Wayne Week — March 9, 2025

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A P R E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

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Wayne

WEEK

PRAYERFUL

PAUSE? A moment on a field sparked a warning — but educators, coaches, and community leaders say what happened at Eastern Wayne High School was about being there for a group of young people who needed to be surrounded by love.

By KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY p. 14

NEWS & VIEWS

LIVINGSTON: GOLDSBORO IS BACK INTERIM CITY MANAGER SAYS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION'S APPROVAL OF A $6.7 MILLION LOAN FOR THE CITY IS A SIGN THE WAYNE COUNTY SEAT IS BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK. p. 4

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CONTENTS MARCH 9, 2025 Volume 2, Issue 27

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

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE McKayla Alves ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS EDITORS

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

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4 Livingston: Goldsboro is back

The Local Government Commission approved Goldsboro’s request for a $6.7 million loan for capital improvements.

But Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston said the decision reflects a much bigger story to tell about a city that came back from the brink.

7 News briefs

From a groundbreaking in Pikeville at Charles B. Aycock High School to a Mount Olive Commissioner who got into a back-and-forth with a town resident over a comment he made about the N.C. Pickle Festival, several issues that warranted limited coverage received it.

9 County passes on Fremont school Wayne County Public Schools offered the old Fremont Elementary School building — and the 8.5 acres it sits on — to the county government for north of $1 million, but commissioners were not interested. So, now it hits the open market.

14 Cover story

Back in September, a group of Eastern Wayne High School football players participated in a mass baptism on the field after practice. But after the event went viral on social media, an out-ofstate organization sent a letter to Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard calling for an investigation into what it characterized as a violation of the First Amendment.

20 Spectator

The Rosewood High School baseball team welcomed Goldsboro High School to its diamond Tuesday evening — and the Eagles won.

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.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY SHAN STUMPF

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NEWS +VIEWS

Livingston: Loan approval reflective of city’s comeback The Local Government Commission approved a $6.7 million loan so Goldsboro could make capital expenditures. But for the city’s interim city manager, that’s not the whole story.

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BY KEN FINE

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G

etting the green light from the Local Government Commission to borrow $6.7 million for capital expenditures is about more than the Goldsboro Police, Public Works, and Fire Department vehicles and equipment it will allow the city to purchase.

For Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston, it is a sign that after years of negative headlines about the state of the city’s finances, City Hall is back on track.

“It’s one of those things that I think is kind of a big deal. The reason I say that is because you have to remember, if you look at our financials you will see that we have a very, very low debt ratio,” he said. “We haven’t really borrowed money for over five years. It’s kind of unheard of for a city our size. We haven’t really been able to borrow money.”

But the Tuesday loan approval Goldsboro received from the LGC was only one piece of good news on that front.

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• Computer Network Replacements Livingston also told members of the City Council that he had a “very productive call” with Moody’s Investors Services Inc., the credit agency that stripped the city of its bond rating back in 2020.

“I think we’re on track to getting our rating back,” he said. “And that’s saying a lot.”

But why?

Because it has been just more than three years since then-State Treasurer Dale Folwell excoriated Goldsboro leaders — and called for then-State Auditor Beth Wood to initiate a deep dive into what he characterized as a financial house that was on the verge of collapse after the city demonstrated a repeated inability to submit its annual audits on time.

“It is troubling that the state’s 30th largest city, the county seat and home to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, no less, has been unable to get its act together to conduct a basic but critical oversight function. Audits are necessary to assess financial well-being, to ensure

bills are being paid and money is not missing,” Folwell said in January 2022. “Hardworking Goldsboro taxpayers deserve to know their elected and appointed officials uphold the highest standards as stewards of public funds. That confidence is lacking at this point, so I am asking State Auditor Beth Wood to investigate the city’s books and financial statements. We stand ready, willing and able to assist her staff, the city administration and elected officials in this process, and to make sure all records are properly preserved for examination.”

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It started in 2020, when, after the city failed to submit its 2019 audit to the state, Moody’s withdrew its rating on Goldsboro’s General Obligation Bonds and General Obligation Street Improvement Bonds, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency suspended the city from receiving funding, and the U.S. De-

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partment of Housing and Urban Development notified city leaders that Goldsboro would receive a “non-compliance finding” that would impact federal funding.

But at the time, then-City Manager Tim Salmon said he was not concerned — that “we’re not asking for any new debt right now” and he interpreted communications from the state as a warning about ensuring future audits were submitted on time, not the fact that the 2018-19 audit was more than a year late.

And Finance Director Catherine Gwynn said staffing changes, missing documents, and natural disasters — including Hurricane Matthew, which hit Goldsboro in 2016, and Hurricane Floyd, which hit the city in 2018 — contributed to the missed audit deadline.

Folwell was not moved.

And when, in January 2024, the prelimi-

nary results of the investigation he ordered were delivered to City Hall, they included several “findings” the state said had the potential to “erode” the public’s trust in its local government — from the discovery of more than 100 missing vehicles and undocumented water bill credits allegedly given to elected officials and city employees to tens of thousands of dollars in purchases made with government credit cards auditors said were not justified by required supporting documentation or approvals.

Since the details of that report were published in Wayne Week, the city has changed practices inside the Water Department and updated its procurement card processes.

And within a few months of Salmon’s departure, Livingston reported to the council that Goldsboro was, at last, caught up on its audits

— and that he was confident systems were in place to ensure they are never late again.

