Mini grant-winning teachers in Lenoir County were surprised with award checks in December, and now classroom projects are coming to life.

Kim Hipkiss, CPR teacher at North Lenoir High School, submitted a grant application in hopes of getting her students new infant mannequins for CPR practice.

She called her project, “Baby, come back.”

“I needed more baby mannequins so that I could certify more students,” Hipkiss said.

Fourteen Lenoir County teachers were given mini grants up from $200 to $500 for various education projects — the amounts ranged from the $200 Karen Hall from Banks Elementary School was awarded, to Hipkiss and seven LCS nurses winning the maximum $500. The Lenoir County Education Foundation raised more than $6,500 through an adult spelling bee and the STAGES performing art program.

Hipkiss was one of the $500 award winners. 

The certification classes are a part of the health sciences curriculum for students who hope to have a career in health care.

North Lenoir senior Justin Shimer plans to become a dentist and said the new dolls will be helpful for health courses.

 “It’s going to help us train better,” he said. “Having new equipment and technology makes it easier to learn. New things happen all the time, so you need to be prepared for all of it.”

Although he has a dental dream, he said it’s always good to be prepared by knowing standard CPR.

“It’s definitely about time for some (new mannequins),” Shimer said.

The class has nine infant dummies, but some of them are missing limbs. They are washed with antibacterial solution after each use, but a need for disposable lungs was included in the grant application.

Hipkiss will order five new mannequins and one-time use lung bags, “any day now,” she said.

There are 40 students in the two health science classes and 16 are trained at a time. Students in the curriculum have to be CPR-certified before they can observe at the county’s clinical agency.

She said the health science program will host lunch modules so the course students can show their classmates across North Lenoir CPR skills.

“We’re trying to get more kids exposed to it in the school,” Hipkiss said.

With so many students around, she said it was tough to actually complete the application in October.

“Teaching is very demanding of your time,” she said. “Finding the time is really the biggest challenge.”

Hipkiss, who’s won the annual mini grant twice before, said she will continue to submit for the award asking for updated equipment.

“The dummies we had weren’t up to standard, and health care ethical codes change yearly and you need to be up-to-date,” said North Lenoir senior Jorie Edwards, who plans to be a physician’s assistant. “I feel like with these upgraded materials that we’d be able to do a just job.”

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.

BREAKOUT BOX:

2012 Lenoir County Education Foundation Mini Grant Winners

Banks Elementary School

Karen Hall, $200

Contentnea-Savannah School

Jeannie Holmes, $485

Coleman Becton, $488

Kinston High School

Michael Moon, Kimberly Collette, Savannah Sharp, $448

Moss Hill Elementary School

Wesley Letchworth, $483

Catherine Lynch, $498

North Lenoir High School

Kim Hipkiss, $500

Northwest Elementary School

Rachel Singer, $485

Teresa Singer, $499

South Lenoir High School

Lesli Casey, $500

Southeast Elementary School

Jennifer Bell and Brenda Griffin, $480

Woodington Middle School

Jean Whaley, $498

Yvonne Hardy, $494

Lenoir County Public School Nurses

Elizabeth Hartford, Wanda Hoffman, Lynn Davis, Nicole Sugg, Bailey Sasser, Christy Elmore, Angie Stroud, $500

Students at Southeast Elementary School will soon have greater opportunities to get fit and learn about healthy choices.

The school was awarded a fitness program Nov. 8 through Project Fit America and sponsored by Lenoir Memorial Hospital and Lenoir Memorial Foundation for new fitness equipment and a health curriculum.

LMH provided $17,800 to Project Fit America, which will provide the school staff mentors for two years, indoor and outdoor physical fitness equipment and a curriculum package at a value of $13,350, or 75 percent of the donated funds.

“I am elated that our school has been selected to be a Project Fit America school,” said Southeast’s principal, Nakia Williams. “This initiative works with school communities to bring in funding, equipment, teacher training, curriculum and the resources Southeast needs to actually get kids physically fit. It fosters a love of movement, not just in the students’ health, but in their attitude toward fitness and healthy life styles.”

Project Fit looks for schools that include community involvement beyond the school walls. Programs include guest speakers and events that involve parents and other community members. The playground will also be open to the community to use, Williams said.

In October, representatives from the school and hospital visited a pilot project at Alamance Elementary School in Greensboro to observe the program firsthand, said Stacey Cook, executive director of Project Fit.

Cook said the program involves a physical education program, along with healthy living aspects, such as nutrition, smoking intervention, the human body and exercise.

“What we’re doing here is a project that is customized to each school,” Cook said. “… The idea is to really jump up the activity of movement.”

The curriculum, which also includes an award system, can be used in any classroom or during physical education. Williams said the school is giving up its music program in favor of hiring a physical education teacher. The school is interviewing for the new position.

“The program provides a wonderful opportunity for both our K-5 regular classroom staff and our physical education staff to collaborate on ways to promote healthy lifestyles,” Williams said. “The initiative provides resources that highlight the state standards in all areas of the curriculum while spotlighting healthy living.”

The school’s current playground is designed for K-1 and includes a makeshift walking trail, Williams said. Yet, the school houses children up to fifth grade. The new playground will include more equipment inside the gym and outside for all the children.

In addition to the equipment provided through the Project Fit grant, the school will utilize a $20,000 Ronald McDonald Foundation grant it received in December to purchase playground equipment.

The school plans to have a grand opening and ribbon cutting in August when the 2013 school year begins.

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

Breakout box:

Among North Carolina’s children aged 2 years to less than 5 years

• 16.2 percent were overweight

• 15.5 percent were obese

Among North Carolina’s adolescents in grades 9 through 12

• 14.6 percent were overweight

• 13.4 percent were obese

• Achieved recommended level of activity: Only 24.1 percent were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on each of the seven days prior to the survey

• No activity: 15.4 percent did not participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any day during the seven days prior to the survey

• Television viewing time: 36.2 percent watched television three or more hours per day on an average school day

For more information on donating or becoming a Project Fit America school, call 800-711-4348 or visit projectfitamerica.org

Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

The members of the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to fill the seat of former Commissioner George Graham with a well-regarded resident of Graham’s former district.

Roland Best II, who was nominated in late December by the members of the executive committee of the Lenoir County Democratic Party, was unanimously approved by the commissioners Monday.

“Roland is very articulate, and he’s a very knowledgeable person and I think he’s going to be a tremendous asset to our board and I’m very glad he’s in place,” said Commissioner Reuben Davis, chairman of the board.

Best, the first vice chairman of the Lenoir County Democrats, spent 24 years as a Kinston police officer, and is retired from the Dobbs Youth Development Center.

Commissioner Jackie Brown, vice chairwoman of the board, said Best had “very, very high integrity,” and was “just an outstanding individual, a well-respected citizen.”

Brown, who said she had known Best nearly her whole life, said he had also been active in the local Democratic Party, taking on tasks such as coordinating transportation to bring voters to the polls.

Best will fill Graham’s District 5 seat — which serves northeastern Kinston and northeastern Lenoir County — through 2014.

Graham resigned his seat on the Board of Commissioners after winning the District 12 seat in the N.C. House. He ran for the seat after long-serving Rep. William Wainwright passed away last July.

Best said Monday he felt “real energized” about his new position.

“I’m just looking forward to being a servant to the citizens of Lenoir County,” he said.

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

A few days ago a friend of mine hipped me to a Goldsboro record store that was going out of business.

When most people hear that a store is going out of business, their brains are immediately immersed in thoughts of bargains. The people who’ll be losing their jobs don’t usually come into play until you show up to pick the meat off the bones of their once flourishing business.

The store in question was an FYE (For Your Entertainment) CD/DVD store. Since they routinely charged $18 for a single CD, the FYE may have actually been an anagram for “Fork (Over) Your Earnings.”

I had a few non-negotiable days off, so I peeled Tax Deduction No. 2 off the ceiling and forged a path down U.S. 70 West with visions of finding that ever-elusive Japanese import version of the Jim Nabors box set for cheap.

(The Japanese version is special because it contains tracks from the Jim Nabors/Rock Hudson duets album “Rock Pyle” that were omitted from the U.S. pressings.)

Upon arrival, I immediately noticed what a consultant would refer to as “creative marketing” and a veteran dirt farmer would refer to as a crock of “bull fertilizer.”

For example, a DVD copy of “Cream: Live at the Royal Albert Hall” (with a cut-out mark on its side) would normally be priced at no more than $9.99. But now — with a giant “30% off” sticker slapped on it, the DVD is priced at $15.99.

You tell me, is this corporate skulduggery at its finest or just a fool catcher’s holiday?

My buddy actually found a few genuine deals the day before, so I figured a little digging would be required. As TD No. 2 and I started rifling through the albums, a store employee started a movie on the in-store system.

Within a few minutes, some of the movie dialogue caught my ear. The words that were emitting from the speakers were the kind best left to locker rooms, fishing trips, band rehearsals and reactions to newspaper employee pay checks.

All of the old favorites (“s” and “f” especially) were on display for everyone in the store — including at least three children under the age of 5. Surely the employees at FYE wouldn’t knowingly play a profanity-laced movie to people who couldn’t legally see the film in a theater … or would they?

The closest employee was a guy wearing a tobaggan who seemed to be trying to kick a hackey sack that wasn’t there. In the nicest voice I could conjure, I asked the illegitimate son of Dobie Gillis and Drew Barrymore if he’d mind changing the movie to something that didn’t involve cursing.

“Uh … I … don’t … think there’s any cursing in the movie,” Dobie Jr. said.

“Yes, there is,” I said as I covered TD No. 2’s ears. “There have been four s**** and one ***k in the three minutes I’ve been in the store. Do you think my kid or any of these others should be hearing this in your store?”

“Well, the other parents aren’t complaining,” Dobie Jr. said.

“That’s because they’re idiots,” I replied.

