Wayne Week — Oct. 6, 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

O C T OBE R 6, 2 024

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Wayne

WEEK

CASE DISMISSED Former City Councilman Antonio Williams filed a lawsuit against Goldsboro and a former city department head two years ago.

Monday, a federal judge threw it out.

BY K E N F I N E and RENEE CAREY p. 1 2

E D I TO R I A L p. 8

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CONTENTS OCTOBER 6, 2024 Volume 2, Issue 7

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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 McKayla Alves ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS EDITORS

kfine@newoldnorth.com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES hevans@newoldnorth.com llanders@newoldnorth.com malves@newoldnorth.com

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4 U.S. military tours extended

The Pentagon, through a spokesperson, said Sept. 30 that military personnel currently deployed to the Middle East would have their tours extended, as tensions in the region reach a fever pitch.

6 Former Tent City path cleared

City officials said that one of the property owners in the area that, less than a year ago, housed a sprawling homeless encampment, paid more than $50,000 to ensure what was once an entrance to Tent City has been cleaned up.

8 Our take

What can only be described as an embarrassing lawsuit filed by a former Goldsboro City Councilman — and current Wayne County commissioner — should, in our view, inspire the local electorate to find a more serious representative.

9 A time to heal

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene is an opportunity for Wayne County — and North Carolina — residents to show the nation, once again, the values we were raised on.

12 Cover story

More than two years after former Goldsboro City Councilman Antonio Williams filed a lawsuit against the city and one of its department heads, a federal judge tossed the grievance.

20 A fair to remember © 2024 NEW OLD NORTH MEDIA LLC All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission.

WAYNE WEEK (ISSN 2993-9666) is published weekly for $125 per year by New Old North Media, LLC, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC, 27530.

Periodicals postage pending at Goldsboro, NC, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAYNE WEEK, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

Sure, there was a little bit of rain, but the 75th edition of the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair still brought with it the same family fun that has warmed Wayne County for generations.

COVER DESIGN

BY SHAN STUMPF

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NEWS +VIEWS

U.S. military forces will remain in Middle East

Pentagon officials say units that are already deployed to the region will have their tours “extended.”

BY KEN FINE

“blindsided” by the Wayne Week story it was published in, the divestment has been “paused” by Air Force brass — and both the Senate and House of Representatives have included language in their yet-to-be-passed 2025 versions of the NDAA that would protect SJAFB’s fleet for the next five years.

Sen. Ted Budd, who helped secure the provision he says, “fully prohibits the Air Force from divesting F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base through 2029,” used the Chiefs’ participation in the successful defense of Israel, in part, to make the case for protecting the jets the squadron is currently flying overseas.

“F-15Es are incredibly capable aircraft that are unmatched in the fleet,” Budd said.

“I am thrilled that my colleagues agreed with me that divesting these aircraft was a misguided decision by the Air Force.”

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A 4th Fighter Wing weapon systems officer climbs down from an F-15E after landing at an undisclosed location in April.

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ack in April, they were called on to disrupt an unprecedented Iranian aerial assault on Israel — and helped knock some 80 unmanned aerial vehicles and six ballistic missiles out of the sky.

Tuesday, they were among the U.S. military assets currently deployed when another attack was launched against the American ally.

And Monday, military brass in Washington suggested that because of rising tensions in the Middle East, it is conceivable that members of the 4th Fighter Wing’s 335th Fighter Squadron will remain away from home for the foreseeable future.

The Pentagon, through Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, confirmed Sept. 30 that “units already deployed to the Middle East region” would have their deployments “extended” — that a “few thousand” more service members who had been expected to replace those currently serving overseas would, instead, “augment the 4

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in-place forces already in the region.”

Those forces include F-16, A-10, F-22, and F-15E aircraft and “associated personnel,” Singh added.

So, while it remains unclear just when the Chiefs will return to Goldsboro — the 4th Fighter Wing, through its Public Affairs team, reinforced that it does not comment on “details about troop movements” to maintain “operational security” — the Pentagon has made it clear that the U.S. military will expand its footprint in the region now that President Joe Biden has, for the second time this year, ordered the forces under his command to “aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles that are targeting Israel.”

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News of the potential for an extended 335th deployment comes less than eight months af-

COURTESY OF U.S AIR FORCE

ter 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 Air Force Base.

The 333rd “Lancers” would be deactivated.

The base would lose some of its Strike Eagles.

And 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.”

But since the colonel provided that statement and local leaders were admittedly

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Whether or not Seymour Johnson’s fleet is, in fact, spared by the 2025 NDAA will not be known until the House and Senate reach an agreement on the spending plan and it is signed by whomever is elected the nation’s 47th President.

And it is worth noting that Budd successfully had language inserted into the 2024 version that would have protected F-15Es — only to have the final plan, which allowed for a Strike Eagle divestment, passed by Congress and signed by Biden.

But the future of the 4th Fighter Wing and its fleet is not, given recent escalations in the Middle East, what is at the forefront of N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell’s mind.

At least not today.

