JULY 27, 202 5 Volume 2, Issue 50 NEWOLDNORTH.COM
EDITORIAL
EDITOR Ken Fine
EDITOR Renee Carey
DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo
ADVERTISING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Melissa Hamilton
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers
CONTENTS
4 WCPS is still short on SROs
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners might have given Wayne County Public Schools an additional $500,000 for more school resource officers, but 15 local campuses will still start the 2025-2026 school year without a full-time law enforcement presence.
6 November races officially set
There will not be any primary elections — and write-in candidates could still emerge — but for now, several Wayne County municipalities have an idea of who they have to choose from for leadership posts.
9 Former MO manager dies
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New Old North Media LLC COVER DESIGN
Less than six months after he was relieved of his duties as Mount Olive town manager, Jammie Royall passed away. But those who knew and loved him say he, indeed, left a legacy worth preserving.
10 Our take
In our view, the Wayne County community needs to step up and fight to ensure there is a school resource officer on every single Wayne County Public Schools campus — even if that means supporting a sales tax increase.
12 Cover story
After a $2 million land deal went up in smoke, the Goldsboro Family YMCA again faced financial ruin. But a recent agreement with Wayne STEM might have, at least for now, saved the organization. And it is a win for the charter school, too.
18 The Spectator
Despite extra funding, WCPS is still short on SROs
When the 2025-2026 school year begins, nearly half of the school district’s campuses will not have a full-time school resource officer on campus. But officials say there will always be a law enforcement officer close.
BY KEN FINE
HIGH SCHOOLS
1. Charles B. Aycock High School
2. Eastern Wayne High School
3. Goldsboro High School
4. Rosewood High School
5. Southern Wayne High School
6. Spring Creek High School
7. WEMCHS
8. Wayne School of Engineering
9. Wayne School of Technical Arts
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
10. Brogden Middle School
11. Dillard Middle School
12. Eastern Wayne Middle School
13. Grantham Middle School
14. Greenwood Middle School
15. Mount Olive Middle School
16. Norwayne Middle School
17. Rosewood Middle School
18. Spring Creek Middle School
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
19. Brogden Primary
20. Carver Elementary School
21. Carver Heights Elementary School
22. Eastern Wayne Elementary School
23. Fremont Elementary School
24. Grantham Elementary School
25. Meadow Lane Elementary School
26. North Drive Elementary School
27. Northeast Elementary School
28. Northwest Elementary School
29. Rosewood Elementary School
30. Spring Creek Elementary School
31. Tommy’s Road Elementary School
Back in April, Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard told members of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners that ensuring every district school was staffed with a school resource officer was a top priority — that it was more difficult to prevent potential tragedies when, in many cases, lawmen are being asked to split time between near-each-other campuses.
County leaders responded by allocating an additional $500,000 to WCPS to help pay for more SROs.
But as the 2025-2026 school year draws closer, district leaders are preparing for a sobering reality.
Despite the additional funds, 15 of WCPS’ campuses will not have a full-time officer on the grounds come August. (Note: Wayne School of Technical Arts is located on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and WEMCHS is located at Wayne Community College. Both properties have their own security.)
agreed, and added that sharing full-time SROS and rotating others worked well during the 2024-2025 school year.
“The plan is to have three full-time WCSO SROs to be shared between the following schools: Greenwood Middle and Meadow Lane Elementary; Grantham Middle and Grantham Elementary; and Rosewood Middle and Rosewood Elementary,” he said. “Additionally, contingent on funding, WCSO SROs will be assigned to rotate between the following schools: Brogden Primary, Carver Elementary, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Fremont Elementary, Northwest Elementary, North Drive Elementary, and Tommy’s Road Elementary. This is consistent with how SROs were rotated through schools last year.”
“I believe knowing that any school may have a law enforcement presence at any time serves as a deterrent.”
Whichard, though, remains hopeful about the future — and reinforced that his “vision” is to “one day have a full-time SRO in every school.”
And he told Wayne Week that the commissioners’ $500,000 allocation was “an important first step” — one that leaves him optimistic his best-case scenario will soon come to fruition.
For now, though, WCPS leaders and local law enforcement agencies are discussing “how best to maximize SROs,” including rotating Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deputies on campuses that do not have a full-time or parttime SRO.
That, Whichard said, will help keep bad actors off school grounds.
