The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal announced the recipients of the 2024 Volunteer Fire Department Fund, also known as Fire Grant, on May 15. A combined total of $302,076.16 will help 14 volunteer fire departments purchase equipment using matching funds.
“Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don’t grow with their responsibilities,” stated Brian Taylor, State Fire Marshal in the announcement. “Our emergency service personnel should be supported with the best equipment and supplies needed to do their jobs correctly and safely.”
The letters notifying each fire department of the grant award and thanking them for their hard work and dedication were sent last week.
The 2024 Fire Grant recipients in Duplin County are as follows:
Albertson Volunteer Fire Department was awarded $40,000.
Calypso Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was awarded $33,087.50
Chinquapin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad, Inc. was awarded $9,314.02
Faison Fire and Rescue, Inc. was awarded $24,185.
Fountaintown Fire Department was awarded $19,400.50
Greenevers Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was awarded $23,155.50
Kenansville Fire Department was awarded $27,762.50
Lyman Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was awarded $8,620.67
Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was awarded $4,693.04
Oak Wolfe Fire Department was awarded $11,150.
Pin Hook Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was awarded $35,422.50
Pleasant Grove Volunteer Fire & EMS Department was awarded $9,106.50
Sarecta Fire Department was awarded $16,203.43
Teachey Volunteer Fire Dept., Inc. was awarded $39,975.
According to the OSFM these funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar for up to $40,000, unless the fire department receives less than $50,000 per year from municipal and county funding, in which case the volunteer fire department will need to match $1 for each $3 of grant funds. The grant award is administered through the NC Department of Insurance.
The Volunteer Fire Department Fund was created in 1988 by the General Assembly to help volunteer units raise funds for their firefighting equipment and supplies.
WARSAW — A $900 bill for an existing water tap brought light to some inefficiencies in the Town of Warsaw’s record keeping during the town board’s regular monthly meeting, last week.
Cecil Lennon appeared in front of the town board on May 13 to address issues with a bill to install a new tap at an old property he purchased that already had a tap.
This is not the first time Lennon was asked to pay for a new tap in property he purchased to renovate, nor the first time he had to appear in front of the town board to get solutions.
Lennon explained if there was water going to the property at some point in the past, there was an existing tap there and he should not have to pay for a new tap.
“If there is a tap that is already set and it is there, why do I have to pay for a new tap of $900? This is the second time it has happened. Where does the $900 accumulate from and why?” Lennon asked the board.
The property located on Prospect Street used to be the home of Jay McCoy, according to Commissioner Tommy Jones, who worked in the Public Works Department over two decades ago and knew the family.
“We’re supposed to have (records) so we can go back and pull records up at any time. There should be some records of Jay McCoy paying water and sewer. … He worked for me, for the town, for 10 years,” said Jones. “I know that property had a water and sewer tap because we made that water and sewer tap.”
Commissioner Jones shared with the board that in the past when a person moved out of a home, the policy was for the town to take the meter and put a lock on it and when the next person would move in, they would restore the service.
Lea Turner, Warsaw’s Town Manager said the tap was not a viable line, explaining that after Public Works investigated, they reported the line did not have water.
“A new tap has to be connected so that you have water to the address,” Turner told Lennon.
Craig Armstrong, the Public Works supervisor told the board that upon inspection, “there was a three-quarter inch line sticking straight up. No valve, no nothing.”
He explained that the line to the main is across the road and to find out what is going on, and find where the tap is at, they would need to dig up a whole section of the road that has asphalt and cement. Armstrong explained that when his department runs across a viable tap, they let the town manager know so the town can issue a refund.
“When he talked to me about it, we went over there and the only thing that was there was a three-quarter inch line sticking up out of the meter box. So that tells me right here that the service has not been viable for years,” said Armstrong.
When Lennon questioned Public Works about the shut-off valve, Armstrong responded that his technician put a cap on the line.
“At first when I inquired about it, they were telling me there was no service there,” said Lennon. “There was no record of service there. So, I took a shovel, and I dug down to that shut-off valve. Buddy went over, cut off the shut-off valve and put a cap on it. Now he is sitting there telling me there was no shut-off valve there. I don’t think that is fair.”
Courtesy Photo
Lennon proceeded to share the photographs he took of the shut-off valve with the board.
After some discussion, the technician asked the mayor to correct himself.
“I believe it might have been a valve there. Maybe I cut the valve off. In order to make sure there was no water on that line. … When I cut the line, I capped it, but there is no water on the line.”
Mayor A.J. Connors called for a pause, so the board could address other agenda items and go back to Lennon’s issue at the end.
Upon returning to the discussion about Lennon’s tap, Armstrong requested to speak and provided a recap of the actions taken by his department, then explained that because they don’t know the location of the tap, he would not recommend digging for it due to the cost involved.
