Wayne Week — Jan. 11, 2026

NEWTON’S LAW OF “SABOTAGE” Janurary 11, 2026

Mount Olive Mayor Jerome Newton said he and the Town Board could have fixed what ails the municipality during his first term — but that commissioners intentionally kept the town on the wrong path to make him look bad. BY KEN FINE / P.14

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CONTENTS JANUARY 11, 2026 Volume 3, Issue 23

NEWOLDNORTH .CO M

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

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Melissa Hamilton

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4 YMCA is, again, on the brink

According to an email sent to members and supporters of the Goldsboro Family YMCA, in order to avoid closure, the organization needs $700,000 — and fast.

6 Land deal points to more news

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners approved holding a public hearing that will give local residents the opportunity to weigh in on a $1.2 million land deal associated with "Project Light."

8 Gurley gives Winders update

Last year, Wayne County Commissioner Chris Gurley said it would take 60 days to rectify the fact that the late Sheriff Carey Winders' name had been removed from the sign in front of the county's new detention center. Tuesday, he gave an update on what he hopes will be a lasting memorial.

11 Our take

In our view, the $700,000 the Goldsboro Family YMCA says it needs in the near future to avoid closure is not going to be raised in time, so it is time for local leaders to join forces to create a public-private partnership.

14 Cover story © 2026 NEW OLD NORTH MEDIA LLC All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission.

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The Mount Olive Town Board agreed to pursue a private firm to complete the "forensic audit" Mayor Jerome Newton asked the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor to perform, but it was Newton's lengthy statement at the beginning of the Jan. 5 meeting that had town residents buzzing.

22 Public Notices

COVER DESIGN BY SHAN STUMPF newoldnorth.com

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NE WS +VIEWS

YMCA needs $700,000 to remain open

An email sent “on behalf of the Goldsboro Family YMCA Board of Directors” to the organization’s members and supporters painted a grim picture.

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BY RENEE CAREY

ore than six months after the Goldsboro Family YMCA lost its chief executive officer — and a $2 million land deal that was supposed to save it from financial ruin fell through — leaders from the organization have seemingly presented its members with a grim reality.

If $700,000 is not raised in short order, the facility will close.

That reality was delivered, via email, “on behalf of the Goldsboro Family YMCA Board of Directors” by Dr. Joe Ponzi and Chamber of Commerce President Todd Walker.

And the message, which was obtained by Wayne Week, was clear.

“Immediate support is essential to ensure we can remain open at a time when our community needs us the most,” it states.

The money, they said, would be used to “close immediate budget gaps” — and to “stabilize operations, ensure member safety, repair and upgrade essential pool systems, update high-use facility areas, and preserve our community hub.”

But the news of a potential near-future closure was not the only blow to an organization that has been a fixture in Wayne County since it was opened in August 1984.

The president of one of its biggest donors replied to the email, telling the Y board that it would be “very difficult for us to expand or even maintain our historic level of giving” — and that his belief was that “other employers are facing similar financial pressures.”

So, just where the nearly three quarters of a million dollars will come from remains unclear.

As detailed in previous editions of Wayne Week, including Part One of the paper’s two-edition “Year in Review” package, the Goldsboro Family Y has been in a spiral for years.

In fact, Mark Pritchett, the CEO who resigned more than six months ago, said the Y had been operating at a loss for several years, that the organization had not had a formal budget during much of that time, that members of the organization’s executive board had floated the Y more than $300,000 to cover payroll and other expenses, and without the land deal that would ultimately fall through, the Y would fold.

“I don’t think it’s overdramatizing to say that,” he said.

Note: In the interest of transparency, the email sent to Y members and supporters is included in this package. n

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Another economic development announcement on the horizon?

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will soon conduct a public hearing regarding the potential sale of more than $1 million worth of land at ParkEast Industrial Park.

BY KEN FINE

T

he Wayne County Development Alliance would not comment on the details of what a member of its executive board called an “ongoing economic development project,” but word of the potential sale of more than 30 acres at the ParkEast Industrial Park for what county leaders called “Project Light” raised more than a few eyebrows across the community Tuesday.

The news dropped during the Wayne County Commissioners’ pre-meeting work session, when County Manager Chip Crumpler asked that the board’s agenda be amended to include approval of a public hearing at which residents could weigh in on the proposed sale of 31.4 acres at ParkEast for $40,000 apiece.

