Wayne Week — Oct. 19, 2025

Wayne

WEEK OCTOBER 19, 2025

ELECTION 202 5

Early voting has begun and the men and women running for office in Mount Olive and Pikeville who accepted our invitation for an interview agreed that the stakes for their communities could not be any higher.

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CONTENTS OCTOBER 19, 2025 Volume 3, Issue 11

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

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

4 Map change will target Davis

2022

“Service since 1923”

“Service since 1923.”

According to several sources inside the North Carolina General Assembly, Congressman Don Davis' district is the one being targeted by those who will soon redraw the state's congressional maps.

6 Our take

Despite what talking-heads on both sides of the aisle would like you to believe, Democrats and Republicans have been equally guilty of gerrymandering throughout history.

But in our view, the practice robs voters of their voice, regardless of who happens to be in charge when the maps are redrawn.

9 Our take

Most of the men and women running for office in Mount Olive and Pikeville accepted our invitation to participate in an interview about their candidacy — and their hopes for the future of their respective communities. But in our experience, those who did not told us a great deal about who they are without saying a word.

10 The candidates: Pikeville

Four of the people who hope to lead Pikeville into the future sat down with Wayne Week to talk about how to grow the town without sacrificing its identity.

14 The candidates: Mount Olive

The men and women running for office in Mount Olive who chose to speak with us sounded off on everything from the need for another town manager search to the fallout from the report published by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor.

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NE WS +VIEWS

Sources: Map change will target Davis North Carolina legislators announced that they would redraw the state's congressional maps ahead of the 2026 election.

BY KEN FINE

A

public political back-and-forth that began when Texas legislators decided to draw new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm election has come home to North Carolina — and will likely impact Wayne County — as Republican lawmakers in Raleigh announced Monday their intention to “defend” the “clear mandate” President Donald Trump “earned” from “North Carolina and the rest of the country” by, according to N.C. House Speaker Destin Hall, “drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat.”

And while the map, itself, has not yet been revealed, multiple sources inside the General Assembly told Wayne Week the likely target would be the 1st congressional district, which is currently represented by Air Force veteran Don Davis, a Democrat who has served Wayne both in Raleigh and Washington since he was first elected as a state senator in November 2008.

State Sen. Phil Berger said the move to pass a newly drawn map could happen as early as this week — characterizing it as a reaction to California Gov. Gavin Newsom responding to what happened in Texas by calling on voters to approve the state’s ability to gerrymander.

“We are doing everything we can to protect President Trump’s agenda, which means safeguarding Republican control of Congress,” he said. “Picking up where Texas left off, we will hold votes in our October session to redraw North Carolina’s congressional map to ensure Gavin Newsom doesn’t decide the congressional majority.”

Davis, who was already gearing up for what many have predicted could be among the most consequential — and expensive — national races of 2026, did not, despite a formal request submitted Tuesday, make himself available for an interview.

Instead, he provided the following oneline statement through Senior Advisor Hannah Spengler: “I have undergone and survived multiple rounds of redistricting at both the state and federal levels,” he stated. “Serving the hardworking families of the East is my unwavering commitment, regardless of party affiliation or the way the map is drawn, and I intend to continue in this work. Eastern North Carolina is my home, and our residents deserve a champion and fair representation.”

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U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1

The state Democratic Party, however, had no problem calling out what it perceives as an attempted power grab.

“If you needed confirmation that the (North Carolina Republican Party) will do anything for Trump’s approval & to stay in power, here it is,” the organization posted on X Monday. “They just agreed to gerrymander our maps.”

And Gov. Josh Stein characterized the maneuver as “shameless.”

“The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump,” he wrote in a statement provided to the media. “The Republican leadership in the General Assembly has failed to pass a budget, failed to pay our teachers and law enforcement what they deserve, and failed to fully fund Medicaid.

Now they are failing you, the voters. These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours. I will always fight for you because the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.”

During his tenure, Davis has been an outspoken advocate for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — including when he, and Sen. Ted Budd, helped ensure a decision to divest 4th Fighter Wing F-15Es, deactivate the 333rd Fighter Squadron, and shift the 4th’s mission to training only was reversed.

But the former airman did not win over the majority of Wayne voters when he ran for Congress in 2024.

In fact, Republican Laurie Buckhout beat him by a healthy margin — more than 11 percentage points — forcing Davis to carry other counties in the 1st congressional district to win the election.

Ultimately, he made up just enough ground in other Eastern North Carolina counties, and narrowly defeated Buckhout 186,341 to 180,034.

But Republicans have made it clear since that in their view, Davis is beatable, and to date, several have already thrown their names into the 2026 race to try to unseat him.n Among them are State Sen. Bobby Hanig of Currituck County, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, and Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse.

Note: This is a developing story. Should lawmakers present and/or OK the proposed new map this week, additional coverage of this issue will appear in the Oct. 26 edition of Wayne Week.

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{ our TAKE }

NORTH CAROLINA JOINS THE GERRYMANDER GAME

T

here have been terrible consequences to the hyper-partisan world in which we live today.

Trust?

Respectful disagreement?

More specifically the ability to see the bigger picture — or the freedom to stand up and say, “this is not the right choice”?

Those things feel nonexistent these days.

And because of that, decisions are sometimes made based on the fear of “what if.”

Pressure is exerted to prevent dissent in the name of the greater good.

What if the other party takes over?

What if the opposition goes unchecked?

And that means ill-advised choices are made in the pursuit of control and power.

The hate and polarization are palpable — and have manifested in some pretty dark stuff.

So, on the surface, if you are someone who happens to be conservative, you might 6

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think the possibility of redistricting in North Carolina seems like a good idea.

Giving Republicans a better chance to continue their control of the House of Representatives, well, what’s the downside?

You voted for a change in 2024 — and the continuation of that change is critical if it is going to be successful.

The end justifies the means, right?

And let us not forget, you might add, that it’s not like redistricting is new or something that has never been done by Democrats to gain an advantage.

But we have a different take — one you might want to think about.

The primary target in this latest iteration of the tiresome battle of politics is one of our own, Congressman Don Davis.

No, Wayne County voters did not elect Davis.

He was not the representative this community wanted.

In fact, the majority of voters here picked

his opponent, who took this county by an 11-point margin.

And don’t get us wrong.

Davis does not deserve to be anointed into another term.

Elections for House seats are held every few years for a reason.

He will need to stand up, to speak up, and to share why he is the right pick to continue representing this region.

But this isn’t what this is.

This is not offering voters an alternative or allowing a challenger to hold Davis accountable for his stances, his votes, and his service — or lack thereof — to the people of Eastern North Carolina.

This is about altering the playing field to make the game unfair.

Manipulating boundaries to make an opponent’s re-election a “not even possible” is not anything new.

We have seen it many times over the decades.

And yes, regardless of what talking heads on both sides will tell you, both Democrats and Republicans have been guilty of doing it.

Just look at any state’s district maps and you see some of the weirdest configurations — all in the name of politics.

And here’s the amusing part: Both parties are always aghast that it is being done, but they are also more than willing to take part in the exercise once they hold the power.

Again, the end justifies the means, right?

But here is why we are worried about this latest potential move.

Davis is a Democrat. That’s true.

And yes, he parrots some of the talking points that don’t gel with some of the core values that are endemic in this community and others like it around the country.

He totes the party line more times than many of us would like.

