Wayne Week — July 20, 2025

Wayne

WEEK J U LY 2 0 , 2 0 2 5

THE

CHOICE

IS IN YOUR HANDS

SEVERAL NEWCOMERS HAVE THROWN THEIR NAMES INTO THE HAT FOR RACES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY — INCLUDING IN EMBATTLED PIKEVILLE AND MOUNT OLIVE.

BY KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY / p. 10

2

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

CONTENTS JULY 20, 2025 Volume 2, Issue 48

NEWOLDNORTH .CO M

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

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Melissa Hamilton ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS EDITORS

kfine@newoldnorth.com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

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

4 Opioid funds allocated

Wayne County Commissioners approved $2.7 million to be allocated to organizations battling the opioid epidemic.

6 Funding freeze would hit WCPS According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Wayne County Public Schools stands to lose nearly $2 million as a result of a federal funding freeze initiated by the U.S. Department of Education.

7 House, Senate NDAAs are out Despite the efforts of local military advocates, the House and Senate versions of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act do not protect the 4th Fighter Wing's fleet through the end of 2029.

10 November contests nearly set

After Wayne Week went to press, there was still a full day for hopefuls to file for the 2025 November election. But based on who has filed — and for what — there is already plenty to talk about.

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WAYNE WEEK (ISSN 2993-9666) is published weekly — except the week of Christmas, Easter, and July 4 — for $125 per year by New Old North Media, LLC, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC, 27530. Periodicals postage paid at at Goldsboro, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAYNE WEEK, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

14 Purple Heart banquet scheduled When the community gathers to honor those who have received the Purple Heart, one prominent veteran will be absent. But nearly 10 years after his death, William "Bill" Carr's legacy remains.

20 Public Notices

COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY SHAN STUMPF

newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 3

NEWS +VIEWS

County OKs $2.7 million to fight opioids Leaders have chosen the recipients of opioid settlement funds.

BY KEN FINE

A

new Wayne County Sheriff ’s Office “juvenile detective” who will work directly with Wayne County Public Schools staff.

Expanded services for incarcerated addicts — and those who work to reunify families impacted by opioids.

Places to stay, and rehabilitate, for members of the Wayne County homeless population who are battling addiction.

Mental health services.

An identification and screening process for students impacted by the opioid epidemic.

More Narcan kits.

And a strengthened “Juvenile Intervention Team” that will try to reach local youths before they get involved with gangs and drugs.

The Wayne County Board of Commissioners has decided how it will allocate this year’s portion of its cut of national opioid settlement funds that made their way to local coffers thanks to a 2021 agreement that resolved the claims of state and local governments across the U.S. — including nearly 4,000 that had filed lawsuits against Cardinal, McKes4

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

son, and AmerisourceBergen, the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors, and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids.

This year, more than $2.7 million is being allocated across 10 organizations that are running programs that are supposed to make progress on several “strategies” — early intervention, recovery support services, evidence-based addiction treatment, naloxone distribution, and addiction treatment for incarcerated persons.

They include: WAYNE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE $406,032 ($135,344 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Early Intervention • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or activity: Retaining a full-time Juvenile Detective to maintain collaborative relations already established with School Resource Officers and Wayne County Public Schools. Additionally,

retaining a full-time Drug/Gang Curriculum Instructor to strengthen the Juvenile Intervention Team to allow for prevention education to all 5th-grade students within Wayne County Public Schools and expand into private and charter schools within Wayne County.

WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS $485,139 ($161,713 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Early Intervention • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of program, project, or activity: Wayne County Public Schools will implement a comprehensive identification and screening process for students impacted by the opioid epidemic through collaboration with district counselors, 0-5 childcare administrators, PreK-12 EC general education educators, and health professionals. This program will also expand district capacity to provide mental health, special education, and trauma-informed support tailored to affected students, especially those at the earliest levels.

HOPE CENTER MINISTRIES $440,496 ($146,832 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Recovery Support Services • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or activity: Hope Center Ministries will expand and enhance recovery services across Wayne County, focusing on programming at the Goldsboro Family Life Center and augmenting existing services at the Pikeville Women’s and two Goldsboro Men’s Centers. The expanded programming will focus on family reunification, community outreach, on-site probation and parole meetings, and educational programs for residents, graduates, and their families.

FOUR-DAY MOVEMENT: $150,000 • Name of strategy: Recovery Support Services • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or

ESTIMATED PAYMENT BREAKDOWN

The following, which was provided by the North Carolina Department of Justice, reflects the estimated annual payment breakdown to Wayne County: 2022-23:

$810,467

2028-29:

$757,379

2034-35:

$462,539

2023-24: $1,716,071

2029-30:

$787,825

2035-36:

$462,539

2024-25:

$815,159

2030-31:

$699,273

2036-37:

$382,518

2025-26:

$907,384

2031-32:

$646,741

2037-38:

$276,431

2026-27:

$711,419

2032-33:

$592,096

2038-39:

$276,431

2027-28:

$537,936

2033-34:

$462,539

activity: The non-profit corporation Four Day Movement, Inc., through its “PORTAL” program, will provide temporary supportive housing and wraparound services to vulnerable populations in Wayne County, overcoming homelessness and displacement. Included in the vulnerable populations will be clients who want to overcome substance misuse, including opioids, and clients who are re-entering society after incarceration.

ATS OF NORTH CAROLINA $75,000 ($25,000 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or activity: ATS of North Carolina, LLC (dba Goldsboro Comprehensive Treatment Center) will provide Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to underinsured or uninsured residents of Wayne County who would otherwise be unable to start or stay in treatment. ATS specializes in treating individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The facility offers all three FDA-approved OUD medications, including Methadone, Buprenorphine, Buprenorphine/Naloxone, Sublocade, and Vivitrol, tailoring treatment to each individual’s recovery needs. ATS will also provide financial assistance to bridge gaps in covering balances when insurance falls short. This support continues until insurance coverage is reinstated or financial status improves, serving as a last resort for funding.

WAYNE COUNTY COALTION FOR ADDICTION AND LIFE MANAGEMENT: $243,000 ($81,000 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Recovery Support Services • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028

• Description of the program, project, or activity: Wayne County Coalition for Addiction and Life Management (CALM) provides contract services for a Community Outreach Coordinator serving as a liaison of resource triage referral who monitors engagement with community resources, providing prevention education and care coordination as well as outreach work, mapping out appropriate outreach opportunities, performing outreach tasks within the community, assisting with providing support, and assessing immediate needs to bridge engagement with community resources.

the Wayne County Health Department will install three harm reduction vending machines to provide essential self-care supplies, reduce secondary health risks, and support recovery efforts. This will expand access to life-saving tools, reduce overdose deaths, and improve public health outcomes.

HOPE RESTORATIONS, INC.: $318,000 ($106,000 per year for three years) • Name of strategy: Re-entry Programs • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or activity: Hope Restorations, Inc. will aid individuals in recovery from addiction and/ or incarceration, fostering lasting change in the community by providing essential services such as transitional housing, recovery programs, workforce development, and housing restoration projects. The program is centered around providing training and workforce development opportunities for individuals who face significant challenges in securing gainful employment due to a record of substance abuse and/ or incarceration. This will also serve as pre-paid sponsorships and reservations for a designated number of individuals from

Wayne County. Each sponsorship covers a bed, food, toiletries, clothing, and other necessary consumables.

IMS CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE: $183,040 • Name of strategy: Addiction treatment for incarcerated persons.

