Ena Sellers

MAGNOLIA — With hopes of securing up to $950,000 in federal funding, the Town of Magnolia held the first of two public hearings at their monthly town council meeting, initiating its application process for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Neighborhood Revitalization (NR).

“I think we can do a lot with that kind of money in this town,” said Town Manager Charles Banks.

The hearings are required to gather community input on how to allocate the funds. Eligible projects include housing rehabilitation or replacement, infrastructure improvements and public facilities.  Several potential projects were discussed, including the renovation of the town gym and converting the old town hall into a medical facility. Banks explained that these ideas are still preliminary, and community members are encouraged to suggest other projects and identify residents who may qualify for housing assistance.

“With one or two different things in the town, I think it would really make a big improvement,” Banks added. A second public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14.

During public comment, Banks addressed questions from the audience. One resident raised concerns about the difference in tax rates between Magnolia and Duplin County and requested clarification.

The tax rate in Magnolia is currently $0.67 per $100 of property value, which is higher than Duplin County’s rate of $0.58. Banks explained that as a small town, Magnolia has limited revenue streams and fixed operational costs.

“Duplin County did go down on theirs a little bit,” said Banks. He explained that, unlike Duplin County, which benefits from multiple funding sources and a larger tax base, Magnolia lacks the flexibility to reduce its tax rate without compromising essential services.

“But we did not raise the taxes,” he added. Banks expressed hopes that upcoming improvements and better cost-saving systems might allow for tax relief in the future.

Another resident voiced her ongoing frustration about a blocked storm sewer grate at Carlton and Leaker Street, which fills with debris each year. Despite previous requests for cleanup, she stated that the efforts have been inconsistent and ineffective. She shared that last year, someone came to rake around it, but it “completely filled in again immediately,” and nobody returned to ensure that “the water can get into the storm sewer.”

This same resident also expressed concern about recurring issues with dogs running loose and attacking her cats. She inquired about animal control measures and their enforcement.

Banks explained that the town has a protocol in place; however, due to limited staffing, enforcement is reactive and relies on residents to report issues directly. If notified, the town can set traps with the property owner’s permission.

“The guys are doing everything. They do law enforcement and animal control. But we can set a trap if you will call us,” said Banks. “We will try everything we can within a couple of hours to get someone out there with a trap to set it.”

Another resident inquired about renovations at the town library, asking about its future use and the source of the funding. She also asked if there was any possibility of obtaining funding for youth-oriented projects. Banks explained that the building is being transformed into a multi-use community space for events, training and rentals. The renovations were funded through an old insurance policy that had never been claimed, with $13,000 identified and used — primarily for a new tin roof. Banks praised local contractors who provided discounted services to help the town stretch the limited funds.

“We’ve done everything you see with some really good contractors that wanted to help the town because they’d given us cheaper rates than what should have been,” said Banks. “They’ve done a lot of work that they didn’t charge for.”

On the financial side, Banks reported that Magnolia’s general fund currently totals $472,514 and the day-to-day operating account holds an additional $106,895.

“We’re drawing roughly $1,900 to $2,100 every month in interest. So this is increasing a little bit each month,” said Banks. He also shared that the town is preparing to switch banking operations from Truist to Southern Bank.

Commissioner Elvenia Wilson provided an update on street repairs, confirming that road patching efforts will begin soon. Between 10 and 15 critical pothole areas have been identified, with several located on Sandy Street, which residents have described as particularly rough. Due to limited funding, only the most severe spots are being prioritized at this time.

The Warsaw town manager was appointed interim finance officer despite concerns about segregation of duties in financial oversight

WARSAW — Tensions flared at Warsaw’s town board meeting on Sept. 9 as residents aired grievances over rising water bills, murky tap water, and uneven recycling bin distribution — prompting town officials to defend  current practices while promising further investigation and follow-up.

Following a public hearing, as the board opened for public comment, Mayor A.J. Connors indicated that responses to citizen’s concerns would be provided during the town manager’s updates portion of the meeting or through direct call-backs at a later time. “She will get your telephone number and give you a call back after she investigates,” said Connors.

Multiple residents questioned the town’s utility billing and infrastructure, with Judy Carroll citing high water bills for small households and Marzella Morrisey alleging that water rate increases were implemented illegally before the start of the fiscal year. Morrisey claimed that only a small number of residents who directly complained were refunded. She also asked the board whether it is true that some businesses are removing their water meters and installing their own.

“Do citizens or other businesses such as Halls Funeral Home, DC Cats, Warsaw Hardware, just to name a few businesses, do they get to upgrade or change their water meters? And then if that’s the case, should the citizens change their water meters so they can get an accurate count?,” she asked.

Morrissey criticized the inconsistent distribution of recycling bins, noting that only select residents received new bins after the contract extension.

Marilyn Hann reported that rust-colored, dirty water gushing from her tap on Sept. 5. She told the board that after contacting the town clerk, she learned that a broken fire hydrant caused the incident.

“Later on, I got a voice message from you, and we didn’t even get a boiled water advisory.”

Tell me something. Where are we going with this?,” said Hann. “Because it’s ridiculous. And we still got to pay for water we cannot drink.”

In response, Town Manager Lea Turner explained that a 5% water rate increase took effect on July 1 as part of the approved budget, which was the reason behind the spike noticed by residents. She also addressed issues raised by Morrison and Hann.

Turner apologized for the water quality issues and delays in public communication, asking residents for patience.

“As soon as we were notified of the fire hydrant, we scheduled repairs,” said Turner.

“Be patient with us as we make emergency repairs and things like that. Because we don’t always have a heads up when we have to make these repairs in order to get the information out as quickly as we need to,” said Turner.

She also addressed concerns about recycling, noting that additional bins have been ordered and are currently awaiting delivery.

Commissioner Ebony Wills-Wells requested that Turner follow up with Morrisey to address her concerns about water meters and billing discrepancies, a commitment Turner confirmed she would fulfill.

In other business:

Connors recommended appointing Turner as the interim finance officer. Wills-Wells, however, raised concerns about due diligence. She requested to table the appointment to allow more time to research legal procedures, particularly in light of past audit concerns regarding the segregation of duties in financial oversight.

Wills-Wells emphasized that the agenda packet had only been shared on the Friday before the Monday meeting, leaving inadequate time for review. Additionally, she asked whether any other qualified town employees could temporarily fill the role.

The mayor and other board members responded that state law requires an immediate appointment and that the town manager is the most qualified individual, having previously served in the finance officer capacity. Despite pushback from Wills-Wells, the majority of the board agreed to proceed.

Turner also provided updates on town infrastructure, including delays in a proposed all-way stop near Friendly Mart due to staff turnover at ECC. Additional traffic and road projects, including improvements to Blackmore Road, are under review

Environmental compliance was another key issue, with Turner reporting that operations at the wastewater treatment plant had resumed and a new consulting firm had been hired to assist with pretreatment evaluations and source reduction strategies.

Mayor Connors closed the meeting by defending the quality of Warsaw’s water and attributing discoloration to temporary issues, such as hydrant repairs. He called for continued collaboration and a unified effort to represent the town in a positive light.

Reading and math proficiency improves across subgroups, but seven schools’ low performance leads to district-wide designation

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County Schools has been designated a low-performing district for the 2024–25 school year, according to new state accountability results released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The designation comes as more than 50% of the district’s schools received a performance grade of D and did not meet expected growth. Seven schools were identified as low-performing, contributing to the district-wide classification.

Despite the overall designation, the district reported academic gains in several key areas.  District-wide, proficiency improved in reading and math for students in third through eighth grade, and all major student subgroups showed increased overall proficiency.

“I’m proud of our students and educators who have worked hard to improve these metrics,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green said. “I am eager to see this data continue to improve as we work to implement our strategic plan.”

At the high school level, all four schools showed proficiency gains in NC Math 1 and NC Math 3. However, proficiency in English II declined.

Science performance in fifth and eighth grade, along with biology, decreased this year, mainly due to the implementation of the new North Carolina Standard Course of Study and updated assessments. The State Board of Education noted that these changes make comparisons to previous years’ results inequitable.

Positive trends were also noted in college and career readiness indicators. ACT and ACT WorkKeys performance improved, and progress for English Learners (ELs) increased. These gains coincided with statewide changes, including the lowering of the ACT benchmark score from 19 to 17 and a new EL exit composite score of 4.5, down from 4.8.

According to the report, growth data showed that four schools exceeded their expected growth, three met their growth targets, and six did not meet their growth targets. Performance grades for schools in the district included one B, three C’s, seven D’s and two F’s.