser a success. So I encourage everyone that can, please donate.”
The meeting concluded with Cavanaugh encouraging people to support their community.
“I’m challenging everybody in Magnolia trying to change your attitude toward the town,” said Cavanaugh, asking residents to focus on the futureand encouraging a positive environment.
In other business:
The board appointed Ward as the Public information officer.
• Banks was appointed as the representative for East Carolina Council.
Ward was appointed to serve as the voting delegate for the 2025-26 biennium legislative goals.
nolia Elementary principal, also spoke in honor of the board.
“This group is so much more than randomly elected officials and policymakers,” she said. “This is a group of people deeply invested in this county and this school system. It’s in their blood, it’s in their hearts, it’s personal, it’s family.
“Like members of a family, they bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the table. They work cohesively to make decisions that are in the best interest of all. Like members of a family, they support one another. They support our teachers, encourage innovation and champion initiatives that foster excellence.”
SCHOOLS from page A1
PHOTOS COURTESY HARRELLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
DUPLIN SPORTS
JK’s 10 selections pace all-Duplin gridiron team
Competition keen in 2023 as the Tigers, ’Dawgs and Rebels claim conference titles
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WALLACE — Playmakers and difference makers filled Duplin Journal’s All-Duplin football team after successful seasons at four schools.
The county’s high gridiron standard showed as three earned at least a share of a conference title.
All four had replay highlights from the postseason.
James Kenan (12-2) returned to glory, nipping Wallace-Rose Hill (9-4) in the third round of the 2A playoffs. The two rivals shared the ECC crown.
East Duplin went 6-6, a down year following a 10-2 mark in 2023 after winning its first state title the previous season.
Still, the Panthers whipped No. 8 St. Pauls 33-13 in the first round of the playoffs, falling to West Craven the following Friday.
North Duplin built on a 9-3 campaign in 2023 by going 10 -1, winning the Carolina 1A flag before being upended by Lakewood in the third round of the 1A playoffs. Last week, the marquee winners for the season were announced. If you missed it, here’s a recap:
Mr. Football: Hassan Kornegay, JK. Offensive Player of the Year: Carell Phillips, ND. Heart of a Champion: Irving Brown, WRH. Defensive Player of the Year: Trashawn Ruffin, ND. Two-Way Warrior: David Zeleya, JK. Coach of the Year: Tim Grady, JK.
James Kenan gobbled up 10 spots on the first team, WRH
eight, ND six and ED five. The following is a look at the first team.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Eli Avent, JK, Jr., QB
Avent hit on 62 of 105 passes for 1,022 yards, with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 311 yards and nine scores. He was key with his legs in a victory over East Duplin and used his arm to help the Tigers upend No. 2 seed Whiteville early in the regular season.
Irving Brown, WRH, Sr., RB Brown capped off a banner career with 1,227 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns while catching six passes for 83 yards and another score. The Ohio University-bound recruit became the fourth ’Dawg to be
See FOOTBALL, page B2
Depth perception: Panthers roll while losing Farrior, Noble
East Duplin established itself as the best team in the ECC, yet lost starters Ava Noble and Zakoya Farrior to injuries in consecutive league games last week
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WALLACE — The look on the faces of East Duplin players said it all moments before sharp-shooting guard Zakoya Farrior left on a stretcher last Thursday at Wallace Elementary.
In front 31-11, the Panthers didn’t need the junior guard to beat Wallace-Rose Hill 64-33 in a game moved from Steve Robinson Court because of a plumbing problem.
But the bigger game plan for this season for ED coach Mark Lane had her name written all over it.
Farrior was on the floor for nearly 30 minutes after going up for a twisting layup with 4:39 to play in the second quarter.
It was the second medical emergency of the week for the Panthers, who saw another starter leave on Tuesday when sophomore forward left Jer-
ry Hunter Court before ED finished off South Lenoir 53-20. Wounded knees might slow the Panthers (15-2, 5-0) and limit their depth, but the rest of the core — Kinsey Cave, Makya Kornegay and Ja’Myah Pickett — remains intact.
“Others will have to step up,” Lane said. “Zakoya dislocated her knee pretty badly. We don’t know if there is any other damage until an MRI is done.”
Lane is more optimistic about the return of Noble, an extremely talented athlete sophomore with a high basketball IQ.
“Hopefully, we get Ava back but slowly (work her back to playing extended minutes),” Lane said.
The loss of Farrior hurts since she is averaging 9.4 points and leads the club in 3-pointers with 27 bombs, far ahead of Cave (11) and Kornegay (six).
Lane moved 6-foot forward GIRLS’
See GIRLS, page B4
push through in prep for Tigers
Wallace-Rose Hill flexed its team muscles to topple East Duplin, showing depth it will need against Duplin rival James Kenan
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WALLACE — East Duplin wwasn’t sure who to stop during a 74-48 loss to Wallace-Rose Hill last Thursday in a game played at Wallace Elementary.
The Bulldogs’ depth proved to be far too much.
When the Panthers (8-5, 1-4)
made their biggest push in the third quarter, Aspen Brown came through to knock them down. He finished with 10 points.
Yet he wasn’t the lone ’Dawg to lead the charge, as Jawon Carr fired in 18 points, top returnee Jamarae Lamb 13, Jamari Carr and Devon Sloan eight apiece and Darrium McCrimmon seven.
WRH coach Ervin Murray used the entire roster of a team that doesn’t have tall trees in the paint.
The Bulldogs won for the 10th time in the past 12 games against their rival. The Pan-
thers’ last victory came when they upset WRH in the ECC Tournament in 2023.
In a lopsided game, the Panthers cut the margin to nine points — 51-40 — with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Aspen nailed a jumper and a hoop in the lane, and Carr added a rebound basket to restore order as WRH stretched its lead back to 57-40 entering the fourth quarter. Brown added two more buckets in the next three minutes, and WRH’s roll continued.
See BOYS, page B4
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
WRH’s Irving Brown ran for more than 4,500 yards during his career, ranking him among the best in Bulldogs history.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Jamarae Lamb scored 13 points during Wallace-Rose Hill’s 74-48 win over East Duplin.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL East Duplin’s Ja’Myah Pickett scored a season-high 22 points during a 64-33 win over Wallace-Rose Hill.
BOYS’ PREP BASKETBALL
FOOTBALL from page B1
signed by a Division I school since 2017, following Kanye Roberts (Appalachian State), Cameren Dalrymple (Navy) and Javonte Williams (UNC).
Carell Phillips, ND, Jr., RB
Phillips was the rushing (1,913 yards) and touchdowns (34) champ in Duplin, leading ND to a 10-1 mark and the third round of the 1A playoffs. The junior went over the 100-mark in every game, surpassing 200 four times, including his final three games.
