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WARSAW — James Kenan basketball coach Taylor Jones said his team was poised during the preseason, a confidence that doesn’t normally come after a 6-17 campaign. The veteran coach watched patiently in 2022 when one bad event, often an injury, led to another loss. Yet Jones liked both the process and the potential of his sophomore-heavy team. He knew the cream would come to the top, even a few days into JK’s official practice this fall. “These guys are playing confident, as if they know they’re good enough to compete with anyone on our schedule,” he said. It took one game to prove that to the prep world as JK recovered from a 21-point deficit last Tuesday to beat Southern Wayne 6460 in its opener in Dudley. “Last year we relied on a lot of guys that had never done what we were asking them to do,” Jones said. “We were young, inexperienced and at one point starting four sophomores and a freshman. And we got to the point where were on our fourth point guard.” The win over the 3A Saints could be the tip of the iceberg for the Tigers, who return a ton of speed, more seasoned players and depth, since Jones often platooned five-player groups. And while the Tigers’ record was horribly bad, their games were almost always competitive. “We had 15 practices to focus on just us, work on getting into a groove, which is hard for teenagers without playing games,” Jones said. “I love our energy. “We’re going with an eight-tonine man rotation. I think part of our confidence comes from experience. These guys played in some tough games.” Wilson leads the show Point guard Tyquise Wilson starts the show for JK, which has a handful of guards and forwards who can shoot, drive to the iron, and Jones hopes, swish the nets. “He’s a smart kid who is athletic and a good decision-maker,” said Jones, whose first choice to replace him is Jeremiah Hall. Off guards Nazier Williams (5-foot-10, senior), Stephone Stanley (6-0, junior) and TJ Oats (5-10, junior) and Duplin’s Elite all-county first-team selection Ja’maury Coe, give Jones options in the backcourt. Coe is slick enough to score anywhere on the floor and is perhaps the best outside shooter in the mix. “I’ve always tried to develop our guys and I feel everyone is important,” Jones said. “We’ve got some skilled players and we’re hoping they’ll continue to develop.” Darius Howard (6-1, junior), Shywkon Williams (5-11, senior), Hasaan Kornegay (6-3, junior) and Kel Artis (6-2, senior) will work in the frontcourt. Al Smith (6-2, senior) could also see time in the paint area. “Kel and Hasaan are great screeners, athletic and have great feet and great hands,” Jones said. “Both can handle the ball and move well without it. Shywkon plays much bigger than he is.” “I like where we are and I’m hoping we can avoid injuries, even though I like our depth. “Williams is a great basketball player and a likeable player since he’s always the first one picked when they choose sides,” Jones said. “He’s quick and makes things happen you can’t teach. So quick.” JK was scheduled to host the Saints on Tuesday, its only game this week. A scheduled matchup against Clinton has to be moved as the Dark Horses play in the 2A football final on Saturday.
Ena Sellers
The Beulaville Board of Commissioners bid farewell to longtime Commissioner Kenny Whaley at the regular monthly meeting Dec. 4, and welcomed in new Commissioner Tracy Thomas.
Mayor Hutch Jones presented a plaque of appreciation to Whaley at the start of the meeting, saying, “A plaque does not do you justice, what you’ve done for the town. … At the end of the day, you always had the town’s best interest [at heart]. It was never about Kenny, in my five and a half years on the board. At no time have I felt like you were in it for yourself.”
“We’ve done a lot of good,” Whaley said, before giving some advice to newcomer Thomas: “My daddy always said, ‘leave stuff in better shape than you found it.’ … To my replacement, I wish you the best, and always remember, it’s not your money; it’s somebody else’s.”
After Thomas and fellow Commissioners Russ Lanier and Byron Thomas were sworn in, the board elected Commissioner Gene Wickline to serve as mayor pro tem, and got down to business.
Several reports from the Public Works Department took up a majority of the meeting, with the commissioners discussing director Ricky Raynor’s equipment needs and the need for a new warehouse, since the current one has become infested with black mold.
“The roof, we had to repair about three months ago,” Raynor explained. “We were hoping that would fix a couple of big holes we had up there. That did not fix it, and it started to leak bad enough inside that it’s getting underneath the tiles and behind the sheetrock, and now I have black mold growing everywhere.”
Raynor has moved to the town hall in the meantime, and after much discussion, the board decided to have Raynor and Town Manager Lori Williams gather quotes and more information so that the building can have a permanent fix.
Williams also presented the board with a proposed water and sewer tap schedule. Currently, the town only charges a $300 connection fee, which Williams said barely covers the cost of the meter, let alone the other things required to connect to the town’s water and sewer. She and Raynor proposed that the fee be increased to $1,000 for water and $1,000 for sewer, stressing that this would only affect new customers who want to connect to the town’s system. The town only averages three or four a year, she added.
“This would only affect anyone coming to town and requesting permission to tie in to the town’s water and sewer,” Williams said.
The cost is cheaper when compared to comparable towns, and had not been increased in “many moons,” she added.
The commissioners unanimously approved the increase.
In other business, Police Chief Jamie Rogers followed up on two traffic complaints that had been received at last month’s meeting, one at Kennedy Road and the other at Kennedy Street. Upon Rogers’ recommendation, the commissioners voted unanimously to close Kennedy Road to vehicular traffic. The closure will require a public hearing, which should be held next month, Williams said. He will continue to study the Kennedy Street issue, and work with property owners at the adjacent Jackson’s IGA, Rogers said.
The commissioners also appointed Lanier to continue to serve on the Eastern Carolina Council, and rescheduled the January regular meeting for Jan. 8, due to the New Year’s holiday.
In closing, the mayor pointed out a table he and his wife Kendra donated to the town. The table was made entirely from a pecan tree that used to sit on the town hall property, and took four or five years.
“I hope it stays here,” Jones said. “Everything that’s there is from that pecan tree. It turned out great.”
By Ena Sellers, Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Monday, Dec. 4 was a joyful night at the County Commissioners meeting in Kenansville, as two emergency responders were recognized for their actions which saved the life of a woman who was having a heart attack.
“One of the main reasons we get into EMS is to ultimately save a life,” said Mark Casey, Duplin County EMS training officer, as he addressed the crowd. Casey shared that in his six years with the organization this was the third time he had the honor to present a survivor of cardiac arrest to the Board of County Commissioners.
“In late September, we responded to a mutual aid call in Onslow County for an individual experiencing chest pain,” said Casey, explaining the crew arrived and identified that the patient was having a heart attack. “While the crew was loading the patient into the ambulance, the patient went into cardiac arrest…”
First responders, Tiffany Vansell and Charlie Parrish’s timely action working the cardiac arrest and transporting the patient to the hospital ultimately saved her life.
“I am so blessed and just tickled to death that this lady is here with us tonight to present our crew with their Lifesaving Award,” said Casey, as he introduced Eleanor Whitfield of Richlands. “(She) survived not only a heart attack, but also a cardiac arrest…”
County Commissioner Dexter Edwards thanked Vansell and Parrish for their actions.
“I personally want to thank both of y’all from the bottom of my heart. We very seldom get the chance to let you know how much we really appreciate what you do,” said Edwards. “I see this young lady standing over there in orange and I see the smile on her face, I see the concern and care from her family. We are all so grateful. Thank you and we thank God for his blessings and thank this God that allowed these two ladies to be trained, be there and be prepared and for helping you through the process because he is not done, you got something left here on this earth and we thank him for you for this opportunity.”
Whitfield told the Duplin Journal that she was incredibly grateful for Vansell and Parrish.
“I’ve had about five spells before and I thought it was indigestion and someone had mentioned to me that it might be my heart and it came to my mind and that’s why I called my daughter and she called EMS,” said Whitfield. “Thank God those two came. They did it.”
Parrish, who has been with the county EMS for a bit over two years, said this doesn’t happen very often. “So, when it does happen, we try to celebrate the good things that happen,” said Parrish.
“It’s an awesome feeling because normally it’s a different outcome,” said Vansell.
Parrish and Vansell said that timely CPR and everyone staying calm through everything was key.