But Davis is not a crazy idealogue with tunnel vision — or a partisan who sees

party above all and to end all.

He is what we don’t see too much of these days, a moderate.

Davis votes with Republicans — a lot.

And when a policy is what is best for Eastern North Carolina, he votes for it.

That, in our opinion, is how he should be judged — if, that is, we really want what is best for our community.

Here is something else you might now know.

Davis has been a key advocate for the military in general — and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in specific.

And we don’t mean the show up to public events to gladhand and to get his picture taken kind of advocacy.

He has been an active member of the Armed Services Committee and has been on this base more times than we can count — talking to military brass and airmen — and has been there when it was time to advocate and to battle attempts to create legislation that would hurt SJAFB or the community that surrounds it.

Ask his fellow public servants, Republican and Democrat, and they will tell you that Davis, who is an Air Force veteran, was the driving force in keeping the base right here in Wayne County.

Really.

Go ask members of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners or the Goldsboro City Council.

They will tell you that saving local F-15Es from divestment would not have happened without him.

And that matters, or should matter, to every single person who owns property or a business here — or who is raising children they hope will come back to Wayne County someday to build families and lives of their own.

But keep this in mind, too.

This might read like an endorsement for Davis, but it isn’t.

He might not be the right choice in 2026.

We will have to look at his record and weigh it against that of whoever claims victory in a packed Republican primary.

So, too, will all of you.

This, quite simply, is a call for a fair fight — the kind we used to be able to have every election season.

Look, there are many of us who are concerned about the direction of the country — on both sides of the aisle and those who identify as independent.

And yes, it would be so much easier if the initiatives and proposed laws could just sail through with no challenges and no debate.

Nobody likes the kind of stalemates that have become commonplace in Washington over the last few decades.

So, the call to preserve the majority is declared “necessary” because no one trusts anyone anymore — and too many “the

ends justify the means” actions have made some people wary of letting the vote take its course.

Why not keep the chorus singing the same note for a few more years?

Things might actually get done it that happens.

But, you see, that’s exactly what we do not need — ever — no matter who is working out of the Oval Office.

This country was founded on the exchange of ideas — and the people having their say on who they want to listen to or to elect to lead them.

So, it is a good thing when the chance exists for people to hear both sides, to see ideas from different perspectives, and then to make up their own minds about how to move forward.

And when we stop talking and listening to each other — and when honest debate ends in ritual name-calling and, God forbid, violence — well, that’s when we all lose.

We used to be a country that understood that.

We used to be able to do that exchange of ideas.

We could listen and advocate for our position without siloing and shouting down those with whom we disagree.

Those exchanges were a big part of who we are.

But over the last couple of decades, our ability to find common ground and to have meaningful and respectful discussions about our country’s future, well that has slipped away.

And while Democrats are currently claiming all-powerful and tone-deaf leadership is now in charge, it wasn’t that long ago that the same claims were made about them.

The truth is, there is no reason to be afraid of giving the people the chance to choose.

If they know the stakes — and have the facts — they will check the right box.

So, we should stand against the manipulations, the politicking, and the rhetoric that have marred the face of political discourse today.

We should, in one voice, stand up and say that North Carolina doesn’t need to get involved in this national redistricting game.

Yes, gerrymandering has been done for years.

Yes, it will probably happen again should Democrats reclaim the majority at some point in the future.

But in this case — and really, in most cases — aligning districts to make a party’s majority secure or so there will be more votes for one ideology or the other serves only one master, the powerbrokers.

And that is not good for anyone — ever.

Republicans and Democrats used to be able to agree on that. n

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ELECTION

202 5

Early voting has begun and the men and women running for office in Mount Olive and Pikeville who accepted our invitation for an interview agreed that the stakes for their communities could not be any higher.

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{ our TAKE }

W

By saying nothing, they said everything we need to know

e are getting into election season.

Well, actually, we are already there.

And as the candidates’ forums get into full swing and the signs go up, we feel the need to remind you of what’s at stake — and some questions that need to be asked of every single person who puts his or her name on a ballot.

Not just anyone will do.

We need fearless people who are brave enough to tell it like it is when it comes to what is best for the county’s future — and who have the integrity and honor to see it through, no matter how hard it gets.

Serving on a city or town council, a school board, the county commission or in the state legislature requires more than just desire.

It takes an understanding of the great responsibility that goes along with the office.

And for decades, many decades, too many people have gotten into county or local office who not only are not really qualified for the office they seek but who also have seen public service as a meal ticket.

It is very difficult to weed out the bad seeds once they are in office, so making sure we have the right ones in place is very, very important.

If you want proof, we have one story to remind you of — the tale of the county’s last Register of Deeds.

Take a look back at the drama that we endured as a county until the voters took care of the problem.

But don’t ever forget that real damage that was done because voters simply didn’t know her story before she duped them with a smile at the polls — and that the mess she left behind still lingers.

So, as you start to think about who deserves your vote this November, we encourage you to pay particular attention to one very, very important measure of how a person will serve if they are chosen for the job.

We asked every Mount Olive and Pikeville candidate on the upcoming ballot to sit down with us — or to take a short phone call — to introduce themselves to voters and answer some questions.

Most did.

But several key candidates for a handful of the

most important posts did not.

And some of them did not just politely decline, they ignored us altogether.

Lest you think that we are telling you this because our feelings are hurt or that we consider the fact that we could not get these candidates on the phone a personal slight to our massive egos — if only you knew how untrue that was — let us assure you this is not our first rodeo.

This is not about Wayne Week.

It is about years of experience interviewing and vetting candidates.

And it is about knowing what we have learned the hard way — what it means when a candidate declines the easy introductory interview.

It is a laser-focused indicator of what will happen when there is bad news, when there are serious questions, when they are challenged, and, heaven forbid, if they have a really difficult public relations moment.

And the communities that are electing their new representatives this time around, especially Mount Olive, have a critical time ahead.

So, no. There is no room for someone who cannot handle a basic interview.

There just isn’t.

Particularly if that person wants to, say, be the mayor — the face of that community at conferences across the state and, perhaps, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base or the Pentagon.

Being a public official is not easy.

There are pressures and there are people who are jockeying for power and influence who set their sights on making sure you fail.

But to be successful, you have to be able to communicate — both to your fellow officeholders and those who are serving in Raleigh and beyond — and you have to be able to stand up in front of your community and speak to the people who placed their trust in you even when it’s hard.

If you want to see what real leaders look like when the going gets tough, look at how the members of the Goldsboro City Council have handled what has been a never-ending set of challenges.

They have had to say some hard things and make gut-wrenching decisions, but they did it — and, along the way, never shied away from answering questions.

And then there is the Wayne County Board of Education — a group that worked its way through a financial catastrophe, took the hits, and then hired the absolute correct chief executive to ensure the school district made it through to the other side.

Its members didn’t refuse to pick up the phone either.

Those elected officials showed us something during their darkest days.

It takes courage to serve.

And in our experience, a pretty good indicator of how a candidate will handle him or herself when the going gets tough is how they manage a campaign.

No, they will not miraculously change when they have the title.

That’s why Mount Olive’s mayor plays, “Let me get your information and I’ll get back to you,” on repeat when he is confronted by town residents during Town Board meetings and, you guessed it, rarely gets back to them.

So, we cannot afford to continue to elect just anyone with a pulse to these public offices, or to not hold them accountable when they put their names on a ballot or when they seek higher office.

