Bryan Hanks and Jon Dawson are joined by Nick Stevens of HighSchoolOT.com and WRAL CBS-5, the preeminent authority on high school sports in North Carolina. Stevens and Hanks talk about this week's HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational, in which Kinston High School is taking part at Raleigh Broughton High School.
CLICK HERE to listen to the show.
WASHINGTON— In today’s world of social media, where everyone’s every little thing is on display, it is sometimes difficult to recall a time when exhibitionism wasn’t ubiquitous and was, in fact, not admired.
Such are the inevitable thoughts upon perusing Kitty Kelley’s lovely new book — yes, lovely — about John F. Kennedy as seen through the eyes, or more accurately, the lens of her friend, photojournalist Stanley Tretick.
Kelley, notorious for her unauthorized biographies of such luminaries as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra and more recently Oprah, narrates the book, “Capturing Camelot,” which is essentially a photo album filled with about 200 images, including many iconic shots (John-John under his father’s desk), as well as many never before seen. The narrative provides just enough fresh information to justify yet another book about JFK.
Kelley inherited the photos, as well as memos and keepsakes, that Tretick kept in a trunk and left to her upon his death in 1999. Tretick once told Kelley playfully that the trunk was filled with nude photos. Instead, she found a treasure trove.
Kelley’s book is thus a story with many layers: Her own friendship with Tretick; his with the Kennedys; the Kennedys among themselves. Tretick’s photographs and notes provide a wider angle through which to glimpse the president and first lady, about whom we already know so much.
Is there anything left to know about JFK?
A picture is worth a thousand words, we have heard a thousand times, but some tell more than others. And sometimes the picture not taken tells us even more. These would include photos Kennedy specifically asked Tretick not to shoot. Not that Tretick always acquiesced but the relationship between the president and the photographer seems to have been one of mutual respect.
A photographer is perfectly positioned to reveal truths beyond the camera. He is essentially an authorized peeping Tom. Unlike the paparazzi who steals intimacy with a telescopic lens, the authorized photographer is invited to a most-intimate gathering.
Part of what one discovers, or rediscovers, about Kennedy upon reading Tretick’s notes is that the man irrevocably associated with womanizing (thanks in part to Kelley’s own expose in “Jackie Oh!”), was in most other ways a class act — humble, authentic, dignified and uninterested in being an object of adulation.
How refreshing and, these days, how rare.
In one memo Kelley fished from the trunk, he described Kennedy as “extremely polite, great sense of humor, quick as a rapier on the uptake, hard to top, cannot stand posing for pictures, expresses displeasure if he knows you caught him off guard in a photo that might not be to his liking ... absolutely rebels at any photo that shows him eating or drinking.”
Kennedy also hated being photographed in hats because he felt corny and silly. Among more-contemporary politicians, President Obama seems to have harnessed this lesson better than most. Memorable in the annals of unfortunate headwear was, of course, then-Gov. Michael Dukakis, whose fate as a presidential candidate in 1988 may have been sealed by a photo of him wearing a military helmet and taking a spin in a tank.
Kennedy also objected to public displays of affection, which was commonly understood to be, well, common. Only people bereft of education and what used to be known as manners displayed affection in public. Whose business are one’s emotions, anyway? Ah. But they’re everyone’s today. We can hardly get through an hour without expressing to online “friends,” otherwise known as virtual strangers, our every waking experience, from what food we’ve consumed to who we spotted across the restaurant.
No one understood the value of image better than Kennedy, who defeated Richard Nixon in 1960 by a mere 100,000 votes out of 68 million cast, in part because he was surpassingly telegenic compared to the sweat-soaked Nixon. Even so — and impressively in our age of photo-ops and endless spin — Kennedy wanted nothing captured on camera that wasn’t real. If it didn’t happen, he wouldn’t pose and pretend that it had.
Again, refreshing and rare.
There’s no telling how Kennedy would have navigated our 24/7 media world, in which everyone with a phone is a photographer, and respect for personal space is nonexistent. As we ponder these what-ifs, one is grateful that there was once a Camelot, if only in America’s idea of itself, so beautifully captured by a remarkable photographer and given permanence by Kelley, who has a sweet side after all.
Kathleen Parker writes this column for the Washington Post Writers Group. Readers can reach her via email at kathleenparker@washpost.com.
For Christians, Christmas is a day of worship, a day of miracle and mystery, the day the baby Jesus arrived in his unique incarnation as God-made-man. This paradox of Jesus’ nature as both fully God and fully human only adds to the sense of mystery, awe, joy and love with which he is worshipped on Christmas.
Philosophers and theologians throughout the ages have observed the seemingly universal human impulse to seek God. The Christian theology of “God-mademan,” unlike other religions, uniquely emphasizes God’s mission to seek his children.
Equal with God, prophesied as Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus’ prophetic mission called men and women back to God, so they could, as did the Prodigal Son, return home to the father where they belonged. As a man Jesus was acquainted with sorrow and grief so he could comfort those who mourn and heal the brokenhearted.
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his consequent resurrection gave those who believe in him the gift of eternal companionship with God.
Moreover, the image of God is revived within believers, so they might love the Lord with all their hearts, minds and souls.
The impact, throughout the ages, of Christ’s appearance in the world cannot be denied. The birth of this baby in Bethlehem eventually led to an evangelistic explosion, which according to the book of Acts of the Apostles, began in Jerusalem, spread through Judea and Samaria and “even to the remotest part of the world.” History tells us that the Roman Empire fell to Christianity under Emperor Constantine.
Today, Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with more than 2 billion adherents; it is preached in remote parts of the world never fathomed by the author of Acts.
And so we give due respect to the Christian faith, which has broken beyond the boundaries of whatever may have seemed possible in the first century, while we also celebrate every person’s right to freely worship and articulate their beliefs.
Christmas reminds us of the responsibility and necessity to seek and value all that is good in this world.
We pray that, today of all days, those who feel lost may be found, that those who mourn will fi nd comfort and that prodigals may be welcomed home. When genuine love is extended to our families, friends and neighbors, we just may find that the miracle and mystery of Christmas still has the power to change the world.
Merry Christmas.
This editorial originally appeared in The Free Press in 2007.
May
1 — Grainger Stadium hosts week for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics baseball tournament.
3 — Authorities say computers could lose Internet in July, following the arrest of four Estonian computer criminals.