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The forthcoming purchases that will be made using the $6.7 million will certainly be welcomed inside the GPD, as Chief Mike West told Wayne Week that replacing the department’s aging fleet — and ensuring the new officers he has been hiring over the last several months have access to their own patrol cars — was a top priority.

Livingston agreed.

“We have several (GPD vehicles) that are in the 150,000-mile range,” he said. “They become a liability for you.”

But for the interim city manager, the real story is about a city government that, after years of

turmoil, has gotten itself back on track.

“If we hadn’t gotten caught up on our audits … we would be in the position where we wouldn’t be able to borrow this money,” he said. “At all. You know, we could have just gone out and used cash and bought it all, but you don’t want to do that. You want to be able to borrow money. So, that’s what we’re trying to get back to.”

State officials seemed to agree Tuesday, as they not only green-lit the $6.7 loan, but also praised Goldsboro leaders for a “remarkable” comeback story that, just a few years ago when Folwell suggested a takeover of the city’s finances was a possibility, seemed up in the air.

“My reaction (to what was said about the turnaround Tuesday) is I want the Finance Office and their team to take a victory lap,” Livingston said. “That was incredible.” n

CITY OF GOLDSBORO FINANCIAL TIMELINE FALL 2020 — One of the nation’s leading bond credit rating agencies, an organization that ranks the creditworthiness of borrowers, including municipalities, withdraws its rating on Goldsboro’s General Obligation Bonds and General Obligation Street Improvement Bonds, due to “insufficient information,” a deficiency characterized by State Treasurer Dale Folwell as a “serious matter” that is “a reflection on the quality of both governing board oversight and management practices of the city.”

FALL 2020 — The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency notifies City Manager Tim Salmon that it is freezing funds that would typically find their way into Goldsboro coffers. In a letter obtained by Wayne Week, Michael Handley, the manager of housing rehabilitation and compliance, told Salmon that funding was suspended “due to not submitting your audited financial statements for the 2019 fiscal year.”

FALL 2020 — Finance Director Catherine Gwynn says staffing changes and natural disasters — including Hurricane Matthew, which hit Goldsboro in 2016, and Hurricane Florence, which hit the

city in 2018 — contributed to the missed 2019 audit deadline. Gwynn adds when she took on her role, she “couldn’t find” records and that when former Finance Department staff, including her predecessor, Kaye Scott, left the city, it crippled the department.

WINTER 2020 — Despite

assuring the Office of the State Treasurer that its long overdue 2018-19 audit would be submitted

by November 30, the city of Goldsboro does not hand over the financial documents to state officials.

Officials at City Hall also failed to submit an audit contract amendment to the Local Government Commission, which, according to the state, “would be the process for the city to notify the LGC of an expected submission date beyond the due date.”

WINTER 2020 — Salmon says

he isn’t concerned about the city’s inability to borrow money because “we’re not asking for any new debt right now,” and adds he interpreted communications from the state as a warning about ensuring future audits were submitted on time — not the fact that the 2018-19 audit was more than a year late.

WINTER 2020 — Salmon tells key city staff and members of the City Council that funding from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development would likely be suspended. “Goldsboro will receive a HUD non-compliance finding in the near future because the City missed federal deadlines for submission of the FY19 Audit financial statements due Mar 31, 2020 extended to Sep 30, 2020,” he wrote in an email obtained by Wayne Week. “The likely impact will be a suspension of the funds.”

He added that an additional consequence could include “federal monitoring of the financial management of the City’s HUD programs for one to five years.”

JANUARY 2022 — City officials

are notified by the Local Government Commission that should Goldsboro fail to comply with the terms of a Fiscal Accountability Agreement sent to Mayor David Ham, Salmon and Gwynn Jan. 7, the LGC could take control of the city’s finances.

JANUARY 2022 — Folwell instructs the State Auditor to conduct a “thorough audit” of Goldsboro’s books amid concerns that “its finances might be in disarray and therefore vulnerable

to mismanagement or misappropriation.” The decision, which was announced via a press release, comes after the city failed to submit a required annual audit the past two years. “It is troubling that the state’s 30th largest city, the county seat and home to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, no less, has been unable to get its act together to conduct a basic but critical oversight function.

Audits are necessary to assess financial well-being, to ensure bills are being paid and money is not missing,” Folwell said, adding that Goldsboro has not only failed to submit audits for 2020 and 2021, but its 2019 audit contained multiple bookkeeping adjustments to capital assets and notes receivable — a potential sign of “major weaknesses” in day-to-day operations.

JANUARY 2024 — The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor sends its preliminary findings to Goldsboro City Hall. The report outlines “concerns” relating to everything from thousands of dollars in unusual water bill credits given to City Council members, city staff, and their family members and questionable use of COVID-19 relief funds to procurement card purchases that did not have prop-

er documentation to prove they were for valid expenses.

FEBRUARY 2024 — Salmon

and the city agree to “part ways” in what Mayor Charles Gaylor characterizes as a “mutual” agreement.

2025 — Interim City Manager

Matthew Livingston tells members of the City Council that the city is, at last, caught up on its audits and will avoid future penalties from the state. He also suggests that as a result, his hope is that the city would soon be moved off the Local Government Commission’s “Unit Assistance List.”

MARCH 3, 2025 — Livingston tells the council that he had a “productive” call with officials from Moody’s and that within the month, Goldsboro could have its bond rating restored.