“We can, and should, remain proud of the fact that when our allies need us, it’s the F-15E crews stationed right here at Seymour Johnson that get the call. And that message is one we need to keep driving home in Washington to ensure we do everything in our power to protect the 4th Fighter Wing and the Strike Eagles they take down range,” Bell said. “But right now, today, we need to pray for our folks who are over there and do what we’ve always done — wrap our arms around their families. And once every single one of those heroes touches down back in Goldsboro, we need to thank them for their service by continuing to fight for their unmatched fighter wing’s future.” n

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Tent City site cleanup has begun One of the owners of property that once housed a sprawling homeless encampment spent more than $50,000 to clear the former “entrance” of what was, a few months ago, Goldsboro’s Tent City.

BY KEN FINE

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ust a few months ago, the “entrance” to the now-shuttered homeless encampment located beyond the tree line off Royall Avenue was littered with debris — rotting planks of wood, broken suitcases, shopping carts filled with various items, piles of tattered clothing, used needles, and boxes of Narcan.

Members of the Goldsboro Police Department — with the blessing of city leaders — had successfully cleared out Tent City.

But the “eyesore” that remained left many local residents concerned that it would “invite” more squatters to the property and repel potential homebuyers and investors.

Police Chief Mike West shared their concerns — acknowledging earlier this year that something needed to be done to deter “folks from coming back to Tent City” in between the morning and evening patrols the GPD had been conducting since they enforced the eviction in the spring.

And today, while remnants of the encampment remain in the woods beyond the tree line — a “mess” that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove — the lot at the corner of Royall Avenue and Sunburst Drive has, thanks to the property owner and what city officials said was a more-than-$50,000 investment, been transformed.

Save for a single overturned shopping cart, passersby “would never know what it looked like when Tent City was shut down.”

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Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor lauded the property owner for taking “the right steps” to ensure the lot was cleared in “a respectful and responsible manner.”

And while he noted that there were still citizens, like those who once resided in Tent City, who “need help” — and said he is “grateful” for the organizations that work to make their lives better — he hopes that this first step on the grounds that once housed the encampment sends a message.

“The conditions in Tent City … simply were not helping anyone,” Gaylor said. “We cannot allow that sort of settlement in our city again.”

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Tent City had been a hot topic in Goldsboro for years before the city finally evicted those living there at the end of March.

Residents had lamented the sight of garbage, piles of clothes, broken furniture, used needles, and shopping carts just outside the encampment’s entrance and down the street.

Employees at nearby Target, Walmart, the Wash House, and other businesses complained about shoplifting and heroin use in their bathrooms.

Others were angry about the homeless hooking up to the faucets behind their establishments to bathe.

But whenever the GPD would take action, officers were criticized for “targeting” an “at-

risk” population.

Then, after a young man, Michael Wheaton, was struck and killed by a Norfolk Southern Railroad train — and crime numbers, simultaneously, spiked in the area surrounding Tent City — the community began demanding a resolution.

Those concerns were heard early this year by several newly elected members of the City Council.

And they vowed to support the GPD, so long as the process of shutting down the encampment was a “compassionate” one.

So, West met with leaders of non-profits and other organizations that had been serving the city’s homeless community.

Together, they came up with a plan that included providing weeks and weeks of notice that the end of Tent City was coming — and an offer for services to those who wanted them.

But in the months since the encampment was shuttered, new problems have emerged.

More “aggressive panhandlers” are popping up in parking lots and in downtown Goldsboro — resulting in an influx of calls being made to the GPD. And because nearly all of the dozens who once resided in the woods beyond the tree line off Royall Avenue refused the services being offered, many simply set up camp on other pieces of private property, from just off the Stoney Creek Parkway and behind the

Goldsboro Family YMCA to a patch of woods off U.S. Hwy. 117 — forcing the GPD to seek out trespass agreements from those property owners, evict the squatters, and threaten them with arrest.

“It’s just a never-ending process,” West told Wayne Week in August. “But we knew this was going to happen.”

So, for now, until those living on the streets hit “the rock bottom” people like Councilwoman Jamie Taylor say will be necessary before they ask for help, the city and its residents will have to take the “small victories” like the cleanup of what used to be an “entrance” to a sprawling homeless encampment that was, just a few months ago, littered with everything from rotting planks of wood and broken suitcases to shopping carts filled with various items, piles of tattered clothing, used needles, and boxes of Narcan.

And Chris Boyette, whose district houses the former Tent City encampment, said he is looking forward to “possibilities” now that his neighbors can drive down Royall Avenue without having to see blight out their windows.

“I really am pleased with the progress being made with the cleanup and the fact that more work is going to be done down there,” he said.

“And I look forward to seeing some new development occurring in that area in the future now that the issues are being addressed. It’s a win for my district and a win for everybody who lives in Goldsboro.”n

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{ our TAKE }

VOTERS SHOULD SEND WILLIAMS PACKING

I

t is over.

Finally.