• Period of time during which expenditure may take place: July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 • Description of the program, project, or activity: Wayne County will contract with its correctional healthcare provider to provide Medication-Assisted Treatment services to inmates at the Wayne County Detention Center. The provider will supply MAT clinical and administrative nursing coverage for 40 hours a week.

Ultimately, Wayne County will receive more than $11 million as part of the landmark settlement reached between pharmaceutical giants and state attorneys general.

Gov. Josh Stein, who was, at the time the lawsuit was active, the Attorney General who represented North Carolina, said he believes it is important that the opioid settlement money being used for local programs comes from those companies he said “created” and “fueled” the nation’s opioid crisis. n

CRY FREEDOM MISSIONS $10,000 • Name of strategy: Naloxone Distribution • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026 • Description of the program, project, or activity: Cry Freedom Ministries will provide harm reduction strategies by purchasing and distributing Naloxone kits to key community members and support systems, while providing the necessary training on using this lifesaving medication.

WAYNE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: $450,000 ($150,000 per year for 3 years) • Name of strategy: Recovery Support Services • Period of time during which expenditure may take place: August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028 • Description of the program, project, or activity: The Wayne County Health Department will establish a dedicated Post-Overdose Response Program, including an Overdose Program Coordinator, a Health Educator, and community agency partners, to provide immediate, coordinated outreach and support to individuals following an overdose. These efforts increase engagement and reduce the likelihood of repeat overdoses. Additionally, newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 5

Funding freeze would cost WCPS nearly $2 million District officials still won’t say which programs — and positions — will be impacted by the decision from the U.S. Department of Education to withhold, upon review, money WCPS was expecting in its coffers July 1.

BY RENEE CAREY

I

f a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Jeff Jackson does not result in the reversal of a funding freeze issued by the U.S. Department of Education, Wayne County Public Schools stands to lose nearly $2 million — money that was to be spent during the 20252026 school year.

According to data released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, WCPS can no longer rely on the following allocations: • Title I, Part C (Migrant Education Program): $201,303 • Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction): $873,515 • Title III, Part A (English Language Acquisition): $291,616 • Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment): $562,169 But because the funding was previously approved by Congress, Jackson and officials from 24 other states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Kentucky — have decided to sue the federal government in an attempt to reverse the decision.

And while WCPS officials said they were still unable to provide details about which programs and staff are in jeopardy, Gov. Josh Stein said nearly 1,000 jobs were on the line across the state — adding that the money “also provides after-school programs, supports children learning English, and helps adults learn how to read.”

“Schools are counting on these funds,” he said. “Without them, they will be left scrambling as kids return to classrooms.”

The $2 million frozen for WCPS is only part of the story, as statewide, more than $168 million in allocations remain on hold.

State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green characterized finding a swift resolution as critical.

“While the NC Department of Public Instruction respects the federal administration’s right to review programs, I must emphasize that our legal obligations to serve these students remain unchanged, and the timing creates significant and unnecessary

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

$6.6 million $8.3 million

$6.6 million $24.6 million

$24.5 million

HOW THE $6.8 BILLION NATIONWIDE FEDERAL EDUCATION CUTS WILL HURT NORTH CAROLINA BY REGION challenges for schools, community organizations, and most importantly, the children who depend on these services,” he said. “I support efforts, including this nationwide lawsuit, to resolve this situation quickly and ensure that North Carolina students receive the support they need and deserve and that our federal government agreed to provide them.”

Jackson said he, on behalf of North Carolinians, joined the lawsuit on constitutional grounds.

The following reflects a portion of the complaint. It has not been edited.

“For decades, Plaintiff States have relied upon these funds to fulfill the critical role of educating their population, including K-12 students. As Congress intended, the States have used this funding to carry out specific programs that Defendants are required by federal law to support financially, including programs for English learners and children of migratory workers; programs that promote and enhance effective classroom instruction, improve school conditions and the use of technology in the classroom; and programs that establish and expand community learning centers that offer students a broad range of opportunities for academic and extracurricular enrichment.

Defendants’ actions now jeopardize these critical programs — the loss of which has irreparably harmed and will irreparably harm the Plaintiff States, their schools, and the students and families they serve.

Defendants have engaged in this conduct

$19.7 million

$14.5 million

without any statutory or constitutional authority. Congress designed each of the Impacted Programs as a formula grant, meaning Defendants are “obliged to distribute funding [to the Plaintiff States] pursuant to a statutory formula” set by Congress so long as the States satisfy the conditions set forth under the law. City of Providence v. Barr, 954 F.3d 23, 27 (1st Cir. 2020).

Not only does Congress require that Defendants make funds available for obligation to the States, Congress, in conjunction with ED regulations, also directs the timing of when those funds should be made available.

In recognition of the need to tailor the availability of such funds to the start of the academic year, the act appropriating funding for these programs mandates that funding for the Impacted Programs “shall become available on July 1” to ED Secretary McMahon. ED’s regulations, in turn, provide that States “may begin to obligate funds on the date that the funds are first available for obligation by the Secretary.” See 34 C.F.R. § 76.703(d). Read together, then, Congress and ED’s own regulations require that these funds become available for the States on July 1, 2025. And consistent with these legal obligations, ED has for decades made funding available to the States on or about July 1 to States with approved- State plans for the Impacted Programs.

The Plaintiff States have complied with the conditions for being eligible for funding

$12.3 million

for the Impacted Programs, including submitting State plans that have been approved

by ED. Indeed, the States have received these funds, without incident, for decades, including last year. And the States thus justifiably anticipated being awarded funding on July 1, 2025, consistent with governing statutes and regulations, as well as ED’s longstanding implementation of those requirements.

That, however, did not happen. Instead, on June 30, 2025, ED sent the following boilerplate three-sentence email to the States: Given the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding for the [Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, IV-B] grant program(s), and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year. Accordingly, the Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review. The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.

In the days that followed, the Plaintiff States have learned that Defendant OMB is actively involved in this ‘review.’ The Plaintiff States also understand, on information and belief, that OMB has failed to apportion the funds for these programs to ED, thus interfering with congressional intent that States start receiving access to these funds by July 1.

None of these actions are lawful.” n

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Senate, House NDAAs do not extend prohibition on F-15E divestments

Local military advocates were hoping the proposed spending plans would include language that would protect Seymour Johnson Air Force Base’s Strike Eagle fleet through 2029.

T

BY KEN FINE

here are a few wins for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base tucked inside the Senate and House versions of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act — including $41 million to “boost” the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex and, in the Senate version, $54 million to improve the installation’s Child Development Center.

But neither chamber included, in their respective spending plans, an extension of the prohibition of F-15E divestment — a measure Friends of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base President Henry Smith said last month the group was fighting for.

The current prohibition on the retirement of Strike Eagles, which Congressman Don Davis and Sen. Ted Budd championed last year, keeps the 4th Fighter Wing’s fleet safe through the end of 2027.

Friends of Seymour, however, wants to see that pause remain intact through 2029.

The House and Senate versions of the 2026 NDAA advanced less than two weeks after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law — a sprawling piece of legislation that will see $127 million allocated to the Air Force to ensure SJAFB F-15Es are fit to fly.

Ken Gerrard, who serves as a liaison between the city and county governments, Friends of Seymour, and the consulting firm working in Washington at their behest, told Wayne Week that money was “critical” to

guaranteeing future windfalls of made their way to Goldsboro.

