Duplin Journal Vol. 10, Issue 35 by North State Journal

Duplin Journal

the BRIEF this week

Help shape Wallace’s new downtown mural

Wallace The Town of Wallace is creating a new mural to celebrate the spirit, history and future of Wallace. This mural will be part of the Legacy NC 100 Murals in 100 Counties initiative, led by artist Max Dowdle. To help bring the mural to life, the Town of Wallace is seeking input from the public. Please visit the Wallace Facebook page to take a short survey or send your suggestions to mail@wallacenc.gov.

Community leaders honored at NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

Duplin County The Duplin County NAACP hosted its annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Oct. 18, recognizing community leaders and raising funds for student scholarships. Awards presented included: Civic Engagement Community Service Award: Commissioner Wayne Branch; Living Legend Award: Melvin Felton; Trailblazer of Freedom Award: Jessica Thomas; Environmental Justice Award: Marzella Morrisey; Game Changer Award: Ykeshia Parker (on behalf of Southern Roots); and Legacy of Excellence Award: Delilah Gomes.

Town clerk earns national recognition for municipal excellence

Wallace The Town of Wallace honored Town Clerk Jacqueline Nicholson last week for receiving the EPP Bronze Achievement from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. The award is given to municipal clerks who meet rigorous educational standards and make signi cant contributions to their local government, community, and state.

NC Poultry

Jubilee returns

Rose Hill

The NC Poultry Jubilee returns to downtown Rose Hill on Nov. 7-8 to celebrate North Carolina’s rich poultry heritage at the home of the World’s Largest Frying Pan in Rose Hill. The event will feature live music, local vendors, and lots of fried chicken.

Duplin breaks ground at Airpark

Local and state leaders celebrated the construction of two shell buildings meant to spur economic growth

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — A large group of county and town leaders along with representatives from various industries and the state gathered at the Duplin Airpark Industrial Complex next to Duplin County Airport on Oct. 14 to break ground on the rst of two large shell buildings being constructed through a project initiated by the Duplin County Economic Development Commission. One of the speakers at the

event was N.C. House District 4 Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), who has played a vital role in securing state funding for the shell building projects in the county.

Dixon told Duplin Journal before the groundbreaking that the developments can all be attributed to one important part of Duplin County — agriculture.

“It’s almost impossible to think about the development out here without thinking about what is bringing it about, and that is our magni cent livestock facilities, livestock production here in Duplin County,” Dixon said. “The world needs protein, and we produce a lot of it in Duplin County.”

Dixon added that agriculture has a $111 billion economic impact in North Carolina and 71

% of that income comes from livestock — chickens, turkeys, hogs and cattle produced in the state.

“This is important for the

county because it symbolizes growth and development, and a vision and a mission, not

Dixon appointed to redistricting committee

The lawmaker will assist in shaping legislative and congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore appointed Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) to the North Carolina House

Agri-Waste Technology proposes an a ordable alternative for East Log Cabin and Calico Bay roads

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — The Teachey Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from a representative of Agri-Waste Technology (AWT) of Cary at its Oct. 13 meeting on the company’s recommendation for a solution to the longtime sewage issue for residents on East Log Cabin Road. The company has been evaluating the issue under funding provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Dept, of Agriculture. AWT specializes in on-site wastewater treatment systems.

Select Committee on Redistricting, a legislative body responsible for overseeing the state’s redistricting process for the 2025-26 legislative session.

The 15-member committee, established Oct. 14, will oversee the state’s redistricting e orts ahead of the 2026 election cycle and is tasked with evaluating, drafting, and recommending changes to North Carolina’s legislative and congressional district maps.

enced the same issues. They discovered both areas were experiencing untreated wastewater on the soil surface, which contributed to untreated waste being introduced to surface waters of a nearby creek. The problem was forcing residents to have their tanks pumped frequently and, in some cases, being forced to cut back on water usage in fear of septic tanks over owing. It not only a ected the existing homeowners but also created limited options for new construction in those neighborhoods.

“The soils in this area leave very, very few options that would be deemed affordable for typical onsite repairs,” Davidson said.

Davidson told the board that previous solutions to the problem seemed to focus on the East Log Cabin Road area being annexed into the Teachey town limits, which most residents opposed. As a result, he recommended the town encourage the county to create a $2.00

The representative, Kevin Davidson, said the company conducted site visits in 2024 at both the East Log Cabin Road community as well as the Calico Bay Road community, which has experi-

As a longtime legislator, Dixon is one of nine Republicans on the committee.

“Duplin has a good seat at this decision-making table,” he told Duplin Journal.

The work of the committee will play a central role in shaping the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2026 elections.

The committee will submit a nal report by May 1, 2026, and has the authority to propose new legislative maps and engage consultants to support its work.

JOURNAL

PHOTOS

N.C. House Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) gives remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the rst of two 50,000-square-foot shell buildings being built at the Duplin County Airpark on Oct. 14.

Carrie Shields, Duplin County Deputy County Manager, welcomes local and state dignitaries to the groundbreaking ceremon at the Duplin County Airpark.

Duplin Journal www.duplinjournal.com

Trip Ho end Publisher

Jim Sills VP of Local Newspapers

Ena Sellers News Editor

Michael Jaenicke Sports Editor

Allison Batts Advertising Representative

Loretta Carey

O ce Manager

O ce Phone: 910 463-1240

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AIRPARK from page A1

just from our economic development board, but our county commissioners as well as all state and local leaders,” Carrie Shields, deputy county manager, told Duplin Journal.

Shields served as the county’s economic development executive director before leaving brie y for another role and then returning in her current role.

“This is especially special to me because I worked with the economic development board to develop a master plan,” Shield said of the construction of the new shell buildings in the Airpark. “This is the rst step of our master plan, to see this become a reality.”

While the shell building construction is just getting underway, Shields added there is already interest in the property.

“We’ve had several prospects that have looked at this site, as well as our sites in SouthPark and our neighboring industrial park,” she said. “We’re working with North Carolina Southeast to bring business and industry here, as well as North Carolina Commerce.”

In addition to Dixon and Shields addressing those attending the groundbreaking ceremony, other speakers included Charley Farrior, chairman of the Duplin County Economic Development Commission; Scotty Summerlin, executive director of the Duplin County Economic Development Commission; and Dexter Edwards, chairman of the Duplin County Board of Commissioners.

The two new shell buildings being constructed at the Airpark by Daniels and Daniels are each 50,000 square feet in size.

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THURSDAY

Longtime ECU Health Duplin Hospital Council director retires

After 17 years of service, Tom Fife has retired as director of the ECU Health Duplin Hospital Development Council. Fife was recently honored by ECU Health for his dedicated leadership. His commitment to strengthening the local community was a hallmark of his tenure.

Housing rehab grant moves forward

Project oversight, tax reform gridlock and the future of the Farm Act were discussed at the October meeting

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Leaders discussed a proposal for a federal grant aimed at housing improvements, received a legislative update from Rep. Jimmy Dixon and heard public concerns about transparency at this month’s Duplin County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Josh Outlaw from The Adams Company conducted the second of two required hearings to formally announce the county’s intent to apply for a Community Development Block Grant under the Neighborhood Revitalization category. The county is seeking the maximum amount of $950,000 in federal grant funds to support housing-related improvements. The proposed project involves the demolition and reconstruction of four homes: 1299 Botanicus Road in Mount Olive, 401 North Monk St. in Magnolia, 120 Cedar Lane in Rose Hill and 1637 Highway 24/50 in Warsaw.

“We will also include three alternates, which will just be rehabilitations in case someone isn’t eligible,” Outlaw said. The alternate properties are located at 114 Moore St. in Teachey, 703 Penny Branch Road in Warsaw and 1061 Pastor Branch Road in Rose Hill. The project’s total budget will consist of $855,000 for housing and $95,000 for grant administration.

Because of funding limitations, only four homes could be selected. Outlaw noted that community participation has improved, with more residents becoming aware of and responsive to available grant opportunities.

County o cials also discussed the re nancing of

the 2016 Limited Obligation Bonds, which could result in an estimated $1.5 million in savings over the life of the debt. Proposals were sent to lending institutions in late September, and anal lender selection is expected by Nov. 3, with formal approval of nancing documents anticipated at the Dec. 1 Board of Commissioners meeting.

North Carolina House Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) addressed the Duplin County Board of Commissioners to share updates on the state budget, the Farm Act and to express gratitude for the board’s service. Re ecting on his own transformation — from criticizing local leaders to becoming a supporter — he emphasized the importance of building up rather than tearing down public institutions.

Dixon highlighted the productive relationship between the county and state leadership, crediting Duplin’s governance with helping secure major funding. Over the past three budget cycles, he and Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) were able to direct $88 million in state funding to Duplin County.

On the budget front, Dixon warned that continued reliance on a permanent continuation budget — while preventing shutdowns — has created complacency. He shared a major sticking point in current negotiations between the House and Senate involves income tax rate “triggers.” The House wants to adjust them to re ect in ation and prevent future decits, while the Senate sees that move as a tax increase. Dixon explained that without a change, the state could face a $3 billion to $5 billion shortfall within three years.

Finally, Dixon provided insight into delays in passing the 2025 Farm Act. Disagreements between the House and Senate over raw milk sales, present use value de nitions

and herbicide labeling have stalled progress. He emphasized the importance of provisions like protecting crop theft penalties, composting for equine mortality and school absence exibility for equestrian students.

Jessica Thomas, a Sarecta resident and leader of the Duplin County Coalition for Accountability and Transparency, raised concerns with Dixon about the handling of the $1.5 million allocated last year for clearing and snagging the Northeast Cape Fear River. She questioned why the funds appeared to be directed only to the river’s rst section and expressed alarm that Alliance Integrated Solutions may have bypassed the county’s standard bidding process, which typically involves oversight from the Soil and Water Board and the Board of Commissioners.

“That money is eligible for anything from Chinquapin to the ocean,” said Dixon, acknowledging the project. He didn’t, however, directly address the other concerns.

On broader state issues, Dixon stressed the urgent need for a statewide employment strategy, highlighting the signi cant shift in the job market over the past 15 years. Previously secure public sector jobs now face intense competition from private employers for skilled workers. He also raised concerns about more than 65% of the General Assembly’s nonpartisan research sta nearing retirement within seven years, which he believes poses a challenge for long-term policy development. Additionally, he addressed a rumor about Senate Bill 50, which would allow universal concealed carry without training for those as young as 18.

The county’s personnel policy review process continues, with plans to involve larger working groups, including legal input, before a nal version is presented to the board for review and approval.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Duplin County.

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. 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

Haunted Museum & Trick-or-Treat

6-8 p.m.

Get ready for a spooky good time at the annual Haunted Museum & Trickor-Treat at the Cowan Museum in Kenansville and enjoy an evening of frightful fun and familyfriendly trick-or-treating. Free admission.

411 S. Main St., Kenansville

Nov. 1

Warsaw Veterans Day Parade

11 a.m.

