the BRIEF this
week
Woman arrested on multiple drug charges
Teachey A Teachey woman was arrested May 30 following a traffic stop conducted on Cornwallis Road. According to authorities, narcotics investigators with the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division seized illegal drugs and cash from the vehicle
Desiree L. Anderson was driving. Anderson faces multiple charges, including three counts of possession of Schedule II controlled substances (cocaine and crack cocaine), one felony count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II substance, and two misdemeanor counts for possession of drug and marijuana paraphernalia. She was taken into custody at the Duplin County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond.
Driver arrested after striking a light pole
Wallace A Pender County man was recently arrested after admitting to driving the pickup truck that struck a light pole and two road signs on N.C. 41/W. Main Street in Wallace. According to the Wallace Police Department, Steven Christopher Hewitte faces multiple charges, including failure to remain at the scene, failure to report an accident involving property damage over $1,000, driving while license revoked and failure to maintain lane control.
Support for lung health: Monthly meetings at ECU Health Duplin
Kenansville Join the Better Breathers Club, a monthly support group for individuals living with chronic lung disease. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 4 5 p.m. at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in the hospital’s extended dining room. The group is led by the hospital’s manager of respiratory care. The Better Breathers Club offers a welcoming environment where members can learn about managing their conditions and share their experiences with others.
NCDOT dedicates bridge to fallen trooper
“Our hope is that the bridge sign will be a constant reminder of Ben and help keep his memory alive.”
Master Trooper Paul Howard Jr.
The special tribute honors the legacy of Master Trooper Wallace
By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — The North Carolina Department of Trans portation dedicated a bridge along N.C. 24 in Duplin County to Mas ter Trooper Benjamin “Ben” Der ek Wallace last Tuesday following a special ceremony at the Ed Emory Auditorium in Kenansville. Friends
and family joined members of the North Carolina State Highway Pa trol in remembering and celebrat ing his life.
The Northeast Cape Fear Riv er bridge along N.C. 24 will now be known as the Trooper Ben D. Wal lace Bridge in recognition of the fallen Duplin County trooper’s ser vice and sacrifice.
According to Col. Freddy John son Jr. with the NCSHP, the bridge now represents more than just con crete and steel.
“His sacrifice reminds us that freedom and safety come at a cost
often accepted by the brave few who wear the badge,” Johnson said. Wallace served his community as a trooper for more than a decade. On Nov. 2, 2018, he suffered a fatal heart attack after assisting fellow officers at the scene of an accident with injuries. He was 45 years old.
“I had the distinct privilege of knowing and serving alongside Trooper Ben Wallace. … When our patrol family lost him, we grieved not as colleagues, but as family,” shared Lt. Bryan Wilson. He
Beulaville infrastructure project moves ahead
“They can do them with the gate valves, which would save a lot of money.”
Ricky Raynor, Public Works director
Gate valves could stretch the project budget further, the public works director said
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
BEULAVILLE — At the Beu laville town board meeting on Mon day night, officials shared updates on the town’s infrastructure efforts.
Public Works Director Ricky Raynor informed the board that the infrastructure project is pro gressing smoothly and remains ahead of schedule. Pressure test ing is complete, with sampling and floor preparation expected to wrap up this week.
“The contractors say there are places where they don’t really think
they need to do the line stops,” said Raynor. “They can do them with the gate valves, which would save a lot of money.”
Raynor shared that by the end of June, patching of asphalt and con crete, as well as door repairs, will be nearly finished. Contractors have also begun installing taps. Ray nor explained that the engineering team is reviewing whether costly line stops can be replaced with gate valves, which may free up funds to install additional lines if approved. Currently, this phase of the project remains ahead of schedule.
“If they add to it, the only area that will be affected is where (the engineers decide) to put the lines at. So everything else should be mostly done by the end of this month,” said Raynor. He noted that contractors
Magnolia police arrest key suspect in series of break-ins
“It takes a community coming together with one voice to deny crime a foothold on the communities and freedoms we hold dear.”
Magnolia Police Department
prefer gate valves over line stops due to quicker installation.
The board also revisited a coun ty led grant project involving site work on Lama Road. The county is handling the project incrementally, paying for each stage as it progress es, without committing the town to ongoing costs. The motion to ac cept the proposal from the Tim mons’ Group/Duplin County was approved unanimously.
In other business
Town Manager Lori Williams re ported that the wastewater treat ment plant operated steadily throughout May, handling an aver age daily flow of 209,000 gallons.
The suspect’s secured bond totals $84,500 following multiple felony charges as probe continues
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
MAGNOLIA — Last week, the Magnolia Police Depart ment announced the ar rest of Ronnie Lenel Devane, 43, a suspect in a series of break‑ins.
Taqueria Mi Lupita on Main Street, which experienced three separate incidents. Magnolia Police stated the $2.00
According to authorities, between April 7 and May 10, the town of Magnolia ex perienced a wave of break ins, which included theft and property damage. Among the affected were a motor vehi cle at Magnolia Court Apart ments, Casa Guerrero Restau rant on Railroad Street and
THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
See NCDOT, page A2
K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL
A sign dedicating the bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River along N.C. 24 to Master Trooper Ben D. Wallace was unveiled by loved ones following a special ceremony at the Ed Emory Auditorium on last Tuesday.
Ronnie Lenel Devane
CRIME LOG
May 25
Steven Gerald Holland, 55, was arrested by Duplin County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) for interfering with an electronic monitoring device.
May 27
• Kendle Raye Letchworth, 31, was arrested by DCSO for identity theft, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, possessing methamphetamine, possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a place for controlled substances, and shoplifting by concealment.
May 28
• Darius Monterio Askews, 29, was arrested by DCSO for failing to register as a sex offender.
May 29
Cameron McGaha, 22, was arrested by DCSO for possessing a Schedule III controlled substance, possessing drug paraphernalia, driving with a revoked license (not impaired), center lane violation, and possessing a firearm by a felon.
May 30
Michael Brandon Faison, 36, was arrested by DCSO for driving while impaired (Level 5) and reckless driving with wanton disregard.
• Desiree Lynn Anderson, 60, was arrested by DCSO for felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, possessing drug paraphernalia, and possessing marijuana paraphernalia.
THURSDAY
BEULAVILLE from page A1
The facility also recorded 121/2 inches of dirt accumulation.
Police Chief Karl Mobley reported that operations for the month have gone smooth ly overall. The department is working to fill one open posi tion to bring the department back to full staffing capacity. May’s sales tax revenue was reported at $36,000.
Bulk trash pickup was delayed due to weather and leaks but will be completed this week. Due to weather disruptions, utility leaks and the shortened workweek, crews were not able to complete all scheduled pickups.
The N.C. Department of Transportation is upgrading wheelchair ramps on Jackson Street as part of a state f unded improvement project.
A town newsletter is planned
for late June, with a content deadline of June 13. The news letter will highlight import ant ordinances, including yard maintenance, abandoned vehi cles, trash placement, and gen eral code enforcement topics.
A special meeting was sched uled for Monday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. to finalize the town’s budget. The board is waiting for final tax figures from the county before moving forward.
K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL
On June 2, members of the Beulaville town board convened at the town hall to receive detailed updates on the progress of the town’s infrastructure project.
NCDOT from page A1
explained that Trooper Kevin Connor had been killed in the line of duty in Columbus Coun ty 16 days prior to the death of Wallace, making late 2018 one of the most challenging periods in the agency’s history.
“Nothing could have pre pared us for the depth of this loss,” Wilson said.
First Sgt. Jason Casteen added that the loss of Wal lace left a void that changed District Four of the NC State Highway Patrol forever.