“I believe knowing that any school may have a law enforcement presence at any time serves as a deterrent to visitors or anyone from the outside who may be considering inappropriate behavior, harm, or some other ill intent at a school,” he said.
District spokesman Ken Derksen
Since his tenure as superintendent began, Whichard has made it clear that student safety is a key component of a thriving district.
And the leadership team inside WCPS’ Central Office — and several school administrators who have spoken to Wayne Week — say they believe that everything from an increased focus on discipline since he took the job to the recently approved installation of vape sensors on campuses are helping to ensure students and staff can focus on learning without having to worry about things that could disrupt that experience.
But the impact of improving the safety at local schools is not just felt in classrooms.
Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West said one of the reasons he is such a staunch supporter of the SRO program is that it, as an extension of the GPD’s community policing initiative, allows his officers to intervene with at-risk youth.
And that, he told members of the City Council earlier this month, is why his perfect-world scenario would see GPD officers assigned to every city school — something that, should funding and staffing issues allow for it, he expects to see happen “at some point down the road.” n
November races are officially set
The last few months of 2025 will see new leaders chosen in nearly all Wayne County municipalities and candidates emerge for critical 2026 races.
There will not be any primary elections, as Goldsboro is the only Wayne County municipality with a charter that allows for them to be held.
Write-in candidates do not have to be certified, so candidates running unopposed are not guaranteed victory.
And Voter ID measures that have been in place for the last several election cycles could play a role in races that, historically, have seen less-than robust turnout.
The filing period for the November election that will see new leaders selected by residents of Mount Olive, Eureka, Pikeville, Walnut Creek, and Seven Springs is closed — and 52 candidates will now campaign for the 18 seats up for grabs.
But every mayoral race is, unless a viable write-in contender emerges in the coming months, uncontested.
The following are the dates to know on Wayne County’s official election calendar:
• October 3 — Absentee by Mail Voting Begins
• October 10 — Voter Registration Deadline
• October 16 — Early Voting Begins
• October 21 — Last Day to Request Absentee by Mail Ballot
• November 1 — Early Voting Ends
• November 4 — Election Day
• November 4 — Last Day to Return Absentee by Mail Ballot
• November 14 — County Canvass
But the end of the 2025 election cycle is just the beginning of what is expected to be an active end to the year’s political season.
On Dec. 1, filing begins for federal and judicial offices, and the 2026 races for:
• Wayne County District Attorney
• N.C. Senate District 4
• N.C. House District 4
• N.C. House District 10
• Wayne County Clerk of Superior Court
• Wayne County Sheriff
• Wayne County Board of Education
(District 1, District 4, District 5, and District 6)
- From staff reports
EUREKA MAYOR
• Billy Martin
EUREKA COMMISSSIONER
• Mary Crowder
• Derrick Seagle
MOUNT OLIVE MAYOR
• J. Jerome Newton
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (AT-LARGE)
• Don Fairman
• Harlie Junior Carmichael
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 1)
• Vicky Darden
• Robert King
• James Carlton
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 2)
• Delreese Simmons
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 3)
• Gena Messer-Knode
• Jessica Simpson Oliver
MOUNT OLIVE COMMISSIONER (DISTRICT 4)
• Camilla Loftin
• C.J. Weaver
PIKEVILLE MAYOR
• McKayla Alves
PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER
• David Matt Thomas
• Randy Langston
• Tim Wilson
PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER (UNEXPIRED)
• Raymond Deck
• William (Buddy) King
• Blake Vail
SEVEN SPRINGS MAYOR
• Ronda Hughes
SEVEN SPRINGS COMMISSIONER
• Tony Gordon
• John Lee
WALNUT CREEK COUNCILMAN
• John Seegars
• Mike Daly
WAYNE — BELFASTPATETOWN 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
• Scott Walker
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IN MEMORIAM
Former Mount Olive manager dies at 63
Jammie Royall believed in the town that raised him — even after he was dismissed by the Board of Commissioners earlier this year.
BY KEN FINE
We spoke with him for nearly two hours back in January — a conversation sparked by the Mount Olive Board of Commissioners’ decision to relieve him of his duties.
But what struck us about Jammie Royall was that he chose, for the vast majority of that interview, to focus on his love for the town — and the people, friends, family members, and neighbors, that drove him to spend decades of his life trying to make their community better.
