County commissioner appointed to State Sheri s’ Commission
Duplin County Last week, County
Commissioner Wayne Branch was appointed to the North Carolina Sheri s’ Education and Training Standards Commission. According to an announcement from Gov. Josh Stein’s o ce, Branch will serve as the county commissioner representative. He was selected from three nominees put forward by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Branch currently represents District 5 on the Duplin County Board of Commissioners and works as the o ce manager for attorney Anita R. Powers.
Man sentenced following drug conviction
Duplin County E orts to combat drug activity in Duplin County have led to the sentencing of a convicted drug o ender. Antwaun Cooper, 39, was convicted on multiple felony drug charges and sentenced to 2 to 5 years in the North Carolina Department of Corrections on Sept. 30. Authorities reported that Cooper was found guilty of two counts of felony maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for a Schedule II controlled substance, as well as two counts of felony selling a Schedule II controlled substance. The case was investigated by the Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce Special Operations Division.
Goshen Data breach a ects over 456K patients
Faison
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services O ce for Civil Rights, Goshen Medical Center experienced a major data breach a ecting 456,385 individuals across eastern North Carolina. A report from the HIPAA Journal stated that unauthorized parties accessed sensitive data within Goshen’s network on Feb. 15, however suspicious activity wasn’t detected until March 4. A September investigation revealed the impacted data may include names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and medical record numbers. According to HIPAA Journal report, Goshen is o ering 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to those a ected. As of press deadline, Goshen Medical Center was not available for comment.
Pumpkin Festival draws big smiles at Cinderella Farms
Four-year-old Gunner Marshburn chose his favorite pumpkin at the Pumpkin Festival held last Saturday at Cinderella Farms. The event, organized by the Cavenaugh family, o ered hayrides, corn mazes, live music, food vendors, and family fun throughout the day. For more photos, turn to page A6.
Shell buildings, business activity show promise for local economic growth
O cials report construction delays but continued progress on major projects from Wallace to Warsaw
By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Progress
updates on the development of the Airpark beside Duplin County Airport took center stage at the Duplin County Economic Development Board meeting last Friday. Economic Development Director Scotty Summerlin and two engineers
involved in the project brought board members up to date on the infrastructure work as well as construction of the new shell building on the property.
The original completion date for the infrastructure work, including roads, water and sewer lines, and power was this past July. However, several
See GROWTH, page A5
Sewage woes drag on for Duplin neighborhoods
Homeowners are still relying on failing septic tanks as cost concerns stall progress toward a permanent x
By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal
MORE THAN A decade af-
ter serious septic failures were rst documented on Calico Bay
Road and East Log Cabin Road in Duplin County, residents are still waiting for a permanent x and are growing increasingly worried about how much it might cost them.
A report compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2014 found that 16 out of 19 septic systems analyzed on Calico Bay Road were failing, and homeowners on East Log Cabin Road were also experiencing signi cant problems with their systems.
The report indicated that some septic system waste came into direct contact with groundwater due to overow from the septic systems. This led to sewage backing up into septic tanks and a ecting
page A2
Faison looks ahead to fall events
“We
draw the line at large stumps and trunks.”
Jimmy Tyndall
Commissioners address public works issues, safety calls, and cleanup rules for large debris
By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal
FAISON — The Town of Faison Board of Commissioners met on Oct. 1. Leading the meeting’s nancial discussions, Tax Collector Anne Letchworth stood in for Town Clerk Sharon Lee to assist with questions about the town’s revenue and expenditures.
One speci c issue discussed involved a $133 expense for replacing a damaged water meter.
tor Jimmy Tyndall praised the “grace and understanding” of the residents a ected, adding they were very easy to work with, and the town appreciated it.
The board also approved a $215 tax write-o for a long-delinquent property on Cousin Fanny Road.
Letchworth explained that the taxes had gone unpaid since 2012, and despite repeated e orts, the original owner, David Cottle, could not be located. Utilities had never been registered in his name, and Mariana Perez is now listed as the property and trailer owner. With no remaining recourse, the board approved Letchworth’s recommendation to remove the debt from the town’s books.
Parks and Recreation Director Matthew Scott presented several updates from $2.00
“A water meter had to be replaced because of some dirt and debris that got in the line and went into a resident’s water heater,” explained Mayor Billy Ward.
Executive Administra-
MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
Members of the Duplin County Economic Development Board discuss recent development of the Airpark industrial complex beside the Duplin County Airport.
the conversation”
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MARRIAGE LICENCES
Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 41 marriage licenses for the month ending on Sept. 30, 2025.
Ashley Nichole Gurganus, Beulaville, and Darin Craig Raynor, Beulaville;
• Brandon Michael Webber, South Carolina, and Hannah Louise Symansky, South Carolina;
Duglas Wiliam Velasquez Roblero, Mount Olive, and Maria Elena Gomez Velasquez, Mount Olive;
• Santos Modesto Canelas Maradiaga, Rose Hill, and Rosa Jessenia Rivera Bardales, Rose Hill;
Ti any Gibelli Benitez Pavon, Rose Hill, and Carlos Eduardo Alvarez Cruz, Rose Hill;
• Mya Tatyana Mcgilvary, Garland, and Chelsea Lauren Hobbs, Clinton;
• Chari Michelle Tyndall, New Bern, and Carson Paul Lafave, New Bern; Prentice Dion Cromartie, Clinton, and Adriana Celina Cidal Valdez, Albertson;
THURSDAY
SEWAGE from page A1
the plumbing in the homes involved.
Although there is federal funding available through the EPA and USDA to study the issues and make recommendations for solutions, this funding does not cover the costs of implementing any of the recommended xes.
Since these problems were brought to light, Duplin County Commissioner Wayne Branch has actively engaged with the a ected residents, providing updates and seeking their feedback on the potential remedies. Duplin Journal recently spoke with Branch for an update on any progress made.
Branch stated that the solutions for the sewage issues vary signi cantly, making it challenging to agree on a solution that everyone can support. A major obstacle is the cost.
“The status as of now is, meaning the board (of commissioners), we are still in discussions about what is available in this project,” Branch said. “It initially started out
with the USDA being the funding arm. A lot has shifted in terms of the team that initially came out and did a couple of town halls with citizens in the community.”
While the goal sounds simple, the solutions are not.
“The goal is to get some type of sewage system there in the community so that everyone would have access to an (e ective) sewage system,” Branch added.
Currently, the board is working to have an engineer from Agriwater present their recommendations on how to proceed.
“Hopefully, we can come up with a nal solution for the citizens in that area, Branch said.
At this time, residents are still relying on their own septic systems to manage waste, despite the issues and high failure rates associated with them. An environmental study conducted in the area indicates that the soil type and other factors make it unsuitable for individual septic tanks.
According to Branch, the goal is to establish a “sanitation water district” that will
MONDAY
have to be set up by the county to manage the agreed-upon system. The area a ected is located between Wallace and Teachey, with Wallace o ering its support for the project. The primary concern now seems to be how much homeowners in the area will have to pay for the solution.
“The USDA funding will not cover everything,” Branch said.
This means homeowners a ected would have to pay at least a portion of whatever initial costs are required to set up the system and then will have to be billed monthly for the service. Many homeowners in the area are concerned about the cost because they are seniors on xed incomes.
“It’s important to have citizens a part of the discussion in terms of the end result,” Branch said. “There is going to be a cost associated with it, so what costs can they manage?”
Progress on deciding on the best solution has been slow, but Branch and the homeowners a ected hope a workable, affordable solution is found soon.
Homeowners on East Log Cabin Road and Calico Bay Road have struggled with failing septic systems for years. E orts are underway to nd an a ordable solution, supported by the EPA, USDA and county o cials, to e ectively manage sewage in the area.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Duplin County.
Oct.
11
Latino Cultural Festival
10 a.m.
Experience the vibrant sights, sounds, and avors of Latin America. Enjoy live Latin music, traditional food, folk dances, kids’ activities, a soccer tournament and a special performance by Garifuna Generation. This free, family-friendly event is open to the public — come celebrate culture and community.
115 E Clement St., Wallace
Oct. 28
Trunk-or-Treat at the Library
6:30 p.m.
Join the Duplin County Library for a festive Trunk-or-Treat at the Events Center. This is a safe, family-friendly Halloween celebration for kids of all ages. Come in costume and enjoy treats, fun and community spirit.
