Wayne Week — Aug. 25, 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 AGA Z I N E

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WEEK

ON YOUR DIME ...

AGAIN After the Wayne County Board of Commissioners’ chairman asked State Auditor Jessica Holmes to investigate Register of Deeds Constance Coram, a fulfilled records request reveals more questionable charges to a county credit card made by the ROD.

BY KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY / p.16

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CONTENTS 4 City, WCPS take aim at vaping AUGUST 25, 2024 Volume 2, Issue 2

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

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While the majority of the Goldsboro City Council has made it clear new vape shops might no longer be welcome in the Wayne County seat, Wayne County Public Schools is ordering hundreds of vape sensors that will be installed in campus bathrooms and locker rooms to deter children and teenagers from what they believe is dangerous behavior.

8 WCPS teaching corps nearly whole Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard got creative and figured out a way to lure retired teachers back to the classroom.

The result? Only a few dozen teaching vacancies remain.

10 Judge irked by settlement leak

U.S. Magistrate Judge James Gates is not happy that the details of what was supposed to be a private "settlement conference" between the city of Goldsboro and former City Councilman Antonio Williams were disclosed — and then published. So, he threatened the city with the prospect of being held in contempt.

16 Cover story

After Wayne County Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Gurley asked State Auditor Jessica Holmes to investigate Register of Deeds Constance Coram for, among other things, misuse of taxpayer dollars, a fulfilled records request reveals that Coram is still swiping her county procurement card for personal purchases.

20 Spectator

High school football season is upon us, so this week, we thought we would give fans every local team's schedule — just in case they are itching to catch a game or two in the coming months.

COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY SHAN STUMPF

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NEWS +VIEWS

City, schools take aim at vaping The Goldsboro City Council and Wayne County Public Schools are taking steps to take vape pens out of youths’ hands.

BY KEN FINE

1 in 8

North Carolina school students reported currently using a tobacco product. _

North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey, 2022

A

June discussion — and vote — that left some local residents and two members of the City Council at a loss culminated Aug. 19 in Planning Department staff being charged with creating an ordinance that would hinder the ability of developers from opening vape shops in Goldsboro in the future.

It started during the council’s June 17 meeting when, in the middle of a public hearing,

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several members of the board made it clear that they would not feel comfortable approving businesses that primarily sold vape and tobacco products.

“I do plan to deny all of these because I don’t think we need another vape shop in Goldsboro,” Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Matthews said.

“There is almost one on every block.”

But District 2 Councilman Chris Boyette, who has extensive experience in planning and

zoning issues, including an 18-year stint as the chairman of the city’s Planning Commission, said the question was not whether the council had feelings about vaping.

The board, he added, was simply being asked — after staff recommended approving the request to allow a vape shop to open next door to Wilber’s Barbecue — to affirm that a retail establishment in that location was, in fact, consistent with existing ordinances and

the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

“In all my years of planning, we’re not up here supposed to be dictating what we would like to see go in a particular place as long as it’s properly zoned and approved.

That would be like us saying, ‘We don’t want any more of this type of business or that type of business.’ That’s not our position up here,” he said. “Our position is, we’re supposed to make a decision based on, ‘Is this allowed within the confines of the rules as they are.’ I don’t see someone operating a retail business to be endangering the public health. I’ve never patronized this business.

If y’all are saying it’s a smoke shop, I don’t go to those businesses. I would personally never be patronizing one. But it’s not up to us to say what somebody should do.”

Matthews disagreed.

“With all due respect, quite the contrary.

I am here to make those types of decisions. I think that the system that’s already in place could stand to use a little facelift, in my opinion,” she said. “Because the truth of the matter is, I think I have all the rights and authority to say, ‘I don’t think this is a good fit for our community.’”

Boyette responded.

“Am I missing something? This was a request for retail use within the (general business) zoning right?” he said. “Again, in my personal opinion, if someone wants to open a retail shop and they’re abiding by our ordinances, we’re opening ourselves up to legal action if we say, ‘We don’t want that there,’ but yet, it meets the criteria.”

But despite his concern — and a nudge by City Attorney Ron Lawrence that the council be cautious in how it made its decision — Matthews, Councilwoman Beverly Weeks, Councilwoman Jamie Taylor, Councilwoman Hiawatha Jones, and Council Roderick White voted to deny the application.

Boyette wasn’t finished.