“We’re gathered today not just to remember Ben, but to honor the memory of those who have given their life in service to our community and the values that we hold dear,” Casteen said. “We — all of us — can honor his memo ry by living up to the ideals he fought for by embracing the principles he defended and by striving to make a positive im pact on our community, just as Ben did.”
Casteen thanked Johnson
BREAK-IN from page A1
stolen items held little intrin sic value; however, the impact of these crimes led to dam age to local businesses, which now bear the costs of repairs.
In an investigation led by Magnolia Police Chief J.T. Wood, Devane emerged as a primary suspect.
“Devane did not have a permanent address but was found to be spending most of his time in Magnolia Court Apartments,” reported Mag nolia Police on a social media pos t. As the investigation pro gressed, Wood learned of a break i n at a tanning salon in Wallace. On May 6, after re viewing surveillance footage provided by the Wallace Po lice Department, he identi fied D evane as a suspect in the bur glary. In light of this development, Wood convened
for his commitment to ensur ing each fallen member of the Highway Patrol is honored, Master Trooper Paul Howard Jr. for his efforts toward en suring Wallace received the recognition he deserved, and the NCDOT for their continu ous support.
“I would also like to thank my B4 team who are here today, ev ery one of you — the whole dis trict’s here,” Casteen said. “Your attendance today is undoubted ly a tribute to Ben and the last ing legacy he’s left behind.”
Howard in turn expressed his thanks to Casteen, the NC DOT, and the members of law enforcement who’d gathered to honor Wallace.
“We come together for the dedication and celebration of our friend Ben, but not to me — he was not Ben, he was Ben ji,” said Howard. “I met Benji when we were about 14 years old at Teachey’s Grocery Store in Pink Hill, and definitely had a friendship that was to the end.”
Howard shared fond mem
with a Wallace PD detective and law enforcement from neighboring jurisdictions to discuss the recent spate of break in s.
On May 10, Magnolia PD apprehended Devane for tres passing at Small Town Laun dromat on Monk Street. He was charged with trespass ing, possession of cocaine and possession of drug para phernalia. Following his ar rest, Devane was booked into Duplin County Jail under a $7,000 secured bond.
In the following days, Wal lace PD announced addition al charges against Devane, re sulting in a $7,500 increase to his secured bond.
On May 23, the Magno lia Police served Devane with a series of offenses, in cluding three counts of fel ony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny following breaking and en
ories of Wallace with those gathered, emphasizing the fallen trooper’s selflessness.
“If I called, he always did what he could to help,” he said. “He was a steady force in Duplin.”
Howard, along with others intent on keeping Wallace’s love for the Highway Patrol in Duplin County alive, started the Master Trooper Bejamin Derek Wallace Foundation in 2022. The nonprofit provides scholarships to high school students in Duplin County in terested in continuing their studies in criminal justice or vocational foundation and provides aid to the families of troopers throughout the state when the need arises.
“Our hope is that the bridge sign will be a constant re minder of Ben and help keep his memory alive,” explained Howard. “Ben will always be an important part of our lives, and we’re proud to be able to honor him today. God bless us all and the difference we make as members of the North Caro lina State Highway Patrol.”
tering, one count of break ing and entering a motor ve hicle with larceny and two counts of injury to real prop erty. The new charges result ed in an addition of $70,000 to Devane’s total secured bond, bringing the total to a hefty $84,500.
The Magnolia Police De partment extended gratitude to all community members who contributed to the inves tigation of these cases.
“It takes a community com ing together with one voice to deny crime a foothold on the communities and freedoms we hold dear,” wrote Magno lia PD.
Authorities are looking into any potential involvement of other individuals. Magnolia PD stated that no further in formation can be disclosed at t his time to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
June
June
Touch a Truck Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Chinquapin Volunteer Fire and Rescue invites the community to a
and
Touch a Truck Day and
plate sale on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This exciting event gives kids — and kids at heart — the chance to get up close to fire trucks, explore the department’s equipment and meet the volunteers who serve and protect the community. While you’re there, take a stroll through the fire station to see where the action happens and enjoy a delicious barbecue plate for just $10.
2800 South N.C. 41 and 50 Highway, Chinquapin
Bow Ties & Tiaras Daddy-Daughter Dance
6-9 p.m.
Get ready to dress to impress and make unforgettable memories at the Bow Ties & Tiaras Daddy-Daughter Dance on Saturday, June 7 from 6-9 p.m. at the Wallace Woman’s Club located at 216 NE Railroad St. This enchanting evening isn’t just about dancing and fun — it’s a special scholarship fundraiser for the 2025 Nurses Ball. Tickets are $25 per dad and one daughter, with just $5 for each additional daughter. Fathers and daughters of all ages are invited. Your style and dance moves will be put to the test as duos compete to be crowned the 2025 Best Daddy-Daughter Duo. Don’t
SPONSORED
How technology has impacted teaching in 2025
Educators
share their thoughts on technology
in the classroom
By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal
DUPLIN COUNTY — Ed
ucation in Duplin County has changed significantly since Grove Academy’s establishment in December 1785, and with in creasing rapidity as advanc es in technology inspire inno vation at institutions all over the world. Long standing class room implements like black boards, chalk, overhead pro jectors and dry erase markers have been supplanted by online classes and PowerPoint presen tations. Where students would once take trips to the library to reference encyclopedias or mi crofilm, instant access to infor mation through the internet and the myriad devices that connect to it have rendered such expedi tions largely obsolete.
As technology continues to
transform the teaching profes sion, facilitating the creation of creative lesson plans and provid ing instructors with opportuni ties they may not have previously thought possible, it has also in troduced unique challenges that impact the way students learn and interact in 2025.
“When I began teaching, there were no 1:1 devices,” said Wendy Parker, a teacher at B.F. Grady Elementary School who start ed in 1996. Parker indicated that teaching was once more hands on and visual, with students learning through playtime and interaction with one another.
“Today, our classrooms have become more on demand with technology rich learning,” she explained. “Students want to ask Siri for answers. When they want to know the time, they just look at their iPad.”
According to a 2020 survey by Pew Research Center, 36% of parents to children aged 0 11 say their child has used or interacted with a voice activated assistant. The same poll indicated 60% of
children began engaging with a smartphone before age 5 — ev idence that the dependency of students upon connected devic es and the convenience they pro vide often begins outside of the classroom.
Fourth grade teacher Jes sica Villarruel of Wallace Ele mentary expressed that her stu dents’ needs and expectations for learning have changed drastical ly since she started teaching in 2005.
“Today’s students are used to immediate gratification. They’re growing up in a world of instant answers, online gam ing and quick Google searches. In the past, when students had questions, finding answers took time,” she said. “Now, with the internet at their fingertips, stu dents expect not only to find an swers instantly but to under stand everything just as quickly.”
While she acknowledged that such expectation can sometimes feel overwhelming, Villarruel in dicated that she’s tried to present lessons in a way that encourag
“Children are brilliant when it comes to technology.”
Cody Raynor, teacher
es students to wonder, imagine and explore by giving them ques tions with answers that can’t be found through quick search en gine queries.
“The goal is always to keep them engaged, but also to stretch their thinking and help them de velop skills that go beyond just finding quick answers,” Villarru el said.
Access to technology has helped fuel student engagement and opened up instructor re source databases for third grade teacher Lindsey Marshall of Ke nansville Elementary School, who described it as both a bless ing and a curse.
“Students are engaged in tech nology so frequently it’s becom
ing too much,” she explained. “As a teacher, I must find the balance between lessons driven with technology and ‘back to ba sic’ type lessons.”
Cody Raynor, currently in his first year of teaching earth sci ence and biology to ninth and 11th grade Wallace Rose Hill High School students, echoed Marshall’s sentiment.