The Town of Warsaw will host its 105th Annual Veterans Day Parade, honoring the service and sacri ce of our nation’s heroes. Recognized as North Carolina’s o cial Veterans Day Parade and the longest-running consecutive Veterans Day Parade in the United States, the event draws participants and spectators from across the region. Highlights of the day include a memorial service, a parachute jump, and an aerial yover, followed by community activities such as a barbecue fundraiser and museum tours. Downtown Warsaw

COURTESY ECU HEALTH DUPLIN

Faison’s growth held back by idle properties

Even as new projects break ground in Faison’s ETJ, stalled renovations are slowing down development

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

FAISON — Like many other towns in the county, the northern Duplin County town of Faison is experiencing growth, according to Mayor Billy Ward. Much of the growth is just outside of town limits within the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). One of the projects is a new subdivision being developed known as Everwoods.

“They’re building the subdivision o of Highway 403 between Faison and North Duplin High School,” Ward told Duplin Journal. “It’s actually in our ETJ, so they’re going to be hooked up to our water. The water is in, the re hydrants are in,

and they’re building the roads.”

Ward said the plans call for 18 half-acre lots, each with a house.

He said he noticed that while equipment remains on the property, work seems to have stopped a few weeks ago. He didn’t speculate on what has caused the pause in construction.

On the commercial front, Ward mentioned that development is progressing but at a slow pace. One notable incoming business is a truck stop being constructed within Faison’s ETJ near the intersection of N.C. Highway 403 and U.S. Highway 117.

“It’s supposed to be a truck stop, a convenience store and a fast-food restaurant all in one building,” Ward said, adding the developer has not disclosed what brand name the truck stop or fast-food restaurant will be.

The projected completion date is 2027-28. Ward said he nds business development and opportuni-

ties within Faison’s town limits frustrating at times. One of those frustrations involves the former Piggy Wiggly grocery store property that was purchased with the intent of putting another grocery store there.

“The building has been empty now for ve years and they have been slowly working on it here or there,” Ward said. “If you walk to the front door of the store and look inside, it looks just like the day they left it. It

Growth in Wallace makes demolition grant tougher sell

The town is seeking $556,000 in federal funds to tear down abandoned structures

By Curt Simpson For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — Signs of economic progress can be seen in many parts of Wallace, with new home neighborhoods and businesses popping up in several locations. That’s the good news. The challenge is that such growth now makes it more di cult to qualify for state funds to get certain types of projects done.

One such project is the demolition of the old C.W. Dobbins School building at 908 N. Teachey Road. Following a brief public hearing last Thursday night, the town council voted unanimously to move forward in requesting $556,400 in Community Development Block Grant funding for “slum and blight demolition” to remove the old school building and three abandoned homes that are situated within the boundaries of Farrior Park at Boney Mill Pond.

The grant request should completely cover the cost of the work, including the remediation of any hazardous materials like asbestos that may be found on the sites. No local tax dollars would be spent on the project.

Project Manager Chip Bartlett explained to the council in a presentation on the project that, while the work is needed, funding is going to be tight this year and there are no guarantees that the grants will

Many communities in the western part of North Carolina, which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in 2024, will be competing for some of the same dollars. Further complicating matters is the fact that Duplin County is now considered a Tier 2 county in the way the state de nes areas of economic distress. As reported by Duplin Journal last December, the state classi es all 100 counties each year, placing the 40 most economically distressed in Tier 1, the next 40 in Tier 2, and the 20 most prosperous in Tier 3. The shift to Tier 2 means Duplin County is now eligible for fewer funding opportunities than before. If the grant is awarded, the town will be required to complete a redevelopment plan for the 31⁄2-acre site where the school is currently sitting to

The highlighted section from the Duplin County GIS Map shows the 3 1⁄2-acre Dobbins School site that is scheduled for demolition and redevelopment.

who would be interested in purchasing the property once it is ready.

If the grant is awarded later this year, Bartlett recommended that another public hearing be held as the process continues to make sure that citizens have some input in how this project moves forward. Fritz added that the town Planning Department is always open to accepting comments from the public, as well.

In other business, the council agreed to install a street light in hopes of improving safety at the intersection of Summer eld Drive and N.C. 11, at the entrance of the Summer eld subdivision.

Council also voted to set up public hearings for rezoning of several parcels during their scheduled meeting Nov. 13. A former salvage yard on N.C. 41 in the Tin City to be rezoned from RA20 to Highway Business; and property near the intersection of Old Wilmington Road and N.C. 11 is proposed to be rezoned from R6 to R6 MH, to allow a mobile park to be placed on the

The former Piggly Wiggly grocery store building in Faison was purchased ve years ago with the intent to open a new grocery store. However, after placing a new sign on the front of the building, work mostly stopped.

makes you wonder what they are going to do.”

He said the only visible progress has been outside on the front of the building.

“They even put up a brand-new sign,” he said. “There’s no telling what they paid for that sign to get produced and installed. The sign has been on the building for two years.”

Ward is also concerned about missed opportunities for new businesses due to some owners

of vacant commercial properties downtown being uninterested in selling or renting them out.

“There are a couple of businesses downtown that have been empty for years,” he said. “The people who own them are just sitting on them. I do know one of our town employees (interested in opening a business) went to two of them to try and rent from them, and neither one of them would rent to him.”

Ward understands that property owners have the right to manage their properties as they see t but remains hopeful they will eventually allow the buildings to be utilized, bene ting Faison’s economic development.

Ward understands that property owners have the right to manage their properties as they see t but remains hopeful that they will eventually allow the buildings to be utilized, bene ting Faison’s economic development.

Group pushes for transparency after manager’s resignation

A local advocate’s ndings prompted dialogue with county o cials

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Amid growing concerns over transparency and nancial oversight in Duplin County government, Jessica Thomas, a Sarecta resident and leader of the Duplin County Coalition for Accountability and Transparency, has become a driving force for reform, ling dozens of public records requests and contacting state and federal agencies.

Thomas met with county administration and o cials last week regarding pushback and outstanding records reqiests.

“I’ve circulated this county employee survey that people are lling out anonymously. And some things have come up that are very concerning,” Thomas said.

It comes in the wake of the abrupt resignation of former county manager Bryan Miller, who, as of press time, has not responded to Duplin Journal’s request for comment.

“I think the straw that broke the camel’s back here was that the county had $273,000 worth of work done that was not properly bid out,” Thomas said. “And it was not completed by a general contractor.”

According to Thomas, the projects were awarded without undergoing the required bidding process. While county o cials claimed the projects began under the $30,000 threshold, no documentation was provided to show how the projects were approved, whether cost increases occurred or if proper change orders were issued. Documents shared with Duplin Journal show at least four projects exceed the limit that triggers informal bidding and written documentation un-

“Some things have come up that are very concerning.”

Jessica Thomas

der N.C. General Statute 143-131.

Thomas told Duplin Journal that communication has improved and county leadership has begun actively brainstorming solutions to enhance transparency and public trust.

“It’s clear that they want to move forward,” said Thomas. Thomas said the coalition had submitted a list of recommendations to both the commissioners and administrative sta , and expressed optimism about the shared commitment to reform.

According to Thomas, ocials told her they were limited in what they could discuss due to public records laws but said requests would be handled according to statute.

Among the issues Thomas has documented is the disbanding of the Tourism Development Authority and the termination of sta members who were allegedly asked to sign severance agreements that appeared to function as nondisclosure agreements issued by the county’s human resources department at the direction of Miller.

Thomas said investigators encouraged her to continue gathering information and to submit ndings to District Attorney Ernie Lee.

Following Miller’s resignation, Thomas said more individuals have come forward with information.

“We are the bosses,” said Thomas. “We don’t have cannons and muskets like they did 250 years ago, but we do have knowledge, and we have our words and they carry weight.”

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

CURT SIMPSON FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

COLUMN | SHERI FEW

Are government schools redeemable?

The Founding Fathers identi ed no constitutional role for government in education.

THE MOOD OF THE NATION survey, published in February 2025, found that 73% of adult respondents are dissatis ed with the quality of public education in the U.S. It is the highest dissatisfaction rate since the survey began in 2001.

Government schools have failed most students by every key measure. Across ve metrics, including suicide, major depression, suicidal thoughts, mental distress and days in poor mental health, young people su ering has increased substantially since 2011. Moreover, one-quarter of individuals who identify as transgender are between the ages of 13 and 17.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows no signi cant improvement in outcomes over the last 40 years.

The 2024 NAEP scores provide shocking evidence of utter academic failure in America’s government schools, showing that 45% of high school seniors scored “below basic” in math, and 33% of seniors tested “below basic” in reading. In their groundbreaking report, “Are Government Schools Redeemable?” U.S. Parents Involved in Education concludes that government schools are not redeemable. At least not any time soon, even with a concerted e ort. Importantly, the USPIE report o ers recommendations for those determined to nd a way to rescue government schools.

The ve focus areas outlined in the report represent key issues keeping schools from succeeding: government involvement; teachers and colleges of education; teacher certi cation; standards and assessments; and teacher unions.

The Founding Fathers identi ed no constitutional role for government in education; however, in the 1840s, Horace Mann advocated universal government schools, embracing the notion that it could reduce, and perhaps even erase, human failings and compensate for biological aws.

Gradually, Mann’s vision of taxpayer-funded, government-run schools caught on. In 1867, Andrew Johnson established a national education department, and every president since has signed into law education-related policies and programs.

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

Yet despite ballooning federal intervention and funding, achievement in government schools is a national embarrassment.

For more than 50 years, government schools have been dumbing down teacher preparation. Teachers in training are being stripped of successful teaching methods and indoctrinated with techniques that impede learning and condition children into political activism.

Moreover, for decades, colleges have been pushing the oppressed/oppressor model, inculcating Marxist, feminist, racist and LGBTQ critical theories. Academic success is now less about merit and more about “equity.” It is evident that the colleges of education and the current installed base of teachers do not know how to e ectively teach reading, writing or math.

To teach in government-run schools, teachers must meet state certi cation requirements. Certi cation is integral to teaching colleges and is impacted by the faulty models adopted by these institutions. Indoctrination in critical theory, leftist activism and LGBTQ ideology, rather than proven teaching methods, is now what is certi ed. Teacher certi cation demands that quali ed professionals be indoctrinated in the ine ective teaching practices taught by colleges of education.

Formal standards by grade did not come to America until the 1980s. But after the release of the report “A Nation at Risk,” many asserted that grade-level standards with aligned assessments could keep students on track. Yet for centuries, if not a millennium, parents and educators intuited the phases of child development and tailored their teaching around reasoned expectations.

Standards and their correlated assessments are inappropriate, ine ective and stand in the way of actual student achievement.

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) count for 70% of government schoolteachers, or 3.2 million. Teacher unions rally in support of LGBTQ policies, hiding student gender issues from parents, protecting trans-identifying teachers and other policies o ensive to many parents.

