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Newtown's lesson: respect each other

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For most of the week just past, this space has been devoted to the tragedy at Newtown, Conn.

The editorials began with a plea for folks to make decisions based on rational thought and data rather than emotion. They also covered our current gun culture and the role of religion in our society, a heightened issue in the wake of this tragedy.

Today, we conclude with ideas on what to do.

The world is a place where there appears to be an expectation that every problem can be solved. It’s a place where emotion carries the day, not logic and reason and contemplation and deliberation.

We are horrified about the demons that cause troubled souls to commit unspeakable crimes, yet we so cavalierly demonize large segments of the population — “gun nuts,” “commie pacifists,” “right-wing wackos,” “left-wing pinkos.”

And, often, this happens in the name of religion! Oh, we are all so eager to cast ourselves as doing God’s will and cast those who disagree with us as out-of-touch modern-day Pharisees.

Which brings us to our chief recommendations of “what to do” about Newtown and the other violent killings we have seen in recent times.

And the suggestions are these:

Care more. Love more. Be respectful.

If you are sickened by gun violence, get to know a gun owner. Don’t talk about the issues, just listen to their views on why owning a gun is important.

If you are sickened by the separation of church and state, get to know a Christian who supports that view. Don’t talk, just listen to their views.

In fact, listening more should be added to the list.

Also, think more. Not just about what you don’t like and what illicit and emotional reaction. Think about solutions. Think multiple steps down the road of causes and effects. What might be the unintended consequences of actions you are proposing?

Learn more. Have a global philosophy of life, not just issue-by-issue, spur-of-the-moment positions, as if you are a compulsive shopper at a department store.

You want to help the poor? How much are you willing to seize, coercively, from your neighbor, in the form of taxes, to achieve that end? And how do the principles of your faith support not just the ends of helping, but the means of obtaining the resources?

Want to ban gay marriage? If you are going to use the democratic process to achieve that end, what of your own moral positions are you willing to submit to majority vote?

Here’s the truth: There is no gun law; no law regulating video games; no law regarding mental health … there is no government action that will come close to eliminating these types of tragedies. The best we can hope for is to make it a tad more difficult for these events to be carried out.

What will make the most difference is an individual commitment to respect, love and caring. To looking out for the least of these without demonizing others in the process.

What will change our world will be imperceptible steps of kindness and concern by individual people, trying to make their community, country and world a better place.

Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Amen.  

  


Year in Review: January and February

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Top stories of January

1 — Kinston celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the town with a spectacular fireworks and “raising” of a plane by Spirit AeroSystems.

1 — Community celebrates the final day of Kwanzaa.

2 — Raymond Allen Goff Jr., 35, dies in a vehicle crash in Falling Creek.

3 — Former Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office lead narcotics investigator Henry Clayton “Clay” Keel appeared in court on an opium trafficking charge.

3 — Three-car pileup in La Grange sends two to Lenoir Memorial Hospital.

3 — Lenoir County Board of Commissioners approves $150,000 to replace the county’s health department roof.

3 — Lenoir County’s first baby of 2012, Mario Godinez Martinez, is born at Lenoir Memorial Hospital.

4 — Busted jumper leaves 75 percent of Kinston in the cold during a power outage that lasted several hours.

4 — Jones Senior’s Travonda Haddock scores 21 points in a girls’ basketball game against Lejeune to go over 1,000 points in her career.

6 — Pair of vehicle accidents lead to a car crashing into the side of an apartment in Kinston and another car ending up on its roof in La Grange.

6 — A meth lab is discovered in room 202 of the West Parke Inn and Suites on U.S. 70 north of Kinston.

7 — Chef & The Farmer sustains thousands of dollars worth of damage in a fire. No one is injured in the blaze.

7 — Dontino Lamont Forbes, 40, of Greenville, dies in a motorcycle accident in Snow Hill after going 70 mph in a 45-mph zone.

8 — St. Mary’s Episcopal Church holds 23rd annual Boar’s Head Festival.

10 — 24-year-old Krystal Jones crashes into the former Family Pet Shop on Vernon Avenue after allegedly “huffing” toxic vapors.

14 — A 31-year-old registered sex offender, Christopher Adams Czyzewski, is jailed after taking his daughter to a Girl Scouts meeting in Snow Hill.

15 — More than 80 people march through Kinston to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day; other activities take place a day later at St. Augustus AME Church in Kinston and at a parade in La Grange.

17 — Airport Road temporarily closes to help build part of the Global TransPark’s rail spur.

18 — 16-year-old Ricardo Rafael Nava is accidentally killed by his 15-year-old friend, Adrian Lopez, while Lopez was playing with a 12-gauge shotgun in a Lenoir County mobile home community near the Jones County line.

18 — Kinston’s Ashlee Altise wins a trip to Hollywood to vie for the title of “American Idol” with her rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together.”

19 — Gary Black, the president and CEO of Lenoir Memorial Hospital, is named the Lenoir County Citizen of the Year by the Kinston/Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce. Jane Wynne is named the chamber’s Ambassador of the Year.

28 — Meredith Sutton, Priyanka Anand and Cierra Cotton arrive in Greensboro to compete for the title of N.C. Distinguished Young Woman.

29 — Hundreds of residents turn out for the 13th annual “Soup and a Bowl” at the Kinston Community for the Arts.


Top stories of February

1 — Carl Wilkens, an author, speaks to North Lenoir High School students about crimes against humanity he witnessed when he lived in Rwanda in the 1990s.

1 — Six area athletes — South Lenoir’s K’Hadree Hooker (N.C. State); Kinston’s Shaheed Swinson (N.C. Central), Angelo Keyes (N.C. A&T) and C.J. Bradshaw (Old Dominion); and Ayden-Grifton’s Kariym Gent (Charlotte) and Brandon Whitaker (Chowan) — sign their national letters of intent to play college football.

2 — Kinston High School student Lynn Edward Harris, 17, appears before a Lenoir County District Court judge on a charge of false bomb report.

3 — Greene County breaks ground on new farmer’s market in Snow Hill.

4 — The Lenoir Community College baseball team opens its 2012 season with a sweep of Craven Community College.

4 — A 23-year-old “scared” Maury man, Justin Lequin “Jay” Wellington, leads authorities on a two-mile car and foot chase in Greene County. Wellington was wanted for misdemeanor larceny charges.

7 — A Kinston man, McKinley Gastelum Fogg, 31, is sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for illegal drug sales in the Pitt County area.

7 — Bethel Christian Academy’s Isaac Brown has his No. 41 jersey retired by the school after breaking the school’s all-time scoring record.

9 — Black & Veatch, the international engineering firm tasked with supervising the removal of sludge from Kinston’s defunct Peachtree Wastewater Treatment Plant, settled a lawsuit with the city for $500,000.

10 — The U.S. Department of Justice OKs nonpartisan elections in Kinston.

10 — The Kinston High School boys’ basketball team wins an unprecedented sixth straight regular season conference championship with a rout of host North Pitt.

13 — Filing for the local 2012 election cycle begins.

13 — N.C. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Walter Dalton visits Kinston.

13 — The Snow Hill Dollar General is robbed by two men with a handgun and shotgun.

15 — Kinston’s Ashlee Altise is eliminated from “American Idol” after being selected to go to Hollywood for the Fox-TV talent show.

17 — The Neuse River Music Festival kicks off at Lenoir Community College.

17 — Kinston High School’s boys and girls basketball teams win Eastern Plains 2A tournament titles at Viking Gymnasium against Tarboro, Farmville Central, respectively.

18 — A Farmville man, Cajron Rashan Hunter, is jailed under a $121,000 bond after leading Greene County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a 20-mile chase.

22 — Snow Hill Bojangles’ robbed for the second time in a month; 22-year-old Justin Lamar Tyson of Farmville arrested for the crime.

22 — Banks Elementary first-grader Crystal Cheyenne Cheston, 6, competes and wins at Amateur Night at the Apollo in New York City.

24 — District Court Judge Lonnie Carraway pleads guilty to driving while impaired in Snow Hill.

24 — The First Citizens Bank at 607 Plaza Blvd. is robbed at gunpoint.

25 — South Lenoir High School wins the 34th annual Quiz Bowl at the Kinston/Lenoir County Public Library.

25 — Sierra Kinsey Waller is named Miss Neuse 2012 at the Grainger-Hill Performing Arts Center.

26 — The Freedom Classic, a three-game series between the baseball teams of the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, concludes at Grainger Stadium. The Air Force Falcons win the series, two games to one.

Parker: Despite commercialism, true Christmas messages abound

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At one time, I was so disgusted by the commercialism and paganism of Christmas that I refused to celebrate the holiday. Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord, seemed drowned in flying reindeer, roasting chestnuts, frosty snowmen, and holiday evergreens.

“You will change your mind once you have children,” the well-meaning often told me.

I didn’t.

What did change my mind was realization that, even in the glitz of this tinsel time, I could properly observe a truly Christian version of this celebration. I remember hearing Christian writer and scholar R.J. Rushdoony once say, “If God the Father celebrated His Son’s birth with angelic announcements, certainly we are safe celebrating his birth today.”

Much like the Roman Catholic Church took the traditions of Saturnalia and turned them into “Christ-mass” in 350 AD, I look at the celebrations today as reflections of messages about Jesus.

I love Christmas lights, even though I never seem to find time to put any up on my house. More times than I like to remember, I have placed small grandchildren in my car and took them to look at Christmas lights. Most recently, Sandra and I rode around with Ben and Alli. When we saw lights on Ben’s side, we would call out “Ben’s side.” Then Ben, nearly three, took over.

When lights were on Alli’s side, he called out, “Alli lights.” When the lights were on his side, he said, “Ben lights.” In one simple moment, he turned lights into a game.

When I see lights, I remember Jesus is the light of the world. His light still shines in the darkness, and too often, the darkness simply does not comprehend the depth and meaning of that light. However, no darkness is strong enough to conquer even the weakest light.

When I see gaily lit Christmas trees, I think of another tree, a gruesome tree upon which the Prince of Glory died. In the Eighth Century, a poem appeared titled “The Dream of the Rood.” The Rood is the cross, and in this dream-vision, the Cross of Christ gives a heroic account of Jesus dying in its embrace.

In most epic poetry, a section deals with the arming of the hero. In this poem, the clever poet has a section best described as the disarming of the hero. Jesus lays aside everything and ascends the cross to fight his epic battle against sin, death and the devil.

(For anyone interested, Charles W. Kennedy’s translation of “The Dream of the Rood” from Old English into modern English is available online.)

Although I think we spend entirely too much time and money on “Christmas presents,” I use those gifts as a reminder of two things.

Tradition has merged the story of the birth of Jesus with the visit of the Wise Men, the Magi. Many nativity scenes feature the Magi, even though they did not appear until nearly two years after the birth of Jesus. Mary, Joseph and Jesus were living in a house when the Wise Men tracked them down.

But the three gifts the Magi brought have tremendous significance: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold is symbolic of the kingship of Christ. Remember: the Magi asked, “Where is he that is born the King of the Jews.” They understood the royalty of Christ.

Frankincense symbolizes his deity and his office as our great high priest. Myrrh was a particularly strange gift. Most of us would be taken aback to have someone offer a bottle of embalming fluid to our newborn baby, but myrrh was an embalming spice commonly used among the Jewish people during the time of Christ.

Christmas gifts remind me of the deeper, more significant gift: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God’s true Christmas gift did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to give the gift of everlasting life through His life, work, and death.

In the spirit of God’s most unspeakable gift, I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

 

Mike Parker is a columnist for The Free Press. You can reach him at mparker16@suddenlink.net or in care of this newspaper.

Thomas Stith selected as McCrory’s chief of staff

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In his capacity with UNC Chapel Hill, Thomas A. Stith III has worked closely with local entities in Eastern North Carolina communities — including Kinston — on economic development and community redevelopment projects.

Local leaders now hope Stith will bring the capacity of the Governor’s Office to bear and continue to work with them as he settles into his role as chief of staff for Gov.-elect Pat McCrory.

“Mr. Stith has been highly engaged with our urban planning and redevelopment efforts, which you’ve seen along the Hwy. 11 corridor,” said Kinston Mayor B.J. Murphy, referring to studies carried out by UNC students and faculty — who worked with Stith’s guidance — on the best ways to reinvigorate the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor.

Murphy continued: “I think by selecting Mr. Stith, (McCrory) has shown that he cares about Eastern North Carolina, and Mr. Stith has experience with municipalities and so that certainly plays well for local governments — besides the fact that Gov.-elect McCrory was a mayor himself.”

Stith is currently the director of McCrory’s transition team, which is laying the groundwork for the governor-elect to take office next month.

“The first step is to really get a good assessment of where we are at the departmental level and to assess which policies are currently operating efficiently, and which policies may need to be refined or changed,” Stith said Friday.

McCrory, the former mayor of Charlotte, is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 5, and give his inaugural address on Jan. 12.

Stith will become chief of staff once McCrory formally becomes governor.

“I feel it’s a significant responsibility, and one that I plan to dedicate all my experience to ensuring that we have a successful administration,” Stith said.

He served as program director for economic development in UNC’s Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, as well as a three-term Durham city councilman.

Stith has also worked with IBM and Progress Energy, co-founded the Michael Thomas Group marketing firm and served as vice president of the John W. Pope Civitas Institute.

“He just has a wide depth of knowledge on issues important to the governor and important to the state, and the governor is glad to have him leading his team,” said Chris Walker, communications director for the transition team.

 

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

Keepin’ it in the family

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A young Matt Maroules ate dinner at Christopher’s Café with his friends throughout his childhood — little, innocent, without a care in the world. 

He later weighed the option of college versus workforce into early adulthood. And after a few years of exploring, he decided to go with what’s always been in his heart: the food industry.

So now, he works the other end of the table.

The field has a two-fold meaning to Maroules. Sure he loves the restaurant business, but he is the third generation of Maroules men to work at the family-owned Christopher’s, established by his grandfather in 1969.

“My granddad started it from nothing,” said Maroules, one of three brothers, who’s next in line to take the reins. “My family has put so much time and effort into the restaurant, I’d hate to see it fail.”

For two years now, he’s been learning the ins and outs of running the business that began and has remained at 217 N. Queen Street for more than 40 years.

After spending some time at Pitt Community College and working at a hotel, he decided to head back to his hometown of Kinston, asking his dad, Christopher Maroules, Jr., if he needed extra help.

He said Leslie Garriss, his fiancée, also had something to do with his homecoming.

“She kind of motivated me to come back this way so we can be together,” he said. “She’s probably my No. 1 supporter because she’s pretty much doing the same thing; she’s learning through her parents her family business.”

Maroules’ work days vary as he learns to run the restaurant.

“There’s always a curveball,” he said. “I guess that why I like working in the food industry.”

He noted people have a common misconception that because it’s a family business, he gets to slack off.

“That’s not how it is here,” he said. “I try to carry my weight just like anybody else here.”

While he obviously works for his dad, he feels like his efforts are also for his late grandfather, Christopher Maroules, Sr. It’s what keeps him grounded to further the “conveniently” located eatery in the heart of downtown Kinston.

“People can walk here if they have to,” Maroules said. “It’s a good place for a family to come get a good quality dinner without having to reach too far deep in the pocket.”

He said the restaurant has taught him responsibility and to always treat people with respect. And naturally, he wants Christopher’s to be around as long as possible.

“Until I pass away, I’d love to see it here,” Maroules said. “Hopefully, my grandkids could potentially run the restaurant one day.”

 

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

 

BREAKOUT BOX:

Meet Me Monday

Name: Matt Maroules

Age: 25

Fun Fact: Attended both rival schools Kinston High and North Lenoir

New Chamber director brings corporate experience to Greene County

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SNOW HILL — Trudy B. Hardy is next in line to head the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. Larry and Rebecca Pate will be leaving their roles as co-directors Dec. 31.

Hardy officially begins Jan. 1. She is retiring from U.S. Cellular after more than 20 years and will gradually be closing out of her position as retail store manager over the next couple of months.

“I am extremely excited to begin my role as the Greene County Chamber of Commerce director,” she said.

Rebecca Pate said Hardy’s personality, familiarity with the county and corporate and small business owner background make her a good candidate for the position.

“We’re just very fortunate to have that caliber of a person that wants to be the director,” Larry Pate said about Hardy.

The Chamber Board of Directors entered silent votes for four candidates held in an open meeting following interviews by the board’s president, Mike Sugg. Eight of the nine members voted.

“The Greene County Chamber of Commerce is very excited with the selection of Trudy B. Hardy as its new chamber director,” Sugg said. “We were very fortunate to have four well-qualified candidates to apply for the director’s position.”

Hardy’s first job was administrative assistant with the Greene County Development Commission after graduating from Greene Central High School in 1966.

She worked at Nora’s, a clothing retail store, for five years until the owner retired. She then opened Trudy B. Hardy’s store in its place and ran it for more than seven years.

In 1991, she began working for U.S. Cellular as an outside sales representative and worked her way up into managing sales teams in the region, and later managing in particular retail stores as the new company experienced growth.

“I started with a sales team of nine and built it up to 22,” she said.

During her career, she traveled all over Eastern North Carolina and, at one point, her region included Virginia and South Carolina. Today, she works out of the two Kinston offices.

“I’ve had a journey with U.S. Cellular,” she said, “but it’s been wonderful.”

More recently, her mother, Litha Mae Britt, suffered a stroke. With Hardy being the only child, the Greene County native said she’d like to be closer to home.

“As soon as I learned Larry had resigned, I looked to see what I could do,” she said. “It couldn’t be more perfect. No. 1, because it’s something I know I will enjoy, and I’ve always had a real interest in businesses in Greene County.”

Hardy said she understands the challenges of owning a small business. Her agenda includes getting a handle on what’s taking place with the businesses in the county and finding out what direction the Chamber board would like to take.

“Certainly, my vision would be that it would be a thriving downtown,” she said about Snow Hill, adding she is just as interested in Walstonburg and Hookerton.

Hardy carries numerous accomplishments behind her, including being selected to serve as interim area sales manager in Portland, Maine, for three months in 2007 where she hit 100 percent of her sales goal in the first month and ranking in the top 10 in outside sales nationwide in the 1990s.

She was one of 20 who received national recognition by Jack Rooney, U.S. Cellular’s CEO, out of about 1,300 leaders in early 2000, and recently she was the first recipient of the Dynamic Organizations Award, a plan based on values, in Eastern North Carolina.

She will be following in the footsteps the Pates left after taking the membership from zero to more than 100.

“We were very pleased with (the Pates’) accomplishments,” Sugg said, “and they were very instrumental in leading our group.”

Sugg said his vision is for the Chamber to grow the membership, assist local businesses and increase fundraising.

Hardy said an active Chamber and growing and expanding business is “critical.”

“I am committed to build upon the foundation and strengths of the Chamber to continue promoting local Greene County businesses,” she said. “I am honored to serve the board in this position, but most especially to serve the businesses in Greene County, diligently working toward our future as a business community.”

 

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

Lenoir get your gun

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In the final days before Christmas, two items have topped Lenoir County residents’ shopping lists: guns and ammunition.

“We’ve been having aggressive sales, but we have aggressive sales this time of year, every year,” said Neuse Sport Shop President Russell Rhodes. “But it has been abnormally high.”

The fallout of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Connecticut took many forms, with one of them being new steps toward gun law reform from Congress and the White House. Reaction to possible legislation has taken the form of a preemptive spike in sales of firearms and ammunition.

“I don’t know how much the event that occurred in Connecticut played with going to get a gun — I guess that’s all tied together,” Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris Hill said. “But if I had to name a catalyst for why gun permits are at a fever pitch right now, it’s because of some statements made in Washington about gun control.”

Pickup trucks filled the parking lot of Neuse Sport Shop midday Friday as the firearms counter conducted brisk business. Some weapons and ammunition have been in such heavy demand that supply isn’t keeping up.

Rhodes said, however, the store is working to make sure everyone has equal access to the same merchandise.

“We’ve set a limit of five boxes per style (of ammunition) for any customer coming into the store,” Rhodes said. “They can buy five boxes of Type A, and then five boxes of Type B, but for any one caliber of gun, it’s five boxes. That helps us keep people from hoarding — taking all of one caliber and keeping other people from having the ability to buy.”

While customers at Neuse didn’t want to be quoted on the record, conversation about gun and ammo demand reflected back on statements by President Barack Obama regarding restrictive gun laws several days earlier.

Staff at the Walmart on U.S. 70 referred all questions to the store’s corporate media relations department, which in a message said it only reveals sales information on a quarterly basis.

The increase of gun ownership in the county can be seen acutely at the LCSO on Hill’s desk, where a 2-inch stack of yet-to-be-processed gun permit applications lay Friday afternoon.

“We’ve been so busy, I’ve been taking work home to try to stay on top of it, so people can get their gun permits,” Hill said. “We do exhaustive background (checks), and that takes time and staff to do those kind of things. We have seen an enormous amount of permit applications here. Not only for gun permits, but concealed weapon permits.”

The numbers speak for themselves. From Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 18, 2008, there were 643 gun permits and 245 concealed carry permits issued. During that period this year, there were 875 gun permits — along with 44 awaiting pick-up — and 562 concealed carry permits issued.

To put last week’s events in stark relief, 22 gun applications came into the LCSO from Dec. 6-12. That number more than doubled to 47 from Dec. 14-21; that means new applicants may have to wait a little longer than normal.

“We tell people seven days, but now we’ve been so inundated with gun permits, we’re now looking beyond seven days,” Hill said. “Although we’re trying to stay on top of it, and trying to turn them out as hard as we can go, we can’t guarantee seven days anymore.”

Even with concealed carry applications nearly doubling over this time four years ago, they’re still processed on a timely basis. State law requires a county sheriff’s office to issue a permit from a successful application within 45 days of receiving all necessary background documentation.

Hill said the LCSO is processing those applications fairly quickly.

 

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


Breakout Box

Lenoir County gun permits

Jan. 1-Dec. 18

2012: 875 (44 pending)

2011: 636

2010: 605

2009: 726

2008: 643

 

Lenoir County concealed carry permits

Jan. 1-Dec. 18

2012: 562

2011: 406

2010: 307

2009: 356

2008: 245

Time expiring for N.C. man to find brother's killer

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(AP)
 
Al Gentry is running out of time to find his brother's killer.
 
After years of chasing leads, he thought he'd found the person responsible for the 1986 murder an elderly Georgia widow who was married to his brother and left a decades-long trail of five dead husbands in five states.
 
Betty Neumar was charged in 2008 with three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder in the death of Harold Gentry.
 
But weeks before her trial in 2011, the 79-year-old Neumar died of cancer.
 
That hasn't stopped Gentry from continuing to press law enforcement authorities for answers.
 
Stanly County Sheriff Rick Burris says the case is no longer active, even though it's still open. He says they just don't have any new leads.

Jury rules that owner of historic N.C. inn set fire

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(AP)
 
The company that owned of a historic inn in Asheville that burned down four years ago won't be able to collect on a $6 million insurance policy after a federal jury ruled it help intentionally set the fire.
 
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that the ownership group, The Hammocks LLC, was responsible for the March 19, 2009, fire at the Richmond Hill Inn.
 
The 1889 Victorian mansion was completely consumed by the blaze. Though investigators ruled the cause of the fire was arson, there has never been an arrest in the case.
 
U.S. District Court Judge Martin Reidinger also ruled The Hammocks must pay the legal bills incurred by Harleysville Mutual Insurance Co. in fighting the lawsuit. William Gray, managing member of The Hammocks, declined to comment.

Kinston arrest reports

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The following arrests were reported by the Kinston Department of Public Safety:
 
Robert Agsten, 43, Kinston Hotel, Apt. 7B, Nov. 29, misdemeanor (charge not listed). Bond: $500. Arresting officer: B. Wells.
 
Quintem Tyler Williams, 21, 2800 Hodges Road, Kinston, Dec. 3, misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond: $100. Arresting officer: A. Kuenzi.
 
Alvin Leon Turnage, 53, 2106 Tower Hill Road, Kinston, Dec. 3, misdemeanor driving while license revoked, misdemeanor driving while impaired. Bond: $5,000. Arresting officer: E. Mills.
 
Victor Rashon Speller, 25, 3149 Crestwood Drive, Kinston, Dec. 3, misdemeanor assault on a female (domestic), misdemeanor second degree trespassing. Bond: None. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Chuck Ray Burns, 34, 4922 J.C. Village Road, La Grange, Dec. 3, misdemeanor failure to appear/expired registration card, misdemeanor failure to appear/expired/no inspection. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Marquis Jaquon Bizzell, 19, 111 Rehum IVKeara Drive, Kinston, felony assault inflicting serious injury, felony common law robbery. Bond: $100,000. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Qwashaun Herring, 20, 700 Joyner Drive, Kinston, Dec. 3, felony assault inflicting serious injury, felony common law robbery. Bond: $100,000. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Johnnie Ray Jones, 37, 1147 Alice Wright Road, La Grange, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear/show cause. Bond: $750. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Tavon Rashad Green, 17, 807-C Simon Bright Apt., Kinston, Dec. 4, two counts misdemeanor possession of stolen property. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: B. Wells.
 
Tavon Rashed Green, 17, 802 S. McDaniels St., Apt. C, Kinston, Dec. 4, misdemeanor possession of stolen goods. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: E. Mills.
 
Tony Trashawn Rogers Barrow, 27, 1574 Cotton Patch Lane, Kinston, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear/driving while license revoked, misdemeanor failure to appear/expired/no inspection. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Stephen Irwin Crooms, 37, 2209 Old Snow Hill Road, Kinston, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear/no operators license. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Erica NMN Lawson, 25, 2159 Pin Oak Drive, Kinston, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear/speeding, misdemeanor failure to appear/canceled/revoked tags. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Michael Raymond Boucher, 27, 3923 Brothers Road, La Grange, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear/expired registration tag. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Antonio Lee Fields, 50, Super 8 Motel, Kinston, Dec. 4, (classification not listed) order for arrest/parole violation. Bond: None. Arresting officer: Bayless.
 
Frederick Lemuel Smith, 62, 1229 Tuscarora Rhems Road, Dec. 4, misdemeanor driving while impaired. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: B. Wells.
 
Alvin Leon Turnage, 53, 2106 Tower Hill Road, Dec. 4, misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond: $1,000. Arresting officer: E. Mills.
 
Desmond Lovell Pearson, 22, 316 E. Grainger Ave., Kinston, Dec. 4, felony assault inflicting serious injury, felony common law robbery. Bond: $100,000. Arresting officer: J. Hewitt.
 
Ofelia Palacio Flores, 39, 2158 Spring Branch Road, Kinston, Dec. 5, misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: J. Metts.
 
Reginald Dawson, 35, 1715 U.S. 17 N., New Bern, Dec. 5, misdemeanor failure to appear/resist/obstruct/delay. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: C. Glover.
 
Shonita Barfield, 24, 153 Wellington, Greenville, Dec. 5, misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond: $1,000. Arresting officer: J. Metts.
 
David Jae Yoo, 34, Connecticut, Dec. 5, felony fugitive. Bond: None. Arresting officer: J. Moody.
 
Raymond Dove Jr., 44, 222 William Luke Road, Kinston, Dec. 6, misdemeanor failure to appear/driving while licence revoked, misdemeanor failure to appear/no operators license, misdemeanor driving while license revoked. Bond: $1,500. Arresting officer: B. Price.

Lenoir County arrest reports

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The following arrests were reported by the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office. Some classifications (misdemeanor/felony) not listed:
 
Gloria Faith Taylor, 42, 1712 Olivia Road, Kinston, Nov. 30, order for arrest/failure to appear/resisting public officer. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: C. Heath.
 
Derek Nathaniel Peele, 21, 1564 Tall Pines Lane, Greenville, Nov. 30, order for arrest/failure to appear/registration card/tag. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: C. Heath.
 
Louis Biaggio Maiorano, 26, 2346 Cobb Road, Kinston, Nov. 30, misdemeanor larceny. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: C. Heath.
 
John Franklin Kennedy, 50, 247 Wallace Walker Road, Albertson, Nov. 30, three counts failure to appear on traffic. Bond: $2,000. Arresting officer: D. Curington.
 
Davine Marquse Carr, 18, 2201 Old Snow Hill Road, Kinston, Nov. 30, resisting public officer, no operators license. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: D. Curington.
 
Brianna Trinity Radcliffe, 16, 129 Smith Grady Road, Kinston, Nov. 30, consume under age, resist/obstruct/delay. Bond: $250. Arresting officer: D. Kennedy.
 
Larry Darnell Howard, 37, 1541 W. Pleasant Hill Road, Pink Hill, Nov. 30, order for arrest/failure to appear/simple affray/resisting public officer. Bond: $2,000. Arresting officer: M. Manning.
 
Kenneth Lee Johnson, 56, 387 Shorepoint Drive, Wilmington, Nov. 30, misdemeanor possession of open container. Bond: Other. Arresting officer: D. Kennedy.
 
Raymond Joseph Radcliffe, 44, 129 Smith Grady Road, Deep Run, Dec. 1, assault on a female. Bond: None. Arresting officer: D. Kennedy.
 
Tanya Letchworth, 42, 5037 Buchorn Road, Hookerton, Dec. 1, two counts worthless checks. Bond: $2,000. Arresting officer: D. Curington.
 
Eric Philip Harper, 22, 100 Leighton Drive, Lot 7, Pink Hill, Dec. 1, felony possession of schedule II. Bond: $2,500. Arresting officer: D. Curington.
 
Treava Charlene Holloway, 38, address not listed, Kinston, Dec. 1, simple physical assault. Bond: None. Arresting officer: R. Ferris.
 
Martin Luther Peele Jr., 55, 3476 N.C. 58, Kinston, Dec. 1, misdemeanor fail to work after being paid. Bond: $500. Arresting officer: D. Kennedy.

Track Santa on radar

State alerts Greene Co. of ‘serious financial problems’

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SNOW HILL — For the second year in a row, Greene County has received a warning from the Department of State Treasurer concerning its audit, but this year’s three-page letter is requiring “immediate” corrective action.

“The county has serious financial problems which the county’s governing board must address immediately,” the warning states.

The letter dated Dec. 12 and signed by Sharon Edmundson, director of the Fiscal Management Section, addresses a number of concerns, including the percentage of fund balance available to support operations was 6.32 percent on June 30. The available balance was $1.1 million — less than a month’s expenditures. Statewide, comparative-sized governments average nearly 28 percent.

“Fund balance declined primarily because the county significantly over-estimated its revenues in the 2012 budget,” the letter states. “Some of this amount was offset by a reduction in expenditures from what was appropriated, but not enough to prevent a significant depletion of fund balance by over $1.6 million. The county cannot afford to continue this practice.”

At the county’s Dec. 17 meeting, Snow Hill resident Tom O’Brien, in referring to commissioners’ remarks about not getting financial reports, said he had never been to a meeting where financial statements were not “part of the meeting.”

“We felt like for months, as a group, the shortfall was going to be serious,” he said.

The town of Snow Hill experienced a similar problem in 2010 when Edmundson came to a public meeting to address the budget concerns following the town’s audit report.

Snow Hill Commissioner Becki Scarborough said town commissioners hadn’t been receiving a monthly or quarterly report on the financial statements, either, prior to the visit.

“It’s very concerning,” Scarborough said. “I think it’s time to step back and be thoughtful and considerate of the decisions (county commissioners) are making.”

Scarborough said the town’s unrestricted funds are now at 76 percent, or about $840,000.

Another factor with the county’s financial state was the advancement of $661,925 from the general fund to other funds — some being the result of timing issues, while others stem from project or other long-term commitment cost overruns. Those that will not be repaid should be written off, the letter advises.

The collection rates were improperly budgeted for 97.44 percent for property tax and 87.85 percent for vehicle tax revenues. State law requires the budgeted property tax estimation cannot exceed the previous year’s collection rate.

For vehicle tax, the budgetary estimation for motor vehicles must be the collection rate for nine months of taxes levied through March and the 12 months of collection efforts.

The 2011 collection rate for property tax was 96.56 percent, and the estimated vehicle tax should have been budgeted as 86.01 percent.

Some utility and alternative water expenditures exceeded appropriations.

“The number of over-expenditures has significantly decreased from previous years;” the letter continues, “however, the county must continue to improve its pre-audit process.”

The N.C. Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act requires expenditures to be budgeted before the county obligates for the funds to be spent.

The finance officer and his or her sureties are legally liable for funds dispersed without those funds actually being included or amended in the budget, the letter states.

The county must amend the budget to correct these problems and develop a financial plan explaining how it will prevent a similar situation from occurring again.

The state is requesting a copy of the budget amendment and updated budget, most recent interim financial reports and the corrective action plan signed by each board member. The state is also requesting statements of actual revenues that may not be realized and an estimate of the savings to be generated by a proposed hiring freeze and travel restrictions.

The 2011 audit also generated a letter from the state dated Jan. 1, 2012. State staff worked with the county to correct the deficiencies and the county obtained approval by the Local Government Commission to incur multiple debts on the basis that the county was improving its methods and in compliance with the LBFC Act, according to the most recent letter.

The county’s 2011 audit was submitted Jan. 3, 2012, missing the Oct. 31, 2011 deadline. As was the case this year, the county didn’t budget for certain utility fund expenditures. Over-expenditures were also found in the jail project fund, and a budget wasn’t adopted for the April 2011 tornado fund.

“We are especially concerned that the auditor reported as a material weakness that USDA loan covenants and debt service reserve requirements were not being met;” the January letter states, “reconciliations of ledgers to underlying accounting records had not been done at year end; and the fixed asset spreadsheet had a significant number of errors and omissions.”

The reconciliation of ledgers to accounting records was a repeat finding from the previous year.

 

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

 

Breakout box:

The fund balance dropping below state requirement is the result of:

n Over-expenditures in the utility fund

n Over-estimation of revenues in the budget

n Advancements from the general fund to other funds

n Over-estimation of property and motor vehicle tax revenues

Source: Department of State Treasurer’s Office

Family receives truck from NFL player

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JACKSONVILLE — The season of giving has been a particularly special one for a Jacksonville couple on the receiving end of back-to-back gifts that will make a big difference in their lives.

Sgt. Justin Hunter and his wife, SSgt. Cherie Hunter, both Marine veterans, celebrated a random act of kindness Sunday when they traveled to Garner to pick up the title and keys to a 2009 Ford F-250 pick-up. The truck was being donated to them by football star Mario Williams, a Richlands native who is now a defensive end with the Buffalo Bills.

The Hunters have never met Williams but said they will benefit greatly from his generosity.

For Cherie Hunter, it will mean reliable transportation as she pursues a culinary career following her service in the Marine Corps. Her goal is to open a catering business in Jacksonville featuring international cuisine.

But their 1999 Sonoma has its share of problems and recently left her stranded at a rest area along I-40 while she was traveling to classes at the Culinary Art Institute program in Durham.

“Our truck is on its last leg and this gift will really help with all the travel,” she said.

Williams wanted to help a family in North Carolina and initially contacted the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which then contacted North Carolina-based Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit that provides housing solutions for service connected disabled veterans.

Purple Heart Homes provided the names of several potential families for the truck donation and the Hunters were chosen. Prior to hearing about the truck donation, the Hunters learned they had been selected by Purple Heart Homes to receive renovations to their home.

“It’s one blessing after another and we’re truly thankful for everything,” Cherie Hunter said.

Justin, 34, and Cherie, 33, met 14 years ago at a Marine recruiting office. They dated two weeks, headed off to boot camp and returned home to be married six months later. They have four children: Shawn, 9; Tatyana, 7; Jonathan, 6; and David, 4.

Justin Hunter served from 1990 to 2005, with two tours of duty in Iraq. He returned home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and experiences severe bouts of depression.

Cherie Hunter served from 1998-2007. She was stationed in California during Operation Enduring Freedom as an aviation supply specialist.

The Hunters applied to Purple Heart Homes for assistance after learning about the program through retired Marine Jim Davis of Richlands, who received a handicap accessible home through the program in 2011.

Through a grant from The Home Depot Foundation, the Hunters will have renovations done to their home beginning in January. Renovations will include a new HVAC system, kitchen, bathroom, plumbing, electrical, carpeting, and vinyl siding.

 

Contact Daily News reporter Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jannette.pippin@jdnews.com.

Column: Fungus a danger at Christmas

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Right off the bat, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read the Kinston Free Press on Christmas Day. Those of you who subscribe to the paper or purchase it from a vending machine should be applauded for your desire to keep up on current events.

Even if you chose to steal this paper from your neighbor’s yard for the coupons, we appreciate that you like us enough to commit a misdemeanor.

On Sunday, Tax Deduction No. 2 was having trouble getting out of character after a three-week run as Travis Bickle in a local production of “Taxi Driver,” so I put her in the car and headed west to finish some shopping.

While I was busy removing cigarettes and incendiary devices from TD No. 2’s coat pockets, The Wife made a request:

“Don’t let her go to sleep in the car,” she said. “It’ll mess up her nap this afternoon.”

Within seconds, the hum of the tires rolling down the road reset TD No. 2’s disposition to a more acceptable level. As we drove through La Grange, we stopped and spoke to Paulette Burroughs as she picked up cans alongside the highway.

“How do ya like my new orange jumpsuit?” Paulette said with her usual good humor. “This sure is some good community service weather, ain’t it?”

As Paulette stretched out on the hood of my car to take a breather, she started talking about the gifts she’d purchased for her grandchildren. This discussion sparked a few fond Christmas memories of my own.

I recalled the Christmas morning when I put a series of James Brown and Van Halen tapes in my sister’s brand new “Teddy Ruxpin” talking bear. There is nothing more awesome than watching a toy bear belt out “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” while his mechanical eyes that were built to handle slow, gentle tempos roll right out of his head and down the hall.

I became so preoccupied with remembering Christmases gone by that I forgot Paulette was laying on my car when I drove off. For a minute, I was confused by the strange site of a person shoulder-rolling down U.S. 70 at an alarming rate of speed.

Realizing my error, I drove back to see if Paulette was OK. She was skint up pretty bad and had landed in the middle of a fire ant hill. Luckily, the fumes from her “medicine thermos” killed most of the ants and caused the rest to start looking for a Jimmy Buffet concert.

I eventually made it to a book store in Goldsboro. For any readers below the age of 15, a book store is a building filled with books, periodicals and $9 cups of coffee. They’re trying to integrate with Kindle’s and Nooks, but within five years, book stores will be relegated to the same remote island where VHS tapes, the record industry, film-based cameras and Joey Lawrence now reside.

As usual, the tempestuous toddler turned on the charm for total strangers. The writhing yelps of anguish we’d experienced all morning were replaced with dimples and delightful cries of “Hey!” to every person within earshot of a hammerhead fruit bat.

This is the same entity that 20 minutes earlier started screaming “Help!, Help!” in the parking lot when I leaned down to tie her shoe. It only took another 20 minutes to convince the responding officer that this was, in fact, my child.

On the way home she started to dose off. I reached back and tickled her knee, which woke her up for a minute or so before she started to nod off again. I rolled the window down to let in a cold blast of air, which — if anything — seemed to make her more comfortable. A few Cheerios bought a few more minutes, but the Sandman and I were definitely arm-wrestling for her mortal soul.

TD No. 1 had attended a wedding Friday night and had left her silver dress shoes in the front seat. In an act of desperation, I handed the shoe to her little sister, thinking the strings and bows would occupy her for a few more minutes.

Instead of playing with the shoe laces, she buried her face in the shoe as if it were an antihistamine.

“That’s so good!” she exclaimed as she came up for air.

“It’s not a flower, sweetie!” I said as she pulled the shoe back up to her face as if it were her only source of oxygen.

Since the shoes had only been worn once, I figured there wasn’t anything too horrifying living in them yet. The idiots around me on the highway were threatening to cause a 10-car pile-up anyway, so I decided it would be easier to explain a case of athletes face to a pediatrician than to have an accident, so I let her inhale away.

Of course, at the next stoplight, someone who knows me from the paper rolled down their window to alert me that the child in the back of my car was asleep face down in a shoe.

“Thanks for reading The Free Press!” was the only reply I could come up with.

On the way home, I started thinking about past Christmases again. I remembered my friend Prozac calling me up one Christmas asking for help decorating his tree. I drove over to find him standing with a needle and string, cursing to himself under his breath. He’d apparently been having trouble stringing up popcorn to put on the tree.

I walked over and checked out the needle; it was fine. The string seemed strong enough for the job. A few seconds later I suggested it may make his job easier if he were to pop the popcorn before trying to string it up.

It wasn’t exactly a Christmas miracle, but it did give me something I could hold over him for years to come.

Merry Christmas.

 

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.


Taking a look back at March, April 2012

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March

1 — Pink Hill World War II veteran John Worthington shares his thoughts on being knighted in France’s Legion of Honor.

2 — The U.S. Coast Guard announces the body of Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor, a Snow Hill native, was recovered after the helicopter he was on crashed in Mobile Bay off the Alabama coast.

3 — The Kinston High boys’ basketball team defeats Reidsville 71-61 in the NCHSAA 2A Eastern Regional tournament in Fayetteville to advance to the state finals. The KHS girls’ team is defeated 61-28 by Jordan-Matthews in its first appearance in a regional final game.

6 — Robert Earl “Hotfoot” Smith, 69, of La Grange, is sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, due to his shooting of two men he suspected of robbing his in-home poker game.

10 — The KHS Vikings defeat Waxhaw Cuthbertson 58-55 to win the 2A state championship, the third state basketball title for Kinston in five years and the eighth in the history of the school.

12 — The Jones County Cotton Gin is fined by the state for safety violations, believed to have contributed to the accidental death of an employee.

12 — U.S. Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters from Cherry Point take part in an unannounced nighttime training mission over Lenoir County, causing confusion among residents. The general in charge of the pilots’ unit later apologizes to local officials and residents.

14 — Investigators discover more than 80 dogs in an alleged puppy mill in Trenton.

15 — The N.C. State Board of Elections approves Sunday early voting for Lenoir County, despite public outcry and an intervention by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir.

17 — Common Ground of ENC is awarded a grant and garden tools through the Fiskars Project Orange Thumb to help with its community garden project, one of 10 organizations in the U.S. and Canada to receive such grants.

20 — The mother of the late Melissa Platt shares her suspicions about the 2008 death of her daughter. The death was ruled accidental as a result of a fall while intoxicated, but Platt’s mother suspects her then-boyfriend, Joey Tyndall, beat her and staged the scene to make it appear that she fell. Law enforcement has investigated and cleared Tyndall, and prosecutors have declined to take further action.

22 — Longtime Free Press Chief Photographer Charles Buchanan passes away at age 63. Buchanan worked for The Free Press full time for nearly 36 years and won dozens of awards for his photographs from the N.C. Press Association. Free Press sportswriter David Hall describes Buchanan as “Kinston’s visual historian.”

23 — Marilyn Patrick takes over as executive director of Kinston ICOR.

27 — A Wake County judge strikes down changes to the state’s annexation process passed by the Republican-led state Legislature in 2011.

29 — Simeon Meadows is found not guilty of shooting and nearly killing the pregnant mother of his twin children

31 — Devin Swann of Raleigh, the consecutive four-time men’s winner of Kinston’s Run for the River 8K, is dethroned by Ryan Woods of Boone. Heather Magill of Wilmington remains the reigning women’s champ, taking her fifth straight first-place title.

 

April

2 — Montez Garner, Kinston’s most-wanted fugitive, is caught by Texas authorities and charged with attempted first-degree murder after an 18-month manhunt.

4 — A small group of people rallies on the steps of the Lenoir County Courthouse in honor of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin; the rally was organized by People’s Organization for Progress.

4 — Former Jones Senior High School athletic coach Vaughn Chance is arrested for “inappropriate contact” with three female students.

7 — More than 100 local children turn out for the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library’s inaugural Easter egg hunt.

9 — Representatives of Spirit AeroSystems and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers share their views on a vote by 126 workers at Spirit’s Kinston plant to join the IAMAW.

10 — U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., presents $2.7 million in federal grants and loans to Kinston officials to build two fire stations.

11 — Fifteen canoers and kayakers representing Hope Floats, an organization dedicated to raising funds for cancer research, paddle through Kinston on a 225-mile trek down the Neuse River from Raleigh to Beaufort.

11 — Pink Hill Police Chief Joey Thigpen gets the go-ahead to hire a part-time officer to bolster the local force.

11 — Four men are arrested in Jones County for attempting to BASE jump off of WCTI ABC-12’s 2,000-foot tower near Trenton.

14 — Local radio personality and active Republican Party member Fred “Rusty Springs” Riggs passes away.

15 — Kinston High School sweeps the annual Free Press basketball awards; Josh Dawson is named the boys’ basketball player of the year, Tisha Dixon is named the girls’ top player, while Wells Gulledge and Hubert Quinerly earn top coaches’ awards in boys and girls, respectively.

16 — Greene County residents mark one year since a massive tornado tore through the Snow Hill area.

17 — Annual six-day Grifton Shad Festival begins.

18 — Surveys are made available to local businesses to gauge their views on bringing a passenger airline to Kinston.

19 — Early voting begins for the May 2012 primary election.

19 — Kinston Mayor B. J. Murphy and the Lenoir County Historical Association celebrate the 250th anniversary of the dropping of the “G” from the city’s name in 1776.

21 — Members of the Kinston Aero-Modelers hold their second annual Fly-In, dedicated to late Free Press Chief Photographer Charles Buchanan.

22 — 17-year-old Rasheed Jones, who was killed at the intersection of Independence Street and Peyton Avenue on April 22, 2010, is memorialized on the anniversary of his death.

25 — One person is killed in a fiery collision between two tractor-trailer trucks at U.S. 258 and Albrittons Road.

26 — Former Kinston High School football star Quinton Coples is selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

29 — More than 400 people turn out for Sunday voting at Vernon Park Mall, the highest number for early voting in the 2012 primary.

Safety doesn’t take a holiday

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Crimes and fires don’t strike only when it’s convenient.

Police officers and firefighters with the Kinston Department of Public Safety are on the job today like any other day, except it’s not any other day. Balancing family needs with your sworn duty to the city can take some work on Christmas.

“You know, it’s kind of challenging, actually,” Sgt. Roland Davis said. “I can’t speak for everybody, but I know in my family, there’s lots of demands. My wife’s family lives in Rock Hill, S.C. My folks live in Kenly, and I’ve got a 20-year-old college student — he kind of bounces back and forth in between the two.

“Having to work on the holiday — if my wife had packed up and gone to South Carolina, I would have been here by myself. I wouldn’t have gotten so much as a Christmas dinner.”

At the Fire and Rescue Division, at least three people are covering for others so they can spend Christmas at home.

“I don’t have any children, so I’m doing what we call a ‘shift trade,’ where we trade time for time, between firefighters,” Fire Control Specialist Matthew Barwick said. “I’m working for a firefighter who’s got a 5-year-old son so he can be home with his family.”

Two firefighters are taking vacation days, but the second person had to call in at 6:30 a.m. to make sure no one called in sick, and come in if necessary to make sure the trucks are fully staffed.

Of course, not everyone can work their schedule to get time off.

“What’s tough is I’ve got some guys who work with my group who have 4- or 5-year-olds,” Davis said. “They’re working the Christmas holiday, and you’ve got a 4- or 5-year-old son or daughter who comes up to you and says, ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy, when are you going to be home for Christmas?’

“That’s when it’s tough.”

On the job, there are variations on what to expect. Barwick said firefighters are aware that as families gather, there’s an increased chance of kitchen- or cooking-based structure fires, and the subsequent necessity of making sure everyone escapes the fire safely.

The Law Enforcement Division also has its eye out for events that tend to become prevalent during the holidays.

“The holidays, traditionally speaking, it seems like we have increased alcohol consumption, and when people drink more than they should, that lends itself to all kinds of issues,” Davis said. “Domestic (disturbances); the suicide rate is higher around the holidays. It also seems like the shopliftings and larcenies go up around the holidays.”

Davis also said that people should pay attention while on the road. With so many distractions, it’s important to pay attention to the matter at hand and avoid getting into a wreck.

Regardless if they can’t be at home, KDPS members are celebrating with another family.

“The real difference is there’s a lot more camaraderie among the shift members because they know it is Christmas,” Barwick said. “They take pride in being able to serve the city on Christmas Day,”

 

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

Grifton man suffers gunshot wound to the head

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A Grifton man suffered a gunshot wound to the head around 3 a.m. Saturday in La Grange.

According to a Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office statement, Eric Roach, 22, was found by his cousin, Bobby Dawson, outside of the residence at 308 W. Queen St. Investigators believe Roach had been gambling with friends and was shot when he left the house.

The N.C. Department of Correction released Roach from custody Dec. 17 for a conviction relating to the sale of Schedule II narcotics. The LCSO release states he’s in a local hospital in serious condition. Representatives of Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Vidant Medical Center and Wayne Memorial Hospital all say Roach is not currently in care of any of those facilities.

Detectives Jerry Elmore and Chris Jenkins are investigating the case and have developed a suspect in connection with the incident.

 

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

Spirit donates $10,000 to Mary’s Kitchen / Names in the news

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Spirit donates $10,000 to Mary’s Kitchen

On Dec. 13, during the mid-day meal service, representatives from Spirit AeroSystems’ Kinston offices presented the rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, the Rev. Michael Singer, and Marilyn Wiggins, director of Mary’s Kitchen, a donation for $10,000.

Wiggins applied for the grant earlier in the fall and was notified a few weeks ago by Spirit AeroSystems that Mary’s Kitchen was selected as a Spirit’s 2012 Supplier Golf Tournament Charity fund recipient.

Wiggins didn’t tell anyone about the donation until right before the presentation. The volunteer staff and patrons were totally surprised.

Wiggins said the money couldn’t have come at a better time as she has recently completed some much needed improvements for the organization.

Kelly Column: Keeping food safe for the holidays

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There’s just no way around it — holiday meals result in holiday leftovers. Today we know much more than years ago about keeping food safe for round two. Don’t waste those good eats — be creative and use them in new recipes. But be safe first.

Refrigerate leftover foods quickly. A general rule is refrigerating after two hours. Keep the refrigerator set below 40 degrees and avoid overloading.

Use this guide for keeping holiday leftovers safe in the refrigerator: Vegetables, pasta, sliced ham, beef, poultry, pork, fish, soups, stews and casseroles will keep three to four days; gravy and stuffing will keep one to two days; seafood, two days; deli-counter meats, five days; rice, seven days.

With leftover bread, try these simple solutions. Leftover yeast breads and quick breads (like banana or pumpkin) make delicious French toast the next morning. Top with fresh fruit or fruit compote, made from leftover fruit. To make the fruit topping, warm fruit and juice on top of the stove. Thicken slightly with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch).

Stale, crusty bread and rolls can be cubed and used in your favorite bread pudding recipe. Serve warm with a caramel topping.

Quiche is a creative use of leftover veggies. Fill an empty pie shell with finely-chopped vegetable leftovers, shredded cheese and diced ham. Beat together three eggs, 1 cup evaporated skim milk, and a dash of salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the veggies and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, until filling is set.

Try these options for leftover meats. Slice leftover turkey, adding some buffalo sauce and canned lettuce, tomato and blue cheese. Wrap mixture in soft tortillas. These are tasty buffalo turkey wraps.

Serve a turkey fajita. Stir-fry leftover sliced turkey, fajita seasoning, onions and peppers until warm. Serve in warm tortillas. Top with salsa and sour cream.

A stir-fry dish is a tasty combination of leftover veggies and turkey. Sauté vegetables and chopped turkey. Add a little soy sauce, orange juice and ginger. Serve over quick-cooking rice.

 

Holiday Leftover Vegetable Beef Soup

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds leftover cooked meat (beef, turkey, chicken, ham or sausage)

64 ounces beef stock or broth, or chicken broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Italian seasoning, to taste

Ketchup, to taste

2 cups cooked green beans (or any vegetables on hand or in the fridge)

2 cups cooked green peas

2 cups cooked corn

2 cups cooked carrots (use the carrot sticks from the party trays, cook and chop into pieces)

2 cups of cooked diced potatoes

Cherry tomatoes and chopped green or bell pepper if desired (party tray leftovers)

1 (32-ounce) can vegetable juice or tomato juice

1 packet instant au jus or instant onion soup

 

In a large pot, cook onions, celery and garlic in butter or oil until onions are golden.

Stir in the chopped cooked meat. Add the broth, vegetable juice and the Worcestershire, stirring to mix, and seasoning to taste with Italian seasoning and ketchup (how much you add will depend on how seasoned the meat and broth already are, so be careful here).

Once the soup base is set, add the vegetables one by one. Add the au jus or instant onion soup and additional water or beef broth if needed. Let the soup simmer on the stove for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Cool, divide into cartons and containers and freeze until needed (omit potatoes if planning to freeze; they get mushy).

Serve with hot buttered cornbread.

 

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.

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