“Children are brilliant when it comes to technology and are ca pable of using it to the maximum for learning, but they are also ca pable of being very easily distract ed,” Raynor explained. “However, as a teacher, technology has been an enormous blessing.”
According to Tumira Middle ton, teacher of business manage ment, computer science and en trepreneurship for grades nine through 12 at James Kenan High School, good tech can never re place good teaching — no matter how advanced it becomes.
“Technology is just a tool — it’s the teacher’s strategy and re lationships that actually make learning happen,” she said.
Duplin County Schools lead way in vocational training
ASE accreditation boosts automotive programs at James Kenan and Wallace-Rose Hill high schools
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — James Kenan and Wallace Rose Hill high schools are shifting into high gear as their automotive programs earn prestigious na tional accreditation from the ASE Education Foundation in
maintenance and light repair.
Last week, Duplin County Schools announced this achieve ment, which underscores the programs’ compliance with rig orous industry standards, equip ping students to become skilled, job ready technicians.
“Students will be assured of a quality education, and shop owners will be assured of get ting quality job applicants,” said Erica Jones, CTE director.
“During the past few months, we have worked close ly with the ASE Education Foundation to make certain
that our program would meet strict industry standards, and now we are delighted to join the ranks of the ASE accred ited training programs,” Jones added.
Michael Coley, president of the ASE Education Founda tion, explained that thanks to strong collaboration be tween local schools and in dustry leaders, James Kenan and Wallace Rose Hill’s new ly accredited automotive pro grams will ensure that gradu ates are employable entry level technicians. Coley added that
“Students will be assured of a quality education.”
Erica Jones, CTE director
with top t ier training, driv ers will benefit from better re pair technicians entering the workforce.
The accreditation process includes a comprehensive eval uation that assesses instruc tion, facilities and equipment, ensuring that the training
Insect-eating Venus flytraps thrive in the Carolinas
A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild
By Erik Verduzco The Associated Press
CAROLINA BEACH — Park ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a week ly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, flies and spiders.
But the Venus flytraps aren’t like the human size, ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
In the wild, Venus flytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything oth er than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together
when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to re duce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain. Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.
“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly clos es and eventually starts releas ing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nutrient poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Ander son said.
Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also show cases other carnivorous plants. There are vase‑shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive
to trap them in place. Bladder worts work similarly to Venus flytraps.
And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus flytraps. The plant only grows in 12 coun ties in southeast North Caroli na near Wilmington and a few nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s official carnivorous plant in 2023.
Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venus flytraps bloom from about mid May to mid June, Anderson said.
The flytrap is a fragile plant that needs fire to survive. Wild fires in the pine forests where they grow clear off the denser overgrowth to provide the abun dant sunlight the plants need.
They face two big enemies — poachers and development.
Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North
Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party
At least 80 shots were fired just after midnight on Sunday
The Associated Press
HICKORY — Gunfire erupt ed around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with inju ries from fleeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheriff’s depu ties said.
Authorities said at least 80 shots were fired in the shoot ing that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scram bling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law en forcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.
WSOC VIA AP
Various police vehicles gather outside a community after a shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.
The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the office.
Sheriff’s office Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies respond ed but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.
Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Carolina. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus flytraps from game land in Hampstead. And the flytraps live in one of the fastest growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.
Scientists counted only about 300,000 flytraps in the Caroli nas several years ago.
While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venus fl ytraps in their natural envi ronment, he said commercial ly grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions. “They like nutrient poor soils,
aligns with nationally recog nized benchmarks for excel lence in automotive education. Additionally, the accredita tion provides students with op portunities to pursue addition al certifications and hands on experiences for enhanced em ployment opportunities
With upgraded facilities and a curriculum tailored to meet real world needs, both high schools are now positioned as leaders in vocational education in the area, providing students with a valuable head start in the automotive field.
“Because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects.”
Jesse Anderson, park ranger
and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmo sis,” Anderson said.
Venus flytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photo synthesis.
Please don’t feed them ham burger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without some thing to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.
A statement from the Ca tawba County Sheriff’s Office said a 58 year old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the vic tims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not im mediately released. One of the victims was previously report ed in critical condition.
Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheriff’s spokesperson said.
Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence re sponse team, officials said.
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize Harvard
DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?
On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”
French might not be aware that in addition to the joint government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”
The verdict is in.
But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.
Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.
Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out
BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO
A statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian flag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.
credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, fine. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this specific institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.
French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.
Moreover, leadership is responsible for the
Abe Lincoln and the penny
Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.
THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.
I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden floored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.
I will still bend double to pick up a penny off the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.
My wife thinks that’s funny.
“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”
“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.
Some people think finding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck. President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the
A five dollar bill and a penny.
Lincoln head penny being taken off the market.
Remember when they took Aunt Jemima off the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we flush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the fin. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half a yard. Yard. Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or fin. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though
culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department staffed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of finding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are staffing newsrooms, influential law firms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research efforts so highly, why does it sacrifice grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro Israeli or pro‑capitalist or pro A merican or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard finished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very different from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left w ingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to backfill some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.
there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?
People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief on the head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and flipping flapjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole flapjacks.
Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me.
I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a flapjack in his life.
Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will.
A flapjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.
Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”
COLUMN | MARC DION
COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI
Gratitude in action: Leadership, community honor EMS heroes
Duplin holds inaugural EMS Community Day
By Ena Sellers and K.D. Beard Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Du
plin County recently honored the dedicated men and wom en of Emergency Medical Ser vices with a celebration during EMS Week, May 18 28. As a show of gratitude, the pub lic safety administrative team prepared meals for every EMS shift. The appreciation contin ued with the county’s first EMS Community Day on Saturday, providing families with an op portunity to connect with their local heroes.
During EMS Week, Brandon McMahon, EMS director, and Dr. Jon Kornegay, EMS med ical director, along with shift supervisors, worked diligent ly to coordinate meals for each shift, ensuring that every crew member felt seen and appreci ated. The community’s appre ciation also showed through meaningful gestures, such as handwritten notes, thank you cards, and donations of food, including a 12 layer chocolate cake.
“The reaction from the staff was incredibly heartfelt. Many of them were surprised,” Mc Mahon told Duplin Journal. “They’re so used to focusing on the job at hand, they rarely pause to receive thanks.”
For McMahon, witnessing his team receive gratitude was deeply moving.
“To see their dedication ac knowledged so openly was in credibly affirming, not just for them, but for me as well,” Mc Mahon explained. “When grat itude comes from the very peo ple you serve, it carries a special weight. It’s a reminder that ev ery call, every sacrifice, every long night — it all matters.”
McMahon shared that these gestures of appreciation re minded everyone, including leadership, that the hard work, emotional toll and quiet sac rifices made every day do not go unnoticed. Receiving gifts, sweets and kind words from the community held significant meaning because they were more than just tokens; they were acknowledgments from those whose lives have been touched by EMS.
“I wanted each team mem ber to feel that their dedication does not go unnoticed — not by leadership, and certainly not by the people whose lives they touch,” said McMahon.
He explained that some times the demands of the job can overshadow the impact of their work, especially as shifts blur together and the emotion al toll quietly accumulates.
EMS Week provided an op portunity to remind the teams that what they do truly mat ters.
“They are the backbone of a system that countless people rely on in their worst moments. And for that, they deserve not only gratitude but unwavering support,” said McMahon.
During EMS Week, a mo ment that stood out particu
larly for McMahon was when the shift crews had a rare op portunity to come together and fellowship as a group. In the fast pa ced world of emergen cy response, such moments are both rare and fleeting.
Throughout the week, there were quiet moments that pro vided space for reflection on what the EMS team has en dured over the past year, serv ing as a powerful reminder of the human strength and com passion that define the team.