Jeremiah Hall, JK, Jr., RB
Hall got better as the season progressed, finishing with 1,150 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had seven games with at least 100 yards, missing another at that plateau by four yards. Hall also emerged as a team leader this fall.
Tyquise Wilson, JK, Sr., WR
Wilson was all over the field for the Tigers. He had 450 yards rushing with two touchdowns and caught 27 passes for 141 yards and four scores. He also had 51 tackles and five interceptions in the JK secondary.
Trashawn Ruffin, ND, Jr., TE
A near-unmovable player in the trenches showed why Texas A&M and other big colleges wanted the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Ruffin on their campus in 2027.
Issac Davis, ND, Jr., OL
Davis did things for the Rebels that often went unnoticed, though on defense he averaged 4.4 tackles, including 13 for lost yardage. “He had a great year on both sides of the ball,” said ND coach Hugh Martin. “His blocks opened up a lot of holes for our running backs. On defense, he was a key leader up front. He made sure the defensive front was set correctly.”
Dakota Henderson, JK, Sr., OL
Coach Tim Grady called Henderson “a game-changing player on two lines.” Henderson was beaten out for the Two-Way Warrior award by teammate David Zeleya.
Tyvaun Wiliams, WRH, Sr., OL
Williams was the most consistent Bulldogs O-lineman. “He gave more effort every day,” said coach Kevin Motsinger. “He came in as a kid who couldn’t run 50 yards and is a kid who can run 16 mph weighing over 300 pounds — all from his hard work.”
Jeremiah Medlin, JK, Sr., OL
The blue-collar center teamed up with right guard Dakota Henderson to make a dynamic connection.
Austin Rouse, ED, Sr., OL Rouse, who was the top-graded Panthers offensive lineman at 86%, had 29 tackles on the other side of the ball.
Emerson Gomez, JK, Sr., PK
In a season in which PATs were far from automatic, Gomez hit on 52 of his 57 attempts.
Shawn Davis, ED, Jr. Athlete
Davis returned from a broken collarbone only to have another injury limit his production — though most players would relish his statistics: 1,468 yards and 19 touchdowns. He made the first team a season ago as a sophomore, though missing the final two Panthers games.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Calvin Harper, ED, Sr., DL Harper made 78 tackles, had 12 takedowns for lost yardage, five sacks and an interception.
Trashwan Ruffin, ND, Jr., DL
Ruffin’s influence up front
helped the Rebels control the line of scrimmage. He will play for Texas A&M in 2026. Ruffin is also Duplin County’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Dakota Henderson, JK, Sr., DL
Henderson, a two-way player in the trenches, was a hard-working leader every coach desires. He made 86 tackles (6.1) and had 6.5 sacks.
Avery Murray, WRH, Sr., DL
Murray was one of it not the most feared defensive linemen in the ECC, according to coaches who had to game-plan for him and those tagged trying to block him. WRH’s defense improved for the second consecutive season, and Murray lead ’Dawgs in the defensive trenches, carrying more than his share of the load.
Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr., LB
Kornegay’s 203 tackles were the most by any player across the state. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the ECC is also Duplin Journal’s Mr. Football.
Ethan Turnage, ND, Jr., LB. Turnage led the Rebels in tackles for the second consecutive season. ND has gone 19-4 during that span.
Ty Morrisey, JK, Sr., LB
Morrisey averaged 9.6 tackles, and many of his stops provided motivational boosts to the Tigers defense. When Morrisey set his radar on a ballcarrier, he made a tackle. “He’s explosive, and when he hits you, it hurts,” said head coach Tim Grady said.
Luke Hughes, ED, Sr., LB
Hughes brought down 109 ballcarriers, including nine for lost yardage. He is a repeat performer on the all-Duplin first team.
Jamari Shaw, WRH, LB, Sr.
Shaw has been the best Bulldogs linebacker the past two seasons, and in both campaigns the WRH defense made a significant surge.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Matthew Wells, WRH, Jr. Wells passed for 435 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for two scores. Look for him to be a bigger factor in 2025.
RB: Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr. Lamb might have the most dazzling collection of highlights, many featuring mid-field jukes that left defenders gasping in desperation in his dust.
RB: Aaron Hall, ED, Jr. The junior was a pleasant surprise in a season in which top runner Shawn Davis struggled to stay healthy. Hall ran for 800 yards and had 11 touchdowns.
RB: Josh Mitchell, JK, Sr. Mitchell was a weapon on offense (84-651, 6 TDs) and on defense (7.9 tackles).
TE: Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr. Duplin County’s Mr. Football was the leader of the Tigers defense, and running backs followed his blocks as JK averaged 6.7 yards when running the ball. On defense, he led the state in tackles with 203.
ATH: Landen Bond, ED, Sr. He played quarterback, strong safety and tight end, registered 115 tackles and blocked at a 92% rate. Bond’s spot as an athlete couldn’t be more accurate.
OL: Denario Bailey, JK, Sr. Head coach Tim Grady said Bailey became a new player by adding muscle in the weight room. “He’s the biggest transformation from freshman to senior since I’ve been here,” he said.
OL: Emauri Hill, ED, Sr. The 6-foot, 245-pound senior graded at 82%.
OL: Ricky Castro, ND, Sr. He played on both sides of the ball as an ironman lineman.
OL: Christian Scarlett, WRH, Jr. The 6-4, 320-pounder has quick feet, can run and is athletic. He is on track to be among the best in Duplin next season.
PK: Cesar Perla Fuentes, WRH, Sr. Made 29 of 31 of his PATs. His biggest miss came against JK, as he booted three kicks through the uprights that were called off because of penalties.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Dexter Moses, WRH, Sr. Jelled down the stretch run to make an impact at nose guard.
DL: Cal Avent, JK, Jr. Averaged 6.6 tackles per game and also played on the O-line. Had a knack for coming up big on third- down plays.
DL: Cain Graham, ED, Sr. Graded out with an 80% blocking rate in ED’s Wing-T offense.
DL: Khajari Murphy, WRH, So. Head coach Motsinger says Murphy “showed his strength and power and is still a baby rhino that will get better.”
Josh Mitchell, JK, Sr., DB
Mitchell averaged 7.9 tackles on the best defense in the county and ran for 651 yards and six touchdowns. “He’s a resilient and tough player,” Grady said.
Garris Warren, ND, Jr., DB
Warren had six interceptions for the Rebels’ secondary. “He’s a great tackler and leader,” ND coach Hugh Martin said.
Irving Brown, WRH, Sr., DB
Brown being selected for a spot on both sides of the ball isn’t a mistake. He was a shutdown corner and added speed to the ’Dawgs defense.
Kam Thomas, WRH, Sr., DB
Thomas stepped up big-time for a WRH defense that allowed two touchdowns or fewer in eight of its nine wins. He averaged 5.5 tackles.
