Wayne Week — April 21, 2024

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A PR E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

Wayne

WEEK Local military advocates believe the 335th Fighter Squadron's successful defense of Israel against an Iranian aerial attack is an opportunity to change the fate of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. p.14

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

CONTENTS 4 Market mess APRIL 21, 2024 Volume 1, Issue 36

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EDITORIAL EDITOR Ken Fine EDITOR Renee Carey DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Stephanie Lack ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

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Street closure requests have sparked a debate about whether the events that require them are good or bad for downtown Goldsboro and the businesses located in the city's core.

8 Meeting divides Mount Olive

A local pastor says he was only trying to facilitate a discussion about affordable housing, but a group of Mount Olive residents believe the organization his church was planning to partner with would hurt the town.

14 Op-ed

After four bodies were found in Wayne County in four days, Goldsboro City Councilwoman Jamie Taylor reflected on the humans behind the headlines — and asked her neighbors to remember that no little boy or little girl dreams of becoming a homeless drug addict when they grow up.

16 Cover story

Members of the 335th Fighter Squadron helped thwart what President Joe Biden characterized as an "unprecedented aerial attack" by Iran on Israel April 13 and April 14. In light of the successful mission, local military advocates say Wayne County leaders should use the Chiefs' victory to show military brass and politicians that they were wrong to approve the changes that are set to come to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

20 The Spectator

Visit Goldsboro brought an American Junior Golf Association championship to Lane Tree Country Club this past weekend.

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BY SHAN STUMPF / ADOBE STOCK

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NEWS +VIEWS

Market mess

Street closure requests have sparked a debate about whether events that require them help or hurt downtown Goldsboro and the businesses that operate there.

S T O RY B Y R E N E E C A R E Y PHOTOS BY CASEY MOZINGO

A

s some downtown Goldsboro business owners continue to fume over two-hour parking restrictions implemented earlier this year, another drama involving the city’s core is coming to a head.

But this time, it is not only a battle between local residents and the members of the City Council and Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp.

At least, not entirely.

When it comes to street closures — an issue that came to the fore after a group requested one so they could hold a street market on Mulberry Street — council members found themselves on either side of the issue, too.

And during the board’s April 15 meeting,

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their respective passion and frustration were palpable.

On the one hand, city officials argue that street closures should be reserved for nonprofit organizations and official city events — that allowing for-profit ventures to shut down portions of downtown would set a dangerous precedent and, potentially, hurt brick-andmortar businesses that pay a great deal of money to operate in what has become one of Wayne County’s must-shop destinations.

In other words, if they approve one forprofit event, it would be difficult for them to justify saying no to another — which, some say, could lead to constant closures in what DGDC officials would like to be a bustling downtown.

But the organizers of the street market — and several of the businesses that say they made more money and saw more customers as a result of the event — argue that what they do brings people downtown who might otherwise not come, boosting exposure and revenue for those shops, restaurants, and boutiques that operate there.

The council’s issue?

There is not yet an updated policy that would allow board members to make consistent decisions.

So when, during the meeting, the council was charged with taking up street closure requests for the Center Street Jam concert series and a charity 5K, there was an understanding that making decisions on either or both would likely

re-energize street market organizers and vendors who believe they are being treated unfairly.

And judging by the live-streaming comments that appeared on the city’s Facebook page during the meeting, they were correct, as several people lampooned the board for its stance as it relates to closing a street for the market.

“I have attended many market events in other cities. To insinuate that it will hurt the brick and mortar businesses is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” one wrote. “If ANYTHING, it opens your eyes to ALL the businesses in the downtown area.”

Continued on page 6

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• • • While the debate that ensued as the council mulled over the request to shut down streets for Center Street Jam was not the first of its kind involving downtown since the new board was sworn in, Mayor Charles Gaylor, at times, had to caution council members against “getting personal” as tempers flared.

He also noted that while it was important to have an updated policy as a guide, support of Center Street Jam seemed logical, as it is a city-sponsored music series that has operated downtown for years and years of summers without incident.

“We are working on an updated policy on special events and how to do street closures,” he said, before acknowledging the reluctance of some council members to vote on any closure request before the actual policies are complete. “I cannot imagine any circumstance that would stop a community event like the Center Street Jam.” But Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Matthews said the issue was not about the appropriateness of the spring/summer music event, which she says she supports and volunteers for.

It is about consistency — and making decisions based on a set criteria and not “personal preference.”

“I support the street closures. I support all of them,” she said, adding that such events bring people downtown.

