On this week's Free Press Radio Show, Bryan Hanks and Jon Dawson welcome outgoing staff writer David Anderson on the program to talk about his five and a half years in Kinston. Bryan, Jon and David also chat about Wednesday's power outage, Brent Musberger, UNC basketball and the likelihood of B.J. Murphy running for reelection as Kinston mayor.
CLICK HERE to listen to the show.
WASHINGTON — No one forced me, but I finally decided it was time to discover what all the business was about Honey Boo Boo.
Even though I’ve made reference to the show featuring a former beauty tot, now 7, and her family, I’d never actually watched a full episode. I still haven’t, but I watched enough to need a jaw adjustment.
Alas, a few minutes with “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” confirms that even mindlessness has its limits.
It gives me no pleasure to add to the ridicule of Honey, whose real name is Alana, or her family. That they have willingly participated in this spectacle — and, one hopes, are getting filthy rich in the process — is of little consolation. Far more offensive than the show is the fact of an audience.
Obviously, people watch because it is so awful. You can’t believe it and so you keep tuning in. But is it right to watch? Only to the extent that it is acceptable to accompany strangers to the restroom.
Such diversions are reminiscent of carnival sideshows of my childhood — the bearded lady (who perhaps suffered hormonal excesses) or the fat lady (whose rolls of adipose were spectacularly offensive and, for her, no doubt tragic). Responsible parents steered their children away not only to protect them but also because, we were taught, it wasn’t right to enjoy the misfortunes or disadvantages of others.
No such lessons seem to prevail today. If we don’t revel in the hilarity of poor, uneducated people, neither do we protest their exploitation. Our silence conveys approval while ratings disprove objection. Culturally, we are all complicit in the decline of community values.
Whereupon, we reluctantly praise free speech.
I, too, argue — mostly with myself — that we tolerate the worst in defense of the best. We don’t need a First Amendment to protect the sublime or the popular, but to protect what is unpopular and, in collateral damage, the grotesque.
Of course, such notions originally were aimed at unpopular political speech. The goal was to liberate ideas, which is not the same as exploring man’s basest instincts. One needn’t be a scholar to infer that our nation’s Founders were little interested in sharing the details of their ablutions or such bodily bloviations as are aired on so-called reality TV. Reality, after all, is what civilization attempts to mitigate.
The Honey Boo Boo family proudly shares even that which Beano intends to prevent. During the episode I watched, one was privy to a family weigh-in on a scale deserving of pity, the labor pains of what appeared to be a teenager, and a smattering of remarks about various anatomical regions once quaintly referred to as “privates.”
In urgent need of purification, I changed the channel and, lurching past my usual flat-line pursuits, landed in a documentary about Alexandria (ancient Egypt, not modern Virginia.) How do you spell relief? (Don’t ask Honey Boo Boo.) Hearing about a day 2,300 years ago, when knowledge was valued as much as gold, was like sinking into a warm bath.
Alexander the Great, who had conquered much of the world by age 24, had learned early during his tutelage under Aristotle that knowledge is the greatest power and set about to make his city the aggregator of the world’s intellectual bounty. Alexandria’s library, ultimately destroyed by future hordes, was the largest on the planet — the World Wide Web of antiquity. Outdoor classrooms were as ubiquitous as Starbucks today.
Undoubtedly, there were plenty who, unable to avail themselves of Alexander’s noble intentions, happily would have cradled a remote control device that permitted them passive depravity. But what was striking is that the larger culture collectively aimed at something higher.
Yes, as some are bound to note, there was blood in the streets. Alexandria through its history was home not only to some of mankind’s greatest intellectual achievements but also to some of the human race’s vilest expressions of violence.
Notably, in the fourth century A.D., Christian mobs dragged the beautiful and brilliant Hypatia — philosopher/mathematician/astronomer/teacher — from her carriage and commenced to strip, flay and chop her into pieces before burning her body parts on a pyre. A confessed pagan, she was a tad too smart for divinely inspired men — what with that astrolabe she was always toying with.
So not all was lovelier in other times. But culture does matter, as Alexander knew more than 2,000 years ago. Would that our attentions today were as riveted by our Hypatias as by our Honey Boo Boos.
Kathleen Parker writes this column for the Washington Post Writers Group. Readers can reach her via email at kathleenparker@washpost.com.
When it comes to dealing with the issue of gambling, North Carolina usually ends up playing a game of 52-card pickup. In other words, the state’s approach leads to little more than a bungled mess, offering neither logic nor conviction.
The latest debacle involves sweepstakes gaming, which has spread like kudzu across the Tar Heel State in recent years as a replacement to previously banned video poker. The sweepstakes industry has said that its form of video games offering prizes is legal because the winners are predetermined, and customers only purchase computer time that allows them to participate.
The state legislature in 2010 passed a law banning sweepstakes games, and the state Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutionality of that ban. The industry asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay enforcement while businesses pursued an appeal to the nation’s high court, but that request was denied.
Law-enforcement agencies across the state have begun enforcing the law, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
A potential loophole, which regulates how results can be displayed, may be enough to keep sweepstakes businesses that alter their machines in operation, at least in some jurisdictions.
Expect more court dates, more confusion, more inconsistent law enforcement — and the inevitable rise of new varieties of video-gaming enterprises as this legal whack-a-mole adventure continues.
New Gov. Pat McCrory has said he believes the law needs more work, and he plans to talk with legislative leaders about revisiting the issue of sweepstakes. Whether those discussions would extend to other forms of video gaming is not clear. But what the state really needs to examine is the way it has dealt with gambling in general, including what public interests are served by the current state of affairs.
By allowing — in fact, sponsoring — certain forms of gambling such as lottery and bingo parlors, the legislature seems to have taken sides on the morality issues.
So the central question remaining seems to be how gambling should be regulated and taxed. Current limitations do nothing to eliminate the possible abuses of gambling because it is already prevalent; instead, the state only seems to be limiting the revenue that could be raised through a well-regulated gambling industry. It is also preventing other sorely needed economic benefits — casino jobs, hotel construction, related entertainment forms — that could be derived.
Across the nation, states are realizing that prohibiting certain forms of gambling while allowing others is inconsistent in terms of morality and counter-productive in terms of raising revenues that could help close serious budget gaps. North Carolina needs to step up to the table.
Folks who find themselves on the religious left often describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” and sometimes feel their voices are overpowered by the more conservative faithful.
The Rev. Holly Lux-Sullivan, an award-winning preacher and assistant minister of community life at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, will share how progressive people can embrace the language of faith and evangelize about their beliefs in ways that feel right.
She will speak at 4 p.m. Sunday at Grove Park Unitarian Universalist Congregation on “What We Can Do for Religion Today.”
Lux-Sullivan is passionate about gardening, reading and finding the sacred in nature. She and her husband live in Mebane with their 4-year-old retired racing greyhound, Luna.
Grove Park is at 1000 J.P. Harrison Blvd. The community is invited to the service.
A Trenton couple has published a new book that reveals how life’s circumstances and situations parallel traffic signs.
‘Traffic Signs on the Road of Life’ is a sound, insightful and practical guide for navigating and maneuvering through life’s business, personal and professional challenges.
Wilbur Brower, Ph.D., is an educational and management consultant and trainer, author and former corporate executive. Cynthia Waters-Brower is an educator, technology facilitator and minister. Their book is available in print and Kindle formats at Amazon.com, in Nook format at Barnes & Noble, and in print format at Create Space.com.
Contact them at 910-548-0698 or wlbrower@gmail.com.
Luke is absolutely my favorite gospel. It is the longest of the gospels and with Luke, Volume 2 (the Book of Acts), Luke writes more of the New Testament than anyone else.
He places more unique information in his account of the life of Jesus than any other gospel writer. We would not know of the manger, the shepherds, the Good Samaritan, the Rich man and Lazarus, the two on the Road to Emmaus, or the much loved story of Martha and Mary were it not for Luke.
However, it is the themes used by Luke that frighten me. Let me give you a prominent example. In fact, this theme is on almost every page of Luke.
The religious leaders seldom understand the very “heart of God,” although they seem to know the rules. Those who would be expected to miss the intent of God often seem to understand almost naturally. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite know the rules and have the best chance of knowing God’s compassion, yet they miss it entirely. The hated Samaritan should have missed it but seems to understand.
Another example would be Zachariah the priest (the father of John the Baptist) who failed to believe when Gabriel came to him. Yet, a young girl named Mary from the backwater town of Nazareth seemed to easily believe and understand. She responds by saying: “Behold, I am the slave of the Master” in Luke 1:38. She reveals an unexpected and uncanny knowledge of the ways of God.
The rich often do not understand either. In the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the rich man leaves Lazarus at his gate wishing to eat the crumbs dropped under the rich man’s table. Somehow his riches keep him from understanding “the heart of God” at all. Lazarus understands the truth in the eyes of God, for we see him next at the side of Abraham.
This rather consistent theme in Luke scares me as a spiritual leader. Is it possible that I, too, can know all the rules and then miss the very “heart of God?”
I worry when I hear a truth proclaimed that is beyond what He has revealed. Does it have more to do with the network we listen to and the crowd with which we associate? The answer is “yes” and it can refer to any of us.
Spiritual leaders have to be men and women of prayer to have a chance of knowing His will and that prayer will have to be laced with a great deal of humility. “I do not know your will about this issue; teach me.” “I cannot preach this sermon the way you wish; empower me.” “I fear being prophetic, after I have heard your Word; help me overcome my fear.”
To hear God on this level requires time. Prayer cannot be bookends on the end of each day. Spiritual leaders need an abundance of time with the Master in prayer. Only He holds the answers on issues that spiritual leaders tend to miss.
The Rev. Randy Spaugh is pastor of Faith Fellowship Church in Kinston. Reach him at drrandyspaugh@gmail.com.
Neuse Chapter No. 347, Order of the Eastern Star, presented a monetary gift to the Friends of the Homeless Shelter Dec. 6.
Worthy Matron Chris Blaylock presented the donation to Jasper Newborn, director of the shelter.
The Eastern Star selected the homeless shelter as one of its community projects for the year. A similar donation was made to the North Carolina Food Bank in September.
Group provides 'thank you' ham dinner
The North Lenoir FFA class hosted a ham dinner for the December meeting of the Lenoir County Hunters Association in appreciation of their financial support of the North Lenoir Hunter Safety programs. From left are Brandon Foster, Cameron Spears, Collin Duggins and Michele Spence, advisor.
Winter news from Farmer’s Market
Today, vendors at the Lenoir County Farmer’s Market will be Ronnie Hanchey Produce, Bill Tilghman Produce and Rodney Jarman Pork Skins.
Hanchey will be at the market on Saturdays until his produce is gone. Tilghman will also be there, on Tuesdays or Saturdays when feasible for him. Their winter veggies are filled with nutrients that will help ward off sniffles during flu and cold season.
Jarman will be frying pork skins on site today. The crispy skins come in three flavors: regular, barbecue, and salt and vinegar. Each bag sells for $2.
Support the market and supply yourself with fresh produce as long as it lasts.
RN Rouse employee earns degree
GOLDSBORO —RN Rouse, a leader in commercial construction services in North Carolina and a member of the Danis Group of Companies, has announced that Senior Estimator Mike Deriso has earned a Master of Science degree in construction management from ECU. Deriso has more than 25 years of experience in estimating and preconstruction services, and has been with the company for eight years.
Deriso is a member of the American Professional Estimating Society, American Society for Engineering Education and Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management, with a minor in business, from ECU.
“We’re very proud of Mike for earning his master’s degree while still providing excellent service to our clients,” said Steve Sefton, president of RN Rouse. “This accomplishment speaks volumes about his dedication and professionalism.”
Deriso and his wife of 20 years, Jill, live in Kinston. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, music, supporting the ECU Pirates, and playing with his two Airedale Terriers, Stella and Utley.
RN Rouse has offered a full range of commercial construction services in North Carolina since 1929 and has maintained a reputation for quality, honesty and integrity for more than 83 years. The company specializes in the corporate, mission critical, healthcare and education industries. With offices in Goldsboro and Raleigh, RN Rouse has more than 75 employees throughout North Carolina.
In 2009, RN Rouse became a part of the Danis Group of Companies. The Danis Group of Companies is comprised of Danis Building Construction Company, Danis Design Build, Danis Industrial and Danis Construction. Offices are in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, and Jacksonville, Fla.
For more information on RN Rouse or Danis, visit rnrouse.com or danis.com.
Last week our phone rang at 2 a.m. It goes without saying that calls in the middle of the night seldom bode well. Hillary Clinton knows.
Our daughter was calling from Tokyo to tell us Hanaby was sick. She’s Sundae’s last surviving dachshund and has been with her forever.
All three of us got upset together 12,000 miles apart, making Hanaby the longest stretching weenie dog in history. Could that be a Guinness World Record?
I understand clinical and intellectual realities differentiating me from domesticated animals, yet I absolutely love dogs. Notwithstanding my lapse of logic, I enjoy the fairytale.
Not wishing to overanalyze attachments and relationships with non-humans, let’s say I simply invest some humanity outside of my species and am continually rewarded for it. Homer and Jethro recognized just how deeply people can value their pets in a 1950s recording.
The illustrative stanza was, “Wives are sentimental creatures. The other day my wife’s little dog got killed so they broke the news to her gently. They told her it was me.”
Back to the emergency: Sundae was heading to her vet’s office the moment it opened. Hanaby had been on a downward spiral ever since Chelsea died a couple of years ago.
Later, Sundae called to tell us the vet was running tests and giving her fluids. They didn’t know exactly what was wrong but suspected it was Hanaby’s heart and would keep her posted. She was going on to work.
Two hours later Sundae called crying. The vet had notified her it wasn’t looking good so she was rushing through Tokyo traffic to get back there in time.
We were terribly worried about her driving with eyes filled with water and tears streaming but she managed to arrive safely. Whew!
As this drama was playing out, Ann kept Sasha and Maggie close. They got so much attention I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t hoping for more phone calls. I’m sure they didn’t really understand but somehow figured out when the phone rang they got extra hugs, scratches and treats.
Hanaby lived her life and left grieving humans, which is the way it works. After cremation, she’ll be buried next to Chelsea on Mount Fuji.
Columns like this typically elicit a few responses noting my stupidity in making such a big deal over an animal. If you’ve never been emotionally attached to a dog you simply can’t have a clue.
It’s amazing how such a huge crater in your life can be created by a tiny dog’s death. Although gallons of tears were shed over this little brown pup, life’s process played out exactly as it should.
Sundae will be fine. She and her mother talk iPad to iPad on most evenings. Very soon one of these video conversations will be interrupted by a brand new dachshund puppy poking its nose into the picture to sniff the screen.
Sundae will then introduce her new family member who will be filling Hanaby’s crate. It definitely won’t remain empty for very long.
Otis Gardner’s column appears here weekly. He can be reached at ogardner@embarqmail.com.
A trip to the flower shop went awry Friday, leading to a wreck that sent three people to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
According to Kinston Department of Public Safety Officer Travis Moore, a red Mitsubishi Mirage traveled northbound on North Queen Street when a silver Mitsubishi Lancer — traveling southbound — turned into its lane.
“They go to make a left-hand turn into Flowers to Go and they failed to yield the right-of-way, causing a collision,” Moore said.
Pieces of the Mirage lay strewn across the street shortly after 5 p.m. as police and EMS personnel assessed the situation. Both driver- and passenger-side airbags deployed in the Mirage. According to scanner reports, the bags’ deployment led to injuries to the car’s occupants.
The driver of the Lancer — Ryan Murray, 26, of Greenville — was unhurt, as were his passengers.
Murray was charged with failure to see before turning.
EMS placed those in the Mirage — Tyrone Barnes, 40, of Kinston; Jeneaka Barnes, 34, of Kinston; and William Earl Ormond — on stretchers and transported them to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
Law enforcement was not able to immediately provide Ormond’s age and city of residence at the time.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at WolfeReports.
New legislation requires Lenoir County Schools calendars to run a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 instructional hours long.
The board has opted for the latter.
“It would be a hardship to fund five extra days through transportation, mainly,” said Diane Lynch, LCS associate superintendent. “Our schools go over 1,025 hours pretty significantly.”
One representative from the county’s 18 schools formed the calendar committee in November, and the 2013-14 instructional calendar was adopted at Thursday’s board meeting.
The 2012 Senate Bill 187 begins in July, which includes a number of requirements for the schools’ calendars.
“They want to increase the time that children were in school,” LCS Superintendent Steve Mazingo said. “We do exceed (1,025 hours) at every school. We’re not just doing the minimum.”
Previously, schools were given the option to have either 180 or 185 days with 1,000 hours minimum of instruction time.
“Our schools go over 1,025 hours pretty significantly,” Lynch said.
Mazingo cited a Lenoir County school that recorded as many as 1,080 hours last year.
Principals submitted materials outlining plans to use instructional time before the 2013-14 calendar was presented before the board.
“My staff is so devoted and passionate about what they do,” said Susan Glover, Moss Hill Elementary School first-year principal. “They’re in those classrooms using every teachable moment, and they don’t waste any time.”
She was confident every school in Lenoir County will reach or exceed the new requirement.
“I don’t worry at all about students at Moss Hill getting the instructional hours needed,” Glover said.
Other presentations at this month’s board meeting included a child nutrition surplus property. Unfixable cafeteria equipment was recommended to be sold and the proceeds will go back into the Child Nutrition Program.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
In addition to its variety of other duties, the members of the Kinston City Council have been tasked with redeveloping a large area of the city.
Council members recently voted unanimously to be designated as an “urban redevelopment commission” to oversee projects within the Urban Redevelopment Area, or URA.
“For now I’m recommending that council establish itself as the urban redevelopment commission in order to get more direct oversight,” Interim Planning Director Adam Short said during this week’s City Council meeting.
The URA is bordered by West Lenoir Avenue on the north, the Neuse River at the south, North Mitchell Street at the east and the Glen Raven Mills textile plant and former city power plant at the west.
Kinston’s historic Mitchelltown neighborhood takes up much of the targeted area.
“You want to try to preserve the uniqueness of the neighborhood and the houses that are there,” Councilman and Mayor pro tem Joe Tyson said Friday. “The council is going to try, in the process of revitalizing Mitchelltown, to maintain it’s uniqueness as we go forward.”
Tyson gathered with fellow Councilman Sammy C. Aiken — who is also a Mitchelltown resident — Short and Mitchelltown resident Kathie Harrington at Garner Funeral Home Friday, which is on the edge of Mitchelltown off West Peyton Avenue.
Harrington, who has lived in the neighborhood for about four years on Mitchell Street, encouraged city officials to continue to deal with crime in Mitchelltown.
“And I think that they seriously need to talk to these property owners, some of whose homes are falling down,” Harrington added. “They should either fix them or refurbish them before they fall down and become a hazard.”
A number of people have purchased houses in Mitchelltown in recent years to refurbish and beautify them, and they stand out among homes which have long been neglected. The neighborhood has also become known for crime.
While much of it is considered nuisance crime, two homicides took place within a few blocks of each other on West Lenoir in June of 2011.
Kinston resident Thomas Hinton was slain as he rode his bike home from work, and U.S. Marshal Warren “Sneak” Lewis was shot and killed a few days later as he and fellow law enforcement officers served warrants on the men and youths suspected of the Hinton homicide.
City leaders said the Kinston Department of Public Safety is working with Mitchelltown residents to keep the crime in check, though.
Aiken, who said he has been a victim of several burglaries, and Harrington recognized the efforts of Kinston business leader Stephen Hill, who has funded the revitalization of a handful of houses in the Urban Redevelopment Area.
“It's a good thing,” Aiken said. “We need to clone a couple of Mr. Hills and thank him for his philanthropy and get some more private citizens to invest.”
As an urban redevelopment commission, the City Council would have the final word on “development issues” such as large-scale development projects, financial matters, land acquisitions, accepting land donations and more, Short said.
Rose Clark, past president of the Mitchelltown Preservation Commission and current member of the Historic District Commission, said she though the concept was a “good thing,” as long as council members sought out “advice and direction from the stakeholders that have an interest in Mitchelltown, like the homeowners, private investors, the Historic District Commission members.”
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
BREAKOUT BOX:
Interim Planning Director Adam Short presented the following timeline for the City Council’s redevelopment efforts in the Urban Redevelopment Area:
Jan. 28: Planning Board qualifies URA based on survey of housing stock
Feb. 7: City Council adopts resolution to confirm Planning Board assessment of ‘blighted’ areas and sets URA during public hearing
Feb. 8: Work begins on staff-developed Redevelopment Plan
Feb. 25: Planning Board reviews Draft Redevelopment Plan, followed by 45-day comment period
April 15: Council adopts redevelopment plan after public hearing
Source: Interim Planning Director Adam Short memorandum
LAS VEGAS — Arlie Honeycutt, like the rest of North Carolina, will be waiting with baited breath tonight as the names of the top 15 contestants in the 2013 Miss America pageant will be announced on live television.
Those 15 women will go on to compete — also on live television — for the Miss America crown. They will be chosen from among 53 contestants representing all the U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
“It will all be right there,” said Honeycutt, 20, who is representing The Tar Heel State as Miss North Carolina 2012.
The Garner native and current ECU junior is the former Miss Kinston-Lenoir County 2012. She spoke to The Free Press by telephone Friday following a whirlwind week of preliminary competitions, interviews and seeing some of the Las Vegas sights.
“I’ve been kind of star studded by the former Miss America, the judges, the star personalities,” Honeycutt said. “It’s just a really, really cool experience.”
Honeycutt was the 75th Miss N.C. when she was crowned last June, and she is the first representative of Kinston and Lenoir County to win the state title and compete for the national title since Constance Ann Dorn of Kinston was crowned in 1972, according to the Miss N.C. website.
“It’s been awesome, the support team from Kinston,” she said. “I’ve been really excited to get to see so many people.”
Honeycutt’s parents, Beth and Scott, and her 15-year-old brother Jackson are with her in Las Vegas, as well as extended family, a number of supporters from the Miss North Carolina and Miss Kinston-Lenoir County organizations, even winners of local Kinston and Lenoir County pageants, such as Teigha Beth Bailey, the current Kinston-Lenoir County’s Outstanding Teen.
“I have a nice group of family, my extended family is here, and so that’s been really great,” she said.
Honeycutt and her fellow contestants have taken part in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and on-stage interview competitions. The judges will tabulate the scores for each contestant, and the top 15 scorers will be announced tonight live.
Honeycutt’s talent is singing — she is majoring in vocal performance at ECU.
“Go Pirates!” she exclaimed.
Although she and her fellow contestants are under protection “24/7” by “an awesome” security team, they have been able to get out to see various hotels, casinos and other attractions in Las Vegas.
“We’re really grateful to represent our towns, our states; and to be here it’s just icing on the cake,” she said.
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
WANT TO WATCH?
The 2013 Miss America pageant will air live on ABC — WCTI-12 locally — at 9 p.m. today
Thanks to its win over Swansboro and a little help from rival East Duplin, South Lenoir’s boys basketball team currently claims control of the East Central 2A Conference.
Ishmael Baldwin scored 20 points and freshman Jonte Midgette added 12 as the Blue Devils defeated the Pirates 57-45 on the road on Friday.
Jaquan Wooten added 11 points and 16 rebounds and Baldwin added 13 boards as South Lenoir (9-4, 5-0) ended the game on a 15-6 run to hold off the Pirates (5-10, 0-5).
South Lenoir outrebounded Swansboro 47-31.
Thanks to East Duplin’s surprise 50-49 defeat of Clinton — which South Lenoir was tied with going into Friday’s action — the Blue Devils now have first place all to themselves.
Other area scores:
Farmville Central 51, Greene Central 49
GIRLS BASKETBALL
SOUTH LENOIR 54, SWANSBORO 49: At Swansboro, the Blue Devils hit four free throws in the final 15 seconds to hold on against the Pirates.
Swansboro (3-11, 1-4) rallied from a 32-19 deficit at halftime to cut South Lenoir’s lead to five at 44-39 after the third period.
Demeyia Adams had 16 points and 12 rebounds and hit 8 of 11 free throws to lead the Blue Devils (10-3, 4-1) Marquia Suddeth added 10 points and eight rebounds and Hailey West scored nine points.
South Lenoir is off until it hosts Croatan next Friday.
Other area scores:
Greene Central 54, Farmville Central 32
Dixon 50, Jones Senior 47
LA GRANGE — This time last season North Lenoir’s boys basketball team was still searching for its first win.
A year later, the Hawks have a seat atop the Eastern Carolina 3A Conference.
Jauquaz Jones scored 15 points and Reggie Rouse added 11 off the bench as the Hawks pulled away from Southern Wayne late for a 61-54 win on Friday to stay tied for first place with Erwin Triton in the league.
Braxton Davis added 10 points and eight rebounds as the Hawks (8-7, 3-0) overcame a poor-shooting first half to drain five 3-pointers in the third period
They also carried a solid defensive effort over from the first half to the second to win their second straight game after dropping four in a row.
“We just want to do everything one game at a time. I knew Southern Wayne (would put up a fight),” North Lenoir coach Anthony Loftin said.
“I knew we’d be up for the challenge.”
In the second period alone, the Hawks and Saints (8-5, 2-2) combined to shoot 5-for-32 from the field — 2-for-16 by North Lenoir.
The Hawks made up for their shooting woes by hitting back-to-back 3s to open the second half, which cut a seven-point Southern Wayne lead down to one, and hit 9 of 12 from the field in the third quarter to hold a 41-38 advantage heading into the fourth.
The game’s last tie came with 48 seconds to play in the third quarter. From there, North Lenoir used a 10-0 run that extended into the final period — on 3s by Jones and Rouse and a putback by John Carlton — to go ahead for good.
The Hawks hit nine 3s in the contest — six in the second half.
“The shooting is confidence. I encourage them to shoot and to shoot with confidence,” Loftin said.
The Hawks committed far more turnovers than the Saints — 29 to 22 — but it was North Lenoir’s ball pressure that caused Southern Wayne to miss most of its shots.
The Saints shot 33 percent (20 for 61) while North Lenoir heated up in the second half to finish with 20 made field goals on 53 attempts — a raise of 17 percentage points (6 for 29 for 20.7 percent) after the first half.
“I’ve got to give my kids credit. I told them that we played very good defense, only giving up 22 points. But the problem was we couldn’t score,” Loftin said.
“I thought overall the guys stepped up and did a good job and made some shots.”
The win kept North Lenoir in a tie with Triton, which was idle Friday, in the loss column.
SOUTHERN WAYNE 57, NORTH LENOIR 54
Zaria Atkins scored 25 points and the Saints held off a late Hawks rally for the win.
Southern Wayne (8-6, 2-2) led 45-36 after three quarters, but North Lenoir (2-13, 0-3) rallied back to make it interesting.
Erica Lee and Amanda Bizzell scored 14 apiece for the Hawks. Ta’Breia Foster added 13 and Quoya Porter eight points.
North Lenoir travels to Eastern Wayne for a league game on Wednesday.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
BOYS
Southern Wayne 12 10 16 16—54
North Lenoir 11 6 24 20—61
SAINTS (8-5, 2-2) — Tarvis Bradshaw 12, Jaylen Roberts 10, Bennett 8, Outlaw 7, Matthews 6, Burden 4, Fields 4, Smith 2, Allen 1, Shaw, Butler.
HAWKS (8-7, 3-0) — Jauquaz Jones 15, Reggie Rouse 11, Braxton Davis 10, King 8, Sutton 7, Summers 5, Hough 2, Carlton 2, Troy 1, K. Robinson.
GIRLS
Southern Wayne 11 15 19 12—57
North Lenoir 14 10 12 18—54
SAINTS (8-6, 2-2) — Zaria Atkins 25, Thompson 8, Wilson 8, Johnson 6, Maultsby 5, Herring 4, Lane 1, Seaberry.
HAWKS (2-13, 0-3) — Erica Lee 14, Amanda Bizzell 14, Ta’Breia Foster 13, Porter 8, Cratch 4, Howard 1, Murray, Varnell.
Their Christmas dinners long ago digested and their New Year’s plans well behind them, Lenoir Community College’s basketball players make a long-awaited return to normal life today.
The Lancers play host to Guilford Tech at 3 p.m. in their first game since Dec. 8, a lengthy layoff brought on by the holiday break.
LCC coach Bobby Dawson said the scheduling lull, in part a product of the logistics of making scattered players available, will be a factor as the meat of the season commences.
“It’s going to definitely affect us,” Dawson said. “We’re just trying to get our legs back right now. We’ve got to go back and pretty much start over.”
The Lancers, at 3-3 overall and 0-1 in Region X, were off to a middling start as a unit. They won their first three before entering the break on a three-game skid with losses to top-ranked Louisburg, Alleghany College of Maryland and Hagerstown CC.
Guilford Tech (6-10) has endured no such layoff but has had mixed results.
Freshman forward Josh Hill, a Kinston native, leads the Lancers in scoring with 24.0 points per game. That figure would rank third among National Junior College Athletic Association Division II schools had he appeared in enough games to qualify.
Hill, who attended Kinston High School but did not play basketball, said the coming weeks will reveal much about his team.
“We’ve got a couple of players that have been taking it serious from the get-go,” Hill said. “Now everybody’s starting to see — and our coach is making us realize — that it’s crunch time. Either you’re going to put out or you’re probably going to be on the bench. So it’s a very important part of the season.”
Dawson said the Lancers lost just one player, a reserve guard, to eligibility issues after December exams.
The rest, Dawson hopes, worked out on their own. Local players were given access to LCC’s gym for shootarounds and pickup games.
The layoff, freshman guard Mike Tyson said, can be overcome.
“A couple of us really weren’t in shape from the get-go, and then a big break like this,” he said. “I think we were playing all right. We’ve just got to get back into it and we’ve got to listen to each other more, and we’ll be all right.”
Dawson, who’s in his 36th year at the school, said the Lancers saw Guilford Tech during a multi-team jamboree in October, but he’s not sure what to expect.
Not that it really matters.
“My thing at this point is we’ve just got to do what we can do, and hopefully we can make some adjustments along the way that can offset some of the things they like to do,” Dawson said. “And then in the end, hopefully, we’ll have a chance to win.”
A different story
LCC’s women have experienced neither a long break nor a sputtering start.
The Lancers, who play host to Catawba Valley CC today at 1 p.m., are 10-3, including a 1-1 mark in Region X.
Fourth-year LCC coach Tad Parson, whose team went 7-15 last season, said his group is on the right track but has more to accomplish.
“It’s a big improvement from last year,” he said. “I’m, I guess, content with the way the girls are playing so far, but by no means am I satisfied. I think we’ve got the potential to go much further.”
Sophomore guard Dominique Graham leads LCC with 15.3 points per game. Sekethia Williams and Cana Marriott, both freshman guards, are also averaging in double figures for a team that’s scoring 75.1 points per game, good for 14th among Division II schools.
David Hall can be reached at (252) 559-1086 or at david.hall@kinston.com.
Kinston put its undefeated league mark on the line Friday night against North Pitt, which also entered the game sporting an unblemished conference record.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Vikings left no doubt which team was the cream of the Eastern Plains 2A crop as they defeated the Panthers 75-51.
The Vikings (12-2, 5-0) started the game with a 16-3 run, and a pair of alley-oop passes from senior Josh Dawson — one to fellow senior Denzel Keyes and another to sophomore Brandon Ingram to end the first quarter — created a 10-point cushion for Kinston.
“It was a big start,” coach Perry Tyndall said. “Between our transition game and our pressure defense, we had a lot of energy out of the gate. We almost outran our energy.”
The Panthers (7-7, 3-1) slowly chipped away at the deficit, closing to within six at 31-25 before Kinston began to reassert itself.
Kinston, which shot 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) in the first quarter, struggled from the field in the second, connecting on just three of 13 shots. Luckily for the Vikings, they hit 7 of 8 from the charity stripe to maintain a nine-point lead at the half.
Tyndall, who said his team may have tired toward the end of the half, gave up several easy baskets on dribble penetration, failing to rotate properly on the defensive end.
“The way we play causes that at times,” he said. “We started gambling a little too much. But I give (North Pitt) credit. They gave us a fit.”
The third quarter belonged to Kinston. The Vikings shot 8 of 15 (53 percent) in the quarter, methodically extended their advantage to 19 points and entered the final period of play with a 57-38 lead.
Only two Vikings players reached double figures in scoring and were paced by Keyes, who had 28 points and six rebounds. Dawson added 16 points and six assists. No other player had more than seven points for Kinston.
The Panthers, meanwhile, were led by 12 points from Bryant Battle and 11 each from Shaq Barnes and Demarcus Best.
With the win, the Vikings have outscored their last three conference opponents 223-114, and Kinston is now a game ahead of its nearest competition.
“That was a good team in our conference tonight,” Tyndall said. “In our conference, you’ve got to be ready to play night in and night out.”
The Vikings are off until next Friday, when they play host to league foe Greene Central.
KINSTON 65, NORTH PITT 46
In the girls game, Kinston, already a game up on everyone else in the conference, made sure North Pitt did not close the gap in the all-important league standings.
Kinston was led by sophomore Takerian Harper’s 15 points and 10 rebounds en route to a 65-46 win. Harper, who has started for the Vikings nearly all year, came off the bench for a second consecutive game, a fact not lost on coach Hubert Quinerly.
“It gives her a chance to — I’m not going to say slow down, but to see the game before she gets in,” he said.
Harper was joined in double figure scoring by sophomore Lydia Rivers, who also posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards.
Junior Anshonee Addison, who replaced Harper in the starting lineup, added 11 points, and senior Monique Lofton had 12 points in a balanced attack.
The Vikings (12-4, 5-0) actually trailed 14-8 after a quarter, partially due to 10 turnovers and more significantly a 2-of-14 effort from the field. Kinston actually started the game 2-of-20 before connecting on seven of its last 11 shots in the first half.
That hot spell coincided with a 22-3 run to end the first half leading 32-19 and firmly in control of the game.
Perhaps just as importantly as the scoring onslaught, the Vikings’ suffocating full court press forced 23 first-half turnovers, and the Panthers turned the ball over a whopping 40 times on the evening.
In the fourth quarter, Kinston once again went cold from the floor, shooting just 6-of-18 to close out the game.
“I didn’t like the way we started, and I didn’t like the way we finished,” Quinerly said. “Everything in the middle was good. When you turn the ball over early and you turn the ball over late, you can’t win championships that way.”
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 7-7 overall, 2-2 in the EP2A.
NOTES: The crowd was already at a fever pitch before the varsity games began as freshman Jeremiah “Popeye” Fields hit a buzzer beater from just beyond half court to edge North Pitt 70-68 in the junior varsity game.
BOYS
North Pitt 15 15 8 13—51
Kinston 25 14 18 18—75
PANTHERS (7-7, 3-1) — Bryant Battle 12, Shaq Barnes 11, Demarcus Best 11, Dudley 9, Overton 4, Taylor 2, Crandel 2.
VIKINGS (12-2, 5-0) — Denzel Keyes 28, Josh Dawson 16, Ingram 7, Canady 6, Joyner 5, Hart 4, Dunn 4, Lopez 3, Rouse 2.
GIRLS
North Pitt 14 5 9 18—46
Kinston 8 24 20 13—65
PANTHERS (7-7, 2-2) — Kayla Cox 13, Ty’Quishia Gainer 11, Taylor 8, Bynum 6, Moore 5, Sharp 3.
VIKINGS (12-4, 5-0) — Takerian Harper 15, Lydia Rivers 14, Monique Lofton 12, Anshonee Addison 11, Vermillion 6, Drumgoole 5, Williams 2.
Dennis and Sabrina Lenihan of Pink Hill announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Lenihan, to Joshua Gatlin, son of Ronald and Conas Gatlin of Woodlands, Texas. An Aug. 3 wedding will be held at Westminster United Methodist Church in Kinston.
Mr. and Mrs. Marty Best of Albertson announce the engagement of their daughter, Amber Lauren Best, to Brandon Thomas James of Pink Hill, son of Rodney James of Pink Hill and Debra Arnette Howard of Fremont. An April 20 wedding will be held at Kinston First Pentecostal Holiness Church.