David Zeleya, JK, Jr., DB
Zeleya came out of nowhere to become one of the most underrated and versatile players in Duplin.
He did whatever the Tigers needed, whether it was take over a game running the ball — as he did when JK beat WRH for the first time in 13 tries — or on defense, where he had 115 tackles (8.8 per game) and two interceptions. He also ran for 483 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he had 12 catches for 251 yards and three scores.
Keeshon Mckinnie, ED, Jr., DB
Mckinnie made 45 tackles and had 807 all-purpose yards on offense, fighting through injuries to both knees.
Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr., Athlete
Lamb is one of the best all-around athletes in Duplin County. He led WRH in rushing with 1,361 yards and hauled in nine passes for 234 yards. He scored 10 times and played a key role in the Bulldogs’ secondary. The junior also was a first-team basketball player last winter.
DL: Jacauri Hill, ED, Sr. Not having Hill on the field after an injury hurt ED when it played WRH. The Panthers played a game so close — 21-15 — that many small variables added together could have affected the outcome.
DL: Andre Allen, WRH, So. Allen was an absolute force and almost routinely made big plays in most games.
LB: Jeremiah Baker, WRH, Jr. Baker is long-limbed, strong, athletic and could track down runners with his speed.
LB: Jordan Hall, ED, Sr. Hall had first-team stats — 114 tackles, nine tackles for lost yardage, three forced fumbles and a sack — though the Panthers (6-6) had just one significant win (49-20 over No. 8 St. Pauls in the first round of the playoffs).
LB: Austin Wolfe, ND, Jr. Wolfe became integral to ND’s defense, making 53 tackles.
LB/SS: Branson Martin, ND, Sr. Martin (5.5 tackles) moved up from the secondary this fall and also filled in at tight end during the Rebels’ one-loss season.
DB: Zmarion Smith, JK, Jr. He’s fast and quick, allowing for recovery time if he’s fooled.
DB: Zach Ball, ED, Sr. Had nine pass deflections, an interception and 22 tackles.
DB: Darius McCrimmon, WRH, Jr. McCrimmon showed his athleticism, speed, lateral quickness and that he can tackle in open spaces.
DB: DJ Davis, ED, Fr. The Panthers have a star of the future in Davis, who was the best freshman in the county.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
ND’s Lucas Dail, left, celebrated many of Carell Phillips’ 34 touchdown runs for the 10-1 Rebels.
Higginbotham steers Rebels to key triumph over Leopards
Addy Higginbotham drove the bus that helped ND beat previously unbeaten Lakewood in a key Carolina Conference matchup last Friday on the Rebels’ floor
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — The best basketball player on the court last Friday wasn’t the one who scored the most points, though Lakewood freshman Areona McKoy threw down for 35 points.
That temporary tag belonged to Addy Higginbotham, North Duplin’s do-it-all senior, who did more to control the game and lead the Rebels to a 50-41 win.
Higginbotham scored 16 points while having her hands in all things on the court.
She broke the press with her dribbling skills.
She ran the offense with her passing expertise.
She came up with steals.
And the main difference between the senior and the freshman was the reaction and play of their respective teammates.
McKoy’s game was all about scoring, which she did extremely well, especially during the first three quarters. She had 23 by halftime and totaled 35 for the game.
But ND’s constant pressure on her wore her down as seen in shots that fell short of the mark. She scored five in the final quarter and none after being double-teamed.
Conversely, Higginbotham, who will play softball in college, made her teammates shine with assists, steals and setups.
This season she has helped the development of freshmen starters Abby Rose and Maggie Brown and is a release valve for junior forward Lilly Fulghum and classmate and center Tateyawna Faison.
All of that showed up in living color as ND (12-3, 2-0) overcame its two biggest threats in the Carolina 1A Conference, as the Rebels beat Neuse Charter 60-54 last Tuesday.
Faison scored 10, Rose and Brown six apiece and Fulghum four, all while playing heady on both sides of the ball in the triumph over the previously unbeaten Lakewood.
The win might best be described as sticking to a script as Lakewood has played a weaker schedule, though both have played larger 2A schools.
The difference?
Lakewood’s 2A foes include: Midway (7-6), Red Springs (3-12), Trask (6-10) and Clinton (11-5).
Meanwhile, ND has two losses to East Duplin (15-2) and Kinston (13-1), whose lone loss is to the Panthers.
Yet the Leopards made it closer than the hoop prognosticates had predicted, battling back from a 10-0 deficit to tie it at 23-23 at halftime.
Higginbotham and Fulghum set up Brown for two hoops to start the third, yet Higginbotham collected her third foul with 3:47 to play in the quarter with ND in front 28-26 following a hoop by McKoy.
Faison put back a rebound for a hoop and canned a pair of free
Higginbotham scored 16 point in a big win over Lakewood. ND is 76-15 with the senior in the
throws, and Brown scored off a feed from Higginbotham to up the edge to 34-28.
“She had three very early against Neuse Charter,” said ND coach Jon Kornegay. “It was a concern, but Addy knows how to play the game with fouls. This was a fast and physical game.”
McKoy hit a 3 and then two of three charity tosses before Higginbotham canned two from the line as ND led 39-33 heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Faison kept working in the paint to put ND safely in front 44-34 with 4:30 to play.
Higginbotham’s prettiest individual score came between two McKoy scores as the Rebels guard fooled a packed house by looking like she would pass it to the wing but instead tucked the ball and made a strong move to the iron for a layup.
Faison and Higginbotham combined for four free throws in the final 1:44. ND looked like the Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals for the first five minutes of the game.
Besides roaring to a 10-0 lead, Brown had blocks on consecutive trips on defense, Fulghum took a charge, and the Rebels forced Lakewood into six early turnovers.
Higginbotham hit four charity tosses, a running jumper and then scored in the lane.
Faison had back-to-back blocks during Lakewood’s push to tie it by halftime, even as McKoy zipped in four 3-pointers.
Late in the quarter, Rose’s steal and layup ended up being huge because after missing the and-1 free throw, Faison spun for the rebound hoop. But McKoy tallied the final six points of the second, including a pair of free throws 22 seconds before the extended intermission.
“She’s about as skilled a basketball player as you will find at this level,” Kornegay said of McKoy. “We went through three different defenses trying to stop her.”
Kornegay also said the Rebels benefitted from playing the 2A
Panthers, even though they fell 60-31 and 46-30.
“We were absolutely outplayed the first game, but the second on got it down to 10 late with a push of the kind of basketball we can play,” he said. “If you can play with East Duplin, you can play with anyone.”
Up next is Union, which went 19-6 last year during its CC-winning campaign but is 2-11 now after losing star Aryona Spearman (21.8 points per game) to UNCP, and Rosewood (5-7, 2-0), which fell to lowly Spring Creek in a game of five-win schools. The former contest is Tuesday, the latter is Friday in Goldsboro.