But Matthews said that some council members were making decisions and comments about those closures based on “a small narrow 6

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window,” which she said was not appropriate.

“We are using our own personal checklist,” she said.

Matthews said the council should stick to its decision not to approve any street closures until there is a clear policy in place — even for Center Street Jam. “Let’s just make good on our word,” she said.

But council member Chris Boyette said he would stand by his comments that no forprofit enterprise should be allowed to close city streets, adding that Center Street Jam would not fit that criteria.

“This is a city-sponsored event for the public good,” he said, adding that it was like a proposal made to mark Juneteenth and a 5K road run request.

Council member Roderick White then questioned whether the DGDC is actually a non-profit.

“I don’t see how it could be different if you are selling and collecting money,” he said.

And council member Beverly Weeks, who has suggested limiting city street closures, said that care has to be taken to respect the efforts and the investments of those who run businesses downtown.

“I am for street closures for city events,” she said. “But we have brick-and-mortar stores downtown that are investing and spending money, employing residents, and paying taxes

(and we have to respect that). When we close city streets, it does take away from their businesses.”

Matthews countered that the council should “follow the rules.”

“I don’t want to put myself above anyone else,” she said. “It shouldn’t come from a personal place. And it is becoming personal.

I would never put politics above the people.”

Council member Hiawatha Jones said that while she supports a carefully crafted policy for street closures, she sees a difference when it comes to Center Street Jam. You can just come and enjoy the music.

“You are coming there as a community,” she said. “You don’t have to buy anything. It is all about the community.”

Matthews bristled at the comparison, saying that the craft market was also a “time for fellowship,” and that no one had to buy anything to attend.

Jones countered that there is a difference when someone goes to a for-profit event — an expectation that a person is there to “shop.”

Gaylor acknowledged Matthews and White’s concerns, saying that even if the city does not close the streets, the Center Street Jam organizers “will still find a way to have the event.”

But he added that for safety’s sake, the closure is necessary.

“That many people crammed into the Hub with traffic going by, that is a recipe for

disaster,” Gaylor said.

Boyette added that contracts likely have already been signed for the first concert, and that since this is an event that has taken place for years, plans were in the works long ago.

But White raised questions about DGDC and its non-profit status and whether Center Street Jam is really a non-profit event — to which city officials responded, explaining that the organization is a public-private partnership that works to create thriving downtown development, utilizing non-profit status and its private arm as necessary to best further those goals.

Ultimately, the council approved moving forward with street closures for the upcoming Center Street Jam with Matthews and White dissenting.

But it launched into a second debate when it took up a subsequent request for a 5K run on May 18 to benefit the research and fight against 5P, a rare disease that affects children.

The request would close portions of Center Street and several other city streets from 7 to 11:30 a.m. on May 18.

Gaylor said his concern with this request was that it would impact too many businesses downtown and asked council to table the decision until its May 6 meeting.

Weeks said her concern centered around the number of businesses downtown that serve breakfast and that are already being impacted

by the city’s new parking restrictions.

That set Matthews off.

“We keep changing the rules in the middle of the game,” she said, adding that decisions about closures should be made with “facts” and not “feelings.”

Matthews said that if the Center Street Jam closures were approved, the 5K request should be approved as well, saying that members of the public should not be “punished” because businesses chose to locate downtown.

But Weeks fired back, emphasizing again that the city is trying to encourage business investment downtown, and recognizing the effects such decisions have on those businesses is important.

She said events should be evaluated for impact on the downtown businesses as well as potential participation numbers.

“It has to be on a ‘per’ basis,” she said.

And after a sustained back and forth among council members, including a sharp comment from Matthews challenging other council members “to address me directly,” a proposal was made to table the 5K request until a formal policy was in place, with the option to call a special meeting to discuss the matter should the policy be available before May 6.

Judging by what unfolded April 15, the debate is likely merely tabled — and not over — as well.n

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS Want to sound off on the issues we’re covering?

Send your thoughts to letters@newoldnorth. com and we just might publish them in a future edition of Wayne Week. Word count is not overly important, but please identify yourself by name and the city or town you reside in.

newoldnorth.com

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Mount Olive church faces backlash

A local pastor wanted to host a discussion about affordable housing. A group of skeptical neighbors spoke out — and shut the meeting down.

BY KEN FINE

I

t was supposed to be a conversation about affordable housing — about what a local pastor sees as the “very real” needs facing a community he has been serving for more than 20 years.