“They’ve responded to some of the toughest calls imagin able — medical crises, car ac cidents, overdoses, moments of loss and panic,” recounted Mc Mahon.
He noted that the team faced grueling challenges, sacrificing personal time, and enduring physical and emotional fatigue.
“And through it all, they’ve re mained steady, compassionate and committed.”
A key message McMahon shared for the EMS team was,
“You’ve carried not only pa tients but entire communi ties through uncertainty, fear and pain. You’ve comforted strangers, saved lives and stood strong when others couldn’t.
That matters more than words can fully express. I’m proud of you — not just for what you do,
but for who you are.”
McMahon shared that the hope for EMS Week is that ev ery member was reminded of their profound importance and that their contributions do not go unnoticed. Most important ly, leadership and community stand with them in gratitude and support.
“The resilience, team work and quiet courage you’ve shown inspire everyone around you. Never doubt the impact you have. And most important ly, you are not alone. We see you. We support you. And we are endlessly grateful for you,” McMahon emphasized.
The week of appreciation aimed to remind EMS teams that their efforts are recog nized and valued.
“I hope they carry forward the understanding that they are not just responders — they are healers, protectors and trust ed pillars in people’s darkest moments. Emotionally, I want them to feel proud. Not just proud of their technical skills or fast response times, but proud of the compassion they bring,” McMahon expressed.
Community Day, held at the Duplin Events Center, pro vided a special opportunity to bring families together for a day of fun and break down
“When gratitude comes from the very people you serve, it carries a special weight. It’s a reminder that every call, every sacrifice, every long night — it all matters.”
fears around emergency re sponders by offering hands on experiences with ambulances, fire trucks and even a medical helicopter.
“This special event is a chance for our community to connect with local EMS pro fessionals, learn about the vital work they do every day and dis cover how we all can play a part in responding to time sensitive emergencies like strokes, heart attacks and trauma situations,” McMahon told Duplin Journal.
“We want them to get hands‑on so they’re not scared whenever we respond to the real thing,” said Luis Arella no, Duplin County EMS mem ber and one of the event orga nizers.
Arellano indicated that he hopes that the event will spark interest in public safety and EMS as a profession and ex pressed the organizer’s aim of establishing EMS Community Day as an annual occurrence. “Our hope for this year is kick ing off our annual thing and making it bigger and better.”
More than just a celebra tion, the day offered a power ful reminder of the vital role EMS plays in emergencies like strokes, heart attacks and trau ma situations. It also allowed for first responders to interact with the community outside of crisis situations.
McMahon told Duplin Jour nal he hopes EMS staff feels re charged and reminded of their purpose in choosing this path. He wants his staff to feel not only appreciated but valued, seen, and deeply respected.
Hands-on summer activities available at Duplin 4-H Kenansville
The Duplin County 4 H program will be offering various workshops and livestock programs over the summer at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Kenansville. Activities include paint parties, dairy tours, cooking for kids, livestock judging, clinics and more. Youth must enroll in 4 H online via RegMax and pay at the Extension Office to secure their spot. Fees range from $5 to $35. For more information, call 910‑296‑2143.
Chinquapin Volunteer Fire Department to hold Catfish Tournament
Chinquapin
Registration for the Chinquapin Volunteer Fire Department’s Catfish Tournament on June 6 7 is open until Thursday at 7 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the three heaviest fish. Each participating team is allowed a maximum of 30 hooks, which can include bush hooks, rod and reel, or trotlines. Junior anglers aged 5 to 8 can win fishing gear, while children ages 9 to 12 have a chance to win $100. Additionally, there will be a TWT (Tournament Within a Tournament) with a 50/50 pot for the largest single fish caught. Tournament winnings will be distributed as follows: 30% for 1st place, 20% for 2nd place and 10% for 3rd place. The registration is $50 per team, TWT is $20 per team and junior anglers are free. For more information, call 910‑375‑0717 or visit the fire department’s Facebook page.
JSCC offers barber training courses in June Kenansville James Sprunt Community College is offering a barber training program with several course options available throughout the month of June. Night courses begin June 3 and will be held from 5:30 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; day courses begin on June 25 from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and will also run Monday through Thursday. Weekend classes start on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and are also available online. For more information, contact Patsy McCoy at 910 275‑6209.
Brandon McMahon, EMS director
K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Top, from left to right: EMT Alexis Casis, Paramedic Jonathan Kennedy and Paramedic Caroline Norris. Bottom, a participant of Saturday’s EMS Community Day gets hands-on practice with a dummy used to learn intubating techniques.
COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY EMS
Taylor Swift has regained control of her music
She bought back the rights to her first six albums
By Maria Sherman The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work.
In a lengthy note posted to her official website last Friday, Swift announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now be longs to me.”
The pop star said she pur chased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.
In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releas ing her first six albums in an at tempt to regain control of her music.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” Swift addressed fans in the post. “The best things that have ever been mine … finally actually are.”
“The best things that have ever been mine … finally actually are.”
Taylor Swift
“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.
Swift’s rerecordings were in stigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and rep resents Swift’s effort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Ver sion” releases have been more than conventional rerecord ings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen under standing of her work.
“I am happy for her,” Braun said Friday. She has also released new music, including last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record breaking tour.
So far, there have been four rerecorded albums, beginning
with “Fearless (Taylor’s Ver sion)” and “Red (Taylor’s Ver sion)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one de buting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the re cord for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.
Fans have theorized that
“Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” would be next: On May 19, “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” aired near ly in full during the opening scene of a Season 6 episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Prior to that, the song was teased in 2023’s Prime Video limited se ries thriller “Wilderness” and in Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” in 2024. Also in 2023, she contributed “Deli cate (Taylor’s Version)” to Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
But according to the note shared Friday, Swift says she hasn’t “even rerecorded a quar ter of it.”
She did say, however, that she has completely rerecorded her self titled debut album “and I really love how it sounds now.” Swift writes that both her self titled debut and “Reputa tion (Taylor’s Version)” “can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right.”
Representatives for Swift and HYBE did not immediately re spond to request for comment.
In Marseille, shadow becomes art in Banksy’s latest street mural
The lighthouse appeared in the French city’s 7th arrondissement, near the ocean
By Thomas Adamson
Bishr Eltoni and Jill Lawless The Associated Press
MARSEILLE, France — The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”
Banksy had struck again.
Last Friday, the elusive Brit ish street artist confirmed the work by posting two images on his official Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identified the lo cation as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Mar seille’s 7th arrondissement, near the sea. Since then, crowds have gath ered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the build ing stop to take a closer look. There is no official explana
tion for the phrase. But its emo tional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both.
The image is deceptively sim ple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it pow er is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame.
Marseille mayor Benoît Payan was quick to react online. “Mar seille x Banksy,” he wrote, add ing a flame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond. Though often political, Banksy’s art is just as often per sonal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, and on walls condemning capital ism, Brexit and police brutality.
The artist, who has never con firmed his full identity, began his career spray painting build
A woman walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy, last Friday in
ings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best‑known artists. His mis chievous and often satirical im ages include two male police of ficers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”
His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past
murals on outdoor sites have of ten been stolen or removed by building owners soon after go ing up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.
In March 2024, an environ
mentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced off within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infa my — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn’t even know who Banksy was, according to the lo cal press.
On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior. And yet, it is no less glob al. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare origi nals. Another exhibit opens Sat urday in Montpellier. But the Marseille mural wasn’t meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that’s already circling the world.
BISHR ELTONI / AP PHOTO
A man rides his scooter by an artwork by street artist Banksy last Friday in Marseille, France.
NATACHA PISARENKO / AP PHOTO
Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental Stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires in November 2023.