4 — Former Kinston policeman, Gordon Eisenhower Jackson, is found innocent in pepper-spray incident.
5 — Kinston High School basketball coach, Wells Gulledge, receives the key to the city.
7 — John Bell edges out incumbent Stephen LaRoque in House District 10 Primary election.
9 — Former UNC/Kinston High defensive back, Christopher Hawkins, is arrested in a May 3 shooting into a Kinston home.
9 — Thirty-six students in the inaugural class at Lenoir County Early High School graduate.
9 — Andy’s in La Grange is robbed at gunpoint.
11 — Special Olympics North Carolina-Lenoir County holds annual track and field competition at South Lenoir High School.
14 — Lenoir County Board of Education cuts more than $1 million from salaries.
15 — Arendell Parrott Academy names playground after 6-year-old Ava Kendall, who died in a car accident April 9.
15 — Parrott Academy’s Patriots golf team won fifth state championship in 10 years at Mid Pines Golf Club in Pinehurst.
17 — Six presidential Lenox China patterns are on display at the Kinston-Lenoir County Visitor’s Center.
17 — The Salvation Army celebrates its 125th anniversary.
17 — The N.C. Senate approves HB 5, introduced by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, which repeals annexations by Kinston and eight other cities.
18 — The U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed a Kinston citizen lawsuit in favor of nonpartisan voting.
18 — Jones County Relay for Life nets more than $45,000.
19 — Parrott Academy softball team wins second straight NCISAA state 2A championship in Charlotte.
21 — South Lenoir High/ECU graduate, Wayne Brock, named Chief Scouting Executive of the National Council of Boy Scouts of America.
22 — Following a recount of votes, John Bell remains winner of the Republican Primary for N.C. House District 10.
23 — Relish Magazine filmed a webisode at Chef and the Farmer, featuring Amy Roth of the Relish Cooking Show.
24 — Ben Knight and Vivian Howard, co-owners of Chef and the Farmer, are awarded the 2012 Small Business Award by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce.
29 — Kinston City Council approves the Lenoir County Sportsman’s Club’s plans to build a skeet range and hunter education center.
29 — Jones County Superintendent Michael Bracy is named 2012-2013 Southeast Region Superintendent of the Year.
29 — The annexation repeal bill, HB 5 introduced by Rep. Stephen LaRoque, passes final vote.
30 — Tropical Storm Beryl brings flooding to Eastern North Carolina and a tornado to Carteret County.
30 — Guy Vernon Smith III, the 10-year director of the CSS Neuse historic site, dies from cancer.
31 —The family of the late Dr. Charles B. Randall dedicates the Pet Memorial Garden at the Rotary Dog Park and sprinkles the ashes of police K-9, Otto Ringo.
June
2 — Freedom Communications announces sale of its Florida and North Carolina papers — including The Free Press — to Halifax Media Group.
5 — Transit of Venus, a once-in-a-lifetime celestial display, appears over Kinston around 6 p.m.
6 — Lenoir County Board of Education unanimously approves an updated dress code policy.
6 — U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier visits several STEM East facilities, including Contentnea-Savannah K8 School.
7 — Kinston High School’s varsity boy’s basketball team members receives state championship rings during a special ceremony.
9 — Adrian Paez finishes fifth in his Kinston High class, but as an illegal immigrant would not be able to enroll in college.
9 — The Troops Come Marching, a Civil War reenactment, is first of the Second Saturday programs held at the CSS Neuse and Governor Caswell Historic Site in 2012.
12 — Farmers face mixed emotions about a drought-free, yet abnormally wet and cool spring.
12 — Angela Potter, former Greene County Schools employee, sentenced for embezzling around $500,000 from the district.
13 — Inmate Thomas Ray Dawson Jr. sues Lenoir County Sheriff Billy Smith for cruel and unusual punishment.
13 — Freedom Communications announces selling its flagship newspaper and remaining properties to a Massachusetts firm.
13 — About 7,000 turkeys die in a fire at Butterball’s Hill Top Farm in La Grange.
15 — Kelly Cannon, exercise specialist at Lenoir Memorial Hospital, is named as director of the Woodmen Community Center.
16 — Juneteenth recognizes final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library.
18 — Fairview Cemetery in La Grange opens up to mausoleum burials.
18 — Kinston City Council approves a $95.1 million budget.
22 — More than 500 people participate in Lenoir County Relay for Life, which raised $182,000.
23 — CSS Neuse remains, weighing 107 tons, are moved nearly 3 miles to downtown Kinston.
23 — Miss Kinston/Lenoir County, Arlie Honeycutt, is crowned as Miss North Carolina and will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant in January.
24 — The Viking Press, Kinston High’s newspaper, receives 20 awards in Chapel Hill.
25 — Millard Goodman of Kinston runs his vehicle into Jimmy-D’s restaurant in Albrittons.
25 — SB 472, which could cause Kinston a $1 million loss of utilities revenue, is sent back to committee on rules.
25 — Jones County commissioners trims $11,000 from the Trenton Public Library budget.
26 — Three area varsity football teams are ranked in the top 10 of the N.C. Prep Football News/NCPreps.com 2012 preseason poll — Kinston (No. 2 in 2A), Ayden-Grifton (No. 5 in 1A) and Jones Senior (No. 9 in 1A).
26 — Halifax Media Group closes purchase deal on The Free Press and 18 other former Freedom Communications newspapers.
27 — CrateTech Inc. sets up shop at Global TransPark to support Spirit AeroSystems.
29 — Halifax Media Group CEO Michael Redding visits his new employees at The Free Press.
30 — North Lenoir High’s Brent Williams is named county-wide athletic director.
As a conservative Christian, gun owner and firm believer in the Constitution and Second Amendment, I find myself very conflicted today.
I watch the news and the continuing coverage of the horrible shooting in Newtown, Conn., and my heart is heavy beyond words for those involved. I read in the newspaper that more murdered 6-year-olds were laid to rest and can only imagine the anguish the families are going through now and will be forced to live with for the rest of their days on earth.
I try to envision the terror and fright those 20 beautiful children must have experienced in the moment before their lives were so tragically taken and feel a sickness rising in my stomach that I can’t describe.
I don’t question why God would allow such an atrocity to occur because, as a society, we made the decision long ago to remove Him from our schools.
What I do find myself questioning is everything I ever believed in regarding the right to gun ownership.