195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville
Oct. 30
• Christopher John De Luca, Warsaw, and Jamie Lynn Handy, Warsaw; Eric Philip Harper, Seven Springs, and Travis Tye Hargrove, Seven Springs; Jonathan Rainer Williams, Beulaville, and Brandy Kennedy Quinn, Chinquapin;
• Barry Dane Baxley Ii, Rose Hill, and Haley Nichole Register, Rocky Point; Morgan Leigh Ingram, Warsaw, and Joshua Craig Harrell, Warsaw;
• Roberto Vallejo Martinez, Faison, and Epifania Martinez Elizalde, Faison;
• Jonas Edward Keith Jones, Mt Olive, and Louis Alan Markinkovich, Mt Olive; Kirstan King Craver, Burgaw, and Michael Shawn Wells, Burgaw;
• Nancy Jones Kirkendoll, Wallace, and Gregory James Whaley, Wallace; Hannah Nicole Lanier, Chinquapin, and Savion
• Mackenzie Aryn Thomas, Beulaville, and Austin Drew Stanley, Beulaville; Michael Todd Tanner, Beulaville, and Michele Lynn Gra am, Beulaville;
Semaj Towler, Chinquapin; Hilary Francis Ramirez Hernandez, Rose Hill, and Julio Cesar Castro Caceres, Magnolia;
• Calvin Scott Johnston, Kenansville, and Katelyn Diane Bailey, Kenansville; Glenwood Earl Mobley, Beulaville, and Elizabeth Whaley Jones, Pink Hill; Sharon House Lee, Mount Olive, and Jimmy Tyndall Jr, Deep Run;
• Nicolas Stefano Schenkeveld Mejia, Magnolia, and Edalia Yahely Bustillo Ocampo, Magnolia; Hugo Humberto Vail Mendez, Kinston, Norma Lisseth Cardona Mejia, Kinston;
• Elisandro Javier Perez Morales, Mount Olive, and Maria Fernanda Feria Galindo, Seven Springs; Clifton Duwayne Carter, Wallace, and Sara Annais Vasquez Llanos Wallace;
• Madelyn Dare Coates, Beulaville, and Tyler Ray Sanderson, Beulaville;
• Saul Guardado Garcia, Clinton, and Juana Vazquez De Penick, Clinton;
Junior Esteban Alvarez Cubas, Roseboro, and Heidy Jakelin Funez Martinez, Roseboro; Sophia Janet Owen, Clinton, and Dwight Tyler Sholar, Wallace;
• Samantha Latella, Wallace and Tristan Cole Crumpler, Wallace; Matthew Connor Infante, Mount Olive, and Abby Pearl Taylor, Calypso;
• Danuvia Aracely Lizardo Ramos, Rose Hill, and Deniz Eraldo Romero Castro, Rose Hill;
• Madison Margot’ Williams, Deep Run, and Angel Leona Jackson, Deep Run; Emily Caroline Williams, Pink Hill, and Joshua Wade Pate, Pink Hill;
• Codi Lynn Mann, Chinquapin, and Richard Stanley Barbee, Chinquapin; Thomas Edward Deal, Warsaw, and Cory Elizabeth anderson, Warsaw;
• Briana Antionette Spencer, Rose Hill, and Steven Malik Pearsall, Rose Hill;
• Maribel Arroyo Reynoso, Clinton, and Venancio Lozano Ramirez, Clinton.
Halloween Ghouls Night Out
6 p.m.
Spooky fun, wine and good times await at the Halloween Ghouls Night Out at the Duplin Winery in Rose Hill. 505 N Sycamore St., Rose Hill
Oct. 31
Magnolia Trunk-or-Treat
7 p.m.
Join the annual Halloween Trunk-or-Treat event at the Magnolia Fire Department, featuring a costume contest. Arrive on time to participate and be judged. This fun, safe event provides a festive outlet for families and children to celebrate Halloween together.
110 Taylor St, Magnolia
Got a local event? Let us know and we’ll share it with the community here. Email our newsroom at community@duplinjournal. com. Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.
MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
Pink Hill sees renewed activity downtown
Mayor Mike Horne says easing restrictions has helped boost commerce and community events downtown
By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal
PINK HILL — After years of frustration among local business owners and residents, small changes to zoning rules in Pink Hill are beginning to breathe new life into the town’s economy and community spaces.
Mayor Mike Horne, a former town commissioner who served from 1997 to 2007, returned to public service after witnessing how policy changes were hindering opportunities for development. He speci cally points to a decision made by a previous town board to outsource zoning and permitting to an external agency that lacked familiarity with Pink Hill’s unique layout and needs.
“People were having to jump through too many hoops to get into town,” Horne said in an interview with Duplin Journal.
“They’re not from Pink Hill, and they don’t understand the area,” said Horne about the former agency. “In a small town; it’s hard to have a perfect plan. You have a home and then a business, and then another home.”
That mismatch led to real consequences. He said a Mexican restaurant was temporarily shut down due to zoning restrictions, and a new event venue downtown struggled to meet parking requirements that were nearly impossible given the space available.
“That venue holds 100 people. There was no way to build a parking lot where the buildings are downtown,” Horne said.
After taking o ce, he led efforts to bring zoning authority back to the town.
Since the change, the Mexican restaurant has reopened, and the event venue is now booked regularly, drawing visitors into the town.
Horne says signs of growth are returning to the area. He said some of the growth is coming to the edge of the town limits, especially on Ash Davis Road.
“There have probably been 25 houses added in the area just outside the town limits,” he said,
$17K in grants fuel local nonpro ts
Duplin County Community Foundation supports youth programs, hunger relief, health services and the arts across the region
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
FROM FOOD security and youth enrichment to mental health and animal welfare, the Duplin County Community Foundation is putting dollars directly into the community. On Oct. 2, the foundation announced that it has awarded $17,370 in grants to 14 local nonpro ts and programs that are making a meaningful impact throughout Duplin County. The funding came from DC-
Christian Outreach Ministries for school and summer food support for children. Additionally, smaller but signi cant grants have been provided for mental health initiatives, emergency pet food, hygiene support and local arts programming.
“This year’s grantees exemplify the kind of meaningful work we’re proud to support, and we’re excited to see the continued impact they’ll make,” said Ed Emory, Duplin County Community Foundation advisory board pres-
or its 2025 grantees on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Community members are invited to attend and learn more by visiting nccommunityfoundation.org. DCCF encourages ongoing support and donations to help continue its work.
The following organizations received funding:
$2,000 to Rones Chapel Area Community Center (RCACC) for Tutor to the Top
• $1,870 to Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce for D.A.R.E. Program
$1,250 to Wallace-Rose Hill Friends of the Arts for Charlotte Blake Alston, storyteller and musical artist
$1,250 to Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries for Feed Our Hungry Children Backpack Ministry School Year
$1,000 to Duplin Christian
adding they are a combination of manufactured homes and stick-built houses. “We’ve had some good things going on, and I see good things coming in the future, more residential.”
Still, growth isn’t without its challenges. Property prices, Horne notes, have risen signi cantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I remember in Pink Hill, not that long ago, when you could buy a house for $75,000 to $100,000. Now, that same house is over $200,000.”
Even with higher prices, Horne remains optimistic that Pink Hill is on the path to renewal. He recalls the town’s heyday, when it was home to car dealerships and textile plants, and believes local decisions, especially around zoning and development will play a key role in bringing back that vibrancy.
“You want as much business as you can possibly get and revitalize,” he said.
Outreach Ministries for Feed Our Hungry Children Backpack Ministry Summer Backpacks
$1,000 to Diaper Bank of NC for hygiene products for Duplin County adults and individuals in need of menstrual support
• $1,000 to Diversity Nurtures
Achievement (DNA) Community Youth Center for the Surviving to Thrive program
$1,000 to Diversity Nurtures
Achievement (DNA) Community Youth Center for afterschool enrichment programs
• $1,000 to Pet Friends of Duplin County for low-cost spay and neuter program
• $750 to Home Health and Hospice Care (doing business as 3HC) for general operating support
$750 to Mediation Center of Eastern Carolina for Duplin Kindness Project
• $750 to Ronald McDonald
Magnolia PD equipping cops with new tasers
Local law enforcement equips o cers with grant-funded gear
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
MAGNOLIA — In the quiet town of Magnolia, the police department has recently made a big leap forward in public safety. Last week, Magnolia PD o cially introduced its newest tool: the Axon Taser-7, which is described as “the newest, most e ective CEW (Conducted Energy Weapon) ever.” O cers recently completed certi cation training alongside the Wallace Police Department to operate the device.
“Here at the Magnolia Police Department, we are proud of our little town. We believe that our citizens and our employees deserve the best,” stated Magnolia PD in a social media post. The device provides ofcers with a less-lethal option designed to quickly and safely resolve potentially dangerous situations.
For Chief J.T. Wood, equipping all o cers with the Taser-7 is part of ongoing e orts to enhance public safety. The approximately $8,000 cost of the equipment was covered by federal grant funding, with no impact on local taxes.
“This is one more way we strive to give you world-class protection at a minimal cost. We are not ‘the big city,’ but you can rest assured that our o cers are just as well-trained & just as well equipped as any agency out there when you need them,” said Magnolia PD.
House of Eastern NC for funding Duplin families
$750 to Snow Hill Community Outreach Inc., to procure protein/meat for food boxes
• $500 to Autism Society of North Carolina for autism resource specialists in Duplin County
• $500 to Faison Methodist Church for AbundanceFighting Summer Childhood food insecurities in the north Duplin area
$500 to Mediation Center of Eastern Carolina for Duplin Teen Court Ambassadors
• $500 to Pet Friends of Duplin County for Emergency Pet Food Pantry
$500 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Triangle for Duplin County Care Fund
• $500 to Wallace-Rose Hill
Friends of the Arts for Noel and Don Gruen and the Atlantic Coast Theatre (ACT) for youth programming.
PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
Tower 110 Event Venue, on Broadway Street in Pink Hill, has been a success thanks to the town taking over their own zoning, according to Mayor Mike Horne.
Pink Hill is located in Lenoir County just north of the Duplin County line.
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
‘This must stop:’ A Call to restore common sense in American politics
Life is the rst unalienable right given to us by God.
WHEN VIOLENT words and dastardly acts occur, we are bombarded with news “ALERTS” and we ask, “How in the world did we get to this point?” Almost always in the political arena, the response to those alerts is “this must stop.”