“Marseille x Banksy.” Benoît Payan, Marseille mayor
BISHR ELTONI / AP PHOTO
Marseille, southern France.
DUPLIN SPORTS
PJ WARD-BROWN / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Irving Brown became the fourth WRH running back to be signed to a fullride scholarship in Division 1 since 2017
Bulldogs RB Brown showcases talent to Division I Ohio Bobcats
Irving Brown’s career and educational accomplishments gave him a jump-start to playing college football
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WALLACE — Wallace-Rose Hill has a long legacy of running backs, especially after the arrival of the late Jack Holley (412-96-9), the second-winningest coach in the state.
But head coach Kevin Motsinger has produced four Division I running backs since taking over for Joey Price in 2017.
The latest running back to motor to big-time college football is Irving Brown.
Brown, who left to attend Ohio University on a full-ride scholarship in January, is the Male Athlete of the Year.
The son of Gary and Kim Brown joined the ranks of Javonte Williams (UNC, Broncos, Cowboys as 2017 grad of WRH), Kayne Roberts (Appalachian State in 2019) and Cameren Dalrymple (Navy in 2019), and Price’s two marquee backs Johnnie Glaspie and Keyshawn Canady (ECU in 2016).
“He’s No. 3 on the depth chart and only because he’s still learning the language and the plays,” Motsinger said of Brown’s time at the Athens, Ohio, school. “They feel he’ll be No. 2 once they get to the meat of the season.
“The kid’s trained hard and loves the weight room. He’s trained with Cedric Baker and has put in a lot of work on his own. That’s Irving Brown.”
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Brown played tight end in middle school until WRH coach Kevin Motsinger made the switch.
That approach, an injury and the coming out of running back Jamarae Lamb (1,360 yards, 8 touchdowns) last season saw Brown get less statistics, though he ran for more than 1,227 yards and scored 14 times as WRH grabbed a share of the ECC title after winning it outright the previous season.
Brown ran for 4,545 yards and 65
That name was said with respect the past three seasons by the opposition, which felt it had to stop him first.
See BROWN, page B3
Rebels’ Higginbotham was ultimate team player in two sports
Addy Higginbotham was a star who turned on the lights of other players with her talent, calmness and high sports IQ
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — Addy Higginbotham is one of those rare players who has it figured out and goes about her work on a sport field with a business-like fashion.
You won’t see worry, anxiety, stress or nervousness on her face.
The “cool one” remains calm during each step, though seems to have a clearer view than her teammates or the opposition.
Higginbotham, who was the captain and leader of the North Duplin basketball and softball teams, leaves to play on a diamond at Wingate University as the Duplin Journal’s Female Athlete of the Year.
She follows former teammate Reece Outlaw, who was the top athlete in 2023-24.
Higginbotham beat out East Duplin’s Ja’Myah Pickett and Kinsey Cave and teammates Lilly Fulghum and Tatewayna Faison to capture the honor.
She is the daughter of Joey Higginbotham, longtime men’s basketball coach at UMO and Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham, who coached softball for the Trojans for more than a decade and in her third season as the head coach of the Rebels’ softball team.
Higginbotham surpassed the 1,000-point total in hoops her junior season when she averaged 13.6.points. See ADDY, page B3
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Higginbotham hit .560 with seven doubles, eight triples and two home runs while knocking in 13 runs this spring.
“That’s one of her best qualities is how calm she stays,” said Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham.
“She’s never too up or too down and never becoming overwhelmed. She never lets her emotions run her. I’m not like that, and I don’t think he (Joey) is either.”
Their oldest daughter has all the statistics of a star yet might have something her parents are lacking: The ability to stay unruffled.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Addy
Pickett, Faison, Page, Cave make major waves
ED’s Ja’Myah Pickett and Kinsey Cave, ND’s Tateyawna Faison and WRH’s Jansley Page are major forces in two or more sports
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — Ja’Myah Pickett had her way in the low post for the previous two seasons.
She also had few close followers in jumping and throwing events in track.
Jansley Page (volleyball), Tateyawna Faison (basketball), Lilly Fulghum (softball) and Kinsey Cave (basketball) were also forces who emerged when the going got tough.
All five, however, fell a spike, 3-pointer or triple short of North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham, who was the top athlete in Duplin County.
The quintet have two connection points.
Each captured a championship during the academic school year, and each have a never-g ive-up sports approach to competition.
They join five other athletes on Duplin’s Elite 11 for 2024-25 as the top female athletes.
The list is unofficial but put together after careful consideration of the facts and opinions of area coaches and Duplin Journal staff.
With Higginbotham included there are six seniors, three juniors and two sophomores.
Here’s a capsule look at the Elite 11, which is comprised of six seniors, three juniors and two sophomores. (See B1 for the girls’ Athlete of the Year story.
Ja’Myah Pickett, ED. Sr. (track, basketball)
If Duplin County had a strong woman competition Pickett would be the top cat.
The Panthers senior finished third at the 2A track and field championships in the discus and shot put.
In basketball, she averaged 9.7 points and 10 rebounds for an East Duplin team that won the ECC championship and advanced to the fourth round of the 2A state tournament. The Panthers finished 25-3.
Pickett excelled in the classroom as well with a 3.54 GPA. Tateyawna Faison, ND, Sr. (volleyball, basketball, track)
Faison is a player that can’t be replaced in the mold she built during four years in three sports.
The 6-foot center averaged 16 points, 13 boards and 3.4 blocks as a scorer and rim protector on a basketball team that otherwise lacking in height.
She was an all-Carolina 1A Conference volleyball player in the fall, registering 127 kills and 101 blocks.
Faison captured a regional title in the 100 hurdles and was sixth in that event at the 1A finals. She also displayed her natural speed by landing 11th in the 200.
Faison will play basketball at Fayetteville Technical Community College next winter.
Lilly Fulghum, ND, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball)
In terms of power and the energy she generates, Fulghum
has the right stuff to be the top athlete.
She played like an all-state player in softball, hitting .632 with eight doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and drove in 18. All were team-highs, sans the doubles. She was 5-2 with a 0.98 ERA in 50 innings in the circle.
Fulghum was the Rebels’ third-leading scorer in basketball at 6.9. In volleyball, she was a breath of fresh air on a team that lost two veteran players. She collected her 1,000th dig in the fall.
Barring injury she will be knocking on the door to be the top all-around athlete in Duplin County.
Kinsey Cave, ED, So. (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Cave was Ms. Basketball for the second time and is on pace to become the first four-time
Lilly Fulghum helped ND in softball as a pitcher and hitter, basketball as a forward and, in volleyball, got her 1,000 digs.
winner of that award. Opportunities abound should the rising sophomore seek to transfer to a private school.
She was the point guard and guiding force for the basketball team that finally overcame Southwest Onslow to win the ECC. And there’s no way the Panthers go 25-3 and 24-5 without Cave, who lives in the WRH school district.
Cave averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals as the quarterback of the offense.
She was third on the team in kills (138) and fifth in digs (105) as ED went from 10-12 in 2023 to 15-7.
Cave hit .362 in softball, with four doubles, four triples and 12 RBIs played at second base.
Jansley Page, WRH., Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball) Fulghum, Cave and Page
are the early favorites at Athlete of the Year in 2025-26, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bulldogs’ three-sport staple.
Page’s best sport is volleyball as she went for 260 kills, 153 digs and 50 aces.
She averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 boards in basketball and hit .407 in softball with seven extra-base hits after missing time for an injury.
Y’Anna Rivers, JK, So. (volleyball, basketball)
Rivers, one of two sophomores on the list, was an all-ECC selection in basketball and volleyball. She threw down for 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and shot a team-high 49% from the field as James Kenan’s top hoopster.