The time to figure out if we have the right person in the seat is before they get there.

And if they cannot even do a basic introductory interview with a local newspaper, well, take that as a big red flashing light caution sign.

Fortunately, most of those running for office in Pikeville and Mount Olive understood the assignment.

And while many acknowledged they did not have all the answers, their willingness to share their stories — their concerns about their respective towns as well as their hopes and dreams for the future — gives us hope that if elected, each will, at the very least, be accountable to those who gave them a reason to celebrate on Election Night. n

Election coverage starts on page 10

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ELECTION 2025: MCKAYLA ALVES, PIKEVILLE MAYOR

In 2023, Garrett Johnston was elected mayor of Pikeville by securing 64 votes — a number that reflected 95.52% of the 67 votes cast.

McKayla Alves is not running to be the mayor of

Pikeville just to see her name in lights.

After all, the working mom of three with a fourth on the way is already plenty busy.

But it is because of her children and those of her friends and neighbors that she decided to throw her hat into the ring to be the new face of her community.

She sees taking care of her town as part of her duty both as a lifelong resident and as a mom who wants what’s best for those she loves.

And, Alves added, sitting back and critiquing what is going on at Pikeville Town Hall is not enough.

“My mom always told me that if you are going to complain, you need to be part of the solution,” she said.

To accomplish that goal, she will bring her experience from working with the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce as well as her love of her community to the office with one motive in mind — to make Pikeville the best possible town it can be.

And, she added, there is a lot of work to do.

But Alves said she feels like she will have plenty of help in 10

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reaching her goals if voters decide to put her in office.

After all, Pikeville is populated by plenty people who not only love their “charming and warm” community — where neighbors know each other and take care of each other — but who are talented and dedicated enough to set their sights on making sure their town grows and thrives.

“Pikeville is a special place,” she said. “It is full of people with so much to give. All of these good people want what’s good for their town, and they are willing to do the work to make sure it gets done.”

Alves said she knows Pikeville faces some challenges and that changes need to be made, but she emphasized that she is not running against any current or past officeholders — despite the fact that she was inspired to run after the town’s current mayor was enveloped in scandal last summer.

“I am running for Pikeville,” she said.

But the events of the last year have put into perspective what it will take to create the kind of community she wants her children to grow up in.

And that is a commitment she is ready to make.

“Sometimes it takes us becoming aware of some shortcomings to be reminded that there is a chance for improvement,” Alves said.

Communication will be the key, she said, from listening to residents about their concerns and their ideas, to speaking honestly and passionately about what it will take to get there.

“I want to make sure every person has a voice,” Alves said.

So, she will concentrate on everything from understanding and explaining where tax money is going and why water rates are set where they are to the work that will need to be done to attract the money and attention that will help Pikeville continue to grow and to develop.

That could mean projects from attracting business and residential investment to revitalizing downtown.

But building relationships has been an important skill learned from her work at the Chamber — and it’s one she will apply daily as she works toward realizing her vision for the future.

Being able to create interest and partnerships that attract investment is critical to ensuring the community she loves has the resources it needs to make life better for the residents she hopes to serve.

“There are funds available, and there are needs in Pikeville,” she said.

So, creating a responsive, accountable, and well-run community government and establishing relationships with other like-minded local, county, and state representatives is how Pikeville can get the attention and support it needs to grow.

And it is a community worth fighting for, Alves said.

“This is a wonderful place to raise a family,” she said.

That family is why she is hoping voters will trust her to be their mayor.

She has a vested interest, she says, in watching Pikeville reach a brighter star.

“It is very personal to me,” Alves said. “I need Pikeville to succeed because it is the village that is surrounding my family.

I want my children to love their town — to be proud to say they are from Pikeville.”

So, she is ready to work, even though she has a new baby on the way.

And her family and friends will be there to help her make sure she can do the job for her community and still take care of her family, because both are commitments she takes very, very seriously.

“My village is ready to go, because my people know this is very important to me,” she said. “I love my town and I want to be part of making it the best place it can possibly be.” n

ELECTION 2025: TIM WILSON, PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER

In 2023, two men were elected as a Commissioner of Pikeville. David “Matt” Thomas was the top votegetter, receiving 53 votes — a number that reflected 44.17% of the 120 votes cast. Nick Katsenios was also elected, receiving 43 votes — a number that reflected 35.83% of the 120 votes cast — but left the board and was replaced

by Randy Langston.

It took a scandal involving the town’s mayor to

pique Tim Wilson’s interest into how Pikeville was being run.

“It just seemed like there was no oversight,” he said.

So, since the crisis, he has done his best to stay in the know — attending board meetings, talking to his neighbors, and asking questions when he felt compelled to do so.

“The community needs to get involved,” Wilson said.

But for him, that meant more than simply showing his face in Town Hall to ensure staff and elected leaders knew that somebody was watching.

He wanted to be a part of the process — of the decision-making that would determine the future of a place he has lived in for the last 17 years and visited his entire life.

That is why he decided to run for a seat on the Board of Commissioners.

“I don’t have anything against anyone on the board personally and honestly, you know, I think that the town’s in a pretty good financial situation right now,” Wilson said. “But sometimes it’s good to get an extra set of eyes — or in this case, a different set of eyes — involved.”

And with more than three decades of business management experience, he feels he could bring a valuable set of skills to what he believes is an emerging community with tremendous potential.

“I have a lot of experience with sticking to budgets and doing things within budgetary constraints,” Wilson said. “I would like to see growth, but I want to see smart growth.”

As a member of the town’s Planning Board, he knows that residential growth is coming.

“We just need to be better prepared for that,” he said.

But expanding the tax base so Pikeville residents can enjoy more amenities will, in his view, also require additional businesses putting down roots in town.

“Personally, I would like to see more business growth so we don’t get to a point where we are right now where, in my mind, the residential part is going to outweigh the business part,” Wilson said. “I want to have good restaurants. I want to have nice shops that we can go in and out of. That’s what I would love to see downtown instead of a bunch of vacant buildings.”

He should know.

His home on Railroad Street is within walking distance of Pikeville’s core.

“So, we need to do something to draw some of these other businesses to our area,” he said.

Beyond new houses and businesses, Wilson also wants to see growth in how the board involves local residents in the day-

to-day operation of the town.

“I would be 100 percent on board with broadcasting the meetings,” he said.

Because when everyone is on the same page — and, more importantly, everyone participates — a shared vision for Pikeville’s future can be created and realized.

One of Wilson’s hopes is that the Police Department continues to receive the funding necessary to keep the town safe, particularly as Pikeville grows.

“Growth is coming, but we can still keep that sense of community. We can still keep that sense of neighbor taking care of neighbor,” he said. “I mean, my grandkids come, and they love that we can, you know, throw them into the wagon and we can walk up to the Dawg House and get a hot dog and an ice cream.

So, I can’t give kudos enough to our police department because man, those guys are on it. And just being able to spend that quality time in a safe environment, that’s something we can’t afford to lose as we grow.”

But what the town absolutely cannot survive without are the people responsible for sustaining its identity and charm.

And creating an environment that pushes them to leave town is something the wrong leadership — or ill-informed decisions — could do, as evidenced by the scandal that unfolded last summer that prompted Wilson to get involved in the first place.