I am not here to play politics, question the motives of special interest groups, lay blame at the feet of the mental health system or pass judgment on the concealed carry issue.
People have the right to own guns; of this I am certain. I’m less certain of the types of guns people should be allowed to possess.
I own a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun which I know how to use and would not hesitate to do so with lethal force if my family or home were threatened. I don’t pretend to know anything about rifles —automatic, semiautomatic, assault or otherwise.
But I find myself asking some basic questions.
Do we really need high-capacity assault weapons in the hands of private citizens?
If Adam Lanza had been forced to stop and reload once or twice, would that have given some of the victims time to escape or perhaps caused just enough of a delay for the police to have arrived sooner?
I don’t know the answer to these questions and I completely understand that bad people will do bad things regardless of the law and morality.
But perception is reality and my perception is this: had Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School armed with just handguns or a rifle with a smaller capacity magazine, this catastrophe might have ended with less bloodshed.
Would the carnage have been averted? Absolutely not. Bad people do bad things, remember. Would we be talking any less about the gun control issue if only 10 or 15 children had died instead of 20? Of course not.
But I ask you this: are five or 10 innocent lives saved worth having the discussion? Is having just one precious angel still alive walking the earth instead of crossing the streets of Heaven a small price to pay for some type of compromise between the gun control advocates and the NRA crowd?
Again, I don’t know the answer.
Twenty families (26 if you count the adult victims) are suffering through an ordeal no human being should ever be asked to endure.
In my world, that’s reason enough to question my beliefs.
Keith Spence is a former sports editor for The Free Press and a frequent contributor to this paper. You can reach him at keithmspence@gmail.com. The opinions of the guest columnist are not necessarily those of The Free Press.
Breakout box:
The Free Press guest columnist feature appears every Wednesday in this space. Would you like to be considered as a guest columnist? Contact Managing Editor Bryan Hanksat 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com.
A wreck in northern Lenoir County Monday morning left only one casualty — the car.
Tiesha Sims, 22, of Kinston, was heading north up Wallace Family Road shortly after 9 a.m. when she reportedly saw a deer in the road. What happened next left her black four-door Honda upside-down next to a telephone pole.
“She said that she swerved to miss a dear, and I can’t really see anything that would contradict that,” State Trooper Gary Ipock said. “Basically she was coming this way, lost control and hit this little driveway over here that goes into this field and flipped it over.”
Landing on the far side of the road, Sims’ car was relatively undamaged, considering what led it to that state. Grass stuck out of hubcaps in clumps, and the sidewall of the left-front tire was completely ripped open.
Neither Sims nor the deer were injured in the incident.
However, half a mile south of the accident lay a deer carcass by the side of the road, proving that not all deer-automobile encounters end so well.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at WolfeReports.
As the holidays dwindle down, adults, teens and children may find an escape from the hectic activities at home by retreating to their local library.
The Neuse Regional Library system, with eight locations in Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties, provides a quiet place to catch up on an intriguing fiction book, delve into an interesting non-fiction topic or peruse a variety of magazines.
“We offer e-books for adults,” said Agnes Ho, regional library director, “but we also have children’s e-books.”
Patrons in all the system libraries can also check out e-readers, or Nooks, from the library, she said. To check out an e-reader, go to the reference desk or children’s department.
The main library in Kinston has a computer lab with 39 computers available for word processing, surfing the Internet, checking emails or meeting friends on social networks.
Computers are also available in all the locations. Create a resume, look for a job, print out recipes or learn something new.
The main library has two new early literacy stations — and there is one in La Grange — for children approximately 3 to 10-years-old.
Ho said the stations, located in the children’s room, expose kids to computers and help them learn to read.
“It’s easy for kids to learn because the keyboard is big and the monitor is big,” she said.
Plans are to install one in Greene County, too.
“It’s so popular, we have received a donation in Greene County,” Ho said about the $3,800 computer system.
A Greene County family has donated the funds to purchase one in the memory of the late Lela Stevens, who served on the Greene County Library Board for 35 years — from 1968 to 2003 — and passed away this year.
“When I showed it to the family,” Ho said about the literacy station, “they said they wanted it in Greene County.”
The new children’s station is expected to be installed at the newly-upgraded library in February.
The literacy stations in Lenoir County were paid for through a $68,800 technology grant — federal funds through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the State Library of North Carolina. Included in the grant were also the 39 desktop computers and a mobile laptop lab.
The library also received a $20,000 EZ Strengthening Public and Academic Libraries Collection grant to expand and update the library system’s juvenile nonfiction book collection. These areas located throughout the system provide engaging materials for students wanting to explore and write about various subject matters.
Ho said the library is in the process of purchasing the new materials, which are updated about every four to five years, depending on the subject matter. The library matched the grant with $5,000, allowing about $2,000 of materials for each location. Each book costs about $20, and the update should be complete by March 1, Ho said.
It’s never too early for children to start visiting the library. Regular trips to the library, like weekly visits to the grocery store, make a love for reading “a part of life,” Ho said.
“Then, if they have an interest there,” she said, “they’ll come back.”
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.
Breakout box:
Upcoming happenings at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library:
Dec. 27 and 31 — Fun and Games in the Children’s Library, 3-5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 13 — Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion, 3 p.m.
Source: neuselibrary.org
Library locations:
Kinston (main library) — 510 N. Queen St., 252-527-7066
La Grange — 119 E. Washington St., 252-566-3722
Snow Hill — 229 Kingold Blvd., 252-747-3437
Pink Hill — 114 W. Broadway St., 252-568-3631
Pollocksville — 415 Green Hill St., 252-224-5011
Trenton — 204 Lakeview Drive, 252-448-4261
Comfort — 4889 N.C. 41, 910-324-5061
Maysville — 605 7th St., 910-743-3796
The Neuse Regional Library will re-open Thursday in Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties.
BAYBORO — Christmas morning dawned well for Hosea Davis, who didn’t have to look under his tree for a present.
He awoke in his new house as a bona fide homeowner after a lifetime of being a renter.
The 47-year-old is a Pamlico County native who was able to finally achieve home ownership through the decade-old Bayboro Development Center and a low-interest loan through a U.S. Department of Agriculture program based in Kinston.
Three years ago, Davis sat down with Bayboro Development Center visionary founder Joseph Himbry Jr. telling him he wanted to finally own a home.
Unfortunately, Himbry died and was not able to help Davis fulfill his dream. But, Vennie Himbry, Joe’s wife, took over the lead of the nonprofit and the Davis house is the first product since Joe Himbry’s passing.