After years and years of dealing with what can only be called an offensive waste of time thanks to a lawsuit filed by former Goldsboro City Councilman Antonio Williams, a federal judge finally told Williams what he should have decided for himself years ago: You have no case.

If you want to read the details of Williams’ claims against the city of Goldsboro in general — and a former employee in specific — they are enumerated in excruciating detail in this week’s edition.

But if you just can’t stomach another recitation of how Williams, himself long considered a problem on the city’s governing board, came up with a whole list of ways in which he was discriminated against by everyone from the city’s former Community Relations Director to the late Mayor Chuck Allen — and the rest of the sitting city council — then suffice it to say this: This was nothing but a money grab that failed, and the claims, well, they were specious at best.

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And now, a judge has finally said so.

We have seen this sort of behavior before, and not just from Williams.

It is what happens when a complainant figures out that if he or she throws around the race card and threatens lengthy litigation, someone always caves.

Usually, the reason centers around the fact that settling a case like this is often cheaper than defending it in court.

And believe us when we tell you, cases like these are usually very expensive.

And in a politically-charged climate like the one we have seen over the past few years, there were plenty of officeholders, companies, and CEOs who were desperate to do anything to avoid the “racist” moniker.

So, they paid problems to go away.

And we hoped, when he filed to run for a seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, that Williams’ conspiracy theory claims would go away, too.

But he didn’t, because someone convinced him that the city taxpayers owed him restitution for what he described as damage

to his personal integrity, his business, and the diminishment of his future earning capacity.

Forget that Williams has long had a problem with inappropriate outbursts during city meetings.

Forget that he regularly accused city leaders and others of treating him badly because he was black and threatened legal action regularly.

Forget that he led a charge against a city employee that resulted in a lawsuit when he could not seem to stop himself from targeting her and accusing her of improper behavior — even after a judge told him to quit.

That tirade ended up in the city having to pay a $25,000 settlement to the employee in question — only to have Williams violate the terms of the agreement.

It was embarrassing, and it was expensive.

So, when everything went south for Williams, he decided that the city had done “irreparable harm” to his reputation because of the aforementioned incidents, and the resulting settlement.

And that is how we got here.

We don’t know how you feel, but we are tired.

We are tired of people throwing around the words “racist” and “discrimination” when things don’t go their way or when their bad behavior results in consequences.

We are sick of those who scream about illtreatment and damage to their reputations when they are the cause of their own problems.

And we are even sicker of people who file frivolous lawsuits that cost taxpayers time and money when there are people who really do have legitimate causes of action, who really are facing true discrimination, who can’t get their voices or stories heard.

We are tired of the squeakiest wheel getting attention while true concerns and significant problems cannot get the action they need or the time and money that could make a difference because the city is occupied with yet another meritless lawsuit.

These sorts of legal actions are becoming the rage these days — and they can often be described as just one thing: Money grabs.

And Williams almost did grab some money — $45,000 to be exact.

In fact, Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston was in the room when an “agreement” was reached to pay Williams that amount to make the case go away.

All that stood in the way was the approval of the City Council.

Thank goodness the answer, for five members of the board, was not just “no,” but “hell no.”

There never should have been a settlement in the first place.

This is the kind of case you fight.

So, one wonders why the council wasn’t polled before this “settlement” was reached.

One should ask why Williams should not have had every expectation that he had secured a victory when one of the people in the room when that $45,000 was green lit was the acting chief executive of Goldsboro.

And one wonders if Livingston even had the authority or the inclination to potentially head-nod the “settlement” that so obviously wasn’t going anywhere.

Without those answers — and make no mistake, we’ll never get them from City Hall — we’ll chalk it up to the excuse we mentioned previously, that it is sometimes better to settle a lawsuit, even a meritless one, than to spend thousands of dollars fighting it in court.

Well, not this time.

Sometimes, you have to spend money to make a point — and to make sure you do not become a mark.

And it was time that someone said “no” to Williams.

Thank goodness the members of the City Council made that call, because a federal judge has now said the quiet part out loud — that this case did not have legs or the evidence it needed to result in a finding against the city.

To have settled it would have been a tremendous mistake — and it would have sent one heck of a message: Come up with a discrimination case that is not even close to viable and you, too, can bring home a big fat check because the city leadership is more interested in placating haters and avoiding the witness stand and legal bills than they are of simply standing firm on their most important duty: Doing what is right and protecting the city’s taxpayers from frivolous lawsuits.

So, now, we are finally done.

No more lawsuit.

But we do still have a problem.

You see, the poor, discriminated against City Council member whose life was ruined by the city government and its associates, well, he is now a county commissioner.

That’s right. The residents of that district gave Williams a promotion.

And now, he is part of the leadership team that is directing the future of the county.

At first, we hoped he had learned something — that he understood that being a community leader is about looking out for the best interests of the citizens first and foremost.

We hoped he got that the constant controversies that plagued him as a City Council member could not happen as a county commissioner.

After all, the voters sent him to the commission’s chamber in the County Courthouse.

And not every word that has come out of Williams’ mouth as a sitting county commissioner has been a problem.