“You know, one of the things that has baffled me in this process is the way that the Air Force determines the amount of maintenance dollars that any one base would receive. It’s based on flying hours of the aircraft,” he said. “Well, you know, at one time Seymour was running, I don’t know, let’s say 30 or 40 sorties a day, and they’re down now to maybe less than 20.”

The reason?

The 4th Fighter Wing simply has not received the maintenance dollars it has needed to ensure its air crews are in the sky as long as they used to be.

And that, Gerrard said, is where the One Big Beautiful Bill delivered a “massive victory.”

“Because of the maintenance needs, their flying hours are not up, and so their share of the dollars, if you will, are not what they need to be, because the planes are not flying because they have some type of maintenance need,” Gerrard said. “But in order to get the funding, you have to be flying. So, it’s kind of a weird bureaucratic calculation, if you will. So, what this bill does is huge because now, that money is going to be used to keep the fighter jets in the air. We’ll have more sorties flying, and that really is a win, win. And after what we’ve been through over the last few years, we’ll take our wins where we can get them.”n

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. Wayne WEEK . 7

I

{ our TAKE }

YES, KEEP FIGHTING. BUT KEEP THE RECEIPTS. 8

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

t is a chance to right a tremendous and heart-wrenching wrong.

The settlement money distribution announced this week will bring millions of dollars to Wayne County organizations with the aim of accomplishing one very important goal — to try to stem the tide of opioid addiction.

It is a battle that has gone on for decades now, as our community and others like it across the country try to break the grip of a drug class that has wreaked havoc on families from all walks of life — and taken too many lives much too soon, before their parents or spouses or loved ones of any kind realized just how bad their addiction was.

And before we go any further, a reminder.

When we say, “all walks of life,” we mean it.

Not every person who dies of a drug overdose looks like a homeless person — at least not until it consumes them.

There are doctors, healthcare professionals, teachers, lawyers, and others who you would never, ever guess got into the pain pill vicious cycle.

You have heard the stories — and some of you, tragically, have experienced them firsthand.

There is nothing so heart-breaking as seeing a promising life destroyed by addiction.

Think about the story we told earlier this year about a missing young woman with all the potential in the world who ended up on the streets, in Goldsboro’s Tent City, and then, dead — tearing her family apart.

So, this money that will fund programs in our community represents a bittersweet victory.

It comes from a lawsuit filed against companies who, those who filed the class action say, should have warned patients and doctors of the dangers of this class of drugs.

They say these companies knew the risks — and the potential for paralyzing and vicious addiction — yet, told prescribers the opposite.

So, the pills were handed out liberally, without warning, by physicians who thought the medicine they were telling their patients about would help them battle chronic pain safely — a godsend, they said, for those who were really struggling to find a way to overcome the crippling bite of pain that nothing seemed to stop.

It was easy to get a prescription then.

And that’s how many of these sad addiction stories started.

Of course, once the pills became widespread, there were others who got into the act.

Dealers took advantage of the demand and less-than-honorable medical professionals made money off the growing number of addicts without even a remorseful glance back at the damage they caused.

Students even used the pills as a party game — a pill roulette if you will, taking a pill here or there from a medicine cabinet, not realizing what the consequences might be.

And when a smaller dose did not do the trick anymore, they sought more aggressive and expensive highs — with some eventually leading to other cheaper substances like heroin.

And you have heard those stories, too.

There were plenty in the medical and pharmaceutical communities who turned their heads when it came to the dangers of these drugs and others who took advantage of the demand and wrote hundreds and hundreds of false prescriptions to willing addicts.

But back to the money.

With it, we will once again try to take aim at the problem and its impacts here in Wayne County.

And the organizations chosen to receive the allocations have some good weapons to battle the problem — both its aftermath and before it starts.

One of the plans is to add a law enforcement component designed at nipping school problems in the bud.

The idea is to have a dedicated “juvenile detective” who will watch out for not only the potential dealer, but also the students who might become victims.

Like it or not, the key to putting an end to opioid addiction lies in stopping the access and the lure in young people.

And yes, those temptations are already active in our schools.

The drug dealer is looked on as a glamourous figure — the epitome of respect and a step toward money and legitimacy.

Many of the most vulnerable teens see the trappings of the thug-and-drug lifestyle in their communities, often in stark contrast to the poverty in subsidized housing.

Of course, it looks like the right choice — the way to make it, to finally have fancy clothes, money and a nice car to drive.

They don’t understand the real risks — and by the time they do, it is too late.

Add to that peer pressure, and you have a deadly combination.

That’s why a youth component in our battle is so important.

So, we are looking forward to what the Wayne County Sheriff ’s Office and Wayne County Public Schools will do with their funds.

We need young people to not only fear the repercussions of being caught in or around drugs, but also for them to witness the real, serious consequences that occur when recreational use becomes addiction.

Education is that key.

The allotments address other issues as well — what to do with addicts who are trying to get out, who need support as they move toward recovery.

We need housing options, as well as counselors and other support to help turn these potential tragedies into new lives.

All that is important, too.

But there is something else we need to talk about as we examine the plans for these millions of dollars.

We need to realize that sometimes, we throw money at a problem because we don’t know what else to do.

And that is where the other side of this coin comes in.

There is an industry, a profitable one, that capitalizes on the fact that we really don’t know what to do about addicts and drugs in our community.

We hear from groups who are willing to interact and to take over the work that many of us do not have the skills or the stomach to handle, so we hand them a check and move on with our lives.

We feel like we have addressed the issue, and then we leave it to these organizations to clean up the mess.

Except, they don’t.

And we hear that the problem is not only not getting better, it’s getting worse.

So, yes, the money that has been allotted this week is going to organizations with good ideas and lofty intentions.

But that is not enough.

We also need accountability.

We need to see outcomes — to see how the programs we are funding are really making a difference in Wayne County.

We need to watch closely to see what happens with this round of money.

We need to see receipts, statistics, and audits of the how the funds were used, who benefitted from the dollars, and how much of the money went to “other” services.

We need to know that promises made to have a program up and running by a certain date resulted in having a program up and running and servicing people in this community by the mutually-agreedupon deadline.

In other words, we cannot just hand over a check and then check off a box, “opioid problem handled.”

We need to do so much more if we are going to stop the carnage that has been ravaging communities like ours for years.

Words and pretty spreadsheets and a great grant presentation are just not enough anymore.

We need to see action and results.

So, we need to watch very closely to see what happens with this round of money — particularly as it relates to groups who are getting this funding for a second consecutive year.

Is it making a measurable difference?

Are people turning their lives around because of the work and the programs?

Are we seeing fewer drug arrests and overdoses?

We have to be sure this time.

And that means keeping a close eye on this money as well as future settlement distributions.

This is our chance to make a real difference. We cannot afford to squander it.

And any organization that is not willing to accept that accountability standard should be jettisoned out of the funding plan.

Show us your books, your costs, and your results, or move along.

We cannot afford to be taken advantage of — not with an issue that is this important.

Mistakes made and money wasted will mean more lives lost.

And that is not a chance we should be willing to take.

The job of turning back the clock on opioids will not be an easy one, and we will have to expect rough waters along the way.

But sitting back and watching another generation of lives lost and families destroyed is not an option either.

In other words, this settlement money is only good news if it is used effectively and responsibly.

Otherwise, it will just be another wasted opportunity to do the right thing.