That — a $1.256 million land deal — in and of itself would be a victory for what has become a Chris Boyette red-hot county government.

But given the fact that one of the biggest economic development announcements in the community’s history involved a 32-acre site at ParkEast, some believe another historic year is ahead.

Still, as is the case with the vast majority of economic development deals, the official word is, as of today, no word at all.

“This is an ongoing economic development project, so there will be no comment at this time,” said Goldsboro City Councilman and WCDA executive committee member Chris Boyette.

But while just what “Project Light” is remains unclear, Boyette was among those who, after a record-breaking year for economic development in 2025, forecasted a promising 2026 and beyond.

“I think people are going to be blown away 6

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by what Wayne County has coming down the pike,” Boyette told Wayne Week last year.

“We’re going to be a powerhouse.”

The first announcement came in early May. A $140 million investment in Wayne County was being made by Prolec-GE Waukesha — an expansion that would create more than 300 jobs that would carry an average salary of more than $70,000 a year.

Then, a few weeks later, Pelsan Tekstil, a Turkish company that makes breathable polyethylene films for the medical, hygiene, and insulation sectors, announced it would soon be making an $82 million capital investment in Goldsboro of its own — one that would see the creation of another 216 jobs.

Six months after that, Gov. Josh Stein said two state-supported projects would generate another 38 new jobs in the community and see more than $1.1 million invested here.

And like Boyette, State Rep. John Bell was among those who said that thanks to the work of everyone from Wayne County Public Schools leaders and Wayne Community College staff to elected officials on both the county board and City Council who are making decisions with the future in mind, the county he serves was poised for greatness.

“There are a lot of success stories that I think people really should be celebrating,” he said in December. “And there’s more to come.”

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.

Should more details about Project Light come to the fore, they will be released in a future edition of Wayne Week. n

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Gurley gives update on Winders tribute

Wayne County Commissioner Chris Gurley said, a few days after a Wayne Week cover story detailed residents’ outrage over the fact that the late Sheriff Carey Winders’ name had been removed from a sign in front of the new jail, that a resolution would come within 60 days.

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BY KEN FINE

H

e told the community to give him 60 days — that he understood that people were upset that the late Sheriff Carey Winders’ name had been removed from the sign along William Street in front of the county’s new detention center; that the changes made were in no way meant as a slight to the beloved lawman’s memory.

But Wayne County Commissioner Chris Gurley also said he and his fellow board members wanted the tribute he claimed they had been planning since before a Nov. 2 Wayne Week cover story detailed local residents’ outrage over the sign change to be a “surprise” for the Winders family.

Fast-forward to Tuesday.

Gurley, during the commissioners comment period at the board’s Jan. 6 meeting, gave an update on what he envisions the new tribute to look like.

And he flashed it up for the audience — and the camera broadcasting the meeting — “so y’all don’t think I’m lying to you.”

“A couple of months ago, we had some discussion about Sheriff Winders and this, that, and the other. My intentions were … to try to get it done in 60 days. Well, as you’ve heard this morning, when you get government involved, things happen just a little bit slower,” he said. “We’re getting

quotes on the signage and the letters. So, it may not look exactly like this on the thing, but that’s what we’re proposing. It may have the badge. It may not. It may just have the letters.”

(A photograph of the rendering is included in this package.)

Gurley also said he met Facility Services Director Kendall Lee at the detention center to determine whether the current letters on the side of the building that spell out Winders’ name could be moved.

“Those letters cannot be removed without possibly damaging the building and those letters cannot be used again,” Gurley said.

And he revealed that his hope was to have the new memorial in place by the end of this month, but that his preferred timeline was, at this point, looking unlikely.

“My intentions were to try to have this put in and dedicated on the anniversary of the day he passed away, the 24th of January,” Gurley said. “But that’s obviously not gonna happen.”

In addition to the sign, the commissioner said the plan also includes a tribute inside “the visitors side of the jail.”

But just what will happen — and when — will, now, have to be recommended by the Facilities Committee and formally approved by the board. n

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Continued on page 12

{ our TAKE }

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THE HARD TRUTH

surprising message went out to the supporters of the Goldsboro Family YMCA in recent days.

Without an infusion of about $700,000 — immediately — the YMCA would not be able to complete the building improvements and manage the operating expenses necessary to remain open.

That’s right.

The Goldsboro Family YMCA is issuing a call for a last-minute save, without which the organization would be no more.

This development is hardly surprising.

Last year, we told you about the Y’s dire financial circumstances and the then-executive director’s efforts to find a solution.

In fact, the situation was so bad that some angels on the YMCA’s board actually floated the organization several hundred thousand dollars to keep going.

Since then, there was the possibility of a sale of some of the YMCA’s donated property — a transaction that would have given the community organization the cushion it needed to get back on its feet.

And there were also calls for other people to get involved — perhaps local organizations and corporations with big bank accounts and hearts.

Then, a local community hero known for helping organizations that need a new direction, even offered his services to get the YMCA back in the black.

But he was scared off because the Y had no budget and few answers for why.

So, it seems it was all to no avail.

The property sale fell through, and there were no meaningful steps taken to create the partnerships the YMCA needed to make a comeback.

And now we are here, with an email and what seems like an ultimatum: Help us find the money or we will have to close our doors.

We understand that the realities of budget needs and revenue are absolute.

The YMCA needs an investment to get the facilities back to a marketable and modern condition, and that doesn’t happen without a grant, a revenue source, a gift, or crowdfunding.

And without those upgrades, which would allow the Y to compete for some of the fitness traffic that abounds in Goldsboro and around the area, there would be no way to get the membership signups that are needed to meet operational needs.

But here’s the sad truth.

We don’t think there is going to be a $700,000 windfall for the Goldsboro Family YMCA. To expect that kind of money to magically appear is a bit of a fantasy — especially considering the strains of this time of year and an economy that is still trying to shake off the doldrums.

But there is way to save the organization and to set it on course for a new chapter.

But first, let’s touch briefly on why we should.

The YMCA is a community gathering place.

From swim meets and exercise classes to rooms where local groups can meet and make memories, it is truly a benefit for all ages.

It is a diamond in the rough really — a place that could offer recreational facilities for people from all walks of life and contribute significantly to making this community healthier.

It would be positive in another way, too.

When business and residential investors are looking for a new community to call home, they often look at offerings just like this.

Want to know what happens when you create something people want to see?

Just look at what has been wrought in downtown Goldsboro.

Amenities like these matter to developers, to CEOs and to U.S. Air Force big shots.

To that end, saving the Y has real and measurable benefits for the future of Wayne County.

So, if we agree there is a value in finding a way to prevent this loss, what will it take to get there?

It is time for the YMCA board to admit a hard truth.

They have done all they can do.

Moving forward, the Y has to think outside of the box.

And so, too, do the community leaders who really might be able to come up with a plan to save it.

Local businesses and government organiza-

tions could form a partnership to provide the funds to get the organization back on track, and benefit by having a facility and perk to offer their own employees.

It is a win-win, really.

When potential employees are looking for somewhere to work, they look for little things like this — amenities that make a community seem more like home.

And the Goldsboro Family YMCA could be just that sort of gift.

The road will not be easy, and this will not be finished in an afternoon.

But with the right planning, leadership, and support, a real gem could be created right here in Goldsboro.

Just imagine the programs and the opportunities.

But as with any bit of bad news, there has to be a warning.

Dumping a bunch of money into the Goldsboro Family YMCA without the right stewardship and plan for maintenance and moving forward will only delay the inevitable.

Without a qualified and ambitious leader, and a group of people dedicated to seeing the project through, there is no going forward.

So, we hope local business and community leaders and movers and shakers will start trying to create just such a partnership and that there will be a plan in place for the Y soon.

It sure could be a great addition to an already-on-the-move community. n newoldnorth.com

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IT'S ABOUT CAREY, NOT POLITICS

t is no secret how we feel about the late Sheriff Carey Winders.

So, when we heard that the county’s detention center was going to be named for him, we were more than pleased. We felt, at the very least, he deserved that memorial.

And when earlier this year we heard from the community that his name had been removed from the sign along William Street, we investigated — immediately.

Well, it turns out our sources were right.

So, we wrote about it.

And now, it looks like the wrong will be righted.

But keep this in mind.

After decades in this business, we have developed a Spidey sense — also known as a healthy dose of suspicion when it comes to the workings of politics or, to put it more crudely, a B.S. meter.

We have learned that when there is smoke, there is almost always fire.