He has had his moments when he has offered cogent and important points in discussions concerning the future of this community.

But then he just can’t help himself.

And, frankly, he is one of many who seem to be in office to see what the public body on which they serve can do for them.

And this is our sign to tell them to stop.

Wayne County is facing some serious concerns and challenges in the coming months — from worries about the future of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to the need to find the money to do some major work on schools and infrastructure in the coming years.

We don’t have time for drama.

We don’t have time for showboating or bickering.

We don’t have the money to throw around just to make problems “go away.”

And we sure as heck don’t have a pot of money to just toss around to settle nuisance lawsuits.

We have other priorities.

Williams has received the word from a federal judge — this case cannot go forward and is not supported by evidence or argument.

That should be the end of it.

But you, as voters, have a decision to make this November.

Is Williams who you want sitting on your county commission?

Have his actions and his comments demonstrated his commitment to his county — or are they simply a means to line his own pockets?

What we are asking this community to do is to judge Williams by what he has done for Wayne County.

That is called accountability.

And on Election Day — or sooner if you plan to vote early — is the time to not only hold Williams accountable, but to set a course for a new direction as well.

We think we need a future without dramamongers, without frivolous lawsuits, and with leaders who not only get why they are there, but who are qualified to be there.

Only you can decide if Williams can help us get there. n

A TIME TO HEAL

Chimney Rock after Hurricane Helene.

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e have been here before — many, many times.

The havoc that hurricanes wreak on the state — and on many of our neighbors — well, those are stories with which we are all too familiar, especially if you are a multi-generational family in Eastern North Carolina.

Many of us have our own hurricane recovery testimonies and losses that we have overcome — some of which are very, very fresh.

We know what it is like to have to discard a family heirloom or treasured family photos because flood waters hit.

We know what it feels like to watch part of your life float down a road — the sinking feeling that you have lost everything.

We know the relief that comes with knowing that while you might have lost household goods or even the house itself, at least your family is safe.

COURTESY OF CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK

And we have all shed tears for those who could not say the same.

By now, we know you have seen the videos and the pictures that are saturating social media of the destruction in Western North Carolina that came courtesy of Hurricane Helene.

It is shocking.

It is heart-wrenching.

To see so many beautiful places like Chimney Rock swept away — leaving nothing but sticks behind, well, it is not something we will soon forget.

The familiar streets of Boone now look like devastated war zones as officials and residents try to clean up what the flood water destroyed.

Not an easy sight for Appalachian State University alumni or anyone who has ties to the area as a place to gather for family vacations or special events.

Continued on page 10

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Continued from page 9

Gone.

In a flash.

There is nothing harder.

But those are just things.

The loss of life also has been jarring, and the death toll is likely to continue to rise, while rescue teams keep praying there will be people found alive in the mud and the rubble.

Many of you might even have a connection to the western part of the state or be frantically looking for friends and family members who have still not been located.

Know we are all praying for you and them, too.

So, yes, it has been a tough week. That goes without saying.

And to get to the next step, we have to pause to mourn the loss and comfort those who are hurting.

It is what we do.

But in North Carolina, we don’t sit around wringing our hands when our neighbors are in trouble.

And we certainly don’t sit back and wait for the government to step up.

When there is an emergency, we get to work.

No one has to be told that the time has come to get help to those who need it.

No church family is just sitting around in pews with hands clasped calling for someone to come to their aid.

We know what needs to be done, so we do it.

And that is exactly what is happening in this community and in our state right now.

It has not been easy.

Helene left the area basically stranded — no way in or out.

Major highways, roads, and bridges are washed out, gone, or simply too dangerous to travel.

That means that tractor trailer trucks full of supplies and convoys of volunteers are facing treacherous travel conditions or long, circuitous routes to get the medicine, food, and cleaning and building supplies to those who need them.

But that has not stopped Wayne County.

Locally, relief flights are being organized to get much-needed supplies to North Carolinians who are without power, without water, and stranded without passable roads.

There is even a contingent of pack mules that is getting supplies to churches and other distribution points that are being set up for those who are trying to get back on their feet.

The United Way of Wayne County is also busy organizing relief efforts here to send aid to Boone as well as to many of the communities that surround it — and volunteer pilot groups have set up a way to get your donations to those who need them.

Sometimes, prayer is not enough.

Sometimes, those who are facing the toughest, most daunting battles of their lives need to see an outstretched hand and to know they are not alone.

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Dry Falls after a heavy rain.

ADOBE STOCK

We should be proud of that.

And Wayne County has let western North So, keep giving — even though times are Carolina know just that.

Schoolchildren and churches across this tough right now.

Even $5 is a gift that can make a community are collecting items to send to big difference. people they have never met.

Watch for information from local churches, Some groups are even offering shelter to schools, the Wayne County government, those who have been evacuated.

It makes us proud, but we shouldn’t and the United Way about where to bring donations of goods and water. be surprised.

And if you are able, make a monetary donation This is a community of people with the to one of the organizations that are on the ground biggest hearts we have ever seen.

