WEEK Wayne
FEBRURAY 16, 2025
TEARING DOWN BUILD UP - to
Jamie Taylor fought for money that would help Goldsboro begin to rid neighborhoods of “blight.” Her effort is beginning to pay off.
BY KEN FINE / p.14
NEWS & VIEWS
SPECIAL REPORT: According to a study published this week, Wayne County Public Schools is outpacing the state in the rate at which students are bouncing back from COVID-19 in reading and math. p. 4
FEBRUARY 16, 202 5 Volume 2, Issue 24
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EDITORIAL
EDITOR Ken Fine
EDITOR Renee Carey
DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf
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CONTENTS
4 WCPS notches another victory
According to data published by Harvard University and Stanford University scholars, Wayne County Public Schools is outpacing North Carolina as it relates to how students are bouncing back from COVID-19 learning losses in reading and math.
6 Pikeville board takes aim at strays
Pikeville Police Chief Rodney Jarman and Commissioner Matt Thomas say stray dogs and cats are posing a threat to local residents. Their argument convinced the Board of Commissioners to take action.
7 Biggerstaff talks Town Hall move Town Manager Tim Biggerstaff is running the numbers to see if he can make moving Pikeville Town Hall into the former library building work so he can formally present a plan to the elected officials who would ultimately make the decision.
9 More drama in Mount Olive?
The Mount Olive Board of Commissioners resumed their contentious Feb. 2 meeting on Feb. 5 — and more fireworks flew.
14 Cover Story
City Councilwoman Jamie Taylor fought to ensure Goldsboro’s 2024-25 budget included money for a minimum housing officer and $100,000 that would allow for the demolition of blighted houses. Thanks to her refusal to back down, within a few weeks, 10 dilapidated structures will start coming down.
20
Spectator
Wayne Country Day swimmers competed — and had a little fun in the pool, too.
COVER PHOTOS BY KEN FINE
COVER DESIGN BY SHAN
STUMPF
NEWS + VIEWS
WCPS outperforming state in COVID comeback
Wayne County students are ahead of state averages in math and reading between 2022 and 2024, according to “Education Recovery Scorecard” published by Harvard, Stanford scholars.
BY KEN FINE
According to a report released Tuesday by Harvard University and Stanford University scholars, Wayne County Public Schools is outpacing North Carolina in post-pandemic growth in math and reading.
But while the data, published as the “Education Recovery Scorecard,” reflects another recent victory for WCPS, Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard cautioned that there is still more work to be done to ensure every student in the district is thriving.
Researchers said the scorecard represents “the first high resolution picture of where North Carolina students’ academic recovery stood in Spring 2024” — just months before federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) dollars expired.
The following data was reported:
• Relative to the 2019 national average, WCPS saw a .42 grade equivalent gain from 2022 to 2024 in math performance (grades 3-8). By comparison, North Carolina saw only a .24 gain and “similar districts in North Carolina” saw a .04 gain.
• Relative to the 2019 national average, WCPS saw a .06 grade equivalent gain from 2022 to 2024 in reading performance (grades 3-8). By comparison, North Carolina saw a .21 loss and “similar districts in North Carolina” saw a .31 loss.
• Relative to the 2019 national average, in math (grades 3-8), every listed demographic — white, black, Hispanic, poor, non-poor, female, and male — saw a gain from 2022 to 2024, with poor students seeing the most significant jump. Every WCPS demographic except white significantly outperformed the 2024 average.
• Relative to the 2019 national average, in reading (grades 3-8), every listed demographic except Hispanic saw a gain from 2022 to 2024, with non-poor students seeing the most significant jump. Every WCPS demographic significantly outperformed the 2024 average.
Whichard told Wayne Week the data “paints a picture” of the “tremendous amount of work” that has unfolded inside local classrooms — with “teachers and students working at a heightened pace to help move the academic needle” for the district.
“Having Harvard University and Stanford University researchers highlight the significant gains our district has made academically through this independent scorecard is a validation of the work of our teachers and students that has been occurring behind the scenes,” he said.
• • •
The Education Recovery Scorecard reflects WCPS’ second significant victory in less than six months.
Back in September, Whichard learned that the district had been removed from the state’s “low-performing district” list a year after it earned the distinction — an achievement he said, shortly after he took the job in the summer of 2023, could be accomplished if students, teachers, and administrators were held accountable.
“As most people are aware, within my opening days as the new Wayne County Public Schools’ superintendent in 2023, I put in place a number of clear and proven non-negotiables for improving our schools which were collectively embraced by our staff,” Whichard said. Among those “non-negotiables” were bell-to-bell instruction, a ban on cellphones in classrooms, and a return to “old school teaching and learning.”
But teachers and administrators who have spoken to Wayne Week since Whichard took the job say something else has changed inside their buildings, too.
The superintendent, they said, is “present” — showing up on campuses consistently to observe instruction, back up administrators when students are disrupting learning, and demanding accountability.
“It keeps everyone on their toes,” a high school teacher who asked to remain anonymous said. “It’s hard to explain the feeling in the building. We feel empowered.”
And while the data released then by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was not where the superintendent wanted it to be, he said in December he was proud of gains made on nearly every WCPS campus — and vowed to continue to ensure additional strides were made during the 2024-25 school year.