He relished in the fact that he got to live next to the “house I was born in” — and that after moving to Washington, he was “called” by God to “come back home.”
And even after his time as town manager was through, he felt the need to fight for the employees he had worked alongside for so many years.
They, in his view, deserved more money, yes.
But more importantly, he felt they deserved respect.
“I’m here to tell you that we’ve got good employees,” he said. “So, they have always been my biggest concern. They deserve so much more than they’ve been given. They have never gotten a fair shake.”
So, when, less than six months after that conversation, we learned that Royall had passed in his sleep, we were not surprised to see shock on the faces of those who knew him.
And almost every single one of them said he was more than a co-worker or boss.
He was a “brother.”
Sure, the last few months of his tenure had been mired by the road to his dismissal.
But nobody — not even the people who voted to remove him from his post — had a bad word to say about him.
Wayne County has lost many great leaders in recent years.
Some, like the late Goldsboro Mayor Al King, were trailblazers.
Others, like longtime Seymour Johnson Air Force Base advocate Troy Pate, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a prosperous future for their children and grandchildren.
But Royall never professed to be, as he told us in January, “anyone special.”
In fact, he questioned whether his leadership would be remembered at all.
Still, he hoped he had passed on, to those
who knew and worked for him, the importance of hard work — of a level of effort that, while not always recognized, reflected the values he was raised to embody.
And he told us he prayed that the community he once left — and then came home to — would find its footing and thrive into the near future.
Those we have spoken with since his death would tell you Royall did, indeed, leave a legacy.
He showed them the importance of lending an ear — or shoulder to cry on — to those who were facing challenges in their lives.
He reinforced, through his repeated defense of the town he was born and raised in, Mount Olive’s potential to be greater than it is.
And he modeled, for them, what it was like to be a person who took the many adversities he faced in stride.
“Mount Olive, it’s just a special place. You know, we might not be as big as Goldsboro and we have our problems, but here, in this town, we’re a family,” Royall told us. “That isn’t true everywhere. And yes, it’s a blessing. So, when people complain about this or that or they get frustrated about what we’re going through as a town, I always remind them that we have
something here other people don’t have. We have a community.”
And for the former manager, its imperfections were, in his view, “opportunities.”
“I knew that our challenges could become victories. That’s why when I came back here, I said, ‘I’m gonna make a difference,’” Royall said. “I hope, despite the way this all ended, that I did.”
Because his years of service to the town was, for Royall, never about him.
It was about carrying on a family legacy.
“You know, my mother and my father, you know, they got married here and lived here. That means something to me. That means that I have to be a part of keeping their town going and thriving and strong,” he said. “When I was in D.C. for a while, I never felt home. I think a lot of folks from Mount Olive feel the same way. Now, it’s up to all of us to get our town back to where it used to be — where it could be — because Mount Olive, it really is just a special place. There’s no place like it that I know of. So, I always thought, ‘Let’s protect it.’”
Royall was laid to rest Thursday.
Now, it will be up to the many who shared his philosophy, to carry his torch. n
{ our TAKE }
THE COST OF A SECURE EDUCATION
By the time he was captured, he was in Florida — the man who, just more than a decade ago, walked onto the Wayne Community College campus with a 12-gauge shotgun and murdered an employee.
The school had seemingly done everything right — going into lockdown and allowing law enforcement officers to surround the grounds and clear every room in every building one by one as they searched for victims, survivors, and the person who pulled the trigger.
But the sad reality is that no security presence or procedure was able to stop Kenneth Morgan Stancil III from inflicting irreparable damage that day in April 2015 — or slipping through first-responders’ hands.
And those who were here to experience it will never forget.
They carry that day with them, and always will.
When we read about school shootings, it is almost second nature to think that no tragedy will ever happen on one of this community’s campuses.
But unfortunately, the common denominator in each of those events that have unfolded across the country in recent years is that it was “unimaginable.”
Here’s the hard truth: It could happen anywhere at any time.
And it has, many times, in school districts just like ours around the country.
The same refrain is heard every time.
What could have been done to prevent the loss of life?
How can we make our schools safer?
And then, time passes.
The pain and shock subside.
And we talk about it, but we don’t do anything about it.
That is, until we hear the next heart-breaking story.
Not this time. We hope.
Because right now, there is a chance to do something to put one more roadblock in the path of a potential tragedy in Wayne County.
Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard is absolutely right to want a future that sees school resource officers on every single WCPS campus.
We can’t assume that elementary school students are “too young” to slip a loaded firearm into their backpack and accidentally — or intentionally — pull the trigger.
We can’t assume that certain schools house student bodies that would never be capable of the very worst of human behavior because we have seen, time and time again across the United States, that school violence doesn’t discriminate by race or a zip code or a home life.
And we absolutely can’t think “it won’t happen here,” because it already has.
So, we must admit that we, like Whichard, are disappointed to see that nearly half of WCPS’ campuses will not have a full-time SRO on campus when the 2025-2026 school year begins next month.
It’s nobody’s fault. Not really, anyway.
Our local law enforcement agencies simply do not have the staff — or the funding — to ensure total coverage.
And no growing, thriving community can afford every single thing it needs on tax dollars alone.
But there is some good news.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners did, in fact, take a bold first step by providing WCPS with an additional $500,000 this year to be used for the SRO program.
And whether they ask for credit for doing so or not, each member of that board understands that coming up with that allocation required hard work by budget planners and plenty of sacrifice.
The other good news?
There is a solution.
All it takes is for us to do our part, too.
We have talked many times about the need for a sales tax increase — one that would require a ballot measure that is approved by the majority of Wayne County residents.
We have noted that it’s the only way everyone — and we mean everyone — pays their fair share into the system.
And yes, we have also talked about why most people, including us, are reluctant to willingly hand more money over to the government.
Their points, by the way, are valid.
Far too often we see wasteful spending approved by those we have elected to serve us — locally, statewide, and at the federal level.
Far too often we have had to ask ourselves questions like, for example, why Mount Olive residents are paying thousands of dollars for the interim town manager to drive to work. (We’ll get to that later because yes, it’s actually true.)
But if we see a real need, and we can think of no greater cause than adding a layer of protection for the most precious among us, there is a responsible way to get it done.
By voting to approve a sales tax increase — one the vast majority of us would never even notice at the gas station or grocery store — we can send a message that we value the type of future Whichard and his team are trying to provide.
And we can put conditions on our vote, like communicating with both boards that those dollars are to be used — responsibly — for school safety and facilities improvements.
We can even ensure they show us the receipts and vote them out of office if they dare attempt to hoodwink us.
Trust and accountability are precious commodities — and rare — these days.
By the way, we, at long last, have every reason to believe that the commissioners and school board members understand that.
They want their tax money used responsibly, too.
And here is even more good news.
A sales tax hike would be cheap AND fair.
A quarter of a penny would translate into millions of dollars in additional revenue for Wayne County — money that could ensure a full-time SRO is on every campus.
Will it prevent the unthinkable?
Perhaps not.
But it will certainly send a message to those who might, one day, wish to do our children harm.
That, in our view, is a start.
Now, we’ll say what most of you are probably thinking.
It is gut-wrenching that we live in a world where we even have to talk about how to safeguard our young ones in the places they go to get an education.
After all, for many of us, when we were growing up, you could go to sleep with your doors unlocked.
But all of us have to know that we are no longer living in that world — that there are dangers all around us.
And if last year’s shooting inside Berkeley Mall, or the Ash Street Food Lion, didn’t make that abundantly clear, it should have.
More and more of our young people are growing up without role models to guide them.
More and more think it’s “cool” to carry a
gun and use it if they feel slighted.
And more and more of them are battling mental health issues as the vile social media landscape consumes their otherwise idle time.
So, we stand with Whichard and Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West, who told members of the City Council earlier this month that the SRO program allows his officers, in a way, to community police.
If having uniformed men and women around these students can change the outcome for even a handful, we think it’s well worth the investment.
But as is our custom, a word of caution.
Should our neighbors rally behind a future sales tax referendum, we will not stand idly by while the revenue it generates is squandered on the fruits of backroom deals and good-oldboy politicking.
That money should be for our children — for our future.
And as we fight to keep Wayne County attractive to residential and business investors and military brass who could soon make decisions about the future of installations like Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, we would be wise to do everything in our power to show them that we are serious about the next generation.
Another word of caution.
There will be those who point to what happened 10 years ago at WCC and say the campus had security and a plan in place that was followed — and that a tragedy still unfolded.
That might very well be true.
But how many stories have you read about a plot thwarted?