ND’s other big game in the second half of its league slate comes when the Rebels visit Neuse Charter (15-5, 1-1) on Jan. 31.
Hoops notebook
Faison, a four-year starter, needs four more points to match last season’s total and 89 to reach 1,000 for her career.
Kornegay likes the work of his freshmen.
“The game is starting to slow down for them,” he said. “We’re asking a lot from them, and both are getting better every week. It’s a process, and they are doing well with the adjustments that have to be made.”
ND is 76-15 with Higginbotham in the starting lineup, though the previous three seasons she had backcourt mate Reece Outlaw by her side. Outlaw is a freshman recruit for the UNC softball team. Higginbotham, who was a first-team player at the Neuse River FCA Holiday Tournament in December, will play at Division II Wingate next season.
Fulghum, a junior pitcher and feared hitter, has given a verbal commitment to play softball at UNC Charlotte.
Both will be on the diamond days after ND finishes its season in the 1A basketball playoffs.
The third round of the hoops tourney coincides with the Rebels’ first softball game March 4.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE
Bill Carone
Zicareian McNeil
HCA, boys’ basketball
Zicareian McNeil, a key starter on the HCA basketball team that has gone 63-20 in the past three seasons, scored the 1,000th-point of his career on Dec. 3 against Southeastern Homeschool.
The senior guard is averaging 14.3 points and 3.1 assists on a Crusaders team that is 21-2 and seeking a Big East 2A Conference title.
“He has been a consistent shot maker for the Crusaders, and his success in scoring the ball has helped us win basketball games,” said HCA head coach Clayton Hall.
COURTESY HCA
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Addy
lineup the past three seasons.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
March Madness will pay women’s teams under new structure approved by NCAA
Nashville, Tenn.
Women’s basketball teams finally will be paid for playing games in the NCAA Tournament each March just like the men have for years. The vote by NCAA membership was the final step toward a pay structure for women playing in March Madness after the Division I Board of Governors voted unanimously for the proposal in August. Now, so-called performance units that represent revenue will be given to women’s teams playing in the tournament. A team that reaches the Final Four could bring its conference roughly $1.26 million over the next three years.
D-I men’s basketball teams won’t need NCAA waivers for preseason games
Nashville, Tenn.
Division I men’s basketball teams will be able to play two exhibitions against any other four-year schools without needing a waiver that required game proceeds be donated to charity. The men’s basketball oversight committee for Division I approved the proposal taking effect for the 2025-26 season. The change also eliminates the requirement that proceeds be donated to charity, with schools free to choose how to split up the revenue from those exhibitions. The new rule also eliminates the requirement that any preseason practice scrimmages be played in private without official scoring, so-called “secret scrimmages.”
TAKE NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY
FILE#2024E000530 The undersigned, DAVID SCOTT BROOKS, having qualified on the 27TH Day of DECEMBER, 2024, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of DONALD PARKER BROOKS, 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 2ND Day of APRIL 2025, 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 2nd DAY OF JANUARY 2025. DAVID SCOTT BROOKS, EXECUTOR 605 SE RAILROAD STREET
WALLACE, NC 28466 Run dates: J2,9,16,23p
It ended with a Marlo Harris steal and layup, as the 23-2 run pumped up the intensity to 72-42 with three minutes left on the clock.
The two schools meet again in Beulaville on Feb. 11.
The triumph helped WRH (6-3, 3-2) prep for this week’s rivalry matchup against James Kenan (6-6, 2-3) in Warsaw.
It was the third win in four games for WRH and followed a 59-53 loss to Kinston on the Vikings’ home court last Tuesday.
The Bulldogs played without starter Matt Wells, who was sick. He pumped in a career-high 22 against Kinston.
Lights-out shooting, Lamb starts the party
In the first half, WRH shot the basketball as well as it has during Murray’s six seasons, though never playing a game on the middle school floor. The late change in venue came because of a pipe problem
GIRLS from page B1
Carrie Carr (3.9 points, 6.0 rebounds per game), a sixth man most of the season, into the starting lineup, and she will add rebounds and defense and scoring inside the paint.
Now he’s forced to go to his bench before the opening whistle, and he’ll bring in players who can contribute immediately, though not be a replacement for Farrior, per se, since her role is as a gunslinger.
Junior guards Zoey Cavanaugh (1.8 points) and Madelyn Sawyer (2.4) are capable players, especially engulfed in the presence of Cave and Kornegay. Lightning-quick sophomore point guard Anamarie Rodriguez (3.1 points, 1.6 steals in 10 games) will likely get more court time as well.
The good news is that ED is in control of the ECC even though the Panthers are just five games into their league slate.
James Kenan did ED a favor on Tuesday by stumping three-time defending ECC champ Southwest Onslow 48-44.
ED’s last league crown came in 2020, a season in before the Stallions joined the ECC.
Throttle Bulldogs early and often
Pickett was unstoppable down low, scoring a game-high 25 points to choke off any hope for the Bulldogs, who gave Kinston a battle on Tuesday before
at Steve Robinson Gymnasium.
A packed house watched as the Lamb, Sloan and the Bulldogs took flight.
Lamb 3-pointer started a 16-0 run during which he drove for a score and hit a layup off a Harris steal.
Sloan hit from downtown and also had a layup.
McCrimmon answered Jordan Hall’s bomb with a 3, and Lamb added a long-distance shot to up the tally to 22-7.
Calvin Harper and Lamb traded 3s two minutes later, and Carr hit one midway through the second quarter.
WRH shot 58% from the field in the first half and led 42-22 following a slick move by Sloan in the paint.
Lamb, the biggest returnee, let his teammates bask in the spotlight most of the second half.
Harper, the best outside shooter in Duplin County a season ago, nailed a trio of 3s midway through the third quarter when the Panthers trimmed the deficit to 47-35.
ED (8-5, 1-4) entered the game after beating South Lenoir (76-60) on Tuesday, its second ECC win in as many seasons.
falling 41-35. WRH (3-8, 2-3) had won back-to-back ECC games the previous week for the first time in two years.
Cave added eight, Farrior and reserve Andraia Scarborough seven and Kornegay six.
Cave, Farrior and Kornegay each hit a 3-pointer during a 13-4 rush to start the game.
Pickett and Scarborough, who will also likely see more playing time, dropped in hoops in the final minute as ED went up 23-6 after one quarter.
Carr got her three baskets by the middle of the second quarter, and Cave and Pickett powered ED as the lead stretched to 42-15 by halftime.
Cavanaugh started the second half with a 3-pointer. Pickett had 10 markers during the
stanza as the margin ballooned to 57-22.