But when a group of Mount Olive citizens began scrutinizing the man listed as the facilitator of the event, the backlash was swift.

So, Dr. Dennis Atwood, the pastor at First Baptist Church of Mount Olive who organized the gathering, cancelled what he characterized as “an exploratory meeting” he hoped would give “local residents, community activists, landlords, town officials, church leaders and concerned citizens” an opportunity to “be a part of the solution.”

And he was left “very disappointed” and “very shocked” that what he believed was an answer to a calling to do right by his town was “taken way out of context before we even had the chance to open our mouths.”

It started with a flyer that was photographed and posted on Facebook.

Under a header that read “AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MOUNT OLIVE” was a date, time, and location — Saturday, April 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church’s Christian Life Center.

But what drew the ire of a group of “concerned citizens” was the identity of the discussion facilitator, Together for Hope Executive Director Dr. Jason Coker — a man they believe, based on some of his published writings they began circulating online, embraced “illegal immigration” and promoted “white guilt.”

So, a new flyer was published on social media and distributed across the Mount Olive community — one that encouraged the public to “show up” to the meeting to “protect Mount Olive.”

The pamphlet also claimed that one of Coker’s organization’s partners, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship NC, had identified 100 abandoned homes in the town “with the intent to create multiple Welcome Homes.” According to its website, Welcome Homes are “temporary reception housing ministry for refugees and immigrants who do not have a place to live upon arrival to the United States.”

From there, things got political.

Opponents claimed the affordable housing discussion was a smokescreen — a way to flood the town with undocumented Continued on page 10 8

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A group of Mount Olive residents say they believe the "Welcome House" model is a "Trojan horse" that would lead to an influx of "illegal immigrants" calling the town home. But Dr. Dennis Atwood, the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Mount Olive, said the discussion he was promoting was a chance to better serve the hundreds of Haitian refugees already living in the southern end of Wayne County — people, he said, who are currently living in inadequate housing.

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Continued from page 8

immigrants under the guise of a genuine desire to “do good.”

But Atwood says the meeting was simply a “first step” — a chance for his community to weigh in on an issue that exists but people all too often ignore.

“The meeting that we were going to have, it was simply an exploratory meeting. It was not even a meeting to say, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ It was a meeting to say, ‘Let’s get together and talk,’” Atwood said. “There’s nothing political. There’s no conspiracy theories.

There’s nothing underhanded. Nobody is paying me to do this. This is something that I’m doing because I feel like it’s a call.”

And starting a discussion about housing needs in Mount Olive, he added, is critical.

“The fact is, these people are already here.

Nobody needs to bring them in. We probably have 1,000 Haitians in Mount Olive right now,” Atwood said. “But the question is, what are we going to do to help them have a decent, affordable place to live?”

So, if transforming abandoned houses into affordable places people would be proud to call home is a potential answer, why not explore it, he thought.

“Our church is located right on the edge on the south part of town which is where these 80 houses exist. For me, it’s like, I can’t not do

The fact is, these people are already here. We probably have 1,000 Haitians in Mount Olive right now. But the question is, what are we going to do to help them have a decent, affordable place to live?

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something to try to alleviate poverty and the issues that are right across the tracks from our church,” Atwood said. “It would alleviate some big problems that we’ve got that nobody wants to talk about. So, that was my intent behind getting the group together to simply explore the possibilities — to pool our resources and our creativity to try to solve some problems.”

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne Executive Director Matthew Whittle said the pastor’s logic is sound.

A lack of affordable housing is a crisis across Wayne County, including in its southern end, he said.

“Now is the time to be thinking about some solutions,” he said, adding that should Mount Olive’s sewer moratorium be lifted in the coming years, local organizations need to be ready “to get to work” the minute they are able to add residential units to their community.

And despite the fact that what he characterized as a flyer filled with “untruths” and a petition decrying his mission prompted him to cancel the April 13 discussion, Atwood said he won’t stop fighting for what he believes is right.

“It’s way over the line of misrepresenting the facts and there are just so many untruths about the whole thing. Nobody has talked to me personally. Nobody from this group has come and asked me a question about the truth,

the facts. They are just going out and saying whatever they are going to say to fit the narrative they’re after. And that’s really, really sad. It’s a sad commentary,” he said. “And I hear they have a petition out of some sort to try to block any efforts to bring affordable housing to Mount Olive and that, to me, just sounds ludicrous. So, I think as long as we’re doing what we’re called to do and we’re doing it with integrity, I think the truth comes out in the end. That’s what I’m hopeful for.”