During Joe Himbry’s life, 10 new homes came to the Bayboro effort and his widow said it was a tribute to her late husband to cut the ribbon on an 11th home.
Seven of the homes are on Cowell Loop Road and Davis’ new house joins three others on Rowe Road.
Bayboro Development has had been a HUD-certified organization since 2009. It builds homes for people whose applications meet the criteria for mortgage from the USDA Rural Development’s 502 home loan program, based on income and clean credit.
Dan Belrose of the Kinston USDA office, which serves 13 counties, said the home loan program provides assistance to 20 to 25 home owners each year for new and existing structures.
Davis graduated from New Bern High in 1983, where he played football. He joined the Army and served from 1986 to 1994 as a cryptograph technician. Later, he settled in Maryland and was married for awhile before returning to North Carolina in 1994.
These days, he works as a fabricator at Hurricane Boats.
“This is a total blessing,” he said of the new home, which he began moving into shortly before Christmas. “I am truly grateful to Vennie and all her help.”
The home has 1,362-square feet, three bedrooms and two baths.
The home builder was Rick Scheper and Associates.
Among those on hand for the recent ribbon-cutting was Dottie Wright of Twin Rivers Opportunities, which assists would-be new home owners such as Davis with housing counseling and a down payment assistance program.
The Bayboro Development Center is located at 204 Neals Creek Road. Call 252-745-4868.
Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or charlie.hall@newbernsj.com.
By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, Linwood Murell had only purchased two or three Christmas gifts — on purpose.
“I do all my shopping after Christmas,” he said Monday while strolling through downtown Kinston with Alma Washington, 6, his girlfriend’s child. “That’s when you can catch some really good deals.”
Murell, 57, remembered coming downtown when he was little Alma’s age, well before Kinston’s retail sector went west along Vernon Avenue with Vernon Park Mall, and later Walmart.
“It was full of people, just walking back and forth, shopping,” he said of Queen Street.
Downtown retailers have seen shopping traffic pick up during the 2012 holiday season, compared to recent years, and they are hoping post-Christmas deals available today will help the trend continue.
“We’ve had one of the best weeks before Christmas that we’ve had in recent years.” Alan Stadiem, manager of the century-old H. Stadiem clothing store, said Monday as last-minute Christmas Eve shoppers made their way through the store. “It almost feels like the economy’s going to turn around a little bit.”
Stadiem quickly found some wood to knock on.
J.C. Carlisle of Tarboro drove about an hour to Kinston to shop at H. Stadiem Monday, after seeing advertisements for the store.
“It’s real nice,” said Carlisle, who came with his wife Anne and 11-year-old grandson Andrew, and purchased a sports coat. “It’s the first time we’ve ever been.”
Stadiem said store operators are “expecting a pretty good rush after Christmas.”
The day after Christmas is a busy one for retailers as shoppers return or exchange gifts, or put their gift cards to work.
Many shoppers also take advantage of deals offered by the stores — Kinston’s Walmart Supercenter is scheduled to open to customers at 5 a.m. today.
H. Stadiem will hold, beginning today, “one of the largest shoe sales in the history of our company,” Alan Stadiem said.
Shoes such as Sperry Top-Siders will sell for $49.90.
The Super 10 variety store downtown will also have half-price deals on Christmas items such as decorations and lights, allowing shoppers to get a jump on buying next-year’s Christmas cheer.
Manager Kristy Jones made her way through last-minute shoppers Monday.
“We usually do well after Christmas, so I’m expecting it to be probably as good as today,” she said of post-holiday shoppers.
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
BREAKOUT BOX:
Post-holiday shopping tips:
Source: drmommyonline.com
Even though winter is officially upon us, Lenoir County residents are not without options when it comes to swimming during the chillier months.
The newest option is the Stephen and Holly Hill Swimming Pool at the Woodmen Community Center, which will open to the public today.
The eight-lane, 25-meter competition pool and adjoining therapy pool can stay open year-round, thanks to “the bubble,” a 32-foot-high vinyl covering installed over both pools — the pools take up an area of about 16,000 square feet.
“It's held up totally by air,” Bill Ellis, Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation director, said Monday.
The bubble — which stays up from early October to mid-May — allows staffers to keep the pool heated at 80 degrees and the inside air at 82 degrees.
Ellis said the air temperature must be kept 2 degrees above the water temperature to avoid creating humid conditions inside the bubble.
The air pressure holding the bubble up comes from a 50,000-BTU heating unit, and a natural gas-powered motor kicks in if the power goes out.
“If all that fails there’s a cable (structure) that will catch it and hold it long enough for people to get out,” Ellis explained.
The bubble also has four emergency exits.
Several Lenoir County teenagers who are members of a Recreation Department 14-and-under softball team, were traveling with Athletic Supervisor Thurman Pate Monday to drop off Christmas gifts to a needy family adopted by the department.
They were invited by Ellis to see the pool under the bubble.
“I definitely plan to use it for fun,” said Caroline Casey, 13 and an eighth grader at Arendell Parrott Academy. “It was neat; I liked it.”
Savannah Hill, also 13 and in the eighth grade at APA, also enjoyed the atmosphere in the bubble.
“I though it was really cool,” she said. “It was pretty awesome being in that dome and being able to swim and it be warm.”
The APA swim team holds its practices in the competition pool; Ellis said the first swim meet will take place Jan. 5.
The Woodmen Community Center is not the only place for the public to swim indoors in Lenoir County, though.
The Galaxy of Sports also operates a seven-lane heated pool in its West Vernon Avenue facilities, as well as a hot tub and a sauna.
“We take great care of it,” Health Club Manager Antonio Dodd said.
Dodd said Galaxy staffer Doug Hale, who manages the skating rink and maintains the pool, takes “good pride” in his work on the pool.
“I haven’t had a bad comment about the water aerobics classes as well,” Dodd continued.
The pool can also be rented for parties — swimming lessons are available during the summer, and Dodd said he is working toward establishing year-round swimming classes.
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
BREAKOUT BOX:
Stephen and Holly Hill Swimming Pool:
The Woodmen Community Center
2602 W. Vernon Ave., Kinston
Hours:
Mon-Fri.: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Galaxy of Sports:
4100 W. Vernon Ave., Kinston
Hours:
Mon.-Thurs.: 5 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday: 5 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: The reviews were originally published on Aug. 30.