The policies and practices of the unions are

the very policies and practices that prevent government schools from improving student achievement in reading, writing and math.

That’s why we strongly recommend the following actions: Parents should remove their children from government schools and seek alternatives that are free from government funding. The government should be removed from education to the degree possible and increase the child tax credit for parents whose children do not attend government schools. Local leaders can help by supporting home education and making donations to private schools for scholarships.

Churches can start schools, provide scholarships and support home educator co-ops.

As more families exit government schools, legislators should make government school funding re ect their enrollment. This model subjects government schools to free-market competition and reduces taxes for all citizens.

Parents are well-positioned to hold schools accountable. As they make choices, the better systems will accumulate enrollments and garner income, while the failing ones will see reductions.

Most importantly, parents are the rst and best educators of their children. This is not just a slogan, not just a throw-away campaign line. It is a fundamental law. Elected o cials must embrace this truth, resist the temptation to govern education, and return control to parents who are the only people properly positioned to hold educators and the education system accountable.

Sheri Few is the founder and president of United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE), whose mission is to end the U.S. Department of Education and all federal education mandates. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

Trump deﬁes conventional wisdom ... so far

Whether it was a maneuver straight out of Michael Corleone’s playbook, the gesture appears to have worked.

“WHAT ALL THE WISE MEN promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.” That was the mordant comment of Lord Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s rst prime minister, on the failure of a liberal reform to achieve the results promised with great assurance by the articulate liberal eminences of the day.

With two centuries of foresight, he might just as well have been describing President Donald Trump’s triumph, celebrated “in a state of ecstasy” in Israel’s Knesset, as he secured the release of hostages held by Hamas for two years and won support from multiple Muslim nations for his 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas.

Or as The Free Press’ Matthew Continetti put it, “Trump has done more to advance peace in the Middle East than the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern A airs could hope to achieve in a million years.”

Certainly, more than anyone has accomplished since Israel’s victories in the Six-Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the era when it became accepted wisdom that Arab and Muslim nations would recognize Israel’s legitimacy only after it reached some form of agreement with Palestinian leaders on the creation of a Palestinian state.

The conventional wisdom was that pressure must always be exerted on Israel, the leaders and voters of which had obvious qualms about relinquishing any supervision over armed and hostile neighbors within shooting range of their geographically tiny country.

The 1990s saw a test of that conventional wisdom, with Israel accepting the Oslo framework, and Bill Clinton, in his nal days as president, using his very considerable skills to get Israel to agree to a generous settlement, only to have it shot down at the last minute by Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat.

The Second Intifada that followed, and the Hamas terrorists’ takeover of Gaza after Israel relinquished it in 2005, ended any signi cant support for a “two-state” agreement by Israeli voters. But peddlers of the conventional wisdom ignored Israelis’ characteristic bluntness and persisted in taking seriously Arab states’ ritualistic a rmations of support for a Palestinian state.

Trump chose a di erent path. Rather than pressuring Israel to make concessions or pleading with the Palestinians to accept them, he pursued, and secured, direct agreements between Israel and other Arab nations. During his rst term, his team, led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, forged the Abraham Accords by capitalizing on the Gulf states’ ambitions for economic growth and regional stability.

Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,

recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and withdrew from former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. In his second term — unlike former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly sought to restrain Israel’s response to Hamas — Trump backed Israel’s military o ensives and followed through on his 12-day war that crippled Iran’s nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

Pressure on Hamas’ hosts in Qatar, home to a major U.S. air base, escalated after Israel launched missiles on Sept. 9 to assassinate Hamas leaders there. Trump publicly disapproved of the strike and, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House visit on Sept. 29, even urged him to call Qatar’s ruler and apologize.

Whether it was genuine remorse or a maneuver straight out of Michael Corleone’s playbook, the gesture appears to have worked. The Qataris soon pressed Hamas to accept the rst stage of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the release of all surviving Israeli hostages, after Trump rea rmed, in the Knesset and afterward, that he would fully back Israeli retaliation should Hamas break the deal.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren wrote that Trump “knows the language of strength.” He seems to appreciate and admire Israel’s strength and is willing to capitalize on the weakness of the country’s enemy, Hamas, and the terrorist group’s enabler, Qatar.

Here, I think, is something that separates Trump from the conventional wisdom and, by a wider margin, from those here and abroad who have been demonstrating in favor of Hamas and the Palestinians. Those who called for a

cease re for two years are conspicuously not joining in the celebrations for the cease re now in place.

The demonstrators and the purveyors of the two-state solution tend to side with what they consider the oppressed over those they consider the oppressors. They consider any skepticism about the moral worth of the weaker party as “punching down.” The demonstrators chant that Israel is committing genocide. The conventional wisdom says Israel, with all its advantages, must make concessions.

Trump, and the large majority of Americans over 30 who have favored Israel over the Palestinians for many years, admire self-su ciency, competence, inventiveness and success. The U.S. and Israel have their faults. But overall and from a historical perspective, they have been glorious successes.

An example, in the spotlight this week, is the American Israeli economic historian Joel Mokyr, recipient of the Nobel economics prize. His writings, which I can claim only to have sampled, argue that mankind’s sudden rise above subsistence economies was the product not just of technological advances but also of habits of mind that have produced self-su ciency, competence and creativity.

Which you can argue were characteristics of the diplomacy that experienced observers dismissed as amateurish and slapdash, and whose further course remains uncertain. In any case, its success so far has transformed Trump’s lust for his own Nobel Prize from the comic to the conceivable.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner.

President Donald Trump talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Oct. 13 in Jerusalem.

SAUL LOEB / AP PHOTO

Current mayor pro-tem enters mayoral race to ‘run the show’

Marty Taylor says aging leadership and wastewater issues spurred his decision

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

CALYPSO IS THE only town in Duplin County where the incumbent mayor’s seat is being challenged by the sitting mayor pro-tem in the upcoming municipal elections.

Duplin Journal spoke last week with Mayor Pro-Tem Marty Taylor, who said with the exception of living and working out of town for about 10 years, he had been a lifelong resident of Calypso and served in the town’s re department for 35 years. After returning to town, he became interested in and involved with local politics.

“We nally bought a house and moved back in town about seven years ago,” Taylor said. “I started going to town meetings, and they put me on the

planning board. From there, it just moved up.”

Taylor said his decision to run was motivated by a desire to preserve the town’s legacy.

“I noticed the board was getting a lot of age on it,” he said. “I wanted to carry on some of their legacy. Two or three of the older ones have passed away. That’s the main reason I wanted to do it, to keep the town going like it’s supposed to.”

As far as issues facing the town, the wastewater woes of Mount Olive, which the town depends on for treatment of its wastewater, is the biggest challenge, according to Taylor.

“They guaranteed us so many gallons of waste (treatment), and now they can’t give it to us,” Taylor said. “So it’s stopping any kind of business that would want to start up. Even if you wanted to put up a new house, nobody can do it right now because of the situation in Mount Olive.”

Calypso is hindered by the state’s moratorium on Mount Olive’s ability to increase ca-

pacity at its wastewater treatment plant. Taylor pointed out that Calypso does not have the resources to create its own wastewater treatment solution.

“With a town of only 350 citizens, there’s no way we could a ord to do it,” he said.

“That’s millions of dollars.”

Aside from the wastewater issue, Taylor believes the town is generally in good shape.

“I would like to see some of

the ditches redone and drain water (problems xed). I’m actually working on that now because I’m in charge of streets and ditches now,” said Taylor. He had praise for his opponent, incumbent Mayor Jo Anne Wilson.

“I wouldn’t dare say anything about my opponent because she is great,” he said. “I think the world of her. I just felt it was time to move. I prayed about it and thought about it. I just felt like it was time for me to try running the show, so to speak.”

The only criticism Taylor expressed was regarding the pursuit of funding for the town’s infrastructure issues.

“My opponent is not pushing as hard as I want on getting some grants,” he said. “I want to see the infrastructure get better. I want my town to stay like it is, a beautiful little town that everybody loves.”

Duplin Journal attempted to contact Wilson several times over the course of a week but did not receive a response by press time.

Police report increase in forged checks, DWIs

Brandon Hobbs seeks to follow in his father’s civic footsteps with a write-in run

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — During the October meeting of the Kenansville Board of Commissioners, Police Chief Jackie Benton revealed the department had encountered an unusually high level of activity in September, making it a particularly busy month for the department.

Benton told Duplin Journal after the meeting that most of the crime involved a forged check operation.

“We had a busy September, probably the busiest month since I’ve been here,” Benton said. “No. 1, we had morenancial crime. Some of it was what they call a ‘check washing’ scheme where you’re changing checks and forging checks.”

Benton said the forged checks were a combination of ones from companies and individuals that had been stolen from other parts of the state and brought to smaller towns like Kenansville where the thieves believed they would have an easier time cashing them. He said there was also an increase in drivers under the in uence.

“We had ve DWIs which is a lot for Kenansville,” Benton said.

The town also held a public hearing regarding a zoning request from resident Sylvester Carlton. He proposed placing a manufactured home on a lot where a mobile home had been removed in 2001. Carlton requested that the board extend the mobile home over-

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

The Kenansville Town Board of Commissioners discuss a request during a public hearing to modify a mobile home overlay in town at the request of a resident who wants to place a manufactured home on his property. The board took no action on the request.

lay to permit the installation of a new manufactured home on the property. Zoning ordinances have changed since the previous mobile home was taken down.

The board did not approve his request.

In other business

The board voted to appoint Alex Padgett to ll the seat on the board vacated by Commissioner Nelson Baker, who died in April. Padgett will assume his position on the board Nov. 4.

“We had a busy September, probably the busiest month since I’ve been here.”

Jackie Benton, Kenansville police chief

During the public comment period, former board member Eddie Hobbs announced he would not be seeking election to the board as he had previously intended due to health concerns. Hobbs had previously served as a commissioner until he was defeated in the last election by challenger Crystal Strickland. However, he introduced his son, Brandon Hobbs, who expressed his intention to run in his father’s place as a write-in candidate.

Town Manager Anna West reported that the town was on track to have the audit completed by Oct. 30. North Carolina statutes require all cities and towns to complete an audit each scal year.

West introduced Vickie Outlaw Deaver as a newnance and administrative assistant. She will join West and town clerk Madison Jones as town hall sta . The board received comments from a citizen seeking assistance with her water bill, which had increased signicantly due to a leak discovered under her home. West stated that she would investigate the matter and report back to the board at the November meeting.

Beulaville adopts new event policy to curb noise

A 30-day permit requirement and 10 p.m. curfew follows the spike in complaints

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

THE BEULAVILLE town board adopted a new special events and permitting policy aimed at reducing disturbances from large gatherings. The policy limits events of 50 or more people to a 10 p.m. curfew and requires permit applications to be submitted 30 days in advance.

The move comes after a rise in noise complaints over the past two months. Mayor Hutch Jones emphasized that the policy is designed to give police more authority at large events while protecting residents’ quality of life.