Savannah Smith paced WRH with 11. Analeise Rivenbark and Nevaeh Dobson added 10 and seven, respectively. Farrior had a game-high 14 against the Blue Devils. Pickett had a double-double with 11 markers and 12 boards.
Cave chipped in nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals, while Carr (five points, six rebounds) and Rodriguez (six points, five steals) caused havoc for the visitors.
ED will find out if SWO (7-5, 3-2) has slipped on Wednesday and host the Tigers (5-4, 3-2).
Of course, both games are subject to a winter storm that is expected to dust the area with snow and/or ice.
WRH will return to its gymnasium on Thursday to host defending league champ Southwest Onslow (13-2, 5-0), which ripped JK last week 88-58 in Warsaw.
Harris hit for eight against Kinston, as Brown, Harris and McCrimmon each added five markers.
The Bulldogs upset Kinston 67-59 last season in the ECC Tournament.
On deck: Duplin rivalry No. 2
WRH travels to JK on Wednesday of this week for its second of four scheduled Duplin County rivalry games, where the Bulldogs face an equally deep Tigers squad led by all-county first-team selection TJ Oats.
A winter storm could move it, though, possibly to Friday given both teams are not scheduled to play on that day.
WRH has won the previous six encounters and nine of 10 since 2020. JK won both games in 2019.
ED’s other big ECC confrontation will happen in Kinston on Jan. 28. The Vikings’ lone loss in 14 games came when ED punched them out 56-45 on Jan. 7 in Beulaville.
Tigers nab significant win over Stallions
It had been a while since James Kenan registered a significant win in the ECC.
Y’Annna Rivers pumped in 15 points and Labria McGowan and Aleyahg Wilson each added 10 and Gabriel Outlaw six. Wilson and Outlaw combined to bring down 19 rebounds as JK won its third straight and fourth in five games. Rivers zipped in 21 and had eight boards last Tuesday during a 53-35 thrashing of North Lenoir.
The Hawks (5-10, 1-4) and sister school South Lenoir (1-14, 0-6) have played their way to the bottom of the ECC.
’Dawgs nearly upend once-beaten Vikings
Wallace-Rose Hill trailed Kinston by three at halftime and eight entering the final quarter before falling 41-35 in Kinston. Smith threw in 13, Dobson eight, and Sophie Sloan and Rivenbark six apiece.
“I thought we had it,” said WRH coach Will Jeffers. “We played really well over there. We’re not deep and our kids played their hearts out.”
THE DUPLIN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BY
HAVE EXTENDED THE 2025 PROPERTY TAX
PERIOD UNTIL FEBRUARY 14, 2025. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN All property subject to ad valorem taxes shall be listed as of January 1, unless otherwise provided for in the General Statutes of North Carolina. Listing shall begin on January 2, and continue through FEBRUARY 14, 2025. Personal property such as unlicensed vehicles, campers, mobile homes, boats & motors, jet skis, airplanes, all farm equipment and machinery, rental household personal property and business personal machinery and equipment must be listed EVERY YEAR. If you received a listing form it should be completed and returned to the County Assessor’s Office, PO Box 968, Kenansville, NC 28349 by FEBRUARY 14, 2025.
GARY M. ROSE
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
East Duplin point guard Kinsey Cave gets the fill attention of the Wallace-Rose Hill defense.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
WRH’s Aspen Brown popped in 10 points against East Duplin.
obituaries
TyMarcus Jamir Newton
Nov. 14, 2004 – Jan. 11, 2025
TyMarcus Jamir Newton, 20, of Warsaw, passed away Jan. 11, 2025 in Rose Hill.
Visitation was on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 at Hawes Funeral Home chapel. Funeral service was Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at James Kenan High School in Warsaw. Interment followed in the Bowden Family Cemetery located in Warsaw.
Donald M. Summerlin
Feb. 4, 1944 – Jan. 14, 2025
Donald Monroe Summerlin, 80, of Seven Springs, passed away at Wayne Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, after a brief illness. He was born Feb. 4, 1944, in Duplin County to the late Stephen Lloyd Summerlin and Nona Anderson Summerlin.
Mr. Summerlin married his beloved wife, Bonnie Lula Creech Summerlin, on Feb. 25, 1968. Both came from farming families, and both retired from the U.S. Postal Service. They worked hard and built a good life, always putting family and faith first. They spent 53 years together before her death in 2021. Mr. Summerlin had also served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era and was recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, among other commendations.
He is survived by daughter, Donna Marie Summerlin Hamm (David) of Powells Poin; son, Donald Matthew Summerlin of Seven Springs; and beloved grandchildren, Caleb Austin Hamm, Cayleigh Hope Summerlin, Seth Ayden Hamm, and Matthew Peyton Summerlin. Mr. Summerlin is also survived by brothers, Ivey Summerlin of Alabama, Rick Summerlin of Kenansville, and Steve Summerlin (Brenda) of Kenansville; sister, Nona “Honey” Tippett-Honeycutt of Clinton; brother-in-law, Edgar Gurley of Clinton; and a host of inlaws, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife Bonnie; grandson, Hunter Matthew Summerlin; sister, Francis “Frankie” Gilbert and her husband, Lou, sister, Christine Gurley; brother, Gordon Summerlin and his wife, Lillian, brother, Ray Summerlin and his wife Thelma, brother Kennon Summerlin and his wife Marie, brother Gerald Summerlin, brothers-in-law, Paul Tippett and Clyde Honeycutt; and sistersin-law, Dorothy Summerlin and Katherine Summerlin.
Services were held at Tyndall Funeral Home in Mount Olive, on Sunday, Jan. 19, with burial following at Wayne Memorial Park. The family received friends at Tyndall Funeral Home on Saturday, Jan. 18, and at the home at other times.
Phillip Eugene Williams
May 18, 1954 – Jan. 9, 2025
Phillip Eugene Williams, 70, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.
A memorial service was held Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Community Funeral Home of Beulaville, with a visitation following.
When God created Phillip, He blessed him with many gifts. The greatest of these was humility.
Continually seeking to help his fellow man, he gave of himself in whatever way he could. He gave freely to those who have worldly and spiritual needs, no matter their station in life.
Phillip took an active leadership role in all his endeavors, including serving as deacon at the Springfield PFWB, where he had attended all his life. He was involved in almost every facet of church activities and projects. As a servant of God, Phillip was also blessed to sing beautifully and to speak on several occasions. He studied the Bible consistently and at some length, always ready to share his relationship with God.
As a community leader, he was an active member of the Back Swamp Ruritan Club. He was never a “bench warmer,” always jumping right in to help and serve in any way possible.
One of his most ardent callings was to provide education, leadership, and spiritual guidance through the Royal Ranger Program for boys. He devoted an unbelievable amount of time and energy to this cause, becoming a brick in the foundation of this organization. He was currently serving as the Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church National Royal Ranger director. The name given to him by this organization was “Helping Heart,” recognizing the true nature of Phillip.
