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Hundreds of kids excitedly filled their buckets with colorful Easter eggs at the Hop Hop Hooray Spring Fling held at the Warsaw Parks and Rec on March 16. The event sponsored by the Duplin County Partnership for Children featured bouncy houses, balloon art, games, food, a magic show and concluded with an epic Easter egg hunt as children collected a total of 5,000 eggs. Visit and like the Duplin Journal’s Facebook page for more photos!
Ena Sellers
By Ena Sellers
Duplin Journal
MAGNOLIA — The Town of Magnolia discussed water and sewer rate increases for the upcoming fiscal year during the board’s regular monthly meeting held on March 12.
Town Manager Charles “Twig” Rollins told the Duplin Journal that the town’s water and sewer fund is struggling right now because rates have not been increased in 11 years. According to the town manager that was a decision made by the prior administration, and during that amount of time inflation went up 31%.
“It was costing more to produce water and process our wastewater, so we kind of got behind the eight ball and we are needing to raise rates,” said Rollins, explaining that by state law an enterprise fund has to be run like a business. “You have to charge what it costs you to operate that enterprise fund, just like you would a business, so we’re going to need to raise the rates this next budget year, July 1. We’re cranking final numbers and everything for that and to see how much that will be.”
The town manager will present a recommended budget in May to give the public plenty of time to review it. A public hearing will be scheduled after that to give the public a chance to comment before the budget gets adopted at the end of June.
Rollins shared that the plan is to present the recommended budget at the Tuesday, May 14, regular board meeting. “But the budget is not final until the board actually votes on it. And that’s after a public hearing,” said the town manager.
In other business:
The Town of Magnolia will be operating on a four-day, 10-hour schedule starting April 1.
Rollins told the Duplin Journal this will extend the hours that they are open to the public, giving them more time to come in and do business. The new hours will be Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
“One of the big things that all local governments are struggling with is keeping employees, and being a small town, we can’t always pay employees what other governments are [paying],” said Rollins. “So, we’re looking at innovative ways to give them extra benefits. And one of the ways that we can do that is to go to a four-day work week.”
Rollins told the Duplin Journal that they will always have a police officer and public works on call. “We have that right now after hours, weekends and holidays,” said Rollins, adding that the board also is giving employees a paid personal day off during the month that they were born.
“The four-day work week has no significant financial change in the town… It just allows the employees to have a long weekend every weekend. We’re just trying to get innovative. We did do a cold raise last year and we did some reclassifications, and the commissioners are very focused on taking care of the employees because they realize they’re the greatest asset, and we have very good employees.”
Rollins shared it’s hard to recruit employees in small rural governments when they are competing with municipalities with larger budgets. “We’re nowhere near what other departments are paying… It is very hard to hire people. Because they can just go to another municipality or another county and make more money. Our retirement system is based on our highest paid four years, if you work in local government. And then the other thing is you can move around and still be in the same retirement system. So somebody can work for one town and then go to the county and then go to the state and then come back to a town. They’re all in the same retirement system. And 95% of the time their sick time carries over too. So, you know, there are towns and counties that hire from other ones. And a lot of times, unfortunately, the small governments end up training people and getting people certifications and then the bigger ones kind of vacuum suck them up because they’re trained, they’ve got some experience, and they’ve got some certifications. It’s always been a struggle. But the last couple of years has been a way more of a struggle.”
The town manager emphasized that services in the Town of Magnolia will not be affected, and that the main reason for the change is for employee retention.
“We’re still going to have everybody on call, that we’ve had on call. The town hall will only be open four days a week and the police department will still be answering calls and have people on duty. The public works will still have people on duty,” said Rollins, adding that if a bill is due Friday, they will give customers until the next business day at 5 o’clock to pay their bill without incurring late fees. “There’s no degradation to services in the town.”
The next town board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3.
By Ena Sellers
Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Luciana Barksdale, who had signed up for public comment at the March 18 County Commissioners meeting appeared in front of the board to express concerns about the neglectful care her nephew Dyson Fryer, who is diabetic, received at the Duplin County Jail.
“He stayed from [February] 18th to the 21st on charges that he had been cleared on previously,” Barksdale told the board. “During his time at the facility, Dyson repeatedly requested access to his prescribed diabetic medication. Despite his urgent pleas and alarming readings [on] the facility glucose monitor, he was denied proper treatment… Dyson wears a pump that distributes his diabetic medication to him. He was made to remove the monitor from him when he was arrested.”