“In a situation like that, it’s a whole lot easier just to leave that tap abandoned and install a new tap,” said Armstrong.
After much discussion, the board approved a motion to absorb the cost of the meter for Lennon’s water line. He will be charged a restoration fee. While the Board agreed that record keeping was key, the concern is having enough manpower.
“Something needs to be done in this town, on the way things are handled,” Lennon told Duplin Journal, pointing out the lack of accountability and the hurdles needed to get some type of resolution.
“They told me there was no water there — because it was buried — so I physically went out, dug it up, took a picture of it. That is when they called [public Works] for an investigation. Instead of him [technician] reporting back and taking pictures he went, cut the cutoff valve, and put a cap on it and said it was just a pipe on the ground,” said Lennon.
“I don’t know how long the Town of Warsaw has been doing this to people, but I just happened to be one of the ones who actually spoke out on it.”
“No one has records of James McCoy paying the water bill. Where is the record at? They didn’t have records of the people on West College Street living there paying the water bill. … The water meter is still there. … “They don’t have records. It doesn’t make sense… The guy lived there and raised his family in that building. I just happened to purchase the property and started renovating the building.”
“If you got no records, you can’t show credibility,” said Lennon.
“And when this situation came out the town manager wanted to take my $900 from [the property on West College Street/Highway 24] and apply it to this and asked me to pay another $900 for the sewer tap,” said Lennon.
“When I got involved, they told me there was no water there. … I took a picture of that meter and the other two boxes. And then they tell me it is disconnected, you gotta pay for a tap,” Lennon told Duplin Journal, adding that he paid for it and later went in front of the board like he did this time.
“They kept my money for three months before they returned it to me and I was unaware until one of the managers asked me if I got my refund,” said Lennon.
“I don’t know what kind of shenanigans is going on in the township of Warsaw, but how long has it been going on like this,” he said.
Hundreds of joyful James Sprunt Community College students gathered along with family, friends and faculty at the Duplin Events Center on May 9. Proud family members and friends cheered from the stands as their graduates received their diplomas. To view more photos visit our Facebook page.
Duplin Sparklers brought home Neuse River Senior Games silver medals in the performing arts line dancing competition. The annual senior games took place at the Twin Rivers YMCA April 17 through May 9.
The Neuse River Senior Games promotes fun fitness and friendship for seniors 50 and up.
KENANSVILLE — Jasmine Savage, a member of the Duplin County administrative team, presented an employee survey report to the Board of County Commissioners during the May 6 meeting.
The survey’s purpose is to aid the county’s retention and recruitment efforts.
In the last three weeks, 244 employees have responded to the survey, which is divided in three areas listing short-term, medium-term, and long-term incentive categories.
Participating employees chose their preferences, rating them first, second, third and fourth. Employees also had the option to provide additional comments and list other benefits they thought would be helpful to the county in their recruitment and retention efforts.
Savage shared that in the short-term incentives category, employees chose from a personal holiday, an employee discount for lunch at various locations, one free meal a week at James Sprunt Community College and a family fun day. The personal holiday option received 186 votes, as the number one employees’ choice.
In the medium-term incentives, employees chose from an annual vacation buyback, flex work schedule, telework, and cell phone discount. Savage explained that for the vacation buyback the county would buy up to 40 hours and the balance of the employees’ time couldn’t fall below 80 hours.
A flex work schedule was the preferred incentive chosen by 123 employees.
County Manager Bryan Miller explained that a flex schedule could mean a half a day off on Fridays for county employees depending on what each department head deems as their most advantageous schedule.
“Some department heads won’t be able to allow their entire staff to leave for half a day on Friday. So, for those departments it might be a half a day Monday or a half a day Wednesday along with the half a day Friday. So, it’ll really be the department head’s decision on which day works best for them,” said Miller.
In the long-term incentives category, participants chose from having daycare for county employees, retiree insurance, 401K match contribution, and an after-school program.
“For these incentives, it was pretty much equal as far as how many people chose in each category as their first, second, third, and fourth choice, and we did leave an open comment section for employees to be able to provide us feedback. The salary increase was listed for a majority of the comments, but we have come to a conclusion that employees were not aware of the proposed increase after the last department head meeting on May 2. Department heads were given the okay to move forward with telling employees about the proposed increase. So they are now aware,” said Savage.
The proposed rate increase will be included in the county’s budget proposal for FY 2024-25 and is a 3% for Cost of Living Adjustment and a 2% Merit, according to County Assistant Manager Carrie Shields.
Among the comments written by employees in the survey were requests to have Easter Monday and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, a daycare for county employees to take their children, additional sick leave to help parents when they have sick children, and the ability to extend the gym membership to family members on county insurance who are over the age of 16.
“We’ll have many more discussions based on this data,” said Miller. “We wanted to put it in your hands so you could start thinking about it.”
Chairman Edwards asked Miller to look into what it would cost to fulfill some of the employees’ requests.
“I would like you to get back with us on the cost of making that happen and let’s see what we can pull off,” said Edwards.
In other business:
The board accepted a bid commissioning the MEP systems for the detention center project. This encompasses all building HVAC, domestic hot water, and lighting controls.
“The total bid was $54,000 with an add-on of $2,400 per additional visit. … It was distributed to probably 65 different companies and to the historically underutilized business community. We received two bids and this was the low bid for the project,” Miller said.
He also provided updates about the meeting with the residents of Calico Bay and Log Cabin Road for possible sewer solutions and the search grant.
“I think we’re positioning ourselves well to move forward with that project,” said Miller.
KENANSVILLE — James Preston Brown Jr., Issac “Leroy” Dewitt and Donna Sessoms Grubbs were recognized for their selfless dedication and contributions, through their volunteerism, to Duplin County at the May 6 County Commissioners meeting. The three volunteers are recipients of the 2024 Duplin Governor Volunteer Service Award. Faison Sea Scout Ship 5, while not present, was also recognized for their outstanding contributions and will be presented with the award at a future meeting.
Melisa Brown, Duplin County Senior Services director, introduced each of the three volunteers asking them to come to the front, where Chair Dexter Edwards presented them with the award and a commemorative pin.
The first volunteer was Brown, also known as Jimmy, he was recognized for his service in the following categories: Health and Human Services, Youth Service, Lifetime Achievement, Historically Underserved Population, and Senior Service.
“Mr. Jimmy has a passion to serve. When he retired, he became involved with Eastern Baptist Association and soon thereafter with Charity Mission Center. He has been an integral part of leading the ramp ministry for the last 10 years,” said Brown. “Mr. Jimmy serves others with love and compassion expanding outside Duplin County, serving in various capacities on national and international mission trips. The construction knowledge he has acquired, he shares with others to reach people with limited mobility. Although he does not share the personal cost and effort, it does not go unnoticed that if he sees a need outside of the ramp request, he will personally secure [it] for the individual. In addition, Mr. Jimmy’s knowledge and partnerships extend into the community, assisting the local senior center to decrease the waiting list for ramp projects.”
This last year alone, the 75-year-old volunteered 1,200 hours of service.
The next volunteer was Dewitt, he was recognized for his service in the following categories: Health and Human Services, Youth Service, Lifetime Achievement, Historically Underserved Population, and Senior Service.
Dewitt, a U.S. Army veteran, has served as a homebound meal volunteer delivering meals in the Warsaw community since 2005.
“Quite often Mr. Dewitt would pick up an extra rotation to deliver meals, offer additional assistance to the seniors served, such as a grocery store pickup, or change out a light bulb in the seniors’ home,” said Brown as she introduced him.
“For over 15 years, Mr. Dewitt has served as a Trustee in the [First Missionary Baptist Church], and still currently serves as a Deacon. He was instrumental with the Kid’s Café — an after-school program for grades 1-8 that was held at the First Missionary Baptist Church.”
Brown also shared that Dewitt is very generous with fundraising efforts in the Church and is always willing to help wherever needed in the community.
Dewitt has volunteered 520 hours of service.
The third volunteer introduced to the board was Grubbs. She was recognized for her service in the following categories: Health and Human Services, Youth Service, Senior Service and Other.
“Donna has a true servant’s heart. She leads her local Church mission ministry, spearheading several mission projects that serve participants from a variety of age groups. As a retired schoolteacher, she has a passion for children and adults. In 2022, Donna started the Adopt-a-tiger program with the local schools, currently at Kenansville Elementary and James Kenan High School.”
Brown explained that this initiative pairs a teacher with a church member who sends them cards of encouragement, and/or supplies and treats each month. “Currently, this project is blessing 200 teachers, and school support staff members,” Brown said.
According to Brown, Grubbs coordinated several efforts in the community, among them Operation Christmas Child, Easter Palooza Egg Hunt, and the annual food drive to support the Eastern Baptist Association.
“This year, approximately 300 items were collected and delivered. In addition, she serves on the Backpack Buddy Ministry for school children,” said Brown about Grubbs. “Each year, from January to April 15, you will find Donna alongside her husband assisting with the IRS Volunteer tax aide program. She most often will be the one outside gathering the intake and completing packets.”
Grubbs, who is a Regional Aging Advisory Committee delegate and a member of the Senior Services Aging Advisory Committee, volunteered 438 hours of service.
“We could not have the results we have in this county if it wasn’t for our volunteers,” said Chair Edwards as he thanked the three volunteers for their service and dedication.
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