In 1991, Phillip and his wife Janet established Med/Legal Services. This was a very successful venture and gave them the opportunity to work from home and raise their three boys.
He wore many hats, but most importantly he loved his family. Family was first and foremost in his life second only to his relationship with his Lord. His family loyalty was evident as he stayed with and helped care for his Granny Lizzie from 1973-1981, giving her the privilege of staying at her home. There was a special bond between Phillip and his sister (Elaine) and brothers (Alan and David). They were friends as well as siblings, sharing their memories and their love for each other.
Phillip was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbur and Lena Williams, and his brother, Alan Williams.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Janet M. Williams, and their children, Amos Williams, wife Amanda, and son Brody; Benjamin Muller and husband Joe; and Jacob Williams and partner Heather. He is also survived by his sister Elaine Swinson, husband Harold, and family; and brother David Williams, wife Abby, and family.
Phillip was not perfect, but he was one of a kind. His funloving presence will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and business acquaintances. We’ll meet him by and by when we join him and walk down the streets in Heaven together.
In lieu of flowers, a gift may be made to the Royal Rangers, care of Springfield Church, 744 Cypress Creek Road, Richlands, NC 28574.
Ronald Albert Guy
May 7, 1945 – Jan. 11, 2025
Ronald Albert Guy, 79, of Magnolia, passed away Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 at his home. Mr. Guy was born May 7, 1945 to the late Albert Otis Guy and Ruth Adell Maxwell Guy. He was a proud veteran of the US Army.
Mr. Guy is survived by sons, Camron Guy, Kalep Guy, Anthony Guy and fiancé, Beverly Williams, Ashley Guy and wife, Kelly, Brandon Guy and wife, Julie; daughters, Jeanie Bland and husband Bud and Amber Bostic and husband, Jonathan; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren that he loved greatly.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by wife, Marie Guy. No services are planned at this time.
Natasha Cannon
May 29, 1970 – Jan. 14, 2025
Natasha Cannon, 54, of Kenansville, passed away Jan. 14, 2025 in Goldsboro. Visitation was held Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 at Hawes Funeral Home Chapel in Warsaw. Funeral service was Wednesday at Grace & Truth Church of God, 3811 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28311. Interment followed at Smith Family Cemetery in Como.
William Henry Sharpless
Feb. 14, 1946 – Jan. 12, 2025
William Henry Sharpless, aka “Tom” of Magnolia, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville.
A visitation with family and friends was held, followed by the funeral service, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill. Burial followed at Rose Hill Funeral Home Cemetery in Magnolia.
Left to cherish his precious memories: wife, Glendolia Sharpless of Magnolia; children, Joseph L. Sharpless (Lee) of Wallace, William Christopher Sharpless (Robin) of Richmond, Virginia, Michael Sharpless (Madelyn) of Duluth, Georgia, and Anna S. McGee (Barry) of Rose Hill; three stepchildren, Latonya Johnson of Kenansville, Maria Johnson of Rose Hill, and Winfred Johnson of Las Vegas, Nevada; numerous other relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.
Phillip Ray Lanier
Jan. 27, 1955 – Jan. 14, 2025
Phillip Ray Lanier, 69, of Rose Hill, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 at his home. Mr. Lanier was born Jan. 27, 1955 in Sampson County, to the late Isom Junior Lanier and Elizabeth Eloise Gore Lanier.
Mr. Lanier is survived by his loving wife, Maureen Lanier of the home; son, David Lanier of Rose Hill; daughter, Victoria Smith and Tracy of Teachey; Christopher Naylor, Matthew Naylor, and Allison Naylor of Harrells; sister, Evelyn Henderson of Wilmington; nephew, Chris Henderson of Wilmington; niece, Crystal Foster and Michael of West Virginia; great nephews and nieces, Cedar and Aspen Foster, Jordan Smith and Chandler Henderson.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Lanier was preceded in death by sister, Peggy Roland and great niece Karen Henderson. No services are planned at this time.
Victor Glenn Raynor
Jan. 21, 1955 – Jan. 17, 2025
Victor Glenn Raynor, 69, passed away on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville. He is preceded in death by his wife, Cathy Raynor, and father and mother, Marion and Jane Raynor.
Funeral service was Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, with visitation one hour prior to the service, at The Lighthouse Church, Wallace. Interment followed at The Lighthouse Cemetery, Wallace.
Survivors include: sons, Michael Raynor (Sherri) of Pin Hook, Kenneth Raynor (Sharon) of Autryville; daughter, Gabby Raynor of Jacksonville; sisters, Gayle Odland (Brent) of Iowa, Sylvia Raynor (Tony Padgett) of Pin Hook; brothers, Kenneth Ray Raynor (Lucy) of Charlotte, Rex Raynor (Lisa) of Pin Hook; grandchildren, Michael Glenn Raynor, Ellis Glenn Raynor and Rivers William Raynor; greatgrandchildren, Kaden Raynor and Mason Raynor; extended family, Chris and Stephanie Modlin.
Robert Arthur Nelms
Aug. 10, 2000 – Jan. 13, 2025
Robert Arthur Nelms, 24, of Albertson, passed away Jan. 13, 2025 at his residence. Per the family’s request, this will be a private service. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this emotional time.
Rita Batts Strickland
Feb. 1, 1954 – Jan. 15, 2025
Rita Batts Strickland, 70, passed away on Jan. 15, 2025. She is preceded in death by a brother, Ricky Batts, grandchild, Jesse Ferrell and a canine, Teddy. All services are private.
Survivors include: sons, Todd Rivenbark (Michelle) of Potters Hill, and Jeff Rivenbark (Michele) of Pink Hill; daughter, Tammy Zwettler (Al) of Illinois; sister, Barbara Allred (Jimmy) of Beulaville; brother, Donald Batts (Kim) of Pink Hill; grandchildren, Kayla Ferrell, Dakota Rivenbark (Brianna), Dessa Houston, Zoe Rivenbark, and Mylee Rivenbark; and great-grandchildren, Everly Rivenbark and Rilynn Rivenbark.
Jimmy W. Miller
Oct. 22, 1941 – Jan. 17, 2025
Jimmy Miller, 83, resident of the Faison area, passed away Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at ECU Medical Center in Greenville. While named James Wadsworth Miller, he was known as Jimmy by both family and friends alike. He had worked at DuPont Company in Kinston, retiring with 33 and a half years of service. A man of generous nature, he served his community and fellowman as a volunteer fireman with Faison Fire Department, had been a longtime member of Faison Lion’s Club, and had been a Jaycee. Too, he had served in the United States Air Force. Mr. Miller was known for his superb caregiving skills in which love and affection was shown to several members of his family.