New album: Electric Cables
Artist: Lightships
Label: Geographic
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Lightships is a band/project headed up by former Teenage Fan Club member Gerard Love. Instead of the supercharged material Love provided for his former band, the material on “Electric Cables” is a more subtle affair.
On “Electric Cables,” Love is joined by former TFC drummer Brendan O’Hare, along with Bob Kildea of Belle & Sebastian — themselves progenitors of many fine slices of dreamy pop. Although “Electric Cables” has the pedigree of a side project, the unassuming results are as solid as anything produced by Love’s regular gigs.
The track “The Warmth of the Sun” on “Electric Cables” is not to be confused with the Brian Wilson tune of the same name — although Love’s “Warmth” could be the evil twin of Wilson’s. While both songs feature lush arrangements and plaintive vocals, Wilson seemed happy in the sun, and Love seems ill at ease out in the open.
While “Electric Cables” will never be mistaken for a Motorhead album, Love and his co-conspirators have nimbly walked the fine line between introspection and boredom. “Every Blossom” successfully channels the eternal 1960s autumn of Chad and Jeremy into modern currency, keeping things light but interesting. On the breezy “Stretching Out,” Love almost gets his groove on; it won’t make you dance, but it’s good for a decent head bob.
The credits roll over “Sunlight to the Dawn,” which deftly summarizes the entire album. “Electric Cables” is an album designed for night or rainy day listening — not too slow, not too fast. Hopefully Love will consider Lightships a going concern.
Classic album: Can’t Slow Down
Artist: Lionel Richie
Label: Motown
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
“Can’t Slow Down” was the second solo album released by Lionel Richie since his departure from the Commodores, and it made him an international star.
When the album was released in 1983, pop music had yet to become the segregated mess it is today. Then recent R&B hits by Hall & Oates and Queen proved radio programmers were still open minded; so much so that Richie had a pop and country hit with “Stuck on You” from “Can’t Slow Down.” If the country chart success of “Stuck on You” was unexpected, then the pop and R&B ascension of “All Night Long,” “Penny Lover,” “Hello” and “Running with the Night” were as predictable as death and taxes.
“All Night Long” was a populist hit in the tradition of Kool and The Gang’s “Celebration.” Whether you were into rock, country or polka in 1983, most likely you were caught singing along to “All Night Long” at least once. The combination of Richie’s joyful vocal and the horn-driven samba-like groove had people who couldn’t make it past 8 p.m. pretending they could.
“Penny Lover” and “Hello” also crossed over genre and race barriers to become a massive hit single on several different charts. The cinematic “Running with the Night” was mainly confined to pop flavored airwaves, but it also made an impact nonetheless.
Prince would pull the same hat trick a few months later with the release of “Purple Rain,” but with “Can’t Slow Down” Richie led the last wave of major crossover success in popular music. Critics often scoff at major 1980s albums such as “Can’t Slow Down,” but as far as true pop music goes, this is about as good as it gets.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every 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.
Already ancient in tradition when presented at Queens College, Oxford, England, in 1340, the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival is probably the oldest continuing festival of the Christmas season.
Again this year, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church will capture this ancient celebration and offer the festival to the community. Free to friends and family, the celebration of the meaning of Christmas will be at 3 and 5 p.m. Jan. 6.
The pageant has its roots in ancient times when the boar was sovereign of the forest. A ferocious beast and menace to humans, it was hunted as a public enemy. At Roman feasts, boar was the first dish served.
Like the Thanksgiving turkey, roasted boar was a staple of medieval banquet tables. As Christian beliefs overtook pagan customs in Europe, the presentation of the boar’s head at Christmas time came to symbolize the triumph of the Christ Child over sin.
The festival, as we know it, grew out of an ancient legend: An Oxford University student was charged by a wild boar as he strolled through the forest on his way to Christmas Mass. Quick thinking, the student thrust his heavy volume of Aristotle down the animal’s throat, ending its deadline threat.
This victory of reason over brute force was celebrated in a great feast at the College, and the boar’s head, finely garnished, was carried into the dining room “… in honor of the King of bliss.”
The boar’s head tradition was carried on in many of England’s great manor houses, and grew to include a host of characters from all walks of life — lords, ladies, knights, cooks, huntsmen and the like. Shepherds and Wise Men were added to tell the story of the Nativity. The whole was then embellished with carols and Yuletide traditions, both savory and symbolic.
The annual event at St. Mary’s is a gift to the community, a tradition for families and a personal reaffirmation of faith to the participants. The sanctuary is transformed into that manor house of old, with costumed lords and ladies inviting attendees to be a part of the great celebration.
Little boys who, as 3- or 4-year-olds, skipped up and down the aisles as sprites, are now regally outfitted as kings’ pages or in fur and leather as huntsmen. Young girls posing as stars or sprites are now traditionally gowned as manor children, perform in the dance troupe or sing with the choir dressed in satins and lace.
The festival is truly a glorious celebration to perform or to view.
Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival
3 and 5 p.m. Jan. 6
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
800 Roundtree St., Kinston
252-523-6146
Studying hard brings rewards
Gavin Sexton, a fifth-grader at Moss Hill Elementary School, was recognized June 8 for his hard work in school. He was presented the 2012 Sue Marcom Jones Scholastic Achievement Award.
Presented by Lauran S. Tyndall, Jones’ daughter, the award is given annually to the fifth-grader at the school who has the highest grade-point average. It is presented in memory of Jones, who was a teacher at Moss Hill.
Sexton is the son of Stephany Sexton and Cary Sexton of Deep Run.
SPCA has a guardian angel
The Lenoir County SPCA depends on kind, compassionate guardian angels to help fulfill its mission of giving the community’s homeless pets a second chance. One of the longest-serving of these guardian angels is Myrtilla “Myrt” Brody. She helped organize Lenoir County’s SPCA in 1973 and served on the first Board of Directors.
Through the years, Brody has continued to provide personal and financial support for the homeless animals in Kinston and Lenoir County. Recently, she made another significant contribution which will go toward programs to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats in the community.
“I have always loved animals,” said Brody. “Over the years, some of my fondest memories involve my dogs and the comfort they have brought me. It is my hope that we will one day reach a time where every dog and cat will have a good home.”