MARCH 4, 2025 — The Local Government Commission approves Goldsboro’s request for a $6.7 million loan to finance capital expenses, including new vehicles and equipment for the Goldsboro Police Department, and praises the city for what was characterized as a “remarkable” comeback story.

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IN BRIEF has something to say, if they say it louder than someone else, it doesn’t make it any more right or wrong, just because you raise your voice to say something instead of saying it in a calm manner.”

SIMMONS QUESTIONS PICKLE FESTIVAL, AIRPORT FUNDING

BOYETTE DEFENDS INTEGRITY

Councilman Chris Boyette has been silent as a handful of residents have continuously called out what they perceived to be “police brutality” during an arrest that unfolded on Day Circle in January and has since gone viral on social media. But Monday, in response to one resident claiming his lack of a response is reflective of “racism” — Boyette has maintained that it would be inappropriate to comment during an ongoing investigation — the former law enforcement officer fired back.

“I don’t think that any one of us up here preferred to have our integrity attacked or questioned when it comes to our decision-making process up here. I think it would be safe to say that when the time ever allows it — when it’s necessary and proper — I think I’ll have a lot to say about a lot of things,” he said. “So, I’ll speak no more about not speaking. It’s unfortunate that we sit here as elected officials and sometimes have our integrity questioned. But I stand on mine and I know my constituents know where I stand and where my integrity lies. Sometimes, we have to remember that … if someone

During the Town Board’s March 3 meeting, Mount Olive Commissioner Delreese Simmons said he attended a Zoom meeting with a certified public accountant during which he learned that the town’s airport had not made any money “in a decade.”

“That airport has not made any money.

Not one penny,” he said. “But we’re constantly pushing money out there — money that could be spent in this town. … That airport is draining this town.”

But he did not stop there.

“We should get a trophy for mismanaging money … because that’s all this town does,” he said.

“That’s why this town can’t afford to pave a road.”

And the town’s allocation for the N.C. Pickle Festival is part of the problem, Simmons added.

“We don’t have a contract with them to have that pickle festival in this town, but we’ve got to spend about $40,000 probably and we (aren’t) going to make a dime,” he said, drawing a response from a woman in the audience who said the event’s crowd brings tourism revenue to Mount Olive. “I don’t care if we have 10,000 people. We don’t make a dime.”

WCPS ANNOUNCES MAKEUP DAYS

Wayne County Public Schools students will have to give up only one teacher workday to make up for the instruction hours lost when

campuses were closed because of the snow and ice that fell in February.

As reported in the March 2 edition of Wayne Week, the January closures will not result in makeup time, as those days were built into the current 2024-25 academic calendar.

But WCPS spokesman Ken Derksen said Tuesday that traditional calendar schools, Carver Heights Elementary School, and Goldsboro High School will gain back the time they lost on March 17 — a would-have-been teacher workday — and by attending school for full days on March 12, April 9, and May 14, days that were previously slated to be early dismissal days.

LIVINGSTON: GPD COMMUNITY POLICING IS “A LITTLE WEAK”

Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston told members of the Goldsboro City Council that he feels the city needs to “work on our

community policing model” — a statement that echoes a sentiment Police Chief Mike West has been repeating since the GPD was forced to shutter several of its specialized units and move its members to patrol because of thinning ranks.

“That’s where I think we’re kind of a little weak right now,” Livingston said.

West acknowledged as much when, in December, he told Wayne Week that community policing was a key to putting a significant dent in gun violence and gang activity in the inner city — and vowed to make it a priority once a pay increase approved by the council resulted in the GPD being “staffed back up.”

“We’ve just got to put the community component back in place when I get more officers to do the one-on-one with the community,” he said. “That’s something to look forward to.”

CBA, SCHOOL LEADERS BREAK GROUND ON CONCESSION FACILITY

Thanks to a six-figure fundraising haul collected by the Charles B. Aycock High School Booster Club — and an allocation from the state — the $600,000 concession stand that will soon serve the Pikeville school required only $50,000 in funding from Wayne County Public Schools coffers.

CBA Athletic Director Jon Horton said the structure, which will include a sprawling bathroom facility, should be open for business by the start of the 2025 football season.

And the school’s principal, Nelson Cunningham, said the groundbreaking celebration — which was attended by Board of Education members Chris West, Tommy Sanders, and Wade Leatham, Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard and State Rep. John Bell — was fitting for the “family” he is “blessed” to lead every day. n newoldnorth.com

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THANK YOU, WAYNE COUNTY FOR NAMING N.C. FREEDOM FEST

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County does not want old Fremont school Wayne County Public Schools will now entertain offers from anyone else who might want the building and property.

T

he Wayne County Board of Education was informed Feb. 26 that the county government is not interested in buying the former Fremont Elementary School building — or the property on which it sits.

And because members of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners were given first right of refusal — and declined to approve the purchase — the 8.5-acre lot located at 101 North Pine Street is now officially up for grabs.

So, what’s next?

First, the school district will advertise for bids for at least 30 days — and any bids that come in during that time will be sealed until April 7 at 2 p.m.

Then, the Board of Education will determine to whom it will sell the property.

The move marks another step in what Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard called a top priority when he first took the job — ensuring the district was doing right by taxpayers as it relates to WCPS facilities.