“If we feel like we don’t want to see something like that, then we should, as a group, try to, with the guidance of an attorney, change an ordinance to prevent that particular use from being available,” he said, adding that previous councils had limited internet cafes, but only after ordinances had been written to protect the city from potential liability. “Should we look into revising our ordinance in a manner that will restrict these types of uses moving forward?”

Fast-forward to Monday.

Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston and Planning Director Mark Helmer Continued on page 6

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Continued from page 4

told the board they had researched the issue and were confident there were ways to restrict future development of vape shops.

“We didn’t have to look very far to find other communities that have placed specific land use regulations on this particular use — which is tobacco, vape, and CBD sales,” Livingston said.

But in order to follow suit, the council would have to adopt an ordinance that would “confine” them to a “specific zoning district” or place a “proximity-type requirement on them.”

That way, if the board decided to ensure vape shops were not near schools, churches, or parks — or if they were prohibited from being within a certain distance from another vape shop — the issue could very well resolve itself.

On Wednesday, Boyette said he was comfortable with the decision to allow staff to write a new ordinance.

That way, council members could vote “with their conscience” without making decisions that were inconsistent with the city’s existing policies and potentially creating a situation conductive to litigation.

“As long as we are in lockstep with staff and our land use plan, we can comfortably move forward with whatever restrictions the majority is in favor of,” he told Wayne Week. “My concern back in June was that we were telling a potential retail business their plans were inconsis-

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I do plan to deny all of these because I don't think we need another vape shop in Goldsboro.

There is almost one on every block.

tent with city ordinances when they were not. I mean, there is retail all over that area. So, really, my objections were based on my experience in these areas and trying to make sure we, as a council, were following our own requirements and were protected from a potential lawsuit.”

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Goldsboro is not the only government entity taking on vaping.

In fact, Wayne County Public Schools was

just awarded $410,000 of the county’s opioid settlement funds — money that will, in part, fund hundreds of “vape sensors” that will soon be installed in bathrooms and lockers rooms across the community.

WCPS spokesman Ken Derksen said the district plans to purchase 250 devices from Verkada in hopes that their presence in local schools will deter vaping among students.

“We do not have a specific timeframe for installation of vape sensors, but our plans are as soon as possible,” he said.

And at the state level, Gov. Roy Cooper recently signed a bipartisan bill that could lead to many vaping products being removed from North Carolina shelves.

The law would restrict sales to products that have been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — a measure the Vapor Technology Association opposed, in part, because the group felt it would have a negative impact on sales.

But for Cooper and others who ensured the law will, indeed, take effect, that was the point, as the state’s most recent Youth Tobacco Survey found that one in eight high school students reported currently using a tobacco product, with E-cigarettes being identified as the clear product of choice among the state’s young people.

Rep. Erin Pare, a Wake County Republican, said the law would take a bite out of what she characterized as an “epidemic.”

“The vaping epidemic is quite the Wild West, particularly in high school,” she said.

“That’s why this bill passed with broad bipartisan support. It brings order, enforcement, accountability, and transparency to a growing problem.”

And with a new city ordinance in the works — and state-of-the-art vape sensors peppering Wayne schools’ bathrooms and locker rooms — local officials seem to be chasing the same thing. n

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Whichard lures retired teachers back to WCPS In a stunning development, Wayne County Public Schools’ superintendent found a way to put a significant dent in the district’s teacher vacancy crisis over the summer.

BY RENEE CAREY AND KEN FINE

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n early June, Wayne County Public Schools spokesman Ken Derksen shared a sobering statistic.

More than 60 teachers had retired or resigned in the previous 30 days — a number that vaulted the number of vacancies in WCPS to “well over 100.”

“And that’s a conservative number,” Derksen said at the time.

A national teacher shortage had come home to Wayne County — setting up the district for a likely reality that come this fall, many students would be “taught” by longterm substitutes or virtual educators.

To make matters worse, leaders inside Central Office were still working to realize Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard’s goal of pulling schools out of low-performing status.

And Whichard, himself, would find out a few hours later that the Wayne County Board of Commissioners had not included his requested funding increase — money he planned to use to increase teacher supplements and lure quality educators into local classrooms — in their 2024-25 budget.

He had been banging the drum for more money since he was hired in 2023, but was met with calls for WCPS to “show results” and shed its newly-minted low-performing district status before his ask would even be considered.

It really does say something about who were are.

His response?