Concerns were raised about what quali ed as a noise issue.

“We have to allow our police department the right to validate concerns,” Jones said. “You have to look out for quality of life for all tax payers. This policy is about giving our police more authority at large gatherings — not other complaints.”

After this clari cation, the board approved the policy.

The board then approved a revised fee schedule that will increase fees for planning and zoning, meter-based services and tap fees.

“Fees for water and sewer, advertising and other fees have increased. This fee revision will cover the increased costs we are seeing,” Town Manager Lori Williams said.

The Public Works Department reported on its usage and project updates, saying 155,000 gallons of water are used per day on average. Wastewater treatments are on track to be nished within two to three weeks.

Police Chief Jamie Rogers reported that September was a busy month for the police department.

“A high-speed chase took place over stolen lawn equipment out of Swansboro, and ve businesses were given letters to stop illegal gambling,” Rogers said.

All games that say players can receive a payout are illegal in North Carolina.

Code enforcement o cials reported about their e orts to improve the town. After delivering several letters regarding issues such as overgrown grass, abandoned cars, discarded appliances, furniture and landscaping problems, there are beginning to be positive results. Residents are paying their citations and completing the necessary work.

Williams updated the board on the bed and breakfast issue at 139 Dogwood Acres Blvd.; the owner plans to appeal the decision to the Planning Committee.

The board discussed the possibility of using banners instead of lights for Christmas decorations, noting that banners are “easier, cheaper and o er more variety.” They expressed interest in seeing how this approach aligns with what other nearby towns are doing.

Lastly, dates were set for closing down East Bostic Street for Halloween. The road will be closed Oct. 29 between the Beulaville Presbyterian Church and Baptist Church.

Marty Taylor

Amid scrutiny from the state, the district pushes for graduation rate gains

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — With a renewed focus on academic growth and student success, Duplin County school principals have set ambitious goals for the year ahead — including boosting the district’s graduation rate to 87% and increasing overall school achievement scores by 10%.

The goals were among the key points discussed at the Duplin County Board of Education’s October meeting, where board members also reviewed state accountability results, celebrated progress in student pro ciency and teacher retention.

The meeting served as a checkpoint for district leaders to review progress and con rm a key leadership decision: the o cial appointment of Interim Superintendent Daren Tyndall to lead the district permanently. Following the designation of seven schools as low performing, which categorized the district as low perform-

SEWAGE from page A1

special sewer district for the community that the town could manage, but would not require annexation.

After evaluating all potential solutions, Davidson said the most cost-e ective and manageable solution would installing a STEP system, a large sewage tank that would be installed on each property with a lter and pump system. In that system, only ltered water would be pumped through a common main that would ideally connect to the gravity sewer line

ing, school o cials emphasized that the improvement goals are a response to lift student outcomes.

“The performance of the grades does not really indicate the work you all are doing. … Sometimes politicians don’t understand what it really takes to make a di erence,” board member Reginald Kenan said. “We all know a lot of these kids are facing socioeconomic barriers. … It’s very upsetting when the general public wants to downgrade our schools based on grades. … There is only so far that some kids can go (without the same help and resources that other kids have). Everybody wants to feel like they are somebody, but this accountability model doesn’t do that. To judge our students by this model really decreases their hope.”

Board members agreed that test scores, while important, don’t tell the full story and should not diminish the hard work happening in schools.

The board also heard a presentation from Mandy Ross on the district’s Beginning Teacher Support Program, which continues to post impressive retention rates.

“In 2023-24, we saw an in-

that exists along East Log Cabin Road.

Davidson told Duplin Journal following his presentation that a selling point in encouraging residents to sign on to the solution is that the installation of the new larger tank on their property would be paid by the grant. He said the only cost for residents would be a $50 to $60 per month charge that would be billed by the sewer district.

The board discussed the issue and agreed to consider the proposal at a later meeting after evaluating the solution and sewer district concept.

ux of new teachers, most of which were considered alternative licenses,” Ross said. “During that year, our Beginning Teacher program took in 183 teachers; 71% of them had an undergraduate degree in something other than teaching. In 2024-25, we retained more of our beginning teachers and supported 164 beginning teachers. Forty percent were initially licensed and some had completed a residency program. In 2025-26, we are supporting 119 beginning teachers. At the end of the ’23-24 school year, we retained 88% of our beginning teachers. We are currently sitting at a 95% retention rate.”

Ross credited the relationship building that coordinators do with beginning teachers as well as licensure testing support as the cause for the program’s high retention rates.

“Our teachers feel like they have someone in their corner,” she said.

The board asked questions about how to better support the program and improve the teacher-to-mentor ratio. Mentors are paid $100 a month and are currently asked to mentor three to four beginning teachers.

In other business, the town had scheduled a public hearing to consider changing the tax rate in town. However, after being advised by the town attorney that the requirements to change the tax rate in the middle of a scal year had not been met, the matter was dropped.

The town voted to pass a motion to change the name of Teachey Park to Johnny H. Williams Jr. Park in memory of a well-respected town resident. There will be an o cial name change ceremony as part of the upcoming Oyster Festival on Nov. 8.

Board

The Planning Board heard proposals to regulate short-term rentals as it modernizes ordinances from the 1940s

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

WARSAW’S PLANNING

Board reviewed a new 60-page Uni ed Development Ordinance at its October meeting, along with proposed regulations for short-term rentals and mixed-use development aimed at revitalizing the town and addressing blight.

With no new zoning or permit applications to consider, town zoning and code enforcement director Richmond Dugger shared that the current ordinances were written in the 1940s and due for updating. He used the meeting to introduce the draft ordinance and initiate a policy session led by Cedric Brown, a fellow from the UNC School of Government.

Brown’s proposals included stricter oversight of Airbnb-style rentals and new standards encouraging walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods to replace long-vacant properties in Warsaw’s business districts.

“The main issue in my mind is blight and vacant properties,” Brown told the board. “One person may see that as a negative aspect of Warsaw, but I see it as an opportunity to bring new growth and business to this area.”

The rst of two ordinances he proposed changed the denition of how some rentals are handled in town.

Brown said the proposed ordinance “extends the de nition of what short-term rentals look like as depicted in our code of ordinances to include Airbnbs.”

According to statistics Brown shared, Airbnb rentals created $25 billion in revenue last year and was the force behind creating a million new jobs. He said 50% of nonhotel short-term rentals are at Airbnbs. In the proposed ordinance, short-term rentals, dened as less than 30 consecutive days, would have to be registered with the town, obtain a permit and pass an initial safety inspection, as well as provide proof of compliance with building, re and housing codes.

The second ordinance Brown proposed dealt with mixed-use development standards that would promote combining residential, commercial and civic uses within a geographical area. Brown said the proposed standards would encourage walkable communities, revitalize Warsaw’s business districts and promote the e cient use of infrastructure and services.

Under this proposed ordinance, mixed-use developments could include residential dwellings, including single-family, duplex, townhouses and multifamily housing, as well as retail establishments, o ces and restaurants. It also allows for civic and institutional facilities. It would also allow upper story residential units above ground oor commercial establishments which are common in new strip shopping centers in large towns.

A few planning board members responded to Brown’s presentation expressing concern over where funding would come from to create the changes in Warsaw. Brown responded the funds would hopefully come from private-public partnerships with some public funding coming in the form of community development grants.

Ms. Virginia F. Knighton

Sept. 25, 1940 – Oct. 8, 2025

Goldsboro- On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the Lord whispered, and Ms. Virginia F. Knighton heard, “It’s time; the ght is over, you’ve earned your rest. It was then that Ms. Virginia F. Knighton departed her Earthly home for her Heavenly home while at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Celebration of her Life will be on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at noon, JB Rhodes, Jr. Memorial Chapel, 1701 Wayne Memorial Dr., Goldsboro, NC 27534.

There will be a visitation from 11 a.m. to noon. She will be laid to rest at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, 3888 US Hwy. 70, Goldsboro, NC.

We extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please continue to keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Janet Myree Newkirk

March 9, 1982 – Oct. 8, 2025

Janet Myree Newkirk, 43, of Seven Springs, NC, passed away on October 8, 2025. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at Love Temple, 201 N. Oak Forest Rd. Goldsboro, NC 27534. Interment following the service at Riverview Memorial Park & Mausoleum in Willard, NC. Janet Newkirk was born on March 9, 1982, to Jimmy and Josephine Newkirk in Pender County. She departed this life on Tuesday, October 8, 2025, at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. Janet was the only daughter and baby of Jimmy and Josephine Newkirk. Janet Newkirk attended Wallace-Rosehill High School, Wallace, NC. She attended James Sprunt Community College and received an associate degree in early childhood education in 2013. She also received a certi cate in Billing and Medical Coding at DeVry University in 2024. Janet joined New Jerusalem Pentecostal United Holy Church located in Wallace, North Carolina. She was a dedicated drummer. She was a very anointed woman of God. She was loyal to her pastor, her mother. Janet loved her family and friends unconditionally. She always kept everyone laughing with her “smart mouth” and jokes. She was truly a people person.

Today, words cannot describe the loss that we feel, but we humbly submit unto God’s will. We considered it a true blessing to have lived with one so wise and strong in her conviction. We commended her to the Lord, that we shall see her smiling face again when we, too, have reached the other shore.

She is survived by her parents: Jimmy and Josephine Newkirk; her brothers: Jimmy “Tyrone” Newkirk, Curtis “Jermaine” Newkirk, and Jason Lamont; one niece: Alexis Tyrell Newkirk; one great nephew, three great nieces, several aunts and uncles, a host of cousins, Godsisters, God-brothers, and her Godparents: Pastor Dwight Morrisey and Sandi Morrisey.

Wallace Lee Green Sr.

March 24, 1946 –Oct. 10, 2025

Mr. Wallace Lee Green Sr., age 79, of Mt. Olive, NC, passed away on Friday, October 10, 2025, at home. A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill, NC. Left to cherish his precious memories are his wife, Donna Houston Green of Mt. Olive, NC; one son, Wallace Green, Jr. of Mt. Olive, NC; three daughters: Anita Green of Richmond, VA, Christy Smith of Kinston, NC and Aleia Green of Mt. Olive, NC; ve step-children: Avery Highsmith (Maticia) of Charlotte, NC, Donna Jean Stevens (Melvin) of Kenansville, NC, Felicia Highsmith of Mt. Olive, Shawn Highsmith (Dorothy) of Utah and Demond Highsmith (Debra) of Garner, NC; a host of grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss him dearly.

Weldon T. Hobbs Sr.

June 2, 1935 – Oct. 11, 2025

He was born in Sampson County to the late Turner Hobbs and Ora Mae Hobbs. In addition to his parents, he has been reunited with his wife, Edna Lee Brewington Hobbs, and his son, Weldon T. Hobbs Jr.

Weldon leaves cherished memories to his daughter, Belinda A. Hobbs; fteen grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; daughterin-law, Renita Hobbs; former wife, Bertha Darden Hobbs and a host of other family and friends.

The viewing service will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025, from noon to 1:50 p.m. at Garris Funeral Home, 812 S. Center St., Mt. Olive, North Carolina 28365. Funeral service will follow after the viewing at 2 p.m.

Paul Tyrone Bryant

July 10, 1971 – Oct. 13, 2025

Mr. Paul Tyrone Bryant, age 54, of Teachey, NC, passed away on Monday, October 13, 2025, at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC.

A visitation of family and friends will be on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. at Rose Hill Funeral Home in Rose Hill, NC. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at noon at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow at Duplin Memorial Gardens, Hwy 117 in Teachey, NC. Left to cherish his precious memories are his wife, parents, children, grandchildren, sister, niece and other special relatives and friends who will miss him dearly.

Patricia Whaley Maddox

April 26, 1963 – Oct. 16, 2025

Patricia Whaley Maddox, 62, passed away on Thursday, October 16, 2025

A funeral service will be held Monday, October 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. followed by visitation at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC. Burial will be at Rosin Ridge Cemetery at 35 County Road 230 in Elba, Alabama

She is survived by her sisters, Mary Potter, of Jacksonville, NC, and Vera Diane Kennedy (Marlon), of Pink Hill, NC; brothers Linwood E. Whaley (Teresa) and James Ray Whaley, both of Richlands, NC. Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Maddox family.

Robert “Bob” Miller

March 20, 1930 – Oct. 13, 2025

Robert (Bob) T. Miller, age 95, resident of River Landing in Wallace, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 13, 2025, at Wallace Health and Rehabilitation.

Born March 20, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, son of the late Porter Miller and Anne Burns Miller. Mr. Miller was also preceded in death by his devoted wife of 53 years, Phyllis S. Growden Miller.

Bob proudly served his country honorably in the United States Army during the Korean Con ict. Locally, a past member of the Wallace Rotary Club and founder of River Landing Men’s Golf Association. Always a participant, in his last years, one could nd him on the rst tee seeing and sending golfers along their way or just having a hot dog at the halfway house.

Bob was a caring father and grandfather who took great pride in his family. Like his parents, he was an avid golfer who, at age six, was the youngest member of Beaver Creek Country Club, where he was an emeritus member until his death. Bob’s golf skills earned him an o er for the rst golf scholarship ever given to attend the University of Maryland, which he accepted and became the captain of the golf team. Over the years, he enjoyed introducing and sharing his knowledge of the game he so loved with many. He was a man who loved people and was loved in return. Bob will surely be missed, but treasured memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

Surviving to cherish his memory are his children: Robert S. Miller and wife Lori of Maryland, Karen Cruz of South Carolina, Deborah Leftridge and husband Tom of Maryland and Barry Brown and wife Millika of Nevada; grandchildren, Cody Miller, Casey Charlton Nicole Lenora Brown, Christian Knukel, Stephanie Knukel and Matthew Knukel; cousin Joe Burns of Fort Myer, Florida; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends who loved Robert dearly. There will be a ‘Gathering of Family and Friends’ between the hours of 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at QuinnMcGowen Funeral Home, 612 S. Norwood St., Wallace, NC 28466.

Dorothy Holloman Grady

Oct. 15, 2025

Mrs. Dorothy Holloman Grady, a Mount Olive resident, passed away on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at her home. She was 88. Mrs. Grady, known as “Mama Dot” to her family and many of her friends, was a godly woman who cared deeply for others. Always eager to lend a helping hand, she had been a dear friend to many.

Having been raised in Mount Olive on what had been part of her grandfather’s farm, she attended Salem Advent Christian Church along with her family. Her adult life took her to several areas, but in each place she became a part of the local church. While in the Kenansville area, she was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher and assisted with the youth programs. Later, she became a member of Central Baptist Church in Goldsboro. After her church minister passed away and the membership dissolved, her life came full circle when she returned to worship at Salem, the very place in which the goodness of God had been instilled in her life.

An excellent seamstress, she

Angela “Angie” Hubbard Chavis

May 6, 1959 – Oct. 13, 2025

She was born on May 6, 1959, in Wilmington, the daughter of Joe Carroll Hubbard and Shirley Bradshaw Hubbard. In addition to her parents, Angie was preceded in death by her sons, Kameron Chavis and Craven Cory Chavis; granddaughter, Autumn Raine Chavis; and sister, Pam Patterson. Angie is survived by her children, Windy Chavis (Tony), Jamie Corbett (Jonathan), Eric Chavis (Jennifer), Shawn Chavis (Becky), Zackary Chavis (Annie) and Greg Cunningham; grandchildren, Justin Corbett (Dustie), Jaden Corbett, Steven Chavis (Emmy), Tristan Chavis, Dakota Chavis, and Elaina Chavis; great grandchildren, Brycen Chavis and Airlie Chavis; brothers, Ricky Hubbard (Debbie), Joey Hubbard, and Je Hubbard (Nancy). Her dearest and closest friend, Sherry Johnson, and her son, Samuel, are also left behind. Not to be forgotten is Angie’s fur buddy and companion, Jax. Angela, a ectionately known and loved as Angie, loved being outdoors in God’s wonderful world of nature. She loved being at the seashore picking up shells and enjoying the waves. Horses, cowboy boots and anything western were Angie’s passion. We all remember how Angie loved sweets, even though they were supposed to be limited. When the children were teenagers, they remember Angie opening her home to all of their friends. Most of all, Angie “Memaw” loved her grandchildren; they were her heart and soul. Angie was loved and will truly be missed. Following Angie’s wishes, there will be no services held. Just remember Angie as the sweet lady that she was.

had worked at Young Squire Industries in Mount Olive. Later, she and Mr. Jake Harris joined in partnership in establishing and operating Mount Olive Sportswear, which proved to be quite a successful venture, and which they eventually sold.

Mrs. Grady was a consummate homemaker whose main goal was the happiness and security of her family. All who entered her door were welcome guests.

She leaves behind her two children and their spouses, Freddie Glen and Betsy Adams of Wilmington, and Sharon Adams Nethercutt and Kirk Nethercutt of Pikeville; four beloved grandchildren, Adam Nethercutt and wife, Alana, of Boiling Springs, SC, Dr. Eden Nethercutt Manning and husband, Chris, of Kenly, Ross Adams, and Rylie Adams, both of Wilmington; a great-granddaughter, Lennon Nethercutt; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Eugene and Margaret Ann Holloman of Dudley, and Frank and Carol Holloman of Fort Mill, SC; another sister-in-law, Betty Jean Grady of Kenansville; and several nieces and nephews, and their families.

Mrs. Dorothy has gone to be with the Lord and has no doubt been reunited with her husband, Horace Cramner “Crump” Grady; her parents, Eddis Arnold and Jewel Watkins Holloman; a sister and brother-in-law, Avice H. and Carroll Jackson; and a sister-inlaw, Shirley Holloman.

Visitation was held on Monday, October 20, starting at 6 p.m. with funeral services following at 7 p.m. at Tyndall Funeral Home (beside Salem Church). O ciating was the Rev. Doug Abel and the Rev. David “Buck” Grady. Committal rites with Burial were on Tuesday, October 21, at 11 a.m. at Wayne Memorial Park. Friends and relatives were also received in the home that Mrs. Grady lived in and enjoyed the last years of her life.

Blonnie Marie Dobson

May 22, 1945 – Oct. 10, 2025

Blonnie Marie Dobson, 80, of Wallace, NC (formerly of West Long Beach, California), passed away October 10, 2025, at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, NC. Funeral service is scheduled for noon on Friday, October 17, 2025, at Hawes Funeral Home in Warsaw, NC. Mrs. Dobson will return to Long Beach, California to be buried with her husband, the late Rev. Leslie Dobson.

Joseph Irizarry

April 10, 1986 – Oct. 11, 2025

Joseph Irizarry, 39, of Beulaville, NC, passed away on October 11, 2025. Funeral service will be 11 a.m., Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at The Blessing Barn, 645 N. Blizzard Town Rd. in Beulaville, NC. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Monday, October 20, 2025, at Hawes Funeral Home in Warsaw.

Wallace Depot hosts Rails & Cocktails

Marguerite Register Alphin

March 24, 1935 –Oct. 10, 2025

Marguerite Register Alphin, a long-time resident of Florence, SC, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, October 10, 2025, at the age of 90.

Marguerite was born at her grandparents’ home in Rose Hill, NC, to the late Edwin Lee Register, Sr., and Mildred Brown Register of Rose Hill. She was raised attending Dobson Chapel Baptist Church in Duplin County, NC. She spent her time preparing meals for her family and working in her parents’ cherished country store at Register’s Crossroads. Many community members still remember Marguerite serving cold ice cream on Sunday afternoons.

She attended one year at East Carolina before marrying her high school sweetheart, John Gilbert Alphin of Mount Olive, NC.

Marguerite spent her life as a loving wife and remarkable homemaker in addition to working in a family business in Kure Beach, NC. With her capable hands and heart, she created a wonderful home and childhood for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Being in her presence gave her husband and children a sense of stability and unquestioned love and acceptance; traits both John and Marguerite’s parents had instilled in them. Marguerite’s life portrayed the Proverbs 31 description of a wife of noble character as “her lamp did not

go out at night, she spoke with wisdom, and she laughed at the days to come.”

While creating a home in Florence, SC, Marguerite was a Heritage Member of Central United Methodist Church, serving and supporting her church throughout her life. She taught children’s Sunday School, Methodist Youth Fellowship, was involved in Boy Scouts, and an active member in the United Methodist Women.

Preceded in death by her parents and beloved husband, Dr. John Gilbert Alphin, one of their sons, John Gilbert Alphin, Jr., one of their grandsons, Clayton Moore Alexander, and her brother, Edwin Lee Register, Jr. of Rose Hill, Marguerite is survived by their son Gilbert Edwin Alphin and his wife Karen Rud Alphin of Kure Beach, NC; their daughter JoAnn Alphin Alexander of Florence, SC, and her daughter Callie Frances Bailey and her husband Joseph Ryan Bailey of Florence, SC and their children Nicholas Ryan Bailey, Anna Ryan Bailey, Eva Grace Bailey and Noah Alexander Bailey; and their daughter Anita Alphin Bryan and her husband William Smith Bryan, Jr. of Mount Pleasant, SC, and their son John Houston Bryan and daughter Macaulay Grace Bryan.

Marguerite is also survived by her sister Edith Register Brinkley of Teachey, NC, and their sisterin-law Catherine Blanchard Register of Rose Hill, NC; her inlaws Vance and Ann Alphin of Mount Olive, Audrey and Donald Lindsay of Mount Olive, Eva May and Kenneth Avent of Faison, and many beloved nephews, nieces and cousins. She cherished each and every one.

Funeral services for Marguerite were held on Wednesday, October 15, at 2 p.m. at the Tyndall Funeral Home in Mount Olive, NC, o ciated by the Rev. Wanda Simmons. Visitation took place at Tyndall Funeral Home during the hour before the service. The graveside service for burial followed at the Gilbert and Eva Alphin Family Cemetery on Alphin Road, Mount Olive, NC.

RESOLUTION DECLARING

WHEREAS, G.S. 160A-299 authorized the Wallace Town Council to close streets and public alleys; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Town Council to close approximately 465 feet of the75 foot -wide undeveloped public right of way North of the S NC 41 Hwy and approximately 290 feet west of Rocking Horse Lane within the Corporate limits of Wallace, North Carolina known as Olde Field Lane; and WHEREAS, a public hearing shall be conducted for the purpose of considering closing the public right-of-way street Olde Field Lane; and

Deborah Matthews Lanier

July 16, 1951 – Oct. 15, 2025

Deborah Matthews Lanier, 74, passed away on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Deborah is preceded in death by her parents, Rudolph and Catherine Matthews, and grandsons, Thomas Wright Lanier and Posie Hill Lanier.

Graveside Service: Sunday, October 19, 2025

2 p.m.

Amos Lanier Cemetery, 191 Brinson and Raynor Ln., Chinquapin, NC 28521

Visitation will be held at the cemetery.

Survivors: Spouse: Gary T. Lanier, Chinquapin, NC

Sons: Denny T. Lanier (Dona), Wallace, NC

Matt Lanier (Summer), Wallace, NC

Sisters:

Jean Hughes, Warsaw, NC

Dorothy Williams, Kenansville, NC

Sandra Brinson (Brad), Wallace, NC

Connie Thornburg, Magnolia, NC

Grandchildren: Cade and Maesie Lanier

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Lanier family.

Ella Irene Lewis Buckrham Jackson

April 13, 1927 – Oct. 12, 2025

Goldsboro- Ms. Ella Irene Lewis Buckrham Jackson, age 98, was called home on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to rest eternally within the arms of the Almighty Lord. She was called home at Somerset Court Assisted Living in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Ms. Jackson was a beloved soul who is now gone from our sight but never from our hearts because for what is deeply loved can never be lost or forgotten. There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 2506 New Hope Road, LaGrange, NC. The public visitation will be one hour prior to the service, noon to 12:50 p.m.

The Sta of J.B. Rhodes Funeral Home & Cremation, Inc., would like to extend their condolences to the family. Please keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

WHEREAS, a public hearing to discuss the closing of the public right-of-way street Old Field Lane will be held after 6:00 pm on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Wallace Woman’s Club located at the 216 NE Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Wallace that:

A public hearing to discuss closing the public right-of-way street, Old Field Lane will be held after 6 pm on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at the Wallace Woman’s Club located at the 216 NE Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466.

Jan. 2, 1958 – Oct. 9, 2025

Mrs. Mattie Ruth Moore Hall, age 67, of Beulaville, NC, passed away on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro, NC. A visitation of family and friends will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill, NC. Funeral services will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Pathway Church, 275 NC 41 Highway in Beulaville, NC, at noon. Burial will follow at Hall Family Cemetery in Beulaville, NC. Left to cherish her precious memories are her husband, Benjamin Hall of Beulaville, NC; three sons: Marcus Hall (Stephanie) of Summerville, SC, Telvin Hall (Angela) and Desmond Hall (Latesha) both of Beulaville, NC; three daughters: Taneka Love (Rodney) of Wake Forest, NC, Shereka Lewis (Michael) of Durham, NC and Letisha Scott (Marcus) of Knightdale, NC; parents: Christine Judge and Vernell Judge of Beulaville, NC; two brothers: Lamont Judge (Regina) of Beulaville, NC and Vinson Judge (Kimberly) of Kenansville, NC; four sisters: Blanquita Judge of Beulaville, NC, Evangeline Maddox (Michael) of Kenansville, NC, Cynthia Judge of Winston-Salem, NC and Geraldine Gri n (Feranté) of Capital Heights, MD; twenty-six grandchildren; one god-daughter, Tamara Williams of Durham; eight sisters-in-law, ve brothers-inlaw; two aunts, one uncle; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss her dearly.

The Town Clerk is hereby directed to publish the Resolution of Intent once a week for four consecutive weeks in the Duplin Times or Duplin Journal.

The Planning Director is hereby directed to transmit by registered or certi ed mail to all owners of property adjoining the alley as shown on county tax records.

The Planning Director is further directed to prominently post in at least two (2) places along the street, a notice of the closing and public hearing in accordance with G.S. 160A-299. Adopted this, the 9th day of October 2025.

Adopted by motion of Council M

NOTICE OF AUCTION FOR NONPAYMENT

The storage units contents will be sold for nonpayment of storage rental fees. Bid amounts start at the price owed on the units. All payments must be made in full, cash only, prior to the sale to stop the auction process.

Adrian Hall – #26

Zaphorah Brinson – #45

David Hollingsworth – #62

Mattie Ruth Moore Hall

PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Frey Smith entertains the crowd at the second annual Rails & Cocktails event held last Thursday at the Wallace Depot.

Left, Members of the Wallace Depot Commission, left to right, Charley Farrior, chairman Michael Blackburn, Paul Izzo, Steve Paes and Cameron Lee stand in front of a rare railroad mail car the commission is raising funds to restore. The Rails & Cocktails event took place at the Depot on Oct. 16. Right, Early arrivers to the second annual Rails & Cocktails fundraiser at the Wallace Depot secure a table to enjoy food from the Lobster Dogs Food Truck at the event.

DUPLIN SPORTS

Panthers clash with Pender for East Central 3A/4A title

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CLINTON — Much is expected from Dwayne Davis in the next two seasons at East Duplin.

The sophomore running back made the rst signi cant touchdown of a promising career with a 56-yard run that sent the Panthers to a 20-13 win over Clinton.

He set up the score on the previous play by intercepting quarterback Miles McCallop, one of three Panthers picks on a night when defense won the game. The win sets up a showdown

Pope,

between ED-Pender on Friday in Burgaw.

“It’s still his rst-year player learning the game, but he’s got some good potential,” said ED head coach Battle Holley, whose club improved to 6-2. “Our defense was bend but not break. We didn’t give up big plays and made them earn what they got. We also got turnovers from them.”

Shawn Davis (15-75) added a score, and running back Aaron Hall (14-55) took a Branson Norris pass to the house from 80 yards out.

Clinton’s Shamar Sutton and ED’s Bryson Brown and Zack Ball came up with picks

in the rst three possessions of the game, and the Dark Horses (3-5, 1-2) took a 7-0 lead on a McCallop run from the 5 following an 80-yard drive set up by a bomb to Aaran Landrum.

Hall’s electrifying score tied it with 9:39 to play in the third.

But Clinton forged 70 yards in 10 plays to go in front 13-7 after Ball blocked the PAT.

Shawn Davis kicked it in gear with two long rst-down runs in the next possession and then tied it at 13-13 by scoring on second-and-goal from the 3.

Jeremiah Monk’s sack late in the fourth quarter helped ED stop Clinton’s nal drive at the Panthers 20 after ED’s coverage held on fourth-and-10.

Brown led the Panthers with

The drive of young coaches like Ken Avent III and Lee Sutton are energizing the program

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — In the wild, Tigers travel in what is known as a “streak” or “ambush” and not a pride, as do lions. They are solo hunters of prey.

Gridiron Tigers at James Kenan work together, and the large number of former players who have returned to coaching form the foundation of a 7-1 team that smoked 5A CB Aycock 49-21 last Friday night when the school’s Hall of Fame nominees were introduced.

Head coach Tim Grady (2000) is a JK grad, but that’s just the start of the Tiger lineage. Defensive coordinator John Bert Avent is a North Duplin grad, though he’s coached all but ve years of his career in Warsaw.

Grady, a longtime middle school coach at Charity, took over after a three-year run by ex-Scotland coach Will Clark.

Coincidentally, that’s when JK grads began to ood

onto the coaching sta . Success followed him, and the Tigers began their ascent to the top of the 2A classi cation and are probably the most feared 3A team in the East this fall.

Bring on the young bucks

The return of former Tigers Ken Avent III and Lee Sutton were signi cant additions.

“K3,” as he’s sometimes called, is the son of Ken Avent Jr., the former Tigers head coach who helped JK win two state titles (2007, 2013). Like his father, who is a James Kenan Sports Hall of Fame member, he played quarterback at Catawba for four years.

Unlike his dad, he returned like a bullet to the land of Tigers,

Jayden Pope and Quan Stevens step up after Vance Carter — and Austin Wolfe — are lost for the season with knee injuries

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

ROSE HILL TWP. — Season-ending injuries created opportunities for players such as Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Victor Cruz to shine.

North Duplin had two players step up when the news came that Vance Carter, the team’s second-leading rusher and starter at defensive back, suffered a season-ending knee injury that will require surgery.

Enter Jayden Pope and Quan Stevens, who will ll Carter’s positions for the Rebels, who beat Union 49-20 last Friday.

Pope ran the ball nine times for 111 yards and a score, while Stevens had three carries for 21 yards. Both were heavily involved in the running game, which helped Carell Phillips do what he always does: score touchdowns.

Phillips had four scores and 292 yards via 20 totes to improve ND to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in Carolina Conference play.

ND has also lost another key player: three-year starter and linebacker Austin Wolfe.

“Jaylen has a vision to make cuts in a di erent way,” said ND head coach Hugh Mar -

tin. “I thought he was down on one cut, but he kept going and going. Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not. He’s got a di erent skill set than Vance and also blocks well.

“So does Quan, whose role has also changed. He brings a lot, and we’ll need him to keep stepping up the rest of the season.”

The win set up a possible showdown with Hobbton (5 -3, 4-0) on Halloween for the Carolina Conference title. That happened because East Bladen crushed Lakewood 32-0. The Wildcats play Lakewood (5-3, 3-1) on Friday, and should the

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Zachary Cruz, Allen Stukes and Keeshon Mckinne wrestle down Clinton’s Aaran Landrum.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Cassandra Stroud, from left, Kathy McNeil Bartel (for her father Mac McNeil), Marcelias Sutton and Ken Avent Jr. were inducted into the JK Hall of Fame last Saturday afternoon.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND’s Jayden Pope ran for 111 yards and a touchdown in a 49-20 win over Union.

ED seeks to quiet Pender’s high-scoring Flex Bone attack in a key league scu e

Ken Avent III Lee Sutton

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Wilmer Flores

Wallace Rose-Hill, soccer

Freshman Wilmer Flores is playing on the varsity level for the Wallace-Rose Hill soccer team because he’s shown rst-year head coach Aaron Murry his skills.

He’s proven it to everyone this fall by scoring eight goals and ringing up six assists.

Flores has scored at least a point in eight games, including his second hat trick in October during a 5-1 win over Goldsboro.

He booted in three on Oct. 1 during a win over Princeton.

Flores is the second-highest point producer for the Bulldogs (10-4-1, 8-0) to senior Felix Funez, who has 15 goals and ve assists as the second-highest spiker in Duplin County.