Politically, it is easy to say, this must stop, but it is more di cult to o er solutions to the societal maladies of our day. Currently, the Trump administration is heading in the right direction on many critical issues. However, let’s ask a few questions about some political issues that linger from the Biden and Cooper administrations that defy common sense. Then, hopefully, suggest a solution which might reinforce the Will of “the people” to say to the current and future politicians, “This must stop!” What is a Country? There are, of course, many de nitions to answer that question. But one absolute and essential element of a Country is that it is an area with designated geographical borders. Under the Biden and Cooper administrations, America’s borders were open to anyone from anywhere. President Trump was correct when he said, “If you don’t enforce your borders, you don’t have a country.”
What is gender? Here, the answer is absolutely observable on all levels of thinking. Gender reveal parties are common today. The standard is blue stu if it is going to be a boy and pink stu if it is going to be a girl, end of discussion, right? No, if the radical left-
| DAVID HARSANYI
COLUMN
leaning “WOKE” folks have their way. To them, gender is uid, changeable, and based on one’s personal preferences at any given time. Thus, if a biological male identi es as a female, “he” can dress or undress in the girls’ dressing room. If a biological male trans genders to female, “he” can participate in girls’ sports. Leaders of the national Democratic Party do not oppose this. Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has not opposed that.
What is marriage? The previous question and this question are ones that most of us never dreamed that there would be any questions about. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, right? No! That’s not the case with the proponents of the radical progressive secular movement. The Biden and Cooper administrations turned a blind eye toward that issue.
What is a traditional family? Here, we have to be extra sensitive because good organizations and teams use the analogy referring to themselves as “a family.” That is good. Also, through no fault of their own, many good men and women are single-parent heads of their families. Having a father of the male gender and a mother of the female gender as the heads of families ts the traditional de nition of family. The Cooper and Biden folks supported unhealthy variations of family structure.
How did man come to be? Today, for the
Obamacare is a massive failure; the GOP shouldn’t bail it out
Virtually every promise made by Democrats regarding the A ordable Care Act has failed to come true.
SINCE DEMOCRATS have shut down the federal government because they want another $1.5 trillion bailout of Obamacare, it’s a good time to remind everyone that the law has been a wide-ranging and expensive asco.
Virtually every promise made by Democrats regarding the A ordable Care Act has failed to come true.
Sure, Barack Obama infamously promised that Americans could keep their preferred insurance if they desired. By the end of his second term, around 7 million people had been booted from their insurance because of the A ordable Care Act. Who knows how many have been dropped since.
But let’s also not forget that Obama pledged that the law would reduce family health insurance premiums by “up to” $2,500 annually by the end of his rst term. Premiums not only continued to rise during his presidency, but since 2010, they have spiked from $13,000 to nearly $24,000.
Democrats used to love to talk about “bending the cost curve.” Well, congrats.
Obama also promised that Obamacare’s state exchanges would enhance competition among insurers and lower costs. Taxpayers are now on the hook for 90% of the cost of those premiums. If the COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies are allowed to sunset, taxpayers will be responsible for a mere 80%. Without the subsidies, the Congressional Budget O ce predicted that 3.6 million users would leave the exchanges. Obamacare didn’t create better health care insurance options for consumers; it created millions of state dependents.
The Obamacare exchanges were sold as
self-su cient engines of capitalism even as Democrats were doing everything to inhibit market competition. Many Obamacare exchanges now only have a single insurer. Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Humana have all basically abandoned them.
One of the most contentious debates over the A ordable Care Act was the cost. Democrats stressed that the project would cost less than a trillion dollars over a decade. On numerous occasions, Obama promised he would not add “one dime” to the debt. Democrats, in fact, guaranteed the A ordable Care Act would help reduce de cits. If you dared question the estimates, fact-checkers would swarm and call you a liar.
There’s no de nitive number on the debt added by Obamacare since its passage. It is likely in the hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions.
Democrats promised that penalties on employers who failed to provide health insurance would bring in “substantial” revenue to allay costs. Once the A ordable Care Act was passed, Obama ignored the law by delaying implementation before “tweaking” the law without any constitutional authority. The employer mandate now brings in only a small fraction of promised returns.
Obama also kept delaying the A ordable Care Act’s “Cadillac tax,” a levy on alleged “gold-plated” private employee plans. The tax was meant to discourage upper- and middle-class workers from obtaining the types of plans Democrats deemed too generous as a way of lowering costs but also raising “revenue.” Once labor unions found out they also had “gold-plated” plans, well, Democrats dropped the idea, which was repealed in 2019.
The individual mandate, which the Supreme
most part, in all levels of secular education, children are taught the theory of evolution from a single form of original life into the amazing variety of life forms that exist today. According to that theory, at one point, there was “nothing,” and then “bang,” there was all the stu from which everything came to be, including life. How ridiculous. But our children are taught those theories as facts rather than as secular, Godless theories. Thus, whether you are a gold sh, a male or a female human, it is all by chance. The Biden and Cooper entities, by their silence on Divine creation, supported creation by chance. When does life begin? This is probably the most basic question that can be asked. The male germ and the female germ each contain 23 chromosomes and hundreds of thousands of genes that contain all the new individual’s total hereditary material. When they unite, a new life begins. Life is the rst unalienable right given to us by God. The Biden and Cooper teams supported the ending of that new life as an acceptable choice.
The 18th-century poet Alexander Pope, in his poem “An Essay On Man,” said, “Vice… is of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen, Yet seen too oft, Familiar with her face, We rst endure, then pity, then embrace.”
We, the people, must elect men and women with a sound understanding of traditional Judeo-Christian values who will not endure, pity, nor embrace the enticing overtures of evil forces in high places. Thus, with action, not words, they will say “this must stop.”
Rep. Jimmy Dixon represents Duplin and Wayne counties in the N.C. House of Representatives.
Court miraculously transformed into a “tax,” now exists only in conceptual form despite Democrats’ promise that it would generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue. It brings in zero dollars.
So it’s no surprise that Democrats have been demanding Republicans bail out the poorly conceived law since its passage.
When Congress refused to pass new subsidies in 2013, the Obama administration, again without any constitutional authority, ordered the Treasury to create a $7 billion per year appropriation for insurance companies participating in the allegedly self-supporting exchanges.
When a district court ruled that the payments were unconstitutional, Obama ignored the decision. Don’t you love it when Democrats lecture people about norms?
When Democrats added new Obamacare subsidies to the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act to fund those with incomes 400% over the federal poverty line, they sold it as a temporary measure to get through the COVID-19 economy.
Every Democratic leader referred to the subsidies as “a bridge” that was meant to help until the economy rebounded from the pandemic.
Here we are in 2025. You know what they say about temporary government programs.
Aside from all the failed promises, the passage of Obamacare broke American politics. For the rst time in U.S. history, a party rammed through a massive national reform without any input from half the country. In their e ort to appease a handful of moderates in their party, Democrats larded up Obamacare with unenforceable mandates, taxes and bureaucratic complexities that created the illusion of a ordability.
When they still couldn’t pass the bill using the traditional lawmaking process, they blew up a bunch of governing norms to do it.
Now Democrats have shut the government down to try and force Republicans to help prop up this disastrous law. The GOP would be nuts to help them.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.
COLUMN | JIMMY DIXON
Hubb’s Farm celebrates ‘Jaws’ with bite of agri-tourism
By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal
SHARKS ON A farm?!
This year, the 50th anniversary of the movie “Jaws” is being celebrated at Hubb’s Farm in Clinton. From sand pits seeded with shark teeth to an entire “Jaws”-themed corn maze, there are nods to the lm everywhere.
“You may even see someone walking around in a shark costume on the weekends,” said Beth Smith, events and media coordinator with Hubb’s Farm.
Located at 10276 N U.S. 421 in Clinton, Hubb’s Farm is a popular destination. While part of the farm is dedicated to commercially growing pork, more than 65 acres are dedicated to agri-tourism.
One of the old hog barns at the back of the property has been repurposed into a fun space humorously called the Taj MaHog. Old pens are now lled with kernel corn for kids to dive in, gem mining stations, play areas, a classroom learning space and a nine-hole putt-putt course. Each hole presents a different pork-themed challenge.
Outside the Taj MaHog, the Cranky Combine gives rides. He looks like a missing character from Disney’s “Cars.” Escape trails wind around the perimeter of the farm and into the
woods, where challenges, games and stories interweave along the trail and corn maze. Also, visitors can download the free Goosechase app for interactive play. The app also serves as a virtual tour guide for the farm. There is enough to keep you busy all day at the farm. There are u-pick ower and pumpkin elds, decorated hay bales, a live animal petting zoo, Indian runner duck races, a singing chicken show, gem mining, picnic spaces, re pits, a zip line, a giant slide, a giant jump pillow, sand boxes, ball tosses, wagon rides, train rides, apple cannons and more. On-site bathrooms and ltered water stations are available. Local products and toys can be purchased at the farm’s store. Seasonal produce is also available for purchase; right now it is a large assortment of colorful pumpkins and gourds.
Food booths making all your favorite fair foods like kettle corn and donuts are available as well as co ee and grill stations.