Currently, the Lenoir County SPCA receives about 75 dogs and cats every week. A small percentage are returned to their owners and adopted locally. Forever homes, out of state, are found for 25 to 30 percent. The citizens and governing leaders in these other states have worked hard to develop spay/neuter programs and effective legislation to decrease unwanted litters. This reduces the vast numbers of homeless pets arriving at county shelters.
Other than the support of private citizens and business owners, Lenoir County has no such local programs, and more than half of the shelter pets are eventually euthanized, despite the tireless efforts of shelter staff and volunteers.
“What a terrible waste of life and love,” said Jerry Henderson, SPCA president. “What a terrible waste of tax money. We are intelligent humans with a sense of empathy and honorable conduct. We can do better.
“Thank you, Myrt Brody, for your many years of caring and support. The pets in this community need more people like you. You are a true Guardian Angel.”
Two men in their 20s suffered gunshot wounds to the chest today after they were allegedly fighting in front of a house at 918 E. King St.
“We received a call in reference to a fight, and we received a secondary call almost immediately that shots were fired,” said Maj. Greg Thompson of Kinston Department of Public Safety.
The shooting was shortly after 4 p.m.
Thompson said the police won’t release the names of the men because their families have not been notified yet.
One was transported to Lenoir Memorial Hospital and the other to Vidant Medical Center.
“We’ll release more detail when we can,” Thompson said.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan
Dawn Baker of Pink Hill didn’t anticipate any problems when she exchanged a coat for her son at Kinston’s JC Penney on Wednesday.
“I expected it to be easy. We found another coat, so that’s good,” she said as she placed the rain-sprinkled box of the original jacket on the checkout counter.
She visited the store with her son and his great-grandmother, and everyone was pleased with the exchange.
“He’s very tickled with it,” Baker said.
There was no bustle, no hustle and no hassle for people who looked to return or exchange Christmas gifts on Wednesday — you can thank the post-Christmas rain for that.
“There was a storm here this morning, so we didn’t have many people,” said Britney Deaver, a sales specialist at JC Penney.
Shoppers knew they wouldn’t face much hassle from retailers as they entered stores with their prepackaged gifts.
Antonie Chesson of Kinston got a refund for a pair of pants at Belk; it was her first time returning a retail item.
“I don’t usually bring stuff back,” she said, giving the clerk a pair of turquoise jeans and a receipt.
Both Belk and JC Penney don’t require receipts for exchanges and returns. Clerks there can look up the transaction by credit or store cards.
“We don’t have any problems with customers,” said Belk salesperson Tekela Cobb. “They never complain about the return policy.”
While retailers expected a busier workday because of returns, many customers also showed up for after-Christmas sales.
JC Penney, for instance, had a big clearance event.
“It seems like everyone’s coming in shopping just as much as they’re returning,” said store leader Louis Albertson.
He said the store was busier in the afternoon as the rains and wind gusts mitigated.
Albertson said, “I think with the bad weather, people didn’t come out first thing this morning.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
Jon Dawson is trying to recover from his usual Christmas excess. Today’s column was originally published on July 24, 2012. — Editor
Frank Zappa once told a reporter that jazz wasn’t dead, it just smelled funny. This wasn’t a swipe at jazz, but a sad commentary on its standing in the culture. I believe this can also be said for customer service.
I’ve worked in the service industry a bit and I’ve encountered customers so boorish no court in the country would convict me if I jammed mashed potatoes into all of their orifices with the back side of a claw hammer.
The guy that habitually showed up 30 seconds before closing with his entire family in tow really needed a couple of weeks at Gitmo. I once saw him pull into the parking lot and managed to get the front door locked before he got in. He kept knocking and waving and I kept looking in every direction but his.
After 10 minutes of this, I called the cops and told them some crazy man was trying to break in. When the police showed up, they had a brisk conversation with Mr. Timex and he went on his way.
Having worked in a restaurant, I’m an extremely good customer. Unless the waitress is doing a line of cocaine off of her shoulder while pouring my water, I’m not usually one to complain. That being said, when I took Tax Deduction No. 1 out for Daddy/TD time on Saturday, I nearly ended up in the police blotter.
The day before our excursion took place, I stopped by the object of TD’s desire to see what time it opened. According to the hours posted on the door, they opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday. To be sure this was the case, I went in and asked someone if the hours posted on the door were current, which — after a few blank stares — resulted in a “yeah.” To recap — the door states 9 a.m. and the staff states 9 a.m. This will be important later.
On Saturday morning, we headed out for breakfast and then to our destination. We reached Mecca at 9:15 a.m. only to find the doors locked. I peered inside and knocked on the door a few times; an employee arrived after me and went around to the front and a few minutes later someone unlocked the door and let us in — at 9:17 a.m.
Instead of asking the staff person if they were on some sort of new quasi-daylight savings time that caused them to be 17 minutes behind the rest of the universe, I stood mute. Not wanting TD No. 1’s last memory of me to be berating a slack attendant before stroking out, I just took a deep breath and soldiered on.
Unbeknownst to me, the seemingly straightforward activity we were going to partake in relied on a computer system of the Cape Canaveral variety — a computer that no one had even turned on at 9:17 a.m. At this point, I’m looking around the facility for something to steal.
At 9:27 a.m., the computer finally juices up and we’re ready to go. TD No. 1 had a good time and never realized how close her father was to either a massive cerebrovascular incident or a misdemeanor charge of larceny. My belief that no real good can come from leaving the house is reinforced and we go on about our day.
On Sunday when I try to get online to see if any of you folks have made naughty comments on Kinston.com that have to be deleted, my wireless Internet card isn’t working. My first call to Sprint customer service was less successful than Kanye West’s Oak Ridge Boys audition. I kept trying to tell the customer service rep that I was calling about Internet service, but she kept trying to upgrade my cell phone.
“Would you like to upgrade your phone service to include Canada and Saturn,” she asked.
Wishing I had an old-school phone that could be slammed down, I ended the call and tried again. This time, a man named Ernest answered the phone — and changed my life.
Ernest spent the subsequent hour trying to help me resuscitate the blinking-but-not-functioning wireless card. While we waited for the computer to shut down and restart several times, we got to know each other pretty well.
In a voice that was a cross between actor Yaphet Kotto and jazz critic Stanley Crouch, Ernest told me he was from Greensboro. After a stint in the military, he took a job with Sprint in Texas. I told him I was headed to Greensboro for a concert in November. Our meeting was a clear-cut case of kismet, which ironically is also the name of a network detector for ... wireless Internet cards.