And frankly, we aren’t sure how many more of these chances will come along. n

MT. OLIVE . KINSTON . MOREHEAD CITY . WENDELL . MEBANE 701 Patetown Road

l 919-734-4071 l

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. Wayne WEEK . 9

THE

CHOICE

IS IN YOUR HANDS

SEVERAL NEWCOMERS HAVE THROWN THEIR NAMES INTO THE HAT FOR RACES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY — INCLUDING IN EMBATTLED PIKEVILLE AND MOUNT OLIVE.

BY KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY 10

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

EDITOR’S NOTE The following story is accurate as of press time, but would-be candidates had all day Friday to file for seats that will be up for grabs in November.

Regardless of who files Friday, Pikeville and Mount Olive residents will have the opportunity to elect fresh faces to their respective boards this fall.

And given recent drama that has surrounded some elected officials in both towns, many have told Wayne Week they are welcoming that chance.

Here is why:

PIK E V ILL E

It has been more than a year since a several-hour audio recording of a controversial conversation Mayor Garrett Johnston had with two town residents he believed, at the time, were allies, went public, but the anger among many town residents remains.

Signs demanding Johnston’s resignation still adorn many lawns and he remains a censured leader — an action taken by the Board of Commissioners during a meeting held inside the Pikeville-Pleasant Grove Fire Department last July that was attended by more than 100 people, most of whom showed up to demand the mayor step down.

One of those residents, McKayla Alves, even told Johnston that she would help to ensure he never served the town again, even if it meant she put her name on the ballot this November.

Wednesday, she did just that.

Her concern — one shared by hundreds of her neighbors who either heard the recording or read the transcription in the June 30, 2024, edition of Wayne Week — was that Johnston’s rhetoric was both “an embarrassment” and made him “unable” and “unfit” to lead, as both Police Chief Rodney Jarman and Town Manager Tim Biggerstaff publicly excoriated him for his comments.

To date, despite validation from the people who recorded it and those, like Jarman, who have heard it in its entirety, the mayor has still not admitted to having the conversation.

In fact, he has apologized only for

In reality, none of them supported the change. “talking crap when I get frustrated.”

In fact, Bell said all of those parties were And while he said, “I do condemn taking a recording in my private home,” he refused to “concerned” by the mere suggestion of admit he said what he said — referring to the the maneuver.

“With the conversations that I’ve had, unaudio file as “alleged,” even after the police provoked, there’s a lot of people concerned chief confirmed its existence and authenticity.

Jarman, though, has said repeatedly he with what’s going on in Pikeville right now,” Bell told Wayne Week last June. “I’ve had two doesn’t need to hear Johnston’s admission. different entities approach me. One would In his view, it wouldn’t change anything.

“The damage has been done with your be the League of Municipalities and the othwords and your actions. In four hours of re- er would be the LGC. It was labeled to me as corded audio, all of which I have listened to concerns with the possibility of changing govin-depth, you undermined the hard work of so ernments and with the leadership in the town.”

But Johnston kept saying the opposite bemany for the selfishness of one,” he said last July. “I stand before the board, town staff, resi- cause doing so, according to his own words dents, and the community as a whole, not only during that recorded conversation, would alto identify a problem but to provide a solution. low him to execute “Operation Clean Sweep,” I will continue to protect you as a citizen, but I a plan that included firing nearly every employcannot serve you as a mayor. I respect the seat ee of the town.

“Just know that there is something called, ‘Opin which you sit, but not the person who sits in it. I will always do and stand for what is right eration Clean Sweep,’ that is ready to go into efin this department and this community and fect,” he said. “We can pick them off one at a time.” therefore, in unity with them, I stand and demand your resignation.”

Johnston responded.

“How many politicians take hits worse than this?” he said at that meeting. “They don’t quit.

Would you respect me for just walking away?”

And despite the fact that, in unison, dozens of people shouted, “Yes,” and broke out into thunderous applause, he has yet to step aside — and has, according to several town residents who spoke to Wayne Week for this story, suggested he would, in fact, be filing for re-election. (With one day of filing remaining, he had not done so.)

The audio recording — one that revealed the mayor made fun of an employee he said was “dyslexic” and therefore could not be trusted to “read meters,” characterized Biggerstaff as “dickless” and “spineless” before inferring there was something inappropriate about the fact that he adopted a 13-yearold boy, and attacked Jarman and the Signs like these are scattered across Pikeville.

Pikeville PD by saying the chief was a “no neck,” “big ass,” “narcissist” and the “law enforcement crowd” was “guys with daddy issues that need a badge to feel And as if that was not enough of a scanpowerful” — was only part of the Johnston saga. dal, several eyewitnesses inside Town Hall He also attempted to change the town’s form claimed the mayor accepted “two boxes full of government in a move that would have given of gifts” from a man the mayor had said would him more power.

And he claimed, inaccurately, that State bring soccer programming to the town after a Rep. John Bell and other leaders in Raleigh $400,000 soccer complex he was championing was constructed. (The man also happened were behind him.

“The UNC School of Government is backing to be Johnston’s daughter’s college coach at this. The League of Municipalities is backing Mid-Atlantic Christian University.)

Emails obtained by Wayne Week via a rethis. And the Local Government Commission cords request fulfilled by the town detailed has given us the thumbs up,” Johnston said.

how Biggerstaff reacted to what he perceived as something he was obligated to report.

At first, he reached out to Town Attorney Harry Lorello.

“I will leave out name and any details out at this point, but whom do you report or ask if there is a possible conflict of interest or ethics violation for receiving gifts from someone you are doing business with and spending a large amount of public funds on a project that greatly benefit the person giving the gifts,” Biggerstaff asked.

Lorello responded.

“Tim – thanks for asking. Can you please provide the specific details of what you or the staff witnessed?” he wrote. “You can omit the receiving party’s name at this time, but I’d need the details down to the T. This may be innocuous, or it may be very serious, it’s very fact dependent.”

Biggerstaff replied with a detailed accounting of the events that unfolded. (Note: This a word-for-word transcription of the email sent by Biggerstaff to Town Attorney Harry Lorello. It has not been edited for spelling or grammar.)

“Jim Givargis, soccer coach from Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, NC and previously known to be working with elected official on future soccer program development for Pikeville, come into the town hall on Friday, May 10 asking our clerk if the elected official was here. Wendy said no and that he doesn’t have an office in town hall. Mr. Givargis then said he had called that elected official but he didn’t answer. Mentioned he was supposed to be in Pikeville by 10am but he had gotten lost and it was now after 12. He said he had some gifts for him and asked if he could leave them here in town hall.

Wendy referred him to me in which he told me the same thing. I said he could put it in the back room. He went to his truck and brought in two boxes full of items. He told me that he was out of town for the official’s wedding anniversary so he brought the family some gifts and other items. In the box he showed me a personalized soccer ball, a cook book for official’s wife, a collectible wine bottle from the 1980 something World Cup with wine in it, a medieval style helmet for the daughter, a tshirt with the town’s name on it to be approved for future sales, and a sample of turf for the human foosball field he’s designing for the town to build in this new complex. He asked if I knew about the foosball and I said no. He was excited to tell me that he is designing it and will be one of the first one of its kind in the US and that we needed concrete or Continued on page 12

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Continued from Page 11

blacktop for this turf. He also asked to see the future storage space for his soccer supplies so I showed him the space in the concession stand.

While there, he spoke about wanting to obtain a booth at the Freedom Fireworks as his friend designs shirts and other things and maybe they could set up and sale items. On Monday, May 13th, the official came over to collect the boxes.