“We want the best. We want the brightest.

But there’s a price tag that’s affixed to that,” he told commissioners. “We’ve got to find some way to meet in the middle.”

Derksen’s messaging remained grim.

“We’re going to hold more job fairs over the summer and continue to work toward recruiting as many great educators as we can,” he said. “So, unfortunately, we’ll just have to wait until August to see where we are.”

Even he could not have imagined that Whichard and his staff were about to pull off something few districts have been able to accomplish in recent years.

As of Wednesday, WCPS had cut the number of teaching vacancies to 41 — 28 fewer than it had reported at the same time last year.

And Derksen expects that number to keep going down.

“This number continues to change weekly and will continue to change as applications and licensure reviews are processed at the local and state level,” he said.

That means that no virtual teachers will be used this year “as occurred previously.”

And the long-term substitutes that typically help WCPS fill in the holes?

Whichard, by paying them a teacher salary rate instead of substitute pay, is staffing

schools with “a larger number than usual of retired teachers returning to assist.”

That means more high-quality instruction — a key ingredient to lowering the number of low-performing schools in the district.

Whichard said the development was the result of a “team effort” that has resulted in a noticeable culture change that has made WCPS a place where teachers want to work.

But he is not ready to celebrate just yet.

“I'm not going to be satisfied until we start the school year with zero vacancies across the board,” he said. “And I'm not just talking about dead weight in the classroom sitting there babysitting. It's got to be teaching from bell to bell.”

Still, the superintendent admits that beyond the numbers, the fact that veteran teachers and those who had retired were able to be lured back to classrooms — and what that says about WCPS — is a victory.

“It's a change in culture and I am immensely pleased with our veteran teachers that are retired that want to come back now,” Whichared said. “It really does say something about who were are. ... We’re gonna wave this flag and let our people know that Wayne County Public Schools is not only back, but we are gonna lead this race and be better than anybody else.” n

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Leak draws federal judge’s ire

I T ’ S T I M E FO R BOLDER BONDING

U.S. Magistrate Judge James Gates signed a sealed order threatening Goldsboro with being held in contempt after settlement conference details were disclosed.

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federal judge has delivered a warning to Goldsboro City Hall after details of a private settlement conference — and a subsequent City Council closed session — were disclosed and published in the Aug. 11 edition of Wayne Week.

But given the sheer number of people with access to the information — from current council members and city staff to those on the other side of a lawsuit filed in 2022 — it is unclear how U.S. Magistrate Judge James Gates could, in fact, hold the city “in contempt” should additional information about any potential future settlement discussions leak.

According to the U.S. District Court docket report for Williams v. City of Goldsboro et al, a sealed order signed by Gates was submitted Aug. 16.

Three days later, the council, according to a confidential source inside City Hall, was notified during a closed session that the judge had threatened a potential contempt of court finding should more confidential information make its way out of the courtroom.

At issue was the disclosure of details from both an Aug. 5 “settlement conference” that

unfolded in Raleigh and what transpired during a City Council closed session later that day.

The Aug. 11 Wayne Week cover story detailed that former Goldsboro City Councilman — and current Wayne County Commissioner — Antonio Williams had reason to believe he might soon be the recipient of a $45,000 settlement that would put an end to a lawsuit he filed against the city and one of its former department heads in 2022.

But when the current council got wind of the proposed deal, the majority of its members adamantly rejected the prospect of paying him anything — opting instead, via a 5-2 vote, to allow the legal process to play out.

According to a confidential source with direct knowledge of the fallout from the board’s decision, who also was in the room during the vote, 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.”

Continued on page 12

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M AY 26, 2024

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M A RCH 3, 2024

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Wayne

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.

WEEK

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MIND GA M ES

?

A unanimous decision to move Goldsboro High School to a new building has drawn the ire of community leaders, former students, and teachers who fear the school will soon close for good.

SPECIES? ENDANGERED

Dozens have graduated from the University of Mount Olive’s Master's in Counseling Psychology program, but because it is still not accredited, most are unable to find employment as therapists in North Carolina.

BY KEN FINE p. 1 4

Budget Buffet

BY KEN FINE

/ p. 14

BY K E N F I N E / p. 12

NEWS: Court documents filed last week seem to indicate former WCSO deputy has reached a plea deal . p.6

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F E BU R A RY 18, 2024

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ALSO INSIDE

Wayne

Coram’s lawsuit thrown out / p. 4

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NEWS Salmon out as City Manager / p. 8

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CONTENT WARNING

Some of the information in our cover story could be perceived as graphic in nature and could be upsetting to some readers, including those who might have experienced abuse or sexual assault.

WEEK

Local leaders say it’s time to fight back after community was “blindsided” by news of cuts coming to 4th Fighter Wing. / by KEN FINE p. 16

DIGITAL

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.

BY KEN FINE p.12

New Old North Media 219 North John Street Goldsboro, NC 27530

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Continued from page 10

Then, after the story published, the source said Williams’ attorney notified Gates that the information had leaked, resulting in the recent sealed court order.

In court documents filed Sept. 20, 2022, Williams made a staggering number of claims against the Goldsboro city government and one of its former department heads, Shycole Simpson-Carter — and asked for a minimum of $125,000 in damages for allegations including “defamation” and “abuse of process” to “malicious prosecution.”

He said the city and Simpson-Carter “acted in concert” to “publicly humiliate” him and “undermine his integrity.”

He alleged he 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 has lost — “and may continue to lose” — what he characterizes as “substantial wages, future earnings, and the enjoyment of life.”

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

And they claimed that the former

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councilman’s pursuit of punitive damages violates 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.”

Since the council voted to reject settling with Williams, no update has been made to the case calendar, but several scenarios are possible.

The judge could rule on the city’s previous request for a summary judgement and, potentially, throw out the lawsuit.

He could remove the case from federal jurisdiction and send it back to the state for a resolution.

And he could also set a schedule for a potential jury trial.

But is there another shot at a pre-trial resolution?

“Not a chance,” the city source told Wayne Week earlier this month. “The majority of the council made it abundantly clear that there was no way they were going to set the precedent of paying off somebody they believe filed a frivolous lawsuit.” n

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{ our TAKE }

HOPE, AT LAST, IS ON THE HORIZON

T

here is a positive feeling in the air.

And yes, the Fremont Elementary School grand opening is part of it.

How could you not feel good about having a new school like that?

But it is about momentum, too.

There is no question that a new building for the children of this community is a very important event.

And it felt good to see a positive step forward.

So, we mark that milestone, and look forward to the next one, when there is a new school celebration in Rosewood.

But there is something else happening.

And it, too, feels different.

Wayne County Public Schools is changing.

And it mirrors shifts we think should be and could be happening around this community.

There is no question that the situation in WCPS seemed dire only a few months ago.

The test scores were jarring.

The morale was bad.

The number of teachers leaving the district and the lack of applicants to fill job openings — well, that was discouraging.

Enrollment was down.

And the disappointment in our education system was exacerbated by worse news from 14

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the community — the sad stories of young people losing their lives to gangs and violence, and our seeming inability to reach them.

That was downright paralyzing.

We did not have the right leadership in place on the Board of Education — still.

And the mistakes of bad and selfish decisions and the seeming inability to get out of their own way, well that seemed to be the norm.

We got a new superintendent, and there was some hint of a paradigm shift, but we were leery.

After all, we had been here before — promises of a new vision, but then, filet and crab legs at the beach, nepotism, and a contract renewal with the expensive out-oftown attorney.

Seemed like the same old, same old.

But then there was a decision — a new board chairman and a new, more accountable direction.

There were administrators removed who needed to go and some really tough, really significant discussions were had about the district’s future.

And while we were skeptical, we felt encouraged, too.

Maybe, just maybe, this time it would stick.

And this week, we heard about another positive step forward.

We were worried about the staffing shortages around the county — and the lack of applicants to fill the jobs.

No matter how many fancy buildings a district has, they are meaningless without quality teachers to lead the students on their educational journey.

In June, the “conservative” number of vacancies was “well over 100.”

Imagine what that would have meant Monday when students began taking their seats in local classrooms.

But then, Wayne County Public Schools fulfilled a Freedom of Information Act request for the numbers.

And it was shocking.

It seems Dr. Marc Whichard has found a way — and we do not mean with virtual teaching, which we think is a disastrous choice, or by modifying qualifications to put untrained and untested teachers in classrooms.

The district found a way to use retired teachers as long-term substitutes at a level of pay that recognizes the value of their expertise and experience.

And now, there are only a few dozen openings, a number WCPS says is shrinking by the day.

So, a problem has been solved — at least

for now.

Here is why it matters.

We need to get our test scores and graduation rates back on track.

We need students to be able to read at grade level and to start rebuilding a reputation that has been tarnished by bad management and by putting people in charge who had connections, not achievement.

There was too much “who you know” in the district’s hiring process.

And if that didn’t change — along with those whose first thought was how to keep everyone happy to stay in office — we were not going to move the needle or move forward.

So, we had to think out of the box.

Our new superintendent had to think out of the box.

And he did.

We will not always agree with every decision made in the Royall Avenue Central Office.

And we will not be the district’s cheerleader with a blind eye to what is really going on.

We can’t be.

That is not what makes a community grow and improve.

Saying the hard things and having the courage to speak up — no matter what it costs you — that is true dedication to Wayne County.

And there are many of you out there — in the WCPS community and beyond — who have made the decision that you cannot sit back silently anymore because it is easier.

You have become a force for change in your community, and you are helping us make a difference.

But right now, we think there is reason to be optimistic. And here’s why.

We see some of the old guard — the powerhungry, “connected” and self-enriching (or simply unengaged) politicians and bureaucrats — being shoved aside.

They don’t stifle the moves forward or block any meaningful progress because the proposed change does not suit their own ambitions or obligations.

And that matters.

There are people on boards all over this county saying “no.”

And while there is still some “who-you-know” hiring, it is being outed and is not a behind-thescenes power play like it used to be.

Those who thought they were outnumbered and that they could not beat the machine are now finding they have a voice — and they are using it.

And that means we are headed for significant steps forward.

Wayne County Public Schools is not without hope.

There are changes that can be made.

Money thrown at any problem only makes it a more expensive problem, but intelligent and thoughtful decision-making and the courage to think differently about change and progress, well that creates strength.

And with that in mind, we challenge you with this.

This is not the time to sit back and wait to see what happens.

We have seen what happens when the wrong people are put in charge — or when they get elected to yet another term in office because no one bothered to run against them or got out to vote them out.

We cannot afford more mistakes — not on the BOE and not anywhere else.

You don’t realize how hard it is to get rid of a less-than-optimal politician — or how much damage they can do while you wait for the next election cycle to vote them out.

Local politics matters.

Decisions made on this level affect you directly, affect your children’s schools directly, and can have a significant impact on the community you leave your children and grandchildren.

We have a county Register of Deeds who seems not only unable to handle the basics of her job, but who also seems to have no concept of financial accountability with your tax dollars.

And even after mountains of evidence supporting that she is unfit for office, the chairman of our county commission has had to beg the state to get involved.

Where is our district attorney?

So, no, we cannot afford anymore politicians who are more concerned about getting elected or the connections they can make with the elites in Raleigh than doing their jobs.

We cannot have seat-fillers who are only interested in collecting a check.

Because when we do, they hurt our community.

And when they get into office, somehow, they stay there.

Now do you understand how important your vote is?

It is time to engage. Now. So, we will look forward not only to seeing what the BOE decides about its upcoming board retreat, but also what changes students will see in the schools this year.

We want to see more discipline.

We want to see better spending of curriculum money and not just another program that is going to “save” our schools.

We want to see real, significant results.

And we want to see more interaction with — and accountability to — this community.

And we hope there might be a few more big, audacious ideas out of the offices on

Royall Avenue.

And then, we will look forward to the county commissioners’ commitment to supporting the future of this community and its children.

But don’t worry.

Giving Whichard credit when he has earned it does not mean we won’t continue to question, to challenge, and to push for more and better.

And that includes looking hard at the problems with drugs, crime, and violence in our schools — and around them.

The Goldsboro Police Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office are not the solution for that either.

They need help from the parents and the community, and we aren’t willing to sit back and not say that either.

Hard questions, challenging the status quo, and demanding more from the politicians and bureaucrats who promise to lead us forward — all the while, challenging ourselves (and the community) to be part of the solution — is what we need.

That’s what you do when you care about a community — not just how much money you can squeeze out of it.

So, as the vast majority of our young ones start their year Monday, we, too, will look forward to all the possibilities that come with a blank canvas — this time, with a glimmer of hope on the horizon. n

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ON YOUR DIME ...

AGAIN After the Wayne County Board of Commissioners’ chairman asked State Auditor Jessica Holmes to investigate Register of Deeds Constance Coram, a fulfilled records request reveals more questionable charges to a county credit card made by the ROD.

BY KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY

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L

ess than three years after she was warned by thenFinance Director Allison Speight to “never” use her county procurement card “as an extension of your personal card or personal finance in any manner whatsoever” — and had her card suspended for 60 days by thenCounty Manager Craig Honeycutt after a series of “questionable purchases” were flagged by staff — Wayne County Register of Deeds Constance Coram used taxpayers’ funds to pay for a trip to Dallas, Texas, and a hotel stay in Maryland.

And she also demanded an explanation, “in writing,” for why her reimbursement request for a July journey to the National Archives — one that she acknowledged included “no agenda” and “no supporting documents” that could potentially justify it as a legitimate business expense — was denied.

The following information was obtained by Wayne Week via a records request, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act: On July 29, Coram sent a memo to the Finance Department to explain why she used her county procurement card during what she characterized as a “personal trip” to Dallas. (The following narrative has not been edited for grammar or spelling.)

“Once I arrived in TX, my personal card would not work. There was a problem with my card. It has been blocked due to illegal activity. The blockage caused me a great deal of problems,” she wrote. “It was early in the morning, I had no choice but to use the PCard, it allowed me to get the rental and pay for baggage check in.”

And while she noted that she was including a personal check to cover some of the charges, she also claimed she did not have a receipt for “the baggage.”

“It was 4:30 in the morning and the airport would not accept cash,” she wrote. “It just so happened that I had the card to use.”

According to a financial statement obtained by Wayne Week, Coram charged a $166.41 Irving, Texas, Enterprise rental

car to the county.

She also paid $35 for a Delta Airlines baggage fee.

A month later, the Finance Department would ultimately receive $205.68 in restitution.

But the charges did not stop there.

From June 7 to June 9, Coram spent $170.68 at a Holiday Inn Express in Montgomery County, Maryland — just outside of Washington, D.C — prompting Finance Director Angie Boswell to remind her that the money was owed and “personal use of County credit cards is prohibited.”

An August email back and forth between Coram and Assistant Finance Director Ann Kelley-Moore — and another memo sent by the ROD July 29 — addresses that hotel expenditure

and Coram’s trip to the nation’s capital.

The ROD said she travelled to Washington to “see how things were done in the National Archives.”

And while she acknowledged she had “no agenda” and “no supporting documents” to justify the trip as a legitimate business expense, she asked the county to reimburse her anyway.

She submitted a “Claim for Expenses: Official Travel” form — one that included $357.63 for mileage and $55 for three meals.

Those charges do not include her stay at the Holiday Inn. The request was denied, with KelleyMoore writing that “per our county policy, all out of state traveled has to be approved by the County Manager prior to traveling.”

“There was no approval given,” she wrote.

“Therefore, we cannot pay this travel voucher.”

• • • This is not the first time Coram has come under fire for what the county considers misuse of government funds.

In August 2021, Speight said she was “extremely concerned” about hundreds of dollars in purchases made by Coram using her county card.

The ROD, back then, admitted to using taxpayer funds for meals given to her staff — which the county claimed were “in lieu of allowing them lunch hours.”

She also said some purchases reflected

Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

fulfilling a “vow” to “do what I could to assist as many people as possible,” after she “discovered the conditions that some of the citizens of Wayne are living in.”

And she came under fire for linking the county card to Cash App and sending $211 in public funds to one of her employees through the platform.

Speight, who seemed floored by the purchases, was particularly concerned

by Coram repeating that she used her p-card when she had “over-extended” her “personal funds.”

“Although you signed a statement when you received your card confirming you will not use the p-card for improper uses, let me be clear,” she wrote Aug. 19, 2021. “You are never to use your county p-card as an extension of your personal card or personal finance in any manner whatsoever.”

The last line was underlined.

Speight would go on to recommend that Honeycutt “revoke” Coram’s county credit card, but the then-county manager opted to, instead, suspend it for 60 days.

• • • Wayne Week’s request to see recent communications relating to Coram’s procurement card was a result of allegations made by Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Gurley in a letter he wrote to State Auditor Jessica Holmes earlier this month.

The contents of Gurley’s note were published in the Aug. 11 edition of the paper.

He asked Holmes to investigate Coram — citing what he fears is the potential for “irreparable harm” to local residents and businesses should she not be held accountable for what he would go on to lay out.

Gurley said Coram was guilty of “mismanagement of government funds,” but he did not stop there.

He wrote that since Coram took office in 2020, citizens and county staff had “discovered” the following issues: • Severe indexing errors, resulting in inaccurate maintenance of Wayne County Land Records.

• Failure to properly record complete documents, leading to “instruments” being recorded without information required by law.

• Failure by the office to properly collect recording fees and excise taxes, resulting in both the N.C. Department of Administration and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Service failing to receive funding owed to the agencies under N.C. General Statutes 161-11.1 and 161-11.2.

• Misuse by Coram of her county-issued purchasing card, resulting in suspension of her purchasing card privileges.

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• Inadequate implementation of NCDAVE, leading to mishandling of birth and death certificates.

• Various vendors not being paid on time due to untimely processing of outstanding invoices.

• Falsely accusing the county manager and finance staff of removing money from her budget, secretly concealing it, and then spending it without Board of Commissioners approval.

Gurley also told Holmes that Coram “does not understand standard government budgeting practices” and “incorrectly assumes that money has been mismanaged” — despite the fact that the board has directed the Finance Department to spend “hundreds of hours attempting to train Ms. Coram and her staff on governmental finance practices with no success.”

And, finally, he noted that on July 26, as reported in the Aug. 4 edition of Wayne Week, Coram closed her office “in violation

of a standing order from the Board of Commissioners” and North Carolina law.

“The above-described issues have persisted since Ms. Coram took office in 2020,” Gurley wrote. “I would be most appreciative if your office would investigate this matter so that citizens of Wayne County and other non-citizens receive proper services from the Wayne County Register of Deeds and are assured that government funds are not mismanaged. I am greatly concerned that if these issues remain unchecked, citizens will suffer irreparable harm.”

• • • It is unclear whether Holmes will initiate an investigation into Coram, as the ROD is currently seeking re-election and will be on the ballot this November.

And when asked whether her latest alleged abuse of taxpayer funds would

result in the suspension or revocation of her procurement card, Gurley said no decision has yet been made.

But he did defend reaching out to Holmes — proximity to an election be damned.

“At this point, I’m gonna do everything I can think of, because it’s what is right,” Gurley said. “I don’t know if anything will come of (the letter) but we’ve got to try.”

Meanwhile, Coram has publicly defended her record — and has sued the county twice for what she has characterized as unfair treatment because she is a black woman.

She claimed, “intolerable conditions” — one of them, the 2021 suspension of her procurement card — the commissioners have subjected her to were “clearly discriminatory.”

And she said she had “suffered extreme emotional distress, causing her to seek professional help” and has “lost trust in many people she has known and worked with.”

Judges dismissed both of her grievances.n

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the SPECTATOR

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FOOTBALL SCHEDULES FOR WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS CHARLES B. AYCOCK

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 17 Oct. 25 Nov. 1

at Rosewood at Eastern Wayne North Lenoir Hunt East Wake at South Johnston at Fike West Johnston Smithfield-Selma at Southern Wayne

EASTERN WAYNE

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 24 Nov. 1

Aug. 23 Aug. 29 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 2 Nov. 1

Southern Wayne Charles B. Aycock at Southwest Edgecombe Greene Central Washington County at Princeton Spring Creek Beddingfield at North Johnston at Goldsboro

GOLDSBORO

Farmville Central at Southern Wayne Nash Central at Southwest Onslow at Midway at Beddingfield Princeton at North Johnston Spring Creek Eastern Wayne

ROSEWOOD

Charles B. Aycock at North Johnston at Southern Wayne Princeton at Northside-Pinetown Southside Hobbton at Union at North Duplin Lakewood

SOUTHERN WAYNE

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 24 Nov. 1

at Eastern Wayne Goldsboro Rosewood at East Wake at West Johnston Hunt South Johnston at Smithfield-Selma at Fike Charles B. Aycock

SPRING CREEK

at Lakewood at Lejeune Hobbton at Southwest Onslow Union North Johnston at Eastern Wayne Princeton at Goldsboro at Beddingfield

WAYNE CHRISTIAN

Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25

Harrells Christian Academy at Faith Christian Lawrence Academy at Father Capodanno Liberty Christian at Berean Baptist at John Paul II Catholic Cary Christian Arendell Parrott Academy

Under the lights High school football is back, so we thought we would give fans the schedules for every single local team — just in case they are itching to catch a game or two in the coming months.

Photos by Ken Fine

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JERICHO FA R M S

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