WRH entered the week needing two wins in its nal four games to clinch the ECC title.

Bulldogs’ speedy RB Lamb continues his ground assault

The senior running back Lamb is the workhorse that keeps WRH in the running

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — While Jamarae Lamb has the most rushing yards in Duplin County, it’s been di cult to compare him to other backs in the area given his status as a player who must carry the ball a lot of times.

Yet this season, the Bulldogs (4-4, 2-1) need every yard, rst down and score the senior makes.

Lamb has 156 carries for 1,638 yards after going for 140 yards in a 73-0 crushing of Spring Creek last Friday on Senior Night.

He scored each time he touched the ball for his seventh 100-yard e ort of the season. That total includes going for 317 yards against Midway, 278 versus Clinton and 222 in a trip to Princeton.

He’s averaging 203.6 yards on Fridays, having surpassed his 2024 output of 1,361 in which he went over the 100-yard mark six times.

“When nearly every running back coach came to watch Irving (Brown, who went to Division I Ohio University this fall), he was there working out, and a lot of folks say him,” said WRH head coach Kevin Motsinger. “His maturity makes him stand out.”

Lamb has yet to make his col-

lege choice, though Division II schools such as Lenoir-Rhyne want him, as do a couple of Ivy League schools and the Naval Academy.

“The recruiting game has changed so much with some schools waiting to see who is coming back and some waiting on kids that were committed,” Motsinger said. “So we see second-year players entering the transfer portal and situations where schools get the bulk of their players that way.”

Motsinger said Lamb always has a keen eye on the recruiting process and knows how to navigate his way through it.

“He’s such a strong communicator and keeps in touch with the coaches,” Motsinger said. “He’s just shy of a 4.2 (grade-point average) and can walk into any room and talk to anyone. That’s uncommon of kids his age.

Yet Lamb will have a handful of games at the prep level to up his recruiting value.

WRH travels to Rosewood on Friday where the senior could juke and speed his way to another 200-plus yard game.

The Eagles (2-5, 2-1) are giving up 31 points and scoring just 15 through eight games.

“They’ve gotten a lot better on both sides of the ball,” Motsinger said. “While losing (27-7), they held Midway to less points than us or James Kenan did. They do a lot of RPO stu , and their quarterback puts you in con ict. They’ve got a physical running back,

and the line does a good job.

A Halloween trip to James Kenan concludes the regular season and will decide the Swine Valley Conference. WRH must win to tie the Tigers for the title, as the two did in 2024 when the Bulldogs were upset by North Lenoir but whipped JK in the nal game of the regular season.

“This team can play with anyone,” said Motzinger, whose team will likely be an underdog among the critics and so-called experts.

The only way to prove them wrong is having the WRH defense come to life and Lamb nding his running lanes.

Extra points

Adrian Glover had two totes for 134 yards and two scores against the Gators. Jamari Carr, Montavious Hall and Logan Marks also charted courses to the end zone. The threesome needed just 10 carries to total 129 yards and three scores.

While he likely won’t catch him, Lamb has the most yardage by a Bulldog since Kayne Roberts set the school record in 2021 with 3,511 and 58 rushing scores.

Roberts’ total is third alltime in N.C. behind West Rowan’s Kevin Parks (3,794 in 2009) and Elijah Hood of Charlotte Catholic (3,690 in 2013).

Lamb has run for 3,889 yards and 35 touchdowns during his career, which includes his debut as a sophomore when he had 839 yards.

Leopards prevail, there will be a game for all the marbles on Oct. 31 in Newton Grove. Firstyear Lakewood coach Adam Scronce is the longtime o ensive coordinator at Wallace-Rose Hill.

Union (2-6, 0-4) played better than its record would suggest, and ND led 21-14 at halftime.

“We knew from lm that they ran a two-back set with one that has excellent speed, and they caught us on a couple of runs on plays we don’t normally give up,” Martin said.

That changed in the second half when the Trashawn Rufn-led defensive line got a boost from Marquis Frederick, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound junior who has been playing limited minutes

this season because of injuries.

“He did a really good job when he was in there, and we’re glad to have him back and being involved in the game,” Martin said.

Phillips had consecutive touchdown runs of 1, 36 and 68 yards in the second half. Quarterback Brock Keiz added a 17-yard score as ND ran of 28 unanswered points. Pope gave ND its rst lead at 14-7 with a 40-yard push.

Phillips’ 40-yard sprint made it a seven-point game at halftime. The senior has run for 1,343 yards and 19 scores this fall, which is second in both categories among Duplin Journal schools.

East Columbus (2-6, 1-3) travels to play on H.E. Grubb Field on Friday.

ND from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Jamarae Lamb leads all Duplin Journal-area runners with 1,638 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Tabor Holley, from left, Rebecca Beach, Jenna Batchelor, Anastan Holley, Kate Miller and Hailey Maready have gone a combined 65 -2 in singles play, which includes a second-round plastering of Nash Central in the 4A team championships.

Nearly ‘perfect’ Panthers rocket into third round

ED went 12-0 during the regular season and has gone 58-6 since 2021

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Losing is a foreign concept to the East Duplin tennis team.

Sti er competition in the 4A state team tournament this week will push the Panthers, who are unbeaten in that format this fall.

Head coach Julie Register’s squad faced a little more pressure than their 12-0 regular season in a 6-0 second round win over Nash Central.

But perspective is needed. The Panthers won every regular season match by a 9-0 count, sans an 8-1 triumph over Clinton and Wallace-Rose Hill. And individual players and the Panthers’ doubles teams rarely lost a set.

Just two singles matches were extended by the Rocky Mount school. Even then, ED’s No. 2 and No. 5 players captured tiebreakers.

where he had a proli c career that was plagued with an injury in 2016 after he set school season and career passing records for yards and touchdowns.

He also had a solid stroke in baseball and golf while also playing basketball. Avent is the quarterbacks coach plus head coach and o ensive coordinator of the junior varsity team that is 5-1.

His grandfather, Ken Sr., coached at North Duplin for 25 years, so a move in the direction of the sidelines seemed natural for the youngest coaching Avent.

“The thing I like about him is his willingness to bounce ideas o ,” Grady said. “He is over the pass game, and I’m over the run game. I was a lineman and think inside the box. He was a quarterback and thinks outside of it. It’s a great blend, and some cool stu comes out when we work together.”

The day will come when his assistant will become a head coach, though these days getting there before the age of 30 isn’t advised. Young coaches need to experience every aspect of the game be-

Senior Jenna Batchelor lost her rst set 7-6 against Ashlyn Gardner but rallied to take the 6-0, (10-5) victory at the fth spot, while junior Anastan Holley topped Ava Holloway in a similar fashion 6-3, 6-7, 10-5.

Holley’s twin sister Tabor breezed to a pair of 6-0 sets over Ella Bryant at the second spot, while seniors Kate Miller and Hailey Maready took care of their business at rst and second singles. Miller wore down Hannah Bullock with a 6-3 win and nished her o with a 6-0 sweep.

Mardeady cruised by Nadia Cooper 6-1, 6-2.

The Panthers hosted First Flight this week where a win would likely pit them against No. 1 Carrboro (20-1).

Defeat has been a rare outcome during the regular season as Miller went 12- 0, the Holley sisters and Rebecca Beach 11- 0, and Batchelor 9-2 during the regular season.

That included two-match sweeps over 5A Richlands, 4A schools Southwest Onslow and

fore leaping in and taking full responsibility of a program.

Sutton, meanwhile, has athletic genes as well, though he got into football because of an Avent.

His father, Chuck Sutton, was a three-time MVP in football, basketball and baseball at JK and played baseball at Barton College, according to longtime sportswriter Bill Rollins. He led Kenan to the East Region nals in 1990 under coach Billy Byrd, JK’s deepest run since winning its rst state title 30 years earlier.

Lee Sutton, didn’t have a football build, per se, but was talked into being John Thomas Avent’s backup at quarterback. Sutton’s other skill set made him a star in baseball and golf at JK.

“I got into football my freshman year,” said Sutton, who coaches the defensive backs and special teams and is the defensive coordinator of the junior varsity team, while being the head coach of the baseball team the past two seasons.

“After just wanting to be a backup QB, I wound up loving football and played tight end,” said Sutton, whose older brother Will (2002)

Clinton, and 3As Pender and WRH.

Entering this week, the Panthers have won 102 of their 105 matches. That’s a 97.14 winning percentage that is impossible to beat.

While the state team format does not have doubles matches, East Duplin put up dandy combinations during the regular season as the No.1 team of Miller and Anastan Holley and the No. 2 combo of Maready and Tabor Holley and the No. 3 unit of Batchelor and Beach were a combined 30-1.

Register said she has more than 30 players on the Panthers’ roster, and that unity and support were keys to ED’s success.

Under her guidance, ED went 12-0 last season and has carved out a 58-6 mark since 2021.

WRH beat McMichael in the opening round of the 3A tournament and is slated to face No. 1 Trinity (12-0).

Top Bulldogs this season include Sophia Sloan (9-3 at rst singles) and Savannah Smith (8-5 at second singles). Sloan and Smith are 11-1 at rst doubles.

also played three sports at JK.

His path also crossed with K3, who was a senior and Sutton a sophomore when they guided the JK golf team to a berth in the state championships. Sutton would qualify for the event two seasons later.

“I was blessed to coach in middle school and then with Will (Clark),” Grady said. “Lee brings such energy to the table, and he’s really helped our special teams. He’s the best scout team coach you could ask for.”

Fans who pay attention will see more stripes from the past helping JK’s grid team.

Former quarterback Andrew Pender (2022), a senior running track at UMO, coaches receivers and helps Sutton with the defensive backs, though his time is limited.

There’s also Juan “Wu” Hooper, an outside linebacker on JK’s title team in 2013; Danny Forshthe, a fullback from the 2022 squad; and Deveon Harris (2019), a wide receiver who played two seasons at Averett University (Danville, Virginia.).

“They played here, they live here, they care,” Grady said.

SOCCER ROUNDUP

Canales’ goals keep Panthers within striking distance of Dark Horses

Yoskar Canales scored three goals last week to pace ED to its third straight win

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE– Losing 6-0 to Clinton was devastating to East Duplin. But Yoskar Canales didn’t let that match get into his head.

The Panthers senior scored three times last week in two wins as ED beat South Lenoir and Southwest Onslow.

East Duplin is 6-1-1 in its last eight matches and will get a chance for revenge by playing Clinton this week on the Dark Horses’ pitch.

Canales and Brayan Mendez connected during a 2-0 conquest of the Blue Devils. Yobi Gomez added an assist as both goals were scored in the second half.

Canales struck twice against the Stallions, and fellow senior Richard Reyes picked up his third goal of the fall.

Canales’ 16 goals is tops among all Duplin Journal-area schools.

ED (11-6-2) has four league games left in its regular season.