They are there when the crisis is at home right now — Samaritan’s Purse, for one.

They know what is most or even when it is clear across needed and how to get it to the the country. volunteers in the communities We know that we are Want to donate? who know how to reach the stronger when we stand Use the camera on families that are desperate. together, so that’s what we do your phone to scan There are so many of you when the chips are down. the QR Code: already who have given as And because of that, North much as you can and who are Carolina will build back better. not stopping.

It will.

Big donations and small We come from stock — ones, money or goods, all of even those who have adopted you have given from your the state as their own — that hearts — and no one is seeking expects nothing less. any kind of attention or fanfare When tragedy hits, we are for the help they are giving. at our best.

It is how we were taught, by parents and So, keep donating. Our friends and neighbors need us. And, please, don’t forget grandparents who truly understood what the those in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, word, “community,” means.

But there is something else we must do — and Florida.

They didn’t forget us when we took the and it is not easy to talk about.

We must speak up and demand that our worst of massive storms like Helene. government gets busy doing the same for the Now is the time to pay them back.

Our parents taught us that when there is an millions of Americans who will now have to build their lives back. emergency, we are all neighbors and friends.

We need to see federal and state officials visibly on the ground with relief efforts and opportunities for our citizens to get the help they need to rebuild their homes, businesses, roads, and bridges and to start again.

That’s right, we said SEE them — and not lounging on a beach or tossing off a comment at a press conference because there’s an election coming up.

And we don’t expect to hear crickets from the current officeholders and supposed leaders from our Congress either.

This is not about politics. Not even in this vile election year.

No excuses. No red tape. Get to work.

And for those social media warriors who think it is OK to infer that anyone in the path of Hurricane Helene “got what they deserved” because they might have a different political opinion — and who might be celebrating a potential setback that could swing upcoming elections — bless your hearts.

Your venom proves you have no idea what a wonderful state this is.

So, here’s an education.

We do things differently here.

We live by a set of principles that means that a neighbor in need gets help, no questions asked.

And no, you don’t have to show your political party affiliation to get it.

We know what it is like to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and to start again, while holding out a hand to pull someone up with you.

We are the salt of the earth and the kind of people who know what hard work means.

We take our faith and our families seriously, and fight for yours, too.

We are where your food comes from, and our ancestors honed the skills that built this country.

Many of them gave their lives, too, to protect your freedoms.

And when you get hit by tragedies, and you need us, don’t worry, we will be there — like we always are.

We are the backbone of your nation — always have been and always will be.

And don’t you worry, we will vote — Democrat and Republican. No matter what.

We know what the cost was to earn that right and to protect that freedom, and we won’t forget those sacrifices, just like we don’t forget the men and women who have fought for and who continue to fight for this country every day.

We might be down right now, but our faith and our hearts will get us through — all while our North Carolina and American flags fly high.

And we won’t stop praying for you and your families, either.

In times like these, people show you who they really are.

We could not be prouder that in Wayne County, what we show them would earn us a tip of the cap from our forefathers. n

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CASE DISMISSED Former City Councilman Antonio Williams filed a lawsuit against Goldsboro and a former city department head two years ago.

Monday, a federal judge threw it out.

BY K E N F I N E A N D R E N E E C A R E Y

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H

e said he was publicly humiliated.

He said he had lost — and “may continue to lose” — what he characterized as “substantial wages, future earnings, and the enjoyment of life.”

He said he had suffered “severe emotional distress and mental anguish.”

He said he had been discriminated against “on the basis of his race.”

He said his constitutional rights had been violated.

And he said he was the subject of a “malicious prosecution” when members of the Goldsboro City Council convened a censure hearing against him.

But more than two years after former City Councilman — and current Wayne County Commissioner — Antonio Williams filed a sprawling lawsuit against the city and one of its former department heads, United States Magistrate Judge Brian Meyers, on Sept. 30, threw out the grievance, writing that the majority of the lawsuit included “no material facts” to support his claims.

Williams’ battle with the city dates back to at least 2017 when the then-councilman squared off with then-Community Relations Director Shycole Simpson-Carter after she called out what she perceived as a conflict of interest that emerged when the District 1 representative sought to have participants in Goldsboro’s Summer Youth Employment Initiative placed at his business, The Ice Storm.

It escalated more than a year later when, at a Sept. 27, 2018, Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority meeting, Williams behaved in an “unacceptable” manner toward Simpson-Carter — allegedly berating her after she told the GWTA board how her department assisted 10 individuals who had been displaced

by Hurricane Floyd.

And a week later, after he learned about a meeting between Simpson-Carter and members of the city leadership team, he submitted a handwritten note to City Hall demanding she be fired.

“It’s apparent to me that the meeting held after the council meeting in the mayor’s office was to conspire against me,” Williams wrote. “I am requesting that Shycole Simpson-Carter’s employment with the City of Goldsboro be terminated based on her intended act to maliciously destroy the reputation of a City Council official and undermine the citizens of the City of Goldsboro.”