Would we rather, as a community, ask “what if?” n
The gets a
lifeline
After a $2 million land deal fell through, the Goldsboro Family YMCA's future looked bleak. But then, along came Wayne STEM.
By RENEE CAREY
Aland deal that died on the vine at the worst possible moment for the financially flailing Goldsboro Family YMCA.
A stalemate with a developer that put the future of Wayne STEM in jeopardy.
But when two Wayne County organizations facing grim realities recently found each other, they reached an unlikely public-private partnership that might have just saved both, as problems with the school’s development partner while it eyed the expansion of its facilities to add another grade level at Wayne STEM and empty spaces that were already outfitted to house classrooms at the local cash-strapped YMCA have created a collaboration that solves problems, in part, for both, local officials say.
Dr. Todd Forgette, Wayne STEM executive director, said this has been a banner year for Wayne County’s latest charter school — success that had been expected and planned for, but that was still great news for the fledgling educational effort.
“We are working off a pretty substantial waitlist,” he said.
The school, which already had 180 openings for the coming year for students, had more than 400 applications to take the spots, Forgette added.
It’s a testament, he said, to what he and members of the school’s board say they have always known — a model based on meeting children where they are, and expecting them to progress with support and encouragement while holding them accountable for behavior and academic responsibility, works.
Forgette said the credit for making that model successful belongs with the crew of teachers who not only are passionate about the subjects they teach, but who also put their students’ needs first.
And the agreement the organization reached with the school might have saved the Y, at least for now, from financial ruin.
“It is a testament to the hard work of the teachers,” he said. “We start with empathy here.”
And the word has gotten around, Forgette added, saying that “overwhelmingly positive” social media reviews and parent feedback prove that increased interest in Wayne STEM is motivated by not only results, but satisfied “customers.”
And that has brought more support and “astronomical” growth.
The school started with 187 students, growing to 305 in its second year. That led to this coming school year’s additions.
The growth, Forgette emphasized, was all part of the board’s plan to continue to improve the school’s offerings and to meet its charter responsibilities.
And that includes making sure that decisions about Wayne STEM’s future include a careful consideration of financial responsi-
bilities — especially since the school’s future might include the sale of bonds to allow for expansion and more students and facilities.
It is a responsibility that board Vice Chairman Chretien Dumond and Forgette say is part of the reason the school’s board has come to a standstill with Wayne STEM’s current development company, Legacy Impact Group.
Cost projections from local vendors are not the problem, Board Chairwoman Christina Watts added.
The disagreement is in the progress of the acquisition and expansion agreement with LIG.
In short, the board wanted to make sure that decisions about the school’s future were made with fiscal responsibility and integrity in mind.
And they are hopeful that the work with
LIG will continue and that communication, which Dumond and Watts say has all but disappeared, will recommence.
But in the meantime, the school was left with a quandary.
“We needed to secure additional space to accommodate that planned growth,” Forgette said.
The lack of progress meant that the planned space to add more students on the school’s current site was not going to be ready on time.
And that meant Wayne STEM had to find a new space for the anticipated increase. That’s where the Goldsboro YMCA stepped in.
And the agreement the organization reached with the school might have saved the Y, at least for now, from financial ruin
Continued on page 14
after a Hail Mary land deal unwrapped in the June 15 edition of Wayne Week fell through.
The timing of Wayne STEM’s agreement to rent space from the YMCA is serendipitous to say the least.
In fact, when Y CEO Mark Pritchett met with Wayne Week to celebrate the June 2 approval, by the Goldsboro City Council, of a conditional zoning request that would allow for the construction of Heritage Downs — a sprawling, nearly 50-acre residential development that will see roughly 150 homes constructed on land located off South Harding Drive owned by the YMCA — he acknowledged that without the roughly $2 million the sale of the property would bring in, a financial catastrophe would have been on the horizon.
“On paper, yes,” Pritchett told Wayne Week , when asked if the organization would have folded without the land deal. “I don’t think it’s overdramatizing to say that.”
Why?
Pritchett confirmed the following:
The YMCA had, indeed, been operating at a loss for several years.
The organization had not had a formal budget during much of that time.
“ There's no way to operate with half the revenue from 2018 when you went from 12,000 members to 6,000 members.”
Members of the organization’s executive board had, in fact, floated the YMCA more than $300,000 for payroll and other expenses.
And the organization didn’t get to that point overnight.