And the sale could bring a windfall of money to coffers that are seemingly always in need of a cash injection, as the lot was offered to the Wayne County government for $1.23 million. - Renee Carey

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{ our TAKE }

STILL LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER

I

t is a whole new world.

In the old days, educators were respected, even revered.

And they were free to create relationships with their students that were proper, but close — based on respect and trust, like guardians away from home.

They set standards, demanded accountability, and shared the basic skills and attitudes that created not only successful students, but adults with the possibility of leading productive lives.

They understood limits and would not have done anything that would have diminished their role.

It mattered that much, and they knew it.

They were not in it for the money.

Let’s be honest, there wasn’t any.

It was a calling. (Not so different for many of the teachers who stand up in front of classrooms today.)

Educators worked with parents and the community, and generations of young people were better for it.

There were those who did not live up to the boundaries and the responsibilities, but for the rest, their concern was being there for their charges, and they changed lives.

Many of us shared basic values and interpretations of the world.

We could agree on simple things — like the value of an education and non-negotiables like respect, honor, and integrity.

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And the rules at school also applied at home and breaking them meant consequences.

It wasn’t perfect, but we had more students finding themselves and striving to be somebody.

Then the world shifted.

The innocence that once marked school days was tainted by the open swill pit that is social media.

The simple questions weren’t so simple anymore — and neither were the boundaries.

Good intentions became actions under scrutiny, and the lines were not so clear.

There were new rules, new roles, new limits — and teachers, coaches, and administrators had to think twice, questioning every interaction they had with the children in their classrooms or on the field.

They had to think about protecting themselves, their jobs, and their futures.

But some overstepped their boundaries and put their own activism ahead of their responsibilities — and the chasm between home and school was born.

And the rest — those with pure motives, those who would not dream of overstepping boundaries — stepped back.

They couldn’t be the ports in the storm or the mentors who unabashedly encouraged dreams.

There was “training” now — and limits.

They had to be careful.

After all, it is a litigious world.

And families were changing, too.

More and more children seemed lost and without the guidance they needed.

More of them came home to empty houses and empty cupboards or fell in with the wrong crowd — which sometimes became their family, and the beginning of a new vision for a life on the streets instead of with a job.

We were too careful — too worried about what someone might think — so, instead of doing what we thought was right, and being the kind of educator, mentor, or club advisor who wasn’t afraid to offer a helping hand or to work with parents to find the best path for a child, we distanced ourselves.

And we lost something very important — another place where children could turn for help.

We have created an age where children are slipping through the cracks.

They are searching — sometimes for a role model, sometimes for a “school Mom” or “school Dad,” sometimes for structure, and often for attention, love, and someone who cares.

Over the past year in Goldsboro — and really in towns all over this country — we have heard the stories.

More juvenile crime, lower graduation rates, discipline problems in classrooms, and teachers getting out of the business because it is just “bad.”

We here in Wayne County have had to

face up front and personal what toll this has taken, and we have all wrestled with what it would take to reach this generation — any way to let them know that the choices they are making will determine the course of the rest of their lives.

For some, that it is a trusted teacher — a “school Mom” or “school Dad” with whom they can share ideas and dreams.

For others, it is being part of a team, and hearing a coach say, “Good job, son.”

Or maybe, it is hearing their name called as a “Student of the Month.”

But we turned away, because we thought we had to.

So, the responsible ones, they did what they were told, and tried to abide by the new parameters.

Others, the bad ones, well they got the press — and the many administrators and educators whose motives were purely about the kids, well, they were silenced and stymied.

We think we need a change, a new way of thinking.

So, while we understand that there are some legitimate concerns about what unfolded back in September after an Eastern Wayne High School football practice, we also get why a group of coaches, community Continued from page 13

2025 PROPERTY REVALUATION Wayne County is conducting a property revaluation to ensure tax assessments reflect current market values, as required by North Carolina law.

Revaluation does NOT determine your tax bill. The Board of Commissioners will set the tax rate later.

Property values are assessed fairly based on real market conditions.

You have the right to appeal if you believe your assessed value is incorrect.

Revaluation notices will be mailed in late February - early March.

LEARN MORE AT WAYNEGOV.COM/REVALUATION newoldnorth.com

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Continued from page 10

members, and educators got caught up in a moment where a group of teenagers decided they wanted to take a different path — and to welcome a new purpose and a new meaning into their lives.

And we get why the coaches who were there held their hands, embraced them, and shed tears while it happened.

Board of Education Vice Chairman Tommy Sanders was not wrong.

That day at Eastern Wayne had value — and the gesture by those young men deserved the support of their community.

And he is right about something else, too.

People of faith are called to respond when someone makes such a declaration, and those coaches answered that calling.

So, while we understand that religion — or a lack of religion — is a deeply personal thing, and that there are complications when school personnel are involved in religious activities with their students, it is hard to see what unfolded that day in black and white.

Because yes, we understand that there have to be considerations — and guidelines.

We get that we have a Constitution — and a slew of Supreme Court decisions that draw a line in the sand.

But we were also amazed by the words of the coaches who spoke about this issue.

Their interest in their kids was sincere — and their motives pure.

They wanted to be there for their “children” — to continue to be the role models they were and still are — but they also wanted to play by the rules.

Wayne County is lucky to have so many people like this who care.

And something else strikes us that we have to acknowledge.

This is not the same world we grew up in.

But maybe, just maybe, we should consider that it should be — or could be.