Mr. Miller had been a member of Bear Marsh Baptist Church for many years, and had served faithfully and diligently in many areas of Christian service. It is at Bear Marsh Church where his life was remembered in a service on Monday, Jan. 20. Officiating was the Rev. Paul Rose. Following the service, the family will receive friends in the King Fellowship Hall of the church. Burial will be privately held in the Faison Cemetery at which military rites will be rendered. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial gifts to be made to Bear Marsh Church Men’s Brotherhood for its ramp ministry. Please send to the church at 1649 Beautancus Road, Mount Olive NC 28365.
Mr. Miller is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Dail Lewis Miller, of the home; a son, David Michael Miller and wife, Carol, of Kennesaw, Georgia; a daughter, Jamie M. Grady and husband, Scott, of Mount Olive; and grandchildren, Emily Miller, Rachel M. Hutchens and husband, Josh, Katie M. Henry and husband, Tyler, Hannah Miller, and David M. Miller. He is also survived by Jo Ann’s children and their families, and a brother, Clarence Lee MIller and wife, Joan, of Southport.
He was preceded in death by his first wife and the mother of his children, Linda Whitman Miller; his parents, Coy Lee and Mildred Grice Miller; and a brother, Bobby Miller.
Hilbert A. Swinson Jr.
Sept. 22, 1961 – Jan. 18, 2025
Hilbert Aldine Swinson Jr., 63, resident of the Beautancus community near Mount Olive, passed away Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Wayne UNC Healthcare.
Hilbert had been a truck driver during most of his working career.
He leaves behind a daughter, Tiffany Jane Swinson, of Mount Olive; four grandchildren, Logan Hess, Caden Smith, Savannah Sawyer, and Saylor Sawyer; his mother, Jean Deese Swinson of Newton Grove; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Gina S. and Mike Logue, of Shallotte, and Angie S. and Richard Blizzard, of Mount Olive; his mother-in-law, Katheryn Alphin Hines, of Mount Olive; a sister-in-law, Dawn Hines Seagroves of Mount Olive; and another brother-in-law, Ray King, of Calypso. Hilbert also has two nephews, Tyler Swinson and Ben Locklear.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Pamela Hines Swinson; his father, Hilbert Aldine “Joe” Swinson; a sister, Gwen S. King; a stepdaughter, Angel Hines Sawyer; a brother-in-law, Jay Hines; and a nephew, Adam Locklear.
The Swinson family will remember Hilbert at a private gathering.
Samuel Everett Dixon Jr.
Sept. 3, 1975 – Jan. 18, 2025
Samuel Everett Dixon Jr., resident of the Beautancus community, Mount Olive, passed away Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the age of 49.
Sam, as he was often called, had been a truck driver with working experience with Burch Farms, SuperVac, a uber service, and several other businesses. He enjoyed the outdoors, riding motorcycles and four-wheelers, computer gaming, and travel.
Sam’s life was remembered on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Tyndall Funeral Home. Presiding was the Rev. Paul Rose. Visitation followed the service. A private interment was held.
Sam leaves behind two sons, Samuel E. Dixon III and Mason Lee Dixon, both of near Clinton; his parents, Samuel “Sammy” Dixon and Marie Robinson Dixon, of Beautancus; a sister, Lori D. Rivenbark and husband, Ben, of Mooresville; a nephew, Carson Rivenbark of Mooresville; and several aunts and uncles, and many cousins.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial gifts be made to Bear Marsh Baptist Church, 1649 Beautancus Road, Mount Olive NC 28365.
Minnie Raynor Whaley
Sept. 24, 1932 – Jan. 10, 2025
Minnie Susan Whaley was born to Charlie and Sadie Raynor on Sept. 24, 1932.
As an only child, she grew up in Beulaville. She married her high school sweetheart, Warren Whaley, in 1950 and spent a large portion of her life as a military wife, traveling with her husband through his military career. They lived in multiple locations such as Texas, Las Vegas and Japan.
After Warren’s retirement from the military, they settled in their hometown of Beulaville to raise their three children. Minnie began her Career at Camp Lejeune at the Civilian Personnel Office. She advanced to the role of supervisor of personnel for the Employment Branch of Outside Recruitment. In this position, she assisted many people in finding a job and beginning their careers employed as civil servants. She served a total of 30 years of service with the government and thoroughly enjoyed her career.
She was a devoted member of the Beulaville Presbyterian Church, where she served in many capacities such as Deacon, Elder, Head of the Women of The Church, as well as church secretary and member of the choir. She enjoyed Sunday dinners at her home with family, especially on birthdays and holidays.
She was known to her family as the “Queen of cooking collards.”
She enjoyed reading books in her spare time and was always up for playing a good game of UNO with the grandchildren.
Minnie was preceded in death by: spouse, Warren Whaley; daughter, Linda WhaleyWeidman; great-grandchildren, Allie Whaley and Layla Grace Jones. She leaves behind to cherish her memory: children, Michael Whaley (Debra), Paula Dail (Keith); grandchildren, Brock Whaley (Abby), Amie Worley (Jason), Sarah Jones, Claire Weidman (Travis) and David Dail (Alexis); great-grandchildren, Madalynn Whaley, Audrey Whaley, Bentson Whaley, Emma Jones, Elaina Jones and Eliza Jones.
A memorial service was held on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 at the Beulaville Presbyterian Church with visitation and refreshments in the fellowship hall after the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations, in her honor, be made to the Beulaville Presbyterian Church, 205 E Main Street, Beulaville, NC 28518.
Winston Churchill Johnson
July 3, 1943 – Jan. 16, 2025
Winston Churchill Johnson, 81, of Magnolia, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 at Cardinal Care Memory Center in Jacksonville.
A visitation of family and friends was held Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 at Rose Hill Funeral Home. The funeral services will be held Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 at 1 p.m. at New First Baptist Kenansville in Kenansville. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Funeral Home Cemetery in Magnolia. Left to cherish his precious memories: wife, Annie B. Johnson of Magnolia.
Geneva Best Strickland
July 23, 1932 – January 19, 2025
Geneva Best Strickland, 92, of Tar Heel Drive, Mount Olive, passed away early Sunday morning, Jan. 19, 2025, at Genesis Center in Mount Olive where she was receiving care.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 23, at 6 p.m. from Tyndall Funeral Home in Mount Olive, with visitation to follow. Burial will be at Wayne Memorial Park at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24.
Mrs. Strickland was preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Ellen Waller Best; a brother, Selby Best and his wife, Shelby Weeks Best; a sister, Doris Vann Pate and her husband, Hugh Pate; a daughter-in-law, Amber Strickland; and two grandsons, Tyler and Kendall Strickland.