“What makes Pikeville special, what has always made it special, is the people of the community,” he said. “My grandparents lived in town. My parents lived in town for a time. And now, I’m the third generation in town. I’ve raised the fourth generation and we’re working on a fifth. So, I’m doing this for them because the small-town atmosphere they have created here, I’ve loved it my whole life. I’m running for commissioner … as a homeowner, a business owner, a parent, and a grandparent who just wants to keep Pikeville a great place to live, work, and raise a family.” n newoldnorth.com

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ELECTION 2025: BLAKE VAIL, PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER (UNEXPIRED) In 2023, three men were elected to seats on the Pikeville Town Board.

Joshua Wallace, the highest vote-getter, received 55 votes — a number that reflected 25% of the 220 votes cast. Robert Hooks received 53 votes, and Steve West received 41 votes.

Since that election, however, Hooks passed away, and Wallace resigned his position — leading to the appointments of Raymond Deck and William “Buddy” King. That is why this November, the town will hold elecfor “Commissioner Unexpired,” as the unexpired positions reflect the seats won in 2023 by Wallace and Hooks.

He has been bound to Pikeville his entire life — be-

cause his grandparents lived there, his parents operated several businesses a stone’s throw from downtown, and his mother was a beloved educator at Charles B. Aycock High School.

But it was not until he and his wife bought a house in town that Blake Vail decided he wanted to be a part of securing a prosperous future for the community he is excited to watch his children grow up in.

It started with a trip, with his son, to the park.

“There was an “Out of Order” sign on the big slide that he loves. Then, we went back the next week, and the same sign was there. The next week? Same thing,” Vail said.

And while it might have seemed like a minor inconvenience, he saw the lack of a solution as a sign that he, a self-described “hands-on guy,” might be able to make a difference in the town.

“I just decided that, if possible, I want to be a voice in the room and help make decisions that would be positive for Pikeville,” Vail said. “I want to help grow the town because I love Pikeville. I want to raise my kids here and it has so much potential. The possibilities are endless.”

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Possibilities.

It is what all fathers want for their children, Vail said.

And he should know how that relates to his new hometown.

“My family has always been passionate about Pikeville,” he said. “Since I was young, I remember my dad and grandad talking about how they just wanted to keep businesses in town and grow Pikeville. That’s why we were so excited when Pikeville changed the laws to allow restaurants to serve alcohol. We were tickled that we could finally open First Brew. We have always wanted to come up with ways to grow the town and make it a desirable place to live and go to school and raise a family.”

But being a part of the town’s growth is not, for Vail, enough.

Part of being a leader is being able to sell the town to potential business owners, developers, and residents.

That is where his marketing and business degrees would come in handy.

“That’s kind of just the way my brain works is very business-minded. I feel like I understand the bottom line of what a business needs, and I do think I could very much help Pikeville grow in a way similar to downtown Goldsboro,” Vail said. “I

think the foundation is similar, but I do think having experience in the field is very, very important. For example, if someone wants to open a particular business in Pikeville, I have a plethora of experience to give them — the ways I started and the avenues of ways I think they could get in the door and grow and promote themselves. And I’m involved in the Chamber, so I do think that I am definitely an asset in terms of general business promotion and growth.”

Still, he understands that in communities like Pikeville, being small and tight knit is valued — that because of that, future growth would have be done responsibly.

“What is so appealing about Pikeville is that it does have a smalltown charm. It is very quaint. Everybody knows everybody, etc. But I feel like in the last 10 years in America, small towns have kind of had to look themselves in the mirror, because now is the time to grow,” Vail said. “Now, Pikeville is never gonna be Goldsboro from a size perspective and it’ll always have that little bit of charm, but what I would love to add is just if we can grow a few more businesses downtown and make it a place where people want to drive to as opposed to drive through.”

That, he said, would benefit everyone — as an increased tax base would mean more for the families that make the town the kind of place he wants to raise his own children in.

“I think with some new leadership and new voices and kind of a foot on the gas federal approach, we can find the perfect balance,” Vail said. “And I feel like I’m a natural leader and Pikeville is something I’m passionate about, so now is the time. Once I moved here and put my feet on the ground every day … and started coaching a Pikeville little league soccer team, you know, I just found a passion for wanting to make this town better because it’s such a great community. I hope I get that chance.” n

ELECTION 2025: RAYMOND W. DECK, PIKEVILLE COMMISSIONER (UNEXPIRED)

Raymond Deck hasn’t been a town commissioner for

very long — just about a year.

He was appointed to the board in 2024 to fill an open seat.

But his decision to seek a full term was an easy one.

He wants to help create a solid future for his adopted hometown.

Deck moved to Pikeville 12 years ago after taking a position as associate pastor at Freedom Baptist Church.

And after spending a year in an apartment in Goldsboro, he and his wife looked for a community to call home.

They settled on Pikeville — and he has not looked back since.

Moving to Pikeville, he said, was a perfect fit.

“This is the smallest town I have ever lived in,” he said. “But we love it.”

It is the smalltown feel, the neighborly atmosphere, and the charm that has made Pikeville feel so much like home, Deck said.

So, when the chance came to serve, Deck stepped up.

“I wanted to be part of the community and to help any way I could,” he said.

The road hasn’t been easy over the past couple of years in Pikeville, with a scandal involving some recorded comments from the mayor, as well as some concerns about keeping the town’s finances on track.

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But Deck said that he and his fellow commissioners, with the hard work of current town manager, Tim Biggerstaff, and other town personnel, have gotten Pikeville back on track.

“There is always room for improvement,” he said. “I don’t care who you are or what position you are in.”

So, while he is pleased with the direction the town is going, Deck said he is committed to being a part of the team that keeps it moving forward.

One of his priorities is making sure that the police officers in Pikeville get the attention and the salaries they deserve.

“They do a great job,” he said.

Deck also acknowledged the great relationship the council has with Biggerstaff, crediting him with not only doing a good job for the community, but also keeping the town and the commissioners informed about the town’s business and potential opportunities to improve the quality of life for town residents.

And so far, even after the past controversy, there is plenty of good news to report.

“It seems we are headed in the right direction,” he said. “I know there have been some problems in the past, but the past is the past.”

Economic development is one of the areas that is sparking talk in Pikeville, with interest in the community on the uptick.

And while Deck hopes to welcome as many new residents as possible to the community, he is determined to do so responsibly.

New business and residential investment are great, he said, but only if it is done properly.

“We have got a couple of housing developments that are moving in the direction of being built, and that is great news,” Deck said.

But as a town commissioner charged with charting Pikeville’s future, he is determined to look at more than just dollars and cents.

“I am all about responsible growth,” Deck said. “Sometimes there is growth that is past what your infrastructure can take.

I am not for that.”

So, when he heard about the new developments, Deck asked the necessary questions.

“I wanted to make sure our infrastructure can handle the growth, and I am told it can,” he said.

Deck has a vision for his adopted community as well.

He wants more people to experience the charm, the friendliness and the comradery that have made Pikeville so special.

“I want to see more people understand that this is a great place to live,” he said.

Making sure that they have services they can count on is critical, he said.

And there is not just residential investment coming to Pikeville, Deck said.

A national coffee chain, Biggby Coffee, is currently renovating an old home into a storefront in the town, with an opening expected sometime in November.

Deck said the city, with its proximity to Raleigh and access to a major highway, is positioned perfectly to take part in the economic boom just down the road.

And closer to home, Deck said he is looking forward to the work being done on the city’s park. The baseball and soccer fields, as well as the new restrooms, will be a great asset for the community, he said.

Just like any small town, Deck said there are concerns to address, but he said Pikeville is headed in the right direction.

And that includes dreaming big about downtown Pikeville.

But getting a downtown rehabilitation like Goldsboro’s will take time, he said, if it is going to be done right.

“Since we do not have a magic wand and a blank check, things have to be done slowly,” he said.

But Deck said he is ready and willing to be part of thinking out of the box and with progress in mind for Pikeville.

And, he added, his work with churches across the region has taught him how to create a unity of purpose and a group of people moving in one direction — toward a common goal.

And he understands also, he said, how important it is to stick with a budget.

Now that Pikeville is moving forward responsibly, Deck wants to keep it that way.

“I want to be part of keeping the ship going in the right direction,” he said. n newoldnorth.com

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ELECTION 2025: DON FAIRMAN, MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BOARD (AT-LARGE)

In 2023, Danny Keel was elected Commissioner At-Large in Mount Olive by securing 511 votes — a number that reflected 73.21% of the 698 votes cast.

He was not born and raised in Mount Olive, but his wife was.

In fact, it was a desire to help her sister that brought Don Fairman and his wife back to her hometown.

But in the six years he has lived in southern Wayne County, he has found “home.”

And that is why he wants to lend his experience as a contractor and schoolteacher to the place he has come to love as its at-large commissioner.

“I wasn’t born in Mount Olive, but my wife and I have cemetery plots here,” Fairman said. “So, I’m gonna pass here — hopefully later than sooner. This is my town going forward, and I care about it.”

He also cares about appearances, particularly the fact that current Town Board members do not seem capable of working together as a unit.

That, he said, will not fill local residents with confidence as Mount Olive navigates what everyone seeking leadership posts this November agree will be tough months and years ahead as the fallout from the North Carolina Office of the 14

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State Auditor’s investigative report — and the decade-old moratorium — continue.

“This group doesn’t seem to get along, and I can get along with anyone,” he said. “I also think the board has been that sort of a closed group, almost like a club. And I don’t think that’s the way it should be.”

As far as the biggest issues concerning the town, Fairman said he agrees with Mayor Jermone Newton that another visit from the NCOSA is necessary.

“I applaud the mayor for asking for the forensic audit, I think, for two reasons. One, we can’t do it internally, because I don’t think that people here are going to be willing to expose people they know or people they love — that kind of thing,” he said.

And should more damning information be reported, it will make it easier to swallow for local residents, he added, if it comes from an outsider.

“I think it’s likely that we’re going to have a lot more to deal with, but we won’t be asking citizens to be running down our past members of the administration,” he said. “That will be for

the state. And I think that’s a good place for it to come from.”

But whatever happens, there is no way, in his view, the town can move forward unless its board operates as a united front — particularly on the issue of who will be the leader inside Town Hall.

“I was at the meeting when they talked about spending $6,000 for the (town manager) candidates. And from what I’ve been told, they got a suitable number of candidates. I think they got their money’s worth,” Fairman said. “I just don’t think the board is cohesive enough to have made a decision and there were, from what I’ve been told, there were some candidates that had some capabilities. One of the reasons I’m running is I do think that this board has to come together … and we should be able to hire a competent city manager to help us go forward.

And they should have some political connections, because I do think the moratorium is a bit infrastructure and also political capital that we’ve wasted over the years.”

And once the right person is in place, he believes his experience as a contractor will come in handy given the fact that he has seen, repeatedly, claims about people being hired to do jobs for the town and falling short of what was expected of them.

“About 10 months ago, I decided that my background as a contractor would help. I kept hearing these stories about a contractor coming to town and what was left was not really what we paid for and it just seems like we just got on the short end of the stick every time we were dealing with that,” Fairman said.

“So, I really do think I can help the town in that regard.”

So, no, he is not a native of Mount Olive.

He did not grow up with his neighbors or work in town.

But given that many seem to believe that one of the community’s biggest problems is that relationships lead to a lack of true accountability, Fairman does not think that being somewhat of an outsider is a bad thing.

And he also feels that the fact that he and his wife chose Mount Olive is special in its own right.

“We love Mount Olive, and like I said before, it’s home,” Fairman said. “So, I want to do everything I can to give back.” n

ELECTION 2025: DELREESE SIMMONS, MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BOARD (DISTRICT 2)

In 2023, Delreese Simmons was elected District 2 Commissioner in Mount Olive by securing 152 votes — a number that reflected 72.04% of the 211 votes cast.

Delreese Simmons is proud that he has been able

to be a disruptive force on the Mount Olive Town Board for the last two years — that his quest for accountability and change has shown local residents that someone is “fighting for them” and that, in his view, those battles are netting results.

“Nobody would know about what was going on at that airport if it wasn’t for me,” he said, referencing a report published in August by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor that, among other things, outlined several concerning practices at the Mount Olive Municipal Airport that were discovered after Simmons blew the whistle on what had been transpiring at that facility.

And should he earn another two years from voters on Election Day — Simmons is running unopposed but write-in campaigns are not out of the question in a town the size of Mount Olive — he said he would continue to stare down the establishment for the benefit of District 2 and the town as a whole.

He won’t be afraid to take on the mayor or other members of the board publicly and will not be intimidated into “keeping quiet” — particularly now that Mount Olive residents, as a result of the NCOSA’s findings, are beginning to acknowledge many wrongs in need of righting.

“They are starting to see and I think there’s still a lot more stuff to uncover. I think there are commissioners right now trying to cover things up, so they don’t come out,” he said. “But I’m gonna make sure the transparency keeps coming. I’ve been getting stuff done and I’ll keep getting stuff done. Nobody is gonna stop me.”

The first item on his agenda will be ensuring a new search for a town manager happens in a timely manner.

“We need to start over, and I don’t mean paying $5,000 or $6,000 to a company for no reason,” Simmons said, adding that he believes the board had a more-than-qualified candidate it could have hired earlier this year, but “the majority” did not, for what he believes were nefarious reasons, offer that person the job.

And once the right chief executive is hired, other employees need to be evaluated and given specific duties so no one employee has more power than they deserve.

“We need to look at the clerk position. Basically, everything goes through her,” Simmons said. “Too much power is given to her.”

Then, the board needs to reinforce a desire to have state investigators come back to Mount Olive with an eye on an ex-

panded investigation into Town Hall, so he and other leaders can begin the work of rebuilding trust between the government and community.

“We need to know everything,” Simmons said. “And what we just found out, I don’t think it’s even close to everything that’s been going up there.”

But all the while, Simmons said he would still focus on what drove him to run for office in the first place.

It is the people — residents he feels have been marginalized and stepped over because of the neighborhood they live in, the color of their skin, and their socioeconomic status — that motivate him to keep challenging the system he believes left them behind.

“I realized that a lot of people on the southside were not being treated right,” he said. “Nobody seemed to care about them at all. If you weren’t in the know, you weren’t getting the proper services from the town.”

So, he will continue to make noise when he feels he needs to — about everything from what he believes is less-than-acceptable water quality and nonsensical water bills because of faulty meters to not-good-enough trash collection services that see some residents with bags of garbage left in their yards.

“Here’s an example. I’ve been told the correct chemicals are not even being put into the water,” Simmons said. “Stuff like that, we can’t have it.”

And he says he will remain committed to avoiding falling into the type of behavior that he says likely led to the many problems outlined

by State Auditor Dave Boliek earlier this year.

“We have had a system where these board members don’t want to make their friends upset. So, for example, I’m not going to say anything about the airport because they’re my buddies,” Simmons said. “That’s what we got going on. But that’s not me and it’s not gonna be me.” n newoldnorth.com

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ELECTION 2025: GENA MESSER-KNODE, MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BOARD (DISTRICT 3) In 2023, Barbara Kornegay was elected District 3 Commissioner in Mount Olive by securing 139 votes — a number that reflected 97.20% of the 143 votes cast.

Gena Messer-Knode believes Mount Olive should be operated like a business.

And that means not hiring friends and family members, taking the search for a new town manager seriously, and allowing the results of what she hopes will soon be a deeper dive into Town Hall taken on by state investigators to lay the groundwork for the town’s future.

But it also requires leaders to foster an environment that builds trust in that government among town residents.

That, Messer-Knode said, has been one of previous boards’ biggest failures.

And that is why she felt a sense of urgency to run for the Town Board’s District 3 seat.

“So, you have people who stand up there (during the public comment period at board meetings). You know, I give my name, Jane Doe, and for three minutes, I want to talk and it’s always the same thing. Misappropriation of money. The moratorium. And then that poor guy with the pothole. Do you remember him? He was there for months. Whatever happened to the poor guy with the pothole? I want to know. But anyway, we all wondered. So, I naively thought because the mayor says this, right, ‘We’ll follow up with you,’ I thought 16

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these people were being followed up with,” Messer-Knode said. “I thought at some point someone was reaching out to these people and saying, ‘Here’s the information you’re requesting. Here’s the information you need to move forward on having your water turned back on. Here’s the information about the pothole.’ Well, I have since then learned, and I’ve known this for a few months now, there is no follow-up.

Nobody does anything. Nothing.”

That, she said, is unacceptable — particularly when elected officials and town employees work for the taxpayer.

“Those folks need to remember that they’re being paid to do a job. Now, they’re not getting rich, but they’re being paid to do a job,” Messer-Knode said. “And that job is to represent their district and then the town, and it’s to answer those questions.

Right? And nobody’s doing their job. So that that has bothered me greatly.”

Other things bother her, too.

Like the organizational structure — or lack thereof — inside Town Hall.

“Let’s go back to the candidates’ forum … to that Question Number Two. Besides the moratorium, what’s the most important thing to me? It’s restructuring the town,” Mess-

er-Knode said. “We have to do a comprehensive look at the town as a whole — see where we have talent, see where we have misfits, and I mean fits that don’t fit. And then we need to revisit the town manager search.”

But that does not mean she is ready to declare Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland unfit to lead.

At least not yet.

“I wasn’t part of that search, so I would like to see those notes. When you interview people, they’re supposed to be notes, right? There should be criteria for how you made the decision that you made to pass or pick or move them on to Round Two. We spent $6,000, so let’s go back and revisit that,” she said. “But for me, here’s the problem with Mount Olive — and I have said this repeatedly. We have to stop hiring our friends and our family. And we have done that. We have done that since the day I moved into this town 30 years ago. … So, when you ask me about Glenn, I can’t speak on just Glenn because I need to see the whole structure. I need to see the whole organization.”

And seeing the whole picture does not just apply to personnel.

That is why she supports the state coming back to town to complete a full audit.

“It’s a must,” she said. “What you need to do is you need to call the state to get back down here and let them do their job.”

No matter who it might implicate.

“For the longest time we have said, ‘Incompetence, incompetence, incompetence.’ Well, no. I’m of the mindset now that nobody was incompetent. They were all in bed together,” Messer-Knode said. “Because here’s the thing. I have too many friends who are accountants, big time accountants … and I’ve taught finance for years. It is a wonderful excuse to say, ‘I didn’t know.’ Well, no. You knew. You knew.”

And until the town knows, the healing cannot possibly begin — and a plan for recovery cannot be developed.

But once those things happen, Messer-Knode believes she is the most qualified candidate to ensure the right fixes are made.

“What sets me apart from all the candidates in all the other districts is the fact that I have 30 years of business development experience, and the town is a business, and it’s being run very poorly. I think I’m the only candidate that’s talked about organizational structure. I think I’m the only candidate that has talked about qualifications for filling jobs,” she said. “I mean, the first thing I would do is I’d sit down with (staff ) and I’d say, ‘Show me your plan. Show me your budget. Show me who you have in charge of what areas.’ I mean, I would treat it no different than I would any other business. And I can almost assure you that the town doesn’t have a plan. So, it’s time we had one and I think I’m the person that can make that happen.” n

ELECTION 2025: JESSICA SIMPSON OLLIVER, MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BOARD (DISTRICT 3)

Service is in Jessica Simpson Olliver’s wheelhouse.

First, she spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as a logistics specialist.

Then, she worked in education.

Now, she is a successful small business owner.

She has plenty to do.

But her reason for running to represent District 3 in Mount Olive is not just about giving back.

She loves her community and wants to see it improve and grow — and she doesn’t think the path it is currently on will make that happen.

And she says she is more than ready to do the work to ensure the problems and the concerns she has about the current leadership and town operations are righted and Mount Olive gets back on track.

Her why is simple.

This town native wants what’s best for the community, and she is determined to be part of the solution.

And that starts with listening and ends with service — not only to the people of District 3, but to the entire town.

Simpson Olliver came back to her hometown after her military service ended.

“I love it here,” she said.

And so, in the midst of scandals that have rocked the community — including questions about finances, the ongoing

moratorium, the management of the airport, and concerns about leadership and personnel, she is getting worried that a turnaround is not just a maybe, but a necessity.

That is why she has readied herself to roll up her sleeves, along with other like-minded community servants, to get to work.

“I see Mount Olive for the potential that it has,” she said.

“Community service is in my heart. I would rather give back at home than any place else.”

So, when she heard about the findings published by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor and the town’s response, she decided she could no longer sit back and wait.

Her neighbors and her family deserve better, she said.

While getting the details and finding out what was going on in the town might have been hard to hear, Simpson Olliver said it was necessary.

“I think that it is actually a good thing,” she said. “Now, we have some of the answers and we can break it down and hold the right people accountable for what has already taken place and what might take place in the future.”

It is not about blame, she said, but accountability — a quality she said is critical for a successful and effective public official.

And that starts with communication.

“It is very unfortunate that citizens are left in the dark about things,” she said.

So, making sure her constituents, all of them, have access

to the information about their town and about the decisions that affect their lives will be one of her priorities should she be elected to serve.

From alternative communication methods that are more accessible to seniors to the possibility of regular district meetings to get residents together to discuss their concerns and their needs, Simpson Olliver said she will keep her door and the lines of communication open.

“I am concerned that our voices in District 3 are not being heard,” she said, adding that the same could be said for much of Mount Olive. “Our citizens deserve someone who is a true voice for them — not someone who can never be reached by phone or who disappears after the election. You have to be accessible to the residents you are serving.”

And she will ask the questions, she said, that her constituents want answers to, too.

One of those queries will be about the plans for a new town manager.

While she has nothing against the man who currently occupies the seat, Simpson Olliver said Mount Olive needs more than just a warm body — and she is prepared to advocate that a thorough search be conducted to find someone who is up to the job.

If that is current Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland, great, she added, but she insisted that Mount Olive taxpayers deserve the best person available to guide their town down the road ahead.

“We need someone who is a professional who can handle the task at hand,” she said. “And it is not going to be an easy task.”

And something else she says the town does not have time for is the bickering, the division, and the distractions that are keeping the town’s business from being accomplished promptly and in the best interests of the constituents that same public body is supposed to be serving.

She advocates working together — a critical component of moving Mount Olive forward.

“Where there is no unity of purpose, there is no progress,” she said.

So, a successful town board would, in her view, use common sense and human decency as its watchwords and will employ both as they listen and give residents’ concerns a voice as decisions are made and policies set.

Simpson Olliver said she is no stranger to having to power through difficult situations, including battling those who have prejudices or agendas.

But she has a greater calling in mind — serving the residents of District 3 and the town of Mount Olive by making the changes that are necessary and bringing the real issues facing residents to the attention promptly of those who can address their concerns.

“People have to live out there every day,” she said. “They deserve better. I will work hard to make sure they get it.” n newoldnorth.com

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C.J. WEAVER, CANDIDATE FOR MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BO

ELECTION 2025: C.J. WEAVER, MOUNT OLIVE TOWN BOARD (DISTRICT 4)

In 2023, Tommy Brown was elected District 4 Commissioner in Mount Olive by securing 119 votes — a number that reflected 63.64% of the 187 votes cast.

He gave a number of reasons why he believes he is

fit to serve on the Mount Olive Town Board — his experience as a law enforcement officer; his service to his community as a volunteer firefighter; his love for the town and the people who live there.

But when you ask C.J. Weaver why he wants to hold the District 4 seat, he doesn’t hesitate.

“I have a son who’s about to get married and have a baby.

Me and my wife are raising a grandbaby jointly with her other grandparents,” he said. “If I don’t do something to better their future, what kind of a parent and grandparent am I? Everybody sits around and they complain … but if you don’t step up and try to make a change and try to contribute, do you really deserve to sit back and Monday morning quarterback?”

And while he admits it is a unique time to pursue a leadership position given all that has unfolded in Mount Olive this year — from the firing of Town Manager Jammie Royall and the suspension of the search meant to replace him to the publication by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor of a damming report that excoriated the town — Weaver said he considers it a blessing that those things disrupted the ways 18

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people have been operating inside Town Hall.

“We cannot go on doing business as usual,” he said. “We will not have a town. My grandbabies and my son won’t have a place to live and prosper and be happy.”

Still, he understands that should he prevail on Election Day, he and other board members will have a mess to clean up.

And that, he said, is where his experience as a lawman would come in handy.

“You have to triage,” Weaver said. “What needs a Band-Aid? What needs a helicopter? That’s what the new board is going to have to do moving forward.”

The helicopter in that analogy is “a new town manager.”

“Whether that’s Glenn (Holland), another candidate, or whoever. We have got to have a buck-stops-here person who is held to a standard by the board,” he said. “Let’s use a NASCAR analogy. You can have the best car and the best pit crew, but if you don’t have the right driver show up on Sunday, you’re not going to get the win.”

Because in his view, without a qualified leader inside Town Hall, rectifying everything from the issues laid out by state investigators and the decade-old moratorium to ensuring em-

ployees are doing their jobs will not be possible.

“I worked for the town for 13 years, so I have seen some of the comings and goings and there’s a lot more there,” Weaver said. “So, it was a relief that an outside state agency enlightened some of the folks that did not know some of the behindthe-scenes stuff that was going on.”

And unknowns, when they are a result of a lack of transparency between government leaders and the citizens they are supposed to be serving, are not, in his view, acceptable.

So, Weaver hopes that the board that will soon be elected will not only make the right decision regarding who should serve as town manager but will also work together to ensure the community has faith in those who win in November.

“The board that is going out, you know, bless them for running and trying to make a difference, but there’s a lot of personality conflicts that made it hard for them to work as a cohesive group. You had so much internal strife,” he said. “Folks were saying, ‘I’m gonna fight for my district,’ and … I don’t want to fight. I want to work together with whomever is elected in November.”

That, he said, is an important first step that, regardless of what revelations might soon be revealed should the NCOSA come back to town to complete the forensic audit it has been asked to perform, would reassure town residents that Mount Olive can come back stronger.

And for Weaver, the town becoming the best version of itself is imperative.

“I want small-town traditions, but I want a town that’s sustainable. I want us to grow. I want our business district to grow north and west. I want our residential areas to grow,” he said.

“I want the new fire station built and I want a town where people … come together because it’s the right thing to do.”

That, he said, would create a Mount Olive his grandchildren could be proud to call home.

“I don’t want Mount Olive to be the redheaded stepchild of Wayne County,” he said. “I want to leave a place where you can wave at your neighbor, you can walk across the street and talk to your neighbor, you can go downtown and have a pizza, have a beer, and maybe go to a movie because it’s safe. That’s what I want for my grandbabies — a progressive, small town where folks love and know each other.” n

OARD (DISTRICT 4)

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NO T ICE S NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF VIRGINIA LEE DOWERS

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Virginia Lee Dowers, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of December, 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 28th day of September, 2025.

Mark J. Hale, Jr., Administrator of the Estate of Virginia Lee Dowers 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 September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, and October 19, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Kay Jefferson Dudley, 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 December 29, 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 28th day of September, 2025.

Shirley D. Deans, Administrator of the Estate of Kay Jefferson Dudley 314 Crown Point Road Greenville, NC 27838 Published September 28, 2025, October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, and October 19, 2025

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NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Jessie Lee Williams, Sr., 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 January 5, 2026, 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 5th day of October, 2025.

Valorie Denise Brown, Administrator of the Estate of Jessie Lee Williams, Sr. 875 Dollard Town Road Goldsboro, NC 27534 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of James Ernest Dove, 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 January 5, 2026, 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 5th day of October, 2025.

Allison B. Dove-Jones, Administrator of the Estate of James Ernest Dove 2423 Pa Will Trail Burlington, NC 27217 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF GEORGE ALAN AYCOCK

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of George Alan 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 January 5, 2026, 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 the 26th day of September, 2025.

Melynda Sullivan Snead, Administrator of the Estate of George Alan Aycock c/o Caroline Taylor Phillips, Attorney at Law Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, L.L.P. P. O. Box 1616, Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JOHN M. LEWIS

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against John M. Lewis, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of January, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 5th day of October, 2025.

Teresa E. Lewis, Executor of the Estate of John M. Lewis 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 October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF JIMMIE LEE EDMUNDSON

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF LILLIAN OVERMAN BRIDGERS

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Jimmie Lee Edmundson, 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 January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 5th day of October, 2025

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Lillian Overman Bridgers, 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 January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 5th day of October, 2025

Donna Edmundson, Executor c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 919-734-1841 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

John W. Bridgers, Executor c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 919-734-1841 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF LINWOOD EARL GRADY

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Linwood Earl Grady, 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 January 5, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

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

This 5th day of October, 2025 Sheila Grady Morales and Pamela Grady Street, Co-Administrators c/o Henry C. Smith, Attorney Warren, Kerr, Walston, Taylor & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1616 Goldsboro, NC 27533-1616 919-734-1841 Published October 5, 2025, October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the Estate Kelsie Edward Imes, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before January 12, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 12th day of October, 2025.

Katheryn Imes Administrator of the Estate of Kelsie Edward Imes 809 South Andrews Avenue Goldsboro, NC 27530 Published October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jackie Kearney Taylor, deceased of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of January, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 12th day of October, 2025.

Hillarie Taylor Williams, Administrator of the Estate of Jackie Kearney Taylor 205 North Woodridge Drive Pikeville, NC 27863 Published October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF SAMUEL FREDERICK KORSCHUN

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Samuel Frederick Korschun, 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 January 12, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 12th day of October, 2025 Stuart Blair Korschun, Executor c/o Anna H. Winger, Attorney Heritage Law 200 First Avenue NW, Suite 304 Hickory, NC 28601 828-855-1889 October 12, 2025, October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, and November 2, 2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Goldsboro will conduct public hearings during the course of their open meeting which starts at 5:30 P.M. on Monday, November 3, 2025, in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 214 North Center Street to consider the following requests.

CZ-03-25 Eagles Reach: The applicant is requesting to rezone from Wayne County Community Shopping to City of Goldsboro Residential-6 and General Business Conditional Zoning District to construct a 174-lot townhouse subdivision, with 3 commercial lots. The property considered for zoning reclassification is located on the south side of US 70 West, on both sides of Isaac Smith Road, approximately 235 feet North of the intersection with Westbrook Avenue. The property is further identified as Wayne Co. Pin#: 2617-13-0043.

CZ-04-25 Tucker Trace: The applicant is requesting to rezone from the Highway Business/Residential-16 to Residential-6/General Business Conditional Zoning to construct a 120-lot single-family detached residential subdivision, with 3 commercial lots. The property considered for zoning reclassification is located on the South side of Tommy’s Road, approximately 369 feet East of the intersection with US Hwy. 117 North. The property is further identified as Wayne Co. Pin#: 3601-50-3388.

CZ-06-25 Borden Mills: The applicant is requesting to rezone from Residential 6 and institutional 2 to General Business Conditional Zoning District to construct a 144 Unit Apartment Complex. The property considered for zoning reclassification is located on both sides of North William Street, at the intersection with Royal Avenue. The property is further identified as Wayne Co. Pin#:’s 3509-19-1639, 3509-196339, 3509-19-4602.

CZ-07-25 Village One: Senior And Veteran 60+ Housing: The applicant is requesting to rezone from the Residential-6 to Residential-6 Conditional Zoning District. The property considered for zoning reclassification is located on the north

side of Wilmington Avenue, approximately 192 feet East of the intersection with Sycamore Street. The property is further identified as Wayne Co. Pin#: 2599-91-2474.

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, Planning Services Manager Published October 19, 2025, and October 26, 2025

GENERAL NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 25CV001889-950 WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO, Plaintiffs vs.

THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF SADIE REID and all assignees, heirs at law and devisees, together with all of their creditors and lienholders, regardless of how or through whom they claim, and any and all persons claiming any interest in, by, under or through the Estate of SADIE REID, Defendants Under and by virtue of an Order of the District Court of Wayne County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled “WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO vs.

THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF SADIE REID, ET AL., the undersigned Commissioner will on the 29th day of October, 2025, offer for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction, at the courthouse door in Wayne County, North Carolina, in Goldsboro at 10:00 a.m. the following described real property, lying and being in State and County aforesaid and more particularly described as follows:

720 E. CHESTNUT STREET, GOLDSBORO (PIN: 3509241354) Beginning at a stake six feet from Hobson’s corner in the Slocumb lane S 3° 55’ W 209 feet to a stake then westerly and parallel with said Slocumb lane 52 ½ feet to a stake then northerly parallel with the first line 209 feet to the said lane then easterly with the lane 52 ½ feet to the first stake. The object of this deed being to convey ¼ acre (formerly ¼ acre over Slocumb lane) of the land by J.W. Hinsdale and J.W. Bryan to said Peacock by deed recorded in Book 54 Page 284 Registrar Office Wayne County NC. The sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvements assessments against the above-described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A deposit of 5 percent (5%) of the successful bid will be required or $750.00, whichever is greater, in the form of cash, certified check or money order.

This the 22nd day of September, 2025.

Andrew J. Neal County Attorney Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1713 Published October 19, 2025, and October 26, 2025

GENERAL NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF WAYNE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 23CVD001218-950 WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO, Plaintiffs vs.

THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF RUDOLPH SUGGS and all assignees, heirs at law and devisees, together with all of their creditors and lienholders, regardless of how or through whom they claim, and any and all persons claiming any interest in, by, under or through the Estate of RUDOLPH SUGGS; CASSANDRA SUGGS and SPOUSE, if

any; NANCY FOWLKES and SPOUSE, if any; Defendants Under and by virtue of an Order of the Clerk of Superior Court of Wayne County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled “WAYNE COUNTY and the CITY OF GOLDSBORO vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF RUDOLPH SUGGS, ET AL., the undersigned Commissioner will on the 29th day of October, 2025, offer for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction, at the courthouse door in Wayne County, North Carolina, in Goldsboro at 10:00 a.m. the following described real property, lying and being in State and County aforesaid and more particularly described as follows: 308 CREECH STREET, GOLDSBORO (PIN: 3509330677) Being all of Lot 10 as shown on the map of East End Redevelopment Area No. Two, Project No. 88-C-7715, a plat of which is recorded in Plat Cabinet I, Slide 389, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Wayne County.

The sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvements assessments against the above-described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A deposit of 5 percent (5%) of the successful bid will be required or $750.00, whichever is greater, in the form of cash, certified check or money order.

This the 22nd day of September, 2025.

Andrew J. Neal County Attorney Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1713 Published October 19, 2025, and October 26, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE — SALE OF COUNTY PROPERTY

An offer of Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($5,660.00) has been submitted for the purchase of certain property owned by the County of Wayne and the City of Goldsboro located at 305 N. Vance Street, Fremont (PIN: 3605651227) more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a point at the Western edge of Vance Street, and in the center of the run of Aycock Branch, at the intersection of said Branch by said street, it runs in a Southerly Direction with Vance Street 98 feet to a stake; thence Westerly in a line parallel with North Street, 82 feet to the center of a ditch; thence Northerly with the center of said ditch to a point in the center of the run of Aycock Branch; thence Easterly with the center of said Branch to the Point of Beginning. And being the same property conveyed by deed recorded in Book 714, at Page 411; being also the same property conveyed to Stephen Edgar Ferrell and wife, Frances G. Ferrell by deed dated September 9, 1971 which will be found duly recorded in the Wayne County registry, in Book 794, at Page 54. And being the same property conveyed to Ernest W. Hamilton and wife, Mary S. Hamilton by deed recorded in Book 1342, Page 657 of the Wayne County Registry.

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 October 29, 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.

fied 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 County Attorney PO Box 227 Goldsboro, NC 27533 (919) 705-1971 Published Oct. 19, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF ELSIE P. MOYE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Elsie P. Moye, 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 January 19, 2026, 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 19th day of October, 2025.

Robin Jackson Executor of the Estate of Elsie P. Moye 334 Leon Flowers Road Mount Olive, NC 28365 Published October 19, 2025, October 26, 2025, November 2, 2025, and November 9, 2025

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 $5,993.00. 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 certinewoldnorth.com

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