Maybe, as one of the coaches who spoke to us this week said, we should consider that any way we can reach a student — any support, any comfort, any values we can get across — is worth the risk.

Maybe we should be of the mindset that if even one moment sees a student who is lost find a home, it is worth the risk.

Maybe we should embrace the school Mom who tells her students she loves them instead of assuming there is an ulterior motive.

We can — and should — watch carefully to see that there are rules that are followed and offer some guidelines for making sure that a prayer before a game, or an embrace between a teacher and student, does not cross a boundary.

But we can also acknowledge the difference even small gestures can make.

It is about remembering those roots we

talked about.

Maybe we need a few more moments like the scene before the big game in the movie “Hoosiers,” when the great Gene Hackman who played the troubled, yet inspirational, Coach Norman Dale, welcomed the team chaplain into the locker room for a prayer.

The boys from little Hickory listened as he told the story of David, who slew Goliath with nothing but a stone.

In Dale’s eyes, those young men were David — facing a challenge as insurmountable as the battle between a giant and a slingshot must have seemed.

It was a lesson, not about the Bible, but about life — about how even the smallest and most insignificant of us can do anything with the power of faith.

Perhaps not knowing those lessons — Biblical and otherwise — is why we have lost so many of our kids.

We got too afraid to be the inspiration — to share the hope.

Maybe in trying to protect them too much, we have forgotten that we can trust our children — and teach them to look for the lessons in life, the moments of choice and integrity that will help them grow into responsible adults.

That a prayer before a game is not conscription.

That a coach can be an inspiration, even if he has a belief that is different from yours.

That a teacher can love a student as if they were their own.

Maybe we need more moments — and fewer “organizations” telling us what kind of relationship our community needs to have with its young people.

Maybe we need to be a little braver.

Wayne County Public Schools did what it had to do in the climate we live in.

There are limits that have to be maintained — and taking precautions and enforcing those limits is the smart play.

But perhaps we as a community should be more active in setting our own standards — and finding new ways to reach our kids.

More after school groups, if that is what it takes, or being willing to fight for the right to stand up for our kids, one way or another.

Maybe there are ways to have rules and to reach out to those students who need us.

No outside agency or keyboard warrior should ever make us afraid of that.

And maybe this is a fight worth considering.

Because, after all, these are OUR kids.

And we cannot afford to lose even one more to the streets, to drugs, or to unfulfilled and unhappy lives.

Sometimes it really does take a community — a community that understands that solid value systems and life lessons, wherever they might come from, matter.

Our parents and grandparents understood that.

Let’s be bold enough to follow their example. n

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newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 13

PRAYERFUL

PAUSE?

A moment on a field sparked a warning — but educators, coaches, and community leaders say what happened at Eastern Wayne High School was about being there for a group of young people who needed to be surrounded by love.

By KEN FINE and RENEE CAREY

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[Editor’s note: Several Wayne County Public Schools employees spoke to Wayne Week for this story under the condition that they remain anonymous to avoid potential disciplinary action. We honored their request.]

A

teenage football player emerges from a long, metal, water-filled tub and reaches for one of his coaches’ hands.

He pulls the man toward him and the two share an extended embrace.

Moments later, one of the player’s teammates steps into the water and submerges his lower body.

His coach takes a knee — placing one hand on the young man’s chest and the other behind his head.

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” he says, before lowering the player’s head into the water. “Who’s next?”

What the Eastern Wayne High School football team did not know was that somebody was streaming, on social media, what was unfolding on their school’s field that sunny, September afternoon — that comments from those who were witnessing it from nearby and afar were pouring in.

“To God be the glory!” one person wrote.

“Souls saved!” another said.

“Look at God work!” someone posted moments later.

It didn’t stop there.

I

t turns out the post was on its way to viral status — with thousands of people from Wayne County and beyond sharing what the vast majority said was a “beautiful,” “incredible,” “powerful” scene.

But supporters of the baptism were not the only ones who would see the video.

Some said the fact that “school staff were facilitating a religious ceremony on public school grounds” was “crossing a line” — and “breaking the law.”

And within a few months, a national organization whose “purpose” is to “promote the constitutional principle of separation of

A

WCPS high school teacher who also serves as a coach said “everyone I know” saw the video of the baptism back in September when it viral on Facebook.

And while they were aware that “there were some nasty comments posted” about “religion in schools being inappropriate,” they continued to pray with their team before games.

“My team prays together, but we do it in the locker room before the game. And if they want to pray before we go out there and compete, I have no problem with it,” said

Board of Education actions to provide “more clarity” on some of the issues being covered, including how to handle Name, Image, and Likeness concerns, not the fact that he had received, according to Ziegler, a second email from the Freedom From Religion Foundation two weeks ago warning that the organization was not going to let the issue die.

“At the start of the year, they offered some recommended trainings, one of which involved religion in schools. We also planned to do NIL trainings for all our coaches, principals, and athletic directors, but needed to wait for court decisions and

They basically told us that if the kids are praying ... we have to walk away. state and church and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism” weighed in.

Mandy Ziegler, a staff attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, told Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard January 15 via an email obtained by Wayne Week that what happened that day at Eastern Wayne reflected “violations of the First Amendment.”

“We ask that the District investigate these matters and take immediate action to protect its students,” she wrote. “Any coaches involved in this baptism activity must be directed to cease including coercive religious activities and practices in the football program.”