That “retaliatory” behavior would ultimately lead to an independent investigation into Williams, a contentious censure hearing, and a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed by SimpsonCarter that earned her a $25,000 settlement.

And in June 2019, after Simpson-Carter waived her lawful right to confidentiality and

allowed that investigation into her claims against the councilman to go public, he exploded during a pre-council meeting closed session — yelling so loudly that those outside the doors could hear him.

He told then-Mayor Chuck Allen that he did not have “any integrity” and characterized the investigation into his conduct as “illegal,” “unethical,” and “a conspiracy.”

“The truth is out there. The truth is out there. Everything else is false. The truth is on the Internet. The truth is on the recordings,” Williams said. “You want the truth? Search it out. It’s in emails.”

But despite the fact that, by fall 2020, Williams had stepped down from the council to take a seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners and Simpson-Carter had resigned her post to accept a job with the state, their battle continued.

First, on March 8, 2021, Williams filed a lawsuit against the former department head.

But he dismissed it Sept. 23, 2022, three days after he filed a joint grievance against SimpsonCarter and the Goldsboro government.

The lawsuit, which was filed Sept. 20, 2022, and obtained by Wayne Week, was a sprawling document that made a staggering number of claims — and demanded a minimum of $125,000 in damages for allegations including “defamation,” “abuse of process,” and “malicious prosecution.”

T

he following are among the nearly 100 “Factual Allegations” listed in the lawsuit and detail claims made by Williams about what happened after he was elected to serve as District 1’s councilman.

Note: This is the actual text from the filing.

Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected: • (Williams) was subjected to repeated harassment, mistreatment, deprivation of due process, and abuse as City employees continuously relegated his voice from councilman to nothing more than a nuisance.

• Almost immediately, (Williams) began to be harassed and discriminated against by city employees including then-Mayor Chuck Allen, several councilmembers, the city manager, and the city attorney. All of whom are white males.

• Over the course of the next several years, (Williams) continued to endure defamatory attacks from city employees, and discriminatory treatment as he advocated for the constituents of his district.

• In 2017, (Williams) received a permit to upgrade the storefront of a business he owns and operates within the city. Several other business located on the same street were also upgrading their storefronts and making improvements. Upon information and belief, in or around the summer of 2018, the mayor and a councilman were put on notice that (Williams’) store being upgraded.

Subsequently the City of Goldsboro’s Historical Board, revoked (Williams’) building permit. (Williams) was forced to reapply for the permit and was told he could not submit supporting information in his application.

Ultimately, (Williams’) application was denied, and he was directed by the city to tear down the newly improved storefront.

• Upon information and belief, a Historical Board member and employee of the City stated to (Williams) that his “…business was not the look [we] wanted for downtown.”

Continued on page 15

I was confident that the courts would make a ruling in my favor.

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Continued from page 13

• (Williams) reported his concerns to the mayor, city council, and city manager, but his concerns were ignored.

• Despite his concerns falling on deaf ears, (Williams) still appealed the decision to the oversight board several weeks later. In response, (the city) hired an outside attorney to support their decision to deny his permit.

• Upon information and belief, a councilmember was directed via email by his wife, both of whom are or were Historical Board members and employees of (the city), on how to vote to deny (Williams’) permit.

• Upon information and belief, the email stated she gets “very happy” every time (Williams) suffers at the hands of the City. Such overt behavior is malicious and intentional.

• In or around April of 2018, (Williams) continued to suffer when the city received an “anonymous letter” (emphasis added) complaining of (Williams) that he did not live within the district which he represented.

• Prior to inquiring of (Williams) regarding the false allegation, then mayor Chuck Allen disregarded (Williams’) assertion that he did live within his district, and directed the city attorney to conduct an investigation of Plaintiff Williams.

• The mayor stated he did not believe (Williams), and required (Williams) to submit proof of residency within his district, or lose his seat on the city council.

• (Williams) was forced to hire an attorney to represent his interests.

• Upon information and belief, the mayor and councilmen stated to (Williams) “this is all your fault, why are you making us do this to you” before being informed the process to challenge (Williams) residency was improper.

• (Williams’) residency was challenged shortly following this exchange, by a local citizen who brought the matter to the election board.

• The election board held a preliminary hearing on July 10, 2018, whereby the board determined there was insufficient evidence proving (Williams) lived outside of his district and the residency issues was ultimately settled when the board declined pursuit of a full hearing.

• Despite the repeated attempts to tarnish (Williams’) name and reputation, (Williams) continued to advocate for his constituents by introducing several community-oriented events and/or programs.

• The program entitled “24 Hours of Peace and Wellness” was dismissed by the mayor and council due to their belief the event would make the “minority community violent.”

• (Williams) also introduced a summer youth development program to help impoverished youth develop and learn soft skills. The program directly impacted the

citizens Plaintiff represented.

• Again (the city), by and through the authority wielded by its mayor and manager, dismissed (Williams’) program saying “these types of kids have no desire to work.”

• Quite to the contrary, (Williams) was able to gain the support of the community and approximately four hundred (400) youth inquired about the summer employment program.

• When (Williams) voted in favor of the program, City officials including the mayor and city manager, decried his vote was a conflict of interest.

• (Williams) was accused by the city council that he just wanted financial benefits from the program and he was using these summer youth to complete previously denied construction on his personal, residential property.

• The accusation was entirely and utterly false, and city officials were again attempting to disparage and discourage (Williams) from serving his community.

• By way of his role as a councilman, (Williams) located money that was not previously earmarked and inquired about it.

• Upon information and belief, the very next day he was contacted by a community organizer and/or leader. The leader espoused she had partners and if (Williams) inquired about the money again, her partners would make him look like a monkey. The partners were the mayor and city council.

• This behavior continued to plague Plaintiff Williams for his entire duration as a city council member.

• (Williams) had a well documented and contentious professional relationship with (the city’s) community relations director, Shycole Simpson-Carter.

• (Williams) filed a written complaint with the mayor regarding Mrs. SimpsonCarter and her behavior towards (Williams) following a meeting with the Goldsboro Wayne Transportation Authority (GWTA).

• Shortly after filing his complaint, (Williams) happened upon a meeting whereby the mayor, Goldsboro-Wayne Transit Authority board members (“GWTA”), and SimpsonCarter were discussing what they had planned to do to (Williams).

• Carter retaliated by filing a complaint seeking a temporary restraining order against (Williams) in Wayne County District Court, case number 18 CVD-2006.

• Upon information and belief, the city mayor and other city councilmembers desired to have Plaintiff Williams removed from his seat, and exploited the relationship between Simpson-Carter and (Williams) to do so.

Continued on page 16

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• Ultimately, the complaint was resolved in his favor, and dismissed on November 13, 2018.

• Upon information and belief, Defendant Simpson-Carter stated her action seeking relief against Plaintiff Williams, was caused by the mayor and she had received help on her complaint against (Williams) from several city employees.

• Following the dismissal, the mayor and councilmembers made a public statement explaining the dismissal “meant nothing” and (Williams) had “not been cleared” of anything pertaining to Simpson-Carter.

• In continuance of (the city’s) deprivation of his rights, on or about October 10, 2018 an investigation was opened and conducted in hopes of removing (Williams) from the city council. The investigation was conducted by Valerie Bateman, who at the time worked for the Forrest Firm.

• Bateman’s investigation took several months during which she conducted interviews, including of (Williams), and reviewed documents from various sources.

• At the conclusion of her investigation, on or about May 28, 2019, Bateman brought the information before the city council.

• Prior to the council meeting at which she was to present the results of the investigation, she espoused if there

was inaccurate information, it could be corrected. When (Williams) voiced concerns over errors, including those specifically regarding himself, but the errors were not corrected.

• Upon information and belief, the mayor and white city councilmen were able to review the report and make changes to it, but (Williams) was taunted with being told he could view it, and ultimately having those statements rescinded for no proper cause.

• The investigative report was nothing more than a fishing attempt to extract information that would aid in (Williams’) political demise.

• Following the release of the report, (the city) pushed forward with a decision to censure (Williams), restrict his access to city hall, and recall his duly earned 2015 election.

• (Williams) was never provided with the ethics violation leading to the censure hearing despite asking the mayor and councilmembers for the same.

• (Williams’) censure hearing was held before the council, where councilmembers were the judges, jury, and executioners regarding his censure. The council provided information to Bateman, held the hearing regarding that same information, and ultimately were the final authority who decided on that information.

(Williams) was forced to hire an attorney for his voice to be heard.

I T ’ S T I M E FO R BOLDER BONDING

• Simpson-Carter ultimately filed an EEOC charge against (Williams) and (the city) for retaliation and discriminatory treatment. She alleged (Williams) harassed her and created a hostile working environment.

• Amid all of the turmoil within the city, (Williams) began to seek documentation as proof of his assertions.

• (Williams) made an initial request for public records in accordance with NCGS Chapter 32, from current city manager Tim Salmon as early as October 23, 2019. (He) followed up with (the city) several times for information regarding the numerous complaints and/or personal allegations against him that he had been subjected to through in his dealings with the City.

• On or about February 4, 2020, (Williams) emailed a second request for public records to Mr. Salmon, this time seeking information to dispute allegations he, along with (the city), participated in wrongdoings alleged by Defendant Simpson-Carter.

• The documents requested were not produced to (Williams) in a timely manner as required by NCGS 132-6 which governs public records requests. In fact, the documents were not produced at all. Instead (the city) engaged in further attempts to deny (Williams) his rightful access to the public information by enacting a new policy to prevent (Williams)

from obtaining records.

• On or about April 6, 2020, after approximately six (6) months the city council voted to charge Plaintiff upwards of $100,000 to complete his records request in accordance with the newly adopted policy. At the time of (Williams’) records request, there existed no policy governing the cost of records requests with the City of Goldsboro.

• Defendant Carter accused (Williams) of harassment and retaliation against her. The claims were exaggerated, as (Williams) never had any dealing with Defendant SimpsonCarter outside of their professional settings within the City.