Angelia Cavallaro, WRH. Sr. (volleyball, track)
Cavallaro is like Cave in that she can win the top player award in her main sport — volleyball — four times before graduating. That day will delight foes, as the junior logged a mind-blowing 401 kills. She also had 120 digs and 94 aces. WRH went 21-3 and was conference champion for the first time in more than 30 years. The Bulldogs lost to Seaforth in the third round of the 1A playoffs.
Karsyn Parker, ED, So. (volleyball, softball)
Parker’s name will be front and center in two sports the next two years.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Addy Higginbotham, ND
ELITE ELEVEN FOR 2024-25
Ja’Myah Pickett, ED. Sr. (track, basketball)
Lilly Fulghum, ND, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Kinsey Cave, ED, So. (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Jansley Page, WRH., Jr. (volleball, basketball, softball)
Tateyawna Faison, ND (volleyball, basketball, track)
Y’Anna Rivers, JK (volleyball, basketball)
Angelia Cavallaro, WRH. Sr., (volleyball)
Karsyn Parker, ED, So. (volleyball, softball)
Analeise Rivenbark, WRH, Sr. (volleyball, basketball, track)
Katherine Enamorado, JK, Sr. (soccer)
Zoey Cavanaugh, ED, Jr. (v-ball, basketball, soccer)
She led the Panthers in hitting (.408) and runs (31) and on-base-percentage (.483).
She had six doubles, two homers and walked 16 times as the leadoff hitter on a team that went 15-7 following a less-than-normal 10-12 record the previous season.
Volleyball coaches like Parker as a hustler, as she made 188 digs and fired in 67 aces.
The Panthers were 14-8 after charting to 12-10 in 2023.
Analeise Rivenbark, WRH, Sr. (volleyball, basketball)
Rivenbark joined Cavallaro and Page as part of WRH’s Big 3. She had 180 kills, 54 digs, 30 aces and 26 blocks.
Rivenbark averaged 5.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in basketball.
Katherine Enamorado, JK, Sr. (soccer)
Enamorado punched in 33 goals and had five assists to pace the Tigers to their third-place finish in the ECC standings. James Kenan won nine matches in back-to-back seasons, after going 12-28-4 from 2021-23.
Zoey Cavanaugh, ED, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, soccer)
Cavanaugh made contributions in three sports before suffering an injury in soccer.
She was the top kill player for the volleyball team with 174 and added 169 digs and 30 aces.
The sister of Panthers baseball legend Nick Cavanaugh was a key defender for the soccer team that turned its season around to finish 13-9-2 after losing to No. 3 Roanoke Rapids in the fourth round of the 2A playoffs.
In basketball, she averaged 3.0 points as a sixth man and later started when Zakoya Farrior and Ava Noble were forced out with knee injuries.
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PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Ja’Myah Pickett was an all-ECC hoopster and placed in the shot put and discus at the 2A state championships.
Left, Tatewayna Faison returned here senior season to play volleyball and excelled it that and basketball and track and field. Right, WRH’s Jansley Page was part of a bashing trio that included Ms. Volleyball Angelina Cavallaro and Analeise Rivenbark.
touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He caught 22 passes for 408 yards and two scores.
Brown’s final prep game came as a member of the North Carolina team during the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He scored on a 44-yard run and had 88 yards as the Tar Heel team beat the Palmetto gang 49-24, its first win in 12 years.
Ohio University, which won the MAC and was 11-3, has six consecutive bowl wins, including a 30-27 triumph in the Sun Bowl last December.
Brown beat out East Duplin’s Jordan Hall, James Kenan’s Tyquise Wilson, North Duplin’s Carell Phillips and Trashawn Ruffin and Lamb to capture the honor.
Brown’s early graduation prevented him from playing basketball for the Bulldogs. He was an all-Duplin County first-team selection in 2024.
“His character, discipline and intelligence is off the charts,” Motsinger said. “He checks all the boxes to get to where he is now. Recruiting has changed and colleges are going to the portal instead of finding high school players. That makes this even more special.”
One trait she got from both is the ability to take charge of her team.
“She directs traffic really well,” Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham said. “And she’s a self-disciplined player who is willing to learning a game she loves. She sends me (softball) clips all the time. She likes being that voice in the huddle, no matter what sport she’s playing.”
Yet the younger Higginbotham isn’t consumed with sports.
“I don’t talk sports with her and my other daughter (Gracie, who will be a freshman pitcher next season) when we’re in the car unless they bring it up. They separate life from sports. I’m most happy running my children to travel games all over the U.S.
“I enjoyed coaching her because she’s a student of the game, and a lot of things don’t need to be said to her because of that. Or I can give her a look and she know what to do.”
Hoop teams go
Higginbotham and Outlaw played softball and basketball together since they were drawing up game plans in the dirt in the peewee leagues.
The former was a better dribbler and passer while the two matched skills on the diamond and when they played volleyball for two seasons.
Outlaw had more power but that never mattered. Both were stellar defensively and had high sports IQs.
Higginbotham lettered in volleyball three times and left it after her junior season.
She wasn’t inactive, though, as travel ball runs nearly year-round.
Higginbotham adjusted well to the absence of Outlaw in basketball.
She took starter Fulghum and frosh Abby Rose and Maggie Brown under her umbrella of knowledge and influence late last fall as Higginbotham developed them into stron-
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Irving Brown scored a touchdown and ran for 88 yards in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He ran for 4,545 yards and scored 65 touchdowns during his career at WRH.
Turns out that Brown was told he couldn’t be a running back in middle school and was put at tight end.
“I remember the day we told him and his daddy that Irving was going to be a running back,” Motsinger said. “They didn’t believe us.
“Irving is a sweet-as-molasses kid (inside), which is a credit to his mom and dad. He’s just a great kid and a super hard-working football player.”
WRH lost a generational talent who averaged 116.5 yards for three years on Friday nights.
ger starters. She learned quickly how each might move and how they might want the ball.
The Rebels lost early 2A affairs with Kinston and East Duplin (twice) and stood 3-2 when the calendar year ended but rebounded to survive by winning seven in a row.
They stretched it to nine in a row before falling to CC foe Lakewood on the road and the CC Tournament finals.
Wins in the playoffs over Weldon, Gates County and Northside-Pinetown followed in the playoffs. North Duplin fell to East Bladen, who would become state runner-up, in the fourth round, to wind up 24-5.
The Rebels were 68-17 with Higginbotham as a starter in basketball the past four years and 57-17 in softball.
The Rebels were 68-17 with Addy Higginbotham as a starter in basketball the past four years and 57-17 in softball. ATHLETE
Katelyn Jones
No player in the county has those kind of numbers or results in two sports.
Higginbotham hit .560 with seven doubles, eight triples and two home runs, and she knocked in 13 runs this spring. She was at .629 last season with 12 doubles, three triples and three yard shots.
ND was 1A runner-up in 2023 and won the CC four times.
She surpassed the 1,000-point total in hoops her junior season when she averaged 13.6.
Higginbotham was a pass-first point, putting up 10.5 points and 5.0 assists her senior campaign.
Add three more outright CC basketball titles to her collection and four CC Tournament crowns and it’s abundantly clear that she went home more rock-star happy than anyone in Duplin County.
East Duplin, soccer
Katelyn Jones finished her four-year soccer career by scoring three points during key playoff matches.
The senior had an assist and goal when the Panthers upset Princeton 3-2 and had an assist during a 3-2 upset over Washington.
East Duplin lost to Roanoke Rapids in the fourth round to finish 13-9-2.
Jones scored 10 goals and had four assists. She knocked in 19 goals as a junior when the Panthers won the ECC title and scored eight her sophomore campaign.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Hall, Wilson, Lamb, Ruffin thrive as multisport stars
The county’s best athletes shined as one-sport specialists, though 10 of the 12 best athletes from Duplin will graduate
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — The sports page will turn this fall without some of the best athletes in Duplin County.