She is survived by her three sons, James Clark Strickland and wife, Loretta, George Blake Strickland and wife, Donna, and Leon Scott Strickland and companion, Christy Austin, all of near Dobbersville, Mount Olive; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and two grandsons-in-law; and several nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Strickland had been a homemaker and farm wife, and had worked at Mount Olive College for 11 years as an assistant cafeteria manager. She was a member of Brownings Methodist Church and in recent years, had attended Northeast Original Free Will Baptist Church.
Kaye P. Jones
May 5, 1946 – Jan. 10, 2025
Kathryn Pearsall Jones, 78, lifelong resident of the Mount Olive area, passed away Friday evening, Jan. 10, 2025.
Known by most as Kaye P. Jones, she had spent the majority of her working career at Hamilton Beach.
Kaye is survived by two sons and their wives, Robert Ray and Misty Denning, and Michael Christopher and Sue Ann Jones, all of Mount Olive; three grandchildren, William Edwards, Braxton James Denning, and Kathryn “Katie” Elizabeth Denning; a brother, Leonard “Len” Pearsall of Mount Olive; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Johnny L. Jones; her parents, Braxton L. and Katie Mozingo Pearsall; a sister, Wanda P. Babb; a brother, Bennett “Ben” Pearsall; and an infant brother, Braxton “little Jimmy” Pearsall. Funeral services were held at the graveside Friday, Jan. 17, in Maplewood Cemetery in Mount Olive. Presiding was the Rev. Ernest Otto Griffin Jr. and Michael Odom. The family greeted relatives and friends at the cemetery at the conclusion of the service.
Jimmy Edward Duff
June 29, 1948 – Jan. 12, 2025
Jimmy Edward Duff, 76, of Wallace, peacefully passed from this earthly life to his eternal rest on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025.
He was born on June 29, 1948, in Duplin County, the son of the late Robert Edward and Maggie Davis Duff. Jimmy was also preceded in death by his siblings, Bonnie Gunter and Robert Duff. Jimmy attended Northeast PFWB Church and was a truck driver for many, many years.
Surviving to cherish his memory is his best friend and wife of 54 years Connie Blackburn Duff; children, Wendy Wells and husband Roy of Surf City, Jamie Duff and wife Bibbi of Wallace, Ashley Duff and wife Kristy of Wallace, and Carrie Rivenbark and husband Adam of Burgaw; grandchildren, Logan Wells, Easton Duff, Tyler Duff, Brodie Duff, Wayne Sanderson, Ashton Duff, Zalie Rivenbark and Zander Rivenbark; brothers, Terry Duff and wife Deleane of Wallace and Tommy Brown of Castle Hayne; sister, Betty Bradshaw and husband David of Wallace; nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Jimmy dearly.
Jimmy was a loving husband and caring father, grandfather, brother and friend. He was a simple man who enjoyed the simplest things in life but his greatest joy was family. Jimmy was so proud of his children and especially his grandchildren. He enjoyed listening to them talk about their jobs and what was going on in their life. Being the grandfather he was, Jimmy spoiled his grands as much as he could. Jimmy loved cowboy boots and belts. He also enjoyed antique cars, especially El Caminos, which he won many trophies for. Being an avid fan of Elvis Presley, Jimmy loved to listen to Elvis’s music. Jimmy was a kindhearted man who was loved and respected by those who knew and loved him. A man of great integrity, who loved his family, community and God. Jimmy will surely be missed but treasured memories of him will surely remain in the hearts of those who knew him.
Funeral service was held on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home Wallace Chapel with Pastor Kevin Peterson officiating.
The family received friends one hour prior to the funeral service on Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial followed the service at Riverview Memorial Park, Watha.
Casketbearers were Jimmy and Connie’s grandchildren, Logan Wells, Easton Duff, Tyler Duff, Brodie Duff, Ashton Duff, Wayne Sanderson, Zander Rivenbark and Zalie Rivenbark.
Jimmy’s family would like to extend a special thank you to Debbie Usher for being Jimmy’s caregiver for a short time.
William David Evans Jr.
Oct. 24, 1956 – Jan. 9, 2025
William David Evans Jr., aka “Billy” of Baldwin, New York, formerly of Duplin County, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Fuquay-Varina.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at 2 p.m. at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Funeral Home Cemetery in Magnolia.
Left to cherish his precious memories: children, William D. Evans III and Mariana C. Evans of Baldwin, New York; sister, Doris Evans of Suwanee, Georgia; two aunts, three nieces, two nephews; numerous cousins and friends that will miss him dearly.
Dr. Michael R. Pelt
Dec. 8, 1930 – Jan. 9, 2025
Dr. Michael Riley Pelt passed away peacefully on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at Brookdale Senior Living in Goldsboro. He was a longtime Mount Olive resident. Dr. Pelt was born in Jackson County, Florida on Dec. 8, 1930, to Cary Joseph Pelt and Georgia Sellars Pelt. He graduated from Marianna High School in Marianna, Florida. He attended Chipola Junior College and Florida State University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Troy State University, where he met his wife, Betty Ethridge Pelt. Dr. Pelt received a Master in Divinity and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Duke University.
Dr. Pelt was ordained as a minister in 1950, and served many Original Free Will Baptist churches in Florida and North Carolina. He worked with Mount Olive College as professor and chairman of the Humanities Department from 1957 until his retirement in 1994. He was a former member of the Mount Olive Jaycees and the Mount Olive Exchange Club, where he enjoyed serving his community.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Betty Ethridge Pelt; a son, Cary L. Pelt; and daughters, Sharon Pelt Roach (Hal), and Julie Pelt Coates (Terry); his grandchildren, William Pelt (Jennifer), Michael Roach (Kaitlyn), Taylor Coates (Kala), Brittany Coates Gose (Anthony), and Meredith Roach Keller (Jacob); his great-grandchildren, Makayla Pelt, Addison Coates, Kinsley Pearsall, Paisley Pelt, Hadley Gose, Lenni Kate Coates, Poppy Roach, and Violet Roach; and a sister, Jeanette Pelt Townsend. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.
Dr. Pelt was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Julian, Chester, Daniel, Katie, Lourene Pelt Crawford, Myrtle Pelt Stanko, Jim, and Bonnie Pelt Hall; and a daughter Teresa Pelt Grubbs.
Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 13, in Rodgers Chapel on the campus of the University of Mount Olive. The family received friends prior to the service time. Dr. David Hines, Rev. Frank Harrison, and the Rev. Ronnie Hobgood officiated the services with burial following in the Maplewood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests considering memorial contributions directed to the Michael and Betty Pelt Endowment Foundation of Christian Ministries of NC, P.O. Box 210, Mount Olive, NC 28365. Condolences may be mailed to Mrs. Betty Pelt at Brookdale Assisted Living, 380 Country Day Road, Apt. 240, Goldsboro, NC 27530.