Myself and Wendy were away at the time. Our PT billing clerk, Monique, was here when he came to collect them. Witness to the items were Wendy Holland, Rodney Jarman, myself, and my foster son, Landon who was here for a few minutes to visit and get a drink when Mr. Givargis came by. Let me know if anything else is needed or who it should be reported to.”

North Carolina General Statue 138A-32 prohibits a “public servant” from accepting gifts for a variety of reasons. Among them are if the person giving the gift “is doing or is seeking to do business of any kind with the public servant’s employing entity” or “is engaged in activities that are regulated or controlled by the public servant’s employing entity.”

And given the fact that the coach told Biggerstaff that he was working on the soccer complex project — and several officials inside Town Hall have said Johnston has championed the coach as a future Pikeville contract employee — the mayor receiving gifts from him appeared to be a violation of state statute.

Should Johnston file for re-election Friday — the July 20th edition of Wayne Week went to press late Thursday — we will report that in next week’s edition.

Newton has confirmed that the SBI was probing “possible misconduct” among town employees, specifically Tia Best and Rashonte Pettit, both of whom worked for the Water Department.

But the Bureau has been mum since the announcement of an inquiry was made.

And the N.C. Office of the State Auditor is seemingly continuing its inquiry that began at the end of 2023, as no report of findings has been issued.

As far as race relations are concerned, Newton has expressed concern about what he characterized as major hits to the town’s reputation because of the behavior of members of the board — and said “distrust among the board members” was leading to distrust among residents.

“Our town has had some dark cover over it, for lack of better words. Decisions have been made without proper insight, foresight, and proper counsel. Some decisions have been made with-

Ongoing investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation and North Carolina Office of the State Auditor into how business is being conducted inside Town Hall are only one of the issues of concern residents are thinking about as three incumbents have yet to file for re-election.

Mayor Dr. J Jerome Newton has also suggested that racial tensions in the town are beginning to boil over, as, in his view, the timing of the decision to fire Town Manager Jammie Royall — and the way that termination unfolded — perpetuated the narrative that the town is divided along racial lines.

And Mount Olive remains under a water and sewer moratorium — an issue that, based on public comment at several recent board meetings, is at the top of residents’ minds.

Add to that the fact that the search for a new town manager has, according to Commissioner Delreese Simmons, been halted without notifying the public, and there is much to consider as fresh faces make their cases for votes.

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to be a place of racism. We don’t need that, but that’s what we’re getting. What happens if parents decide to not send their children to the University of Mount Olive because Mount Olive is a racist place? What happens when people go into the supermarket to buy pickles and they see Mt. Olive pickles and say, ‘That’s that place?’ What happens if businesses decide not to move here … because they see this place not as a place they want to be because of the climate? If we want the town to move forward, we’ve got to understand how to make decisions that are not going to reflect negatively on us. We could lose a lot. People could decide to boycott the Pickle Festival because they thought this was a racist place?”

Kornegay is not the only incumbent who had yet to file by press time.

Danny Keel and Tommy Brown’s names were also absent from the candidate list published by the Wayne County Board of Elections. n

WHO IS RUNNING?

The following is the list of people who have filed for the November 2025 election as of press time.

The names of those who filed late Thursday and Friday will be published in the July 27 edition of Wayne Week: EUREKA MAYOR • Billy Martin

PIKEVILLE MAYOR • McKayla Alves

EUREKA COMMISSSIONER • Mary Crowder • Derrick Seagle

PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER • David Matt Thomas • Randy Langston • Tim Wilson

MOUNT OLIVE MAYOR • J. Jerome Newton

MOUN T OL I VE

out the mayor’s input,” he said at a board meeting earlier this year. “The majority of citizens voted for (me) to be the mayor. That being the case, any time that the mayor is left out, the citizens are left out. The citizens are not being heard. Some of these decisions have caused some embarrassment and some unnecessary press.”

And from a comment made by Commissioner Barbara Kornegay — she has not yet filed for re-election — that Newton said enflamed racial tensions to the firing, shortly after that issue came to the fore, of the black town manager during a meeting the black mayor did not sanction or support, he said he was concerned that “the word was getting out” that Mount Olive was a racist community.

“I have gotten too many calls — some I’ve avoided — from media about statements that have been made and decisions that have been made. Many of these decisions were made without the mayor’s input,” Newton said. “We don’t need Mount Olive

MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (AT-LARGE) • Don Fairman • Harlie Junior Carmichael MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 1) • Vicky Darden • Robert King MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 2) • Delreese Simmons MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 3) • Gena Messer-Knode MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 4) • Camilla Loftin

PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER (UNEXPIRED) • Raymond Deck • William (Buddy) King SEVEN SPRINGS MAYOR • Ronda Hughes SEVEN SPRINGS COMMISSIONER • Tony Gordon • John Lee WALNUT CREEK COUNCILMAN • John Seegars • Mike Daly WAYNE — BELFAST-PATETOWN SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER • Everett Jones • Janeth Marie Cerra • Drew Hill • John Gardner • Arrington Anderson • Ben Casey • Crystal Sasser Casey

EASTERN WAYNE SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER • Ervin Watts • Daryl Anderson • Allen Jones • Richard (Ricky) Carraway, Jr. • James A. Sutton, Jr. • Brandon Gray WAYNE — FORK TOWNSHIP SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER • Reed Lewis • Andy G. Hartley • Danny Hope SOUTHEASTERN WAYNE SANITARY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER • Charlie M.B. Holloway • James A. Taylor • Bobby Ray Outlaw • Debony Jones • Davita C. Lofton • Phil Shivar • Joel Swenson • Mark McCary • Justin Williams

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Late Nights with Richard 14

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by Ken Fine

Editor’s Note: More than 15 years ago, Wayne Week editor Ken Fine began researching and writing a book on the Vietnam War — a story told through the eyes of a Wayne County veterans community giant, William “Bill” Carr. But after Carr’s death in 2016, he put the pages aside.

Then, last week, the paper was asked to publish information about the August 2 Purple Heart Luncheon — an event that will take place that Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Maxwell Center. It felt, at last, fitting to share some of Bill’s story. He was, after all, a former commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the decoration came to both haunt and define him for the decades he survived after being injured on the battlefield.

Those interested in sponsoring the event — or volunteering for or donating to it — are asked to email veterans.patriots2@gmail.com

I

first met Bill Carr in a sprawling cemetery on a cool May morning.

I can still hear a few dozen Boy Scouts giggling as they moved from grave to grave — as they identified, and marked with undersized American flags, the final resting places of those who once wore their nation’s uniform.

But it was what I didn’t hear that drew me to the man who I, years later, would count among my most trusted friends.

Bill Carr was silent as he strolled across the grounds — as he, every few moments, stopped at the foot of plot after plot and lowered his head.

He prayed without speaking.

He didn’t make a sound as he, time and time again, crisply saluted the departed.

He acknowledged the others on hand with nods instead of words.

I must have watched him for an hour before I finally, in the parking lot, mustered up enough courage to introduce myself.

“How are you, sir? My name is Ken Fine and I’m writing a story for the local paper about Memorial Day,” I said. “Would it be OK if I asked you what brought you out here today?”

The late Bill Carr, front, communicates with his radio operator during a firefight.

Bill took a deep breath and looked me over.

He was an intimidating guy — standing well over six feet with piercing eyes that could burn a hole through any man.