Most will be in college, and the Male Athlete of the Year — Irving Brown — went to Ohio University in after graduating f rom Wallace-Rose Hill in December.
While not every player on the Elite Eleven for 2024-25 is bound for college athletics, each player on the list left a legacy at their school.
Here’s a quick recap of some of the memories they will look back on.
Jordan Hall, ED, Sr. (football, track, basketball)
Hall started out his final season in blue by making 114 tackles and missed five basketball games before returning.
He averaged 3.0 points and 5.5 rebounds to help East Duplin go from 2-22 in 2023 to 11-11 last winter.
Hall was fifth in the triple jump at the Mideast regional championships and 10th at the 2A meet in Greensboro.
Tyquise Wilson, JK, Sr. (football, basketball, track)
Wilson has athletic talent and speed to burn.
Wilson was a first-team all-Duplin basketball player who averaged 11 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He made 50 tackles in the secondary and had five interceptions on defense for a James Kenan gridron team that reached the fourth round of the 2A playoffs.
He will play football at Johnson C. Smith University, a private HBCU in Charlotte.
Wilson was sixth in the 100 at the East Region championships.
Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr. (football, basketball)
Lamb is probably the most versatile athlete on the Elite list.
He carried the ball 179 times last fall for 1,3601 yards and eight touchdowns to help lead Wallace-Rose Hill to a shared ECC title with James Kenan. He was also key the previous season when the Bulldogs won it outright.
It the ’Dawgs are going to repeat, Lamb will be required to produce more, like he did last season when Irving Brown was on the injury list.
Lamb put in 8.6 points on the basketball court as WRH’s second-leading scorer.
Carell Phillips, ND, Jr. (football, track)
Phillips ran for 1,913 yards and scored 31 touchdowns after going for 687 yards and eight scores as a sophomore.
North Duplin won the Carolina 1A Conference title and was 10-0 before falling to Lakewood in the third round of the postseason.
While others participated, Phillips’ number was called constantly, and he delivered, even and especially when the pressure was on.
Trashawn Ruffin, ND, Sr. (football, track)
Trashawn Ruffin was the
foundation piece on the line for North Duplin. He made 34 tackles and pushed the flow of a play to spots where more than one Rebel was waiting to make a tackle.
Ruffin changed his college choice from Texas A&M to UNC after the Tar Heels hired former New England head coach Bill Belichick.
Ruffin was seventh at the region meet in the shot put after winning that event and the discus at the 2A championships.
Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr. (football)
Kornegay was to the Tigers as Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor were to their NFL clubs.
Kornegay’s 203 tackles not only led the Duplin County but were the most in the state in all classifications.
He averaged a whopping 14.5 tackles per game and made a runner lose yardage 28.5 times.
The pressure allowed James Kenan to stop the run while the secondary made 17 interceptions.
JK went 12-2 and advanced to the fourth round of the 2A playoffs before falling to Northeastern. They broke a 13-game skid against WRH in the third round and shared the ECC flag with the Bulldogs.
Calvin Harper, ED, Sr. (football, basketball, baseball)
Harper quietly had three productive seasons.
He was all-county and all-ECC first-team pick in football with 86 tackles while averaging 16 points in basketball and hitting .271 with 11 RBIs on the diamond in the spring.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Irving Brown, WRH, Sr. ELITE ELEVEN FOR 2024-25
Jordan Hall, ED, Sr. (football, track, basketball)
Tyquise Wilson, JK, Sr. (football, basketball)
Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr. (football, basketball)
Carell Phillips, ND, Jr. (football, track)
Trashawn Ruffin, ND, Sr. (football, track)
Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr. (football)
Calvin Harper, ED, Sr. (football, basket, baseball)
Donovan Armwood, ND (football, basketball)
Kyle Kern, ED, Sr. (baseball)
Alex Zepeda, WRH, Sr. (soccer)
Peter Omega, JK, Sr. (soccer)
Donovan Armwood, ND, Sr. (football, basketball)
Mr. Basketball in Duplin County averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. His played helped North Duplin win eight of its final 10 games to make the 1A playoffs. Armwood had 37 tackles as a defensive back for the Rebels, who won a Carolina 1A Conference football title and finished 10-1 after losing to Lakewood in the third round of the postseason.
Kyle Kern, ED, Sr. (baseball)
Kern, who will be a top candidate for Mr. Baseball, led the state in strikeouts with 130. He went 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA, allowing the opposition to hit .133 and have an on-base-percentage of .273.
Peter Omega, JK, Sr. (soccer)
Omega, a first-team all-state 2A player booted in 31 goals and had 19 assists to lead James Kenan to a tie for the ECC with WRH and East Duplin. The Tigers lost to eventual 2A champ Clinton in the fourth round.
Alex Zepeda, WRH, Sr. (soccer)
Zepeda was a goal-scoring machine to become a two-time all-state player. He scored 45 goals and dished out 24 assists and was selected to play in the NC Coaches East-West match this summer in Greensboro.
PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Top, Trashawn Ruffin anchored the ND line in football and won state 2A titles in the discus and shot put. Bottom left, ED’s Jordan Hall made 114 tackles in football and was star at the ECC track and field meet and played basketball. Bottom right, JK’s Tyquise Wilson starred in basketball and football.
Tobatha Carr Beatty
Nov. 16, 1944 – May 25, 2025
Tobatha Carr Beatty, age 70, of Teachey, passed away on Sunday, May 25 at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Hospital in Wilmington.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 7 at 12:00 noon at Keathern Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Harrells. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Left to cherish her precious memories are five children, Reese Beatty Jr. of Teachey, Randall Beatty and Timothy Beatty of Rose Hill, Jeffrey Beatty of Durham and Shantay Beatty of Harrells; two brothers, James Kerr of Raleigh and Richard Carr of Wallace; two sisters, Sharon Carr of Ivanhoe and Barbara Kerr of Raleigh; twelve grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two aunts, Jean Faison and Margaret Carr; one uncle, Lowell Tatum; sister-in-law, Eunice Beatty; special friend, Norbert Newsome; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss her dearly.
Christina “Kit” Anne Fiedler
Oct. 23, 1943 – May 28, 2025
Christina “Kit” Anne Fiedler, age 81 died Wednesday, May 28 at the Wallace Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Wallace. She is survived by her husband Bill Fiedler of Chinquapin; daughters, Betsy Fiedler of Chinquapin and Lenore Fiedler of Chinquapin; sons, Larry Fiedler and wife Adrienne of Chinquapin, Andy Fiedler and wife Laura of Connecticut; brother, Walter Koch Jr of New York; thirteen grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; and her beloved dog, Socks.
A Memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Linda Gail (Garriss) Sholar
Feb. 8, 1948 – May 25, 2025
Linda Gail Garriss Sholar, age 77, of Wallace passed from this life to her eternal rest on Sunday, May 25.
She was born on February 8, 1948, in Pender County; the daughter of the late Bernice and Lena Wells Garriss. Gail was also preceded in death by her best friend and husband of 47 years Glenn McAllen Sholar; sister, Alma Padgett; and brother, Warren Garriss.
Surviving to cherish her memory are her devoted children, Phyllis Southerland and husband Deyo, Glenda Ramsey, and Anthony Sholar and wife Diane, all of Wallace; grandchildren, Lyndsey Deal, Alex Henderson, Zara Rogers, Christian Rogers, Alleigh Ramsey, Jared Ramsey, Brandi Cole and husband Tanner, Ashly Stanley and husband Franklin, and Waylon Sholar and wife Destiny; great-grandchildren Peyton Deal, Leighton Deal, Cooper Henderson, Ryan Cole and Alan Cole; sister, Frances Beasley of Warsaw; brother, Douglas Garriss of Watha; her canine companion, Maggie; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Gail dearly.