But a member of the group of concerned citizens, who requested anonymity because of passions on both sides of the issue, said they will not stand by “while a racist activist from another state tries to plant his seeds of hatred in our town.”

“None of us are against people having an affordable place to live, but this Welcome House model looks like a Trojan horse to us,” they said. “What we are against is an activist organization that is on the record marching and fighting against existing immigration policies to reward people who break the law by placing them in these shelters in places like Mount Olive because they think nobody is gonna notice. Well, we see them for what they are and if this Coker guy is involved, you better believe it’s wrong for Mount Olive. If you don’t believe me, just Google the guy and read the stuff he’s been writing for the last 10 years.” n

Let the games begin...

W ★

★

e started Best of the Boot during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to give local business something to get excited about as they navigated an unprecedented struggle.

We had no idea that the contest would explode — that within a few years, more than 10,000 local residents would weigh in on everything from the best place to get a burger to their favorite teacher.

And this year, as hard as it is to imagine, we anticipate even more participation.

The nomination window — your chance to ensure your favorites make the ballot — will be opened in the coming weeks. Then, it will be time to vote.

To ensure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to get involved, follow New Old North on Facebook and Instagram.

And don’t worry. Those of you who aren’t exactly computer savvy will have a chance to clip a nomination form — and a ballot — out of future editions of Wayne Week so you can send them our way.

But as you do, we hope you will remember that Best of the Boot is not really about who wins or gets a coveted “Finalist” sticker to press onto their storefront.

It is an opportunity for all of us to remember just how lucky we are to live in this little slice of Eastern North Carolina — and to honor the men and women who represent the backbone of this community.

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{our TAKE }

“F

ourth but first.”

The slogan says it all.

For the rest of the country, it might not have the same impact. But here in Wayne County, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it is a sign of excellence.

And we have witnessed over the years a number of times when successful defense of the U.S. and its allies has been led by one of the fighter squadrons that have made their homes here for decades.

And it happened again this week.

It was the 335th Fighter Squadron, the Chiefs, who answered the call when Iran’s drones and missiles were headed for Israel.

It was those pilots who call Seymour Johnson home who did what they swore they would do when called — ignore the potential danger, leave their families, and get the job done.

And it was the chief of that squadron and the men and women who serve under him who received the call from the President of the United States thanking them for the extraordinary performance — more than 99 percent of the drones intercepted.

Because of those pilots and the maintainers and others who work to support them, we did not read this week about thousands of innocents killed or watch an escalation into a dangerous confrontation with a potential nuclear enemy.

It is a story we here in Wayne County are used to hearing.

Our fighter squadrons are in the mix and on call when the most important jobs are on the line.

And that says something — about the F-15E, and about the men and women who get them ready for battle and who fly them when duty calls.

And it is why this community should be out in force — a united front — letting those in Washington who have decided to sideline the 335th, making it a training squadron, know that perhaps there should be another option, another plan.

This is a compelling story about warfare and the difference between entries on a spreadsheet and the reality of what happens when you need the best and whom you call when the chips are down.

There are many local leaders talking about what is the best way to position the Wayne County community for keeping SJAFB a vital part of the defense community and making sure that it has a significant future in the Air Force’s next step.

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IF WE PLAY OUR CARDS RIGHT ...

ILLUSTRATION BY SHAN STUMPF / ADOBE STOCK

They know we have what really matters — a community that has supported and welcomed the airmen and women who serve their country, who have rallied around them when the news was good and when there were losses.

Our hearts broke and our arms opened.

It is what we do.

But loving and respecting the veterans and the active-duty personnel and their families is not enough. Not anymore.

We have to fight, too.

And that means that there can be no more feckless advocates (paid or volunteers)

who are interested only in what their MAC membership can do for their social status or in collecting the check from city and county leaders for lobbying that sure seemed to be uninformed at best and incompetent at worst.

We cannot simply throw money at the issue anymore and wait to see what happens.

Supporting the air show is not enough.

Not if we want to be successful in forging a future for SJAFB. There have been enough excuses. There have been enough distractions.

So, here it is: Fair warning.

There is not a single public entity in this community that should be fooling around with minutia.

No more wasted arguments in the City Council chambers, the commissioners’ board room or at school board meetings.

If we are serious about next steps, then when those distractions hit, someone needs to have the guts to shut them down.

We don’t need anymore embarrassing selfinterest “mistakes” or leaders who don’t seem to get what is important.

