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Abby Cavenaugh
It’s likely no surprise that the leading cause of death in Duplin County is heart disease, according to the 2021-22 Community Health Needs Assessment. What might be more surprising is that Duplin has all the tools and resources necessary to help detect, treat and prevent a variety of heart ailments.
ECU Health Heart & Vascular Care’s Dr. Anil George and Nurse Practitioner Jennifer N. Murphy work out of Kenansville, and see as many as 150 patients per week.
“I think we have everything and more that we need to start looking at the heart,” Dr. George told the Duplin Journal. “Should there be any sort of problem with any part of the heart, we have a good start at any one of our clinics.”
Most of the heart issues Dr. George and Murphy see fall into one of two areas — they’re either due to the fact that the heart is a pumping organ or that it’s an electrical organ. That translates to rhythm problems or valve problems, all of which can be detected and treated right here in Duplin County.
“The only thing that Greenville or Wilmington is going to have that we don’t have are processes that are intrinsic to the hospital,” Dr. George said, such as cardiac catheterizations, or stent placement.
Before heart problems develop, however, people have many options for prevention.
“A lot of it is talking to patients about diet and lifestyle, you know, not smoking, getting up and moving, things of that nature,” Dr. George said.
Smoking is a big issue in Duplin County, he explained. “We tell people not to smoke, we try to confirm they know that it causes cancer, it causes strokes, it causes emphysema, it causes loss of life, but they’re like, ‘yeah, but it’s hard to quit so I’m not going to stop,’” Dr. George stated. “That is an answer that’s very hard to swallow, but we have to sometimes.”
Diet is another big factor within the community. “Obviously [with some patients, we] find several areas where things can be improved,” Dr. George explained. “Like, what is your breakfast? What is your lunch? ‘Oh, it’s drive-thru. I just get a sandwich and a beverage from the vending machine and a Snickers bar.’ So then I’m like, what do you do in the evening, when you get home from work? Do you have 10 minutes to walk or 20 minutes to run? ‘Well, when I get home, I’m just so tired. I work until 5 and go back to work at 8 in the morning.’”
These are areas where individuals can work to improve their diet and get more exercise, Dr. George said. “When you go to the grocery store, you have to make choices. You really are what you consume.”
Dr. George and Murphy also emphasize the importance of being aware of symptoms. “Unfortunately,” Dr. George said, “we have a lot of people who are either very busy or stoic or just don’t care, and push through life. I have people who are like, ‘well, this was hurting for about eight months, but I just took a couple of Motrin and went to work.’”
It’s especially important for women to be aware of their symptoms, he added, because their symptoms aren’t the typical sudden grabbing of the chest as depicted on TV shows and movies. “A lot of women come in and all they’re having is gas pain, acid reflux, and you do an EKG and they’re having a heart attack right in front of you,” Dr. George stated. “If anything doesn’t feel right, just get an EKG. It only takes 10 minutes to do an EKG. If it hurts every time you go up the steps … that is your heart trying to get more oxygen and there’s a blockage. Some people are very insistent, it’s not pain, it’s like a tightness in my chest. I think taking symptoms seriously would be another key aspect.”
Murphy pointed out that individuals should also be aware of their blood pressure before they develop hypertension. “They call it the silent killer,” she said. “You may not even have symptoms.”
Dr. George compared staying heart healthy to taking care of your vehicle. “I mean, you would take your car to the mechanic to keep it from breaking down,” he said. “‘Oh shoot, I didn’t see that the air pressure was low.’ I went to the mechanic last week, and they said my battery was so corroded they couldn’t get a read on it. So I was like, ‘OK, take care of it.’ That’s like medical care. Preventing something before it starts.”
Three business owners from Grifton give back to the community
MOUNT OLIVE –The University of Mount Olive recently announced that starting in the spring of 2024, one UMO student will be awarded a Women in Agriculture scholarship sponsored by Gap Ready! Farm Services.
According to UMO’s press release, business owners Paula Manning, Leigh Page, and Grayson Shreves established the fund to share their good fortune and passion for agriculture as they assist growers.
“The premise of this scholarship is to help young women, like myself, who have a passion for agriculture and want to make an impact in the predominately male-dominated field,” said Page, who graduated from UMO in 2010.
“We are humbled to be in the position to offer this scholarship opportunity to young women, who are seeking to make an impact on the future of agriculture,” said Page. “And I know from my own experience that there is no better place to start than at the University of Mount Olive.