But despite the coaches’ involvement, several parents of players who participated said it was a “student-led” event that is protected under the Constitution — that just because coaches were supervising to ensure “everyone was being safe” does not mean they were coercing the young men who “chose to be saved” that afternoon.

the coach, who asked to remain anonymous.

“And I don’t think being a part of that prayer is wrong. But now, I’m second guessing myself a little bit.”

Why? Because Monday, they were among the coaches who had to report to the WCPS Central Office for a “professional development” that included guidance about “religion in schools.”

“They basically told us that if the kids are praying or whatever, we have to walk away.

We can’t be anywhere near it,” the coach said.

“Honestly, I was blown away. This is Wayne County, North Carolina. If my players are going to pray with or without me, why don’t I have the right to stand there with them? At that point, I figured someone had sued the district because of the Eastern Wayne thing.”

But when asked whether something had triggered the Monday discussion on religion, Whichard said the district’s attorney “offered some recommended trainings” and “religion in schools” was one of them — that the timing was a result of waiting for State

subsequent State Board of Education actions to provide more clarity,” he said in a statement provided to Wayne Week Wednesday. “Once that was done at the January meeting of the State Board of Education, we planned the workshops. We planned the NIL training and training on religion and sports and, given the large number of coaches involved, had to plan the training for a time that would work well during the various seasons.”

T

ommy Sanders knows what young men like those who attend Eastern Wayne were facing in the months leading up to the mass baptism.

Some local teenagers were being shot to death.

Others engaged in a firefight in broad daylight inside Berkeley Mall.

In fact, the shooting incidents were becoming so pervasive that the Goldsboro City Council held a special-called meeting to address the dramatic rise in gang activity and violent crime.

Continued on page 16

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Continued from page 15

So, when he saw the video, the unapologetic Christian who serves as the vice chairman of the Wayne County Board of Education said it made his heart full.

“It was a terrible time in Goldsboro last year with what was happening to these kids, and if something positive like that can change a life, I’ll say it to 100,000 people in a ball stadium, I thought it was great,” he said. “We understand that there are rules, and we don’t want to break them, but at the same time, I thought it was great. Something happened out there that day. I wasn’t there, but I know what it was. It was a spiritual thing.”

And he said he understands something else, too.

Those young men, and those coaches, had “no choice” that day, Sanders said.

“The Bible tells us that they had no choice,” he said, before reciting a verse from the Acts of the Apostles. “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. So, you know what, I don’t have all the answers.

But if something like that happens and people want to change their life and their way of thinking … I’m all for it.”

And if turning their life over to “something bigger” helped put an end to the violence in Goldsboro, it was worth it.

“If one of those young people was saved that day — if they made a choice to change their life and be a part of something bigger — that’s special to me,” Sanders said. “And it was special to a lot of people. When something goes viral like that, it means something.”

Another WCPS coach agreed.

But for them, it is not necessarily a team prayer that saves his players.

It is the fellowship — and the commitment young people make to each other before they “do battle.”

“I just feel like people are always looking for the negative. How about we focus on how these sports are, in a lot of ways, saving lives?

Some of my players would be dead or in jail without the commitment they make to our team,” they said. “My daddy used to say that idle hands play the devil’s music. I believe he’s right. And there is no part of me that believes those coaches down there thought they were doing anything wrong. Personally, I feel bad for that staff because I’m sure they’ve been through a rough time over all this, but I know the hearts that I saw on that video. Every single person that mentors a young person in this world should have a heart that big.”

I

t is unclear whether the Freedom From Religion Foundation will file a lawsuit against the district as a result of the baptism, but Ziegler said if WCPS did, in fact, tell coaches to avoid participation in religious activities on school grounds, the organization might be satisfied.

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If one of those young people was saved that day — if they made a choice to change their life and be a part of something bigger — that's special to me. And it was special to a lot of people.

WHAT HAVE THE COURTS SAID ABOUT RELIGION IN SCHOOLS? “We haven’t heard back from the district yet, but if we do get that response, that yeah, they pulled their staff in for training and are attempting to stop this, we would consider that a satisfactory response,” she said. “But obviously, people in the community would be monitoring to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

And she stressed that while a court battle is always a last resort, FFRF takes “protecting” children seriously.

“It’s really detrimental to a student to be coerced into religious activity. That is what we’re trying to prevent,” she said. “Not everybody is Christian — even in the Bible Belt.

Statistically, you’re going to have kids that are not Christian and who are going to be really excluded by this or feel pressure to go along with a religion that is not their own.”

A third coach called her take “a shame.”

“What these out-of-town people don’t understand is that we need all the love we can get in this city. If that love comes from Jesus Christ or from a basketball in a kid’s hands or from a great teacher, what does it matter?” they said. “We should be focusing on touching hearts and changing lives, not on threatening people who are coming together for pure good.

There’s no way that complaint came from this city. Maybe these lawyers should come educate themselves on who we really are. I think they’ll find that we’re a group of people doing the best we can and looking for all the help with these young people we can get.” n

• In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court held that the Establishment Clause prohibited the recitation of a school-sponsored prayer in public schools. In banning the prayer exercise entirely, the court emphasized what it saw as the wrongs of having the government create and sponsor a religious activity.

• In Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that school sponsorship of religious exercises violates the Constitution. The Schempp ruling became a standard-bearer of the doctrine that all government action must have a predominantly secular purpose — a requirement that, according to the court, the exercise of reading the Bible could not satisfy.