• (Williams) was repeatedly forced to shut down his business to defend himself and attend special meetings that he would not be provided notice of in a timely manner.

• As alleged in the state court complaint against Defendant Simpson-Carter, (the city) was a central and instrumental piece in orchestrating the removal of (Williams) from his position as a member of the city council.

• Upon information and belief, Defendant Simpson-Carter acted at the direction of (the city) with respect to actions taken against (Williams) in an attempt to insulate themselves from liability.

Continued on page 18

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If the Goldsboro City Council adopts the 2024-25 budget recommended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livington, local residents will be forced to absorb a 15-cent property tax increase and a 7-percent water and sewer rate hike, as leaders look for a way to finance police and fire raises.

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M AY 12, 2024

THE PROBLEM WITHIN

Two Wayne County public school teachers have been charged with taking indecent liberties with students since Gov. Roy Cooper signed a harsher set of penalties for the crime into law in late 2023.

But those two individuals are only part of a problem the local education community has been dealing with for the last several years.

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Continued from page 16

illiams, in five claims for relief where he asked the court to award him a separate set of damages for each charge “in excess of $25,000,” said the city and Simpson-Carter “acted in concert” to “publicly humiliate” him and “undermine his integrity.”

He alleged he had suffered “severe emotional distress and mental anguish.”

And he accused them of discriminating against him “on the basis of his race” — despite the fact that Simpson-Carter is also black.

But he didn’t stop there.

The commissioner also said he had lost — “and may continue to lose” — what he characterized as “substantial wages, future earnings, and the enjoyment of life.”

The city and Simpson-Carter, in their official responses, denied the vast majority of Williams’ claims.

And they claimed that the former councilman’s pursuit of punitive damages violated the Fifth and Fourteen Amendments to the Constitution.

They denied that Williams’ rights were violated “in any way” and also argued that “each purported case of action alleged” was barred “in whole or in part by the applicable statute of limitations.”

And they pleaded “privilege” as an

affirmative defense to all his “causes of action premised on defamation, slander, or libel.”

Meyers, according to court documents obtained Monday by Wayne Week, agreed.

He said Williams’ “malicious prosecution and abuse of process claims fail,” and that he had “not pointed to any legal authority indicating that he was deprived of protected ‘liberty’ or ‘property’ interest when he was investigated by or called to a censure proceeding before a quasi-judicial government body in the context of his elected office.”

He wrote that “no rational jury” could find that Williams had “suffered special damages.”

And in the case of several of the claims, Meyers wrote that “even viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiff,” Williams had failed “to defeat the evidence that defendants present.”

Thus, he returned a judgment in favor of the city and Simpson-Carter and closed the case.

T

he judge’s decision comes less than two months after Williams had reason to believe he might be the recipient of a $45,000 settlement that would have put an end to the lawsuit, after an agreement was reached Aug. 5 during a “settlement conference” conducted before Magistrate Judge James Gates that

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was attended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston.

A transcript of the hearing — which was obtained by Wayne Week — reveals that Elizabeth Stephens, the attorney representing the defense, told Gates a deal had been made.

“The parties have agreed to a settlement of all claims in this matter for a total sum of $45,000. Additional settlement terms will include the release of all claims by the plaintiff,” she said. “The dismissal will be filed by plaintiff with prejudice within five days after receipt of the settlement funds, which shall be disbursed within approximately seven days after a settlement agreement is executed. There will be no admission of liability by the parties. There shall be a mutual nondisparagement clause. There shall also be standard clauses with respect to taxation and other ancillary matters included in any settlement agreement. And as noted, it’s the anticipation of the parties that we will have drafted and executed a settlement agreement within the next couple of days.”

But that settlement was subject to approval by the City Council, and when its members got wind, later that evening, of the proposed deal, the majority adamantly rejected the prospect of paying Williams anything — opting instead, via a 5-2 vote, to

allow the legal process to play out.

And while the council’s vote to reject the proposed payout to Williams was conducted in closed session, a confidential source who was in the room during the vote told Wayne Week that the commissioner and his legal team were “shocked” and “angered” by the turn of events — despite the fact that based on the discussion held between council members, “there was never any doubt (Williams) wasn’t going to get a dime.”

When reached by phone Wednesday, Simpson-Carter said she is relieved that the Williams saga is, at last, behind her — and that the judge’s decision was vindication both for her and others, including the late Mayor Chuck Allen, whom she called her “dear friend.”

“I was confident that the courts would make a ruling in my favor once it was able to review all of the evidence impartially and without any external influences.

The reality of Antonio Williams appears to be characterized by denial and a distorted understanding of the situation,” she said. “In the spirit of unity and to help our community move forward from this challenging time, I invite everyone to join me in praying for Mr. Williams, in honor of my dear friend, former Mayor Chuck Allen.” n

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the SPECTATOR

A fair to remember Sure, there was a little bit of rain, but the 75th edition of the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair brought with it the same family fun that has warmed Wayne County for generations.

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