According to Barksdale, Dyson was administered insulin, however it was not in accordance with his normal dose, and he was not provided insulin with his meals as required by his medical regimen.
“By Tuesday, his condition had deteriorated significantly. He was experiencing vomiting and unable to consume food. Despite [the] worsening state, his request for medical attention outside the jail was constantly denied. Instead of receiving the necessary care, he was placed in isolation when a period unwell, only to be returned to the general population when the nurse deemed him better,” said Barksdale. “The denial of proper medication and care had severe repercussions on his health. When his mother retrieved him from the facility, he was visibly weak and unsteady.”
Barksdale added that his condition did not improve at home even after the proper medication was administered and he had to be taken to the hospital.
“At the hospital, he was treated for dehydration and administered insulin and IV, gradually stabilizing his glucose level,” said Barksdale, adding that he is doing better now, but the family is deeply dissatisfied with the treatment that Dyson received.
“He was in DKA when he got to the hospital, meaning that he was near comatose status whenever he got to his medical physician,” said Barksdale, adding that the family is not asking for compensation, but for better awareness of the medical needs of someone dealing with diabetes so the person can receive the adequate medical treatment.
“Dyson could have lost his life. He asked several times to be sent to the hospital and he was denied that. His sugar level was over 500 during his stay,” Barksdale said.
The Board acknowledged her concern adding they will “definitely take this information forward.”
In other business:
The Board approved the funding plan for the Duplin County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Program Fiscal Year 2024-25. The budget of $212,657 remains the same, with some minor adjustments made to the amounts each program receives based on the enrollment according to Jason McGuirt, JCPC chair.
Niccoya Dobson, Chief public defender for District 5 and a native of Duplin County, appeared in front of the board to ask for office space. Dobson shared that Duplin was chosen as the home base for the district because of its location between Jones and Samson counties.
“I come asking for space that would accommodate our future needs as well as our immediate need… I would ask that the board consider one office in the courthouse,” said Dobson, explaining that the request is because their network must be secured, and the courthouse is already in compliance.
Dobson asked the board to consider an office to house their legal assistant until they can get an office with sufficient space for the entire staff. She added that once they hire the attorneys, they will be able to serve in the courtrooms daily. Dobson explained that the public defender’s office will serve criminal cases, child support cases, commitment hearings, among others.
“Our attorneys that we have here in Duplin County are phenomenal. Many of you know them. Many of you have worked with them. Many of you have grown up with them but they are general practitioners, therefore most of them practice in more than just one county… With the public defender’s office, we will have three dedicated attorneys in that courthouse… They will be ready to be in court to be at first appearances …so that hopefully we can resolve those cases on a faster basis. We can have the efficiency that we all love to hear about, but we can actually see that efficiency at work in the courtroom,” said Dobson, adding that will alleviate the added expense of keeping them in jail any longer than absolutely needed.
County Manager Bryan Miller explained that they are currently looking at three different options for office space.
“When we get those fully vetted, we’ll bring a recommendation as well as the two other options to the board,” said Miller.
Attorney Reginald Kenan, who was also present, explained to the board that few court appointed lawyers take serious felonies.
“There’s probably only two or three lawyers in this county that take the high-class felonies. I stay on the list because I think a poor person deserves adequate representation too. I particularly got 60 or 70 cases of felonies just by myself… the defendants need lawyers that can spend the time to adequately prepare their defense,” Kenan told the board adding that the public defender’s program was “the best thing that can happen to the indigent system as far as defendants in court who can’t afford a lawyer.”
Miller informed the board that the transportation department has moved into their new building and the Animal Control facility went through their final inspection and after they go through some fixes on their list, they will be able to move in.
The board went to recess until March 22 at 9 a.m., when they will conduct their yearly retreat.
By Abby Cavenaugh
Duplin Journal
A Wallace street has been renamed in honor of longtime Wallace Council Member and educator David Edward Jordan. With 36 years on the town council, more than 30 years in education at Charity Middle School and Wallace-Rose Hill High School, and a heart for his community, many say they couldn’t think of a better person to be honored with a street in his name.
A street renaming ceremony was held on the corner of Graham and Powell (now Jordan) streets on Friday afternoon, with local officials, family members and friends of Jordan in attendance.
“I knew Mr. Jordan at a couple of key moments in my life,” said Wallace Mayor Jason Wells. “Once, when I was a middle school student at Charity Middle School in seventh grade. Mr. Jordan was, at that time, a larger than life figure. I remember him being on the playground, and bringing the kids that were having an argument, or like I call it a heated discussion, he would get those kids together and 20 minutes later, they’d be playing together and would be just fine.
I also knew him at a second time in my life, when I first came onto the town board almost nine years ago now. Just like the playground days, he was helping bring people together, helping make tough decisions and always doing it in a respectful way.”
Wells added that recognition of Jordan, who passed away in 2021, was “long overdue.”
Former Mayor Charley Farrior, who served on the council many years with Jordan, stated, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing this afternoon than standing on this corner, remembering David Jordan, our time together, and naming this street after him.”
Jordan was the longest-serving member of the town council, Farrior said. “He came to every meeting — and I’m not exaggerating at all — he came prepared, he had read the agenda and he came ready to make decisions,” Farrior recalled. “He truly was a strong advocate for all of the citizens of Wallace. He made it his goal to ensure that every citizen of Wallace was treated in a fair and equitable manner.”
Duplin County Commissioner Wayne Branch also shared a few memories of his “buddy,” David Jordan, who he said encouraged him to run for office. “David Jordan was truly a great guy,” he said. “He was a father figure. We shared a lot of time together.”
Jordan’s nieces and nephews also spoke about their uncle as a pillar of the community and a loving family member.
“I’ll tell you two things about my Uncle David that were quite obvious,” said James Patterson. “First, was that infectious smile he carried upon himself. And the next thing must’ve come straight from God. My Uncle David was the most humble human I’ve ever met in my life.”
His niece, Eva Patterson Heath, stated that her Bible study that day was, fittingly enough, about eternal legacy. “I thought it was so fitting that we would have an opportunity to come here today and witness Uncle David’s eternal legacy with a street naming in his honor,” she said.
In addition to his service to the town of Wallace, to education in the public school system, and to his family, Jordan served on the board of trustees at James Sprint Community College for almost 28 years.
Anita Powers, chair of that board, was also present at the ceremony. “I remember when I became a member of the board, he just took me right up under his wing,” Powers said. “When he knew I really didn’t understand what was going on, he was right there to fill me in on everything I needed to know. Whenever I became chairman of the board, he was right there supporting me.”
Though she didn’t speak during the ceremony, Jordan’s wife Nancy was on the front row next to the sign that now bears her husband’s name. “It’s really an honor,” she told the Duplin Journal.
By Abby Cavenaugh
Duplin Journal
Later this spring, a busy Duplin County intersection will be getting a new stoplight in hopes of easing traffic concerns.
Work began last week to install traffic signal lights on NC Highway 41 at the westbound ramps entering and exiting I-40 just outside the town of Wallace.
The new stoplights are the result of a request from the Duplin County Manager to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), said Lauren Haviland, NCDOT Communications Officer for Divisions 2 and 3.
NCDOT was asked “to review for a traffic signal,” she said. “A study was completed and found that the intersection met signal warrants and had a history of several documented crash patterns.”
While the county manager’s office had originally asked for the eastbound ramps to also have traffic lights installed, NCDOT determined that only the westbound ramps met signal warrants, Haviland said. “Just the westbound ramp intersection is getting a signal, which means drivers coming off I-40 coming from Wilmington to turn onto NC 41 toward Wallace or toward Beulaville/River Landing,” she explained.
Duplin County Manager Bryan Miller said the request was made before his time in the position, but he has had several meetings with the NCDOT since becoming county manager.
“Wallace is expanding rapidly,” Miller said. “They’re doing a lot of great things in Wallace, and I certainly understand the need for a stoplight there.”
The project is expected to be completed and operational sometime in April, Haviland said.
Miller added that his most recent meetings with NCDOT focused on adding four-way stops throughout Duplin County. The Board of Commissioners discussed the new all-way stops at their February meeting. The stops will be added at: Tram Road at Bethel Church Road, Tram Road at Bennetts Bridge Road/Scotts Store Road, Tram Road at Red Hill Road, Bowdens Road at Revelle Road, NC 41/NC 11 at Jackson Store Road, NC 50/NC 403 at Warren Road, Warren Road at Solomon Street, Charity Road at Bay Road, NC 11 at Charity Road, NC 11 at Register Road/Stockinghead Road, Liddell Road at Drummersville Road and NC 403 at Beautancus Road.
There is no set schedule for the four-way stops to be installed, according to NCDOT.