“Either way, thanks for your service,” I added. “If not, no big deal.”

A smile crept across the old man’s face.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Me and the boys are headin’ back to the Legion. Come join us and you just might get the story you’re lookin’ for.”

Within a few minutes, I was sitting on a barstool in a facility that, much like the men who gathered there, had survived beyond its prime.

Classic country tunes blared from an old jukebox that was barely recognizable through the cloud of smoke that enveloped those of us at the bar.

The smell of stale cigarette butts and strong whiskey was palpable.

Bill picked up a spoon and tapped the side of his glass — breaking the silence he had just created by introducing me to his comrades.

Courtesy Photo

“Boys, this here is Ken Fine. He’s the new military reporter for our little paper and wants to write a story about Memorial Day. What do you say we help this young man out?”

The men, seemingly in unison, lowered their heads and went back to their business — some to card games, others to war tale telling.

Bill chuckled and put his feet up on the bar.

“Don’t take it personally, son,” he said, turning to me with a smile. “Most of these guys are just old farm boys who got drafted.

Give me a minute to unwind and I’ll tell you a story about a Marine I used to know.”

And then, without warning, he closed his eyes and broke out in song.

“Now, the smoke fills the air In this honky-tonk bar And I’m thinking ‘bout where I’d rather be.

But I burned all my bridges I sank all my ships And I’m stranded at the edge of the sea.”

It was nearly midnight when I pulled into the parking lot of a century-old newspaper that had, over its hundred-plus-year exis-

tence, gained little notoriety.

But its new editor, Renee Carey, the woman who hired me, fancied herself a storyteller — and was hell bent on transforming me into one.

I had been working there only for a few months when she told me I would start covering the military — the paper’s most coveted beat, given the fact that there was an Air Force base a stone’s throw from our front door.

I’ll never forget the look in her eyes when she stared across her desk and shared with me the “secret to being a great storyteller.”

“Let yourself cry when they cry,” she said.

“Laugh when it feels right. Tell them something about yourself to put their mind at ease.”

I thought about all those things when I sat down to write about my encounter with Bill.

I had no way of knowing then that long after I put those words to paper — when, after years of fellowship, he finally opened up to me — the Marine’s real story would surface.

So, when, the next day, Renee told me my story gave her chills, I wish I had known just how much more I would learn about my old friend.

I wish I could have told her she didn’t know what chills were — that years from then, I would be able to pass on the confessions of a vulnerable old man who trusted me, only me, to write it after his time on Earth was through.

M

y phone rang several hours after my profile feature on Bill hit the press.

I don’t usually answer if I don’t recognize the number, but something told me to pick up.

I barely got “hello,” out before that distinctive drawl took over.

“This is Bill Carr,” he said. “Am I talking to Ken Fine?”

“Yes sir,” I replied. “What can I do for you?”

Several seconds of silence ensued before he replied.

It made me nervous.

“Nothing, son. Absolutely nothing,” Bill said. “You’ve done more for this old Marine than you’ll ever know.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

Should I thank him for liking the story — Continued on page 16 newoldnorth.com

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The old man paused, and I could hear him clear his throat.

Chills ran down my arms and while, I must admit, I was proud to hear how my story sounded rolling off someone else’s tongue, it made me somewhat uncomfortable at the same time.

In every word, I felt the potential for judgment.

So, as he continued, I stepped onto the back porch.

But standing there, for the first time in my young career, I found that I could close my eyes and see the rest of the story as I had written it.

And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought, in that moment, that I had this guy pegged.

Continued from page 15

for opening up to some green reporter he had never met?

I had no idea what to say.

So, I spoke from the heart — blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“No sir,” I replied. “You’re the one who’s done something for me.”

Bill cleared his throat.

“How do you mean?” he said.

“Well, first, you put your life on the line for me,” I said. “Then, you honored me by letting me be the first one to tell the world about it.”

The old man, again, cleared his throat.

“Thank you, Ken,” he said. “Come on by my house when you can. I’d like to shake your hand.”

It was, in reality, a fairly brief exchange — a short phone call between a newspaper reporter and the subject of a story about Memorial Day. But those few words sparked a friendship that transformed, over the years that followed, into a sacred bond unlike any I had ever known — one that I have yet to match in my 43-plus years.

I

remember the first time I set foot in Bill’s apartment.

It was smaller than I expected — and far simpler.

The walls resembled a dorm room, covered in newspaper clippings and old photographs.

Years later, I would come to know the story behind every one of them.

“Come on in my good friend,” Bill said, extending a hand. “I ordered us a pizza. I hope you’re hungry.”

I wasn’t hungry.

I had just eaten lunch.

But in my limited experience with this particular veteran, I could sense that he was the kind of man who was easily offended — that something as trivial as denying a slice of pizza could shut him down.

“I’m starving,” I said. “How’d you know?”

I took a seat on a couch that felt brand new.

“I hope you can settle into that thing,” Bill said with a chuckle. “It’s been a while since I’ve had company.”

It was becoming pretty clear that I wasn’t going to make it back to the office — that this lonely old man craved fellowship, and with the promise of hot pizza, a cold Coke, and the episode of “Band of Brothers” queued up on the screen, saying no just wasn’t an option.

“Excuse me for a minute, Mr. Carr. Let me go call the boss and tell her I’m tied up for the afternoon.”

Bill smiled.

“Tell her you can stay as long as you vow to never call me that again,” he quipped. “My friends call me, ‘Country Boy.’” 16

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Photo of Richard

“This kid was like a son to me.

And he was much Marine, Ken. He really was. I just knew he'd be somebody one day.”

-Bill Carr

I stepped out the back door and lit up a Camel before spelling out, via text message, my predicament to Renee.

“Consider this a reward for a great story,” she replied. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something.”

The lesson began a few seconds later.

Bill was in his bedroom when I got back inside, so I went to the couch and stretched out.

“I’ll be right out son,” he yelled through the door. “Just puttin’ myself together.”

And when, a moment later, the phone rang, Bill revealed just how much pride he took in what I had written the night before.

“Cliff? Is that you?” he said. “I have company, but there’s something I want you to hear.

You know that reporter I was telling you about?

Yeah, that’s the one. Well, he wrote one hell of a story for our little paper and he’s here with me now. He’s a real fine young man. But anyway, let me read you this story so I can get back in there.

We’re gonna watch ‘Band of Brothers.’”

And then, in a boastful tone, he read my words aloud.

“Take Bill Carr back to the jungle.

The 70-year-old never really left there anyway.

Throw him, once again, into those firefights along the Demilitarized Zone.

At least then, he wouldn’t have to lie awake staring into the eyes of the fallen.

Ask him about the gunshot wound that forced him out of the war and he would tell you ‘it was nothing.’

‘It was really more embarrassing than anything,’ he said. ‘Here I am, lying next to guys with their legs blown off, and I’ve got a football injury, really. The doctor said I kept wanting to go back down there to my outfit.’

But get him talking about the friends he lost in Vietnam and he’s a different man.

The self-described ‘talker’ lowers his voice and looks down.

‘Every day I think about them,’ he said. ‘You can’t shake something like that.’

Maybe that is why the veteran has shied away from many of his stories from the battlefield for more than four decades.

A Marine is supposed to be strong, he says.

So, he keeps them hidden until late at night when most are sleeping — refusing to experience the hurt in front of those who know a more stoic Carr.”