According to UMO officials, scholarship applications will be accepted through April 1.
The scholarship can be awarded consecutively for up to four years. The recipient must demonstrate financial need and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
“We want our success to translate to academic success for future UMO females in ag,” said Manning.
For information, email nbalsamello@umo.edu.
By Ena Sellers, Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE – The atmosphere was joyful as approximately 30 people gathered at the County Office for the Board of County Commissioners’ monthly meeting on Feb. 5.
One of the highlights of the evening was the board’s unanimous vote to approve the construction of the new detention center.
Representative Jimmy Dixon made a ceremonial check presentation in the amount of $80,206,000 representing the cumulative total of the funding secured for Duplin County over the last two General Assembly budgets.
“For many years, we were at the lower end of the feed trough and not very much consideration,” said Dixon, explaining that Senator Brent Jackson, himself, and other colleagues in non-urban leadership positions have been able to secure funding for Duplin County.
“Every penny of this money that we have gotten for Duplin County could have gone through the competitive bid process and there’s billions of dollars that do go through competitive bids,” said Dixon, explaining that they get dibs on where to allocate about 15% of the funds available.
“We think that 170 people know better where the needs are, than career bureaucrats sitting in these places where you send your project request… so we have been able to convince leadership to let us spend some of the money. This is not new money. It is money that was going out… local representatives get significant input on where that money goes,” said Dixon. “It has been a long time since we have had a Governor sign one of our budgets. The current Governor … didn’t sign this one. But we do have a supermajority, and we were able to get around his veto.”
Dixon spoke about the many projects the county has been able to fund with the money secured and how Senator Jackson and himself coordinate to distribute the funds.
“The big jewel is that, cumulatively, we’ve gotten a little over $32 million for the jail,” said Dixon. “I was greatly influenced over the years by the need that we have had for a long time… I hope that is enough impetus to get the board in a position to where we can build the jail with the three pods on it and take care of our needs for some period of time… it’s been a great honor and a pleasure for me to be able to secure these funds to help you guys out.”
“The reason I can support these kinds of projects is because every bit of this is going to be put into something hard, something that has to be bought, and it is going to be bought more economically today than it would be later. Think about how long we kicked the can down the road on the jail.”
After the presentation of the ceremonial check, Sheriff Stratton Stokes took to the floor to say a few words.
“I know it’s been a long path, but through the leadership of Representative Dixon and also this board, we’ve made progress in a short period of time,” said Sheriff Stokes. “This is for all of Duplin County and like it says on the check, future generations, this has made a major impact for everybody and [will make an impact for] our kids and grandkids.
The next person to address the board was County Manager Bryan Miller. He presented the board with a detailed breakdown of the costs to build the new Duplin County Detention Center and requested authorization to enter contract negotiations with the certified low bidder, Daniels and Daniels Construction.
The total expense for the detention center project is $44,169,591, this amount includes the $40,223,100 for construction, $2,695,128 for engineer services, $1,000,000 for the road leading to the facility, $100,500 for the commissioning agents and $150,863 for the special inspection.
“The interest for the grant year-to-date is $1,372,335, an anticipated future interest of $1,000,000 while the detention center is being built. There are also three REDLG interest-free loans that we will apply for, and those total $2,360,000 each for a grand total of $7,080,000. The total revenues that we have for the project at this time are $41,752,335,” said Miller. “The difference being $2,417,256.”
Miller added that they have an unassigned fund balance of $35,849,716, praising the Board for an outstanding job with a healthy fund balance.
“Our recommendation for the detention center project is to utilize the grants, the red-leg loans, and appropriate $2,417,756 from our unassigned fund balance.”
Commissioner Elwood Garner made a motion to accept the loan bid for construction of the detention center, before it passed unanimously.
Commissioner Justin Edwards said a few words.
“I don’t think anybody in here really truly wants a jail but let’s face the fact, we have to have one. It is a part of life, it is a part of society, not everyone will buy it. But I think this is a step that our county has needed to take for many, many years,” said Commissioner Edwards. “I think this is a step that will benefit our taxpayers, myself, and our future taxpayers.”
All the commissioners echoed the sentiment, as one by one each said a few words.
“If anybody had ever asked me, are we going to be able to build this size jail and not raise taxes, I would have never believed it,” said Chair Edwards as he expressed his gratitude for the funding.