This community’s future is on the line.

Thank goodness there are some people who get it and have already mobilized to stop waiting for someone else to protect this county.

They are getting ready for a real push and a call to action to put pressure on Washington and the leadership there.

It will take loud voices. It will take smart and direct conversations.

And it will be buoyed if all of us are fighting along with them.

Sure, we could write a few “tra-la-la” editorials and columns about how unfair all this is and ignore the real issues facing this community.

Writing “sunshine and rainbow stories” and explaining away a lack of serious reporting on the challenges this county faces is a lot less stressful. But it is not journalism, and it is not responsible.

And, by the way, it is absolutely not what a true community paper does when its county is facing challenges and when there are people who are in public service who are not being truthful, responsible, or accountable.

We are the watchdog that is charged with keeping its eye on power, not a reflecting surface that reprints press releases and doesn’t even bother to ask questions.

Holding the leaders in this community responsible and calling out the places where what we are doing as a community is not working, that is how real change happens.

And, as many of you have noted, things are changing here — because we, and you, have demanded that they do.

So, we will let others pretend there is nothing to work on here. And we will continue to fight — along with you — to make this community the place we know it can be.

Their way of “just the good news” is how we got here. Power that is not held accountable is power that turns into self-interest.

There has been too much of that here for too long. And it started when no one

was watching.

So, we are going to do what the heroes of the 335th did this past week.

We are going to answer the call.

We don’t know what will happen with the future of SJAFB. But we know that the Chiefs gave us a stark reminder of how important the F-15E has been in the protection of our country and of freedom across the globe. And if they can execute their mission with this level of valor, so can we.

We are not going to allow this county to sit back and wait for the next shoe to fall. We are going to be watching. And we are happy to say that there are many very important people in this community — leaders of the past, present and future, who are ready to fight, too.

N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell is riding point, and so, too, are many of his colleagues locally and in the statehouse.

If we want to get this done, we have to make some noise.

And there are others, too. Doug McGrath and his N.C. Freedom Fest volunteers are active, in touch with the military, and ready to do whatever it takes to support the base and its mission. And they are not alone. There are other community efforts that are directly focused on preserving and growing the relationship between SJAFB, Air Combat Command, Washington, Wayne County, and North Carolina.

They are ready to go, too.

And, yes, you can help. Support Bell and others who are getting ready for battle.

Continue to demand that your city and your county address the real issues without getting mired in petty arguments and grandstanding. Shut down the gadflies and ignore their petty distractions.

Make sure your mayor and your county leaders know you expect them to stand up.

Hold your schools to a higher standard and support reform and the hard decisions that will allow them to get back on track.

And be ready to write, to call, to do whatever it takes to preserve the future of Wayne County for your children and your grandchildren.

It matters. Your voice matters.

And get your neighbors involved.

This is no time to sit back and not know what is going on — what challenges and opportunities we face.

Wayne Week and New Old North will continue to be the place where you can find the truth, the facts, and what is in the works to make this community better.

Join us. And if you are already part of our posse, encourage others to join, too.

Remember, the bigger our coalition, the more change we can demand.

We can do this.

It is our mission.

No more time to waste.

Not one more minute. n

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{Guest Editorial }

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REACH THE BROKEN. EXPOSE THE DARKNESS.

to the train tracks on Royall Avenue worried that it may not hold up when the train came through the area. He was emailing every official train person that he could think of in NC trying to get their attention before an accident happened. I do not know much about train tracks and structural damage but if there is any truth to what he saw, I hope it came across the desk of someone that can do something about s many of you know, I work as a bail it. He had been going for walks along the river, bondswoman, and in my line of work, clearing debris to aid water flow. He would I encounter a range of individuals message me and tell me about it and how much — some unscrupulous, some guilty, some better it was for nature. He was very concerned innocent, and some struggling with their own with those types of things, all while grappling with his own battles, mostly in mental battles. Among them solitude. We may never know was Richard Scott Lane, the the exact circumstances of his man tragically found deceased passing, but I sincerely hope it in the woods yesterday. was peaceful, and not painful.

Most of us have likely heard He will be remembered. about this incident by now. Today, In my years of meeting I came across an article detailing diverse individuals, I’ve learned his extensive criminal history, his that despite our differences, time spent behind bars, painting we’re all human. We never truly a picture of him as a deeply understand another’s struggles flawed individual meeting an or what drives their actions. untimely demise. I am in no way So, the next time you hear of taking up for his crimes because Jamie Taylor an overdose or a homeless if he did it then by all means let person’s passing, say a prayer justice be served, but what struck me, however, is what the article didn’t convey: — for them and their loved ones. While they’re Richard Scott Lane, or “Scottie” as many knew gone, their absence leaves a void of pain for him, was someone’s son, someone’s friend, and those left behind.

My thoughts are with Scottie’s mother, beneath the rough exterior, he was a human being who passed away alone in the wilderness, hoping she finds solace amidst this tragedy.

UAnot L forget that no child aspires to and that is undeniably tragic. 1 0 T H A N NLet’s Mental illness and drug addiction are harsh addiction or mental illness. No one looks up realities, leading individuals to make regrettable at the sky when they are little and dreams choices. Scottie, for all his complexities, had his of a life of crime, drug addiction, mental 5 K & 1 M I L E F U N WA L K moments of kindness and skill. He possessed a illness, and bad choices. I pray that my own children and fearless spirit, often seenSATURDAY, climbing roofs like a MAY 11grandchildren and generations come grow upBEGINS to lead fulfilling lives, but if monkey, ready to fixREGISTRATION a leak or put a shingle or| 8 to 7 AM AM RACE two back on where the wind had blown it off. A they face hardships, I pledge to support them WALNUT CREEK HALL unconditionally.

I will do whatever is in my little weird at times yet always ensuring the job TOWN to helpFUN them and see them through and was done well at a fair price. I never| PRIZES hesitated | power AWARDS FAMILY thankful that I can do that. to call on him ifFor I needed something repairedplease as I will more information, callbe919-920-5189 There are so many people that are out I knew he would get it done. Recently, he faced tough times, evident when he expressed shock here, that do not have that in their lives and upon finding “tent city” deserted, his friends no to me that is a tragedy in itself. Rest in peace longer there, as he had just been released from to Richard Scott Lane and to all of my friends the hospital, and had been there not knowing all that have suffered from addiction and mental illness and have gone on to meet their maker that was going on. SCAN TO REGISTER

by April 30 & raise over $100 to receive a FREE before they had atshirt! chance to live the life they Despite his struggles, Scottie showed concern for his surroundings. Recently he had dreamed of when they were little.n been emailing me about damage that he saw - Jamie Taylor

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Defense of Israel presents

“OPPORTUNITY”

N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell says 335th Fighter Squadron just proved to the world why changes slated for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base are a mistake.

BY KEN FINE 16

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

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s the middle of the night on April 13 was turning over to the following morning, the sound of air raid alerts and explosions jolted many Israelis from their beds.

Within seconds, they were hit both with messaging urging them to seek immediate shelter and the reality that for the first time in history, Iran had launched an attack on their country.

What they did not know was that American aircrews were, in those very moments, helping to ensure what President Joe Biden characterized as an “unprecedented aerial attack” would ultimately fail — that members of the 4th Fighter Wing’s 335th Fighter Squadron and other F-15E aviators were waging an assault on some 80 unmanned aerial vehicles and at least six ballistic missiles, weapons launched, according to the Department of Defense, from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

And while their exact location and mission remains guarded to ensure operational security, officials in Washington made it clear that for the next several months, the 335th would be ready to ensure any potential future attack would be thwarted by men and women the president referred to as “the best in the whole damn world.”

As is custom when airmen are sent downrange, the 4th Fighter Wing has remained tight-lipped about how many airmen and Strike Eagles are currently deployed and the nature of the mission they have been charged with executing.

And in the April 14 edition of Wayne Week, that sentiment was echoed by those, like N.C. Freedom Fest founder Doug McGrath, who say they are committed to ensuring the families of the deployed are supported by the community while their loved ones are in harm’s way.

But when the commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces publicly acknowledged the 335th’s role in defending Israel over the weekend, some saw it as an opening to celebrate Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — and to fight for its future, as the community continues to navigate the fallout of a recently-announced decision to shift the 4th Fighter Wing’s mission, stand down one of its F-15E squadrons, and transition the 335th from an operational fighter squadron to a formal training unit in 2025.

A

n American flag propped up behind his right shoulder, Biden leans down to speak into a phone speaker.

On the other end of the call are members of the 335th and 494th, an F-15E squadron housed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.

“Hey, you guys are the best in the whole damn world, man. The whole world,” the president said. “That’s not hyperbole. Both of these squadrons, you’re incredible.”

He told them they had made “an enormous difference” for one of the U.S.’s key allies — that they had potentially saved “a lot of lives.”