“Our goals are to continue, you know, the academic trajectory that we’ve had,” he said. “In fact, I’ve kind of coined the phrase, ‘Six plus two plus five.’ Maintaining those six schools off (the low-performing list) plus getting another two schools off this year, plus adding five more composite points of academic growth to our composite performance for the district.”
But accomplishing that, he added, will require that every stakeholder stay the course.
“Anyone who visits our schools will see that our staff and students continue to work daily to maintain and build upon the academic gains that have been achieved,” Whichard said. “To be clear, this work is not easy and the demands that have been placed on our schools are great. I sincerely appreciate the commitment to excellence that continues to be demonstrated in our classrooms, and for the ongoing efforts of our teachers and school administrators to improve student achievement and to make our schools the very best education option for Wayne County.” n
ADOBE STOCK
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT
n North Carolina ranked 26th among states in terms of recovery in math and 43rd in reading between 2019 and 2024, but their recovery in math from 2022 through 2024 has been much stronger, ranking 12th
n Average student achievement in North Carolina remains almost half of a grade level below 2019 levels in math (.46 grade equivalents) and three quarters of a grade level below in reading (.75 grade equivalents).
n In North Carolina, 82 percent of students are in districts whose average math achievement in 2024 remained below their own 2019 levels.
n Reading is more of a concern in North Carolina than math, with 97 percent of students in districts with average reading achievement below 2019 levels.
n A sharp rise in chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10 percent of a school year) from 16 percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic to 31 percent in 2022 (down to 27 percent in 2023) is slowing the recovery in many districts in North Carolina.
n North Carolina received $5.6 billion in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools — or roughly $3,600 per student (on par with the national average of $3700 per student.) Nationally, the analysis suggests that the dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring.
MATH PERFORMANCE, GRADE 3-8, 2019-2024
Average Math scores and trends in grade level equivalents relative to the 2019 national average.
READING PERFORMANCE, GRADE 3-8, 2019-2024
Average Reading scores and trends in grade level equivalents relative to the 2019 national average.
2025 PROPERTY REVALUATION
Wayne County is conducting a property revaluation to ensure tax assessments reflect current market values, as required by North Carolina law.
Revaluation does NOT determine your tax bill. The Board of Commissioners will set the tax rate later.
Property values are assessed fairly based on real market conditions.
You have the right to appeal if you believe your assessed value is incorrect.
Pikeville board takes action on strays
Police Chief Rodney Jarman said aggressive dogs and feral cats are creating public health and safety concerns inside the town limits.
BY KEN FINE
Commissioner Matt Thomas said he has had to deal with aggressive, stray dogs too many times — that they have posed a risk to his children and his pets for more than a decade.
“In the 12 years I have lived at my home, I think there have been five times stray dogs have come into my yard and attacked my dogs,” he said Monday evening. “In fact, I had to beat a dog with a baseball bat just two months ago to get him off my dog. … I’ve had my kids run away because they’re scared.”
Pikeville Police Chief Rodney Jarman is not surprised.
His officers, he said, have been fielding an increased number of calls in recent months relating to violent dogs.
“We have had occurrences where a dog … attacked an individual or damaged a person’s property or caused injury to another person’s domesticated animals,” Jarman said. “In the last six months, we’ve responded to almost a dozen (of those incidents).”
And given the fact that Wayne County Animal Control is, according to the chief, spread thin, he felt it was time for the PPD to take matters into its own hands.
So, during the commissioners’ Feb. 10 meeting, Jarman proposed a new policy for handling strays — one that would involve trapping nuisance animals on town and private property and fining their owners, should they have one.
And he told Wayne Week the next day that when it comes to the town’s dog prob-
lem, in many cases, owners are not taking responsibility for their pets — that when they are confronted, they make “the same excuses.”
“You’ll have people say, ‘I let my dog out to use the bathroom and he ran,’” Jarman said.
“Well, if your dog has a history of doing that … how about putting out a short runner? You know, animals are gonna do what animals are gonna do, but if you’re not being responsible and your animal ends up biting someone, that’s on you.”
Feral cats are another issue — one Jarman says is creating a “health hazard.”
“But Animal Control, they have a limited number of traps for the entire county,” he said.
That is why the first step in the plan — one that was approved unanimously by the board — involves purchasing his own.
— or at private homes, should the owners request one and fill out the necessary paperwork.
Then, members of the PPD will set up a daily schedule for checking them.
And whenever an animal is captured, they will be transported to the county animal shelter.
But Jarman vowed to ensure the process is carried out humanely — placing the traps out of direct sunlight and never utilizing them on weekends or during “extreme weather.”
Pikeville will soon order three cat traps, two dog traps, a kennel for short-term housing of “impounded” animals, and “animal handling gloves.”
And once his officers are in possession of those items, the work will begin.
The gameplan is fairly simple.
First, traps will be placed on town property
The PPD will keep food on hand, too, should circumstances require “short-term housing.”
And in the event the dogs or cats have owners, they will be notified by officers — and told that in order to get their animal back, they must pay a $50 fee at Town Hall and take the receipt with them to the shelter.
“The director (of the shelter) has assured me that they will release no animal brought in by the town of Pikeville until the $50 fee has been paid to the town of Pikeville. That fee will have to be paid first,” Jarman told commissioners. “So, once they show up (at the shelter) with a copy of that receipt, they can reclaim their animal.”
HOW PIKEVILLE’S NEW STRAY ANIMAL REMEDIATION PROCESS WILL WORK
The following is how Pikeville’s new stray animal remediation process will work:
• Traps will be set out at citizen/town request.