“It not only helps us as a crew when people around are calm, to do our jobs, it helps the family too and the patient.”
By Ena Sellers, Duplin Journal
WALLACE — The historic Community Center on Wallace’s Railroad Street saw a full house on Nov. 28 as people gathered to learn more about the proposed passenger line between Wilmington and Raleigh.
The event featured a presentation by Eddie McFalls, a consultant with the NC Department of Transportation Rail Division. Gene Merritt and Steve Unger, both well-known business entrepreneurs, are leading the effort to create public awareness through Eastern Carolina Rail, a non-profit organization, to promote the return of passenger rail between Raleigh and Wilmington.
The goal according to Unger is to bring at least one passenger train station to every county connecting Wilmington to Raleigh. “In Duplin we would like to have two. We would like to have one in Wallace, and we would like to have one in Warsaw,” Unger told the Duplin Journal.
And while there is no train station in Warsaw, the town is very suitable because it’s centrally located. A station in Warsaw would service Clinton, Faison, and Kenansville according to Unger.
Among the improvements that would be part of the general route is restoring the section without tracks from Wallace to Castle Hayne, which is owned by the DOT. The business entrepreneur explained that “a bill that went to the General Assembly, enabled DOT to purchase the right of way from Wallace all the way down to Wilmington for $1 and it preserved the route for future use.”
According to Unger, the bipartisan effort has received support from both Republicans and Democrats. Recently the non-profit received a resolution from Pender County pledging their support.
“Now we are waiting with bated breath on the notification of the $500,000 initial grants. We should have a major announcement on that as soon as it comes down,” said Unger, adding he hopes to find out about the funding before the end of the year.
“For years and years, we heard the rail might be coming back,” said Wallace Mayor Jason Wells, who remembers as a kid hearing the train approaching and running down the street to see it. “I think this is the closest we have been to making that a reality. If you think about what it means, not just from a transportation standpoint, but an economic impact, whether that’s passenger rail or freight, I do think that it’s just going to add to the growth that we already see coming to our area.”
The 134-mile route from Wilmington to Raleigh is a 7-to-12-year project that would include stations in Wallace, Warsaw, Goldsboro, Selma, and Clayton. The last train that carried passengers between Wilmington and Raleigh was in 1968.
“The next set of money, 10% has to come from a source other than the federal government and finally, the construction costs are based on 80/20, that’s certainly doable, especially if we have political support from both parties,” said Unger.
The train would take less than three hours to go from Raleigh to Wilmington, traveling between 70 and 80 miles an hour. They are looking at three trains a day –morning, afternoon, and evening. “The only big part of the project, other than laying down tracks, is that we will have to build a new rail bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River,” Unger told the Duplin Journal. “That bridge was built in 1914 and while it’s functional, it’s certainly not functional for 75-mile per hour trains.”
Unger explained that with no airplane flights connecting Wilmington and Raleigh, this fills a need.
“The last one was back when Piedmont was flying propellers, so you can go from Wilmington to Charlotte, Chicago or Washington, DC, but you can’t fly to Raleigh,” said Unger.
“Part of it is this will also open up Duplin County and Wayne County freight to Wilmington and give the safe port another way to get stuff out of town. So, this will also serve as the second outlet for freight traffic. CSX was going to pull up the tracks here and they said, well, if you can guarantee it’s getting used once a month, we will leave the tracks in. Well, there is a lot of train traffic right now and a lot of it is worked out very well with the growth of agricultural interests. So, the line won’t be exclusively for passenger rail. It will also serve the business interests of the entire area.”
The event kicked off with Unger thanking the Town of Wallace for hosting them. He spoke about the organization and what their goals are.
“In Duplin County we are advocating for two, since Wallace sits on the border of Pender County, preliminarily Warsaw would be a centrally located train stop, because you have got the county seat Kenansville on the other side. You’re not that far from Clinton,” he added, explaining that further north, Goldsboro has a train station and an intermodal bus station that could be used in the meantime. “Selma has a refurbished historic Amtrak station with already some Amtrak trains going through.”
Merritt, a Rose Hill native who led the organization that spearheaded the Benson-Wilmington extension of I-40 was next to address the audience. He spoke about his roots and how this movement reminded him of pushing for the I-40 extension “we came to Burgaw and Wallace, had all the places more or less along the route and made speeches about how we needed the highway,” he said excitedly as he reminisced about the past and contemplated the possibilities of the future with the growth of passenger rail service on the upswing. Merritt encouraged participants to embrace the cause.
“The actual completion of the Raleigh and Wilmington Railroad would be the greatest thing that ever happened to the North Carolina State Ports Authority to give them a decent route which they don’t have at this time,” Merritt said, adding that it is his belief it would be great for the Town of Wallace and the state of North Carolina.
Doctor David Robinson with the Carolina Association of Passenger Transportation was next on the line up. He emphasized the importance of involving travel, tourism and economic development folks.
“I think the Raleigh to Wilmington service has tremendous potential from passengers, with freight benefits too,” said Robinson. “I think it could be as successful as the current Piedmont train service… between Raleigh and Charlotte. But again, based on that experience, you really need to involve a lot of businesspeople, economic development bureaus and all those folks that have a different perspective of what this can mean to the community.”
McFalls opened his presentation talking about the projects developed to have a positive impact on the economy.
“That’s important as we’re trying to develop in this case a passive rail network that also can have some freight benefits,” said McFalls.
“We’re trying to connect Wilmington, Goldsboro, Wallace, you know towns like Clayton, Raleigh… we’re trying to connect those centers together.”
McFalls explained that train ridership in the state is growing. “That’s why it’s a good time for some of these other federal programs to come online and to take advantage of them,” McFalls said, explaining that they submitted 12 corridors for consideration for the Porter Identification Development program.
“Some are multi-step corridors like Charlotte, DC and North Carolina. I can go to Charlotte or transfer trains and maybe go out of the northeast, so really, we are trying to generate a whole network for people to be able to get beyond just Wilmington. We submitted all these corridors into the program, and we are waiting to hear back. This is supposed to be a program that is going to develop a pipeline of projects.”
He explained that the program would provide up to half a million per quarter of Federal money to scope what the service should be. “What endpoints should connect, what general corridors we need to evaluate, how fast it needs to go to make it marketable and things of that nature,” he added.
McFalls explained that after a scope is defined, a service development plan that is 90% federally funded would ensure there is enough infrastructure. He spoke about each stage of the process.
“Until you have the environmental documentation, you really don’t have a final decision on the corridor. We can talk about the recommended route… but until you have gone through that full process and identified all the historic district issues… all the community issues and all the preferences and things like that, you don’t have a final decision,” McFalls said.
Unger added that the reason we have rails in Duplin County right now is because there is sufficient usage by freight customers.
“It kept those rails from being pulled up and so we are thankful, and we know that this could be of usage… We are also talking about it being a green form of transportation.”
According to Unger there is economic benefit to all the towns on the route.
“It’d be an economic generator for Wallace. Anywhere the trains come and go, it helps redevelopment, helps real estate development, and helps the quality of life in those towns. Most of the towns identified along this route wouldn’t even exist if there had not been a railroad. So, this is like a second shot in the arm to the economy for this area and it’s our job to help promote it and to see that it’s done in a timely fashion and that we’re there to help make it happen.”
McFalls answered questions from the public and explained that the communities are going to have the primary input.
“Conceptual functional engineering is going to have a lot of coordination with the towns, and rural planning organizations,” said McFalls. “All that stuff would feed into what the public benefits are versus what the costs are, and the operating costs.
He explained that the service development plan is the first deliverable that’s going to give them a good sense of all the details like “where we are stopping, what communities are connecting, how much infrastructure is it going to take? “What kind of equipment do we need to make a facility,” etc. Then the environmental document in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act would determine environmental impacts, human impacts, natural impacts and see what those impacts are.
The group stated that resuming passenger trains on this corridor could be done within the next decade.
For many locals, the train “is a reminder of better days and childhood memories.”
“I think, at least for some of us, that’s reason enough to get excited,” said Mayor Wells. “But at the same time, Southeastern North Carolina is growing a lot and that’s just going to add to that, as more and more folks look to move to the southeast.”
Currently Wallace is looking at about 1200 homes that are coming. “Obviously, there’s increased traffic and things like that. You also have to think about Emergency Management Services with Fire and Rescue and police, they mentioned earlier tonight the potential that a train may come and may stop for 4 to 5 minutes, but we are early enough in the planning stages. If we get the funding, we can take all those things into consideration, as long as we’re all communicating and working together with the local community. I think we will be fine.”
To learn more, visit https://www.easterncarolinarail.com/
Update: Eastern Carolina Rail just announced the Wilmington to Raleigh Corridor was awarded $500,000 for identification and development.
This means Corridor sponsors would enter step one of the program to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan, according to the news release.
By Ena Sellers, Duplin Journal
BEULAVILLE — More than 100 people gathered at East Duplin High School to celebrate the annual Christmas Banquet for Duplin Veterans First, Friday night in Beulaville.
The event, honoring veterans of all branches, featured guest speakers Hal Weatherman and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The banquet kicked off with a welcome message from Adrain Arnett, founder of Duplin Veterans First. After the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Reverend Ray Kennedy, guests lined up to fill their plates and mingle.
Lt. Gov. Robinson, a veteran himself, has been known to visit Duplin County. When asked what draws him to the area, he told the Duplin Journal that he feels Duplin is “going to be part of the epicenter of new growth in the state.
“North Carolina has a fantastic opportunity right now to start growing this economy, from what I like to say from Murphy to Manteo. Duplin County we feel is going to be a big part of that,” said Lt. Gov. Robinson. “There’s a lot of talent here. There are a lot of places here that have room to grow, and we are going to try to make some investments in places like Duplin County to help this state continue to grow and flourish. We feel like it is a great opportunity to have an epicenter of growth, right here in Duplin County.”
Lt. Gov. Robinson shared that for him responsibility drives success, and his message for the young people of Duplin is to take responsibility for their life, because that is where progress lays. “In the United States it is not about where you start, it’s about where you finish.”
The atmosphere was festive, as busy volunteers peppered throughout the school cafeteria worked diligently to serve the guests. Weatherman was the first speaker to take the floor.
“I want to thank you for what you have done for our country. I want to thank your spouses as well because of the sacrifice that you both made throughout your service,” said Weatherman, as he addressed the crowd.
In his speed he addressed several safety concerns on topics involving state, national and international issues.
After a brief introduction, Lt. Gov. Robinson took to the floor; he was warmly welcomed by a lively crowd.
“We are facing tough times. But here is the good news, we have faced tough times before. We stared them down and we beat them back and we won at every turn and the reason we have is because we have had faith in each other. We have had faith in our abilities and above all, we have had faith in God Almighty,” said Lt. Gov. Robinson.
“…A lot of people say this is not a Christian nation, that is a bunch of hooey. You cannot start out with God and drop him off halfway and expect to reach your destination… The United States of America needs God the same way a Corvette needs 93 Supreme Unleaded gasoline, you cannot run that Corvette on water. You cannot run the United States of America and expect her to keep going without God.”
The lieutenant governor encouraged people to speak their truth and to be unafraid.
“A gentleman asked me why I want to be the Governor of North Carolina… Since that time, I thought about it, and I came to the realization that I don’t want to be the governor… I will go out on a limb and say Hal Weatherman doesn’t want to be the lieutenant governor …Hal doesn’t want to go to Raleigh and be attacked by the press, have his name dragged through the mud by people who despise him because he is trying to do what is right. Neither do I,” he said, explaining what he believes is wrong with some politicians — “they want to be politicians… and call themselves big shots… That is not what we need out of our elected officials. I want to show you what we need out of our elected officials,” said Robinson as he turned to a table where Vietnam Veteran Jerry Autry, 77, sat and asked him to please stand.
“I just met this gentleman right here. This gentleman has given his entire life to service, service to his nation and to his community. He spent time in combat in Vietnam. God blessed him to survive combat in Vietnam and he came home and put his life on the line for his community again as a police officer for 30 years. That is service and that is what we need,” said Robinson, as the crowd stood up and erupted in applause.
Autry, who served two combat tours of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, spent more than 30 years in law enforcement, first serving with the police departments in Surf City, Burgaw and then with the Pender County Sheriff’s Department.
Robinson concluded his speech, sharing that seeing the strength, resiliency, and determination of ordinary folks is what drives him.
“We work hard in Raleigh to do what we do, but the car does not move if you don’t… You are the engine that drives everything. So, if we work hard in Raleigh, you can rest assured we are doing it for you, because you are the secret to success here in North Carolina.”
The event concluded with an auction and raffle prizes.
Rev. Kennedy said he was proud of his dad, Autry. “It was great to see him given some due honor.”
You need only try to make a doctor’s appointment in Duplin County to know that it’s a community that’s underserved when it comes to healthcare. Whether it’s for a runny nose or the flu or COVID, it can take days and sometimes weeks to be seen by a healthcare provider. But there are people within the county’s healthcare system who are working to change that.
Cheryl Hooks, for example, was born and bred in Rose Hill, and recently graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill as a certified nurse practitioner. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Hooks never wanted to live and work anywhere other than Duplin County. She and Dr. Michael Ward are now seeing primary care patients at ECU Health’s Multispecialty Clinic in Kenansville.
A cosmetologist for 20 years, Hooks longed to become a nurse, and finally took that chance. “I always wanted to go back to school to be a nurse practitioner, and be able to serve in that capacity in my community,” she said. “That was always my ultimate goal.”
Though she worked in the emergency room at ECU Health Duplin Hospital for eight years, Hooks’ heart was always in primary care. It will take more people like Hooks for Duplin County to overcome its primary care provider shortage.
“We see a lot of primary care patients in the emergency room, because we have a shortage of primary care providers,” said Laura Maready, director of marketing and development for ECU Health Duplin Hospital.
“A lot of people, even if they have a primary care provider, because of the fact that there are so few in our county, they get inundated with patients,” Hooks added. “So when they have an acute care need, it’s very hard to get in. A lot of people come into the emergency department with a lot of things that really aren’t emergency care. And you also have a lot of people in the county with no insurance, and they go to the emergency room for that reason.”
Many people also seek primary care at the emergency room, because they’re required to be seen, whether they can pay or not, Maready pointed out, whereas most primary care providers ask for payment up front.
That fills up emergency rooms — and primary care doctor’s offices, as well. With only a handful of primary care doctors in the county, it creates a perfect storm that’s difficult to navigate.
The answer is to be able to successfully recruit more primary care providers. Though she never wanted to practice anywhere else, Hooks admitted, “It’s just very hard to recruit providers of any kind to rural areas.”
In fact, the multispecialty clinic’s practice manager, Kimberly Villanueva, said it took six years to finally get primary care in place there. “We’ve been open since 2017,” she said, “and I think we had two applicants, prior to hiring Dr. Ward and Cheryl.”
Hand in hand with the need for more providers is the need for more education of the public.
Hooks said it was important for kids to start learning about healthcare careers in school. Especially those who are currently in Duplin County. “I feel like people who are from the area are more likely to stay, as opposed to somebody who’s from somewhere else,” she said.
ECU Health and Duplin County Schools have partnered together to provide the Duplin County Health Sciences Academy, which works to get students familiarized with healthcare, Maready explained.
ECU Health has also started sending various teams into the elementary schools, starting at an even earlier age. Maready said, “I think there needs to be more of that, really. Not only trying to recruit those kids, but to educate them, too, so that they are more aware and start to think at an early age about how to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Whatever the symptoms of being underserved, the cure is, in effect, education. “I think it’s important for kids … not only educating them, but putting healthcare workers and healthcare providers in front of them,” Hooks said. “We want to know that there’s someone out there that did it, that came from a similar background that I come from.”
Maready agreed. “In order to increase the number of primary care providers we have, we’ve got to encourage and inspire and make these kids dream that they can do these great jobs, and like Cheryl, want to serve the community.”