By Abby Cavenaugh
Duplin Journal
You may not know the name Christina Phillips, Ph.D., but the Wallace native is one of the driving forces behind Smithfield, the powerhouse corporation that helped put Duplin County on the pork industry map. She also spent the past year as president of the North Carolina Pork Council, a statewide advocacy group, and now serves as past president. March is Women’s History Month, as well as National Agriculture Month, so it’s the perfect time to get to know one of the leading ladies in our area’s agriculture community.
Can you give us a brief overview of your background info?
I grew up in Wallace, and graduated high school from Wallace-Rose Hill. I attended North Carolina State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science (funded by scholarships from Murphy Family Farms, Duplin County Farm Bureau and North Carolina Farm Bureau), followed by a master’s degree in Swine Nutrition. I then went on to complete a Ph.D. in Swine Management and Welfare from the University of Minnesota. Following graduation, I was hired by Smithfield, where I am the Director of Production Research. I have been employed by Smithfield for 13 years.
I met my husband, Casey, while we were both students at N.C. State University. This month we will celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. We live in Wallace with our two sons, Will (age 11) and Walt (age 9) and our energetic and mischievous German short haired pointer, Goose!
What made you want to work with Smithfield Foods?
In high school, I was actively involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization and with the guidance of my agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, Mr. Mark Stampe, I served as president of my high school chapter and was a regional officer my senior year. This involvement in FFA led me to seek out summer internships in the agriculture field. During the summers while attending high school and college I interned for Murphy Family Farms (which was purchased by Smithfield in 2000). I worked on a sow farm one summer, and another summer I worked with the quality assurance and research teams. These experiences helped to create my love for working with pigs and for researching ways to improve and get better. I’m ecstatic to be back working at the place where it all began for me.
How would you explain your job with Smithfield?
My job is to research ways to improve efficiency and performance of pigs. I manage a research program to scientifically evaluate opportunities in multiple disciplines (nutrition, health, management, meat quality) across all phases of production (sow, nursery, finishing, and wean-to-finish). I am responsible for the design and execution of research protocols to answer important questions to improve business outcomes.
Smithfield has research farms that have specialized equipment to collect research data: scales to weigh pigs and feed systems to weigh feed. In addition, because we are a vertically integrated company, we want to make sure that any changes made to the pig’s feed for example, will not have a negative impact on the consumer’s perception of that product. So, we also collect data at the packing plant to measure meat quality.
One example of a project conducted in this area was to determine what amount of upcycled bakery product could be included in the pig’s diet for optimal performance. Because NC is a corn deficient state, and corn is the main source of energy used in pig diets, we import corn from other states to be able to feed our pigs. Therefore, we have to be innovative on how to remain profitable and sustainable — using upcycled bakery products in pig diets is an example of that! We can use a portion of upcycled bakery products to replace corn in the diet, lowering the cost of feed. This is a win, win — for Smithfield and the environment by reducing waste.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the pork industry?
Agriculture is North Carolina’s number one industry, employing about one-fifth of the state’s workforce. Pig farming is a big part of that! What I want consumers to know about pork is that it is a safe, nutritious protein raised by farmers who care about animal welfare, the environment, public health and our communities. Food labels can be confusing, and because of that can be potentially misleading. What you should know is that: 1) no added hormones are used in pork production, and 2) every piece of pork you eat is antibiotic free. Can pork producers use antibiotics to treat, control, and prevent disease in pigs? YES! However, we follow instructions on the use of those products to make sure enough time has passed for that product to leave the pig’s body for it enters the food chain.
Can you briefly explain what the N.C. Pork Council does?
The North Carolina Pork Council provides leadership for the state’s pork industry through public policy and advocacy efforts, as well as consumer information programs and services. For example, the NCPC conducted public opinion polls over the last couple of years and found that the vast majority of people in Eastern North Carolina have a positive view of the pork industry and appreciate our contributions to the local economy. We then take this information and share it with our legislators in Raleigh and Washington, D.C.
On a more personal note, what do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I enjoy fishing, spending time on the beach, attending NCSU sporting events, and traveling with my family.
What’s the last book you read?
The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles C. Mann.
What’s your favorite eatery in Duplin County?
I don’t have a favorite restaurant per se. I do have favorite dishes at many local restaurants: Carnitas Verde at Camino Real, BLT at Mik’s, and no one can come close to preparing a better pork chop at 145 F than the Mad Boar; just to name a few. Obviously, there is a common theme here!
What, in your opinion, is the best thing about Duplin County?
The best thing about Duplin County is the people and rural environment. Duplin County is the number one pig producing county in the U.S. Being a short drive to the beach doesn’t hurt either!