And because there is an upcoming sheriff’s race, we are already hyper-vigilant — especially in light of the recent shenanigans, and shocking federal indictments and guilty pleas related to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

With that said, we have no reason to suspect that Sheriff Larry Pierce had any part in the decision to move that sign.

All we know is that one county commissioner, Chris Gurley, when asked what the deal was, said that there was nothing untoward going on.

The board, he told the community, had big plans to honor Winders.

And Tuesday, just more than two months after our cover story hit the press, we got a sneak peek at Gurley’s plan.

We don’t know if it will, in fact, come to fruition.

It still has to go through committee — and earn the votes of a majority of members of the board.

But we do know one thing for certain.

Nobody is going to allow Winders to be pushed aside to make room for someone else — even though his wonderful family has been respectfully quiet during this whole ordeal.

The sheriff was honored because of his down-home, honest, and respectful treatment of everyone whom he encountered, and his steadfast determination to do what was necessary to keep his county safe.

It is why he is remembered so fondly, and why we, and many others, will demand that a memorial happen and remain for generations to come.

But since we are on the subject, let’s talk about the upcoming sheriff’s race.

We hope there were no political shenanigans going on related to the mysterious moving of the sign.

We also hope that nobody is trying to play politics with the memory of our beloved former sheriff.

And as we prepare to pick a top law enforcement officer for the county — the winner will, if history means anything, be picked in March during the Republican primary — we think there are more than a few factors to consider.

The first, and most important, is accountability.

It matters who is watching what is going on in a department and whom that chief executive trusts to run his operations.

That judgment is critical, especially when it comes to instilling the respect that is necessary when you seek to enlist the help of community members in keeping the peace.

In other words, we have to know that the person charged with directing law enforcement is above reproach, has good instincts and associates, and that justice will be meted out without prejudice.

So, accept nothing less.

And think about this: “What would Carey Winders do?”

That should give you your answer long before you step inside the voting booth. n

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Mount Olive Mayor Jerome Newton said he and the Town Board could have fixed what ails the municipality during his first term — but that commissioners intentionally put the town on the wrong path to make him look bad.

NEWTON ’ S LAW “ ”” OF SABOTAGE

A

BY KEN FINE

defiant Mayor Jerome Newton kicked off the new year in Mount Olive by launching, at the onset of the Town Board’s Jan. 5 meeting, into a lengthy defense of his record — and, in the process, attacking former commissioners, questioning the motives of the town’s deceased former town manager, and inferring the current town attorney was part of a conspiracy to “keep me from succeeding.”

And while he did take a brief moment to remind town residents that in the new year, they had “an opportunity to make a difference,” his tone was, mostly, a dark one.

He said that in a perfect world, a mayor “should be able to produce the right energy to bring the council together to accomplish the mission,” but excoriated the former board for what he characterized as “underhandedness,” “shadiness,” and sabotage.”

“Certain commissioners decided they did not want the mayor to succeed. Therefore, they wanted the mayor to fail,” Newton said. “They set up roadblocks.

Their intent was to ensure the mayor did not get a second term.”

And that, he claimed, was evident within hours of his election in 2023.

“As soon as I won the election a commissioner said to me, ‘You don’t have my support. We don’t trust you. We don’t respect you,’” Newton said.

And in his view, their behavior for the two years that Continued on page 16

newoldnorth.com

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others would resign in a show of solidarity.

According to Turner, the lack of a board was problematic for a number of reasons, including the fact that in order to pay its bills, checks from the Housing Authority required two signatures.

One of those signatures must, he said, be either that of the board’s chair or vice chair, and after the Sept. 16 meeting, the organization had neither.

It is unclear how, since that time, the Housing Authority has been able to function, but Newton has had the authority to appoint new board members for the last three months.

Monday, at last, he swore in four residents.

Pernell Bricky, Ed Fennell, Donna Price, and Sadio Sykes will serve five-year terms.

Continued from page 15

followed proved it was more than just talk.

Newton claimed the board’s majority “met behind closed doors to strategize” against him and even resorted to threatening staff to ensure they did not aid him in “fixing” Mount Olive.

“The town manager told department heads and staff not to communicate with me,” the mayor said. “The former town manager was threatened and told not to support me.”

But that former manager, the late Jammie Royall, is no longer alive to defend himself.

And members of the board’s majority Newton seemed to be implicating in wrongdoing were not present Monday either.