“There’s no way to operate with half the revenue from 2018 when you went from 12,000 members to 6,000 members,” Pritchett said, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the opening of new gyms in Wayne County as reasons for the dramatic membership decline. “Well, we continued to operate with those expenses
— with half the revenue, and again, with no fundraising. If fundraising is a third leg of a three-legged stool that the YMCA stands on, and you don’t do fundraising for 8 to 10 years, it’s not going to take long before you realize you’re in trouble.”
Add to that the fact that the Y was “paying for financial assistance” — everything from memberships for those who could not afford them to its mobile market — out of its operations account.
And all the while, Pritchett said, “very lit-
tle” strategic work had been done.
In other words, nobody was thinking about the future of an aging facility.
“If the infrastructure’s not put in place, if the preventive maintenance is not put in place to sustain that right there, it’s just waiting to fail because all of these things have a life cycle,” he said. “And when you’ve got 20-yearold HVAC units on the roof, you’ve got a flat roof that’s leaking, you’ve got all of the issues and problems with the facility, it’s just a matter of time before it’s gone. It’s not sustainable under the old model anymore.”
Especially when between $5 million and $7 million in capital expenses is necessary to shore up the building — and without an increase in membership or a decrease in services, the organization would continue to operate at a loss.
And that — the ability to generate additional revnue to avoid operating in the red — is where the Wayne STEM deal would seemingly help.
Wayne Week reached out to Pritchett for comment on this story — for his reaction to the land deal falling apart, the Wayne STEM agreement, and for his thoughts on whether the revenue generated by renting out space to the school would be enough to prevent a financial collapse of the YMCA — but he has not, as of press time, responded.
Continued
If you have been with Wayne Week since the beginning — or signed up within our first few weeks — you are nearing the end of your 1-year subscription period.
•
Keen Plumbing Co.
Fortunately for Wayne STEM, everyone inside the YMCA has known about the organization’s financial troubles for quite some time.
So, when Forgette and Dumond met with representatives and learned that there was enough “classroom space” available in the YMCA to take on some of the Wayne STEM students, it was a win for both entities.
And now, there will be roughly 160 kindergarteners and first-graders in the hallways of the YMCA as part of Wayne STEM’s next steps.
“We are very excited,” Forgette said. “We think this is going to be a positive for both groups.”
Having a home for their students is one plus.
said. “I see students from all parts of Wayne County.”
Wayne STEM’s philosophy of meeting students where they are and supporting them to get to the achievement level and learning prowess they are capable of, while holding them responsible for doing the work, has opened the school’s doors to students whose parents are not getting that sort of attention at traditional programs, Watts said.
And staff’s insistence that students meet behavioral standards and become contributors to the local community as well as responsible members of the Wayne STEM community is a big draw, too.
And that philosophy, the board chairwoman said, is getting attention and interest from families across the area.
When Forgett and Dumond met with representatives and learned that there was enough classroom space available in the YMCA to take on some of the Wayne STEM students, it was a win for both entities.
But Forgette said the YMCA has offered another — providing swimming safety classes for Wayne STEM’s second graders.
And he believes the collaboration is going to create opportunities for both organizations to serve more Wayne County children.
That, he said, is a win for the entire community.
It is all part of Wayne STEM’s mission, he added, to not only bring educational opportunities to local students, but to share its successes and processes with anyone in the community looking to do the same.
The vision, they said, is part of why so many parents — and teachers — are choosing to become part of the school family.
Watts added that despite some criticisms of Wayne STEM’s success, the school’s biggest advantage is its diversity.
Students, she said, are not “handpicked” because of their potential to earn top scores on end of grade tests, but are plucked from all walks of life and ability levels.
“Our diversity is our strength,” she
Dumond added that Wayne STEM’s commitment has also been recognized statewide, earning the school a Purple Star honor for its efforts to care for military children.
Parents, he and Watts said, no longer are choosing to live in Raleigh and commute to Goldsboro to put their children in “better schools.”
Now, they have a choice right in Wayne County if other options don’t meet their needs.
But providing programs is not enough, Watts added.
Continued expansion, she said, will be based on the continued dedication to the school’s educational philosophy and whole student approach, which she believes has really resonated with the community.
It is a promise that the board and the school are determined to keep — and a high standard those who work and learn there will continue to strive for, she said.