He championed their “enormous skills” and said he was in awe of their “remarkable” execution of the mission.

And he asked them to “keep it going,” as tensions in the Middle East remain.

“Let me tell you, you make me proud, and I’m not just saying that,” Biden said. “I swear to God. You’re incredible.”

A video of the call, which was posted to the president’s official X account, has been viewed nearly 2 million times since Sunday.

One of the people who watched it was N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell.

“I think it’s time to remind the folks in Washington just who the president was talking to and the pressure their base and its community have just been put under,” he said.

I

n February, then-4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Lucas Teel confirmed that future F-15E cuts included in the National Defense Authorization Act that was approved by Congress and signed into law by Biden would impact Seymour Johnson — that the 333rd “Lancers” would be deactivated; that the base would lose some of its Strike Eagles; that the 335th would become a training squadron in 2025.

“The recently approved divestment of some F-15E aircraft will result in the restructuring of our fighter assets,” Teel said then in a statement provided to Wayne Week. “The Air Force is evolving and changing the way we do our war fighting business, and the 4FW looks forward to playing our part in that process.”

The announcement marked the culmination of a series of events that began in the summer of 2023, when Air Force brass recommended that the USAF be authorized to cut its F-15E fleet by more than 100 aircraft, leaving just 99 Strike Eagles in an inventory that currently boasts 218.

Local business owners, elected officials,

and residents started to worry about the potential impact such a move could inflict on Wayne and surrounding counties.

And North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd saw the writing on the wall — understanding that the divestment could spell disaster for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, one of the most significant military installations in his state — and attempted to derail the move, by inserting language into the Senate version of the NDAA that stipulated “none of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for any of fiscal years 2024 through 2029 may be obligated or expended to divest any F-15E aircraft.”

Ultimately, his efforts fell short, and the final version of the DOD spending plan approved by Congress and signed into law

by Biden allowed for 68 of the dual-role

A screen capture from a video President Joe Biden posted to his official X account of his phone call to members of the 335th and 494th Fighter Squadrons. fighters — more than 31 percent of the Air Force’s active fleet — to meet the chopping block by the end of 2029.

The move was telegraphed July 11, 2023, by then-Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown Jr. when, during a two-hour testimony he delivered before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the general talked about “modernization efforts” outlined in the DOD’s “Report on Force Structure Changes for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Budget” — and outlined his desire to retire Strike Eagles while adding additional F-35 Lightning IIs and F-15EXs to the Air Force’s fleet.

His belief, according to his testimony, is that backfilling the fleet with more than 100 F-15EXs, a two-seat fighter with a stronger airframe and a 28-percent larger payload capability, was the most

prudent path forward.

But local military advocates remained confident that Seymour Johnson would come out unscathed.

Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base President Henry Smith even put out a press release in early January, stating that while the group was “disappointed that a full prohibition on F-15E reductions was adopted,” he felt confident “no rash decisions are made regarding one of the backbone fighters of our combat air forces.”

He was wrong.

And when the news broke about changes coming to SJAFB and its Strike Eagle fleet in Wayne Week a month later, local leaders were “shocked.”

“I heard the news just like everyone else and I was surprised. It’s clear, in my opinion, that somebody was asleep at the wheel. That’s what I assumed happened,” Bell said. “So, I want to go through and find out what, when, how, and why. That way, I’ll know how to use the resources — the contacts I have in Washington — to see if we can stop this from happening. And if we can’t stop this from happening, can we go on offense to pick up more missions to support Seymour Johnson? We can never fall asleep on protecting our base.”

Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor agreed.

“We’re going to have to reassess who some of those downstream relationships are with. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “We can’t be caught off guard on something this big. We knew the overall math (as it relates to future F-15E divestments). That has been out there. But the timing of when the tails are actually going to be leaving our base … that is stuff that we should have known. And we’re spending a fair amount of money to make sure we do know. So yeah, those are things we have to be pretty blunt about.”

One of those relationships — one that cost Goldsboro and Wayne County tens of thousands of dollars a year — was with the Roosevelt Group which, according to its website, provides “legislative drafting, federal advocacy, and campaign and issues management to help our clients achieve their goals while providing continual awareness of issues that matter most to their success.”

But Gaylor said the consultants didn’t know about the changes coming to Seymour Johnson until the Wayne Week story published either — and that he was “not happy” about it.

“Their response was, ‘I haven’t heard that yet. Let me follow up,’” the mayor said. “So yeah, that is incredibly frustrating when you are putting your Continued on page 18 newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 17

Continued from page 17

A P-51 Mustang flown by the 4th Fighter Group during WWII An F-86 Sabre jet bomber flies over Korea

335th FIGHTER SQUADRON TIMELINE 1941 The Royal Air Force 121 Squadron is formed as the second of three “Eagle Squadrons.” The “Chief’s Head” insignia used by the modern-day 335th is born.

1942 The Eagle Squadrons are turned over to the U.S. Army Air Forces and become the 4th Fighter Group.

1942-1945 The 335th destroys 262 enemy aircraft, 165 in the air and 97 on the ground.

1945 After the end of World War II, the 335th is deactivated.

1946 The 335th is reactivated and flies the P-80 Shooting Star.

assets in place to be able to get information that you need in order to be able to plan and support your community, and those assets are not able to deliver. I don’t know the reasons why they were not.”

The city has since moved on from the Roosevelt Group and has signed a contract with Crossroads Strategies, LLC. And Bell said that group — and every single SJAFB advocate — should capitalize on the

But he didn’t stop there.

Combatant commanders downrange did not call for F-22s or F-35s, Bell said.

“They sent F-15Es. It’s the one aircraft that does missiles, guns, bombs — it does the whole array — and it’s undefeated in battle,” he said. “So, that’s a story we should be telling.

And it’s not only what they did the other night.

It’s what we will be doing. Any other threat to Israel, our guys are gonna be right there. I couldn’t be any prouder.”

“I’m deeply concerned about what a growing fighter capacity gap could mean for a fight in the Indo-Pacific. But also,

1949 The 335th receives the F-86 Sabre.

as was made clear over the weekend,

1950 The 335th is deployed and joins the Korean War,

our fighter aircraft are also playing

where the squadron records 218.5 kills.

1957 The 335th returns from the Far East and moves to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

1959 The 335th is the first Air Force squadron to receive the F-105 Thunderchief.

1967 The 335th receives the F-4 Phantom.

major roles in other regions, like U.S. Central Command, every day.”

1990 The 335th receives the F-15E Strike Eagle.

1990 The 335th deploys to Saudi Arabia. One month later, the squadron participates in the initial assault on Iraq.

1991 A 335th aircrew makes history, recording the first air-to-air “kill” from the

N.C. SEN. TED BUDD DURING AN APRIL 16 SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING ON HIS CONCERNS ABOUT PLANNED F-15E DIVESTMENTS IN LIGHT OF THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MISSION

cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle.

2000s The 335th deploys to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

February 2024 The 4th Fighter Wing confirms that the 335th will transition to a Formal Training Unit in 2025.

April 13-14 2024 The 335th and 494th Fighter Squadrons engage and destroy

more than 80 one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles and at least six ballistic missiles fired at Israel by Iran and Houthi-controlled Yemen.

An F-15E Strike Eagle uses its flares during training.

Members of the 335th Fighter Squadron blow up oil wells during the Gulf War. 18

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

recent success of the 335th to urge officials in Washington to reconsider its plan for the Goldsboro installation.

“The comments are very simple. Our fighter squadron, the 335th from Seymour Johnson, is the one that put on an epic display of defending freedom, not just for Americans, but also shooting down missiles that were attacking our closest ally, Israel. There is no more important fighter squadron in this country that can put on that kind of display of force than the 335th,” he said. “And it’s sad that folks in the Air Force want to (change the mission) of its wing and move the 335th into a training status. When you have the premier aircraft and the premier personnel that showed exactly what American airpower is all about, you celebrate it. That F-15E is the main defense, not only of our freedom, but our allies.”

And he could not be more resolute in his pursuit of a congressional coalition that will fight to protect the airframe and the base that houses it.

“I’m proud that Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — the men and women who live in our communities, go to our schools, frequent our businesses, and are people I personally call friends, were on the front lines of defending Israel and defending freedom in this world,” Bell said. “So, this, not only is it a huge opportunity to show the importance of keeping this fighter wing intact, but let’s grow it. Because the story that I’m going to tell — the story everybody working for Seymour Johnson’s future right now should be telling — is that when our men and women are called into action, they get the job done and more importantly, they lead the way.”n

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the SPECTATOR Fore!

Visit Goldsboro brought an American Junior Golf Association championship — and the tourism dollars that came with those competitors and their families staying in local hotels, shopping in local boutiques, and eating in local restaurants — to Lane Tree Country Club this past weekend.

Photos by Ken Fine

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