The playo s start Nov. 3,

and as of this week, ED was the No. 13 RPI school in 4A.

Bulldogs continue winning streak reaches eight

Wallace-Rose Hill (10-4-1, 8-0) won for the eighth consecutive time last week after its 5-1 triumph over Princeton.

Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs dropkicked Goldsboro 5-0. The Bulldogs have given up just four goals during the streak, while scoring 34 against Swine Valley foes.

Wilmer Flores had a hat trick against the Cougars. Steve Acosta notched his seventh cage ringer of the fall and Felix Funes his 14th.

WRH is the No. 4 team in 3A in the NCHSAA’s RPI system.

Tigers exact revenge on Raiders

James Kenan’s 3-1 home loss to Midway on Sept. 22 bothered longtime head coach Mitchell Quinn.

The Tigers’ response last week made up for his angst. Devis Gomez scored twice and Ismael Covarrubias and Kebert David once when JK topped Midway 4-1.

JK (7-7-4, 4-4) controlled the match from beginning to end.

And giving back has helped reinforce the principles that have always made JK an elite small football school.

Besides Avent Sr., two 2025 JK HOF inductees played football for the Tigers — Marcelias Sutton (University of Oklahoma), who is not related to Lee Sutton’s family, and “Mac” McNeill.

Three additional sideline staples are coach Don Smith (2003), and Sammy Cates and Anthony Morrisey as support sta .

“Sammy and Anthony have never missed a practice or game,” Grady said. “And Don’s helped me at middle school and big-time as a rec coach.

Hill, Hall shine in win over Falcons

CJ Hill ran for two scores and Jeremiah Hall went over the 1,000-yard mark in the win over the Falcons, whose o ense consists of passing the ball after JK made their run game ine ective.

Hill also caught one of two touchdown passes from Eli Avent (2-5 for 68 yards). His score was from 56 yards out. Jamarien Graham

Richard Reyes and ED have gone 7-1-1 in their last nine matches.

hit pay dirt from 12 yards away.

Taulil Pearsall added a 4-yard score.

CBA was limited to 148 yards of total o ense. JK scored twice in each of the rst three quarters to slowly pull away from the 5A school.

Hall, who ran for 1,150 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, has raised the bar his senior season despite not getting the touches most backs get with other teams.

He’s needed just 79 carries to forge his way to 1,040 yards and 16 scores.

“This kid would have 2,000 if I’d let him nish a game,” Grady said. “But he knows we have long-term goals and knows we won’t play him when the game is in hand, especially since he plays bigger as a game progresses.”

The Tigers travel to Rosewood on Friday and nish o the regular season with a Halloween clash with Wallace-Rose Hill in Warsaw.

JK nipped WRH in OT in the third round of the playo s last season to break a 13-game skid against its archrival. The Tigers nished 12-2 after falling to Northeastern in Elizabeth City.

JK from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Rebels nab landmark win in opening round of 1A playo s

ND advances in 2A, while 3A WRH and 4A ED earned tops seeds and byes

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Playo wins have been rare for the volleyball Rebels in the past two decades.

So is hosting a postseason encounter.

So is having back-to-back winning seasons.

North Duplin accomplished the rst two last Saturday with a 3-0 lashing of Southside-Chocowinity in the opening round of the 2A playo s after securing the third via its second-place nish in the Carolina Conference’s regular season.

The Rebels, who enter the second-round play against No. 7 Research Triangle (19-4), enter it with a 17-6 mark, after going 12-9 last fall.

Earlier in the week, league champ East Columbus (19-1) took down the Rebels 3-0 by winning the opening set 25-22 and the next two 25-14.

The No. 10 Rebels led from opening serve to nal point in three sets against the No. 23 Eagles (5-16).

Melany Sanchez saved her best for the end as the senior ripped a career-high 10 kills.

Maggie Brown, Gracie Higginbotham and 12 unreturnable winners.

Lilly Fulghum sprung for 16 digs and 25 assists, while Marissa Bernal had 16 digs and four aces.

ND won the opening set at 25-15, with the Seahawks losing steam in the nal sets, both of which were 25-14 encounters.

Brown and stepsister Abby Norris combined for 17 kills in the setback to the Gators in the CC tourney nal.

Bernal hit the oor for 23 digs and Fulghum pushed her way to 20 assists.

Brown (eight kills), Bernal (22 digs, three aces) and Fulghum (13 assists, 11 digs) were key in the semi nal victory over Hobbton (15-6).

WRH-Midway IV: For spot in regional nal?

Midway beat Wallace-Rose Hill 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-14) in the Swine Valley Tournament nal.

Kadeyn Moron had 17 kills and Gracyn Hall 10 as Midway (15-6) won the rubber match of the series after the Bulldogs

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

broke the Raiders’ 52-match conference winning streak.

Angelina Cavallaro and Jansley Page were limited to 23 kills.

WRH (19-4) topped Princeton in three tight sets — 2520, 25-22, 25-21 — in the seminals behind 18 stingers from Page and 16 via Cavallaro, who was Ms. Volleyball in Duplin County the previous season.

Their classmate, Mattie Gavin, dished out 29 assists, while Kaylee Lovette leaped her way to ve blocks.

The Bulldogs and Raiders were Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively, in the 3A playo s as both earned rst-round byes.

And a fourth clash is entirely possible.

WRH will host No. 15 Eastern Randolph, with the winner taking on the survivor of No. 7 Louisburg and No. 10 North Carolina School of Math and Science.

Midway will surely run over No. 19 South Lenoir and then possibly meet No. 6 Trask.

Indeed, with two wins apiece, the Bulldogs and Raiders will play for the right to advance into the East Region final.

Ayden-Grifton (22-7) is the top seed, while No. 4 Farmville Central (19-3) looms in the top half of the bracket.

Posted By: FILE NUMBER: 25SP001052-300 Date Posted: ______________ Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by MYRTLE MILLER dated April 23, 2013 in the amount of $100,642.00 and recorded in Book 1748, Page 0670 of the Duplin County Public Registry by ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O cial Records of Duplin County, North Carolina, in Book 2083, Page 732, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Duplin County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on November 4, 2025 at 11:00am, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Duplin, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 0726102 ADDRESS: 137 GEORGE SUMNER RD BEULAVILLE, NC 28518 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): UNKNOWN HEIRS OF

ED’s 13th straight serves up 20-win campaign

East Duplin enters its second-round 4A playo match as one of the hottest and most-rested squads.

The Panthers won for the 13th straight time in its nal ECC game of the regular season by slicing apart South Lenoir 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-19).

Zoe Turner had six kills, two aces, eight digs and 10 assists.

Kinsey Cave added four kills, three aces, 10 digs and ve assists, while Liliana Houston and Sophia Jones each came up with three blocks.

Coach Susan Raynor’s squad took the No. 3 seed and hosts No. 19 North Johnston (12-10), which was fth in the Three Rivers Conference. It was the 20th win of the season for the Panthers, who were unbeaten in league play and gave ED nearly a week . No. 2 Uwharrie (23-4), No. 5 Nash Central (15-5) and No. 7 Central Davidson (17-6) are biggest obstacles in the way to the region nal where No. 1 Bunn (18-3) and No. 4 Randleman (20-0) or No. 5 North Lenoir (19-1) is expected to arrive.

The East Region semi nals are Saturday at the higher-seeded school.

MYRTLE MILLER THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF DUPLIN, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 1748, PAGE 0670, AS FOLLOWS: LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP, DUPLIN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT NO. 5 AS SHOWN ON A MAP ENTITLED “BOUNDARY SURVEY FOR: JOHNNY E. LANIER AND WIFE, JACQUELINE S. LANER”, WHICH MAP IS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 26 AT PAGE 279 OF THE DUPLIN COUNTY REGISTRY. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in

17 tackles and a sack. Shawn Davis had 15 and a pass breakup at middle linebacker. Monk made 10 takedowns, and Dewayne Davis and Ball had seven apiece.

Panthers-Pats: Classic matchup of iconic coaches

While Holley (155-62) is a modern coaching legend in the East, Pender head coach Tom Eanes has one of the hottest teams in the region. Pender is 8-0, which includes wins over Wallace-Rose Hill and Clinton.

Holley is the o ensive coordinator of the Wing-T.

Eanes is a guru of the Bone Flex o ense, and if he has any edge on the sideline, it’s because the 70-year-old is in his 47th season, though nine were as an assistant.

He passed the 200-win plateau with a win 34-14 triumph over West Bladen on opening night. He’s also lost 230 games, though he’s often gone to schools rebuilding their program.

He’s the king in Burgaw, where he’s had two stints as head coach.

Pender was 10-4 last fall and lost to Tarboro in the fourth round of the 1A playo s.

“We got our hands full against East Duplin and with coach Holley, and (with) the sta they have we’ll have to play well because they are so big and athletic,” Eanes said.

“They are a gritty bunch, and they always get kids to play tough, smashmouth football.”

Eanes’ o ense uses a fullback and two slot backs

NOTICES

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001388-300

The undersigned, TAMMY PARKER, having quali ed on the 1ST DAY of OCTOBER, 2025, as EXECUTOR of the Estate of EVELENE HATCHER CAVENAUGH, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16TH Day of JANUARY 2026, 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 16TH Day of OCTOBER 2025.

TAMMY PARKER, EXECUTOR 2927 S NC HWY 50 BEULAVILLE, NC 28518

Run dates:O16,23,30,N6p

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Dewayne Davis ran 56 yards for the winning score when ED beat Clinton 20 -13.

while forcing defenses to make decisions.

The Pats do that with quarterback Austin Deal (20-48 for 430 yards passing, 773 rushing yards, 6 TDs) and backs Jaheim Lambe (55-775, 9 TDs), Zyquan Murphy (96 -795, 10 TDs) and Zeke Williams (88-868, 9 TDs).

“Their DTs are big, running backs can all get after it, and the quarterback is shifty,” Holley said. “They can make big plays at any time.

“And they’re 8-0. We must play assignment football and tackle well. There’s no special sauce. We must get up on them and make plays.”

Eanes, every bit the hero at Pender that Holley is at ED after he won a 2A title in 2022, was 58-37 from 2004-10 and led the Pats to 1AA title in 2010. He returned in 2020 and has guided Pender to a 42-25 mark, giving Eanes’ a school-record 100-62 slate. But it’s more about the players he taught the game than wins. He’s had stays at ve mountain schools and spent three seasons at Ashley. The next closet Pender coach to Eans is Glenn Price, who went 30-40.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001159-300

The undersigned, HENRIETTA M. WILLIAMS having quali ed on the 2ND DAY of OCTOBER, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ANDREW WILLIAMS, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16TH Day of JANUARY 2026, 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 16TH Day of OCTOBER 2025.

HENRIETTA M. WILLIAMS 523 W. BONEY ST. WALLACE, NC 28466

Run dates:O16,23,30,N6p

any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser 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 its sole discretion, if it believes 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. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND’s Melany Sanchez attacks the net during a rst-round playo win over Central Nash.