After referencing his iPhone app for walking, Dobie Jr. eventually put one foot in front of the other and walked up to his manager to confer.

While awaiting the results of the summit between Dobie Jr. and his superior, I wondered if this sort of thing would have bothered the younger me. I think it would.

In fourth grade, I once kicked a classmate square in the onions for throwing spitballs at a group of kindergartners who were just trying to go to lunch. After telling the teacher what happened, I was pardoned from an almost certain paddling.

Today I would have probably been sued for millions of dollars and the teacher fired. The teacher and I could have eloped to France where the age difference wouldn’t be such a big deal and sell overpriced junk to antique-hunting tourists, but I digress.

While Dobie spoke in a hushed tone to his boss lady, she assumed an exasperated demeanor and issued her ruling.

“We can’t turn it off, but we can turn it down,” Dobie said when he returned.

“Why can’t you turn it off?” I asked. “Have you lost the remote?”

“It’s store policy that once we start a movie, we have to finish it,” he said.

Instead of allowing my skull to explode while holding my second-born I left the store, noticing that the profanities could be heard several feet outside the store. A little old lady who looked like she may have dated FDR in high school seemed stunned at what she heard as she walked in front of the store.

When I got home, I called the store and asked to speak to the manager. I asked why they played these kinds of movies in front of small children who couldn’t legally buy them.

Manager: “Our store policy states we can play anything with a PG-13 rating.”

Me: “So you’re telling me a 7-year-old can’t buy the movie you were playing, but they can view it in your store?”

Manager: “We play the movies so people will want to buy them; that’s how business works.”

Me: “I understand how business works, Mrs. Trump. I also realize if you tick off people in your store they don’t buy anything. Were you out with rickets the day they covered that at Dunderpate University?”

Manager: “I’ve been at this store for four years and no one has ever complained before. Look, I’m a mother and both of my kids have seen that movie.”

Me: “You must be proud.”

Manager: (Click followed by dialtone).

Me: “Mmyellow?”

I left a message with the Berkeley Mall office and with FYE’s corporate office, but haven’t received any type of response. Desperate to find out if I was the crazy one, I called a law enforcement agency in Goldsboro and asked if it was legal to broadcast this kind of stuff to an audience that couldn’t legally buy it.

“Well, it’s not necessarily illegal but they could be fined for it,” the officer said. “There’s not a lot that can be done about it.”

I thanked the officer for his time and peacefully gave up.

Initially, I thought the store manager was lying when she said no one had complained in four years, but she probably wasn’t. All I can do is make sure my girls hear their first curse words the old-fashioned way — by accident the next time I hit my thumb with a hammer and forget they’re within earshot.

Jon Dawson’s columns appear every Tuesday and Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase Jon’s book “Making Gravy in Public” at The Free Press office and at jondawson.com.

Three men with outstanding arrest warrants met late Friday night in Snow Hill. That there were allegedly marijuana and crack cocaine present didn’t help.

Greene County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested David Ray Coppedge, Quenton Earl Johnson, Quinton Melton and Tarik Kunta Wade at a residence at 212 Connie Circle.

The four men were found to be in common possession of 7 grams of marijuana and 1.5 grams of crack cocaine. Johnson allegedly had an additional 29.8 grams of marijuana in his possession.

Each is charged with felony possession with intent to sell or distribute a Schedule II controlled substance, felony possession with intent to sell or distribute a Schedule VI controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and felony maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for keeping or selling a controlled substance.

Johnson received one more felony maintenance charge than his fellow defendants, and also drew a higher bond, at $60,000. Coppedge, Melton and Wade all received bonds of $40,000.

All but Melton, 23, were served warrants for an earlier incident.

For the outstanding warrants, Coppedge, 29, received a $100,000 bond for felonies kidnapping, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm by a felon. Johnson, 23, was also wanted on kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a felon charges and was given a $100,000 bond. Wade, 31, charged with assault inflicting serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm by a felon, took a $60,000 bond.

The four suspects were taken into custody at Greene County Jail.

Detectives James Hinson and Charles Boyette, the arresting officers, were unavailable for comment.

Coppedge, Johnson, Melton and Wade are due in Greene County District Court on Feb. 1.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at WolfeReports.

Friends and family of the four men suspected in the Dec. 26 killing of Dajuquon Poole and attempted murder of Tiran Farris showed up early to Lenoir County District Court Monday … and waited.

In fact, by the time William Deshawn Wilson went before the judge after noon, they numbered at least half of the people remaining in the courtroom. Wilson, 21 and accused of attempted murder, received the first of several vocal shouts of encouragement. The supporters yelled “love you” to him as a Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office deputy escorted him back to the Lenoir County Jail.

Judge Timothy Finan assigned attorney Kimberly Benton to be Wilson’s counsel.

Finan reminded the assembled friends and family that if it weren’t for the specific circumstances — a near-empty courtroom at the end of the day’s business — the group could be in trouble for contempt of court, but he would let the matter pass in this individual situation.

Deputies brought in suspects one-by-one into the courtroom, and Elwood Donnell Gray followed Wilson. Gray, 31, was the first to appear of the three who are charged with first degree murder in Poole’s death. Gray asked Finan to read the entire charge against him. He expressed concern about losing his job at Butterball, and asked about the possibility of getting bailed out of jail.

On his exit from the courtroom, Gray received his “love you” cheer and responded, “Love you too, but it might be over today. This is crazy.”

Each of the three men accused of first-degree murder have been held without bond at the county jail since their arrest Friday night. Police took into custody Gray, Joseph Michael Wilson and William Deshawn Wilson at 132 S. Adkin St. Justin Antonio Wilson was arrested at 470 E. Lenoir Ave.

Finan instructed the defendants that their attorney would have to make the necessary bond motion.

Justin Antonio Wilson, 23, and Joseph Michael Wilson, 27, received the same instructions as Gray, along with waves and cheers from their supporters.

Joseph Michael Wilson is due in Lenoir County Superior Court today on common-law robbery and larceny charges relating to a separate incident. Poole was supposed to be in superior court today as well, for felony possession of a Schedule I controlled substance.

Because of the severity of the charge, N.C. Office of Indigent Defense Services in Raleigh will appoint attorneys for the three defendants accused of first-degree murder.

All four men are expected back in district court on Jan. 23.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at WolfeReports.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., was not only a visitor at Lenox China’s Kinston plant Monday, she was briefly a worker.

Hagan had the opportunity to learn how to paint a line on a salad plate, and later place a decal on a dinner plate — it can take from six months to a year to typically train a person for those jobs.

“She did really well for her first time,” said Deco — short for decoration — Supervisor Ann Whitfield, who coached Hagan through the painstaking process. “It normally takes a long period of training until you’re ready to put a line on.”

Dottie Hargett, a decaler, also helped Hagan lay a decal sheet on a plate, then pull up the backing so the decal would sit on the plate properly.

“I've been here going on 20 years,” Hargett said. “She did well, real well.”

The decorative aspects of making bone China plates, bowls, cups and more were one of the final stops on a guided tour through Lenox’s massive 240,000 square-foot plant, where 285 people work.

The tour wound through the entire process of making the China, some of which has been on the tables of the White House — Lenox has manufactured China for a number of U.S. presidents at its various plants in the past century, starting with Woodrow Wilson in 1918.

The most recent set, for President George W. Bush, was manufactured in Kinston in 2009.

“ ‘Made in North Carolina,’ my four favorite words, and it’s all done right here in Kinston,” Hagan said after the tour.

The plant has been in Kinston since 1989, and is currently the only place in America where “fine bone China” is made.

Lenox was founded in New Jersey in 1889, and has seen its other plants in the U.S. close over the years.

“I think it really does show the quality and the craftsmanship that we have in North Carolina,” Hagan said of the Kinston plant.

Paul Leichtnam, vice president of manufacturing and Hagan’s guide, told the senator the Kinston plant was established because of the area’s community colleges, Kinston’s airport, and the “work ethic” of local residents.

“We're certainly thrilled to have you here,” he told Hagan.

Hagan and her staff saw every step of the manufacturing process, from mixing the various types of clay, to pouring into molds, to breaking the molds, to firing the clay and then decorating.

The senator told local media — including The Free Press — she was committed to promoting jobs in North Carolina, and noted the state has struggled to recover from the national recession because of the deep cuts Tar Heel in manufacturing that preceded the recession.

“Every day when I wake up it’s, ‘What we can do about jobs, jobs, jobs,’ ” she said.

Hagan also talked about the recent eleventh-hour deal by Congress to avert the “fiscal cliff” of extreme tax hikes and deep spending cuts which would have hit by the end of 2012 had lawmakers not reached an agreement on spending and taxes.

Hagan and her fellow N.C. senator, Republican Richard Burr, voted for the Senate’s plan, which helped 98 percent of North Carolina families avoid tax increases. The Senate passed the bill shortly after Americans rang in 2013 on Jan. 1, and the House voted to pass the agreement later that day.

The senator said Monday the situation left her “unbelievably frustrated” that it took Congress so long to come to an agreement.

Major budget and spending issues are looming before lawmakers in the coming months as they must vote on whether or not to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, and the current spending resolution — a complete federal budget has yet to be passed — ends in late March.

Hagan said she wanted to see greater action to reduce the nation’s deficit.

“It’s not something that any manufacturer and small business, large business should go through,” she said of the turmoil in Washington.

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

All Bert Potter asked of his Bethel Christian Academy boys basketball team was to not get caught up in the moment.

When it was all said in done, the Trojans relished in it.

Conor Rivero scored 22 points and Bethel dominated Parrott Academy in every facet of the game Monday, most importantly the scoreboard in its 62-40 win over the Patriots for its first win over its county private school rival in a decade.

Davon Edwards added 14 points and Jordan Stallings 10 rebounds in a game where the host Trojans (14-4) outhustled, outrebounded, outshot and all-around outplayed Parrott (3-6).

“Basketball is such an emotional game. I just tried to keep them calm so we could run stuff,’” Potter said.

“I told them that if they stay calm and play as a team then they’d do well.”

Bethel held a 40-25 rebounding edge, shot 44 percent (22 for 50) to Parrott’s 35 (15 for 43), committed fewer turnovers (14 to 21) and hit 14 of 25 free throws to Parrott’s 3 of 6 night from the line.

Even with the disparity in the statistics the Patriots had a chance, but Ben Potter ended any sort of comeback bid.

Parrott cut a double-digit lead down to two at 38-36 to start the fourth period, when Potter, who hadn’t attempted a field goal all night, drained the first of back-to-back 3-pointers that turned a two-point lead into an eight-point advantage and the Trojans never looked back.

From that point Bethel closed it out by outscoring a team it hadn’t defeated since the early 2000s — and only “twice in modern school history,” Potter said — 24-4.

“We were running the offense and it just happened to come to me in the flow of the offense,” Ben Potter said. “My role on the team is, sometimes down the stretch, is to hit big 3s.”

John McLawhorn was a bright spot to an otherwise forgetful night for Parrott. The freshman forward scored 14 points and had a team-best seven rebounds.

“We were just outplayed in every facet of the game,” first-year Patriots coach Shivar Person said.

“(The Trojans) simply were the better team.”

The game was nip-and-tuck early, with Parrott holding a 13-11 advantage after the first quarter. But Bethel’s defense clamped down and its offense got going, especially in the final period, to pull off what is considered, historically, an upset.

“We’ve got some experiences players that are really starting to play well,” Bert Potter said. “It was an enjoyable game to watch and coach.”

BETHEL CHRISTIAN 35, PARROTT ACADEMY 31

The Trojans rallied from a big first-half hole to defeat the Patriots.

Kelsey Worthington scored a game-high 14 points and Carly Sanderson added eight for Bethel, which trailed 12-5 after the first period and 18-6 during the second quarter before rallying for the win.

Erin Hughes led Parrott (4-5) with 12 points and Brooke Uken added seven. Haley Moody scored seven points for Bethel (9-6).

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

BOYS

Parrott Academy              13           8              9              10—40

Bethel Christian                                11           10           12           24—62

PATRIOTS (3-6) — John McLawhorn 14, Killinger 6, Rasberry 6, Quinn 5, Staskelunas 4, Beamon 3, Piner 2, Spear, Larouque, Tyler, Fazio.

TROJANS (14-4) — Conor Rivero 22, Davon Edwards 14, R. Pridgen 8, Potter 6, T. Pridgen 4, Stallings 3, Truett 3, McCleary 2, Dula, Barnett, Davis.

GIRLS

Parrott Academy              12           9              3              7—31

Bethel Christian                                5              8              9              13—35

PATRIOTS (4-5) — Erin Hughes 12, Uken 7, Bailey 4, Carlye 2, Banker 2, Beyer 2.

TROJANS (9-6) — Kelsey Worthington 14, Sanderson 8, Moody 7, J. Worthington 4, Fulcher 2, Sowers. 

DEEP RUN — South Lenoir boys basketball coach Jeremy Barnett feels his team is starting to play like he thought it was capable of before the season started.

The Blue Devils couldn’t be coming together at a better time.

South Lenoir (7-4, 3-0 East Central 2A) hosts undefeated Jacksonville Northside (11-0, 3-0) in a key early-season conference tilt tonight. The Blue Devils enter the showdown having won four in a row and five of their last six.

“I know I’m excited and the boys are excited. We’re starting to play the way I had anticipated that we could play at the beginning of the year,” Barnett said.

“Hopefully we’re going to do our part to make it a good game.”

Injuries to key players hampered South Lenoir early this season. Senior point guard Will Graves was lost indefinitely when he dislocated his ankle at Kinston in the second game of the season. Then senior shooting guard Luke Whaley injured an ankle before the first game against North Lenoir. During that game, junior guard Davonte Garner missed some time after butting heads with a North Lenoir player diving after a loose ball.

Now, two of those three are healthy and the Blue Devils have been getting some quality play out of freshman guard Jonte Midgette, along with the rest of their lineup.

“We’re a lot healthier than we were,” Barnett said. “The biggest thing is we’re healthy. Jonte, our freshman, is really playing at a high level, especially for a freshman.”

This year’s group at South Lenoir is practically the same group Barnett coached to a junior varsity championship two seasons ago.

Barnett sees that as a plus entering tonight’s contest since the majority of his players know what it takes to play in tough games.

“It helps a lot. They know what it takes to win,” Barnett said. “Yes, there’s a big difference between varsity and JV but you win basketball games the same way on any level. … It gives them a lot of confidence.”

The Blue Devils began the year by losing three of their first five games, and all three losses were to teams (Kinston twice, North Lenoir) which excel at pressuring the basketball.

The Monarchs are one of those teams that like to apply pressure, but Barnett feels his team is ready for the challenge.

“They remind me of North Lenoir in the way they play,” Barnett said. “They’re a pressure team, but they’re more of an organized pressure. You know where the pressure’s coming from. You know where the trap’s coming from.

“The biggest thing between now and North Lenoir is basically health.”

While tonight’s matchup won’t decided who wins the conference title — there is currently a three-way tie for first which includes Clinton — it is important in which team gets a head’s up in the race to the championship.

“Every game is important,” Barnett said. “Is it an end all, be all? No. If we win the game tomorrow night they’re not going to hand us the conference championship trophy. And if we lose the game tomorrow night they’re not going to hand Northside the conference championship trophy.

“We’re going to do the best we can. I anticipate we’re going to play pretty well. I know we’re going to play hard. We’ll see what happens tomorrow night.”

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

A woman accused of setting her boyfriend’s house on fire was arrested on arson charges on Monday.

Just before 1:30 p.m. on Monday, a police officer with the Kinston Department of Public Safety was flagged down by the alleged victim, Robert Louis Lang III. Lang told the officer his girlfriend, Nekecia Shalete Brown, 35, was setting their house on fire.

The officer observed Brown pulling burning items from the house at 403 E. North Street. After the officer called communications to report the structure fire, he took Brown into custody.

Brown was placed in Lenoir County Jail with no bond due to a domestic assault charge. She was also charged with first degree arson and burning of personal property. The structure received approximately $30,000 in damage; personal loss was listed at $1,000.

Fire units with the KDPS had the fire under control in about 10 minutes.

WASHINGTON — The new year has begun with an avalanche of Republican retrospectives: What went wrong? What must the GOP do?

In attempting to navigate my own thoughts, I keep bumping into advice my father gave me a long time ago: “Learn Spanish. You will need it to survive in the world you will inherit.”

Living in Florida then, the trends were becoming obvious. They were literally in our neighborhood, where in 1960 a recently arrived Cuban family moved in a few doors down. Having just escaped Castro’s Cuba with only a few coins sewn in the hems of the mother’s and daughters’ dresses, this family of six spoke little English.

We became close friends and eventually, as much out of fascination and affection as pragmatism, I did learn their language — and they mine.

My father’s advice was prescient, if somewhat exaggerated. I haven’t needed Spanish to survive, though being bilingual has helped. A lot. As I often tell college audiences, I was hired for my first job not because I had a journalism degree (I didn’t) but because I spoke Spanish.

What was clear to my father even then is that our hemisphere could not long be segregated by language. Nor, apparently, can we be kept apart by borders, no matter how many fences we build or drones we deploy.

Meanwhile, and not incidentally, our new, 113th U.S. Congress has welcomed 31 Hispanic members. Three are in the Senate, including GOP superstar Marco Rubio of Florida and Republican Ted Cruz of Texas, as well as Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey. All are Cuban-American.

Of the 28 Latinos in the House of Representatives, all but five are Democrats.

Why so few Republicans? Therein lurks the relevant question for the GOP and perhaps the most important answer to the puzzle: Learn Spanish.

I offer my father’s imperative not literally but as metaphor. When even some of the Latino candidates don’t speak their forebears’ tongue, one needn’t feign fluency. Though endearing at times, nothing sounds more ridiculous — or inauthentic — than a politician pandering with a faux accent or foreign phrase. (Think Barack Obama droppin’ his g’s in the South, or Hillary Clinton’s rendering of James Cleveland’s freedom hymn at the 42nd anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Ala.)

May I just say, oy?

Metaphorically, learning Spanish means learning people. Knowing them as human beings, not as statistics on a game board. Recognizing their humanity and finding new ways to talk about immigration that don’t alienate entire swaths of the population.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it best shortly after the November election: “If we want people to like us, we have to like them first.”

Jindal, an Indian-American, should know. The unlikeliest of good ol’ boy governors, he has managed to transcend race and ethnicity in his home state to become incoming chair of the Republican Governors Association. Anti-Latino rhetoric is especially unwelcome in post-Katrina New Orleans, where most will admit that the growing Latino population rebuilt the city. Instead, dinner conversation during a recent visit with local leaders centered around the state’s evolving cuisine, which is becoming a Cajun-Latino hybrid.

Upon waves of immigrants are new palates born.

And, potentially, storm-tossed political parties.

The GOP was always a natural home for Latinos, who tend to be conservative and Catholic, though decreasingly so. Fewer than 60 percent of second-generation Latinos are Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.

Even so, the Republican narrative of hard work, entrepreneurship and personal responsibility would seem to appeal to recent immigrants who are attracted by those very opportunities. Why aren’t Hispanics hearing the GOP call? Because this aspirational language is drowned out by the rhetoric of rejection.

You don’t need a dictionary to translate the following: Last June, Obama, who won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote, announced reprieves from deportation for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were here illegally, while Mitt Romney promised to end the reprieves if elected.

Whatever the legitimate arguments on either side, one shows heart and the other doesn’t. Recognizing this deficit of spirit, rising non-white Republican stars are beginning to form a constellation of “opportunity conservatism,” to borrow Cruz’s term. The ideas aren’t lacking, they say, but the messaging has been disastrous.

Whether these new ways of communication ultimately can change the complexion of the GOP remains to be seen, but the future is clear enough: Lose the Hispanic vote, and you lose. And the message to Republicans, if they want to survive, should be obvious.

Kathleen Parker writes this column for the Washington Post Writers Group. Readers can reach her via email at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

What started as simple, quiet and private has exploded into complex, hectic and very public. An event-filled weekend that followed his swearing-in ceremony on Saturday catapulted Pat McCrory, North Carolina’s new governor, into an even busier week.

A statewide tour puts him in New Bern tonight for his only Eastern North Carolina stop and, after lighting in three other strategic locations later this week, McCrory will be ensconced again in Raleigh on Saturday for traditional ceremonies, including the governor’s inaugural address.

So far, we like McCrory’s energy. And we’re optimistic about his leadership. He hails from a small town — Jamestown — and moves from a mayor’s seat — Charlotte — into the governor’s chair. He’s not a seasoned Raleigh politician, and old issues will be viewed from a fresh perspective.

Like any governor, though, he’ll put forth some good ideas and some that should have stayed on the shelf.

According to the Charlotte Business Journal, for example, there have been discussions within the new administration and among Republican leaders in the General Assembly about the possibility of what is being called a transfer or conveyance tax on real estate transactions.

We hope such discussions are merely fleeting banter, but we can already hear the footsteps of the state Realtors association as it gathers to rally against such proposals. Only within the last few months has the struggling housing industry shown slight upticks toward recovery. We agree with the association’s position that these fees would likely deliver another reeling blow, not only to a crippled industry but to North Carolina’s economy in general. The housing industry’s work force employs nearly half a million, according to numbers cited in the Charlotte Business Journal’s article. And still far too many homeowners are either forced to walk away from their mortgages or take money to closings just to break even on their investments.

According to the National Association of Realtors, a new real estate tax, passed by Congress in 2010, is already in place, taking effect Jan. 1. It calls for a 3.8 percent tax on some investment income. Like all legislation, this piece is as clear as mud. Its intent is to generate an estimated $210 billion to help fund the new health care and Medicare overhaul plans. It will not be imposed on all real estate transactions, but is aimed at those with an adjusted income above $200,000 and couples filing a joint return with more than $250,000 of adjusted gross income.

In announcing his plans to take the oath of office last week, McCrory said he will “be sworn in Saturday and sworn at Monday.” He definitely got that right.

The Come to the Table Project will present its fourth regional conference series Feb. 4 at the Community Council for the Arts.

A project of the Rural Advancement Foundation and the N.C. Council of Churches, this daylong conference is on how people of faith can relieve hunger and support local agriculture in North Carolina. 

North Carolina ranks No. 8 in the nation for household food insecurity, and in some counties in Eastern North Carolina, 25 percent of the population faces food insecurity. This means that many families do not have a reliable, adequate source of food.

Despite a growing interest in healthy local food, conditions for family farmers and farmworkers can be difficult, and getting healthy food to our hungry neighbors remains a challenge. This conference provides inspiration and training to people who want better for their communities and congregations.

Area clergy and community leaders will lead workshops on a variety of topics, including church community gardening, making healthy local food more accessible, empowering youth through food and farming projects, and finding support for your ministry.

The conference cost is on a sliding scale — $0 to $15 — and will feature a lunch sourced from local farms and businesses. Organizations are encouraged to register for a free display table at the event.

Participants can register at cometothetablenc.org. For more information, contact Sarah Gibson, conference coordinator, at 919-259-5169 or sarah@rafiusa.org; or Francesca Hyatt, project director, at 919-323-7587 or francesca@rafiusa.org.

It is exciting to find new plants that are not too big, nor too tall, nor prone to many diseases. Plant breeders around the world are working to select plants with desirable characteristics. Choosing carefully can benefit everyone.

Breeders select plant material with improved pest and disease resistance. This can limit the cost of pesticides as well as application time and reduce the impact on the environment. For example, crape myrtles are bred for mildew resistance so fewer fungicides are needed to control the disease.

Plants have other undesirable traits that breeders are working to reduce or eliminate. How about thorn-less stems or no more unwanted seedlings or limiting messy fruit and pollen production?

Multi-season interest is a sought after characteristic in many plants. Plant breeding and selection allows new additions, such as fall colors, new flower colors, winter fruit, attractive bark and stem colors to a plant’s palette. Uniformity of plant characteristics is also a selection many gardeners desire to yield a neat and tidy landscape.

Our grandparents were not concerned about the same space constraints we find in our more heavily populated environments. Home properties are smaller now and the cost of yard maintenance is higher. Many older varieties grow quite large, but new varieties are available with more compact forms. Carefully choosing plant materials that mature to moderate sizes saves valuable resources.

Our environmental conditions are changing and it is more difficult to grow plants. Resistance to a tough environment is needed in modern plant materials. Breeders choose trees with branch angles that resist splitting, and stronger root systems that hold during strong winds. These weather tough plants can save dollars in insurance costs, tree removal and can even save lives.

Plant breeders are also including multiple needs in producing individual plants. How about one plant that can provide food and shelter for wildlife, serve as a wind break, control soil erosion and have ornamental value? Work with magnolias has resulted in trees that are substantially smaller, have increased flowering and have the attractive dark color to the underside of the leaves. Plant selection can help with utilizing our more limited outdoor space.

Take the time to research and locate new plant cultivars that meet your needs. Investing time and money into new cultivars can result in savings in the near future as well as in the long term.

Peg Godwin is horticulture agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center. Reach her at Peg_Godwin@ncsu.edu or 252-527-2191.

New Year’s resolutions typically relate to losing weight and vowing to eat more healthily. This year make it easier by taking small steps. You can still enjoy your favorite wintertime comfort foods without giving up on taste and flavor. Here are some recipes to try.

Crispy “Unfried” Fried Chicken

8 chicken pieces (preferably 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 2 wings)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups cornflakes

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground sage

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet.

Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a plate, season the flour with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Fully coat each chicken piece with flour; tap against the bowl to shake off excess flour and set aside. Discard the flour.

Place cornflakes in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pushing out the air. Seal up the bag (with as little air inside as possible) and run over the flakes with a rolling pin. Open the bag and pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a plate.

In a large bowl (big enough to dredge the chicken pieces), mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath and then roll in the cornflake crumbs.

Arrange the chicken on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes; lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.

Nutrition per serving: 520 calories; 22g fat; 136mg cholesterol; 1,040mg sodium; 41g carbs; 1.5g fiber; 40g protein

Ground TurkeyMeatloaf

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup skim milk

1 medium onion, peeled

2 pounds ground turkey breast

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about an hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition per serving: 207 calories; 3g fat (0.5g saturated); 32g protein; 13g carbs; 5g sugar; 2g fiber; 92mg cholesterol; 489mg sodium

Bacon Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

1 slice applewood-smoked bacon

8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/3 cup condensed 45 percent reduced-sodium, 98 percent fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to bacon drippings; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick.

Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155 degrees. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and Colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Portobello Mushroom and Kale Lasagna

1 cup coarsely chopped drained jarred roasted red peppers

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

One 28-ounce can no-salt-added whole plum tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 large egg whites

One 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 portobello mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 small bunch kale, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Nonstick cooking spray

9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles, such as Barilla

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Puree the peppers, oregano, tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth; set aside. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese with the egg whites and ricotta cheese in a medium bowl.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have released their liquid and are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kale, in batches, and as it wilts add the pepper flakes, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook until the kale is wilted and bright green, an additional 5 minutes.

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with 3 noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and 1/2 of the mushroom mixture. Repeat layers with sauce, noodles and remaining ricotta and mushrooms. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan, about 50 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup grated mozzarella and continue to bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition per serving: 290 calories; 11g fat (4g saturated); 19g protein; 30g carbs; 5g sugar; 4g fiber; 35mg cholesterol; 540mg sodium

Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.

Poetry winners receive awards

The Friends of the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library held its awards ceremony on Dec. 5 for the annual fifth- and sixth-grade Young Poets Contest. Students read their poems aloud and received special prizes, a certificate of recognition and a booklet containing their poem.

This contest was open to any fifth- or sixth-grade student in Lenoir County, and the Friends received more than 200 entries. Friends board member Linda Solomon was on hand to assist with the ceremony.

The fifth-grade winners were: First place, David Allen Fulghum of Bethel Christian Academy; second place, Aaron McGough of Arendell Parrott Academy; third place, Tess Warren of Parrott; and fourth place, Abby Turner of Parrott.

Honorable mentions were Simal Omer of Parrott, Anna Morris of Parrott, Lintorion Grandy of Banks Elementary School, Elizabeth Whitfield of Moss Hill Elementary School, Nathan Hyde of Banks and Shane Whaley of Moss Hill.

The sixth-grade category winners were: First place, Kaitlyn Johnson; second place, Blythe Brantley; third place, Grace Williams; and fourth place, Brian Lin. All are students at Parrott Academy.

Honorable mentions were John Kirollos, Emily Piwowarski, Cambria Duke, McKinsey Walters, Mary Pau, and Matthew Edwards, all of Parrott.

“We are very proud of the winners and pleased with the participation we received for this event,” said Agnes Ho, Director of Libraries, Neuse Regional Library. “I would like to congratulate all of our winners, their parents and their families. I am always amazed at the poise of the students as they read the poems and the incredible creativity that they pour into their poems.

“It is encouraging to see so many young students who are so passionate about reading and writing,” Ho said. “We have tremendously talented students who go to school across Lenoir County, and we are very excited to give them this opportunity to express themselves.”

For more information on Friends of the Library programming, call 252-527-7066, ext. 130.