A

fter our first few visits, Bill and I got into a routine.

Twice a week — no matter what happened to be going on at work — I would join him for lunch at his apartment in Rosewood.

On Wednesdays, I would bring a few burgers and some onion rings.

And I always made sure to “accidentally” get an extra order so Bill would have a somewhat nutritious meal to heat up for dinner.

“They gave you too much food again?” he would ask.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids,” I would reply. “Maybe they just know how much we love their food.”

All these years later, I still eat my burgers the same way — with onions, mayonnaise, and tomato.

Even if I’m dying for cheese, I don’t do it.

It’s like I know, after that first bite, that I’ll be transported back to Bill’s apartment — that I’ll get to hear him, for the thousandth time, tell me how that burger is the “best I’ve ever ate.”

I miss those little things now that he’s gone.

I even long for Fridays, when I would be subjected to some of the most basic pizza on the planet — a meal from Dominos that Bill claimed was better than any Italian food he sampled during his month-long stay in Rome.

But in all fairness, I never showed up for the food.

I started to get this feeling that the old Marine needed me — that being there was, in a way, like community service.

And it was always an easy sell to Renee.

She knew how connected Bill was to the veterans’ community — that each time I returned I had at least a handful of feature ideas in the bank.

He set me up with a man who was at Pearl Harbor the day it was attacked by the Japanese and another who stormed the beaches on D-Day. He helped me uncover a stolen valor case Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

that involved one of the most high-profile veterans in the state.

I earned my first journalism award for a profile I wrote about one of Bill’s best friends — Silver Star recipient Bob Stone, who nearly died rescuing two soldiers who were ambushed in Vietnam.

He even introduced me to Medal of Honor recipient Joe Marm, a man he called “my hero.”

In a bizarre way, he had become my muse.

And I learned more and more about his own service each time I visited — tales that, with his blessing, I nearly always recorded.

Still, I would find that some stories could never be published — at least not until Bill had left this world.

He was afraid of being seen as too boastful.

But most of all, he was terrified of seeming weak.

That, I’m convinced, is why he so often talked about — but never admitted to suffering from — PTSD. A Marine is supposed to suffer silently.

I

remember the night that changed our relationship forever like it was yesterday.

We were only a few innings into a Braves game and the sky over the diamond opened up.

It was the kind of rain that left little hope for resumption of any action that evening.

I never believed in signs — in some grand plan — until that downpour commenced.

Bill had never really talked at great length about his experience in Vietnam.

The feature I wrote about him the day we met was actually fairly shallow.

Perhaps it was the storm that changed his mindset — the knowledge that if he didn’t do something to keep me on that couch, I likely would have called it a night and gone home to my wife.

Or maybe all those days we had spent together had given him confidence that I would never judge him.

Either way, our relationship was about to transform.

I was no longer just a friend — someone who held court with one of the county’s most notable veterans for the duration of a ballgame twice a week.

I was moving, without knowing it, into an inner circle not even Bill’s ex-wife and children belonged to.

He was ready to introduce me to Richard.

“Son, there’s something I need to get off my chest,” he said in a tone far less playful than the one I had become accustomed to.

“Just promise me you won’t think worse of me by the time this old Marine has said his piece.”

“Never, Country Boy,” I replied. “I can’t imagine anything you could say that would make me think ill of you.”

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Carr's unit.

Bill looked down and a single tear fell from his eye.

“I’m glad to hear you say that son,” he said. “Only three people know this story — and two of them are dead. Now make sure that recorder has plenty of batteries. This is one you’ll never hear again.”

Bill was just a sergeant when he arrived in Vietnam.

But after one of the officers in his unit was gunned down, he was promoted, on the battlefield, to lieutenant.

With his new rank came a crop of young men to command — among them, a 20-yearold named Richard Strahl.

“He looked up to me, Ken,” Bill said. “He always told me that if being a Marine meant he could be like me, then a Marine is what he’d always be.”

But shortly after his 21st birthday, the young man was informed that his tour was ending — that he could leave both Vietnam and the Corps.

“He prayed on it a lot, I remember that,” Bill said. “And then, one day, he asked me what I thought he should do. I told him I wouldn’t hold it against him if he took that ticket home.

But I reminded him that the Corps was for life — that he was the best damned radio operator I had ever known.”

The following day, Richard asked his role model — his hero — to re-enlist him.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Bill said. “This kid was like a son to me.

And he was much Marine, Ken. He really was. I just knew he’d be somebody one day.”

But a few days later, Bill’s unit found itself pinned down along the DMZ.

Courtesy Photo

“Charlie was everywhere — up in the trees, across a ridgeline just ahead of our position,” Bill said, looking over my shoulder as if he could see the enemy still. “We took cover, and I told Richard to call in an airstrike. At the very least, we needed to take out this mounted machine gun or we were gonna get blown to Hell.”

Richard stared back at his lieutenant, “like he was in some kind of trance.”

“So, I got firm with him,” Bill said. “I told him he had just been given a direct order — one that had to be followed if we stood any kind of chance at getting back to a safe position unscathed.”

More tears fell from my old friend’s eyes.

“To this day, I wish I had been calmer. I wish I had hugged his neck and told him everything was gonna be OK,” Bill said, his voice shaking. “Maybe if I had done that, he would’ve listened.”

Just then, Bill excused himself.

It was hard to watch him struggle to pull himself up out of that recliner — witnessing him shaking his head and stepping into his bedroom.

And moments after he pressed the door closed, things got harder.

“I’m sorry Richard. I can’t keep this inside me, son” I heard him say. “I guess I’m not the big, bad Marine you thought I was. At least, not anymore.”

I stood and waited for my old friend to make his way back into the living room, and when he finally emerged, I couldn’t help but cry.

“At ease, private,” Bill said. “So where were we? That’s right. Richard was wearing that blank look in his eyes. Well, before I knew it, he was running toward that machine gun like a

madman. He was hollering at Charlie and firing shot after shot after shot. A few seconds later, the firing stopped. But the hollering didn’t.

Only now, he was calling for his mama.”

I closed my eyes when that last word rang out.

I could almost see Richard lying on the battlefield — this scared kid crying for his mother and praying to his maker.

“A funny thing happens when you’re dying, Ken,” Bill continued. “I must have seen it a hundred times along that God forsaken DMZ. Men always call out for Mama when their time’s running out.”

Over the next 15 minutes, he detailed Richard’s slow death — how there was nothing his comrades could do to save him; how making an attempt to pull him from the spot where he ultimately took his last breath would have led to more flag-draped coffins.

“We had to lay there and listen to those cries. And they got softer and softer until,” Bill said, again breaking down. “I killed that kid, Ken. Why didn’t I just let him go back home?

Why did I have to convince him to stay?”

I had no words.

Bill looked me in the eye and it was clear that he wanted a way out of this conversation — that he was ready to retire to his bedroom for another late night with the ghost of that young man who had been immortalized in his prime.

“Want to finish the story tomorrow?” I asked.

“Sounds like a winner, Ken,” he replied.

“Thanks for listening.”

I took my leave.

But as I shut the door, Bill, from his recliner, kept talking.

“Richard, you rascal,” he said in a whisper.

“Why’d you have to charge that machine gun? Answer me, son. Just this once, please answer me.”

N

ot a day goes by when I don’t think about Bill.

I miss his laugh and the fellowship.

I miss the stories and watching the Braves.

But most of all, I miss how just a moment in his presence reminded me that real heroes rarely want to tell their tales from battle.