“We are looking forward to the future,” Watts said.
Helping the YMCA is simply a bonus. n
the SPECTATOR
Learning a craft
Many Wayne County young people spent part of their summer break getting some hands-on work experience at the Habitat for Humanity Construction Camp.
PHOTOS by CASEY MOZINGO
NOTICES
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF GRADY CONWAY HUNT
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.
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
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF CAROLYN DAUGHERTY HINNANT
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.
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 GERALD KEITH HERRING,
JR.
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.
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 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 SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE
IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION
FILE NO. 23CVD001120-950
WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO, Plaintiffs vs. MARSHALL COLEMAN, EMMA LOIS COLEMAN, Defendants
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
NOTICE
OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE GOLDSBORO URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONPRIORITIZATION 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.
Roy Publico, Senior Planner
Published July 20, 2025 and July 27, 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.
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
WAYNE COUNTY CITIZENS — NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, to consider a proposed amendment to Chapter 6, Article II of the Wayne County Code of Ordinances entitled Agricultural Districts. The hearing will be held at 9:30 am in the Wayne County Commissioners Meeting Room, Wayne County Courthouse Annex, 224 East Walnut Street, Goldsboro, NC. The item to be discussed:
Amend the Wayne County Agricultural District Ordinance to include provisions allowing for enhanced voluntary agricultural districts.
The public is invited to attend and speak at this hearing and/or submit any comments. Written comments before the meeting may be submitted to the Wayne County Planning Department, PO Box 227, Goldsboro, NC 27533 or berry.gray@waynegov. com. A full copy of the amendment may be obtained from the Planning Department by calling 919-731-1650.
Carol Bowden Clerk to the Board
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025
PUBLIC NOTICE — AUCTION SALE OF COUNTY PROPERTY
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners, at its meeting of July 15, 2025, pursuant to NCGS §160A-270 and NCGS §153A-176, authorized the sale by public auction of the following personal property:
2003 Ford Ranger (VIN: 1FTYR10U63TA05773), 2007 GMC Van (VIN: 1GTFG15XX81121514), 2008 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2B3KA43H48H233175), 2006 Chevrolet Impala (VIN: 2G1WB58K269104374), 2013 Ford Interceptor (VIN: 1FAHP2M85DG109518), 2010 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2B3AA4CT3AH128732), 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe (VIN: 1GNFK13048J107684), 2017 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT3HH650647), 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe (VIN: 1GNFC13C78R131213), 2011 Dodge Charger (VIN: 1GNFC13C78R131213), 2014 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT9EH348745), 2014 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT4EH186085)
2014 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT7EH186095),
2006 Chevrolet Impala (VIN: 2G1WB58K169343219),
2018 Ford Interceptor SUV (VIN: 1FM5K8AR9JGA15693)
2015 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT0FH874618), 2011 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2B3CL1CT8BH597978), 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe (VIN: 1GNSK2E01DR339558) 2012 Ford Taurus (VIN: 1FAHP2EW8CG116863), 2012 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT9CH134660), 1991 International Bus (VIN: 1HVBBNKN5MH397120) 2015 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT3FH880056), 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe (VIN: 1GNSKBE07ER248411), 2013 Dodge Durango (VIN: 1C4RDJAG9DC695547)
2014 Dodge Charger (VIN: 2C3CDXAT8EH348221), Ford 3910 tractor (Serial Number BB79787), Massey Freguson 231 Tractor (Serial Number 9681K08001), Rhino TW120 10 foot mower (Serial Number 15141), Rhino DB150 side mower (Serial Number 11845), 25 KW Generac Standby Generator (3954060), 2005 Homemade Lawnmower Trailer (Serial Number NC41114866),
2000 10 Ton Hurst Trailer (VIN 1H9T62327Y1057128), 2014 Open Utility Landscape Trailer (VIN 5BFAU1215DM023290), 2007 PW Trailer (VIN 1P9BU121X7P541170), 2014 Open Utility Landscape Trailer (VIN 5BFAU1212EM023622), 1980 Cole Trailer (VIN CLN113ELS802653), 1999 Utility Trailer (SN DC5X8372G), Tire Changer and Wheel Balancer, 31 desks, 1 couch, 1 love seat, 7 children’s tables, 22 stackable children’s chairs,14 filing cabinets, 39 stackable chairs, 4 desk chairs, 10 office chairs, 4 rolling chairs with arm rests, 1 rolling stool, 11 book carts, 2 projector carts, 1 podium, 4 step stools, 3 bulletin boards, 2 white boards, 2 four drawer cabinets, 1 four-sided information stand, 3 round tables, 4 tables, 1 folding wood table, 5 library tables, 2 standing desks, 1 rolling cart with 12 square trays, 2 commercial refrigerators
The auction will be held at 8:30 a.m. on August 9, 2025, at RDD Auction Company, LLC located at 1260 Raynor Mill Road, Mt. Olive, NC 28365. All property will be sold in its current condition, as is, and the County gives no warranty with respect to usability of the property. Buyers will be required to pay the full amount of his or her bid before the conclusion of the auction to RDD Auction Company LLC in a manner of payment satisfactory to the auctioneer. The County reserves the right to withdraw any listed property from the auction at any time before the auction sale of that property. Further information may be obtained by contacting RDD Auction Company, LLC at (919) 6899440 or (919) 222-3215 or by visiting www.rddauction.com.