• In Stone v. Graham (1980), the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a Kentucky law requiring all public schools to post a copy of the Ten Commandments.

• In Wallace v. Jaffree (1985), the Supreme Court overturned an Alabama law requiring public schools to set aside a moment each day for silent prayer.

• In Roberts v. Madigan (1990), a federal district court upheld the authority of a public school principal in Colorado to order a fifth-grade teacher to take down a

religious poster from the classroom wall and to remove books titled “The Bible in Pictures” and “The Life of Jesus” from the classroom library. Justices emphasized that school principals need such authority to prevent potential violations of the Establishment Clause and to protect students against a religiously coercive atmosphere.

• In Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000), the Supreme Court ruled that schools may not sponsor student-recited prayer at high school football games.

• In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022), the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a high school football coach who lost his job because of his post-game prayers at the 50-yard line. By a vote of 6-3, the justices ruled that Joseph Kennedy’s conduct was protected by the First Amendment — and rejected the public school district’s argument that allowing Kennedy’s prayers to continue would have violated the Establishment Clause. The majority also pushed back against the argument that students might have felt obligated to join Kennedy’s prayers, writing that “learning how to tolerate speech or prayer of all kinds is ‘part of learning how to live in a pluralistic society,’ a trait of character essential to ‘a tolerant citizenry.’”

WCPS RECEIVES FORMAL COMPLAINT An attorney from the Freedom From Religion Foundation said the baptism that unfolded at Eastern Wayne High School in September violated the First Amendment.

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. Wayne WEEK . 17

NO T ICE S NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Annie Davis, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 16th day of February, 2025.

Coretta Mewborn Administrator for the Estate of Annie Davis, 721 Oliver Street, Mount Olive, North Carolina, 28365 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2024, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of John Norman Hunter, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 16th day of February, 2025.

Robert Neil Hunter III Administrator for the Estate of John Norman Hunter 2401 Buffaloe Road, Garner, North Carolina, 27529 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2024, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RUSSELL ALAN HENNING

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Russell Alan Henning, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 16th day of February, 2025.

David Russell Henning Administrator of the Estate of Russell Alan Henning c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate 18

P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF FRANCES TYNER HINNANT

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Frances Tyner Hinnant, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 16th day of February, 2025.

Betty F. Waters and Billy R. Farmer, Co-Executors of the Estate of Frances Tyner Hinnant c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BARBARA ANN MILLER JACKSON

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Barbara Ann Miller Jackson, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 16th day of February, 2025.

Joseph C. Jackson, Administrator of the Estate of Barbara Ann Miller Jackson c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JANICE HEAD KORNEGAY

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Janice Head Kornegay deceased, of Duplin County, are notified to

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 16th day of February, 2025.

Donnell Edwin Kornegay, Jr. Executor of the Estate of Janice Head Kornegay c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Hazel Marie Crowley, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 24th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 23rd day of February, 2025.

Elizabeth Sarno Administrator for the Estate of Hazel Marie Crowley, 502 Church Street, Seven Springs, North Carolina, 28578 Published Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF DONALD MONROE SUMMERLIN

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Donald Monroe Summerlin deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 24th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 23rd day of February, 2025.

Donna Marie Summerlin Hamm Executor for the Estate of Donald Monroe Summerlin 111 Long Point Circle, Powells Point, North Carolina, 27966 Published Feb. 23, 2025, March 2, 2025, March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025

NOTICE OF PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT

The Town of Pikeville hereby provides notice of a proposed text amendment to bring local ordinances into compliance with North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 160D. This amendment updates zoning, subdivision, and land use regulations in accordance with state law. A public hearing will be held before the Town Council on March 10th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall where interested parties may appear and be heard.

Written comments may be submitted to Tim Biggerstaff, Town of Pikeville Manager, at manager@pikevillenc.gov before March 10th, 2025. For information or to review the proposed amendment, please contact Pikeville Town Hall at 919-2425126 or visit pikevillenc.gov Dated this February 25th, 2025 Tim Biggerstaff, Town Manager Town of Pikeville Published March 2, 2025, and March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO PICK UP FILES AND OF THEIR DESTRUCTION NORTH CAROLINA WAYNE COUNTY

The undersigned having been appointed trustee for the Law Office of Janice S. Head, PA or Janice Head Kornegay, Attorney at Law in Wayne County file number 25 R 19, because Janice S. Head/Janice Head Kornegay died on January 3, 2025. This is to notify all people or businesses that may have a file in the custody of Janice S. Head/Janice Head Kornegay that you will have from March 3, 2025 until May 5, 2025 to pick your file up. You may call 919-736-3076 or 919-635-9007 or email shelby@bentonfamilylaw. com to arrange a time to pick up your file. You will need a photo ID to pick up your file and the file can only be given to the client in whose name the file is noted. If you do not pick the file up within the time set out above the remaining files will be destroyed in accord with the rules of the North Carolina State Bar. This the 18th day of February 2025.

Shelby Duffy Benton, Trustee Law Office of Janice S. Head, PA Janice Head Kornegay, Attorney at Law Goldsboro, North Carolina Published March 2, 2025, March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, and March 23, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Raymond Murphy Davis deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of June, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 3rd day of March, 2025.

Sherry Davis Creech Administrator for the Estate of Raymond Murphy Davis, 2067 Warrentown Road, Snow Hill, North Carolina, 28580 Published March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JACQUELINE RHEW

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jacqueline Rhew, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of June, 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 3rd day of March, 2025.

Capen Rhew, Executor of the Estate of Jacqueline Rhew 4741 Delta Lake Drive Raleigh, NC 27612 Published March 9, 2025 and March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE OF COUNTY PROPERTY

An offer of $4,500 has been submitted for the purchase of certain property owned by the County of Wayne and the Town of Mount Olive located at 107 Short Street, Mt. Olive, NC (PIN: 2572658205) more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron stake on the Southern edge of Short Street, said beginning point being located N. 52 degrees 47’ 06” W. 100 feet from an iron stake within the most Southwestern intersectional corner of Center Street and Short Street; thence from the beginning with the Southern right of way of Short Street, N. 52 degrees 47’ 06” W.100.00 feet to an iron stake; thence leaving the Southern right

of way of Short Street, S. 36 degrees 30’ 00” W. 154.19 feet to an iron stake; thence S. 53 degrees 04’ 14” E. 84.86 feet to an iron stake; thence N. 87 degrees 10’ 12” E. 19.56 feet to an iron stake; thence N. 36 degrees 30’ 00” E. 141.18 feet to an iron stake on the Southern right of way of Short Street, the point of beginning containing 15,298 Square Feet or 0.351 Acre more or less.

Persons wishing to upset the offer that has been received shall submit a sealed bid with their offer and the required deposit to the office of the Wayne County Manager, 224 E. Walnut Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530 by 5:00 P.M. on March 19, 2025. At that time the Clerk to the Board shall open the bids, if any, and the highest qualifying bid will become the new offer. If there is more than one bid in the highest amount, the first such bid received will become the new offer.

A qualifying higher bid is one that raises the existing offer at least 10% of the first $1,000 and 5% of the remainder. A qualifying bid must raise the existing offer to an amount not less than $4,775.00.

A qualifying higher bid must be accompanied by a deposit in the amount of five percent (5%) of the bid; the deposit may be made in cash, cashier’s check, or certified check. The County will return the deposit on any bid not accepted, and will return the deposit on an offer subject to upset if a qualifying higher bid is received.

If no other bids are made the original offer to purchase will be accepted.

Further information may be obtained at the Wayne County Manager’s Office, 224 E. Walnut Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530 or by telephone at (919) 705-1971 during normal business hours.

Andrew J. Neal Wayne County Staff Attorney PO Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1971 Published March 9, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JIMMY LEWIS ADAMS

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Jimmy Lewis Adams, Deceased, of Wayne County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before June 9, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of

recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 9th day of March, 2025.

Jimmy Lewis Adams, Jr., and English Adams Albertson, Co-Executors of the Estate of Jimmy Lewis Adams c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 (919) 734-1841 Published March 9, 2025, and March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF GILBERT WRIGHT BROWN

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Gilbert Wright Brown, 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 June 9, 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 pay-

ment to the undersigned.

This 3rd day of March, 2025.

Samuel Craig Brown, Executorof the Estate of Gilbert Wright Brown c/o L.E. (Trey) Taylor III, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 Published March 9, 2025, and March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OFNANCY JEAN KUHN

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Nancy Jean Kuhn, 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 June 9, 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 3rd day of March, 2025.

Robert Warren Kuhn, Administrator of the Estate of Nancy Jean Kuhn

c/o Caroline Taylor Phillips, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 Published March 9, 2025, and March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Evelyn Dolores Hood, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of June, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 4th day of March, 2025.

Doug Hood, Administrator for the Estate of Evelyn Dolores Hood, 473 Falling Creek Church Road, Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27534 Published March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF DEBORAH SUE YELVERTON

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Deborah Sue Yelverton, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9th day of June, 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 is the 9th day of March, 2025.

Cara Yelverton Davis, Administrator of the Estate of Deborah Sue Yelverton 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 March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, and March 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF SHIRLEY DAVIS GARDNER

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Shirley Davis Gardner, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 9th day of June, 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 is the 9th day of March, 2025.

Timothy Milton Kearney, Executor of the Estate of Shirley Davis Gardner 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 March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, and March 30, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Kelly Ann Smith, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 7th day of June, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 5th day of March, 2025.

Grover Allen Smith, Administrator for the Estate of Kelly Ann Smith, 103 Quailcroft Drive, Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27534 Published March 9, 2025, March 16, 2025, March 23, 2025, March 30, 2025

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If you would like to join the Wayne County government and make Wayne Week the new home of your public and legal notices, you can: SEND US an email to notices@newoldnorth.com CALL US at 919-648-9905 STOP BY our downtown Goldsboro office, located at 219 North John Street newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 19

the SPECTATOR

Diamonds are forever

The Rosewood High School baseball team welcomed Goldsboro High School to their diamond Tuesday evening — and the Eagles won.

PHOTOS by KEN FINE

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. Wayne WEEK . 21

Congratulations to the BEST team in NORTH CAROLINA!

The Wayne County Clerk’s Office was one of only six offices in the state to achieve an “Effective” audit opinion for our internal audit — the highest opinion given, which indicates excellence in minimizing potential risks.

I feel so blessed to work with all of you.

Thank you for helping Wayne County shine!

Sending you love and best wishes as we take on this new year together as a community!

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

Julie Whitfield, Wayne County Clerk of Court

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. Wayne WEEK . 23

JERICHO FA R M S

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

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