With less than a week away from Election Day, the public is reminded that the early voting period ends Saturday, Nov. 2. Election Day is on Nov. 5 and all 19 Duplin County precincts will be open. Absentee ballots must be received in the Duplin County Board of Elections office on Election Day, Nov. 5 by 7:30 p.m.
According to Duplin County Board of Elections Director Carrie Sullivan, out of the 32,512 registered voters in Duplin County, 8,747 voters have already cast their ballots. The number reflects in-person and mail-in votes as of Oct. 25.
The number of registered voters in Duplin County increased by 2,011 since the presidential election in 2020, when there were 30,501 registered voters. Also, since the primary election, 624 registered voters in Duplin County have changed their party affiliation.
A few reminders from the State Board of Elections:
As you head to the polls, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a chair if you have difficulty standing for long periods of time.
Leaving a contest blank will not invalidate your ballot. If you skip contests, your votes will be counted in all other contests on your ballot.
Voting from your car is not for voters who do not want to wait in line. It is only for voters who are unable to enter the voting place without physical assistance due to age or disability, and they will have to sign a sworn statement affirming that.
“Voters with disabilities will find handicap parking spots and curbside voting at all locations,” said Sullivan. “An Express Vote will also be found inside every location. The Express vote is a touch screen voting machine that has headphones and a braille keypad to assist our voters that are visually impaired.”
Life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately for Wesley Holmes. After Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina he and his buddy JD Williamson penned a song called “Helene.” The song quickly “gained traction” on TikTok and YouTube, with many people sharing the song on social media. Last Wednesday, the Kenansville native, also known as country music artist Wesko, got a call from superstar Luke Combs. Three days later, Wesko took the stage in front of a crowd of more than 82,000 people at the Concert for Carolina in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
The event raised more than $24 million for hurricane relief, and was a chance for the Duplin County musician to perform with some of his country music idols.
Wesko was in Swannanoa in western NC, surveying some of the damage and working with a relief organization called Savage Freedoms when he got the call from Combs. “Luke had seen the videos of ‘Helene’ and he asked me to play at the concert,” Wesko recalled. “He said he had seen the song so many times.”
Wesko had a day to return home to Kenansville and prepare for the biggest performance of his life. He even missed his first cousin’s wedding so that he could travel to Charlotte and play with some of the biggest stars in country music.
“It was a touch-and-go ordeal,” he said. “I met Luke and he was honestly the most genuine person I have met in the music business. It was really neat to be around a lot of my heroes, like Luke, Eric Church and Randy Travis. It was nice and a little bit overwhelming to be rubbing elbows with some of them.”
He said it was also overwhelming for his heroes to have heard his song “Helene” and to praise him for writing it. “It was overwhelming in the best way possible,” he added.
Nerves did play a factor as he took the stage during the concert, but nervousness wasn’t as big of a factor as he thought.
“Going out onstage honestly the thing I was most focused on was not crying,” he said. “Especially with the stuff I’d just seen in Swannanoa, and the nature of the song. It’s probably the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.”
As for performing in front of 82,000 people — and the millions who were live-streaming the event at home — Wesko said he’s glad he got to experience it. “I don’t know if I will ever get to experience it again,” he said. “They told me I wouldn’t be able to see past the first few rows with all the lights and everything, but once I got out there, I could see everybody.”
Instead of letting the nerves take over, Wesko said he “leaned into the nervousness.”
“I think it was the best thing possible to lean into the moment and embrace it,” he added.
Most of his family were unable to attend the show, due to his cousin’s wedding, but Wesko said his dad and uncle and his co-songwriter were there with him. “And at least half the county was watching it on livestream,” he said. “I’m just so grateful to have been able to take part in that event and to help raise $24 million.”
So, what’s next after playing for such a huge crowd? Wesko isn’t sure what will come next, other than a benefit concert in Avery County on Nov. 15, which is also raising money for hurricane victims.
“I’m just taking it as it comes,” he said. “And I’m grateful to have experienced it all.”
He pointed out that the reason he was at the Concert for Carolina — his song “Helene” — is available to stream and download online. “I’m donating 50% of the profits to western North Carolina,” he said.
To learn more about Wesko, or to listen to “Helene,” visit wesko.komi.io.