Those decorations, they have told me time and time again, were not “won” — but rather, came with a harrowing price they will forever carry with them.

There is always someone more deserving of the praise — usually a fallen comrade.

And those battles? They are still being waged inside the minds of many of those who were fortunate enough to make it home.

Those are the things I will be reminded of when local Purple Heart recipients are honored Aug. 2 at the Maxwell Center.

And one day, when I’m brave enough to finish Bill’s story — and release it to the world — it will be the result of years of knowing, thanks to “Country Boy,” that freedom is not even close to free. n

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NO T ICE S NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF KAROLINA K. WRIEDT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF GRADY CONWAY HUNT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF GERALD KEITH HERRING, JR.

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Karolina K. Wriedt, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of September, 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 29th day of June, 2025.

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Grady Conway Hunt, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of October, 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 6th day of July, 2025.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Gerald Keith Herring, Jr., deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of October, 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 6th day of July, 2025.

Mack Nicholas, Executor of the Estate of Karolina K. Wriedt 6435 Wayne Memorial Drive NE Pikeville, NC 27863 Published June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, and July 20, 2025

Kenneth Bryant Hunt, Executor of the Estate of Grady Conway Hunt 804 Fox Valley Road Marion, Virginia 24354 Published July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025

Melanie Herring Woodard Executor of the Estate of Gerald Keith Herring, Jr. c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for the Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF TIMOTHY PEARSALL

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF CAROLYN DAUGHERTY HINNANT

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Timothy Pearsall, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of September, 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 29th day of June, 2025.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Carolyn Daugherty Hinnant, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of October, 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 6th day of July, 2025.

Lillie Barnett, Executor of the Estate of Timothy Pearsall 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 June 29, 2025, July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, and July 20, 2025

Keith F. Hinnant and Robert W. Hinnant, Jr. Co-Administrators of the Estate of Carolyn Daugherty Hinnant c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for the Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF DIANNE K. DOTTER

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Dianne K. Dotter, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of October, 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 6th day of July, 2025.

Deborah A. DaGrosa, Executor of the Estate of Dianne K. Dotter 110 Cranbrooke Drive Franklinton, NC 27525 Published July 6, 2025, July 13, 2025, July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025

NOTICE OF SALE OF MOTOR VEHICLE UNDER A LIEN

NOTICE OF SERVICE

BY PUBLICATION

NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

NORTH CAROLINA WAYNE COUNTY

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE

NORTH CAROLINA WAYNE COUNTY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO: 25SP001218-950

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 23CVD001120-950

MAC LAWNS vs.

JOHN DAWSON and WEST LAKE FINANCIAL

WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO, Plaintiffs vs.

MARSHALL COLEMAN, EMMA LOIS COLEMAN, Defendants

PURSUANT to North Carolina General Statutes Sec. 160A269 and Sec. 153A-176, the Board of Commissioners of Wayne County and the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Mount Olive have received the following offer for the sale of real property listed below:

TO: JOHN DAWSON AND WEST LAKE FINANCIAL TAKE NOTICE THAT: A petition seeking relief to satisfy a motor vehicle lien has been filed. The nature of relief sought is to satisfy $12,825 for towing, storage, and services to a 2008 Porsche Cayenne VIN# WPOAA29868V761836 by sale of such vehicle which is registered in your name.

The vehicle is being sold pursuant to N.C. General Statute 44A-4.

Mac Lawns, 124 Neal Drive, Goldsboro, NC, 27530, 10 a.m., August 1, 2025 (Location of Sale, Time, Date) This is the 13th day of July 2025.

Mac Lawns, Petitioner 124 Neal Drive Goldsboro, NC 27530 919-709-8344 Published July 13, 2025, and July 20, 2025

TO: EMMA LOIS COLEMAN TAKE NOTICE THAT: A pleading seeking relief has been filed in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication will begin on July 20, 2025.

The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on real property located in Wayne County, North Carolina and described as 209 Neil Street, Goldsboro, NC (PIN: 3600139151), which is more completely described in the complaint; to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes. Plaintiffs seek to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you or others may have in said property.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than (40) days after the date of the first publication of notice, July 20, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought.

This the 10th day of July, 2025.

Andrew J. Neal Wayne County Staff Attorney Attorney for the Plaintiffs PO Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1713 Published July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025, and August 3, 2025

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ITEM Vacant lot 106 South Johnson Street Mount Olive, NC PN: 2572965459 OFFER $8,500.00 TAKE NOTICE that anyone may raise said bid or offer within ten (10) days by not less than ten (10) percent of the first one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and five (5) percent of the remainder by depositing with the City Clerk or Town Attorney of the Town of Mount Olive five (5) percent of the increased bid. This procedure will be repeated until no further qualifying upset bids are received, at which time the Boards of Commissioners may accept the offer and sell the property to the highest bidder.

The Boards of Commissioners reserve the right to reject any and all offers. Deadline for raised bid is Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM. Dated: July 19, 2025 SHERRY DAVIS, CITY CLERK W.CARROLL TURNER, CITY ATTORNEY Published July 20, 2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE GOLDSBORO URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION PRIORITIZATION 8 PROJECTS Notice is hereby given that the Draft Prioritization 8 (P.8) Projects List of the Goldsboro Metropolitan Planning Organization has been released for a 30-day public comment period.

Prioritization 8 (P.8) refers to the prioritization process that guides the development of the 2028-2037 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the main vehicle for transportation improvement funding in the state as set by the State Transportation Investments (STI) Law. This process is anticipated to begin in Summer of 2025.

The goal of the Goldsboro MPO is to ensure a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive approach for transportation planning for the metropolitan area, both short and long-range.

The Draft Prioritization 8 (P.8) Project List can be viewed at its entirety on the City’s website: https ://www.goldsboronc. gov/wp-content/uploads/Prioritization-8-Candidate-Project-List-07112025.pdf Hard copies are also available for review. Please contact Roy Publico, Senior Planner in the City of Goldsboro Planning Department with any questions. Any comments you may have can be directed to Roy Publico at cpublico@goldsboronc.gov or 919-580-4388.

The public comment period will close on August 14, 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons, firms and corporations havingclaims against the Estate of David Arthur Radford, deceased, of Wayne County, N.C., are notified to present the same to the personal representative listed below on or before October 20, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

All debtors of the said estate are asked to make immediate payment.

This 20th day of July, 2025.

Cynthia M. Novajosky, Executor of the Estate of David Arthur Radford, deceased, C/O Pat Leigh Pittman, attorney for Dunn, Pittman, Skinner & Ashton, PLLC P. O. Drawer 1389 New Bern, NC 28563 Published July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF DOROTHY SMITH EASON

All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Dorothy Smith Eason, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of October, 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 20th day of July, 2025.

Purveyor of premium brands, sneakers, vintage, accessories and art

Wanda E. Lane, Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Smith Eason 2885 N.C. Hwy 111 South Seven Springs, NC 28578 Published July 20, 2025, July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025

Roy Publico, Senior Planner Published July 20, 2025 and July 27, 2025

108 East Mulberry Street Goldsboro • 919.947.1360

@ryealwaysfresh Recipient of 2019 and 2020 Readers’ Choice Award newoldnorth.com

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JERICHO FA R M S

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EASTERN NC’S PREMIERE WHOLESALE GROWER OFFERING A WIDE VARIETY OF TREES AND SHRUBS 3 GALLON - 25 GALLON