Published July 27, 2025, and August 3, 2025
WAYNE COUNTY CITIZENS — NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing Tuesday, August 19, 2025 to consider a proposed amendment to the Wayne County Mobile Home Park Ordinance. The hearing will be held at 9:30 am in the Wayne County Commissioners Meeting Room, Wayne County Courthouse Annex, 224 East Walnut Street, Goldsboro, NC. The item to be discussed:
A-25-01 – Amend Section 42-90 of the Wayne County Mobile Home Park Ordinance to apply mobile home park standards to RV parks.
The public is invited to attend and speak at this hearing and/or submit any comments. Written comments before the meeting may be submitted to the Wayne County Planning Department, PO Box 227, Goldsboro, NC 27533 or berry.gray@waynegov.com. A full copy of the amendment may be obtained from the Planning Department by calling 919-731-1650.
Carol Bowden Clerk to the Board
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF EDITH SUE AYCOCK
Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Edith Sue Aycock, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before October 27, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This is the 18th day of July, 2025.
Rebecca Aycock Davies, Executor of the Estate of Edith Sue Aycock c/o L.E. (Trey) Taylor III, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, L.L.P. P.O. Box 1616, Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 (919) 734-1841
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025, and August 17, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF LEONIDAS GRANTHAM ROLLINS
Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Leonidas Grantham Rollins, late of Wayne County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before October 27, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate are asked to make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This is the 17th day of July, 2025.
Benjamin E, Rollins, Jr., Executorof the Estate of Leonidas Grantham Rollins c/o L. E. (Trey) Taylor III, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, L.L.P. P. O. Box 1616, Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025, and August 17, 2025
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Adjustment of the City of Goldsboro will conduct a public hearing during the course of their open meeting which starts at 6:00 P.M. on Monday, August 11, 2025, in the Large Conference Room, located at 200 North Center Street to consider the following request:
Elvis Perez is seeking an appeal to an administrative decision, to order the cease and desist of operations of an unpermitted place of entertainment, at property located at 2205B East Ash Street. The property is further identified as NCPIN# 3509-93-4592.
All interested persons are encouraged to attend. To accommodate disabilities and to comply with ADA regulations, please contact City Hall if further assistance is needed. All inquiries regarding this matter may be directed to the City of Goldsboro Planning Department at (919) 580-4313 or online at www.goldsboronc.gov.
Mark E. Helmer, AICP, CFM Planning Services, Manager
Published July 27, 2025, and August 3, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF DOLORES KAYE RADFORD
All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Dolores Kaye Radford, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 27th 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 27th day of July, 2025.
Brooke Hales and Karla Thompson, Executors of the Estate of Dolores Kaye Radford 144 Oxford Drive Goldsboro, NC 27534
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025, and August 17, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ROBERT L. CORE
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Robert L. Core, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 27th 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 27th day of July, 2025.
Mark J. Hale, Jr., Administrator CTA of the Estate of Robert L. Core Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025, and August 17, 2025
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Linda Sutton, A.K.A. Lynda Lou Sutton, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 27th 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 27th day of July, 2025.
Shanetta Sutton and Lashonda Sutton, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Linda Sutton 222 Dollard Town Road Goldsboro, NC 27534
Published July 27, 2025, August 3, 2025, and August 10, 2025, and August 17, 2025
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