“We have the opportunity to put some things in place that are truly going to benefit the county as a whole and also help in terms of safety for our employees. So, I will be looking forward to seeing it go on the ground and hope we can continue to move forward together making these tough decisions,” said Commissioner Wayne Branch.
Commissioner Jesse Dowe added that “a lot of people have had their fingerprints on this endeavor” and he was thankful for everyone who was involved in the process including those who were not present.
Commissioner Garner shared that the jail project was near and dear to his heart. “The last time that the jail was adding on, my father was sheriff. He did what the commissioners would allow him to do … Now here I sit as a commissioner, and Sheriff, I am glad that we have been able to build you the 236-bed facility… I worked in the jail as a jailer for roughly 12 months, so I know what it is like to work there, 12-hour shifts. I think this new facility will allow things to happen much more efficiently and a whole lot safer.”
Sheriff Stokes told the Duplin Journal that he was thankful for everyone who worked hard to make this project come to fruition. Adding that it will benefit “the people of Duplin County and it should help us protect our inmates and our [employees] and our citizens, hopefully for the next three or four generations. It has been a long time coming, probably 20 years, but everybody has had their fingerprint on it. I am just thankful that it worked out tonight like it did.”
ROSE HILL — Michael Brandon Bradshaw was arrested by the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division while assisting NC Probation and Parole Officers on Jan. 31.
According to a release from the Sheriff’s Office, upon arriving at a residence on Cornwallis Road in Rose Hill, investigators confirmed that the man wanted for absconder warrants, was in the residence and arrested him.
A search of the bedroom and bathroom where Bradshaw was found, revealed he was in possession of two handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, approximately 11 grams of methamphetamine, one gram of fentanyl, marijuana, and miscellaneous items of drug paraphernalia. The items were seized.
Bradshaw was charged with possession of firearm by felon; possession of a weapon of mass destruction; possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver a schedule II-controlled substance; two counts of felony possession of schedule II; possession of schedule VI; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. Bradshaw is being held with no bond.
ROSE HILL – Duplin County Schools issued the following statement on Feb. 24 in response to a gun found inside a Wallace-Rose Hill High School student’s vehicle.
“At approximately 8:20 AM, on Tuesday, January 24, the School Resource Officer at Wallace-Rose Hill High School was notified that a student was in possession of a firearm on school property. The School Resource Officer quickly investigated and found the student in the vehicle along with a loaded firearm and ammunition in the back seat. The School Resource Officer confiscated the firearm from the vehicle without incident. Both Duplin County Schools and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office take these types of incidents very seriously and are issuing consequences that strictly follow NC law and board policy. We encourage anyone with information that may pose a threat to our school family to contact school administration or law enforcement immediately. Please be assured student and staff safety is a top priority for Wallace-Rose Hill and Duplin County Schools. Following the incident, the school was secure and students and staff were safe. There is an ongoing investigation by law enforcement.”
The Beulaville Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Bio-Nomic Services during its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 5.
Ivey McCauley with McDavid Associates requested that the board approve the lowest bidder, which was Bio-Nomic, to perform a sewer system inspection, which will include any of the town’s sewer system that’s over 12 years old.
That will be about 63,000 feet of the town’s total 73,000 feet of piping, Cauley said. Bio-Nomic originally bid $309,750, which includes cleaning, CCTV of the interior of the pipes, and smoke testing. After McDavid suggested including 3,039 additional linear feet, the revised bid totaled $424,967.58. The amount is funded by a grant.
When Mayor Hutch Jones asked what the purpose of the study is, Town Manager Lori Williams responded, “Just the condition of our lines that are underground. Actually, everything on GPS, maps, video of the lines, smoke testing to detect any problems, just a really good inventory of our services.”
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously voted to approve the budget ordinance for the project, recommendation of award, and a resolution awarding the contract to Bio-Nomic.
Also at the Feb. 5 meeting, a public hearing on a zoning non-conforming use request was held.
Williams explained that the request had come from the former Methodist Church. “If you’re familiar with that area, there is currently a modular unit behind the church that is currently used for their fellowship hall,” she said. “They are going to discontinue the use as a church and convert it to residential.”
She added that the owners of the church plan to make some modifications in order to make it more like a residence. “It already has water and sewer, but they’re just asking for that unit to continue as a non-conforming use,” Williams said. “They’re going to renovate the inside to make it a living space. “
After some discussion with Town Attorney Justin Hunter, the board voted unanimously to add stipulations that the modular unit has to have a permanent foundation and be converted to real property.
In other business at the meeting, the commissioners: