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Citizens speak out on proposed Wallace annexation; New WPD officer sworn in

Citizens speak out on proposed Wallace annexation; New WPD officer sworn in

Numerous residents of a community near the Pender County line packed Wallace’s town hall on Thursday night, Jan. 11, to participate in a public hearing on the proposed voluntary annexation of 150 acres along US Hwy. 117.

Ann Autry spoke first during the public hearing, saying she wanted to get more information on the rezoning and annexation. “How can Wallace take from Pender County?” she asked. “I don’t understand how all this works.”

Planning director Rod Fritz explained that the N.C. general statute allows for land to be annexed within three miles of the town limits, and added that the town doesn’t yet know what the 150 acres will be used for, or what type of rezoning applicants Keith Spalding-Robbins and Tony Davis will request. “It’s an opportunity for economic development for the town of Wallace,” Fritz said. “I’m sure it’s going to be, if history is anything to go by, a mix of housing and retail, but as far as what zoning will be or how many houses, we can’t discuss that. However, it will be discussed in public hearings in the next couple of months.”

Those who spoke during the public hearing were not in favor of the annexation, it’s safe to say.

“I moved out there because of basically, the scenery,” said resident Lawrence Sawyer. “I walk out now, all I hear is the birds, the crickets, a few cars every now and then. I’m not against change. I just want y’all to realize you’re affecting … how we live right now. I just don’t want it to be turned into a suburban area. That’s not what it should be.”

Marcella Davis agreed. “We’ve got a peaceful little community,” she said. “[With] retail and houses, it won’t be peaceful anymore. I’m not against development, but be considerate of the people that live there.”

After the public hearing, the council voted unanimously to approve the annexation ordinance. “This vote is only to consider annexation of the land,” Mayor Jason Wells pointed out. “As Rod stated earlier, when we get past the annexation, we can get into the details when we have other public hearings on what the project could look like. I think it’s also important to note that this project could potentially happen, whether it’s part of the town of Wallace or not.”

In other business at the Jan. 11 Wallace Town Council meeting:

  • Mayor Wells swore in a new police officer, Noah Locklear, who was born and raised in Pembroke. After earning his BLET certificate from Sandhills Community College, Locklear began working with the Fayetteville Police Department, before relocating to Duplin County.
  • Duplin County Economic Development director Scotty Summerlin made a presentation to the council, sharing details on a strategic plan for economic development that he said he’ll be sharing with county commissioners in February.
  • ABC board chairperson Chad Wilson presented the board with a check, and explained that the new store “is knocking down its debt” and should be paid for within 10 years.
  • The council unanimously approved a Jake brake ordinance, prohibiting the use of “unmuffled engine braking” within town limits. Signs will be posted at the town limits to ensure that tractor trailer drivers are aware of the new ordinance. The police department will enforce the new ordinance and will issue citations to violators.
  • A public hearing was scheduled for the annexation of 33 acres at 4027 S. NC 11 Hwy. The hearing will be held at the Feb. 8 meeting of the town council.
  • The Wallace Depot Commission’s lease of the depot property was renewed for one more year, ending in January 2025.
  • A public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 8 to consider the rezoning of .4 acres of property on Old Highway 41, behind the Walgreen’s. The requested rezoning is from R6-MH to HB, highly business. Fritz said the applicant plans to put a drive-thru restaurant on the property.
  • A third public hearing for the Feb. 8 meeting was scheduled, this one to consider a rezoning request for 8 acres on Highway 11 to be rezoned from residential to highway business.
  • Council members Frank Brinkley and Penny Thorne were appointed to serve on the town’s budget committee.
  • The council created a capital project ordinance for $5 million that the airport recently received in state funding, per Town Manager Rob Taylor. The $5 million is part of a total $10 million that will go toward construction of a new terminal and other improvements.
  • Councilman Jason Davis proposed that the town consider moving its meetings to the Wallace Women’s Club, where the December meeting was held.
  • The council agreed to continue the meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 at town hall.

3-year-old-boy accidentally shoots, kills himself in Lenoir County

PINK HILL – The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accidental shooting death of Clarence Roland Byrd IV, 3, of Pink Hill.

According to Lenoir County authorities, the 3-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself with a handgun. The tragic accident took place Sunday, Jan. 14 on Murphy Road in Pink Hill.

Lenoir officials said case evidence will be sent to the SBI lab to be analyzed and once the results are determined, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office will consult with the District Attorney’s office in reference to potential criminal charges.

ECU Health resident crosses ocean to plant roots in Duplin 

ECU Health resident crosses ocean to plant roots in Duplin 

Growing up in a small town in the Philippines, Dr. Jim Jaralene Porquez saw firsthand the detrimental effects that lack of adequate health care can cause. That’s why the third-year resident physician is passionate about providing family care in a small, rural community and feels that she’s found the perfect place to do that, right here in Duplin County. 

“In the Philippines, there is a lack of health care in general, especially where I lived because it’s on an island in a very, very small town,” Porquez explained. “My parents have suffered hypertension, diabetes, all those chronic diseases. It was very hard for them to seek medical care, so at a young age, I was already exposed to that kind of environment where health care is limited. It kind of opened up my eyes to what I wanted to be in the future.” 