Gail was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister who loved her family with all her heart. She enjoyed the simple things of life, but her greatest joy was her family, especially her grandchildren. Whenever you saw Gail, she was always the same sweetest and loving woman you would ever meet. Being an avid animal lover, she enjoyed tending to animals such as ducks, watching their eggs hatch and caring for the little ones as they grow. Gail also enjoyed going out to eat, and the ‘little adventures’ she had. One of her favorite adventures was the one where she and her granddaughter traveled to Pennsylvania and the other was going to Graceland with family. Gail lived her life with a spirit of patience, gratitude, wonder and love. She will surely be missed but treasured memories of her will forever remain in the hearts of those you knew and loved Gail.
Funeral service was held on Friday, May 30 at Lighthouse Family Worship Center. The family received friends in the hour prior to the service at the church and at other times at the home of Dwight and Susie Sholar. Burial followed in Lighthouse Cemetery.
Faye Kornegay Coward
Aug. 19, 1941 – May 27, 2025
Just moments after midnight which ushered in Tuesday, May 27, Faye Kornegay Coward, resident of Albertson, passed away at UNC Lenoir Hospital in Kinston. She was 83.
Faye was raised in the Pleasant Grove section of Duplin and was a member of the 1959 graduating class of B. F. Grady High School. She had enjoyed a long tenure of employment with the East Carolina Vocational Center where she was a departmental administrator.
After Faye relocated to the Vanceboro area, she became a member of West Vanceboro Church of God. Upon her return to the Albertson area, she attended Tanglewood Church of God in Kinston, and more recently, she worshipped at Mount Zion Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church at Pink Hill.
Faye is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Theressa Grady Joyner and Kevin Joyner of Ahoskie, and Frances Anne Grady Wallace and Tommy Wallace of Jefferson; a daughterin-law, Angela P. Grady of Beulaville; grandchildren, Ashley Brown and husband Willie, Jeffery Rhodes and wife, Cynthia, Angela Bailey and fiance, Darrel Jones, Heather Fairless and husband, Adam, Emily Grady, Kara Parker, and Cody Howard; honorary grandson, Anthony Bailey and wife Gayle Bailey; greatgrandchildren, Noah Harmon, Isla Brown, Andrew Morton, Brianna Bailey, Faith Bailey, and Charlotte Fairless; a great-great-grandson, Levi Gomez; a sister-in-law, Rhoda Kornegay of Albertson; a brother-in-law, Hubert Radford of Kinston; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, David Allen Grady; her husband, James Ray “Dick” Coward; two grandchildren, Eliza Brown and Morgan Thompson; her parents, Allen and Nellie H. Kornegay; a sister, Anne K. Radord; and a brother, Randall “Rank” Kornegay. A service for which to remember Faye’s life was held Friday, May 30 at Greenleaf Memorial Park in New Bern at the outdoor service pavilion, after which she was entombed in the cemetery’s Floral Garden mausoleum. Officiating at the service was the Rev. Brent Manning. The family greeted friends and relatives at the cemetery after the service.
Robert
Jermaine Sloan
Feb. 3, 1974 – May 27, 2025
Robert Jermaine Sloan, age 51, of New York City, New York , formerly of Teachey, passed away on Tuesday, May 27.
A visitation of family and friends was held on Sunday, June 1 at Rose Hill Funeral Home in Rose Hill. Funeral services were held on Monday, June 2 at Rockfish AME Church in Teachey. Burial followed at the church cemetery.
Left to cherish his precious memories are his parents: Gardine Sloan of Teachey and Robert L. Mathis “Bud” of Rose Hill; four brothers, George Sloan of New York. Montaro Johnson of Teachey, Wesley Johnson of Alabama, and Louis R. Faison (Enjoli) of Richlands; sister, Nakachia Smutko (Brian) of Garland; special friends, Patrice Newkirk, Happi Mathis, and Connie Cheeks; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss him dearly.
Annie Grace Herring
Aug. 10, 1941 – May 29, 2025
Annie Grace Herring, 83, of Warsaw passed away May 29 at UNC Rex Healthcare in Raleigh. A public viewing was held Wednesday June 4 at St. Peter’s AME Church in Warsaw. Funeral service was Thursday June 5 at Prayer of Faith Evangelistic Church in Warsaw. Entombment followed the service at Devotional Gardens in Warsaw.
Robert Wade Moore Jr.
Dec. 4, 1946 – May 27, 2025
Robert Wade Moore Jr., lovingly known as “Junior,” passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 27 at his home, surrounded by his devoted family. He was 78.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Bonnie Smith Moore of the home; his daughter, Christy Moore of Mount Olive; and his son, Bobby Dean Moore and his fiancée Brenda, of Dudley. He is also survived by his only and most cherished granddaughter, Tess Bronson of Florida.
Robert leaves behind his siblings, Sylvia Gerdeman and her husband Bill of Florida; Kathy Robinson of Mount Olive; Billy Moore and his wife Linda of Mount Olive, and Rodney Moore and his wife Charlene of Rutherford. He will also be missed by his beloved K-9 grandpup, Cody.
Moore retired from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, where he served as a truck driver, and also from the Boling Plant in Mount Olive. In both roles, he was respected for his reliability, dedication, and strong character. A Funeral Service was held on Friday, May 30 at Tyndall Funeral Home. Visitation with the family took place in the hour prior to service. Burial followed at Wayne Memorial Park in Dudley.
Leah Marquez
July 24, 1934 – May 30, 2025
Leah Marquez age 90, peacefully transitioned into a world of eternal peace and rest on Friday, May 30 at Lenoir Assisted Living in Pink Hill. Her journey on this earth was marked by grace, strength and a heart full of love. The arrangements are incomplete at this time.
Alf Clausen, composer for ‘The Simpsons’ for 27 years, dies at 84
He was nominated for 30 Emmy awards, winning twice
By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Alf Clau sen, the Emmy w inning com poser whose music provided es sential accompaniment for the animated antics of “The Simp sons” for 27 years, died last Thursday.
His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson’s disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including “Moonlighting” and “Alf” (“no relation,” he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for
“Matt Groening said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’
I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to specific action hits on the screen.”
Alf Clausen, composer
“The Simpsons,” winning twice. Al Jean, an early “Simpsons” writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X last Friday that “Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.”
While Danny Elfman wrote the show’s theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, com
posing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35 piece orches tra that played it in the studio.
His colleagues said his mu sic was a key component of the show’s comedy, but Clausen be lieved the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa was by making the mu sic as straight as possible.
“This is a dream job for a composer,” Clausen told Va riety, which first reported his death, in 1998. “Matt Groen
ing said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’ I score the emo tions of the characters as op posed to specific action hits on the screen.”
Groening, in a 1996 inter view, called him “one of the un acknowledged treasures of the show.”
Clausen was born in Min neapolis and raised in James town, North Dakota. He grad uated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musi cal director on several TV vari ety shows, including “Donny & Marie.”
Clausen worked as an orches trator for composer Lee Hol dridge in his scores for 1980s
films including “Splash” and “The Beastmaster.” It was Holdridge who first got the composing job on “Moon lighting,” the late ’80s ABC rom com detective series star ring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig off to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it.
Clausen won his Emmys for “The Simpsons” in 1997 and 1998, and he also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from “The Simp sons” in a cost cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his col laborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal.
Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grand children.
PHOTOS BY
The North Carolina Pork Council provided free barbecue sandwiches, pork burgers, chips, cookies and soda to the Wallace Community last Friday as part of their Pig Country Proud Days celebration.