BEULAVILLE — After nearly 40 years as Jackson’s IGA, the Beulaville store will close next week and reopen on Nov. 13 as Carlie C’s IGA.
Store Manager Malinda Ball confirmed the news to Duplin Journal. “The owner, David Jackson, has put us in very good hands,” she said.
The Beulaville IGA is the only store in Duplin County changing ownership; the Jackson’s IGA in Kenansville will remain under David Jackson’s ownership.
“Nobody’s losing their jobs,” Ball explained. “We’re just changing ownership. Nothing’s really going to change for anyone who works here. The only thing that’s going to change is the name on the building.”
The last day for Jackson’s IGA in Beulaville will be Nov. 9. The store will close at 6 p.m. that day, and will undergo a renovation process with a grand reopening on Nov. 13 as Carlie C’s IGA.
There have been rumblings for several months about the Beulaville IGA, due to a diminishing supply of products in the store. However, Ball assured customers that once the store reopens, they can expect the same deli, meat and produce they’ve grown accustomed to finding, as well as other grocery items.
“We are most definitely going to fill up on stock so we can provide for our community,” Ball said. “Carlie C’s motto is to love, bless and serve the community, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
In a press release, Mack McLamb, president of Carlie C’s IGA, stated, “We are excited to be able to have the opportunity to serve the people of Beulaville and the surrounding area. It has taken several events and many negotiations to allow us to be a part of the community of Beulaville and we are honored to be able to become a part of the local area.”
McLamb added, “We are planning to add some new things, in addition to the great things that Jackson’s has offered for so many years. The culture of the Jackson family and operations mirrors so many of the things that we do at Carlie C’s.”
There are 32 Carlie C’s IGA locations across North and South Carolina. The closest location to Duplin County currently is in Clinton.
“We’re just excited and ready for everyone to see what we have to look forward to,” Ball said. “And we want the community to know that David Jackson has been a great boss, and he’s going to be missed in Beulaville.”
Commissioner calls out the need for an audit of town water bills.
WARSAW — A growing frustration among various Warsaw residents, now also echoed by Commissioner Ebony Willis-Wells, has highlighted a range of ongoing issues in the Town of Warsaw.
As the town continues to grow, it faces various challenges, including aging infrastructure, insufficient funding for necessary upgrades, and an urgent need for more personnel to address the community’s increasing demands.
Since new water rates were implemented last July, many residents have complained about unexpectedly high water bills. Individuals who previously paid around $65 a month are now reporting bills exceeding $100 — with some as high as $200.
At the October town hall meeting, the board addressed some of these concerns, including residents being mistakenly billed for 42 days in August. Officials explained the error was due to faults in the new meter reading system.
Willis-Wells stated in a social media post that an audit is necessary for all town water bills to determine if any residents were incorrectly assessed in June, July, and August.
“We have heard from so many citizens, and as a commissioner, I can acknowledge that our leadership doesn’t follow up or address town matters in a timely fashion or always in the best interest of the town,” wrote Willis-Wells. “We have leadership that is struggling to properly run and lead the town, but are suppose to be qualified and equipped to do the job.”
Willis-Wells expressed hope that the town board will continue to prioritize transparency and avoid concealing information or misleading the public.
“It’s our responsibility to own mistakes and make corrections. We as leaders need to be open to constructive criticism,” said Willis-Wells.
Mayor A.J. Connors told Duplin Journal that getting the newly upgraded system up to speed is taking time. He also noted that some bills are over because some people do have water leaks and that the water department was evaluating things as they go.
For Cecil Lennon, a small business owner in Warsaw, this is not the first time he has dealt with problems in Warsaw due to inefficiencies and overcharges. Fortunately for Lennon, he has been able to get a few issues corrected after publicly presenting his complaints and evidence in front of the board at the town board meetings.
Lennon told Duplin Journal that after comparing the reading from a newly installed meter at one of his properties, he was baffled by the significant discrepancy between the meter reading and the bill he received for a supposed consumption of 8,870 gallons.
“I get a bill with a consumption of 8,870 gallons. That’s what they billed me for,” Lennon said. “I only used 125 gallons. They’re doing that to a lot of people in the area. They are overcharging if you don’t catch them like I caught them.”
Lennon expressed his frustration, questioning why the public had not been informed about the meter reading issues.
“If we don’t catch it, we will still be paying. Nobody could give me an explanation … except for the guy last night who stood up and said they’re getting the wrong meter readings at the office [compared to] what’s on hand, but the public doesn’t know, and everybody is getting water bills for like $150-$200. Warsaw just [brushed] it off.”
Update: According to Warsaw documents town employees reported the “AclaraONE system is not working like it should,” explaining that despite multiple attempts to reach the company they have been unsuccessful.
The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that took place near the town of Faison.
According to law enforcement, last Saturday night, Duplin County Communications received several calls reporting a shooting on Shine Road. The Sheriff’s Office and Duplin County EMS responded to the scene and discovered that Russell Hines and Latonya Tiska Corbett had been shot. Investigators with the DCSO arrived shortly after and began an immediate investigation, which is currently ongoing with the help of the District Attorney’s Office.
Hines sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while Corbett tragically succumbed to her injuries.
The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office asks persons with any information, no matter how minor it may seem, to contact the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office at 910-296-2150 or call the tip line at 910-372-9202. Your information could make a significant difference in this investigation and in solving this case.
GREENSBORO — There was a full house at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro on Oct. 10, as more than 800 people waited to see Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance.
With only 26 days left until Election Day, winning North Carolinians’ vote will play a vital role in the presidential election.
Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley, opened the floor by speaking about immigration, stating that the current administration has taken 94 executive actions to dismantle the security at the southern border.
He addressed the vice president’s tie-breaking vote on $2.5 trillion worth of federal spending and the implications for global affairs on how she is perceived.
“America’s weak under Kamala Harris and her administration. And when America’s weak, the world is a far more dangerous place,” said Whatley. “We have a former president who has said on day one he’s going to end inflationary spending. He’s going to unleash American energy. He is going to have no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security. … He’s going to support our soldiers, our veterans, and our military families.”
Senator Ted Budd greets the crowds at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro on Oct. 10, during Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance town hall. Photo by Ena Sellers / North State Journal
After his speech, Whatley welcomed Senator Ted Budd to the floor. Budd spoke about inflation and holding the government accountable. He also thanked veterans and all the volunteers who have been aiding rescue efforts in western North Carolina.
Former professional race car driver Danica Patrick served as the event moderator.
Patrick shared with the crowd that getting backlash from a post she made saying, “I love my country,” motivated her to seek change.
“It just really lit a fire in my heart to do whatever I could to make this country the kind of country where I can say — I love my country,” said Patrick. “We should be able to say it proudly. That’s the kind of country that I want to live in. So here I am today with the amazing honor of being able to moderate this town hall with y’all and Senator J.D. Vance.”
The excitement filled the room, and the crowd erupted in applause as Vance entered.
Vance spoke about his mother’s addiction and how, for a good part of his early life, he was raised by his grandmother. He added that one of the things that allowed him to pursue his dreams is that “we live in the greatest country in the world” and that he always felt grateful for his grandmother’s love and support.
“I realized there were so many little ways where, without her love, without her support, without her going above and beyond, I just wouldn’t have been here. … She was a woman of incredibly profound Christian faith. She never graduated from high school, but she was the smartest person that I ever knew,” said Vance. “The advice I would give to anybody is don’t let yourself become a victim and don’t forget that however hard your life has been, it would be a lot harder, but for people you ought to show some gratitude toward.”
The first question Vance took from the public was from Adam, a pilot who has been delivering supplies to the victims in Western North Carolina.
“We’ve seen absolute decimation. We’ve seen destruction, and we have seen miracles left and right. Over the last 14 days, we’ve probably had close to, just at our location, maybe 500 different volunteers come through. And we have seen Americans of every shape, color, creed, and size helping every other American, which is what America is supposed to do. There’s two big fears that we have. The biggest fear right now is that when all this is over, Western North Carolina becomes a footnote. And we don’t want that. We don’t want that for anybody that’s left behind after a disaster, holding it back, trying to rebuild everything that they’ve lost. The second fear is that we won’t have an opportunity to have a real conversation about the afteraction of what took place, in order for us to understand how we can use a combination of both private sector and public sector funding and efforts to have effective, efficient actions on the ground to make it more mobile and more agile, but more importantly, to re-inject capital back into the work we’re doing,” said Adam. “I think the bureaucratic process of red tape that we have to cut through in order to get the funding directly to the people who need it most, this just simply takes too long, and it’s not the fault of any individual agency for the federal government.”
Photo by Ena Sellers / North State Journal
He asked Vance if they win the presidency if they would consider overhauling the process of disaster relief in the US to get funding to those in need more efficiently and involve retired veterans and special operations personnel to make the strategy more effective.
“We’re never going to let them be left behind and forgotten. I promise that to you, man,” said Vance. “I want to thank all the private relief agencies, the charities, and Good Samaritans who did their job and took care of their fellow Americans. God bless you guys. We should all be proud of them. …What should have happened is that the president and the vice president should have sent the 82nd Airborne to Western North Carolina… “It’s not any one agency. And there are a lot of people working on the federal effort who are doing a good job or at least are doing as good as they can. The problem is all the bureaucratic incompetence. … In 2010, the terrible earthquake at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the 82nd Airborne was there two days later. The 82nd Airborne is an hour away from Western North Carolina, and it took six days to get them there. That doesn’t happen without a failure of leadership… The only way to fix this is by accountability… I want to be the kind of vice president where you feel like I have your back and that I haven’t left you behind.”
Photo by Ena Sellers / North State Journal
The next question was from Jean about immigration, pointing out the 13,000 murderers who reportedly came across the border illegally last week.
“Unless we get this right in the next administration, we are throwing open the floodgates to illegal immigration for the next 30 years in this country. … it’s tens of thousands of violent criminals … but it’s also millions upon millions of people who have come here. Some of them are good people, but that doesn’t mean they have the legal right to be in the United States of America. … The message that our country sends after 25 million illegal aliens coming into this country is, you get to stay here, you get to collect housing benefits, you get to collect welfare benefits while folks in Western North Carolina are struggling to survive.”
The next question came from Kaylee, a business owner and a first-time voter.
“One day, I want to start a family and own my own home, but with rising costs, I do not know if that will be able to happen. You have come from humble beginnings, so what is your plan for creating more opportunities for people like me?”
“We’re going to cut taxes for American workers. We’re going to penalize folks who are shipping American jobs overseas. … I want you to own a piece of the future and not just be a permanent debtor to people and institutions that don’t care about you,” said Vance. I want you to own a nice house and be able to start a family and build a great business in the United States of America. And that’s what Donald Trump is fighting for.”
Patrick asked Vance about the pathway to becoming energy-independent.
“We can take a week to two years to get us back to where we were. … Let’s buy it from American citizens right here at home and make a lot of money,” said Vance.
Photo by Ena Sellers / North State Journal
“If you want clean air, you don’t ship all of our manufacturing and energy to China, which is the dirtiest economy per unit of economic output in the world. You build more and make more in the United States of America. That’s what President Trump will do.”
The next question came from Patricia, a retired healthcare worker from Timberlake.
“I’ve seen ads and posts where Donald Trump is going to take away our Social Security or cut it or decrease it. But then I also saw ads and posts that Donald Trump is planning to remove taxes on Social Security. Can you explain and, describe, and clarify your and Donald Trump’s Social Security plan?”
Don’t believe everything you see on TV because a lot of those things are paid for by Democrat money. It’s dishonest,” said Vance, adding that Donald Trump is going to protect Social Security.
“He is going to cut taxes on Social Security income because our seniors get paid into it for their whole lives. You ought to be able to enjoy the benefits. …you know what will bankrupt Social Security in this country? Giving it to illegal aliens… what I think is so sick about what Kamala Harris is going out there doing. She is accusing us of doing the very same thing that she herself is promising to do. She wants to bankrupt this program, not by giving it to the people who paid into it, but by giving it to people who don’t even have the legal right to be in this country to begin with.”
Vance wrapped up the town hall speaking about the incredible responsibility someone running for office is asking from the public, asserting that trust should be earned.
“There’s something about the way that Kamala Harris has run this campaign that I think genuinely to all Americans, Democrats, independents, Republicans, is insulting. … She is asking you to give her control over millions of American troops … over the entire nuclear arsenal of the United States. She is asking for literally the authority to command life and death all over the world. And she won’t even go out and talk to the American people in a non-friendly setting. We all should be insulted by that.”
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