Eventually, Ernest’s shift ended, but he suggested I download the previous version of the card’s software.
“My shift was over a few minutes ago,” Ernest said. “But I’m back on tonight at 8 p.m., so I’ll call back and see if it worked.” I was a bit shocked to encounter this level of commitment from a technician working at a far-away call center, but it was nice. THEN, Ernest called back to make sure I knew 8 p.m. for him meant 9 p.m. for me.
“I just didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten to call back,” Ernest said.
Usually, I find men repulsive, but I’ll admit — at this point — I was a little bit in love with Ernest.
I drive to my folks’ house, download the previous software to a flash drive, bring it home, install it and the card comes back to life. A few #*$& &$**’s and $*# $&@*’s are removed from the website and life is good — until I realize that it’s 9:12 p.m. and my phone is in the car.
I retrieve the phone and sure enough, I missed Ernest’s call at 9:07 p.m. For the next half hour, I call every Sprint number on this and any other earth trying to track down Ernest in the Texas call center.
Finally, I reach a Brooklyn transplant in the Texas call center. I tell him I’m looking for Ernest to thank him for his amazing service. Mr. Brooklyn then makes everybody within earshot of him stop talking and tells them who I’m looking for and why, and a few of them start clapping. A few minutes later, Ernest and I are reunited on the phone while “Chariots of Fire” plays in the background.
I told Ernest I was going to write about him and asked for an email address so I could forward it along. If you’re Ernest’s boss or the person in charge of the purse strings, please give this man a raise and actively recruit any of his offspring.
Thanks, Ernest!
Jon Dawson’s columns appear every Tuesday and Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jdawson@freedomenc.com. Purchase Jon’s book “Making Gravy in Public” at the Free Press office and at jondawson.com.
July
2 — Steve Mazingo officially becomes superintendent of Lenoir County Schools.
3 — Andy Griffith dies at age 86.
4 — Independence Day ceremony swears in 25 new U.S. citizens.
6 — School board accepts U.S. District Court's denial of its petition to hold nonpartisan elections.
10 — Officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation award a $22.8 million contract to Barnhill Contracting Co. of Tarboro to pave the 3.4-mile extension of the Felix Harvey Parkway.
10-11 — Filming of superhero movie “Iron Man 3” takes place in Kenansville.
11 — Fifteen individuals are arrested for various state and federal drug and firearm offenses in downtown Kinston as part of Operation Counter Punch, an initiative created by city leaders and regional and state law enforcement agencies to remove from the streets those who break the law.
12 — North Carolina Museum of Art Director Larry Wheeler visits the Community Council for the Arts.
16 — The Lenoir County Board of Commissioners unanimously accepts a $7.4 million grant to merge the 911 systems of Lenoir and Jones counties.
17 — Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, is indicted by a federal grand jury on eight counts of theft and misuse of funds from his small-business lending organizations.
17 — N.C. Democratic Rep. William Wainwright dies at age 64, having served Lenoir and Craven counties in the N.C. General Assembly for more than two decades.
21 — Quinton Coples, former Kinston High School and UNC football star, and NFL Jets rookie, returns home for Quinton Coples Community Day at Southeast Park.
23 — Halifax Media reorganizes The Free Press, all N.C. and S.C. papers, into North Region group, led by Rick Martin as regional publisher.
25 — Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, announces his resignation from the General Assembly, after N.C. Speaker of the House Thom Tillis forms a bipartisan House committee to examine federal indictments against LaRoque.
26 — Woodmen Community Center cuts ribbon, opens to public.
30 — Two top leaders, President Jim Fain and Airport Director Don Howard, leave the Global TransPark.
August
1 — North Lenoir High School student Thomas Horner, an award-winning surfer at 14, returns to Atlantic Beach after a quick home visit to Kinston. Surfing every day is how he will begin preparation for his fifth season of Eastern Surf Association and Central N.C. competition.
1 — Carter Capps, former North Lenoir High School catcher who was molded into a pitcher at Mount Olive College, hits the big leagues as member of the Seattle Mariners.
2 — Miss North Carolina Arlie Honeycutt, former Miss Kinston-Lenoir County, crowns Jayme Stroud as local program successor.
3 — George Graham of Lenoir County is placed on the November ballot and Barbara Lee of Craven County is named to fill the unexpired term of N.C. House District 12, vacated by the July 16 death of Rep. William Wainwright.
5 — Retired Kinston Fire Chief Tony Kelly dies at the age of 73.
6 — Stephen LaRoque makes first court appearance in Raleigh on eight federal indictments of stealing and misusing funds.
6 — Greene County Manager Don Davenport announces he will pay back more than $29,000 in salary and benefits overpaid him since 2005.
8 — South Lenoir High School Principal Steve Saint-Amand announces Athletic Director Lisa Smith will keep her position at the school.
13 — The newest of Kinston's fire stations, Fire Station No. 3 at Hill Farm Road, is dedicated in cornerstone-laying ceremony.
16 — Local residents, civic leaders and elected and appointed officials voice concerns at Lenoir 2020’s community forum on race relations.
21 — Karen Kozel of Lenoir County is selected by members of the Republican parties of Lenoir, Greene and Wayne counties to fill the remaining months of the House District 10 seat vacated by former Rep. Stephen LaRoque.
24 — U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan visits Kinston and Trenton on 100-N.C. County visit quest.
26-27 — Residents remember experiences on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Irene.
28 — A Lenoir County grand jury indicts four men — Roland Edward Steed of Swansboro, Franklin Ronnie Steed of Denton, Edward Earl Waters of Kinston and Marvin Lyle Quinn of Goldsboro — on Discovery Insurance embezzlement charges involving $5.3 million.
A major thunderstorm system brought high winds and heavy rains — and at least one tornado — to Eastern North Carolina on Wednesday, but Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties came through largely unscathed.
The line of storms passed through the area during the late morning and afternoon, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a series of tornado watches and warnings for multiple counties.
A tornado with winds up to 90 mph touched down outside Beaufort, but no injuries were reported.
Accuweather meteorologist Mike Pigott said “between an inch and an inch-and-a-half” of rain fell on the region Wednesday.
Much of the storms’ activity took place around the coastal regions, with wind gusts as high as 81 mph around Ft. Macon in Atlantic Beach, Pigott said. Winds further inland were measured at around 35 mph.