• Require a form be completed by property owner before traps deployed unless deployed on town property.
• Traps will be checked daily by officers on patrol.
• Traps, when possible, will be set in areas to decrease prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
• Traps will not be set when extreme weather conditions are present.
• Traps will not be set or left set when temperatures reach extreme highs, in excess of 95 degrees, or extreme lows, below 32 degrees.
• If an animal is found in the trap during business hours, the animal will be transported to the Wayne County Animal Control shelter for reclaiming.
• If after hours, Wayne County Animal Control will be contacted, and the animal will be temporarily housed on site for the next day drop off to the Wayne County Animal Control Shelter.
• In emergency situations, upon contact with the on-call Animal Control Officer, officers MAY transport the animal directly to the shelter after hours using key card access. This approval for transportation must come from Wayne County Animal Control and the officer’s supervisor.
• Traps will not be set out between the hours of 12 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. Monday.
His expectation is that the fees will offset the less than $1,000 it will take to purchase equipment.
And, at least as it relates to animals with owners, the inconvenience of having to pay a fine and travel to the shelter will solve what he characterized as a growing problem.
“Hopefully, we get to a point where we’re very seldom having to use this,” Jarman said. “I know that in the beginning … we’re probably going to take in a lot of animals, but eventually, folks will get tired of paying the fee.”
Just as local residents — and law enforcement — are growing tired of having to look over their shoulders.
“The total cost is like 700 or 800 bucks, so I say, ‘Why not?’” Thomas said. “Let’s just deal with the stray animals. It’s worth it.”
Jarman agrees.
“It really has become a public safety concern and a public health concern,” he said. “And the people who live in this town shouldn’t have to be dealing with it.”
But after talking to the town attorney after Monday’s meeting, Town Manager Tim Biggerstaff said the PPD might have to wait a bit longer to see the plan come to fruition.
“The animal control process will need to be officially voted on (at the board’s next meeting) as an ordinance before we can begin,” he told Wayne Week Tuesday. “But since it has already been approved and we’re just waiting on a technicality, we will move forward with purchasing the equipment so we are ready to begin next month.” n
• Temporary housing kennels will be inspected each week for inspection and cleanliness, as long as an animal is housed there.
• Animals housed temporarily will be provided with food, water and shelter during housing.
• When an animal is housed, officers will check the status of the animal during their shifts no less than twice per day.
• If an animal is impounded, the animal may be released to the owner upon receipt of a $50 fee. All animals will be transported to — and reclaimed from — Wayne County Animal Shelter.
• An additional fee will be charged by Wayne County Animal Control during the reclaiming process. This fee is set and determined by the Wayne County Animal Control Shelter.
SOURCE: Pikeville Police Department
ADOBE STOCK
Biggerstaff working on Town Hall relocation plan
Moving Pikeville staff — and the town’s Police Department — to the old library building would “ignite” downtown, he said.
BY KEN FINE
At the moment, it is just an idea.
But Pikeville Town Manager Tim Biggerstaff told members of the Board of Commissioners Monday that he would soon present them with a plan to move Town Hall into the old library building — a move that would help “ignite” downtown and provide a community building for local residents.
The announcement came after he told the board about electrical repairs that will soon be made in the former library.
“Nothing has been decided on what will happen to the old library, but we’re still discussing options,” Biggerstaff said. “One idea was moving Town Hall and the Police Department down to the old library to put it back downtown.”
The move would, he acknowledged, come with a cost.
“We’re getting together estimates … to see if it’s feasible or if it’s even something the board would be interested in,” Biggerstaff said.
But he added that “we do need to do something with that public building there” — and that the foot traffic associated with Town Hall could have a trickle down impact on businesses located in the town’s core.
“The idea is that it would help ignite downtown revitalization — adding traffic to that area,” he said.
Add to that the bonus of converting the current Town Hall into a community building and Biggerstaff feels it could be a major win for residents.
“That would allow us to return … this building into a nice, functioning community building, which, apparently, it thrived as for years,” he said.
Mayor Garrett Johnston, however, seemed skeptical.
The old library building, he said, was “usable real estate for a business,” that “would also attract a lot of people.”
And he noted that the “former board” had talked about spending some of the $1 million allocated to the town thanks to State Rep. John Bell on a downtown master plan that included a rendering of a new Town Hall.
“There’s no point in moving a town hall to build a town hall later,” Johnston said.
But how that money will ultimately be used has been up in the air since the mayor was embroiled in scandal following the summer 2024 release of an audio recording of a several-hour meeting between Johnston and two town residents.
During that conversation, he referred to himself as a “million-dollar mayor” and outlined several of his goals — from taking “our downtown back from the poor people” and making it “trendy again” to firing nearly every one of the town’s employees.
And he implied he was the only person in Pikeville with the capacity to determine how that $1 million would be spent.
“All these ideas came out of my head. I’m a visionary leader,” Johnston said. “I don’t mean this in a mean way, but there’s very few people that have enough imagination to spend or manage $1 million.”
Since that time, several initiatives he planned to spearhead using those funds — including construction of a soccer complex — have been dismissed by the public and the people who represent them on the board. n
More drama in Mount Olive?
A former commissioner said the fact that two employees were suspended was “crap,” the Water Department was closed for several hours because of “staff shortages,” and the Feb. 5 continuation of the Town Board’s Feb. 2 meeting saw more fireworks.
BY KEN FINE AND RENEE CAREY
The Water Department was closed for several hours Monday because of “staff shortages” that are a result of two employees being suspended without pay pending the results of a State Bureau of Investigation inquiry.
A town commissioner was called out by another for what he perceived as a “conflict of interest” ahead of a vote to hire a firm to help Mount Olive find a permanent replacement for ousted Town Manager Jammie Royall.
A former commissioner lambasted the town for going after “young ladies” Tia Best and Rashonte Pettit by contacting the SBI — a move he called “crap” and “not right.”
And the majority of the board approved allowing the interim town manager and town attorney to seek a “forensic auditor” to assist in that investigation — a decision some local residents fear will result in somebody connected to elected officials being given access to sensitive information.
The Mount Olive Board of Commissioners reconvened its Feb. 2 meeting Feb. 5 after Mayor Dr. Jermone Newton suggested it would allow for more thoughtful discussion of important issues and, perhaps, consensus.
But the session, which lasted under a half hour, proved to, instead, further expose the divide that has engulfed the town in recent months.
Here is what transpired:
REPLACING ROYALL
After Commissioner Tommy Brown made a motion to approve a $6,000 contract with the Eastern Carolina Council, a firm that would assist the board as it searches for a permanent replacement for Royall, Commissioner Delreese Simmons argued that Commissioner Danny Keel should recuse himself from the vote, since it was noted during the Feb. 2 portion of the meeting that Keel served on ECC’s board.
“I’ve got an issue with that. I believe that Danny shouldn’t be voting for it because he’s on their board,” Simmons said. “Yes, we need a town manager. Yes, we need to find one. But I don’t believe that Danny should be allowed to vote, due to (the fact that) he is on that entity’s board, and he can be persuaded, or he can persuade, our next town manager. It’s a conflict of interest and he should have said it.”
Town Attorney Carroll Turner disagreed. “Mayor, it’s not a close call. It’s got to be a direct financial interest. I’m reading from N.C. G.S. 138a-36. ‘It must be a reasonably foreseeable financial benefit for the board member not
to be able to participate.’ There is no conflict of interest,” he said. “Commissioner Keel does not receive any compensation or benefit as a result of voting for the contract to seek a manager. Just because somebody thinks there is a conflict doesn’t mean there is one.”
Moments later, the board voted to execute a contract with ECC. Keel did not recuse himself from the vote.
The need to find a new manager has been at the fore since the board, during a special meeting the mayor did not support — or attend — voted 3-2 to fire Royall and to appoint Utilities Superintendent Glenn Holland to fill the vacancy in an interim capacity.
But Simmons seemed to take exception to the fact that the alleged subjects of the investigation, Tia Best and Rashonte Pettit, had been outed by Turner — particularly when details of a previous SBI investigation into a Mount Olive employee were, in his view, “covered up.”
So, before the board voted, Simmons questioned the town attorney about how Best and Pettit came to be identified and why the subject of the previous investigation was not.
District Attorney’s Office and they made a decision not to prosecute because of no evidence.”
Shortly after news broke that the SBI would be probing the town, Best and Pettit were suspended without pay.
According to the North Carolina Administrative Code, an employee “may be suspended without pay for disciplinary purposes for unsatisfactory job performance after the receipt of at least one prior disciplinary action or for causes relating to any form of unacceptable personal conduct or grossly inefficient job performance.”
Before that meeting took place, Newton objected to the proceeding and the fact that he was informed about the date change via text message — adding that following through with action on Royall could be perceived as having been motivated by “vengeance and racism.”
Sources close to Royall have told Wayne Week that he has consulted with an attorney and could potentially sue the town, but during a several-hour conversation with the newspaper several weeks ago, he said he was unsure whether he would do so.
But he did say that he felt he was working in a hostile work environment — and claimed that he and other town employees had to “watch our backs” inside Town Hall.
“That’s no secret,” Royall said. “Every employee knew this. It was a hostile work environment for all our employees. It’s been chaos up there.”
And he also alleged that his termination was due to many factors, from professional jealousy to him refusing to relinquish power to certain commissioners who felt they, in fact, were in charge.
“They never let the town manager run the town,” Royall said.
FORENSIC AUDITOR SEARCH APPROVED
The move to begin a search for a “forensic auditor” to “assist” the State Bureau of Investigation with its investigation into alleged misconduct inside Town Hall was, according to Newton, recommended by the SBI.
And the majority of the board ultimately voted to do just that Feb. 5.
“I knew nothing about that investigation. Absolutely nothing,” Turner said, after identifying the subject of that investigation as former Mount Olive Interim Police Chief Linda Tyson. “I believe the police chief did. The only point I knew about it was when I was told that the matter had been completed and referred to the
But it notes that prior to placing an employee on disciplinary suspension, “a management representative shall conduct a pre-suspension conference with the employee,” and the employee “must be furnished a statement in writing setting forth the specific acts or omissions that are the reasons for the suspension and the employee’s appeal rights.”
The State Human Resources Manual says the same.n
Jammie Royall
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CHANGING THE GAME
There is a shift in the air. You hear it in everyday conversations, and you see it on the news.
It is called accountability.
Americans are not willing to sit back and just accept the status quo anymore. And blind trust is not an option either.
They have too much to lose in continuing the apathy, the passive acceptance.
And that change in attitude has a consequence.
We expect more from our public servants and politicians — and we are not willing to turn our heads the other way and just accept that nothing is ever going to change.
We are ready to change it.
We have seen this happen over and over again in Wayne County.
And while we still don’t have all the sludge cleaned out, there have been major steps forward in making the changes that will set the course for the future of this community.
You read about one of them today.
Just look back to where we were as a community just a few years ago in Wayne County Public Schools — dismal test scores, unresponsive and unaccountable leadership, and a host of mistakes that had our schools not only at the bottom of the state performance scale, but also with a budget that was not only not balanced but was riddled with debt.
Well, look what happens when you apply a new standard, when the community gets involved, and a leadership team says, “Not on my watch.”
Voila — a turnaround that is the first step toward a resolution.
There are other place to look, too.
Major changes have been made in Goldsboro — courageous shifts in attitudes and decision-making that are setting a new course.
Pikeville residents stood up and said, “No more,” and are taking back their community.
And then there is Mount Olive.
This community is just now starting to get serious about getting its leadership back on track and there will be more changes in the weeks and months to come.
But there is a lesson here — an important one.
And it is a reminder for anyone who works for the public, signs up to represent the public, or who has been entrusted with public dollars.
Appearances and professionalism matter. It is not just about who you know and
what cards you play anymore.
A community that wants to be taken seriously cannot operate like it is run by a bunch of people who have no sense when they speak or who cannot follow the rules themselves.
We cannot afford arrogant mistakes or bickering cat fights that make us look like a bunch of yokels.
And we certainly cannot allow ourselves to be played by those who are all about attention and what is in their best interest rather than spending the taxpayers’ money properly.
Because, like it or not, no matter how together Goldsboro is — and no matter how quickly Pikeville turns itself into a town that is ready for investment and improvement — we don’t need any more of the news of the past that suggests that we don’t have our act together as a county.
Consider it like a car that is running on only three wheels.
In other words, we are in this together.
So, we don’t know what exactly is going on in Mount Olive, although state investigators seem to be ready to take a pretty good look.
But we do know this — the backdoor deal-making, the controversial decision to bypass the mayor, and the questionable timing of the firing of the town manager only suggest one thing: The town’s leadership has not yet learned the lesson that so many of their counterparts have over the last couple of years.
But there are new sheriffs in town, and that sort of behavior is not going to be tolerated anymore.
And while we are pointing out the need for change in Mount Olive, the crises in leadership continue in other areas of the community.
So, here are a few guidelines for those who still don’t quite get what their constituents expect of them:
• If it is in your personal interest to vote on an issue, if there is even a hint of a conflict of interest, do the right thing and abstain. And if you are just looking to upset an apple cart and create a conflict when there really isn’t one, stand down. Neither move is about leadership. It is about petty power-mongering.
• If you have a husband, wife, brother, sister, cousin, daughter, son, or other relative who needs a job, help them with a resume. Don’t try to pull strings to hire them. There have been far too many relatives — shirttail and otherwise — who have gotten jobs in local government because of their connections, and there have been far too many stories about their massive failures and the fear of holding them accountable. Communities that are focused on progress don’t make hiring decisions based on family trees.
Those who are up to the challenge should be prepared to live up to their promises.
Here’s the thing: It matters that things are done right.
So, if you have a problem with a town employee, and you think you might need to make a change, first, make sure you are doing so for the right reason.
Then, do it the right way.
When it dissolves into a fiasco, you don’t just set yourself up for scrutiny — and perhaps a wrongful termination suit.
You also lose a little bit more of that trust that makes a town government effective.
And when there are out-of-control meetings that turn into embarrassing bickering sessions, you only give the community’s critics another reason to say, “See, told you so.”
For far too long, voters and residents have been too busy to pay attention.
We would like to blame it on COVID-19, but the truth is, we were too out of touch long before that.
We might have shaken our heads at the dumb decisions and wondered out loud where our money was going, but we did not do much more than that.
• A hometown address is not always the best indicator for knowing how to make important changes in our community. Every once in a while, an outsider with a new perspective can offer a view you might not have thought of and help take an important step forward. We can think of at least one or two good examples, including WCPS Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard.
• Public office is not a get-rich-quick proposition. It is a chance to serve your community. If you are looking for ways to feather your own nest, you won’t make the right decisions. And if we as a community catch you making moves like that, we are now ready to make the necessary change.
• And if you are going to be a servant leader and dedicate a part of your life to public service, get this: What you do, what you say, and the negotiations you are a part of are made at the pleasure of, and in the interests of, the people you serve. And those discussions are public record — and you are accountable for them.
This community is on the rise. We are moving forward deliberately and with purpose and pride. Those who are up to the challenge should be prepared to live up to their promises. Everyone else can just keep stepping. n
John D. Lewis Gaston Lewis
MAKING THE GRADE
It has been a long road, and the journey is not over yet, but we have some more good news this week from Wayne County Public Schools.
Scholars have released their measurement of schools’ progress in overcoming the deficit left from the COVID-19 closures and online learning.
And Wayne County has not only made progress, it has done so above the state average.
The naysayers will say that the bar is still too low — and maybe it is.
But this is an achievement worth recognizing and a very promising step forward in bringing the district’s numbers to where they should be.
And we — and many others who know how important a cog the schools are in the wheel that will bring residential and business investment to Wayne County and keep Seymour Johnson Air Force Base a thriving part of the region — are optimistic about what is next for WCPS.