James Hubbard Butler (known as Hubb) built the hog houses at Hubb’s Farm from 1987 to 1991. He had a crew that built hog houses for other farmers as well. His daughter, Tammy, now owns and runs Hubb’s Farm with her husband, John Peterson. They started farming in 2008 when their son, Luke,
was born. Now Luke runs the commercial hog farm, and John and Tammy run the agri-tourism part of Hubb’s Farm. What started small near the front of the farm o U.S. 421 has expanded with time and interest to the woods at the back of the farm. Today, the farm employs a lot of their friends.
“Everybody out here is absolutely amazing in their own way,” Tammy said of her employees.
There are a lot of retired teachers working at Hubb’s Farm, and it shows. Almost every activity on the farm is lled with information cards to teach guests about farming, agriculture and history. The zip line, for example, is called First in Flight and lasts about as many seconds as the Wright Brothers’ rst ight. A sign explaining the connection to history is at the activity.
Hubb’s Farm sells tickets for entry both online and at the gate. Tickets gain admittance to most activities, but some activities, like gem mining, cost extra.
The fall season runs through Nov. 1. The farm is open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays in November from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays in October from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm is also a popular destination for eld trips, corporate team building, and family gatherings.
O cer honored for decades of service
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
ROSE HILL — After nearly 40 years of military and law enforcement service, 17 of those with the Duplin County Sheri ’s Department, 1st Sgt. Ben Parrish is retiring. Parrish, who served as the Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce training coordinator, was honored during a special ceremony on Sept. 23 at the Duplin Training Center in Rose Hill, where Sheri Stratton Stokes presented him with a special plaque commemorating his service and dedication in the presence of his friends and family.
Parrish began his career in 1987, joining the U.S. Coast Guard at age 17, continuing a family legacy of military service. After his rst military enlistment, Parrish served as a lieutenant with the Creedmoor Police Department and later with the Durham Police Department, where he took pride in community-focused work. In 2003, Parrish deployed as a combat military police o cer with the Army National Guard to Iraq. It was during his second tour when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle, killing his gunner and injuring Parrish and his driver. Following recovery, Parrish decided to relocate to Duplin County, marking a new chapter in his life and career.
Parrish joined the Duplin
County Sheri ’s O ce in 2008 and was assigned to the gang unit, where he worked closely with federal agencies, including Homeland Security, the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service, to help identify and track gang activity in Duplin County.
In 2014, Parrish took on the role of training coordinator for the sheri ’s o ce, a position that would shape the nal decade of his law enforcement career. Under his leadership, a former clay pit on county property was transformed into a comprehensive, multiagency training ground essential for local law enforcement operations.
As Parrish describes it, “This is where all the magic happens.” Every newly hired o cer begins their journey at this facility, where the training coordinator prepares them for duty through rigorous, hands-on instruction. Today, the 11-acre Duplin Training Center features two shooting ranges, a large classroom and more than $6.2 million worth of military-grade equipment acquired through the federal Law Enforcement Support O ce program. This equipment — including Humvees, boats, ATVs and generators — facilitates realistic, scenario-based training for various emergency situations, such as active shooter drills and swift water rescues. Despite the challenges facing his agency, particularly sta ng shortages and o cer retention, his passion for serving remained unwavering, a sentiment backed by his volunteer service as a reghter and Mason.
issues delayed the completion.
“The July date got pushed out to October because of a multitude of things, weather being a biggie, and then some coordination issues,” Summerlin said in an interview with Duplin Journal after the board meeting. “Those things that are unanticipated carry extra days with them.”
He added that change orders sought by contractors on the project also contributed to the delay.
With the timing of the work, the current issue involves two major contractors involved in the project at the Airpark: Chatham Construction, which is handling all the infrastructure work, and Daniels and Daniels, which is building the two new 50,000-square-foot shell buildings at the Airpark.
“With the Chatham contract running longer, this put Daniels and Daniels’ work in an overlap situation,” Summerlin said. “We couldn’t have two large contractors in the same space, essentially.”
It’s now estimated the work will be completed in mid-November.
The delays will not a ect a groundbreaking ceremony for the new shell buildings scheduled for Oct. 14.
After hearing updates, the board voted to proceed with site clearing and survey work for several short-term, one-and two-bedroom rental units that will be built in one area of the Airpark.
In addition to news regarding progress on the Airpark, Summerlin also shared success
stories from other areas of Duplin County. One of those involved is what is known as the Schwarz building in Warsaw. A large auto parts distributor, Auto Parts Authority, now occupies most of the more than 200,000 - square-foot building. The company imports auto parts from around the world and distributes them across the United States. They now have 35 employees. Summerlin said the landlord of the building was impressed with what the company had done with the
building during a recent visit.
“He went on and on about how impressed he was because it’s such a clean operation,” Summerlin said.
He also mentioned the ongoing success of the company NextGen Cabinets, which now occupies more than 50,000 square feet of the former J.P. Stevens SteveCo plant in Wallace. The building is now called Duplin Industrial Center. NextGen Cabinets employs 11 people and is expected to do $1 million in sales in their rst year.
Ben Parrish transformed how Duplin trains its deputies
COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Sheri Stratton Stokes presents Ben Parrish with a special plaque commemorating his service and dedication during a special ceremony on Sept. 23 at the Duplin Training Center in Rose Hill.
GROWTH from page A1
REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
An assortment of vibrant pumpkins sit on display at Hubb’s Farm, which transforms into a Halloween destination in the fall.
Pumpkin Festival lights up fall with family fun
his department, including trail maintenance and facility improvements. To save costs, the town has opted to board up broken windows rather than repair or replace them. At the time of the meeting, all windows and crawl spaces at town facilities were expected to be covered by the weekend. Repairs to walking trails are underway, with new dirt and
rock being added and drainage and grading issues being addressed. A budget amendment was approved to move funds to support these repairs.
The town is also preparing for upcoming fall events, with Halloween plans moving forward. The board approved a resolution to close Winniford Street on Friday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. to ensure safety for trick-or-treaters.
A solid waste ordinance was
discussed concerning whose responsibility it is to deal with large debris. Tyndall claried that the town does not accept debris from commercial landscaping companies and only assists residents on a case -by- case basis.
“We draw the line at large stumps and trunks,” he said. The board approved a budget amendment to move money to repair the walking trail at Parks and Recreation.
Commissioner Carolyn Kenyon provided a public safety update based on data from the Duplin County Sheri ’s Ofce. Around 30 service calls were reported in Faison, including tra c stops, warrant services, scams, one larceny and numerous animal control incidents. There were also 25 medical calls, though only ve or six resulted in hospital transport.
“They are here and doing
their job, we just don’t always see them doing it,” Ward said. “It is nice to know what they are doing and getting called here for,” Kenyon added.
Local business owner Melba Brewer of Brewer’s Hardware announced a new community initiative to host food trucks on Mondays, a day when many other businesses are closed.
The meeting adjourned following the reports and approvals.
FAISON from page A1
PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL
Above, the corn pit was a big hit with kids at Saturday’s Pumpkin Festival at Cinderella Farms. Left, the elaborate corn mazes at Cinderella Farms were among the festival’s standout attractions, expertly crafted by a traveling team from Utah known for designing intricate mazes across the country.
Left, in search of the perfect pumpkin worthy of the Peanuts gang, families explored hundreds of pumpkins at Saturday’s Pumpkin Festival. Right, 5-year-old
David Hubbard selects his favorite pumpkin from hundreds at Saturday’s Pumpkin Festival at Cinderella Farms east of Wallace.
Kids had a blast launching small pumpkins at a giant bull’s- eye, making the giant slingshot a fan favorite at Saturday’s Pumpkin Festival.
Rebels leave grid collision with key win over East Bladen
“We came up and made defensive plays and threw our bodies around to make
ND logged a safety and touchdown to nip Eagles 15-14
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CALYPSO — Hugh Martin knew North Duplin needed a defensive stop late to nip East Bladen 15-14 last Friday night at H.E. Grubbs Field.
That was the rst step that led to a memorable nish as the running Rebels (5-1, 1-1) used a pair of touchdown passes and defensive safety to win a key Carolina Conference a air.
“We came up and made defensive plays and threw our bodies around to make stops,” Martin said. “We had the wherewithal to be resilient in spite of being down.”
Martin called the Rebel’s three-and-out squeeze on the Eagles early in the fourth quarter, the best back-to-back-to-back defensive plays of the game.
When the Eagles snapped the ball the momentum of the game changed as it sailed over the head of the punter and into the end zone for a safety.
The two points trimmed the de cit to 14-8 and gave the ball to ND at its own 35.
Both teams struggled to run the ball all night, but Keiz Brock hit Jayden Pope for 16-yard push on fourth-and-7 to move the ball to the East Bladen 17.
On the next play, Brock, a rst-year quarterback, found tight end Trashawn Ru n, a UNC recruit, for the game-winning touchdown.
The JK Hall of Fame inductee guided the school to a state title in 2017, won a triple jump title and played for the Sooners
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WARSAW — Marcelias Sutton has only one regret about his football career: trying to return too quickly after fracturing his leg his senior season at Oklahoma.
Sutton’s talent and work ethic led James Kenan to a state title, a gold medal at the NCHSAA track and eld meet, and in four years in college
WRH’s holds the Johnston County school to its worst output since 2016 and uses Princeton’s Single-Wing attack to roll to victory
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
GOLDSBORO – Leave it to Kevin Motsinger to come up with the “Chicken Wing” attack, an o ense that uses principals from the Wing-T, Single-Wing and Shotgun offenses.