Porquez and her family moved to the U.S. when she was in high school, living in California, before she returned to the Philippines to study for four years in undergraduate school. 

After that, she studied medicine at the American University of Antigua. Following that, she did her clerkship in Miami, Fla., and New York, before being matched with the ECU Health Rural Residency Program, and thus, winding up at Goshen Medical Center in Beulaville, practicing family medicine alongside the well-regarded Dr. Carl Pate. “I specifically choose ECU Health because of its rural community,” she said. “There’s a lot of growth for me, and specifically an underserved population. So I’m setting roots here in Duplin County.” 

It was her childhood dream to be a doctor, Porquez said, and especially to help serve in a rural population like Duplin County. 

“I chose this as my top program,” she explained. “ECU Health is very robust in terms of their training. The rural residency class is new, but it’s tied up with the family medicine program that has been there for years. I was particularly interested in the rural program, because of the underserved population.” 

When choosing between the sites in the rural residency program, Porquez said Duplin County stood out. “I really wanted a small community and a very good connection,” she said. “I’d met with the faculty and staff during my interview; they were very welcoming and I just had a connection with them easily. Getting to know Dr. Pate, and how he knows everybody, and everybody looks up to him, and he’s very well respected. It kind of gave me the idea of what kind of area I was wanting to work with.” 

Practicing family medicine in Duplin County may be a dream come true for Dr. Porquez, but it’s not without its challenges, of course. “The biggest challenge is the limited specialists,” she said. “We have a few specialists around the area, but sometimes it’s hard to send the patients out to them because they won’t have the availability you need to send a patient. So sometimes, we have to step in as a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, an endocrinologist for diabetes in the meantime until they get seen by the specialist providers.”

Many patients also do not have health insurance and have to pay out of pocket for their medical care. “We take uninsured patients and offer them a sliding scale so they’ll be able to afford to get the medical care they need,” Dr. Porquez said. 

Another challenge is trying to find the most cost-effective medication for patients. “There’s a lot of newer medications, but they’re very costly and our patients here in Duplin County — or any rural area, really — wouldn’t be able to afford that medication,” Dr. Porquez said. “So we have to work our way around, seek other sources, and figure out what kind of medication will work.” 

As for the future, Dr. Porquez is staying put in Duplin. She recently accepted an offer to join ECU Health’s family practice program in Kenansville once she graduates from her residency in July. 

She won’t be far from her patients, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Some patients told me that they would follow me wherever I go. I love taking care of them. If there were an option, I’d just take them in my backpack. I’d gladly do that. That’s one of the reasons I really want to stay here in Duplin County, is because of them.”

NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s 2024 Top Shot Challenge

NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s 2024 Top Shot Challenge

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has announced a new program aimed at improving target shooting skills.

The 2024 Top Shot Challenge is a 12-month, themed target shooting program that will be offered at six agency shooting ranges across the state.

“Besides target shooting being an enjoyable sport for many people, it creates an opportunity to improve shooting skills and become more familiar handling a firearm, which is a recommended safety measure for firearm owners,” said NCWRC’s shooting range facilities manager Josh Jernigan in the press release.

The ranges in which the challenge will be offered are the John Lenz Hunter Education Complex in Richmond County, the Flintlock Valley Shooting Range in Montgomery County’s Uwharrie National Forest, the Odom Shooting Range in Northampton County, the Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center, the Wayne E. Smith Cold Mountain Shooting Range in Haywood County, and the R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell Shooting Range in Caswell County.

The Top Shot challenge will be offered in three categories: rifle of any caliber, handgun of any caliber and 0.22-caliber rifles and pistols.

The rules include that participants will shoot targets at 50 yards, no lead sleds or locking devices allowed, front supports only (stocks may not touch the table), no caliber .50 BMG or larger, participants must use the targets provided at the range and all other range rules must be followed

Participants will receive a themed patch for each monthly challenge they complete. They may attempt the challenge once per day, per month for each themed challenge until they complete it and make-up challenges will be offered in August.

Visit ncwildlife.org for more information.

Retiring Beulaville Police Chief honored

Retiring Beulaville Police Chief honored

Beulaville Police Chief Jamie Rogers took a rare step into the limelight at the town board meeting on Jan. 8. Rogers is set to retire Feb. 29, or as Town Manager Lori Williams puts it, be “reclassified” and remain with the town of Beulaville, in a more limited capacity. 

“Although he is retiring, as I’ve told a lot of folks, he’s just being reclassified,” Williams said during the meeting. “We’re not letting him go anywhere too far. He may have to share an office with me, but he’s going to stay around.” 

Williams asked the Board of Commissioners for a recess during the regular monthly meeting last Monday, saying she had to make a presentation. She left the meeting room for a few minutes, returning with Rogers’ family members and all of the Beulaville Police Department employees. 

“His employees wanted to take this opportunity in public to just recognize his achievements, what he’s been able to do over the past 31 years,” Williams said. 

Rogers was presented with a framed collage of his badges and handcuffs. “He kind of started this little project,” Williams explained. “The guys picked it up and kind of ran with it, collecting his badges, start to finish, from when he was a deputy to a jailer to when he got his badge as chief of police.” 

Stunned, Rogers said with a laugh, “Y’all finally got me.” 

Of his badges and handcuffs, Rogers said, “Just so y’all know, I started this as my daddy’s badges. These are the same handcuffs that he wore, that I started with also when I was a deputy at the Sheriff’s Office. This has always been my dream to get this done.” 

To Rogers and the officers present, Mayor Hutch Jones said, “I can’t say enough about you all. You make all of us in the town look really, really good. I’m proud to know that you all are on the streets day in and day out.” 

Earlier in the meeting, Williams gave an update on the search for a new police chief, saying that interviews of the seven applicants started on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and that she hoped there would be a decision by the end of January. 

One of the other major items of business at the January meeting of the Beulaville town board was a request from Douglas Clark to purchase a portion of town-owned property on Lyman Road. After his initial request was denied at last month’s meeting, he proposed two other options for the town to consider. 

“As I had indicated at the last board meeting, we’re not interested in selling,” Mayor Jones said. “I had asked at that point in time, which I’m going to continue to reiterate tonight, knowing Mr. Clark’s track record, I would like the board to consider declining the current offer and create a timeline on when we’ll hear any other offers from Mr. Clark.” 

“It’s going to continue, whether or not we put a timeline on it,” Town Attorney Justin Hunter said. “I personally would not recommend putting a timeline. I would simply say your offers are rejected. At such time we become interested in selling this property, we will contact you and any other interested buyers, period.” 

Hunter volunteered to write a letter to Clark to that effect. “This is a waste of this board’s time,” he added. “We’re not interested in selling the property and I’m happy to write the letter.” 

Commissioner Gene Wickline made a motion for Hunter to write and send the letter, and after some discussion to clarify the board’s intent, it was unanimously approved. 

In other business at the Jan. 8 Board of Commissioners meeting: 

  • A public hearing was scheduled for the February meeting to discuss the closure of Kennedy Road; 
  • The board approved a proposal from the Eastern Carolina Council for grant administration for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant, and park design and construction, to be performed by Colliers Engineering and Design; 
  • A budget workshop meeting was scheduled for Jan. 22, at 5:30 p.m. Jones explained to new Commissioner Tracy Thomas that the board has three to four meetings each year prior to budget time in order to start the budget process and then tweak it over the next few months. 

The Beulaville Board of Commissioners meets the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. 

 

Faison Fire and Rescue conducts first major water rescue since Hurricane Florence

Faison Fire and Rescue conducts first major water rescue since Hurricane Florence

FAISON – A crew from Faison Fire and Rescue conducted its first major water rescue since Hurricane Florence in December, after a severe storm brought more than seven inches of rain causing flooding in various areas of town. 

According to Fire Chief Lee Kennedy, a woman’s vehicle got submerged in water when she drove off the path in a farm right outside of town on US 117.  

“She was taking on water in her vehicle,” said Kennedy, adding that the 911 call came in from a family member in Goldsboro at 4:53 a.m. on Dec. 18. “She didn’t know where she was.” 

Within six minutes of the call, Kennedy, Ricky Cameron, Alex Chilel, and Andy Cameron were out of bed and at the fire station getting their gear to help the woman. The four men walked over a mile in cold water that went from ankle deep to almost waist deep wearing shorts and t-shirts.  

Kennedy shared that it took them about 25 minutes to find the patient. “You don’t know if you’re walking in a ditch or if you’re walking in a field,” said Kennedy to the Duplin Journal as he described the rescue. “We knew the path was there, but we couldn’t see it. Matter of fact, we had to put a flashlight on a post so the fire truck, when it got there, knew where the path turned. So, it was like making a trail to it. But we had radios, and we were communicating. So, it was a big effort. It was the first time we have had a major water rescue since Hurricane Florence.” 

“We were inundated with 7.6 inches of rain in less than about a 12- or 18-hour period. So, it was not fast-moving flash flood water. It was really still, but it was really cold, and it was still where we had to make use of our equipment to get to her.” 

Once they found the patient, they were able to bring in the 5-ton military truck they were given for high-water rescues and got her to EMS. 

“We were able to get her out and get her back out to safety. She did not speak English, but luckily, we have about five or six firefighters that are translators. They are Hispanic, and they do a great job on translating for us,” said Kennedy. 

“We were able to actually get a couple of the workers to that farm to get a tractor, so they could transport workers back and forth to the farm,” said Kennedy. 

“We had three water rescues the same night,” said Kennedy. “We had one off I-40 that was in a ditch full of water. We got that person out and earlier, about 1 o’clock that night, two females ran into a ditch, and the water was coming in on their car. So, we had to put a ladder down and get in the water to get them out.”

“It was that front that came through Florida and came up the coast and went straight up into the New England area, but it just inundated us with bands of rain. In fact, most of the water rescues happened when the rain was gone because the roads were flooded. It was crazy.”

The car of a woman rescued by Faison first responders was submerged in water after bands of rain brought more than seven inches of rain to Duplin County. Photo Courtesy of Faison Fire & Rescue
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