It is easy to sit back when you are a district with so many students who have challenges to overcome and settle for just enough — scores that are low but are not too low, improvements that are significant but still don’t show proficiency.
But at long last, we get the feeling that those who are now in charge of the Royall Avenue Central Office are not willing to push out
propaganda to make the schools look good.
They actually want them to be good.
And that is exactly what this community needs if it is going to live up to its potential — and if we are going to be ready to take advantage of opportunities that come our way.
And while he will likely dismiss the praise and defer to the men and women who sit in the principals’ offices and stand at white boards in the classrooms as the true heroes — and celebrate the teachers’ assistants and other support personnel who make the schools work — WCPS Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard has really been the impetus for the changes that are moving the schools forward.
He has set an expectation and then done the work to make sure those standards are met in every school every day.
It started with cleaning house of the speed bumps and those who were just fine with those “just enough” scores, and then it moved to creating an atmosphere of accountability for not just teachers, but also for students and parents.
So, while there are still tough decisions ahead, it seems like the county schools are moving in the right direction.
And that matters. A lot.
We cannot emphasize enough how much progress like this will change the county’s trajectory as a force to reckon with in the quest
to attract the attention of those who will help create this county’s future.
As the suburbs in Raleigh and elsewhere fill up, Wayne County could be a contender as a bedroom community, but that won’t happen without careful attention to not only fiscal responsibility, but also potential for growth.
And that is not all.
Wayne County has another chance at keeping its Air Force base right here — and to factoring into its potentially bright future.
That cannot be done without a serious commitment to providing the kind of community that makes airmen and their families want to be here. Educational offerings are a big factor in that decision.
The brass in Washington will be watching.
This is our chance to get — and to keep — their attention.
With that said, a word of caution.
Wayne County Public Schools is not out of the woods yet.
There are still too many students who are not making the scores they need to on reading and other basic skills — and there are more who need special attention and the resources to get the help they will need to graduate.
Those are challenges many schools are facing across the state and nation.
But this latest news suggests that there is a lot of hard work being done — and that
there are leaders who are committed to making sure it continues.
So, we celebrate this achievement, and challenge the students and their teachers to show us how much more they can accomplish, while also pushing more parents and community members to support their efforts.
Our children and grandchildren need to know how important we think education is — and that takes more than simply mouthing the words or taking grip-and-grins at school events.
The time has come to talk seriously about investing more aggressively in the schools.
There might have to be sacrifices made to make that happen, but there is now evidence that the steps have been taken to move WCPS forward, and that should give our leadership the confidence to start the work to think big.
Setting new test score goals is not enough — it is a lot, but not enough.
We have to make the investments that bring better facilities and teachers to this community, and that keep the good ones right where they are.
There is no other option if we are serious about being a place that others look to for new residential and business development.
That’s the truth.
In our view, it is the most important task this community faces this year. n
The front door is wide open, but the homeowner hasn’t been inside for as long as anyone can remember.
Jamie Taylor is not surprised.
Vines and ivy cover the façade of the once-stately structure. There is a massive hole in the roof.
At the end of its short driveway, a dilapidated shed props up a fallen tree.
To Taylor, it’s no wonder that a bright yellow sign has been stapled in between two of the windows by a city employee — that the notice advises that soon, the house on Walnut Street will come down.
“This right here is crazy,” Taylor says as she walks toward the front porch. “This right here is exactly what I’ve been talking about.”
TEARING DOWN BUILD UP
Jamie Taylor fought to ensure money that would help Goldsboro fight “blight” was included in the city’s 2024-25 budget. Her effort is about to start paying off.
And homes like that — there are dozens of uninhabitable dwellings inside the Goldsboro limits — are why she fought, ahead of approval of the city’s 2024-25 budget, to ensure a minimum housing officer, and money for demolition of blighted structures, was funded.
For the District 3 Councilwoman, ensuring “every neighborhood” in the city receives a fair shake is what drove her to run for office in the first place.
Taylor knows, she said, how something like demolishing a long-neglected home can change the fabric of a community — and the mentality of those who live there.
Story and Photos by KEN FINE
STRUCTURES TO BE DEMOLISHED
1.
2.
3.
4. 404 North James Street
5. 405 West Mulberry Street
6. 406 North James Street
7. 410 South Leslie Street
8. 702 East Walnut Street
9. 711 East Pine Street
10. 720 East Walnut Street
GranthamStreet
So, when she looked down Walnut Street at a soon-to-betorn down apartment building, she flashed a quick smile.
Soon, she said, the prostitutes, homeless residents, gang members, and drug dealers who frequent the property will have to find another street to disturb.
And that, in Taylor’s mind, is a massive win for Goldsboro.
“When I decided to run for City Council, it wasn’t because I’m a politician. It was because I wanted to make a difference. And I said that District 3, all the parts of District 3, I felt like we were not being treated the same as if I lived over on Park Avenue, or in Pill Hill or Maplewood,” she said. “So, I want to make sure that we all get the same treatment. All of our neighborhoods are important to us. No matter where you live, you are just as important to the city of Goldsboro as everyone else. Your districts and your streets and your homes matter. It doesn’t matter how much money you make. You shouldn’t have to live with filth, trash, and blighted homes. So, that was a promise I made and I’m so excited that I was able to deliver on that.”
Delivering meant lobbying her fellow council members to make room in a budget that was already mired by a tax increase — the hike was necessary to fund pay increases for first responders — for what is now a fully funded minimum housing officer position and $100,000 in demolition funds.
So, as cuts were proposed, she refused to back down.
“There were several times when the position and the money for demolition were discussed as being removed from the bud-
get because of constraints, but I was absolutely in no way going to let up on my feelings for this much-needed position,” Taylor said late last year. “And I am a very stubborn woman, and when I get it in my head that something has to be done, I don’t take lightly to broken promises. I have promised my constituents that I was here to make District 3 a better place to work and live, and this position and the promises it holds for our community are part of that promise.”
But she had no idea that after her “victory,” the man who would ultimately secure that position was her predecessor on the board who also fought to reinstate the position, former Mayor Pro Tem Taj Polack.
“It is ironic, but you know, Taj has been great,” Taylor said. “Taj and I, we have been talking and working well together. It’s nice to have someone in that job who really cares about cleaning up this city.”
hen he invited Wayne Week to ride along with him in October as he showed off some of the worst houses in Goldsboro, Polack was noticeably energized.
But before he took us to the homes that now, four months later, are slated for demolition in the coming weeks, he wanted to tell a different story.
He wanted local residents to understand “the process” — and how the “order to repair” program can result in saving houses rather than tearing them down.
Continued on page 16
Jamie Taylor
“Let’s head down William Street,” he said. “Let me show you what I’m talking about.”
We arrived in “North End” a few minutes later.
“All of this was crack houses,” Polack said, pointing at homes that had new siding and roofs, updated windows and perfectly manicured lawns. “And look at that house. Looks great. They were about to tear it down and now, it’s got a new roof and solar panels. Look at those windows, man. Beautiful.”
Progress in what used to be, in Polack’s words, “Crack City.”
“That’s it. This was ‘Crack City.’ See right there? Look at all those bullet holes. They’ve shot that house up. But down there, that’s beautiful. Both of those houses are beautiful.
Order to repair did that,” he said. “So, they’re doing good stuff down here. And yes, we could have put them in minimum housing and torn them down, but look at them now. Think about it. It would have been a waste. It would have left a bunch of vacant lots that made this neighborhood look like a desert. How does that help Goldsboro?”
In that regard, he and Taylor agree.
“I want it to be clear that I don’t want to just see houses getting torn down. That’s not what I’m for. If these houses can be fixed, I want us to get someone who is going to fix them or push the owner to step up and do what’s right if they can afford to do it,” Taylor said Wednesday. “But at the same time, I don’t think it’s fair for our community to suffer because of these dilapidated homes and the people and crime they attract. Everyone that is living in those neighborhoods deserve better. It’s not fair to them or their families.”
And she and Polack share another philosophy, too.
When structures reach a “point of no re-
HAZARDOUS STRUCTURES
Every abandoned structure within the city of Goldsboro shall be deemed in violation of this article whenever such structure constitutes a hazard to adjacent properties and to the health, safety, or welfare of the city’s citizens as a result of:
n The attraction of insects, rodents, or other health hazards.
n Conditions conducive to creating a fire hazard.
turn,” they become more than eyesores. They become health hazards.
“If I see a house that’s burned, I’m putting it straight into minimum housing. Burn houses, they are a liability,” Polack said. “They need to be torn down ASAP. They are hazards to the community and if we don’t get them torn down quick, they could get someone killed.”
Taylor agrees.
“Not only are they a breeding ground for people who want to get out of the cold and get warm, but they’re also dangerous,” she said. “What if you have kids in the community who
n Dangerous conditions constituting a probable threat to adjacent properties, life, or limb.
n Presence of noticeable structural deterioration or dilapidation.
n Frequent use by persons, not residents, as living quarters in absence of sanitary facilities whether authorized or in trespass.
STANDARDS FOR STRUCTURES
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling or
are walking around, and they go in there wanting to play or explore because the house … is wide open? What if a child goes in there and gets hurts — gets injured? That’s one thing that has really concerned me. It’s dangerous for everyone.”
And they send a message — particularly to young people — that the people who reside in neighborhoods peppered with blight are less than, Taylor said.
“If there was a child walking through one of our neighborhoods and they see houses that are dilapidated and burnt down, versus walking through a neighborhood where you
dwelling unit for the purpose of habitation which does not comply with the following requirements:
n Walls, floors, and roofs shall not have any rotted, deteriorated, or damaged supporting members that compromise their structural integrity resulting in an unsafe condition.
n Foundations, foundation walls, piers, or other foundational supports shall not be deteriorated, damaged, or dilapidated to a point that compromises their supporting strength.
see new construction and people taking care of their homes, I really think it does a lot for their psyche,” she said. “It makes them feel hopeless and like they aren’t good enough to live in a nice place. That’s not OK with me. So, there’s no way I’m going to stop fighting for them.”
Taylor’s fight during last budget season will see 10 dilapidated houses come down before this spring — from James and Walnut to Mulberry and Pine.
But even though the council has approved the dollars necessary to complete the work and Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston has assured her that “in the next few weeks” we should see “houses coming down,” that is only the first step in her plan.
“I’m very excited to see not only the first and second and third house getting torn down, but also what it brings after,” Taylor said.
Because for her, the “after” is what will change the trajectories of those living in neighborhoods that have, for far too long, been associated with blight and crime.
“At first, there is gonna be an empty lot, but I can see the possibilities — somebody buying those lots and building — and I can’t wait to see what those neighborhoods are going to look like when it comes to be,” Taylor said. “I feel like at that point, people will start to have hope. And honestly, we can already see what that hope looks like. I’ve noticed people starting to revitalize around here now. I’m seeing new construction. I’m seeing people buying houses and fixing them up. You know, I see more people taking care of their yards and fewer people are dumping trash in places where it used to be a trash dumping site. So, I don’t know, I’m just excited. I’m excited to see the changes that we’re going to be seeing.”n
n Stairs, porches, and any appurtenances used for access into a dwelling or within a dwelling shall be safe to use and capable of supporting the designed structural load. They shall not be damaged, deteriorated, or dilapidated.
n Every place of habitation shall be provided with adequate means for egress in the case of fire, panic, or disaster.
n The roof, flashings, exterior walls, basement walls, floors, and all doors and windows exposed to weather shall be
constructed and maintained so as to be reasonably weatherproof and watertight.
n There shall be no chimney or parts thereof which are defective, deteriorated or dilapidated or in danger of falling, or in such condition or location as to constitute a fire hazard.
n There shall be no use of exposed ground as a floor. Wood floors shall not be placed directly upon the ground.
n There shall be no openings or exposed holes in floors.
... and get ready, because the Sept. 6, 2025 version is sure to be our best festival yet!
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Durwood Ray Grimes, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of April, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 21st day of January, 2025.
Lorrie G. Thomas Administrator for the Estate of Durwood Ray Grimes 611 Watery Branch Church Road, Stantonsburg, North Carolina, 27883
Published Jan. 26, 2025, and Feb. 2, 2025, Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RALPH RONALD GRIFFIN
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Ralph Ronald Griffin, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 2nd day of February, 2025.
James Patrick Griffin and Laura Elizabeth Meyer, Co-Executors of the Estate of Ralph Ronald Griffin c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JENNIFER LEE WILLIAMS KUYKENDALL
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jennifer Lee Williams Kuykendall, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 2nd day of February, 2025
Judith D. McMillen, Administrator of the Estate of Jennifer Lee Williams Kuykendall c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C.
Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Debra Ann Mills, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 3rd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 25th day of January, 2025.
Tiffany Wheeler Administrator for the Estate of Debra Ann Mills 5271 U.S. Highway 117 North Pikeville, North Carolina, 27863
Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Brian Kent Abbott, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th dayofApril,2025,orthisnoticewill be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Thisthe29thdayofJanuary,2025.
Rosalyn Abbott Administrator for the Estate of Brian Kent Abbott 1601 East Holly Street, Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27530
Published Feb. 2, 2025, Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF
ALMA B. MARTIN
Allpersons,firms,andcorporations havingclaimsagainstAlmaB.Martin, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of May, 2025, or this notice will
NOTICES
be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 9th day of February, 2025.
Pamela B. Minshew Executor of the Estate of Alma B. Martin 300 Princeton Road Princeton, NC 27569
Published Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025 and March 2, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF HOWARD FELIX POOLER, JR.
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Howard Felix Pooler, Jr., deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 9th day of February, 2025.
Mark J. Hale, Jr. Administrator CTA of the Estate of Howard Felix Pooler, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C.
Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025 and March 2, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ANTHONY WAYNE WESTBROOK
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Anthony Wayne Westbrook, deceased, of Johnston County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 9th day of February, 2025
Geneva Westbrook Cox, Executor of the Estate of Anthony Wayne Westbrook c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C.
Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025 and March 2, 2025
NOTICE
OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Annie Davis, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 17th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 16th day of February, 2025.
Coretta Mewborn Administrator for the Estate of Annie Davis, 721 Oliver Street, Mount Olive, North Carolina, 28365
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2024, and March 9, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of John Norman Hunter, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 17th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 16th day of February, 2025.
Robert Neil Hunter III Administrator for the Estate of John Norman Hunter 2401 Buffaloe Road, Garner, North Carolina, 27529
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2024, and March 9, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RUSSELL ALAN HENNING
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Russell Alan Henning, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 16th day of February, 2025.
David Russell Henning Administrator of the Estate of Russell Alan Henning c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C.
Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF FRANCES TYNER HINNANT
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Frances Tyner Hinnant, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 16th day of February, 2025.
Betty F. Waters and Billy R. Farmer, Co-Executors of the Estate of Frances Tyner Hinnant c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C.
Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BARBARA ANN MILLER JACKSON
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Barbara Ann Miller Jackson, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 16th day of February, 2025.
Joseph C. Jackson, Administrator of the Estate of Barbara Ann Miller Jackson c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916
Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JANICE HEAD KORNEGAY
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Janice Head
Kornegay, deceased, of Duplin County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 16th day of February, 2025.
Donnell Edwin Kornegay, Jr. Executor of the Estate of Janice Head Kornegay c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025
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the SPECTATOR
The Wayne Country Day Swin Team competed — and had a little fun in the pool, too.
PHOTOS BY CASEY MOZINGO
Congratulations to the BEST team in NORTH CAROLINA!
The Wayne County Clerk’s Office was one of only six offices in the state to achieve an “Effective” audit opinion for our internal audit — the highest opinion given, which indicates excellence in minimizing potential risks.
I feel so blessed to work with all of you.
Thank you for helping Wayne County shine!
Sending you love and best wishes as we take on this new year together as a community!
Julie Whitfield, Wayne County Clerk of Court
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