Asheebo Rojas

Several towns saw races decided by just a handful of votes as Duplin logged a modest 19.7% voter turnout.

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County voters turned out in modest numbers for last week’s municipal elections, with unofficial results showing a 19.70% turnout — just 1,479 ballots cast out of 7,509 registered voters.

Last Friday, the Duplin County Board of Elections (DCBOE) held its provisional ballot meeting, approving 16 of 22 provisional ballots submitted during the election.

Carrie Sullivan, DCBOE director, said updated results have been posted to the State Board of Elections dashboard and confirmed that no additional ballots remain to be counted. Since no military or overseas absentee ballots were requested, the current totals are likely to reflect the final certified results.

“Where the votes lie now is pretty close to what we anticipate the final totals to be,” Sullivan told Duplin Journal.

The Duplin County Board of Elections will meet on Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. to officially canvass and certify the results.

Among the tightest contests was Calypso’s mayoral race, where Mayor Pro Tem Marvin “Marty” Taylor edged out JoAnne Bowden-Wilson by just three votes, 39 to 36. The town’s two-seat commissioner race was similarly close, with Larry Cashwell leading at 43 votes, followed by Rodney Lambert Jr. with 31 and Willie Wilcutt with 30.

In Warsaw, a shift in leadership is on the horizon as newcomer Wesley Boykin secured 57.54% of the vote, leading with 206 votes, while longtime Mayor A.J. Connors received 151 votes. The two commissioner seats also drew strong competition. Cheryl Smith led with 192 votes, followed by incumbent Ebony Wills-Wells at 168. Al Searles, Sheree Shepard, and Kiara Smith trailed with 113, 97, and 70 votes, respectively.

Voters in Wallace turned out in greater numbers than most towns. Mayor Jason Wells was reelected with 308 votes, while newcomer Glenn Price led the race for two council seats with 218 votes, followed by incumbents Jason Davis with 210 and Tasha Herring-Redd with 165.

In Beulaville, residents opted for consistency, reelecting all incumbents. Mayor Michael “Hutch” Jones secured another term with 103 votes, while commissioners Delmas Highsmith and Gene Wickline held their seats with 98 and 89 votes, respectively.

Faison voters also favored familiar faces. Mayor Billy Ward was reelected with 97 votes, and the race for three commissioner seats shows Ken Avent Jr. on the lead with 85 votes, Sandy McCarty follows with 82, and Juan Carlos Quintanilla with 80. Joanie Babcock and Alane Brewer Floyd trailed with 24 and 21 votes.

Greenevers also saw all incumbents return for the three commissioner seats, with Gregory Carr and Roszena Devione-Bivens each earning 48 votes and Timothy Murphy receiving 36.

Kenansville also saw steady support for its current leadership. Mayor Stephen Williamson Jr. was reelected with 94 votes, while Linda Tyson led the commissioner race with 69 votes. The town recorded 86 total write-ins, with Michael Maddox receiving 52, James Costin 21, and Brandon Hobbs 13.

Magnolia’s three-commissioner seat race shows Incumbent Perry J. Raines kept his seat with 55 votes, followed by incumbent Jeanine Cavenaugh with 44, and write-in candidate Janice Wilson, who captured 37 out of the 51 write-in votes cast. Michael Glenn Chestnutt trailed behind with 23 votes.

In Rose Hill, Mayor Davy Buckner was comfortably reelected with 140 votes. For the two commissioner seats, Perry Tully leads with 94 votes, followed by Tashau Mathis with 69 and Randy Barrios with 64.

Newcomer Danny Sutton and incumbent Patrick Williams tied at 38 votes each in Teachey’s commissioner race for two seats, leaving Ethylen Carlton Powell behind with 25 votes.

Duplin County’s results remain unofficial until the Board of Elections meets to complete its canvass and confirm the winners.

“There are a few things that we are looking at right now, like deaths and felony convictions, to make sure that no one showed up on those lists in the last week of election that would have been ineligible to vote,” Sullivan told Duplin Journal.

WALLACE — Phase one of Wallace’s new inclusive playground project is underway at Clement Park, bringing more than five years of planning and fundraising to life with accessible play opportunities for children of all abilities.

“We are very excited to get this project started. It has been a very long process,” David Bizzel, Wallace Parks and Recreation director told Duplin Journal.

Phase one includes relocating the current playground at Clement Park to Dobbins Park as part of the Dobbins Park Renovation Project, which will also feature a picnic shelter and walking path. Once the playground is reassembled at Dobbins Park, construction will begin on the new inclusive playground at Clement Park. Meanwhile, residents are encouraged to use the Farrior Park playground while construction is ongoing.

“We hope to have the entire project completed by Thanksgiving, with both playgrounds up and ready for use,” Bizzel said. “That is of course depending on weather and any unforeseen problems we may run into.”

The Parks and Recreation Department has been busy with several other initiatives, including renovations of the old Clement School building, now home to the department offices and a community building with a cardio room open to the public.

Designs are also underway for a soccer complex at Farrior Park, along with new soccer fields at Clement Park.  Future projects include a tennis and pickleball facility at Farrior Park and the potential addition of a splash pad at Clement Park.

“We have a lot going on, and we are very excited about the future of our department,” Bizzel told Duplin Journal.

MOUNT OLIVE — As North Carolina’s rural communities look toward economic revitalization, the University of Mount Olive and the Golden LEAF Foundation are working together to equip students with the skills and leadership needed to drive that change from within.

At a recent luncheon celebrating Golden LEAF scholarship recipients, UMO faculty and Foundation representatives reaffirmed their commitment to preparing graduates who will return home to drive progress in their communities.

At the event, Golden LEAF President and CEO Scott Hamilton commended UMO’s dedication to student success and rural advancement. He explained that the Foundation’s mission has evolved from providing college access to actively preparing students to lead in emerging industries such as advanced manufacturing, precision agriculture, healthcare technology, and entrepreneurship.

Hamilton challenged students to see themselves as “architects of opportunity” for their communities.

“Your journey is essential to North Carolina’s future, because if rural North Carolina doesn’t succeed, North Carolina doesn’t succeed,” Hamilton said. Each year, the program awards 215 renewable scholarships.

In addition to its scholarships, the Foundation offers hands-on learning and professional growth. Arlena Dongilli, scholarship program manager highlighted programs like the Rural Internship Initiative, which places students in paid internships across rural counties, and Golden LEAF Scholars Connect, an online platform connecting more than 2,700 current scholars and alumni. These programs, she noted, are designed to help students gain real-world experience while remaining rooted in the regions that shaped them.

Representing UMO’s scholarship recipients, Taylor Hall, a senior majoring in veterinary bioscience, shared how her Golden LEAF-supported internship solidified her career goals and opened doors to future employment. She expressed gratitude for the Foundation’s role in helping students not only succeed academically but also give back to their home communities.

“Each of us here today is eager to continue our education so that we may serve and strengthen the places we call home,” Hall said.

UMO President H. Edward Croom concluded the event by thanking the Golden LEAF Foundation for its partnership and investment in students’ futures.

“The Golden LEAF Foundation is making a difference in lives across our state, and we’re honored to be a part of that story.”

Commissioners move to United American coverage to protect retirees’ access to local doctorsKENANSVILLE — Duplin County officials have taken decisive action to safeguard healthcare access for retirees after learning that UNC Health would no longer accept Humana Medicare Advantage plans starting on Jan. 1, 2026. 

At Monday’s County Commissioners meeting, retirees voiced strong concerns about the changes in provider networks and rate increases. The commissioners responded by unanimously approving a motion to contract with United American for post-65 medical supplement coverage and to negotiate prescription drug coverage options. 

More than 90 post-65 retirees received notices last month from Humana, UNC Health, and the county’s benefits administrator, AmWINS, alerting them to the changes. Local pharmacies also informed retirees they would no longer be in-network for prescription coverage.

Judy Brown criticized the county HR department and AmWINS for failing to monitor the plan and stressed the need to periodically rebid retiree insurance plans.

“Never should we enter into any type of health insurance plan that does not include our local providers and our local pharmacies,” Brown said.

Evan Quinn, a retiree from the Department of Social Services, highlighted the economic impact on independent pharmacies, which would be excluded under the current Express Scripts-administered drug plan. Quinn noted that this will force retirees to travel outside the county and threaten small businesses that contribute to the local economy. Local pharmacists echoed these concerns. 

Jennifer Byrd of Kenansville Pharmacy explained that independent pharmacies cannot compete with nationwide chains like Walgreens or CVS and often fill prescriptions at a loss due to pharmacy benefit managers’ practices. 

“The pharmacy benefit manager is pretty much the middleman between us and your insurance,” Byrd explained. “This is the person taking a piece out of the pie, that’s not really doing anything other than negotiating contracts.”

Byrd explained they fall under a group called EPIC, which handles contracts for thousands of pharmacies to negotiate contracts with different insurance companies and EPIC is no longer contracting with Express Scripts because of unsustainable reimbursement rates.

She illustrated the financial strain this places on local pharmacies, noting that filling prescriptions at below-cost rates forces them to absorb losses, sometimes as high as $50 per prescription.

“There’s no way for a pharmacy to stay in business and accept reimbursement rates below the cost,” she explained. Byrd urged decision-makers to consider these issues when selecting healthcare plans, suggesting that input from on-the-ground providers should inform plan decisions rather than relying solely on insurance agents.

“I’ve contacted our patients personally to let them know this information since Medicare open enrollment is currently going on from now until Dec. 7,” said Jennifer Knowles, a community pharmacist at REALO in Beulaville. “Patients must pick a plan during this timeframe.”

Knowles explained that local pharmacies losing county plan participation would also affect businesses that employ local residents.

“We have 18 employees in Beulaville and 15 employees in Wallace. I, along with the majority of REALO employees, reside in Duplin County, where we not only work, but we raise our families and are tied deeply to our communities,” Knowles said.

Semeka Perry, Duplin County Human Resources director, proposed moving post-65 retirees from Humana to United American, a plan previously offered by the county. This option allows Medicare Parts A and B to remain primary, while United American acts as a supplemental plan. The change would preserve retirees’ current providers and expand access to additional healthcare options.

Perry explained that retirees would pay $196.15 per month, with the county matching it, raising the county’s contribution from $16,595 to $18,241 per month. Perry emphasized that the immediate priority is ensuring retirees maintain access to their healthcare providers.

She acknowledged that the issue of prescription coverage with Express Scripts, which excludes locally owned pharmacies, had not been fully addressed. 

“Unfortunately, I was not in a place that I could actually make that change with the short timing that Humana and UNC healthcare provided,” said Perry. She admitted that neither she nor AmWINS had information about the drug plan changes. 

“AmWins was unable to provide any answers,” said Perry.

The county has scheduled a post-65 retiree informational meeting on Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the Ed Emory Auditorium to provide guidance on Medicare options and answer questions regarding the insurance changes.