Traditionally a Wing-T team, the Bulldogs, Motsinger said, were questioned a lot about using a Single-Wing last Friday during a 48-16 demolition of Princeton in Johnston County.
“We’ve used it in every game we’ve played and used it to beat Clinton,” he said after WRH improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in Swine Valley Conference play. “We can get in and out of all three. We play in the Swine Conference and represent Mr. Johnson and the House of Raeford, so
we call it the Chicken Wing.”
While WRH’s o ense exploded for long running plays from Jamarae Lamb, Jamari Carr and Adrian Glover, its defense under Tyler Pugh held Princeton to 176 yards of total o ense. It’s the lowest output for a Princeton-coached team since Travis Gaster (89 -37) took over in 2016.
The revival of the program centered around the Single-Wing o ense.
So, in e ect, Motsinger and the Bulldogs trampled Gaster and Princeton with their own game.
“We’re starting to play Bulldog football, and you saw that a little against Goldsboro (a WRH 65-6 win),” said Motsigner, whose team went 1-3 in nonconference play. “We lost our way, and it was very frustrating and very painful. But that’s life. We’re getting guys back (from injury) and in the spots they are supposed to be.”
As bad as it was, WRH’s reset in conference play is heading in a di erent direction.
“I’m very proud of the kids.
See WRH, page B3
football at two universities. Arguably the quickest and most powerful running back in Tigers history will be inducted into the JK Hall of Fame on Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. in the John P. Harmon Gymnasium.
He joins inductees Ken Avent Jr., his coach at JK, three-sport star Cassandra Stroud and LB/G Mac McNeill, who played on the 1960 state championship team. McNeill died earlier this year.
The new members and a representative for McNeill will be introduced at halftime of the C.B. Aycock game at Bill Taylor Field, the place it all began for Sutton, who moved with his mother to Warsaw from the Spring Creek district in Wayne County.
“He’s a phenomenal, phenomenal athlete,” said John Bert Avent, longtime assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Tigers. “He had God-given talent and skills but worked hard. When you told him to do something he would do exactly what you asked and with every detail included.”
Everyone’s eyes popped when they saw the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Sutton run a 4.4 in the 40, power clean 315 pounds and have a 43-inch vertical leap.
Sutton started on defense early in his freshman season and morphed into a game- and
See HOF, page B4
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Noah Quantanlla scored the rst touchdown of the game when ND beat East Bladen 15-14.
stops.”
Hugh Martin, ND head coach
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Marcella’s Sutton ran for 4,367 yards and scored 54 touchdowns for JK.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL Adrian Glover scored twice and ran for 123 yards in the 49 -16 stomping of Princeton.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE
Karsyn Parker
East Duplin, volleyball
When East Duplin volleyball coach Susan Raynor said, “We beat Wallace-Rose Hill last week because of blocks and digs,” she could have said Karsyn Parker was a big key to stopping the Bulldogs’ winning streak over ED at six matches.
The Panthers sophomore had 15 digs for ED, the No. 1 RPI school in the 4A East and No. 2 school 4A in the state.
The junior got o ensive in ED’s rst ECC a air, drilling 12 aces.
Parker’s 51 aces is second to teammate Zoe Turner (55) among all Duplin Journal schools. Her 151 digs are likewise second to North Duplin’s Marissa Bernal (207).
ED is 17-2 and has a two-game lead in the conference standings.
Tigers let play speak to speed past Raiders
James Kenan beat Midway 44-22 in a game in which words, tempers and elbows were rampant
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
WARSAW – There wasn’t a replay on a big screen, but two touchdown passes from Eli Avent to Jeremiah Hall could easily have been on ESPN’s Plays of the Day.
This pure football beauty isn’t how James Kenan normally scores.
That it is possible from a run- rst team that is running over 3A schools added spice to the Tigers’ 42-22 win over Midway last Friday on Homecoming.
In fact, most fans will probably remember the game for its physical nature, including many illegal maneuvers in the trenches.
Hall, who has gained more yards per carry than any Duplin Journal-area running back, had baby-soft hands when he caught a pass that came from over his head in the rst quarter.
The play came two snaps after JK’s defense stopped the Raider on fourth-and-1.
“People keep saying, ‘throw the ball, throw the ball,’ and we’ve got 60 plays in our book to do that, and if people stop our super power, we’re ready to do that,” said head coach Tim Grady, whose club improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Swine Valley Conference play.
“Eli’s a dual threat on the outside and can also run with it when he rolls out. But that kid also blocks on every play and doesn’t care about his body. I saw this on lm and pointed it out to our linemen.”
JK’s bread and butter spread victory on the gridiron as Hall ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns and CJ Hill had 115 yards and a pair of scores.
Hall had touchdown runs of 12 and 80 yards to give JK a three-score lead — 35-14 — and Hill hit pay dirt from 22 yards following a Raiders score to seal the game.
JK sent a message with an opening drive of 60 yards, as Hill scored on the sixth snap of the game by sprinting 43 yards.
Up 14-0, the Tigers stopped Midway (5-2, 2-1) again on
fourth down, but JK fumbled the ball away on the rst play. Midway responded by scoring on a short eld to trim the lead in half at 14-7.
The Raiders must have expected more running from the Tigers and got that initially on the next drive as Hill and Hall combined for 15 and 24 yards, respectively, in the rst six plays.
Then Avent hit Hall for a 20-yard touchdown pass to complete the 60-yard march.
Midway cut it to 21-14 early in the second quarter only to see the Tigers respond with their longest drive — 11 plays, 59 yards — despite a holding penalty that wiped out a great run by Avent.
David Zeleya’s 11-yard scamper took the ball to the 7 and after an illegal procedure call Hall scored from the 12.
A Zeleya interception at the 12 was returned to the Midway 15 as the rst-half clock expired. But the senior was pounced on after the play, and an unsportsmanlike penalty was called on Midway, though it was marched o during the third-quarter kicko . But the incident wasn’t the rst and far from the last during this slugfest.
“Every once and a while, people test us to see if we can
keep our composure,” Grady said. “That was the worst one, as a kid tramples on his stomach and puts a wrestling move on Cito (Zeleya). I was proud our kids responded because it was hard, even for our coaching sta . There was a lot of holding, poked eyes and they even did it when we were taking a knee to end the game.”
JK made the Raiders earn their points by driving the ball on long scoring marches and avoided giving up big plays. They rattled quarterback Nathue Myles (10-16, 132 yards, TD) enough and made top running back Wesley Tew carry the ball 25 times to reach 100 yards and score twice.
“Their quarterback can put the ball on a dot and can make his receivers look really good with his accuracy,” Grady said.
Yet the defense made Myles look ordinary on most plays.
“We felt like we needed to possess the football just to help our defense out and everyone did a fantastic job executing the game plan. Their passing game is very solid, but there were no surprises from what we saw on the scouting lm. They literally did exactly what we thought they would do, and our players reacted to it.”
JK travels to face winless Goldsboro (0-6) on Friday.
Panthers send Stallions to pasture early in ECC opener
East Duplin scored 50 points before halftime to crush Southwest Onslow
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
BEULAVILLE — East Duplin went into its game against Southwest Onslow without the services of running back Aaron Hall, the team’s second-leading rusher.
That hardly mattered as nine Panthers ran the ball to account for 336 yards, and the ED defense, which featured tackles by 20 players, limited the Stallions to 171 yards in a 53-12 win in Beulaville last Friday night.
The Stallions had a paltry six rst downs and never converted on third down or fourth down in nine attempts. East Du-
plin snapped a two-game skid. Shawn Davis, Keeshon Mckinnie and Dewayne Davis ran for touchdowns, while quarterback Branson Norris hit Shawn Davis and Mckinnie for scores. ED (4-2) led 29-0 after one quarter and 50-6 by halftime en route to its rst ECC win.
Davis, who had his third 100-yard e ort in four games, scored from the 6 on the fth snap of the game. Davis (9-102) is fourth in rushing (89-604, 8 TDs) among Duplin Journal schools. Hall (69-414, 3 TDs) is sixth. Norris, who had his best game of the season, hit on 7 of 8 passes, including a 43-yard score to Mckinine and a 22-yard toss to Shawn Davis to put ED on top 22-0.
Mckinnie scored from the 6 after SWO fumbled the ball.
Dewayne Davis scored from the 14, and JP Murphy and Norris slipped in from the 1 for the Panthers’ second quarter scores. Gavin Jarman’s 37-yard eld goal in the fourth quarter was the only time ED dented the scoreboard in the second half.
Branson Norris threw a pair of touchdown passes during his best outing of the season.
The Panthers 29 rst downs were more than enough to keep the Stallions winless in six tires this fall. The dominance allowed head coach Battle Holley to feed the pig to reserve running backs Jeremiah Monk (5-66), Allen Stukes (4-22) and Amir Lamont (1-30)
Must keep focus as favorite vs. Titans
ED will have to focus on the objective of winning and ignore the opponent Friday when Trask (3-3, 0-1) comes to town.
It’s a “watch out” contest a week before the Panthers travel to Clinton and two weeks before hosting ECC co-leader Pender (6-0, 1-0), who beat the Dark Horses 56-39 last week and also topped WRH 32-26 in overtime.
The mission appears to be clear. Stop the Titans’ running attack that is spearheaded by seniors Tyreek Moore (117-750) and Jason Henry (69-564).
Trask is coming o back-to-back 6-5 campaigns and was 7-3 in 2022. Yet the Titans were 7-30 from 2018 to 2021 and don’t have a steller reputation on the gridiron.
DUPLIN COUNTY TAX FORECLOSURE SALE
Friday, October 10, 2025 at 10am •
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
JK’s Alex Vasquez, left, and Zamarion Smith take down Midway quarterback Tanner Williams during the Tigers’ 44-22 win.
THURMAN PARKER FOR DUPLIN JOUNRAL
Comeback Crusaders: HCA rallies to overthrow Knights
Harrells Christian scored the nal 35 points to overcome a 23-6 de ct against North Raleigh Christian
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
RALEIGH — Resolve is not a carpet-cleaning agent for the members of the Harrells Christian Academy football team.
It’s the gridiron salvo that helped the Crusaders rally from a huge de cit to beat North Raleigh Christian 41-23 in the rst Big East Conference game for both schools.
HCA (6-1) trailed 23-6 in the second quarter but scored 35 unanswered points for its third win in a row.
“They had a come to Jesus
meeting at halftime,” said Crusader head coach Clayton Hall.
“We didn’t show up in the rst half. We had no pressure on the quarterback, who is so good you have to at least move him around.”
The D-line of Landon Toler, Jesse Smith, Xander Garcia and Amir Moore showed their muscle by holding the Knights scoreless after its halftime awakening.
“We got pressure and started shutting down the run game a little,” Hall said. “We forced some long third downs and made some plays.
Jeremiah Davis scored three times, Jarrod Miller twice, Reid Strickland red a touchdown pass and WB/WR Dashaun McKoy had a touchdown reception and key interception.
When it was over, HCA rushed for 398 yards and had more
than 575 yards of total o ense.
Davis ran for a career-high 244 yards on 22 carries for his fourth straight 100-yard game.
“He’s coming into his own, making people miss and running the ball hard,” Hall said. “Jarrod keeps getting his six yards a pop, and everyone has to deal with the versatility of Day-Day (McKoy), who I used as a decoy on many plays. That’s opened things up for Jeremiah.”
The comeback started with Davis’ 21-yard scamper cut the de cit to 23-14 after McKoy ran for the 2-point conversion. A McKoy pick led to a Miller (16-83) score to trim the margin to 23-21.
Strickland connected with Davis for a 21-yard pass as the Crusaders took the lead 27-23 just before the end of the third quarter.
Bulldogs, Panthers have solid starts in conference play
WRH and ED are a combined 7-0 in league play to start the week
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — East Duplin’s Yoskar Canales, Wallace-Rose Hill’s Felix Funes and James Kenan’s Ismael Covarrubias have emerged as Duplin County sharpshooters as the soccer teams volley for wins during conference play in three classi cations.
Canales, who has 16 cage ringers, has ED (8-5-2) o to a 2-0 start in ECC play.
Funes, who has 15 goals, is the top scorer for WRH (7- 4 -1), who is 5-0 on Swine Valley pitches, while Covarrubias, the sophomore surprise, checks in with 13, as JK (5-6-2) has struggled to a 2-3 league mark in the Swine Valley.
Here’s how the three fared in action last week.
Flores, Acosta hat tricks sink Eagles
Steven Acosta and Wilmer Flores each had a hat trick
as the Bulldogs crushed Rosewood 9-0 in Goldsboro.
Funez and Je ery Hernandez also scored, while Gabriel Cubas had three assists and Je ery Hernandez two.
WRH scored four times in the opening half as the Bulldogs won for the fth-straight time.
Funez netted two goals in a 3-0 win over the Spring Creek (6-9-1, 4-1) earlier in the week.
John Mejia’s rst goal of the season provided a little insurance to bump the Gators into second place in the Swine.
Panthers’ 4-0-1 push good prep for Clinton
ED tied Spring Creek 1-1 last Friday, but the Panthers nabbed two ECC wins last week.
Brayan Mendez notching a hat trick, and Canales and Emirson Rojas had scores when the Panthers dunked Trask 5-1. Brayan Gonzalez, Luis Ramirez and Canales chipped in with assists.
The Panthers rst league win came when Gonzalez and Oscar Ramirez each scored a goal and had an assist in a 4-1 triumph over Southwest Onslow. Mendez and Canales chipped in with assists.
ED has a road challenge this week when it hosts defending state champ Clinton (12-2, 2-0).
David steps up for Tigers
Scoring has been a concern for JK head coach Mitchell Quinn, and last week, Kebert David put a smile on his coach’s face.
David and Covarrubias had goals when the Tigers beat North Johnson 2-0.
“We played pretty good overall, and North Johnston is an improved bunch who move the ball well and are very fast and physical,” Quinn said.
Both added goals in a 4-3 loss to Princeton.
“We missed way too many shots, and with about 25 minutes left they scored on a corner kick and it was all downhill from there,” said Quinn, who wasn’t exactly thrilled with the o ciating crew in Johnston County.
JK and WRH were slated to play early this week in a match that means nothing in the league standings and everything when it comes to bragging rights.
WRH from page B1
They’ve come a long way. Everyone else would have quit, between the outcomes of games, injuries and the negativity they’ve heard. They needed and deserved this.”
WRH held highly regarded Teo McPhatter to a season-low 109 yards, and it took him 31 carries to top the century mark. He averaged 260 yards his previous ve games.
Lamb, who often took the direct snap and either ran or handed it o , scored three times. The senior needed seven totes to amass 222 yards and is averaging 195 yards per game.
Two runs allowed Carr to run for 62 yards and two scores, the second of which came when
Lamb handed him the ball in the fourth quarter, and he went 60 yards to pay dirt.
Glover (2-123) likewise needed the minimum to pounce into the end zone twice as WRH rolled to 437 yards on the ground and averaged a whopping 24.4 yards per carry. It was over before the band’s halftime show as WRH went in front 14-0 after one quarter and then scored four more times in the second to lead 42-8. Lamb passed the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season and leads Duplin County runners with 1,173 yards and 132 touchdowns.
Up 7-0, WRH’s defense got a three-and-out to start the game and then stopped Gas-
Davis and Miller added touchdown runs.
NCR’s two quarterbacks hit on 13 of 26 and one score and running back Davon McCoy rushed for 158 yards and two scores, though the bulk of the damage was done in the opening half for the Knights (3-3).
HCA travels to Swannanoa on Friday to face Asheville Christian (0-6) and will have a bye week before its two-game showdown with league foes Raven-
“Coach (Brad) Rhodes made some great calls,” Martin said. “We tried them a few times earlier but had a breakdown. We have one we always hit and one that works that we’ve only gotten two times in two years. EB had the ball three times in the nal 7:03 and ND twice.
And while the Rebels were outgained 250-189, they won a game in which both teams had opportunities and chances to take control. It was similar to ND’s 26 -22 loss to Lakewood on Sept. 19. That take on a hard-hitting game brought a smile to Martin’s face.
“We get a break against a good team and take advantage of it,” he said. “Didn’t have that at Lakewood. This was a real good high school football game that was very physical. Players will still be feeling this at Monday afternoon practice.”
“We made mistakes, but I really thought we did a lot of good things, including how our defense held out late in the game to nish it o . They’re bigger than us up front and in the back eld, with the exception of Trashawn (6-foot-4, 310-pounds).”
Fullback Noah Quintanilla bulled his way 43 yards for the rst score.
Lakewood responded by
scroft (2-4) and Trinity Christian (4-1), each of whom has not played a conference game.
“We’re short four (players) because of mostly nagging injuries, so if we can get out of this weekend, we can heal up during the bye week,” Hall said.
Extra points
Davis upped his rushing total to 785 yards and has eight touchdowns. Strickland (28- 45 for 565 yards, 11 TDs) has thrown a touchdown pass in three games and four other times had a pair of touchdowns tosses. Mckoy found Davis Bradshaw for a 44yard reception. McKoy has three running and four receiving scores, 76and 79-yard punt returns. Moore has 4.5 sacks and Smith 3.5.
scoring on the nal play of the rst half as Keyshaun Kemp hit Jaden Lewis for a 13-yard score. The play was set up by a questionable pass interference call on ND.
The score was 6-6 at the half. Lewis (19-78) scored and ran for the 2-point conversion to put East Bladen in front 14 - 6.
Carell Phillips had to work hard for his 87 yards, which came on 20 totes, though Vance Carter (5-17) and Pope (3-2) were all but grounded by the Eagles’ defense.
Senior running back Dashon Campbell (15-80) and quarterback Kemp (7-13 for 96) paced EB (4-2, 1-1).
Rebels notebook
The Rebels host West Columbus (1-5, 1-2) on Friday. Phillips (100-793, 10 TDs) is second in Duplin in yards and third in touchdowns. He ran for 3,620 yards and scored 111 touchdowns in the past four years.
Ethan Turnage (5.2 per game) leads the team in tackles. He’s followed by Ru n (4.0), Quintanilla (3.5), Lucas Dail (3.4) and Garris Warren (3.2). Warren and Carter each have two interceptions. Brock was 2-3 passing entering the game and had that same number of attempts and completions.
WRH’s Steven Acosta scored a hat trick during a 9-0 win over Rosewood.
ter’s gang on fourth-and-9 from the Princeton 20.
The Bulldogs scored ve plays later and then one play after Princeton fumbled the kicko away. Another three -and- out set up Glover’s 46-yard score, and with 6:18 left in the half, the ’Dawgs were on top 35-0.
WRH travels to Midway (5 -2, 2-1) on Friday. The Raiders gave James Kenan a ght before falling 44-22 last Friday.
“Barrett (Sloan) said they were missing seven starters, included a couple of key linemen, so I think we’re going to have to play the best game we’ve played all year,” Motsinger said. “They’ve big on both lines and that o ense puts up major crazy points on everyone.”
Brock Keiz
Trashawn Ru n
Miller Moore
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Panthers, Bulldogs, Rebels in running for conference titles
ED picked up a rivalry win over WRH; ND stumped Hobbton in a revenge tilt
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
BEULAVILLE — Three Duplin volleyball teams are in the running for a conference title as the nal season winds down to the postseason tournaments.
East Duplin has a two-game lead in the ECC 3A/4A, Wallace-Rose Hill is tied for rst with Midway in the Swine Valley 2A/3A and North Duplin is a game o the pace of East Columbus in the Carolina Conference 1A/2A.
Rebels cheering for Wildcats?
North Duplin (12-5, 8-2) exacted revenge on Hobbton last week with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-23) win over the Wildcats (12-4, 8-2) in Calypso. The victory reversed a 3-0 loss to Hobbton on Sept. 11.
Yet it also has the Rebels cheering for the Wildcats to beat rst-place East Columbus (14-1,8-1). The two schools play this week, and if the Gators lose there will be a three-way tie atop the CC standings.
ND’s role beyond that is to win out, beating two teams — West Columbus (3-11, 3-7) and East Bladen (5-13, 5-5) — it easily counted out earlier in the season. It’s been a while since the Rebels have been this close to a title, and this season will mark the rst time ND had re-
season-changing running back by his junior year in 2012. That year. he ran for 1,804 yards and scored 26 touchdowns to lead JK to the 1AA East Region nal. JK lost to Southwest Onslow but logged a 14-1 mark to tie the wins by the 1960 team.
The following season, his stats dropped (to 1,334 yards), but the addition of the late Ja’Quan Williams as a transfer gave the Tigers an unmatched 1-2 punch of 1,000-plus yards each.
In the state nal his senior season, the Tigers beat West Montgomery 42-14 as Sutton ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns and Williams 174 yards and a score.
The game plan of Sutton running to the left tackle and then Williams hitting the right tackle hole was unstoppable for the Warrriors.
Yet Sutton had no issues with fewer carries or sharing
Panther Sophia Jones had even kills, seven aces and six blocks during a close win over Trask and 15 kills against WRH as ED split the season series with the Bulldogs.
cords in back-to-back seasons.
Maggie Brown had eight kills and Marissa Bernal ve kills, ve aces and 18 digs in the victory over Hobbton for the Rebels’ fth win in their last six matches.
Lilly Fulghum added 10 digs and 20 assists.
That streak ended two days later when Three Rivers 4A Conference leader North Lenoir came to town on the Rebels’ Pink Out for Cancer game, which gave its donations to the Outlaw Foundation.
The Hawks (16-1, 9-0) took sets at 25-17, 25-10 and 25-13 despite digging out what must have felt like a road to China.
Bernal scooped up 27 digs, and Fulghum and Gracie Higginbotham had 18 apiece.
the workload. In fact, he welcomed it.
“We were brothers, and I loved having someone I could lean on. He was there to battle with me,” Sutton said of Williams, who died 13 months ago.
“For that matter all my teammates were my brothers on the eld.
“My O-line was Korey Bedding eld, Eric Smith, Brandon Coates, Jalahne Stround and Donald Brinson. All brothers. They were gritty. They got down and dirty and o ered no excuses. We just wanted to win.
It was us against the world.”
Sutton played in the exclusive Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas in the summer after winning a triple jump title at the NCHSAA state meet.
“I literally did it once and quali ed for the region meet, so I had was literally three track meets and won the state event,” said Sutton, who was taught a simple jumping technique by track coach Alex Scott.
NC State had promised him
NL, the No. 1 RPI school in the East, has won its last 12 matches by a 3-0 count and has 14 of its 17 wins by the same score.
North Duplin is No. 25 in RPI among 2A schools in North Carolina.
Panther break skid vs. ’Dawgs, win seventh straight
Zoe Cavanaugh and Kinsey Cave combined for 17 kills and 10 aces last Monday when East Duplin beat WRH 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-20) to end a seven-game skid against its archrival, which beat the Panthers 3-0 on Sept. 14. East Duplin (17-2, 7-0) also picked up ECC wins over
a spot but sent him to Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College to raise his grades for the Wolfpack.
“There were 19 running backs in the room, and I’ll have to admit the cold weather there made it a struggle until I adjusted,” said Sutton, who was second in the depth chart.
“I enjoyed it there because they never tried to teach me how to run. They marveled at how I ran. It was Running Back University, and all six of the running backs touched the league (NFL) in some way.”
Sutton ran for 469 yards as a freshman and 907 yards the following season, and all the big major football Division I universities were vying for him.
“The plan was to stay a year and go back to NC State, but I got comfortable because they took o the training wheels and let me run,” he said. “I broke loose and Tennessee, Arizona State, Missouri and even Alabama wanted me, though as a slot receiver and I didn’t want to play that position.
TOWN OF TEACHEY
Southwest Onslow and Trask, andit led the conference by two games over the Titans (12-5, 5-2) and Clinton (11-6, 5-2), who the Panthers play this week.
Coach Susan Raynor’s squad has won seven straight and can clinch the regular season title with two wins in its next three matches. The Panthers already have wins over its last two foes — Pender (5-13, 1-6) and South Lenoir (3-14, 1-6).
The loss for WRH came after it had given Midway (11-6, 10-1) its rst conference loss in 52 matches.
Yet the most symbolic victory in terms of the playo s was nipping the Titans, which won the rst set 25-21 before the Panthers took the next three nail-biting sets (25-21, 25-22, 25-20).
Turner had 12 kills and three aces, Cavanaugh 19 kills and 13 digs and Cave nine kills and 4 assists.
Karsyn Parker added 15 digs, while sophomore Sophia Jones had her best match of the season, banging home seven kills, seven aces and a team-high six blocks.
Parker stroked 12 aces against the Stallions as ED won 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-15).
ED is the No. 1 RPI school in the 4A East and No. 2 in the state.
WRH recovered from the Panthers loss by beating Spring Creek 3-1 and Rosewood 3-0.
The Bulldogs close out the regular season this week against James Kenan (7-12, 3-8).
WRH is the No. 3 RPI school in 3A in the state.
By then Sutton weighed 200 pounds and an association with Lincoln Riley — who had tried to recruit Sutton to East Carolina after high school — took him to Oklahoma.
“He put Coach (Bob) Stoops on the phone, and I ew there in two weeks,” Sutton said. In his rst season in Sooner-land, Sutton played 13 games, ran for 130 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards. The 10-yard-per-touch stat had the OU sta looking for big things from Sutton by his senior season.
But he fractured his leg and played just six games. The Sooners lost 45-34 to No. 2 Alabama in the Orange Bowl in the national semi nals, and Clemson beat the Tide to win the crown.
But the Seattle Seahawks invited him to training camp the following year.
“They told me it would take 12 months to heal, but I was sent home when the pains in my legs were so bad I couldn’t
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NCAA BASKETBALL
Tarleton State places Gillispie on leave after anonymous complaint
Stephenville, Texas
Tarleton State says it has placed men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie on temporary administrative leave after receiving an anonymous complaint. The former Kentucky coach who also led the programs at Texas A&M and Texas Tech has been at Tarleton State for ve seasons. Gillispie faced allegations of player mistreatment at Texas Tech, where he spent one season. Tarleton State said associate head coach Glynn Cyprien is lling in for Gillispie. The Texans open the regular season Nov. 3 at SMU.
MLB
Phillies star Harper announces birth of fourth child ahead of NLDS opener
Philadelphia Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper and wife, Kayla, have welcomed their fourth child, Hayes Three Harper, ahead of Saturday’s playo opener. The Harpers shared the news on Instagram, announcing their son was born last Thursday. Harper, a two-time National League MVP, was in the lineup for Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier in April, Harper used a blue bat for a gender reveal during a game. Harper and Kayla already have three children: a son named Krew and two daughters, Brooklyn and Kamryn.
practice,” Sutton said. “I beat guys out and was ready to play.” Sutton played a year in the Continental Football League in 2021 before retiring.
He’s living in Oklahoma City and working as a crane operator.
“I still love the game and am thankful for the people who helped me out along the way,” said the 29-year-old, “which includes my uncle (Kyete Holmes), mom (Shelia Hobbs), the Avents, Michael Jarman and Leeron Boykin and all my teammates and workout partners.”
Sutton also had bad timing. After working out for the Dolphins, Ravens, Falcons and Jets the NFL shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These days his “workouts” come from raising his two children — Kehlani Berrios, 8, and Milana Sutton, 3.
“It’s now about being a great dad and a good businessman,” he said.
The Public Hearing for the Town of Teachey to consider lowering the current tax rate and amending the current budget will be 10/13/25 @ 6:00 pm at the Teachey Town Hall in Teachey, NC 28464. Any questions or concerns call 910-285-7564.
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
HOF
RUSHING
East Duplin senior fullback Shawn Davis carries the ball.
and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the
is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.
Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 23-32293-FC01
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY FILE#25E001358-300 The undersigned, SHAMIKA PITTMAN-PICKETT, having quali ed on the 16TH DAY of SEPTEMBER, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DONNIE VELMA PITTMAN, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 25TH Day of DECEMBER 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 the 25TH Day of SEPTEMBER 2025.
SHAMIKA PITTMAN-PICKETT, ADMINISTRATOR 431 JOE HOP WILLIAMS RD. BEULAVILLE, NC 28518 Run dates:S25,O2,9,16p
EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
obituaries
Wisbon Lee Newton Jr.
May 2, 1940 – Sept. 30, 2025
Wisbon Lee Newton Jr., 85, of Harrells, NC, passed away September 30, 2025, at his residence. Funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Roseville Baptist Church in Willard, NC. Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. (one hour prior to the service)—interment following the service at Roseville Baptist Church Cemetery.
Swindell Isler
Feb. 26, 1945 – Oct. 3, 2025
Goldsboro- Mr. Swindell Isler, 80, completed his earthly journey and transitioned from labor to reward, Friday, October 3, 2025, at UNC Health, surrounded by his loved ones. The arrangements are currently incomplete. Please keep the family lifter in prayer.
Norman Christopher James
July 14, 1969 – Oct. 1, 2025
Norman Christopher James, 56, of Willard, NC, passed away in Burgaw, NC on October 1, 2025. Funeral service will be 1 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025, at First Baptist Church, Teachey, 307 Log Cabin Rd. E Teachey, NC. Viewing will be noon - 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment will follow the Riverview Memorial Park & Mausoleum service in Willard, NC.
Annette Boyette Kernstine
Jan. 28, 1936 – Sept. 30, 2025
Annette Boyette Kernstine, 89, of Hope, Michigan, formerly of Warsaw, N.C., passed away peacefully on September 30, 2025.
Annette was born on January 28, 1936, the third of four children to the late John Wright Boyette, Sr. and E e McGowan Boyette.
Annette was a 1954 graduate of Warsaw High School. In 1958, she graduated from UNC Woman’s College in Greensboro, N.C., with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secretarial Administration.
Subsequent secretarial jobs were held with N.C. State Grange, N.C. Dairy Association, and S.C. Dairy Association.
Annette was married to Van Arthur Kernstine for 59 years until his passing in 2018. She met Van in Greensboro in May of 1955. They married in November 1958, following her graduation and Van’s four years of service in the U.S. Air Force. They lived in Greensboro until moving to Chester, S.C., in 1964. In 1969, Annette and Van returned to Warsaw, where they opened and operated a Sears Catalog Merchant Store until it closed in 1993. Annette was a member of Johnson Baptist Church for most of her life, where she faithfully served as pianist for many of those years. She is survived by two sons and one daughter: Art Kernstine (Vicki) of Cumming, GA, Sonya Alexander (Curt) of Hope, MI, and Mitchell Kernstine (Mary) of Powhatan, VA, nine grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Van Kernstine, a sister, Marie Waters, a brother, Boyce Boyette, her brother, John Wright (JW) Boyette, Jr. The funeral will take place at Johnson Baptist Church in Warsaw on Monday, Oct. 6, with visitation starting at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. service.
Memorials in her memory may be made to: Optimal Hospice (801 Rosehill Road, Jackson, MI 49202), Medilodge of Midland (4900 Hedgewood Dr., Midland, MI 48640-1928), Seasons Adult Day Health Services (4700 Dublin Avenue, Midland, MI 48642), amd Johnson Baptist Church (477 Johnson Church Road, Warsaw, NC 28398).
Ruth Barnhill Thomas
April 12, 1942 – Oct. 1, 2025
Mrs. Ruth Barnhill Thomas, aka “Monk”, age 83, of Jacksonville, NC, passed away at home on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
A viewing will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Abundant Life International Cathedral in Jacksonville, NC, followed immediately by the funeral service at noon.. Burial will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Coastal Carolina Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville, NC.
Left to cherish her precious memories are her husband, Michael Thomas of Jacksonville, NC; two sons: Rusty Pernell Barnhill of Jacksonville, NC and Eric Thomas of Cheyanne, WY; three daughters: Angela Newkirk of Jacksonville, NC, Lucretia Lovick (Robino) of Murfreesboro, TN, and Donna Timms (Jerry) of Rex, GA; twentythree grandchildren, thirty greatgrandchildren; two aunts: Alice Chasten and Dorothy Chasten; one uncle, Kenneth R. Chasten (Mable); a great aunt, Josephine Page; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss her dearly.
Please send potted owers or make monetary donations in lieu of standing sprays. *The veteran cemetery will not accept them*
Wilber Woolard Bailey
Jan. 28, 1936 – Oct. 1, 2025
Wilber W. Bailey, 77, passed away on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, in ECU Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, NC.
He was preceded in death by his spouse, Edna Bailey, parents, Hallie and Wilbur Bailey and a sister, Faye Hill.
He is survived by his sister, Joyce Harrell (Kenneth) of Bear Grass; grandchildren Gavin Holmes, Braden Crumpler, Cash Bailey, Skyar Bailey, Joseph Bailey and Taylor Smith; and nieces Kim Sears, Renee Harrell and Joanna Bristow.
Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Bailey family.
Celebrated primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall dead at 91
Her chimpanzee research changed the understanding of how apes live and interact
By Hallie Golden The Associated Press
JANE GOODALL, the intellectual, soft-spoken conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking, immersive chimpanzee eld research in which she documented the primates’ distinct personalities and use of tools, has died. She was 91.
The environmental advocate became a beloved household name who transcended generations through her appearances in documentaries and on television, as well as her travels to address packed auditoriums around the world.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death last Wednesday in an Instagram post. According to the Washington, D.C.based institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a U.S. speaking tour.
Her discoveries “revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” it said.
While living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, Goodall documented them doing activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans. Her observations and subsequent magazine and documentary appearances in the 1960s transformed how the world perceived not only humans’ closest living biological relatives but also the emotional and social complexity of all animals, while propelling her into the public consciousness.
“Out there in nature by myself, when you’re alone, you can become part of nature and your humanity doesn’t get in the way,” she told The Associated Press in 2021. “It’s almost like an out- of-body experience when suddenly you hear di erent sounds and you smell di erent smells and you’re actually part of this amazing tapestry of life.”
Goodall never lost hope for future
She had been scheduled to meet with students and teachers last Wednesday to launch the planting of 5,000 trees around wild re burn zones in the Los Angeles area. Organizers learned of her death as the event was to begin at EF Academy in Pasadena, said spokesperson Shawna Marino. The rst tree was planted in Goodall’s name after a moment of silence.
“I don’t think there’s any better way to honor her legacy than having a thousand children gathered for her,” Marino said.
Goodall in her later years devoted decades to education and advocacy on humanitarian causes and protecting the natural world. In her British accent, she was known for balancing the grim realities of the climate crisis with a sincere message of hope for the future.
From her base in the British coastal town of Bournemouth, she traveled nearly 300 days a year, even after she turned 90, for public speeches. Between more serious messages, her speeches often featured her whooping like a chimpanzee or lamenting that Tarzan chose the wrong Jane.
Tributes from animal rights organizations, political leaders and admirers poured in following news of her death.
“I’m deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Jane Goodall, our dear Messenger
of Peace. She is leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity & our planet,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Nature broadcaster Chris Packham re ected on her relentless advocacy until the very end.
“In many ways Jane just died on the job,” he said. “The job that her life became. And that was protecting life on earth.”
Living among chimpanzees
While rst studying chimps in Tanzania in the early 1960s, Goodall was known for her unconventional approach. She didn’t simply observe them from afar but immersed herself in every aspect of their lives. She fed them and gave them names instead of numbers, which some scientists criticized.
Her ndings were circulated to millions when she rst appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1963 and then in a popular documentary. A collection of photos of Goodall in the eld helped her and even some of the chimps become famous. One iconic image showed her crouching across from the infant chimpanzee named Flint. Each has arms outstretched, reaching for the other.
In 1972, the Sunday Times published an obituary for Flo, Flint’s mother and the dominant matriarch. Flint died soon after showing signs of grief and losing weight.
“What the chimps have taught me over the years is they’re so like us. They’ve blurred the line between humans and animals,″ she said in 1997.
University of St. Andrews primatologist Catherine Hobaiter, who studies communication in chimpanzees, said that when she rst heard Goodall speak, it transformed her view of science.
“It was the rst time as a young scientist working with wild apes and wild chimpanzees that I got to hear that it was OK to feel something,” she said.
Goodall earned top civilian honors from a number of countries. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025 by thenU.S. President Joe Biden and in 2021 won the prestigious Templeton Prize, which honors individuals whose life’s work embodies a fusion of science and spirituality.
The Humane World for Animals said Goodall’s in uence on the animal protection community was immeasurable.
“Her work on behalf of primates and all animals will never be forgotten,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the group formerly the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.
BELA SZANDELSZKY / AP PHOTO
Primatologist Jane Goodall kisses Pola, a 14-monthold chimpanzee baby from the Budapest Zoo that she symbolically adopted in Budapest, Hungary, in 2004.