Only Carroll Turner, Mount Olive’s longtime attorney, was subjected to an in-person tongue-lashing.

“The town attorney hid things from me,” Newton said. “The town attorney was also directed to keep things from me — and he did. All to keep me from succeeding.”

Turner, when asked by Wayne Week Tuesday whether he had any interest in responding, took the high road, saying only that he had served the town “for many, many years” because “I love Mount Olive.”

Newton disagrees.

In his view, none of those he took to task cared about the town.

If they did, they would have wanted to be a part of setting the embattled municipality on a new course.

“They should have been concerned about the problems facing this town. And some of them were part of the problem. People want to know why we didn’t succeed. They want to put the blame on the mayor. But the mayor can only do what he can do if he has five commissioners,” Newton said. “The mayor does not have absolute power … and without the support of the board, not much can be accomplished. So, what you have today in Mount Olive is because no success was supposed to take place during my tenure as mayor. What we could have fixed, we did not because it would have appeared the mayor would get the credit. It was their intent to make me look incompetent so I would not be re-elected.”

The mayor’s diatribe was not the only thing that unfolded at what ended up being a consequential first meeting of the year for the newly elected board.

FORENSIC AUDIT

More than five months after Newton wrote a letter to State Auditor Dave Boliek — a note requesting that the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor return to Mount Olive to complete a “forensic audit” of Town Hall 16

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TABLED

Two items that are likely to generate debate were tabled because board members, and Newton, did not have an appetite for a meeting that ran too long.

In fact, the mayor said, at the end of the Monday session, that his goal was to ensure board meetings lasted no more than an hour.

The “non action memo” items that were held over to the next session include:

The town attorney was also directed to keep things from me — and he did. All to keep me from succeeding.

operations — Commissioner Delreese Simmons said it was time for the board to take matters into its own hands.

So, he asked that a measure authorizing Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland to seek recommendations for a private company to complete the task be added to the meeting agenda.

It was.

And despite reservations expressed by Turner, who told the board that the price tag for a deep dive into years of the town’s financial records could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, commissioners backed the move.

HOUSING AUHTORITY, AT LAST, HAS A BOARD

Back in September, a battle between Newton and Mount Olive Housing Authority Board Vice Chairman Brent Heath went public after the mayor seemingly violated North Carolina General Statute by removing Heath from his position without due process.

What Newton did not know was removing Heath would start a chain reaction that would, by the board’s Sept. 16 meeting, leave it with only one member — that the

• The board is poised to discuss potentially naming Town Hall after former Town Manager Jammie Royall.

Royall was fired by the board Jan. 13 — a move that set off accusations of racism and was lampooned by Newton, who protested the fact that he was unable to attend the meeting at which the decision to terminate Royall was made by then-commissioners Barbara Kornegay, Danny Keel, and Tommy Brown.

And Simmons, who is now Mount Olive’s Mayor Pro Tem, criticized the move, too, claiming “a certain commissioner” wants to “run this town” and that Royall was fired because he wasn’t going to be “the boy they wanted.”

The former manager died later that year.

• The board is poised to discuss amending the town charter to four-year non-staggered terms for elected officials.

Currently, elections are held for commissioner seats and mayor every two years.

MORATORIUM MEETINGS

She gave a presentation Monday for the benefit of newly elected members of the board, but Jan. 12, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Project Manager Caroline Bari will host two “informational” meetings at Town Hall to detail, for local residents, issues related to the moratorium.

Those sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. n Mount Olive Our Take on page 18

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{ our TAKE }

I

NO TIME FOR GRIPING

t’s a new year in Mount Olive.

There are new town board members and a mayor with another term.

And, unfortunately, there is a whole lot of drama, again.

Mayor Jerome Newton started off 2026 with a “rant” about how nothing that occurred under his watch the last time was his fault.

It took quite a while to run through all the reasons.

Newton emphatically denied that he could have done anything to effect change in Mount Olive because he had no real power.

He said he was blocked in every way by the board, and that everyone, from those same board members to the current town attorney, were determined to see him fail.

He said he did not have the information he needed.

He also said some board members were openly hostile to him and told him — to his face — that they did not support him.

We will address some of that in a minute.

But before we do, let’s just say this: Newton was right about one thing he said.

Mount Olive does have a great deal of potential to become an area that could attract 18

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business and residential investment.

And more importantly, it is a place full of good people who are committed to their community — and they certainly deserve better than they have gotten over the last decade or two.

And that includes finding out, as one member of the town board put it, exactly what went so very wrong and who needs to be held accountable for the mistakes that were made.

We have already talked about all of that with you.

And the situation really is dire.

There are serious problems with wastewater — and it seems very likely that the warnings from the state to fix it, or else, have fallen on deaf ears.

The one thing we know for sure is that the orders from state officials to not allow any further strain on the town’s current system have not been heeded.

And we also know that state officials are not just going to look the other way.

Then there is that pesky little problem with the airport — and the fact that no one really seems to know who was contractually obligated to pay what or where the

money has gone.

When you are faced with a crisis of this magnitude, there is always a reluctance to take full responsibility for its genus — or its resolution.

And this is a pretty gargantuan crisis.

Newton isn’t the one who got Mount Olive here.

But as we have said before, while he might be a nice guy, he is not the person who can get the town back to square.

And if voters had had another choice, he might not even be where he is right now.

But they didn’t, save a last-minute write-in candidate, and elections have consequences.

Nope, Newton couldn’t fix anything without the cooperation of board members.

And yes, it is somewhat interesting that so many of them decided to fly the coop.

And yes, Newton also really did not have a qualified town manager — and still doesn’t.

In fact, one of the best qualities Glenn Holland has exhibited over the last few months is honesty.

He has come right out and said that the town needs someone else in that role.

But not completing searches for a new

town manager has consequences, too.

So, that brings us back to the mayor’s rant about how he was not given a fair shake.

He is probably right.

But the truth is — the hard truth that no one really wants to say — is that this problem is not one that can be solved by a man with little to no experience in a mayor’s seat.

So, that means Newton and the members of the town board have to face a real hard fact.

They need professional, unbiased, and non-local help.

So, while Newton might think it is OK to propose that the board drops a few hundred thousand dollars on a private audit of the city’s financial problems, the truth is that the state auditor is the one who should be looking closely at those numbers and dissecting who knew what and did what.

The preliminary examination by Dave Boliek’s office of just a few of those budget red flags has shown some damming findings.

There are likely many more to uncover.

But it will take someone with a dispassionate and critical eye to make sure that the residents and the board get the anContinued on page 20

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Continued from page 18

swers they need to make the best decisions for their community.

No outside influences or pressures and no vested interest in the outcome of the examination.

And while Newton might want a chance to “straighten things out” and to stick with his interim town manager, the truth is that some help from the Local Government Commission is critical.

This town’s financial situation — and its wastewater concerns — are serious problems.

Holland cannot handle the intricate work that is necessary to figure that out.

And no, neither can Newton.

It is not an insult.

It is a fact.

Mount Olive’s chance to unravel the mess by itself expired years ago.

Without immediate action on the wastewater treatment concerns, and addressing the violations of the moratorium, Mount Olive could be facing some serious state consequences.

And that will be a bill the taxpayers will have to bear.

And there will be no growth or state grants or investment until those problems are addressed.

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So, the time for waiting for a miracle is over.

The work has to be done now.

We have been here before, many times.

Goldsboro, Pikeville, Eureka, and Wayne County Public Schools, have all faced serious crises that had to be dealt with.

And we have also seen some significant victories.

But what all of those positive steps forward had in common is that the journey began with an honest and sometimes brutal evaluation of where the town/city/ district was — and the hard decisions that had to be made to get it out of the ditch.

No politics.

No backbiting.

No whining, like Newton just did, about how unfair it all was.

Just a brass tack, critical analysis of how they got there.

Then, with a few tough decisions and a whole lot of good personnel choices, progress was made.

Mount Olive did not get here overnight.

And its problems will not be solved overnight either.

But the first step is not a bunch of bruised ego backtalk from the town’s leader — or crawling back into the secrecy and back-door deals that allowed all this to happen in the first place.

Perhaps Newton has got all of that venom and “it’s not fair” ranting out of his system and is ready to be the leader that Mount Olive needs and do what is necessary to clean up the mess.

It is the only way Mount Olive taxpayers can get the answers they deserve.

And then, the community and its new council can get about finding out who really needs to be held accountable.

Information and honest analysis are what are needed here.

That’s how you help get Mount Olive back on track and give the voters who elected you the leadership they deserve.

But just when you thought 2026 was going to be another year of the same old same old, there was a surprise in the Wayne County Courthouse.

The Board of Commissioners — specifically the Republicans on the board — were faced with the task of filling a seat left vacant because of the death of longtime commissioner Wayne Aycock.

But they did not rant and rave like the Mount Olive mayor.

They did not pull a political fast one.

They did what was best for the community they represent — appointing Dr. Joe Democko, a former member of the Wayne County Board of Education, as the man to

fill the seat until voters get to make their own decision in November.

They could have gone down a different road.

They could have picked one of the candidates running for the GOP’s position on the ballot, setting one of them up to run as an incumbent and throwing support at one over the other.

But they didn’t.

They decided Republican primary voters should choose whom they want to see on that November ticket.

It seemed like a no-brainer, really.

But more often than not, an appointment like this is an opportunity to swing a potential outcome one way or the other.

And it is not easy to resist the temptation, but the commissioners did.

And it was a nice moment, the morning after another gut punch in Mount Olive.

Democko is no stranger to tough decisions and setting a course for improvement and progress.

He is a good pick, and we look forward to seeing the contributions he will make to the board.

But until then, we can be proud that we have a county commission that was thinking about what the right thing was to do.

Let’s just hope the leader of the distressed town to the south was taking notes. n

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NO T ICE S NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF EZRAIL SIMPSON JR.

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Ezrail Simpson Jr., Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before March 21, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 21st day of December, 2025.

Kimberly Simpson, Executor of the Estate of Ezrail Simpson Jr. 1543 Pineview Cemetery Road Seven Springs, NC 28578 Published December 21, 2025, December 28, 2025, January 4, 2026, and January 11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF JAMES WALTER CREEL

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of James Walter Creel, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before March 21, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 21st day of December, 2025.

Galen Curtis Creel, Executor of the Estate of James Walter Creel 4733 N.C. Highway 111 South Seven Springs, NC 28578 Published December 21, 2025, December 28, 2025, January 4, 2026, and January 11, 2026

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF GEORGE WAYNE AYCOCK, JR.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF MARY MAXINE SUGGS

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against George Wayne Aycock, Jr., deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 23rd day of March, 2026, 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 21st day of December, 2025.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Mary Maxine Suggs, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of April, 2026, 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 4th day of January, 2026.

Meredith Jan Peters, Executor of the Estate of George Wayne Aycock, Jr. 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

Gwendolyn Pate, Executor of the Estate of Mary Maxine Suggs 974 Hinnant Road Pikeville, North Carolina 27863

Published December 21, 2025, December 28, 2025, January 4, 2026, and January 11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JOHN F. WILLIAMSON, JR.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against John F. Williamson, Jr., deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of March, 2026, 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 28th day of December, 2025.

Natalie K. Williamson, Executor of the Estate of John F. Williamson, Jr. 1705 East Elm Street Goldsboro, NC 27530 Published December 28, 2025, January 4, 2026, January 11, 2026, and January 18, 2025

Published January 4, 2026, January 11, 2026, January 18, 2026, and January 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF NINA STROUD ROUSE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Nina Stroud Rouse, late of Wayne County, NC, the undersigned hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned c/o Atty. John E. Ryan III, PO Box 569, Mount Olive, NC 28365, on or before the 4th day of April 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said estate shall make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 4th day of January 2026.

Robert Rouse Executor of the Estate of Nina Stroud Rouse c/o Atty. John E. Ryan III PO Box 569 Mount Olive, NC 28365 Published January 4, 2026, January 11, 2026, January 18, 2026, and January 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF MARJORIE L. BLIZZARD

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Majorie L. Blizzard, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before April 4, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 4th day of January, 2026.

Jeff C. Blizzard Executor of the Estate of Marjorie L. Blizzard 4914 Richardson Drive Wilmington, NC 28405 Published January 4, 2026, January 11, 2026, January 18, 2026, and January 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF BETTY BELL

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Betty Bell, deceased, late of Wayne County, NC, all persons having claims against the estate must present them, duly verified, to the undersigned by April 15, 2026, or the claims will be barred. All persons indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.

This 11th day of January, 2026.

Pamela Jones Administrator of the Estate of Betty Bell 100 Orpington Landing Pikeville, NC 27863 January 11, 2026, January 18, 2026, January 25, 2026, and February 1, 2026

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JERICHO FA R M S

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