National Weather Service Doppler radar spotted several possible tornado funnel clouds inside a strong thunderstorm at points south of Sneads Ferry and within five miles of the Catfish Lake area. The 911 call center in Onslow County received information that a tornado touched down near U.S. 258 and N.C. 53, and the NWS received reports a waterspout was seen over the New River adjacent to Camp Lejeune.
Neither account was confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by late Wednesday, said David Glenn, a NWS duty forecaster in Newport.
A tornado left a quarter-mile long path of knocked down trees and damaged a house near Beaufort. The twister had maximum winds of 90 mph. No injuries were reported, according to a preliminary report from the NWS.
The tornado spun out of clouds circulating near Atlantic Beach at around 2:50 p.m. with wind gusts up to 70 mph from Atlantic Beach and Fort Macon on Bogue Banks north through downtown Morehead City.
The circulation clouds tightened and produced a tornado north of Beaufort beginning at Tuttles Grove Road and Madison Bay Drive and ending near N.C. 101 with a path length of one-quarter mile. Maximum width of the tornado was estimated around 100 yards. The tornado rated an EF-1 on the Fujita Scale, according to the report.
Heavy storm activity took place in Jones County, particularly east of Maysville, but no damage was reported. Jones County emergency communications received no reports of accidents related to the storm.
“I haven’t had any reports of damage at all,” said Carol Tyndall, Jones County’s emergency management coordinator.
The story was much the same in Greene County.
“We had a lot of water; that’s about it,” Greene’s Emergency Services Director Randy Skinner said.
Skinner said he had not received any reports of flooding, and Contentnea Creek was too low to cause any local flood damage.
Roger Dail, emergency services director for LenoirCounty, said the county experienced “just wind, but mostly rain.” No storm damage was reported.
John Elardo, a NWS meteorologist in Newport, said the storms were mostly a rain event in Craven County.
“There has been a lot of rain and strong storms,” Ira Whitford, assistant director of emergency management for Craven County, said Wednesday afternoon. “But I haven’t heard of any damage.”
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress. Lindell Kay of the JacksonvilleDaily News and Eddie Fitzgeraldof the New Bern Sun Journal contributed to this report.
Former state legislator Stephen LaRoque of Kinston was already facing eight federal criminal counts this year regarding the alleged misuse of funds from his small-business lending enterprises, but he will go into 2013 facing 12 counts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina indicted LaRoque in mid-July on four counts of theft and four counts of misappropriating money meant to be loaned to struggling small business owners for his personal use.
Four new charges were filed against him this month, including concealing “material facts,” materially false, fictitious and fraudulent representation, and two counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, according to online court records viewed Wednesday.
An updated 75-page indictment, signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Duffy, was filed Dec. 20.
LaRoque founded the nonprofit East Carolina Development Company Inc. (ECDC) in 1997 to lend money to owners of small businesses in Eastern North Carolina who could not otherwise obtain a loan, and the nonprofit Piedmont Development Company Inc. (PDC) in 2003 to support businesspeople in Western North Carolina.
The money for that assistance comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division in the form of grants and loans. The proceeds from the loan repayments are then lent to new borrowers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged LaRoque stacked the nonprofits’ boards with close business associates and family members — including his wife and brother — paid himself a six-figure salary and used funds designated for loans to purchase personal vehicles, a home, help his wife invest in a business and buy expensive gifts such as Faberge eggs and jewelry.
In the updated indictment, it was alleged LaRoque “did knowingly and willfully falsify, conceal, and cover up, by trick, scheme, and device material facts,” including the “creation and execution” of a new compensation agreement with the ECDC and PDC boards in January 2009, the boards’ approval of loans to a business that he had “an ownership interest” in and a $300,000 withdrawal from the ECDC bank account for LaRoque’s personal use.
The 10th count alleged LaRoque stated in a 2009 “United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development-Security Agreement” that “ ‘[s]tatements contained in the Debtor’s [ECDC] loan application (s) are true and correct,’ when, in truth and fact, a statement in the loan agreement was false.”
The 11th and 12th counts alleged LaRoque “willfully” filed false income tax returns for 2009 and 2010 that “understated the amount of tax liability” he and his wife owed those years.
LaRoque has retained attorney Joseph B. Cheshire V of Raleigh for his defense, but Cheshire could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He has maintained his client’s innocence, however.
A trial date has been set for Feb. 12, 2013, in the U.S. District Court in Greenville.
David Andersoncan be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
Update: 10: 15 a.m.
One of the men wounded in a double shooting Wednesday afternoon on King Street died later at a Greenville hospital, according to the Kinston Department of Public Safety.
Kinston police identified the dead man as Dajuquon "DJ" Poole, 19, who was pronounced dead at Vidant Medical Center. The second person in the shooting, Tiran C. Farris, 28, is listed in stable condition at Vidant, according to police.
Both men, from Kinston, were shot in the upper body during a fight in the 900 block of King Street about 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Investigators are still following up leads in the shootings. Anyone with information is asked to call the Kinston Police "Tip Line" at 252-939-4020 or Cmdr. Jennifer Canady at 252-939-3225.
Posted midnight Wednesday
A shooting late Wednesday afternoon left two men wounded and Kinston police piecing together details of the incident.
Two black males in their 20s suffered gunshot wounds to the chest as the result of a fight in front the residence at 918 E. King St., Maj. Greg Thompson of the Kinston Department of Public Safety said at the scene.
One was transported to Lenoir Memorial Hospital; the other, to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Callers to the 911 dispatch service originally reported a fight, then called back to report gunshots being fired.
Information from police, including the names of the wounded men, was scarce. “We’re not going to release their names at this time,” Thompson said, indicating that families of the two men had not yet been notified.
The men did not live at the King Street address, he said.
Crime scene tape strung down the 900 block of King Street, in front of the house nearest where the shooting occurred, the two residences on either side of it and the buildings at each end of the block.
On the porch of 918 E. King St., nearly a dozen people — including at least two toddlers — sat while police searched the street and neighboring yards for evidence. Authorities on site earlier said they were looking for bullet casing.
Sgt. Mark Williams reviewed a surveillance video from a camera inside a store at King and Adkin streets.
Bystanders and neighbors called people on cell phones, unsure of what to tell them about the taped off block.
An unidentified man said one of the wounded men may be his nephew.
Another man went under the crime tape, claiming he lived at 918 E. King, but an officer escorted him back behind the barrier.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan
