At Kinston-Lenoir County Church Women United recent World Community Day celebration at Sharon United Methodist Church, Elsie McDowell was presented a Certification of Appreciation for her service to her church and community.

The certificate was presented by Mallie Stocks, president of CWU.

McDowell is the organization’s lay leader and delegate to annual conference. She is a certified lay speaker and teaches a women’s Bible study each Monday morning. She serves on the worship committee and, as lay leader, attends most other leadership committee meetings of the church.

She serves on one of the church’s four food teams and is active in visiting the hospitalized from the congregation. She is passionate about serving her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and she frequently fills a much needed role of encourager, confidant and advisor to the pastor.

There are many other ways and examples of her discipleship, but she is not one to toot her own horn. She serves and loves people because she loves Jesus Christ.

Warren and Pam Sloan of Chinquapin announce the engagement of their daughter, Andrea Maready Sloan, to Dennis Clayton Edwards, son of Dennis and Pat Edwards of Kinston. A March 16 wedding will be held in Beulaville.

Warren and Pam Sloan of Chinquapin announce the engagement of their daughter, Andrea Maready Sloan, to Dennis Clayton Edwards, son of Dennis and Pat Edwards of Kinston. A March 16 wedding will be held in Beulaville.

LA GRANGE — Few teams in North Carolina can match the Kinston boys basketball team when it’s hot.

Friday night at North Lenoir, it was sizzling to the tune of an 87-59 shellacking of the host Hawks in the non-conference county rivalry.

The Vikings (9-0) raced to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter before the Hawks (6-5) ever got on the board. Kinston shot 80 percent (12 of 15) from the field in the quarter, including 4 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc.  Perhaps most impressively, the Vikings tallied assists on 29 of 33 field goals on the evening.

“I saw them at West Craven, and I thought they were good then,” NL coach Anthony “Copperhead” Loftin said, referring to the Vikings’ 68-52 win in Vanceboro on Wednesday.

“Kinston tonight was in a class by itself.”

The Vikings were led by senior Denzel Keyes, who had a game-high 19 points to go along with seven assists and three rebounds.

“We were making the extra pass, playing as a team and crashing the boards,” Keyes said. “We were being unselfish.”

He was joined in double figure scoring by fellow seniors Josh Dawson (15 points, five rebounds, six assists) and Jeremy Taylor (11 points and four rebounds).

Keyes and Dawson accounted for 14 of the Vikings’ 17 points in the opening run, including a pair of monstrous alley-oop dunks from Dawson to Keyes that effectively silenced the home crowd and brought the Kinston faction to its feet.

“It was a great start,” first-year Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said. “With a rivalry game like this, you’ve got to come out and make a statement.”

Tyndall was particularly pleased with his team’s unselfish play that led to a number of easy baskets. Eight players tallied at least one assist.

“We always like to chart our assists and turnovers,” he said. “When we’re unselfish with the basketball, we can be a fun team to watch. We did a good job of making that extra pass and turning a good shot into a great shot.”

Kinston led 31-7 after a quarter, saw its lead balloon to as much as 32 points at 41-9 in the second quarter and took a 52-20 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Hawks, to their credit, never looked to concede the inevitable and actually outscored the Vikings in the second half, 39-34.

North Lenoir (6-5) was paced by Jauquaz Jones, who had a team high 16 points, four rebounds and six assists. Billy Summers added 10 points, while Jalen Robinson contributed nine points, three rebounds and a pair of assists.

“I thought we dug down and played well in the second half,” Loftin said. “We were able to finish the game and do what we do.”

Both teams will play in holiday tournaments on Dec. 27. North Lenoir will travel to Wallace-Rose Hill. The Vikings will open the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational on Thursday against DeSoto (Texas), the ninth ranked prep team in the country, in Raleigh.

Kinston                    31        21        20        15—87

North Lenoir           7          13        20        19—59

VIKINGS (9-0) — Denzel Keyes 19, Josh Dawson 15, Jeremy Taylor 11, Dunn 9, Ham 8, Ingram 7, Lopez 7, Hart 3, Canady 3, Joyner 2, Jones 2, White 1.

HAWKS (6-5) — Jauquaz Jones 16, Billy Summers 10, J. Robinson 9, Hough 6, Sutton 4, Davis 3, Carlton 3, Troy 2, K. Robinson 2, Pridgen 2, Rouse 2.

LA GRANGE — Kinston’s girls basketball team had a goal of finishing this week with three wins in three games.

North Lenoir became its latest victim.

Monique Lofton scored 21 points and Brittany Drumgoole dished out seven assists as the Vikings controlled every facet of the game possible in their 65-34 win over the Hawks at Wooten Gymnasium on Friday.

Takerian Harper added 16 points and Lydia Rivers had 10 points and 14 rebounds as Kinston (9-1) finished this week 3-0 heading into next week’s Christmas tournament at Bunn.

“We wanted that momentum going into the weekend,” Vikings coach Hubert Quinerly said. “To finish the week 3-0? That’s huge. That’s the goal we set coming off a big win over West Craven on Wednesday.

“The girls understood … we couldn’t end a really good week on a bad note.”

A swarming Kinston defense forced North Lenoir to turn it over on 23 of its 30 first half possessions.

The Vikings led 8-0 before the Hawks got on the board at the 1:46 mark of the first quarter on a pair of free throws by Quoya Porter.

North Lenoir (2-8) didn’t score again until Porter hit a 3-pointer with 3:46 to go in the half. By the time she hit the trey the Hawks were done in.

“We defended the ball really well,” Quinerly said. “We wanted to get a full steam ahead right out of the gate.”

About the only thing that went wrong for the Vikings was their free throw shooting. As a team Kinston missed its first eight attempts and finished 11-for-23.

“Free-throw wise, that’s our Achilles heel right now,” Quinerly said. “We shoot a lot of free throws (in practice). It may not look like it in a game, but we do. We’ve got to do a better job of that.”

Ta’Breia Foster scored nine points and had a team-high nine rebounds for the Hawks. Porter added eight points and Amanda Bizzell chipped in seven.

In addition to Drumgoole’s seven assists — the sought-after junior scored only one point — she also had five steals, which were second to Lofton’s six.

Kinston also limited its turnovers with only 14 compared to 33 for North Lenoir.

Both teams will participate in Christmas tournaments next week. The Vikings will participate in the Bunn Christmas Classic Dec. 27-29 and North Lenoir will be at Corinth-Holders Dec. 27-28.

Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.

Kinston               15           16           20           14—65

North Lenoir      2              9              9              14—34

VIKINGS (9-1) — Monique Lofton 21, Takerian Harper 16, Lydia Rivers 10, Addison 7, Vermillion 3, Washington 3, Clark 2, Williams 2, Drumgoole 1, Thi, Tice.

HAWKS (2-8) — Foster 9, Porter 8, Bizzell 7, Howard 3, Best 2, Murray 2, Supel 2, Varnell 1, Lee.

Allen

Michael Allen II and Lareesa Farrow of Kinston and son, Keynic Williams, announce the birth of a daughter and sister, Khyliah Masiah Allen, on Nov. 9, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Thressa Farrow of Kinston and Michael Gooding of Norfolk, Va. Paternal grandparents are Michael Allen Sr. of Merrillville, Ind., and Anna Allen Williams of New Bern.

Basden

R. Nicole Skinner and Elwood “Glen” Basden II of Kinston and children, Kyra D. Skinner and Jasmyne Barrow, announce the birth of a son and brother, Elwood Glen “Trey” Basden III, on Nov. 17, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Doug and Yvonne Potter of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Woody Basden and Teresea Basden, also of Kinston.

Chase

Eric Chase and Ashley Bennett of Kinston announce the birth of a daughter, Emersyn Blair Chase, on Nov. 10, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Duane and Dare Howard of Deep Run. Paternal grandparents are Jerry and Angela Chase of Kinston.

Cooper

Yolanda Manuel and Darryl Cooper announce the birth of a daughter, Yasmeen Heaven Cooper, on Nov. 23, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston.

Cunningham

Joseph and Julia Cunningham of Kinston announce the birth of a daughter, Ava Grace Cunningham, on Nov. 1, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Jeff and Helen Gaddy of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Joseph Cunningham Sr. and Meda Thorpe.

Davis

Dusty Davis and Catelyn Howard Davis of La Grange and son, Colton Davis, announce the birth of a daughter and sister, Alana Brookelynn Davis, on Nov. 9, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital. Maternal grandparents are Jeff and Lynn Howard of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Lisa Garris of Beulaville and the late Jesse Davis of Deep Run.

Elmore

Kayla and Matt Elmore of Deep Run and children, Aaron Powell and Brayden Elmore, announce the birth of a daughter and sister, Camber Grace Elmore, on Nov. 15, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Donna and Allen Tyndall of Deep Run. Maternal grandmother is Debby Elmore of Kinston.

Johnson

Johnny and Yolanda Johnson of Kinston and children, Jacquez Johnson and A’Dorriah Johnson, announce the birth of a daughter and sister, Charity Amarriah Johnson, on Nov. 26, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandmother is Mary Moore of Snow Hill. Paternal grandmother is Verna Johnson, also of Snow Hill.

McDowell

Alexis Davis and Joseph McDowell of Kinston announce the birth of a daughter, Odeci’ Nevaeh McDowell, on Oct. 31, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Antionette Gilchrist and Antonio Davis of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Natalie and Ronald Barrow of Grifton.

Smith

Mary Alicia Mumford and Koran Rasideen Smith of Kinston and children, Jhordan J. Suggs and Jhurni C. Suggs, announce the birth of a son and brother, Koran Jah’sir Smith, on Nov. 29, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Donald and Patricia Harper of Kinston. Paternal grandmother is Margaret A. Smith, also of Kinston.

Stanley

DeARDray Stanley and Jessica Dove Stanley of Kinston announce the birth of a son, DeArdray Cartrail Stanley Jr., on Sept. 12, 2012, at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Maternal grandparents are Timothy and Wanda Dove of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Levi and Marie Perry of Williamston and David Stanley of Augusta, Ga.

Turner

Kyarri King-Edwards and Rossie Turner of La Grange and son, Rajamir Turner, announce the birth of a daughter and sister, Kiyonti Marshaniya King-Turner, on Nov. 19, 2012, at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston. Maternal grandparents are Marshall Edwards and Jasper Edwards of Kinston. Paternal grandparents are Dorothy Turner and Hosea Turner, also of Kinston.

Mr. and Mrs. William King of Pink Hill celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Nov. 24, 2012, at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center in Kinston. A dinner was given by their children — Wilma King of Manassas, Va.; William King Jr. and Eva Schiffer King, both of Washington, D.C. — and their two grandchildren.

Mistress of ceremony was William King’s sister, Dr. Annie J. King of West Sacramento, Calif. The couple’s life story was done by their son, Dr. William King Jr., and the toast was given by the couple’s daughter, Wilma King. Music was provided by Hilton Parker Jr. and Mrs. Pope.

The large gathering of family and friends especially enjoyed the couple’s rendition of “jumping the broom,” an ancient tradition in Black culture. The couple cut a wedding cake, made by Mrs. William King’s sister, Mamie Nurse.

Mrs. King is the former Annie Caroll Gooding of Kinston. She is retired. Mr. King is retired from Con Edison of New York.

The couple was married Nov. 24, 1962, in Raleigh.

LCC Surgical Tech Club spreads cheer

Members of the Lenoir Community College Surgical Technology Club provided Christmas cheer to the Homeless Shelter of Kinston/Lenoir County and Mary’s Soup Kitchen.

Program Chair Jimi Spears said that each year students choose a community service to assist others at the holiday season. Students provided food items, household products and toys for the younger children.

For more information about the program, call LCC at 252-233-6817

Red Cross awards gallon pins

The Lenoir County Unit of the American Red Cross has presented gallon pins to blood donors for September and October.

Receiving one-gallon pins are Ashley Pollock, Kristen S. Guyer, Sue Wiggins, Beverly J. Crabtree, Jessie M. Daughety III and Leslie Singleton.

Two-gallon pin recipients are James Respass, Ira T. Rice, Raymond Murphy, Betty Hines, Jared L. Edwards and Frank Bartlett.

Receiving three-gallon pins are Georgia M. Daughety, Joyce A. Stallings, Timothy L. Sawyer, Gregory R. Murphy, Cleatis E. Jones, Luther J. Whaley Jr. and Marcus Lucas.

Four-gallon pin recipients are James E. Warren Jr., Rashaad Q. Thomas, Michael L. Jones, Ryan C. Gardner and Tony A. Smith.

Timothy L. Mitchell and Courtney B. Sutton received seven-gallon pins. Tracy Edmundson was presented an eight-gallon pin. Gail C. Alcock and Gail Edwards received nine- and 10-gallon pins, respectively.

Perry G. Jerrell was awarded an 11-gallon pin, and Malcolm Bloomefield was presented a 12-gallon pin. Michael W. Cannon received a 16-gallon pin.

Swannie Turner and Luther Ledford were recognized for donating 25 and 27 gallons, respectively.

Kinston native graduates with honors from FSU 

The Center for Defense and Homeland Security of Fayetteville State University congratulates Mario S. Sutton, the 2012 FSU salutatorian, for graduating with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and computer science.

During the summer, Sutton was selected for an internship appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn. He worked with a team on the Beholder project.

According to Dr. Stacy Prowell, Oak Ridge’s chief Cyber Research Scientist and Cyber Warfare Team leader, Sutton worked successfully, was a good team member and paved the way for future FSU students to be accepted into the program.

“When Mario left at the end of his internship, we lost a scientist,” said Joseph P. Trien, group leader, Cyberspace Sciences and Information Intelligence Research Group and Center for Quantum Information Sciences.

The national laboratories and industry partners provide valuable internship experiences for CDHS student scholars and contribute to FSU’s mission of preparing the next generation of national security STEM workforce, especially from severely underserved populations.

Sutton is a Kinston native and a 2005 graduate of Kinston High School.

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift?  Tickets to the Jan. 12 Stars Dance for the Arts event at the Community Council for the Arts will promise recipients an evening of good food, libations and an array of dancing talent. Nine local couples will showcase their dancing skills as they compete for three awards to be presented at the end of the evening.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. where heavy hors d’oeuvres and two cash bars will be available from 7 to 8 p.m. Couples will begin dancing at 8 p.m., followed by an intermission during which coffee and dessert will be served.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased online or at the arts center. Each ticket is $50 and includes food, cash bar and one vote during the event. Voting online and at the arts center is in full swing. Online voting will end at midnight Jan. 11; however, voting can occur by ticket holders present at the event for $10/ballot.

Sponsorships are available and include event tickets based on the level of sponsorship. Call the arts center or visit the website for more information and to vote.

Dancers will be competing for three trophies. The Mirror Ball will be awarded to the couple with the highest combined popular vote and judges’ scores. The Popular Vote trophy will go to the couple with the highest number of votes tallied from online and night of the event voting. The couple with the highest combined judges’ score will receive the Judges’ Trophy.

Two of the couples dancing for the trophies are Nora Parker and Dr. John Herlong, and Cherita Lytle and Joe Exum.

Parker grew up in Kinston and graduated from Kinston High School in 1977.  She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from ECU and later completed three semesters towards a master’s degree in physical therapy. She studied dance at the NC School of the Arts and Western Kentucky University and spent eights summers studying dance in New York City.  

A dancer/choreographer for the Pepsi Dancers and numerous high school and regional Broadway shows, she opened her Kinston studio, the L’Academie de Danse, 33 years ago, adding a studio in Winterville in 2009. Active in Gordon Street Christian Church, she is a deacon and sings in the choir.

A lover of animals, Parker shares her home with a Westie named Hannah and a cat, Toonces.  Dancing and singing are her life, and she is looking forward to partnering with the multi-talented Herlong to perform the jitterbug.

Herlong came to Kinston in 1998 after receiving undergraduate and master’s degrees from Furman University and a doctorate of medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.  For the past 14 years, he has practiced radiology with Eastern Radiologists, Inc. He is chairman of radiology at Lenoir Memorial Hospital and will soon assume the position of president of the Lenoir Memorial executive medical staff.

He and his wife Renee have three daughters, Emma, Sydney and Hannah. He is on the boards of directors of Arendell Parrott Academy and the Lenoir Memorial Foundation. Active in St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, he is a member of the choir and vestry and a cast member of St. Mary’s yearly production of the Boar’s Head Festival.

One of his dreams was to perform on Broadway, but he has discovered he “can sing and dance as much as I want right here in Kinston.” He is also an avid tennis player, golfer, sailor and kite surfer, and loves to home brew. In his “spare time,” he paints, having sold several oil paintings through the arts center.

“I’ll finally get a chance to dance with a Kinston dance icon,” he said of his jitterbug partner.

Lytle is a native of Morganton and now resides in Greenville. She graduated from ECU with a BFA in dance education. 

For the past 11 years, she has performed with the Eastern NC Dance Foundation’s pre-professional dance company, Dance Collective, where she is manager and choreographer. 

She continues to develop her dancing skills through classes and conferences throughout the country, including the Dance Teacher’s Web Conference and Expo, the Broadway Dance Center in New York and the Boulder Jazz Dance Conference in Colorado. She has choreographed and judged competitions and pageants throughout Eastern NC. 

When not involved with dancing, she enjoys “hanging out” with her 4-year-old daughter, who is her greatest joy in life. She and her partner will be dancing an Argentine Tango.

Exum, CEO of Happy Jack, Inc., was reared in Snow Hill. A graduate of Virginia Episcopal School and UNC, he earned an MBA at the University of Wyoming. He and his wife Jeannie have three children, Sallie, Manning and Jay.  An avid tar heel, he states his greatest joy in life is his family.

Exum is actively involved with numerous state, community and church activities. He was a charter member of the N.C. Small Business Advocacy Council and is executive director of the Friends of Man’s Best Friends, a 501(3c) charity which raises funds to effect spay/neuter procedures. He is executive director emeritus of the Bogue Banks Environmental Stewardship Corporation. At St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, he is member of the vestry and sponsored a boat family that had escaped Vietnam. 

Among his hobbies are fishing, hunting golf, football and travel. He says he is “anxious” about the Stars Dance for the Arts event since he honed his skills at the Pavilion at Atlantic Beach and the Sigma Nu frat house in Chapel Hill. 

To find out more about voting and sponsorship, call 252-527-2517 or go to dancekcc.com.

Stars Dance for the Arts

8 p.m. Jan. 12

Community Council for the Arts

410 N. Queen St.

Dinner: 7 to 8 p.m.

Light hors d’oeuvres

     Mediterranean torte

     Gorgonzola, pecan and cranberry cheese ball

     Goat cheese log with honey and pistachios

     Assorted cheeses, crackers and fresh fruit

Heavy hors d’oeuvres

     Beef tenderloin (carving station)

     Pork tenderloin (carving station)

     Salmon with crackers

     Mashed potato bar

     Fresh sautéed green beans with mushrooms

     Fresh greens salad with creamy vinaigrette dressing

     Apple and blueberry muffins

Desserts and coffee served at intermission

Tickets: $50; Votes: $10 each

A dream come true

Albert Pridgen of Kinston, a retired Army Iraqi Freedom veteran, noticed a child in need of a bicycle while on his daily walk in his neighborhood Dec. 19.

Javier Cannon, 8, was running beside another child who was riding a bike. With the approval of Javier’s mother, Christine Cannon, Pridgen bought a bike and returned the same day to give it to Javier.

He was excited but promised to wait until Christmas Day to ride it.

Home Solutions: Battling those seasonal stains

Nearly half of U.S. consumers say they have never read the directions on a package of laundry detergent, according to a survey from the Soap & Detergent Association.

It is no surprise that our clothing, both new and old, can last longer and outlast holiday stains by using the right laundry techniques and following the instructions on garment tags. A few of the laundry product trends that help make laundering faster and more effective include:

Travel size towelettes containing stain removers that fit in your purse or pocket will give you what you need to take care of stains immediately wherever you are.

Detergents and fabric softeners with color protection work best if you use them from the start with new garments. They help keep the original color vibrant.

Pre-measured detergent tablets, which take the measuring factor completely out of the equation, are handy, portable, light and drip free.

Some detergents are specially formulated to keep dark clothes dark.

Bleach pens that target stains with a fine point applicator are an effective treatment.

“Spa-treatment” laundry detergents pamper clothes with aromatherapy scents.

Wrinkle-releasing sprays relax and smooth fabrics without the use of an iron.

Dye-trapping sheets for the washer, which act like magnets, prevent colors from being transferred from one clothing item to another.

High Efficiency detergents are formulated to be low-sudsing and quick-dispersing to get the best cleaning performance with HE washers.

If the aftermath of parties and feasts have left you with stains on your family’s clothing, check out the following advice:

With stains, act quickly to increase chances of removal. Pre-treat stains by rinsing or soaking in cold water, then apply a commercial stain remover and launder. Check freshly washed wet clothes for stains that don’t wash away. Instead of drying them, which can permanently set the stains, pre-treat the stains a second time and wash again. Repeat as necessary.

All-purpose laundry detergents are especially effective on food, and greasy and oily soils. Since they are liquids, they are good for pre-treating spots and stains.

Most liquid and powder detergents are now concentrated; so follow the label instructions and use the measuring cap or scoop to ensure the correct amount.

Most importantly, read and follow laundry package directions, and you can have clothes that will outlast the stains.

Source: The Soap and Detergent Association

Trudy W. Pickett is extension family and consumer agent at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Office, 1791 N.C. 11/55. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or trudy_pickett@ncsu.edu.

Shriner’s Sudan Cart Caravan sponsors family

Members of the Lenoir County Shrine Club’s Sudan Cart Caravan sponsored a family for Christmas. The members of the family include three children who would not have been able to have a joyful Christmas this year without community help. Members of the unit purchased winter coats and toys for the children.

While the members were preparing for the Kinston Christmas Parade, they were informed of another child who was in need of help for Christmas, and they donated more than $100 on the spot.

 The Sudan Cart Caravan is a unit formed more than 10 years ago. They have 14 identical golf carts and ride in numerous local parades to raise awareness for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. They have donated more than $20,000 to the hospital through the years. Their motto is “Carting for the Kids.”

Hill addresses Kinston Host Lions Club

On Nov. 8, Detective Chris Hill spoke to the members of the Kinston Host Lions Club regarding the new jail in Lenoir County.

The new jail is built to hold 500 inmates eventually, but will be equipped to hold 200 when it opens. The old jail will be kept open and used to house inmates from other counties, providing revenue to Lenoir County. The talk was interesting and informative with a slideshow of the new facility and lots of questions and answers.

The Kinston Host Lions meet at 6:50 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays at the Folded Napkin. For more information about the club, call 252-523-1019.

Homeless shelter needs supplies

The Friends of the Homeless Shelter needs donations to boost its yearly supply of needed items.

Cleaning supplies needed include bleach, Pine Sol, laundry and dish detergent, bathroom and shower cleaning supplies. Equipment needs include a freezer and a refrigerator.

Personal items include: bath soap and body wash, deodorant, hand and body lotion, alcohol, peroxide, Vaseline, cold medicines, Visine, body and foot powder, facial tissues, mouth wash, baking soda, sanitary napkins and all size batteries.

Other needs are a large supply of Styrofoam plates, cups and bowls; toilet tissue, paper towels, napkins, plastic forks and spoons; brooms (domestic and industrial), 13- and eight-gallon trash can liners, mop heads (24- and 32-ounce sizes), mop handles and buckets; air fresheners; carpet fresheners; bath towels and wash cloths, dish towels; baby pampers (all sizes); gloves, socks, underwear; school supplies and book bags.

Monetary donations also are very important to help with operating expenses.

Drop off donations at the shelter, 112-114 N. Independence St. For information, call Jasper Newborn, director, at 252-522-2788.

Billie Humphrey delivers meals to seniors throughout Lenoir County every Monday. After retirement, Humphrey has dedicated her time helping others. “I know there’s a great need and there is not enough volunteers,” she said. In order to receive home-delivered meals, resident must be 60 years of age and older, cannot drive and don’t have any means/access to get food and be within the home-delivered meals route. For more information on home delivered meals, call the Lenoir County Council on Aging at 252-527-1545, Ext. 2.

Dear Santa,

My name is Jhordan Chapman and I am 7 years old. I go to Faith Christian Academy and I have been a very good boy this year and I made the “A” Honor Roll. For Chirstmas I want the Nintendo Wii U, Super Mario Bros. U, Ninjago Lego Building Set, Comic Books to read, clothes, Air Jordan’s, and a new coat. Please bring something nice for my mom, dad, nene, aunt, uncle, and my best friend Mikey.

Jhordan Chapman

Dear Santa Clause,

This is my Christmas list. There are some big things on here but I feel like I’m old enough to take responsibility of theme. I hope you can get me these things. I want…Twister dance, iphone, red cd, make your mark cd, 1DNial doll, ECU stuff, lalalopsy harmony, B. sharp doll, Baby alive, Baby wanna walk doll.

Love Smantha Peyton

Dear Santa,

How is your reindeer feeling are they fine? Bongo is doing great! It was funny! I hope you and your elf’s are having fun. I got Bongo to send you a letter. I love Bongo he’s so sweet and nice! I hope you and your elf’s have the most HAPPIEST Christmas ever!!

Love your friend,

Courtney Conner

Dear Santa,

How are your doing? How is Mrs. Claus doing? What about the reindeer and the elves? I wanted to ask how many presents you make each year? I also wanted to know what your shop looks like? What does Rudolph and the other reindeer like to eat? Hope your flight goes well and you have a very happy Christmas.

Sincerely,

Kassidy Wagner

Dear Santa,

I am going to want some presents this year but for now I am just writing to say hello and thank your for the presents you have given me over the years for being a good boy. When you bring my presents this year, you are going to get some of my grammy’s favorite cookies. And we will leave carrots for your reindeer. Don’t eat all of the cookies. Save some for your hard working elves and the reindeer if they are nice. Hope things are going well at the North Pole and I will see you soon I hope.

Sincerely,

Ashton Jarman

Dear Santa

I know last year that I ased for Barbies and other toys, so Santa I was wonderding would you like to come to a party. The party is on the 23 of December. There will be lots of milk and cookies.

Love,

Akira Harper

Dear Santa,

Thank you for last years presents. I’m not sure what I want this Christmas so don’t give me any presents. Are your reindeer ready to fly? Are you going to have a feast? Is Mrs. Claus ok? Do you think it will snow? Are there girl elfs? Here some advice lay off the cookies! I hope your have a Merry Christmas!

Love,

Isabelle

Dear Santa,

My name is Ellie Elmore and I was wanting to ask you some questions. I know you and Misses Clause are doing good. But are your elves doing good. And I didn’t forget about the Raindeer how are they. Are your Raindeer getting ready for the flight. Oh yeh how do you get your Reindeer to fly. I think you use this special kind of berry’s to give to your Raindeer. I bet it gives them some kind of powers to fly. Well thinks for letting me talk to you and ask questions.

Love,

Ellie Elmore

Dear Santa,

How is your day? How are the reindeer? Thank you for the gifts last year. How are the elf’s? What do you and Miss Claus like to do for fun? Is it hot during the summer? Because it’s hot down here.

Sincerely,

Kalista

Dear Santa,

How are you doing? I hope you had a great year. I can’t believe it is almost Christmas already! I have a few questions to ask you. First, I want to know am I on the naughty list? Second, I want to know do your reindeer fly? Do you feed them a kind of special food? Next, I want to know how many toys do you make? And finally, I want to know what kind of tools do you use in your workshop? Please let me know if you have time to answer my questions? Merry Christmas Santa!

Sincerely,

Jordan

Dear Santa,

Thank you for my presents last year and my brother presents to. And why is your house invisible. Is your hose the whole North Pole. How old are you and the elves. How old are you and the elves put together. Also thank you for my new friend Rocky Ryan Louis Hill.

Love

Dylan Hill

Dear Santa,

I hope your reindeer are doing good. Thank you for the presents last year. I hope Mrs. Claus is doing good. I hope all the kids are good this year. I hope you will have a great Christmas and hoep you get all the presents to all the kids. I hope you have a good Christmas too.

Sincerely

Connor

Dear Santa,

Thank you for the presents all the years. How is the weather there! I am so excited that Christmas is here. You are realy good at your jog. Tell everyone I said hey. Thank you for making kids happy on Christmas. You make so many kids smile especially when they have there pict5ure taken with you.

Love

Hannah Joyner

Dear Santa,

This letter is not about what I want for Christmas. Mostly because I don’t know what I want for Christmas yet. But I did want to know how things are going. How are all of the elfs, all of the reindeer, Mrs. Santa, and you? I hope everybody is good this year so they can all get lots and lots of presents. And I really hope it snows at my house this eyar. I really hope you get to everybody’s house okay!

Love,

Lauren

Dear Santa,

Helo how are you doing. I hope you have had a great year. Is Rudolph ready for the ride? I hope you have made your lists and checked them twice. I hope you have a safe trip on Christmas Eve.

Love

Austin

P.S. I will leave you some milk and cookies

Dear Santa,

I just want to thank you for all the presents you given me in the past. I am thankful for the clothes and the toys, and the surprises. Please do not work to hard. Get a lot of rest. I can not wate to see my surprise this year.

Sincrerely

Ashton

Dere Santa,

I want a lot of toys for Christmas. You are the best giver. Please say I’m on the nice list. I know my brother is on the naughty list. I hope your elves are ok. O hope your ok.

Love,

Makayla

Guns don’t kill people — stupid, evil people with guns kill people.

We’ve heard a ton of some variation of this throughout the last week. And it’s true.

The political posturing started before the bodies were recovered from the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn.: one side gearing up to blame guns for the horrible events and the other to deflect blame.

At this point, who or what’s to blame is sort of irrelevant, is it not? The fact of the matter is another group of young people are dead. The worst part of the entire issue is that this happens every single day in this country.

On the same day as the shootings in Newtown, 11 young adults were shot to death in Chicago. We say we care about the children in Newtown, the youngsters in Chicago and across the nation, but do we? Are we truly doing all we can?

I have never been a gun control advocate. I am a bit too much of a revolutionary to allow no weapons. However, as much as pro-gun advocates want to bang the drum about “evil” being the cause and guns “not killing people,” the facts shoot holes in the rhetoric as long-standing dogma remains this country’s gun deaths does not only exceed every other industrialized country in the world, it obliterates all of the others — COMBINED.

Facts:

   People killed with firearms 2010, according to the United Nations:

         Japan               47

         Great Britain   14

         Switzerland      68

         Australia          59

         Canada             144

         Sweden              58

         Spain                 97

         United States    9,369

That’s right. You saw it correctly.

Another fact is crystal clear as well.

States with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths — even the District of Columbia has seen a dramatic reduction in gun deaths since its’ “no tolerance” stand.

Many people want to point to population strains in urban areas or higher rates of mental illness, but at the end of the day, the states with tougher gun laws produce a smaller gun death rate.

So what do we do? How do we handle these glaring statistics? Do we just dismiss them and hide behind the Second Amendment?

The Second Amendment states: the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

According to Webster’s, the definition of Arms: Instruments or weapons of offense or defense.

People jump to defense of the Second Amendment, but the truth is we have been chipping away at the Bill Of Rights for decades. Where’s the outrage for the other amendments?

Unreasonable search and seizures? Anyone ever stopped for no reason will unequivocally say that amendment has been diluted.

Freedom of speech, or of the press? Please, you can’t say whatever you want on television, in print or even the Internet. And, while we, in the press, have greater freedoms than most nations, we have all seen, heard of or been a part of some form censorship.

Accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury? I really don’t have to say anything but “Patriot Act,” do I?

The point is, where are the Bill of Rights protectors that ran so fast to defend the Second Amendment?

I am quite sure some people are figuring this is where the alleged liberal writer says, “Take away the guns” or “Do away with weapons,” but nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is we have been living in the “gray area” of the Second Amendment for some time. We don’t really have the “right to bear arms” — it’s just an illusion.

We already ban weapons. We already limit this and that. The fact is, when our founding fathers wrote the Second Amendment it was written so the people could protect themselves from a potentially corrupt government, plain and simple. The problem arises when the “arms” part of the equation is factored in.

When the Second Amendment was written, arms pretty much included rifles, cavalry, cannons and some wooden ships with cannons. That’s it. Today, the list of weapons is much longer than the actual Second Amendment intended.

If the idea was to “protect” the citizens from the government, then let’s stop playing around in the “gray area” as we have done for decades. Let’s really protect the citizens.

Look at it like this: should the government come to “oppress” me and mine, chances are they will not be dressed in red coats, lined up in formation taking orders from an officer with a wig on horseback. Rather, they will show up with personnel carriers and be supported by armed-to-the-teeth choppers.

So to “protect” my family and friends and given my “right to bear arms,” I want something besides my AR-15 with a 500-yard effective shooting range. I need some Rocket Propelled Grenades. It has been proven that RPGs or their shoulder-launched missile brethren such as Stingers are the only viable defense against gunship attacks.

Why am I not able to purchase, legally, an RPG launcher?

According to the Second Amendment, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Who is the Supreme Court to say there are limits to what type of weapons I can and cannot keep?

As a matter of fact, in the wake of the elementary school shooting, I feel I would be better able to protect my kids going to school if I could follow and track them with drones. Why can I not purchase a drone? Wouldn’t you feel safer about your children leaving the house if you could track their entire day with a heavily armed Reaper drone shadowing them?

Or better yet, I want a nuclear bomb. What better defense or deterrent is there? You think my neighbors would feel safer if I had a hydrogen bomb in the bedroom? Besides, you know what they say, bombs don’t kill people — stupid people with bombs kill people.

Richard Clarkis the universal desk editor of Halifax ENC. You can reach him at 910-219-8452 or at Richard.Clark@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at kpaws22.

The state and national unemployment rate continues to inch its way downward.

North Carolina’s smoothed seasonally adjusted — a statistical method of smoothing out wide swings — unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percent from October to November to 9.1 percent. The national rate also dropped the same amount to 7.7 percent.

The rates have dropped more significantly, compared with last year in November. Since a year ago, the state rate has fallen 1.3 percentage points, while the national rate fell 1 percent.

But they haven’t fallen enough to make the economy grow, said Randall E. Parker, an economics professor at East Carolina University.

“I would love to see (the national rate) go below 6.5 percent,” he said, adding the National Reserves uses that figure, as well.

Parker said it would take 150,000 more jobs a month simply to absorb normal demographic change, such as people aging out of the system, students graduating from college and immigration flow.

“Where’s the momentum?” he asked, rhetorically. “I don’t see any more momentum to make the economy grow. And if you don’t have growth, job creation becomes problematic.”

The number of North Carolinians employed (smoothed seasonally adjusted) increased by 34,884 to more than 4.3 million since November and 120,527 from a year ago. There were 8,572 less people unemployed, or 1.9 percent. The civilian labor force grew by 26,312 — 0.6 percent — to more than 4.7 million.

Nationally, unemployed persons decreased by 229,000, or 1.9 percent, and the civilian labor force decreased by 350,000, or 0.2 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics information in 2012 is not directly comparable with previous years’ data as it did not revise the historical data based on population controls reflected in the 2010 Census.

Non-farm industry employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 30,600 to nearly 4 million from October to November. Since February 2010, when the state’s unemployment rate reached its highest mark of 11.4 percent, North Carolina has gained 145,300 jobs. Non-farm jobs increased by 60,000 from a year ago.

Industry employment estimates are subject to large seasonal fluctuations, and seasonal adjustments may not fully capture the seasonal trend. Over-the-year changes in both adjusted and non-adjusted data are a better indicator of the labor market.

Non-farm employment level in November — not seasonally adjusted —of more than 4 million was 28,700, or 0.7 percent, higher than the October revised employment level of slightly under 4 million.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.

Breakout box:

                    Nov. 2011   May 2012   Oct. 2012   Nov. 2012

Statewide:      10.4            9.7              9.3               9.1

National:           8.7            8.2              7.9               7.7

N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, came to Kinston last week as the guest of honor during Mayor B.J. Murphy’s “Merry Christmas with the Mayor 2012” political fundraiser.

He sat down with The Free Press for about 30 minutes before the event to discuss his views on a variety of topics, including Gov.-elect Pat McCrory, the first Republican governor in North Carolina in nearly 20 years; how the GOP “supermajority” in the General Assembly plans to work with Democrats; and the legislative agenda for 2013.

Murphy and freshman Rep.-elect John Bell, R-Wayne — Bell’s district includes Lenoir County — were also present for the interview at the offices of ERA Humphrey Realty Group.

New governor

Pat McCrory, the former mayor of Charlotte, is the state’s first Republican governor since Jim Martin, who served from 1985-93.

Tillis said he has known McCrory almost a decade; his time as a town commissioner in the Mecklenburg County town of Cornelius — 2003 to 2005 — overlapped with McCrory’s 1995 to 2009 tenure as mayor.

“He’s been a personal friend of mine for about eight or nine years,” Tillis said. “I’m excited to have a friend in the Governor’s Mansion.”

Tillis called McCrory “a very effective mayor,” and praised the new governor for his efforts to work with Democrats in Charlotte and Raleigh.

“I think that his style is exactly what most people in North Carolina want,” Tillis said.

Supermajority

The Republicans increased the number of seats they hold in the House by nine to 77 of 120, and by one to 32 of 50 seats in the Senate in the wake of this year’s elections.

By holding nearly two-thirds of the seats in both chambers, the GOP has a solid supermajority in Raleigh, enough to override any gubernatorial veto attempt.

Tillis pledged to work with the minority Democrats, and said he recently met with Lenoir County’s other freshman House member, Rep.-elect George Graham, D-Lenoir, among many other legislators.

“The norm is going to be reaching across the aisle, treating the minority party with respect,” Tillis said.

The speaker also said some “extremely talented” new GOP legislators are coming in — including Bell. Many legislators in this year’s class are freshmen or were elected in recent years.

Tillis said the new people “don’t have the muscle memory of the past,” of the days of extreme partisanship between Republicans and Democrats.

Proposed reforms

Republicans spent a good deal of time working on charter schools during the 2011 long session — including a successful removal of the state’s cap on the number of charter schools — but Tillis said legislators will focus on improving traditional K-12 education next year.

Tillis said he wanted to “empower” teachers and make it easier to do their jobs through less bureaucracy.

He said legislators also want to work on tax reform, such as lowering rates and work to “broaden the base.”

Tillis said a critical piece will be regulatory reform. The Legislature will review all regulations on the books in North Carolina, and give state officials the opportunity to justify the regulations.

Any regulations that cannot be justified would be placed in an omnibus bill and “sunset” in 2014.

“It will be the single most important thing that we can do for job creation and economic development,” the speaker explained.

The ‘shortest long session’

Tillis said Republicans presided over the “shortest long session” in decades during 2011, despite contentious debates over the budget in a harsh economic climate, a proposed voter ID requirement, education, a constitutional marriage amendment, redistricting and more.

The budget became law two weeks before the fiscal year ended on June 30, despite a veto by Gov. Bev Perdue. Budget talks during the 2009 long session – when the legislature and Governor’s Mansion were in Democratic hands, and the economy was crashing – dragged well into the summer before a budget was approved.

Tillis expected similar efficiency in 2013, and explained that passing a budget before the end of the fiscal year is very helpful for municipalities, community colleges, public school districts and other local entities which are on the same July 1-to-June 30 fiscal schedule.

“Having that certainty up front is very helpful,” he said.

Tillis also said being able to wrap up a legislative session in four to five months helps attract younger, working professionals such as Bell to the Legislature when they know they will be away for a shorter period of time and “can have their summer back.”

“There’s no reason we should be there (longer than needed),” Tillis said. “It costs us $50,000 a day every time we’re in session.”

David Andersoncan be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.

It’s late morning last Wednesday — with six shopping days left before Christmas the shoppers at Kinston’s Walmart Supercenter mainly consist of those buying food and other regular household items.

Shift Manager Charles Mayhue warned that will change later in the day, however, especially as shoppers seek out those final Christmas gifts.

“When it picks up, it seems like it just floods,” Mayhue said. “People come out of everywhere.”

He said many big-ticket gifts on sale at Walmart, such as televisions, iPads and other electronics were purchased on Black Friday after Thanksgiving, and have been placed on layaway.

Shoppers “have been very conservative about their money,” and focused more on buying household essentials in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Mayhue explained.

He noted toys and bicycles have been popular Christmas gifts among Walmart shoppers, as well as “ride-on” toys such as child-size John Deere tractors.

Many shoppers have been waiting until the last minute in the hope of picking up a good deal.

“You'd be surprised how many people come in and shop for that last minute item,” Mayhue said.

Store Manager Matt MacIntosh said electronics have also been popular among Christmas shoppers.

He said staffers working the store’s third shift from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. spend much of their time restocking shelves, so when shoppers come in at 7 a.m., “It's as full as it can possibly be.”

Walmart will close at 8 p.m. Monday for Christmas Eve, and will be closed all day Tuesday for Christmas.

“That's the only day of the year that we’re closed,” MacIntosh said.

The store will open again at 5 a.m. Wednesday for the crush of post-Christmas shoppers.

Last Wednesday, Heather Thigpen of Snow Hill and her husband Justin brought their 4-year-old daughter Kadence and 7-month-old son Carter through toy aisles laden with Barbie dolls, Legos, board games, puzzles, even Angry Birds-themed toys based on the popular downloadable video game.

Heather Thigpen said she had found gifts for her immediate family, and was currently shopping for extended family members.

She said it had been “pretty easy” to find the desired gifts.

Rebekah Burke of Kinston also found what she was looking for last Wednesday. She and her girlfriend Kayla Lanekinsyk went shopping in Walmart later in the afternoon, as the number of shoppers began to pick up.

“We’ve got everything,” Burke said as she put a Nerf dart gun — a gift for her nephew — in the trunk of their car. “That wraps it all up.”

Last minute by necessity

Some shoppers must wait until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts because they either cannot afford to shop sooner, or they are working up to the last minute.

“You have to budget your money. … You have to pay your bills and you have to get for your kids at the same time,” Tanita Simpler of Kinston said as she stood in the Walmart parking lot.

Simpler had purchased the majority of the gifts her 14 and 9-year-old sons wanted for Christmas, but she was waiting to purchase an XBOX 360 gaming console for her older son in the hope the price would drop closer to Christmas.

“Sometimes things take all your money, but as long as you know that your kid’s happy it’ll be all right,” the working single mother said.

Simpler said seeing children with no gifts on Christmas morning will “really have you stressed out, crying.”

“It's always something,” she continued. “As long as you keep your head up and keep striving and working, everything will be all right. God makes ways, he makes ways — he makes things happen.”

Shawn Hill and Melshawn Moore, both of Kinston, were working as bell ringers for the Salvation Army in front of Walmart last Wednesday.

They said they were scheduled to work nearly every day, collecting money in the Salvation Army’s signature red kettles, through Christmas Eve. They also said they would not get paid until Christmas Eve, leaving them little time to shop for their loved ones.

“Hopefully, everything should work out, if I get off early enough,” said Moore, who will also celebrate his 26th birthday on Christmas.

He added: “It is what it is — I get paid on Monday, it’s the day before my birthday and I still have Christmas shopping to do.”

Hill eagerly rang his bell, smiling and waving at Walmart shoppers, greeting them and telling them to smile because “Santa’s watching.”

“I pray to God every morning that I make it to work every morning, with my health and strength, to be on time,” he said.

Hill, who has to purchase gifts for his children, parents and siblings, said he might not be able to shop before Christmas, but expected to see some very good after-Christmas deals.

“The main thing that they want is for me to come home for Christmas,” he said of his parents and siblings — his children live out of state. “That’s like the biggest present.”

Maj. Robin Starr, corps officer for the Salvation Army’s Kinston office, said bell ringers will get off in “plenty of time” on Monday to go shopping.

“Usually we shut down around 2 or 3 p.m. so everybody can do their shopping and get back to their families — including us; I know my kids would like for me to be home on Christmas Eve,” he said.

The funds raised through the Salvation Army kettles are meant to cover programs at Christmas and the rest of the year.

Starr said Friday the goal this year is to raise $60,000, but “at this point it doesn’t look like we’re going to reach our goal unless we do exceptionally well.”

Avoiding the crush

Wayne Waters of Greene County came to the Kinston Walmart with his wife Melanie last week.

They were not Christmas shopping, though, but rather buying household items while visiting relatives in Kinston.

“We’ve pretty much wrapped up our Christmas shopping,” Waters said as he sat in his pickup truck, waiting for his wife to come out of the store.

Waters said he and his wife did the majority of their Christmas shopping online, allowing them to avoid the crush of stores.

“I've never been one to wait in line at a store at 4 a.m.,” he said. “Granted, I might not get the deal from shopping in the store, but paying the extra money is worth not standing in a line.”

Frances Deaver of Wooten’s Crossroads walked up to the Sears store at Vernon Park Mall last week with her daughter, Peggy Pate of Scott’s Store in Duplin County.

Deaver said she was buying a washer and dryer for her and her husband. She said she typically gives money to her loved ones at Christmas.

“Let them spend and run around and do all the walking,” she explained. “I always try to make sure that my grandkids get something that nobody else does.”

Pate said she was still catching up on Christmas shopping for her nieces and nephews.

“It's just been a real busy season for us, we’ve had a lot of activities,” she said, citing a visit she made to a daughter who lives in California. “I just didn't get everything done before now, and I’m still trying to catch up, to finish up.”

Pate said she is not focusing on buying the latest, hottest items.

“Being a grandmother and an aunt, that's not as big of as an issue now as when our kids were young,” she said. “We’re just getting things that we know they can benefit from.”

David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.

BREAKOUT BOX:

Here are hours of operation for some local retailers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:

Walmart:

Christmas Eve: Close 8 p.m.

Christmas: Closed

Kmart:

Christmas Eve: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

Christmas: Closed

Belk:

Christmas Eve: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Christmas: Closed

JC Penney:

Christmas Eve: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Christmas: Closed

Walgreens:

Christmas Eve: 8 a.m.-10 p.m., store; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., pharmacy

Christmas: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., store; pharmacy closed

NEW ORLEANS — East Carolina’s Andrew Bodenheimer walked slowly off the Superdome field. He and the other receivers exited together, among the last Pirates to step off the turf and into the tunnel.

In the background near midfield, the trophy presentation began. The red-clad Ragin’ Cajun Nation celebrated a 43-34 victory. Those vocal Louisiana-Lafayette fans helped set a New Orleans Bowl attendance record of 48,828. They turned the dome into a temporary home and turned up the volume to assist their defense in protection of a slim fourth-quarter lead.

“I thought we had a chance there late in the game,” ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill said. “I was proud of our players.”

Put simply though, East Carolina (8-5) committed too many mistakes to beat a solid team from the Sun Belt Conference.

Bodenheimer was the last Pirates player to touch the football when victory remained within reach. But he didn’t hold on to Shane Carden’s pass. He took a hard blow from ULL cornerback Melvin White as the ball arrived, and the ball fell to the ground, near the ECU sidelines, a few feet from offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.

Hanging onto Carden’s passes was a challenge for the Pirates, who recovered from an awful first half on defense, fought back from a 28-7 deficit to forge a tie at 31. Reese Wiggins dropped a sure touchdown early. There were at least five drops, unusual for a typically surehanded group of receivers.

“Our guys make routine catches and Shane does a good job delivering the ball,” McNeill said.

The Pirates had not played since Nov. 23. McNeill said that could have been a factor in disrupting the timing between passer and receiver, although he felt the team was sharp in practices as it prepared for the game.

Carden completed 25 of 42 passes for 278 yards. He felt the offense lost its rhythm after pulling within 37-31 after three quarters. The Pirates possessed the ball for only 3:53 in the final quarter, and their final stab at a game-winning drive fizzled after four plays on the 25-yard line, without gaining a first down.

ULL forced Carden out of the pocket on the final two series and the secondary covered up the ECU receivers.

“I’m not sure what it was,” Carden said. “They did a good job of changing the coverages. I just think it was more of us not executing routine plays.”

Carden wished for another shot at several pass attempts, including an underthrown ball ULL cornerback Jemarlous Moten intercepted near the end zone at 11:41 in the fourth quarter. The Pirates had seized momentum at that point, having just kicked a field goal to slice the deficit to 37-34, and then, intercepted a pass on the Ragin’ Cajuns side of the field.

ULL (9-4) stretched the lead to 40-34 with 3:11 remaining on a 25-yard field goal by Brett Baer, who was perfect on three attempts, including a 50-yarder.

The Pirates ran 11 plays for 46 yards in the final quarter.

Altogether, ULL racked up 591 yards total offense and 25 first downs. Heading that attack was quarterback Terrance Broadway, who was named the game’s MVP.

“I read a couple of articles from this week and they said they were going to try and key in on me,” Broadway said. “I knew that was going to open up the outside for our receivers.”

He rushed for 114 yards on 15 carries and completed 21 of 32 passes for 316 yards, accounting for two touchdowns.

“He understands their offense. He’s a good quarterback and he did a good job leading his team,” McNeill said.

RALEIGH— It’s about time for New Year’s resolutions. My recommendation for North Carolina politicians of all stripes is to resolve to focus their attention, rhetoric and legislation on reducing the ranks of the unemployed.

I don’t mean to suggest that state government is the primary player in economic policy. To the extent public policy was implicated in the housing and financial bubbles, and the slow-as-molasses recovery from the Great Recession, the fault lies mainly in Washington, D.C. The Federal Reserve’s easy-money policy inflated the bubbles. Lawmakers and regulators subsidized and distorted markets. The legislative and executive branches ran up huge budget deficits to paper over the consequences.

But state leaders can play a key role in promoting real, investment-led economic recovery here in North Carolina. Their goal should be to make our state a more attractive place to invest, start new businesses and create new jobs.

Here is the stark reality. Before the onset of the Great Recession in 2007, there were about 220,000 North Carolinians classified as unemployed but actively looking for work. That yielded a “U-3” rate — the most common measure of unemployment — of 4.6 percent.

As of October 2012, North Carolina’s U-3 rate was 9.3 percent. The actual count was about 440,000 unemployed North Carolinians, twice the pre-recession figure. A broader measure, the U-6 rate that includes both unemployment and underemployment, stands at a staggering 17 percent, also twice as high as the pre-recession rate.

Because new people enter the workforce every year, as teenagers become adults and other job-seekers move to North Carolina, it will take robust annual job growth to make a noticeable dent in the problem. Current trends don’t bode well. North Carolina probably added only about 40,000 net new jobs in 2012. Economists are predicting between 60,000 and 70,000 net new jobs in 2013. That would be a welcome improvement, if it comes to pass; but even at that rate, it will take many more years to bring unemployment down to its pre-recession level.

Some of the usual ideas you hear about strengthening North Carolina’s economy — such as refurbishing the state’s infrastructure and restructuring higher education — may well be advisable. Most of their economic benefits would come in the long run, however. Policymakers need both a long-term strategy and some short-term tactics.

I would submit that the best tool available for creating jobs quickly is tax reform. Nationwide there is a large and accumulating stock of financial capital. Investors and entrepreneurs are worried about federal fiscal and regulatory policies and uncertain about immediate prospects for growth. They are holding onto cash and targeting their new investments carefully. If we want North Carolina to be one of those targets, we need to send investors and entrepreneurs a clear signal that they would be welcome — that their after-tax return would be higher here than in competing jurisdictions.

There are several different models for pro-growth tax reform. My colleagues at the John Locke Foundation suggest that North Carolina replace current state taxes on personal income, corporate income, retail sales and estates with a single, flat-rate tax on consumed income. Administered within the existing income-tax system, it would end the current double or triple layers of taxation on investment income, taxing all household income once and only once — when it is used to purchase goods and services.

Our “first-best” proposal would be a consumed-income tax rate of 8.5 percent, with no additional state tax on retail sales, corporate income or investment gains. Our economic consultants estimate that such a plan would boost job growth by 80,000 jobs in the first year of implementation alone. If enacting this “first-best” plan proves politically impossible, we suggest a “second-best” proposal of a 6 percent consumed-income tax and a reduced state sales tax. Such a plan would still boost projected job creation in 2013 by at least 15 percent, or 10,000 jobs.

Don’t like these options? Then propose one of your own. But let’s keep focused on the core issue: economic growth.

John Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.

Picking winners, losers won't resurrect economy

President Obama talks a great deal about economic fairness in America. He did so on the campaign trail and he has continued to do so during the fiscal cliff debate. However his concern for equality has yet to spill over to the American energy industry. The Obama administration remains wedded to proposals that would significantly increase taxes on oil and gas companies. And these tax increases would only apply to this one industry.

 So let’s get this straight. President Obama wants to raise taxes on American oil and gas companies despite the fact that the industry already pays the highest tax rates and already pays the most taxes in absolute terms. Not to mention the industry supports millions of American jobs and is responsible for adding $1 trillion to our economy.

 It seems President Obama’s idea of fairness is Democratic politicians picking the winners and losers in our economy. This is evident by President Obama’s ongoing support of heavily subsidized “green” energy while concurrently supporting higher taxes on traditional energy companies. What America needs, instead of hand picking economic winners and losers, is an open dialogue about fundamental and effective tax reform. The goal for both Democrats and Republicans should be transforming the U.S. into a more competitive place for businesses.

 Fundamental tax reform would help foster job growth and help resuscitate our failing economy. An honest attempt to fix our tax code would be welcomed here in North Carolina where we know all too well the realities of joblessness. The unemployment rate in our state remains above 9 percent and new opportunities remain in short supply. However, according to a report by research firm Wood Mackenzie, with the right policies North Carolina could see over 7,600 oil and gas industry jobs created by 2015.

So in the name of fairness, President Obama should reconsider his attacks on oil and gas, and instead initiate an open and honest debate about tax reform in 2013. Singling out an economically critical industry such as oil and gas, especially as our nation looks towards economic recovery, is unfair to the unemployed in North Carolina and across the country. And it is also unfair to the hundreds of millions of Americans that rely on affordable energy each day.

Lisa Kennedy

Kennedy

Redefining marriage would redefine society 

In your editorial on Dec. 18, you said you hope the Supreme Court reverses laws that “discriminate” against same-sex marriage, calling such laws “state-sponsored discrimination.”  And calling them that in spite of the fact that a majority of citizens in a majority of states have voted to uphold and protect the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. You go on to infer that laws against same-sex marriage are against “individual freedom protected by the U.S. Constitution.” Marriage isn’t even addressed in the Constitution. And I’d wager same-sex unions never crossed our Framers’ minds, or that the concept even existed in their intellectual universe.

 But I digress. What I really want to say is that you miss the point of upholding the traditional legal definition of marriage. You say it is religious. I’ll grant that marriage certainly has religious significance; however, it spans across all major religions and cultures. Heterosexual marriage is an established institution that has stood the test of time. Its historical and cultural benefits of providing stability to society — especially children — are well documented, as well as its role in fiscal security. Next to your editorial, Kathleen Parker wrote an excellent column on marriage’s economic benefits.

Another common mistake is to consider marriage a universal “right”. It is not. It is an institution: One that is foundational to society; one that is often begun with a rite, but is rarely considered an entitlement. And one that typically has state-imposed limitations (try marrying your sister). There has to be a legal definition of marriage, or it becomes meaningless. If we discard the historical definition, who gets to redefine the legal term?  And who decides its limits? What if my single friend wants to marry her darling kitty?  What if a man tires of his wife and wants to forgo divorce and just marry another? What about the adult who wants to marry his 12-yr.-old neighbor?  Who draws these lines, and on what basis?  If anyone can define marriage, than what’s the point? And if there’s no point, why not just shack up? No one’s trying to stop anyone from entering into “partnership” contracts. But don’t undermine marriage by redefining it.

 The ultimate goal of redefining marriage is not to grant so-called disenfranchised people a deserved right. Its purpose is two-fold: to weaken the foundation of our society and to validate homosexuality. The second has mostly been accomplished. The first will eventually destroy marriage and the historically-established family unit. You are correct that the homosexual rights movement has largely won-over this country’s minds, especially the gullible young, and may eventually prevail in sending our society off the deep end. It would be a sorrow for the Supreme Court to jump off that cliff and hasten the destruction of a vital societal foundation.

Tina Taylor

Grifton

Election gave us more of what we don't need

First I would like to wish everyone a truly Merry Christmas. I am very disappointed with the results of our recent elections. What we got is more of what we really don’t need (more welfare, more legal moochers, more illegal aliens, more scandal, fewer people paying the bills of more and more people, paid abortion and birth control to be paid for by people who do not use it and don’t believe in it, gay marriage, but most of all, the turn in this country from our religious rights.) You would think that a country founded on religious freedom would do more to guard and preserve that freedom, especially as the season approaching is to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

What has happened to us that we are too scared or lethargic to fight for what is right? The very minorities that hold us captive are just that, minorities. I for one refuse to pretend that atheists, gays, welfare lazies, illegals and other minorities are more powerful that the majority of Americans. I am tired of being told that if I don’t back every sick or twisted idea, that I am racist, sexist, a homophobe, religious fanatic or out of touch with the times. The commandments do not change; the people have changed and they want us all with them.

Some people deserve all that they get and more. Our seniors have persevered through some really difficult and trying times, only to see our liberals telling them that what they have taught their children is a lie and not worth its weight, our military guards the rights of liberals who do not hold our values and our country dear, our disabled are not treated with the respect that illegals and gays are. We are not respected in the world anymore, because we give in to the very groups who bring us down.

I myself get a disability check each month, but I had to get cancer three times as well as having a heart attack, two blocked arteries, diabetes and high blood pressure to get it but my own pride dictates that I work what I can and try not to be a burden. If you really need help, it is our duty to help, but we are fostering an entire population of lazy, entitled and no-pride people. Pride in one’s self is wonderful.

The man from Grifton who did not think that our trillions of dollars in debt is a problem, can I please give him the shares that my five your grandchildren will have to carry? He obviously can afford the high price of gas and the increased insurance rates.

Time is getting shorter to take our country back. Even if you do not believe in the Bible you have to see that our country is going down. It is imperative that we take our country back from the liberals. Let us start by showing our unbending support to God and just the plain old citizens of the country. When you pass my house, you will se a white ribbon to show my support for God and His people. Get you one and show your support.

Rose Haddock

Kinston

EMS did wonderful job, but service needs help 

This is to thank the EMS people for what they did for my wife on Dec. 8 when she had her heart attack. These people did a wonderful job with what they have to work with. Another ambulance had to meet them on the way to New Bern as they did not have what they needed on the Jones County ambulance. EMS and Jones County law enforcement need to have what they need to do their jobs. I also would like to know what happened to my wife's slacks, underwear, her socks and shoes as they have not shown up yet and she would like to have them back. The house numbers in this county are the worst I have ever seen and everyone needs to have their number at the road as we do. If we had a decent county manager he would see that this is done or send him back to slopping the hogs where he was.

Elmer Kendall

Trenton

Big smile a big boost to confidence 

I never realized the importance of a nice smile until I had mine finally completed just last week. Many people go their whole lives never smiling because of their teeth. Some may have crooked teeth, crowded teeth, or gaps which will cause an individual not to smile at any time. I have had that very same problem all of my life until just recently and that is because Dr. Courtney Mitchell.

I was never keen on the idea of braces, even though I realized how important they are, not by just getting ones teeth straight, but they will improve your teeth overall and make it so much easier to keep them clean. I needed braces when I was much younger and for whatever reason I just fell through the loopholes probably begging my parents not to make me get them. I heard all the horror stories from my friends on how you couldn’t eat certain foods, couldn’t eat candy, or chew gum. Why in the world would any kid want them right? Well after arguing with my wife for well over a year who works for Dr. Mitchell, they all finally convinced me to get braces, and it’s a decision I will never regret. Mind you I am 36 years old now and just got them taken off last week, but I can tell you they have been worth every trip to Dr. Mitchell’s office for adjustments, brackets getting moved, wires changed etc. I complained a little more than the average patient I’m sure, but that was just because I knew I could get away with it.

In closing, Dr. Mitchell’s staff was as pleasant and helpful as any I have ever been too. His professionalism and genuine desire to help improve my smile was heart felt, and he did everything in his power to get my teeth absolutely perfect and for that I am so thankful. I would just like to remind everyone to take time and realize just how important your teeth are. It took me 34 years to realize they could help me, and now at 36 my mouth is complete and has giving me the confidence that I have needed to SMILE and SMILE big without hesitation or embarrassment. Thank you Dr. Courtney Mitchell, thank you to my wife for pushing me so hard, and thank you to the entire staff for all you did.

Jonathan Davis

Kinston