WILLARD — Guests at the annual Southern Lights premiere party at the Johnson Nursery in Willard marveled in awe as the first tree lighting of the season got underway on Friday, Nov. 15.
A winter wonderland came to life showcasing a stunning display of lights. The crisp night and a beautiful full moon provided the perfect ambiance to welcome the holiday season as joyful attendees explored the gardens.
“Santa is going to be here every night in December that we’re open and in the garden center; this is the first year we’ve done the garden center, and Mrs. Claus will be there. So it’s just fun for the kids and fun for everybody,” said Jill Johnson, owner and manager of the Garden Center at Johnson Nursery, adding that they will soon have a gingerbread house in the garden. “We’re adding a little stuff every time. It’s just been a lot of fun.”
Booths like the one pictured above provided guests with delicious s’mores and treats. Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
Visitors wandered through trails illuminated by colorful trees and giant ornaments, humming their favorite Christmas songs. Some participated in the Elf Quest scavenger hunt, adding to the festivities.
The event featured breathtaking light displays throughout the venue, along with picturesque food stations. Families enjoyed photo opportunities in the beautiful surroundings, while couples found romantic spots under the moonlight, surrounded by curtains of lights, as they sat by a cozy fire. Children excitedly navigated a whimsical maze of lights while others gathered around fire pits to enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores.
Indoors, guests mingled while enjoying wine selections sourced from Italian vineyards beneath giant tree ornaments that adorned the ceiling. Guests had the chance to purchase fine art from local artists, enjoy food and listen to violin performances by Anna Witzenman and Sofia Lucasik from the Wilmington Youth Symphony Orchestra.
The Johnson Nursery is a non-profit botanical garden spanning over 300 acres of land, providing a beautiful natural space that allows the family to be creative.
Friends and families gathered around the fire pits as they enjoyed holiday music and the beautiful scenery at the Southern Lights premiere party last Friday. Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
“I love to be creative, especially while working in the garden center. [This project] is taking that creativity to another level; it’s a passion, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Johnson.
Jill and David, who hail from Wallace, have been married for 37 years. The couple and their adult children, Annie and Chason, work together at Johnson Nursery to establish the facility as a premier destination for plant and nature enthusiasts.
“David is the mastermind of this. Chason does the outside marketing and Annie does the events. I do the garden center,” said Johnson. “We work really well together and we have a blast.”
Jill Johnson and Olivia Dawson smile for the cameras at the annual Southern Lights premiere party at the Johnson Nursery in Willard last Friday. Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
Johnson told Duplin Journal that their landscape designer inspired them to pursue this project last year, and it has now become their signature project. “Last year, we rented the lights for the garden display, but this year we decided to buy them. It has been a lot of fun. It’s like solving a little puzzle—putting pieces together and figuring out how to make everything fit. [David] really enjoys it.”
The gardens are open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Guests mingled and enjoyed wine selections sourced from Italian vineyards beneath giant tree ornaments that adorned the ceiling. Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
For more photos follow us on Facebook and view the album here.
KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office unveiled its new body scanner for contraband detection — Tek84. This new technology allows a four-second head-to-toe scan to detect drugs, weapons, and contraband hidden in body cavities.
Sheriff Stratton Stokes told Duplin Journal that about a year and a half ago, they experienced issues with contraband entering the jail despite their best efforts, resulting in several overdoses. He explained that despite conducting strip searches, some individuals managed to smuggle items by hiding them in body cavities.
Chief Deputy Phil Humphrey, Sheriff Stratton Stokes and Commissioner Wayne Branch stand next to the jail’s new body scanner, Tek84 Intercept, at the Duplin County Jail on Nov. 14. Commissioner Branch played an instrumental role aiding the Sheriff’s Office to secure funding for this new technology to help stop contraband from entering the jail. Photo by Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
“An actual strip search is probably the most invasive thing you can do here, as far as our staff, but even that does not keep contraband from getting in the back,” said Sheriff Stokes.
To address the problem, Sheriff Stokes worked with Commissioner Wayne Branch, the Board of County Commissioners, and the Opioid Settlement Funds Board, so they could get funding to purchase the body scanner.
“Everybody who comes into the facility now is scanned,” said Sheriff Stokes, adding that in the short time they had the scanner they’ve already stopped contraband and drugs from getting into the jail. “If there’s anything that we question, we’ll send them over to the hospital and once they clear them, they can come back.”
Sheriff Stokes explained that in the past when they conducted a strip search on someone suspected of concealing something, they had to establish reasonable suspicion, obtain a search warrant, and then take them to the hospital for a more thorough examination. He added that the challenge was that they had no way of knowing whether people had drugs in their system or hidden in their bodies.
Another challenge they have faced is that individuals who have been incarcerated for a while often have reduced tolerance to substances, and if someone enters with drugs, it can lead to other problems.
Lt. Erica Williams demonstrates the use of the Tek84 Intercept body scanner at the Duplin County Jail on Nov. 14. This new technology allows a four-second head-to-toe scan to detect drugs, weapons, and contraband hidden in body cavities. Photo by Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
“If [inmates] get a hold of it, that’s when you have an overdose and possibly a death,” said Sheriff Stokes. “Everybody here at the jail has been trained with Narcan. Unfortunately, we’ve had to use it several times,” said Sheriff Stokes, adding that since they installed the body scan, they haven’t experienced any overdose incidents and hope that continues.
“We wanted an extra level of protection for everybody,” said Sheriff Stokes. “We’ve even had officers exposed to possible fentanyl. It’s just dangerous for everybody, the staff, the inmates.”
Commissioner Wayne Branch, who serves on the committee responsible for opioid funds allocation, told Duplin Journal that when it was brought to their attention that other counties effectively used these funds to purchase similar scanners, it was an obvious choice.
“It was somewhat of a no-brainer. And the end result is safety. Is safety for the sheriff’s department, the staff, as well as the individual that’s coming inside of the facility, anything that’s going to make us more safe, make us more efficient. I’m all about it,” said Branch. “We voted unanimously in support of moving forward with the funds to purchase this device. I’m really happy that it’s here, it’s installed, and it’s already doing things to help keep the Duplin County Sheriff’s Department and their staff, as well as those inmates that come in here, safe. So it was easy peasy to go ahead and do what’s right and what’s in the best interest of our citizens to keep everyone safe.”
Sheriff Stokes shared that they began working on this project in April, coordinating with the Opioid Settlement Funds Board, County Commissioners, and the Health Department to obtain the necessary license from the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure safety since it involves radiation.
“All the staff got these little cards they wear just to protect them against exposure. We got to turn them in every three months,” said Sheriff Stokes. “It’s taken a long process, but everybody worked together. And now we have it.”
Sheriff Stokes explained that the body scanner also enables them to keep track of how many times a person is exposed to radiation and that if they were exposed to the maximum safe dose in a year, the machine would not scan them. He also shared that the body scanner is straightforward and takes about two hours of training.
“The biggest thing is once you start getting the photos of the individuals, that’s where you have to have training and really look and try to see if there’s any type of drugs or contraband inside the body,” explained Sheriff Stokes. “A lot of it is just on-the-job training. You’ve got to get in there and look at it because every person is different. And you have to know the anatomy of the human body.”
Captain Will Thurston noted that operators don’t need to take immediate action other than recognizing something suspicious in someone’s body. He explained that if an officer identifies something unusual, the individual will be evaluated by a certified X-ray technician at the hospital, who can determine if what’s observed is normal or requires further investigation.
“And let the medical experts actually dig a little deeper into it. All this is pretty much an awareness level, recognizing that something does not appear to be right. Now, of course, like weapons or knives, things like that will immediately show up and they’ll be completely visible, no question about that,” said Thurton. “But if they’ve swallowed something internally or put something into a body cavity, you know, if it looks abnormal to one of our officers utilizing the instrument, then we’ll carry them for further review and let a medical technician actually take a look at them and see what’s going on.”
WARSAW — Controversy continues to swirl in Warsaw as a growing voice in the community vocalizes discontent with the local government, citing a lack of transparency and accountability. Many residents have expressed concerns about the town manager’s failure to follow through on important issues.
Month after month, frustrated residents come to the town hall meetings hoping to have their voices heard and find solutions they are often unable to get through the regular channels.
Last week at the town board meeting, Anece Best stood before the board to present a signed petition requesting an audit investigation of the town’s financial management, operational practice, and overall governance.
“We have observed issues related to the transparency of Warsaw’s financial records and reported practices. Community members report difficulty obtaining access to financial statements and supporting documents, leading to concerns about the accuracy and completeness of information ” said Best, adding that allegations of “potential mismanagement of public funds” have emerged.
Concerns include “possible misuse of designated funds, irregularities in procurement and contracting practices … misreporting of project costs, and insufficient oversight noted by various stakeholders,” said Best, adding that “reports of conflicts of interest, lack of transparency” have raised questions about the “overall effectiveness and accountability of town leadership.”
Mayor A.J. Connors told the Duplin Journal that Warsaw has not experienced any issues with their audits and believes that the majority of residents are satisfied with the town’s administration.
He also explained that the town has an audit company that audits the books every year. “The books are in order and it will come back clean this year because we do not have anything to hide,” Connors told Duplin Journal, adding that Warsaw has ordinances and general statutes they have to follow and they plan to stick to them even if they get complaints.
“We’re going to follow the letter of the law. And that’s what we’re doing,” he explained, mentioning that they are in the process of updating some ordinances. “We operate based on the law that is given to us to work from.”
Additionally, Connors noted that anyone seeking information from the town can do so by filling out a request form.
“Ask for it or email a request in so we can have paper trails showing who asked for this information and how we responded to them,” he said.
During the same meeting, Commissioner Ebony Willis-Wells addressed Mayor Connors.
“I want to know why several mornings that I wake up, my family, myself, and I see the mayor at the corner of my driveway,” said Willis-Wells. “There’ll be mornings that I come home, and it’s wee hours of the morning and the mayor is sitting out there as well.”
Willis-Well questioned the use of tax dollars and emphasized that monitoring her activities is not part of the mayor’s job. “If we are paying the mayor to drive around to watch me, then the town should cancel that project because that is not what his job is,” she said. “If we have a policy that is in place for the mayor to drive a town vehicle, it does not authorize him to sit at the corner of my street,” said Willis-Wells.
“Mayor Connors, there is no purpose for you to be sitting at the corner of my driveway or my property watching me as I’m going or coming. We gave you authorization to drive the vehicles, but not at your leisure. And it must be business-related. As a citizen we know that there are commissioners as well as elected officials who have conflict of interest in various forms.”
In an interview with the Duplin Journal, Connors stated that he has only been on Willis-Wells’ property once.
“I have not been on her property but one time and that was with one of our individuals from public works when he had a water leak,” said Mayor Connors. “I’ve been on Victoria and Addylin. I turn on Addylin, which is over a football field length from her house — nowhere near her house. I’ve been on Addylin, which is in my rights because I am the mayor and I can travel on any street in Warsaw that I deem fit to deal with. So she’s telling a lie when she says I’ve been on her property or I’ve been in her driveway. Victoria Street is the town of Warsaw Street. Addylin is a town of Warsaw Street. And that’s the only place she’s seen me at is on Addylin.”
Connors emphasized that he is permitted to use town vehicles at his discretion when handling matters related to the town of Warsaw. “There’s no streets that I’m barred from because they belong to the town of Warsaw,” said Connors.
Willis-Wells also addressed Town Manager Lea Turner during the meeting, requesting that her concerns be documented for public record. She noted the lack of response from the town manager to her phone calls and text messages regarding issues affecting town citizens.
Willis-Wells also noted that there hasn’t been any update from the town manager regarding the $7.5 million grant, expressing her concern about how this funding is supposed to be allocated before the deadline to use the money expires. Turner remained quiet as Willis-Wells continued to ask questions, pointing out that the town manager did not include in her report that the wastewater treatment plant received another notice of violation on Nov. 6 and questioned why that information was not being shared.
“DEQ is providing the town with notices of violations as well as civil penalties,” said Willis-Wells, adding that the town manager has the authority to contest those civil penalties, and asked if she had responded. Willis-Wells noted the importance of the town manager responding back within the 10-day timeframe. “I think as commissioners, we should receive updates when the town manager does meet with DEQ and the state, and we should not be blindsided to receive the information after the fact.”
Willis-Wells concluded by emphasizing the importance of transparency. She stated that the town is responsible for anything that affects the wastewater treatment plant and highlighted the need to hold industrial users accountable for their impact on it.
During an interview, Willis-Wells told Duplin Journal that it’s time for the town to take a stand, do what is right, and prioritize transparency in addressing these challenges.
“Our leadership knows what’s right. But so much has been brushed under the road from the previous administration to this current administration. And we’re not being transparent,” she said.
The commissioner explained that it was the town manager’s duty to enforce permit compliance, but ultimately it was the town board’s responsibility to hold her accountable.
“That’s what she was hired to do and handle. But at the end of the day, as you know, as a commissioner, we’re her boss. So it’s our job as commissioners to hold her accountable to do her job,” said Willis-Wells. “I ask for total transparency at every meeting. And as I said, I get pushback. I’m only one voice for the people. And it’s going to take all the other voices to stand up.”
Duplin Journal asked Mayor Connors to share about the status of the $7.5 million grant.
“The $7.5 million was given to us under the cloud that it would be to increase the size of the waste treatment plant,” said Connors, explaining that this amount is insufficient, as they actually need $44 million to expand the plant to meet future demands.
“The engineers have laid out a plan of the cost to increase the size of the waste treatment plant, so they have that report,” said Connors. “It’s not like we’re just sitting here.”
Connors stated that he requested approval from the board to change the language of the grant and to present it to Senator Brent Jackson and House Representative Jimmy Dixon for approval to amend the grant language.
“We’re just waiting for the Senate to get into the session. Hopefully, they will give us the okay to go ahead and change the word of that grant from increase to improve,” said Connors. “Then we can take the $7.5 million and start working on projects and things that hopefully will help us out more at the waste treatment plant until we can get the $44 million.”
Duplin Journal also contacted Turner for comment but received no response.
Since the meeting, an online petition has circulated calling for an investigation of all operational departments over the last 5 years and the resignation of three town officials.
An unidentified Navy sailor and his wife were reportedly killed in an accident on Ludie Brown Road near Chinquapin Wednesday around 5:30 p.m.
The NC Highway Patrol stated that a Jeep Wrangler was traveling south on Willie Hatcher Road, when it failed to yield to a tractor trailer carrying chickens, which was traveling west on Ludie Brown Road.
According to Duplin County Fire News, the tractor-trailer overturned and there was “major damage” to both vehicles. Lyman Volunteer Fire Department, Chinquapin Fire & Rescue, Duplin County EMS, Chinquapin EMS and the NC Highway Patrol responded to the accident.
Both occupants of the Jeep died at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer was transported by EMS to ECU Health Duplin Hospital for minor injuries.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, a vibrant sense of community filled the corner of Center and East Main streets in downtown Mount Olive as families gathered to celebrate the fourth annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs festival.
Families were treated to a diverse range of activities at the festival. They enjoyed live music by Zack Lee followed by 42 West Band, savored BBQ sandwiches, sampled craft beer, and indulged in free Mt. Olive Pickles. They also had the chance to meet various area vendors, take pictures with Ollie Q. Cumber, and hop on the Pickle Train for a fun ride. The festival was a perfect blend of new and returning favorites, ensuring there was something for everyone to enjoy.
For more photos follow us on Facebook and view the album here.
Photo Ena Sellers / Duplin JournalPhoto Ena Sellers / Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Last week, Tracey Simmons-Kornegay, Duplin County Health director, presented the Duplin County Community Health Needs Assessment data findings to the Board of County Commissioners.
According to Kornegay, the population has decreased by about 10% compared to the last census. Currently, 46,923 people live in Duplin County.
“The Hispanic Latino [community] is about twice as much in Duplin County compared to the state,” said Kornegay, emphasizing that 14% of Duplin County residents are foreign-born, 5% higher than the state average. Also, 12.2% of Duplin residents have limited English proficiency, a number that is almost three times higher than the state average.
Kornegay highlighted that 23% of Duplin County residents receive food stamps, 10% more people than the state.
Uninsured youth, who are 18 and younger, account for more than double the state rate. Also, the number of uninsured residents in the 19-34 age group is 12% higher than that of the state.
“In the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), Duplin County is at .86 and that is out of a 1.0 scale. We are number 15 in the state with sort of the highest number,” said Kornegay.
The SVI is used to identify communities that are especially at risk during public health emergencies due to socioeconomic factors, household composition, minority status, etc.
Kornegay explained that of the ECU Health system, eastern North Carolina region, nine counties out of 15 make up those with the most needs.
The Duplin Coalition for Health has identified access to care, chronic disease prevention, mental health, and substance abuse as the priority focus areas for 2024-2027.
“We will develop our strategic plan for the next three years based on this information and present it to the Board of Health,” explained Kornegay.
According to Kornegay, the top health problems affecting Duplin residents are diabetes, alcohol and drug addiction, obesity, heart disease/ high blood pressure, and mental health.
The health director also noted that there are nine deaths per 1,000 live births in Duplin County.
“That is significant for us as we look at infant health as well as prenatal maternal health,” said Kornegay, explaining that they have recently rolled out a new program called Centering for Pregnancy. With this program, the health department expects better health outcomes as patients will have more time with the provider, and it will also empower moms with patient-centered healthcare.
“Over one-third of Duplin County adults suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes,” said Kornegay, adding that Duplin residents also report a higher average number of days with poor mental health.
To address those needs, the health department partnered with NC STEP and Tarheel Human Services to provide psychotherapy and telepsychiatry services. It has received funding from Trillium to help serve Duplin’s underserved and uninsured population.
Kornegay explained that some of the problems affecting the community’s health are the availability and access to doctors, poverty, and insurance. To alleviate those factors, they partnered with NC Medicis to provide medications at no charge or at a reduced rate for the uninsured and with ECU Health’s pediatrics department and Goshen Medical to provide physicals for children.
“Our plan is to continue to work with everyone to try to offer more affordable care at the health department. We do provide a sliding fee scale for patients if they do bring in their income,” said Kornegay. “Communicable disease, STDs, immunizations, and tuberculosis services are at no charge. And then additionally, there are enhanced services that have been elected to be provided at the health department due to the lack of access that we have in the county.”
Kornegay also highlighted a few health behaviors of concern.
“The state average [of teens giving birth] is 18.2, Duplin County is 37.2. So, that is quite significant for us here in the county,” said Kornegay. “Additionally, we have seen an increase in babies born to mothers with syphilis.”
As of October 2024, there have been 64 incidences of gonorrhea, 242 of chlamydia, 76 of syphilis and 3 of HIV. And five babies were born to moms with syphilis.
Kornegay explained that some of the things the health department is doing as it relates to sexual health are condom distribution, STD screenings, treatments, and oral contraceptives.
Tobacco use is about 5% higher than the state. According to state data, one in eight high school students use a tobacco product. The estimated number of Middle schoolers using tobacco in NC is 18,600, and for high schoolers, it is 57,300, with the number one tobacco product used by youth being e-cigarettes.
“Almost three people in each classroom have access to or use tobacco products. So, if you guys have children, one of three in their class has access to or uses tobacco products,” said Kornegay. Currently, the county is focusing on early intervention and program referrals.
Health factors addressed include broadband access, houses without computers, liquor stores, drinking water safety, housing units in flood hazard areas, housing, homelessness, and transportation for households without motor vehicles.
In terms of food security, Duplin is performing below the state with 13% compared to the state’s 11% food insecurity. Also for child food insecurity at 20% compared to North Carolina at 15%. In 2023, the health department and area partners distributed 1,255 food boxes between March, April, November, and December.
“The health department over the last several years has participated in some community food drives. They started in COVID, and we’ve continued those post-COVID,” said Kornegay, adding that they host one during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to provide food for the county’s residents. “We have a lot of community partners who come out to this event to try to help serve the residents of the county.”
In other business:
The board approved a public hearing for the Nov. 18 meeting to discuss the proposed 2025 revaluation schedule of property values. A copy of the proposed rates is available for public inspection in the Tax Assessor’s Office at the Hardison Building, 117 Beasley St., Kenansville.
“Our objective is to be fair to all of the citizens of Duplin County and market value is our number one priority. But we can share information on the agriculture community, farmland prices, residential houses, and various neighborhoods in the county,” said Gary Rose, tax administrator, after presenting the board with a schedule of rates used to evaluate and price property in Duplin County. Rose gave an example of a 1,500-square-foot one-story home with a two-car garage and vinyl siding, costing $229,600.
The board approved an expenditure of $4,500 from the opioid fund to create an assessment map as part of an initiative with the Eastern Carolina Council to identify gaps that can be addressed through regional collaboration.
“The analysis will be separated by county, so we’ll know what we look like, as well as aggregated by sub-regions and the full regional area. This process will produce cost savings and benefit estimates for expansion of specific opioid and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, or injury prevention infrastructure, and projections with the expansion of the model,” explained County Manager Bryan Miller, adding that the process will take between nine and 12 months. “Opioid funds are available to cover the cost. And with the approval, will be added to the existing opioid third resolution.”
Miller explained that this would enable them to identify areas where they cannot provide treatment or access to information. He shared as an example that a regional strategy would be effective for establishing a treatment facility, while for educational components, the health department is managing quite well, and a county-focused approach may be sufficient in that aspect.
“If we’re talking about county approaches, then whatever gaps are there, we’re able to fill the gaps. And I think that’s the important part of this. We don’t know where the gaps are until we do an analysis like this,” said Miller. “What this brings to the table is the strategic mindset and the ability of the Recovery Alliance Institute to bring different sectors of the community and the region together to identify where the pitfalls are. The other thing it’s going to do is assess what our needs are going to be three and five years out and see what assets we have in place and see if they’re going to be adequate to cover those needs three and five years out.”
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