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Man attacked with hammer

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An EMT with Lenoir County EMS tends to a man near the intersection of North Herritage Street and West Highland Avenue after someone reportedly hit the victim in the head with a hammer Friday morning.


Woman allegedly punched after picking up children

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A man allegedly punched his wife repeatedly March 3 while they were picking up children from Teachers Memorial School.
 
“(The victim) said she was sitting in the back seat of the van when a man turned around and began punching her in the face,” Kinston Department of Public Safety spokesman Woody Spencer said. “She advised the officer he then took money out of her wallet and left on foot toward Old Snow Hill Road.”
 
Police advised the victim of the warrant process but she said she wasn’t sure if she would do so.
 
The suspect has not been charged for the incident.

Shots fired near Old Snow Hill Road

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A KDPS officer on duty in the Charlotte Avenue area heard shots fired around 5:07 p.m. on March 3.
 
However, after responding to the 1400 block of Old Snow Hill Road, there didn’t appear to be anyone visible who could have fired the shots.
 
A subsequent investigation failed to turn up any shell casings.

Scrap metal allegedly stolen

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Officers responded to the 2200 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 8 a.m. on March 4 in regard to a larceny.
 
“An officer received a report of the above suspect stealing scrap metal from the (N.C.) 11 North area,” KDPS spokesman Woody Spencer said. “The officer contacted the suspect at (N.C.) 55 and Oak Bridge, discovered the above stolen items, a citation was issued for the stolen city property and (the victim) was made aware of the warrant process regarding the tent poles.”
 
Taken and recovered were tent poles, two city storm grates valued at $100 and a BB&T Visa card.
 
James Henry Herring, 26, received misdemeanor charges of larceny and shoplifting.
 
He’s scheduled to appear in Lenoir County District Court on April 8 for the first charge and April 14 for the second.
 

Thousands of dollars in bonds stolen

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KDPS responded to the 600 block of East Washington Avenue the morning of March 6 in regard to a burglary.
 
The victim told police someone broke into her residence during the night and stole $900 in cash and $20,000 in bonds.
 
There was no sign of forced entry at the scene.
 
There were no immediate suspects.

Police find marijuana on shoplifting suspect

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A woman suspected of shoplifting at Walmart around 3:57 p.m. on March 6 also allegedly had marijuana in her purse.
 
“An officer was called to Walmart for a larceny — when he arrived he spoke to an employee who advised the suspect stole items (listed in the report),” KDPS spokesman Woody Spencer said. “While searching the suspect’s purse, an officer located marijuana and a glass pipe in a small, wallet-type bag in her purse.”
 
Recovered at the scene was $16 in clothing, a $6.97 car sip cup and two wristlets valued at $4.
 
Freedom Ann Stisi, 20, received misdemeanor charges of larceny, simple possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
 
She’s scheduled to appear in Lenoir County Superior Court on May 26.

Man runs from police, stashes gun in freezer

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An officer arrived at Richard Green Court at 6 p.m. on March 7 in an attempt to contact two known gang members.
 
“(Carlos Earl) Fields had felony warrants,” KDPS spokesman Woody Spencer said. “Both subjects fled, and after a brief foot pursuit, officers lost sight of (Kyliel Jibri) Wade. A short time later, an anonymous tip led to an apartment where Mr. Wade went to. A consent search revealed Mr. Wade located inside.
 
“(The resident) advised (police) Mr. Wade didn’t have permission to be inside her apartment. Marijuana was located in the kitchen and the firearm located in the freezer, both where Mr. Wade was discovered.”
Police seized the marijuana and the gun, a Charter .38 Special Undercover.
 
Wade, 22, was charged with felony possession of a firearm by a felon and misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed gun, breaking and entering, simple possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, resisting a public officer and second-degree trespassing.
 
He received a $205,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Lenoir County District Court on Monday.
 
Fields, 25, was charged on the outstanding warrants — felony assault by strangulation, felony common-law robbery and misdemeanor assault on a female — along with new misdemeanor counts of resisting a public officer and second-degree trespassing.
 
He’s also expected in Lenoir County District Court on Monday.
 

Locals get an education in the grocery store

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Grocery shopping can be an exasperating experience for anyone concerned about eating healthy and saving money.
 
But it doesn’t have to be, according to Angie Watson, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
 
She and Tracy Palmatier, also an LMH registered dietitian, took a group of people through the Piggly Wiggly on Herritage Street Thursday night to help them navigate toward healthy food choices and analyze labels and costs.
 
The program is “Let’s Go to the Grocery Store: Bite into a healthy lifestyle.”
 
“We’ll talk about basic rules or guidelines for planning a grocery store trip,” she said Thursday afternoon.
 
Rule No. 1 is don’t go to the grocery store hungry, she said, because research shows people make unhealthy food choices when they are hungry, Watson said.
 
The major food groups can usually be found around the perimeter of a store — meat and fish, produce, dairy and bread and grains.
 
During the tour, Watson pointed out low-fat dairy items and lean cuts of meat, among others.
 
“We’ll go through the isles and look at staple foods,” she said earlier, “and try to minimize processed foods that tend to be in the middle isles.”
 
David Broadway of Kinston said he has diabetes and is concerned about what foods to eat.
 
“I hope to learn more about the proper things to eat because you still need a refresher,” he said as he started on the tour.
 
Palmatier said the reason they begin in the produce section is because, “half of our plate should be fruits and vegetables.”
 
In each department, the group stopped to discuss specific foods, compare labels, look for the best price or talk about marketing claims, such as no added sugar or lower sodium.
 
“If it says lower sodium,” Watson said, “it’s not necessarily a low-sodium food.”
 
Kinston resident Jane Hanrahan said her husband is diabetic and both of them are trying to lose weight.
 
“I’ve always known to look at labels,” she said after examining one on a loaf of bread. “... I’ve known about calories and serving size but, then, I didn’t know about fiber content and ingredient section.”
 
Watson said the more fiber in the bread, the slower the sugar will enter the bloodstream. But for low-blood sugar, don’t reach for cake, pies, candy bars or other fat-laden sweets because they won’t get the blood sugar back up fast enough, she said.
 
Laura Gooding of Kinston said some of her family members are diabetic and she wants to learn about eating healthy to get the most out of her exercising. She analyzed a couple of boxes of crackers with Watson’s help.
“I got clarification on reading the serving size and the grams of salt, she later said.
 
In most stores, it’s easy for shoppers to compare prices despite the wide variety of sizes and weights.
 
“A lot of people don’t realize there’s unit prices actually on the shelf,” Watson said.
 
Look at the stickers below the products because they tell the consumer how many cents per ounce, for example.
 
When people wonder if it’s better to buy fresh or frozen, Watson said it depends on whether the produce is in season. If it’s not, then the item was grown elsewhere and shipped.
 
Most produce has a label stating from where the item came. If not, the produce manager should be able to tell the customer.
 
“Frozen vegetables can be just as healthy and a lot less expensive,” Watson said.
 
She encourages shoppers to buy local produce because it’s the freshest and, of course, in season. She provided a list for the group so they’d know what fruits and vegetables are in season when.
 
Watson said she doesn’t normally talk about organic products — which are being offered more and more in grocery stores — unless someone asks about them. She does suggest limiting the amount of chemicals consumed.
 
“Especially certain foods,” she said, “it’s better to use organic if the price is right. ... It doesn’t mean chemical-free, but it has a lot less than standard produce.”
 
Each member of the group was given handouts of information and recipes, including a spaghetti recipe using spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
 
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

Locals get an education in the grocery store

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Grocery shopping can be an exasperating experience for anyone concerned about eating healthy and saving money.
 
But it doesn’t have to be, according to Angie Watson, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
 
She and Tracy Palmatier, also an LMH registered dietitian, took a group of people through the Piggly Wiggly on Herritage Street Thursday night to help them navigate toward healthy food choices and analyze labels and costs.
 
The program is “Let’s Go to the Grocery Store: Bite into a healthy lifestyle.”
 
“We’ll talk about basic rules or guidelines for planning a grocery store trip,” she said Thursday afternoon.
 
Rule No. 1 is don’t go to the grocery store hungry, she said, because research shows people make unhealthy food choices when they are hungry, Watson said.
 
The major food groups can usually be found around the perimeter of a store — meat and fish, produce, dairy and bread and grains.
 
During the tour, Watson pointed out low-fat dairy items and lean cuts of meat, among others.
 
“We’ll go through the isles and look at staple foods,” she said earlier, “and try to minimize processed foods that tend to be in the middle isles.”
 
David Broadway of Kinston said he has diabetes and is concerned about what foods to eat.
 
“I hope to learn more about the proper things to eat because you still need a refresher,” he said as he started on the tour.
 
Palmatier said the reason they begin in the produce section is because, “half of our plate should be fruits and vegetables.”
 
In each department, the group stopped to discuss specific foods, compare labels, look for the best price or talk about marketing claims, such as no added sugar or lower sodium.
 
“If it says lower sodium,” Watson said, “it’s not necessarily a low-sodium food.”
 
Kinston resident Jane Hanrahan said her husband is diabetic and both of them are trying to lose weight.
 
“I’ve always known to look at labels,” she said after examining one on a loaf of bread. “... I’ve known about calories and serving size but, then, I didn’t know about fiber content and ingredient section.”
 
Watson said the more fiber in the bread, the slower the sugar will enter the bloodstream. But for low-blood sugar, don’t reach for cake, pies, candy bars or other fat-laden sweets because they won’t get the blood sugar back up fast enough, she said.
 
Laura Gooding of Kinston said some of her family members are diabetic and she wants to learn about eating healthy to get the most out of her exercising. She analyzed a couple of boxes of crackers with Watson’s help.
“I got clarification on reading the serving size and the grams of salt, she later said.
 
In most stores, it’s easy for shoppers to compare prices despite the wide variety of sizes and weights.
 
“A lot of people don’t realize there’s unit prices actually on the shelf,” Watson said.
 
Look at the stickers below the products because they tell the consumer how many cents per ounce, for example.
 
When people wonder if it’s better to buy fresh or frozen, Watson said it depends on whether the produce is in season. If it’s not, then the item was grown elsewhere and shipped.
 
Most produce has a label stating from where the item came. If not, the produce manager should be able to tell the customer.
 
“Frozen vegetables can be just as healthy and a lot less expensive,” Watson said.
 
She encourages shoppers to buy local produce because it’s the freshest and, of course, in season. She provided a list for the group so they’d know what fruits and vegetables are in season when.
 
Watson said she doesn’t normally talk about organic products — which are being offered more and more in grocery stores — unless someone asks about them. She does suggest limiting the amount of chemicals consumed.
 
“Especially certain foods,” she said, “it’s better to use organic if the price is right. ... It doesn’t mean chemical-free, but it has a lot less than standard produce.”
 
Each member of the group was given handouts of information and recipes, including a spaghetti recipe using spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
 
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

Beware of card reader fraud

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Most people have heard of identity theft. But imagine someone stealing your credit number and PIN right out of a gas pump.
 
Gary and Janet Heck of Kinston believe that happened to them.
 
“They were able to get $1,600 before it was noticed,” Janet Heck said about the culprits, “and that was in three days.”
 
She said they figure it happened at a gas station because her husband doesn’t use the card much, but fills up the gas tank about twice a month.
 
It was when he was accessing an ATM, that he noticed he was getting a small refund for service fees used at ATMs. But he hadn’t used an ATM.
 
The transactions, it turned out, were made in New York either by the thief or someone who purchased the information from the thief, Janet Heck said.
 
“They can steal your PIN number and your card number and then they can charge anything they want,” she said.
 
A thief can attach a device, called a skimmer, to an ATM or gas pump which read the credit and debit card number when a card is inserted. A fraudulent keypad is placed over the original keypad to read the PIN or a tiny camera is installed to view someone keying in a PIN.
 
Woody Spencer, public information officer with Kinston Department of Public Safety, said there haven’t been any reported cases of skimming in Kinston, but he’s familiar with that type of fraud.
 
“One of the most important things, if at all possible, is to inspect the card reader that you’re using,” he said.
 
Look carefully at the card reader and keypad for anything out of the ordinary, such as being loose or jutting out more than usual or has scratches, and compare the gas pump with others nearby, Spencer said.
“It can be tough,” he said, “but you’ll look for it ill-fitting, or tape or glue residue.”
 
The ATM card readers are usually concave, but a fraudulent one will be convex — have an outward-shaped front, he said.
 
There may be a pinhole camera attached above or to the side, snapping the card number or PIN.
 
“The best practice would be to use it as a credit card,” Spencer said. “If you do use it as a debit card, cover it with your hand or any kind of item so that the camera won’t be able to record.”
 
These fraudulent items are generally placed at the farthest gas pump from the store window, but are not in place for long.
 
“They put them on and as soon as possible they’ll take them out,” Spencer said.
 
If you see a suspicious-looking ATM or gas pump, tell the bank or store personnel.
 
“If something doesn’t look right, don’t use that pump (or ATM),” Spencer said. “...Of course, it’s a good idea to keep track of your account.”
 
And finally, money stolen from a credit or debit account may not have been skimmed. There are many other ways for thieves to gain access to a card number and PIN, Spencer said.
 
It took about two weeks for the bank to reimburse the Hecks after an investigation showed they hadn’t traveled to New York. They had to close their account and wait for new cards to be issued.
 
“I remember seeing it on (ABC television’s) 20/20, but I never thought it would happen to me,” Janet Heck said.
 
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

Social workers, unsung heroes, celebrated

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In Lenoir County, March is the month to honor those who do their best to enhance the well-being and help the basic needs of all.
 
During Monday’s Lenoir County Commissioner meeting, the board made a proclamation to make March Social Work Month in support of the Lenoir County Department of Social Services, along with people in the profession locally and nationwide.
 
Susan Moore, director of the Lenoir County Department of Social Services, said social workers are everywhere and handle a myriad of tasks.
 
“What people don’t realize is there are social workers at offices, schools, nursing homes, veterans offices and all help folks work through problems,” Moore said. “Some are financial issues and some are social, but they all help connect people with resources, providing help and guidance.
 
“In our office, we have children’s protective service workers who investigate reports of abuse and neglect for minors. We provide the least amount of disruptive services for the child while still protecting them. In home, aides assist with daily living. They’re not housekeepers, but they’ll make a meal, help with baths and help people age safely in their own homes. You also have employment service workers who help people find training they need. The goal is to get people employed and stay employed.”
 
Barbara Hill, a social work supervisor with the Lenoir County DSS, said some issues the office faces are are misconstrued.  
 
“Child abuse and neglect doesn’t happen with one socioeconomic group — it’s something that happens across the board in every community, county, state and across the nation,” Hill said. “It’s the same with substance abuse. We don’t just deal with people picking up meth or heroin — now you have cases where they’re getting legal drugs and abusing them, such as pills.”
 
Another social work supervisor, Leslie Amyette, said there are many ups and downs with the job, but it’s also rewarding.
 
“We investigate and assess child abuse and neglect, identify the services needed and try to put in place ways to keep families together,” Amyette said. “We deal with a lot of frustrated and angry parents, along with people with mental and substance abuse. You have to be passionate about the profession and all of us here at the Lenoir County DSS want nothing more but to see people placed in the best positions.”
 
Moore said overall, helping out the residents is the best part of the job.
 
“Social work is very rewarding,” Moore said. “We get to help people and make in impact in people’s lives. We’re all about improving life in the community.”
 
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.

Marshall finds way to college basketball

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As if it were only yesterday, China Marshall can clearly describe the first game of her senior season at Jones Senior High School.

The Lenoir Community College freshman forward was a team captain during the Trojans' 2011-12 season after averaging a team-leading 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds her junior year. Jones Senior opened against Jacksonville Northside on Dec. 6, 2011.

“My teammate passed me the ball and the other girl stole it,” Marshall said. “I was running behind her, I go get the block and when I came down, the girl’s under me, so I stepped on her ankle. My ankle rolled and I felt my knee pop. They stretched me, and I tried to walk and I couldn’t walk.

“At the time, it hurt, but I didn’t think nothing of it.”

Through a series of light practices and hospital visits, Marshall didn’t know until three weeks after the season opener that she’d torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus.  

“I can remember it was me and my mom. We went (to the hospital),” Marshall said, clutching her left knee. “I’d seen my information on the screen, and I was like, ‘That can’t be me.’ When the doctor told me, I was just crying and crying and crying.”

The Northside loss was just one of three that season. The Trojans posted a 21-3 mark and finished undefeated in the Coastal Plains 1A Conference before falling to Southwest Onslow, 62-43, in the second round of North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Jones Senior survived Manteo in a first-round overtime battle two days before.

Though the Trojans fell short that year, they found success without the help of one of their senior captains.

Marshall suspected her injury helped motivate Jones Senior, who she said drew doubts about even being a good team in the first place.

“Everybody would write my name on their hands and say, ‘We’re going to win this game for you,’ ” Marshall recalled. She added about the team's support, “It felt good.”

When the Trojans hung it up on Feb. 22, 2012, Marshall did too.

She was prepared to put the game she loved since 8-years old behind her.

“I had a few looks before,” Marshall said of her recruiting process. “I was looking forward to that, but once I had my injury, I was just like nobody’s going to pick me up — so I was done with basketball.

“Until coach Tad gave me that call.”

 

Coming back

Marshall attended ECU immediately following her Jones Senior graduation.

She didn’t have plans for athletics.

LCC coach Tad Parson had already watched Marshall in school as a Trojan and decided to reach back out — nearly three years after she’d last touched a basketball. She said the pain of her injury discouraged her from working out even after she recovered.

To this day, she still uses an Ace elastic bandage around her knee.

“She was a player,” Parson said. “I just wanted to lay the opportunity out there in case she didn’t want to go Division I straight out.”

When Parson called Marshall in attempts to get her to LCC last season, Marshall said she immediately accepted the offer.

She was nervous stepping back out on a basketball court April of last year.

“Once I got into the flow of the game,” Marshall said, "everything just came back.”

Marshall averaged a double-double of 11.7 points and a team-best 11.1 rebounds (5.9 defensive and 5.2 offensive) her first season with the Lancers, who lost, 76-48, to Louisburg College to end their season at 11-12.

She scored a season-high 19 points three times over the year.

Marshall picked up right where she left off at Jones Senior.

 

Repairing the damage

Parson, who has coached the Lancers since 2009 and is also an assistant for the men’s team, said an ACL injury is more common in basketball players today and the recovery depends on the person. He’s seen some of his players come back ahead of schedule, while others took more than a year to get back on the floor.

Additionally, young female athletes are eight times more likely than males to suffer serious ACL injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 46,000 female athletes under 19-years old in 2006 experienced the injury, and nearly 30,000 of the injuries required reconstructive surgery.

Marshall, now 20, said it took four physical therapists to complete her recovery.

“It takes a strong person,” she said of overcoming the setback. “In the beginning, I wanted to give up; it does take a lot. Every time I came down in the beginning of the season, I would get real nervous (about injuring it again). Then, as the season progressed, I wasn’t worried about it.

“It definitely builds character.”

Parson said Marshall surpassed his expectations of her this season because of her mental and physical toughness.

“Being that she hadn’t played basketball in three years, she worked extremely hard,” Parson said. “I told her I was surprised.”

 

Love of the game

Jones Senior girls’ basketball coach Debbie Philyaw remembers her former player and how devastating her injury was. She said she didn’t know how the other Trojans would take the sidelining of their leader.

But Marshall was with them every game that season. She mentored the younger girls and sat with the coaches during games.

“We ordered wristbands with her initials and number on them,” Philyaw said of Marshall. “We wore them to honor her that season. How we went 21-3: it was mere heart. The rest of the season, I feel like was for China Marshall.

“China’s dream was to play college ball.”

Marshall, who was born in Baton Rouge, La., said she used to watch the boys in her neighborhood play basketball, and it motivated her.

“I wanted to be better than everyone,” she said with a laugh, “so I just started playing.”

Basketball is bigger than a game for Marshall, because she uses it as refuge. Even after an unwanted hiatus, she found her way back.

She said LCC was a good fit for her to return to the game, and she looks forward to next season with the Lancers.

“Basketball means a lot to me,” Marshall said. “Whenever something is going wrong … I know that’s what I can always go to. That’s what I always have.”  

               

 

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.

Jumping high

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Kinston's Ty'Ron Williams, 13, flips over the bar of the high jump in front of instructor Dalton Godette during the Havelock Track and Field Club Spring Camp on Saturday at Havelock High School. The camp brought youth from Goldsboro, Greenville, Kinston and Wilmington to Havelock for instruction on track and field techniques, including the high jump, long jump, shot put, discus and sprints. 

Parrott's Rasberry supports the cause

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One of Arendell Parrott Academy’s most notable athletes played a different role in a basketball tournament Saturday afternoon.

While 10 three-on-three teams slowly got eliminated throughout the day, Zacchaeus Rasberry split time along the sideline and behind the scorer's table. As teams finished playing two 10-minute halves, he walked out to the court with a light green sheet of paper to manage the bracket.

Rasberry, in an effort to raise money for cancer, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes, organized the Jr./Sr. weekend for C.H.A.D. Proceeds raised from the service project will go to the Cancer Society, Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation and Diabetes Association.

These particular diseases hit home for Rasberry.

“I just thought about all of the different diseases that people in my family have; some of them have more than one,” he said. “I have grandparents; they had all four diseases. It affects not only the older people but younger people. You hear about younger people having cancer, arthritis and diabetes.”

The basketball tournament held at Ellis-Simon Gymnasium featured a variety of age groups and representation from several area schools. Players from Greene Central, Kinston and North Lenoir were among the participants, as one of the North Lenoir teams won the tournament. 

Justin Lee of Greene Central said he learned of the event through his church.

“I said, ‘Why not? I’m doing it for a good cause,’ ” he said. “I came out here to have fun and support (Zacchaeus). It turned out well.”

Rasberry said before the event he had raised nearly $4,000 for the organizations.

Although everyone didn’t get on the court to show support, some people came by to give small donations and stop in to recognize the Parrott junior for his event.

“Anything helps, and I really appreciate those people,” Rasberry said. “I was thinking about all the different fundraisers I could do for a service project, and most people, they only do cancer or heart disease. I wanted to be different, and I wanted do more than one. Up to today, it’s been a lot of work getting letters out and getting donations. Earlier, with the registration, people started coming in kind of slow, but we wound up with a pretty good turnout.

“It’s been pretty successful.”

 

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan

Photo Page: Naturally Curious

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The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science brought nature indoors to the La Grange Public Library. The outreach program taught children and patrons how to use their senses to uncover the different clues left behind by animals, mammals and reptiles along with their habitats and life cycle. 


Hanks: My Tina is in another tough battle

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“I haven’t seen much of you around town lately,” a city official said to me last week. And he was right; I’ve missed a lot of my usual meetings and commitments that fill my schedule.
 
Well, it’s time to let you know why I’ve been away so much. 
 
As many of you know — and that’s the beauty of living in a small town like Kinston — I was married to the love of my life, Tina, in a Crystal Coast ceremony on Sept. 13. It was the perfect wedding — with dozens of our friends and family surrounding me, Tina and our beloved Molly Ringwald Hughes Hanks the Puppy Dawg — on a perfect day on a perfect beach.
 
Because of work commitments, we decided we’d wait until after the elections in November to have our honeymoon. Before we left, though, Tina had developed a recurring dry cough, which we thought was happening due to some flea-killing products we had used around our homes in Kinston and Raleigh (she still lives in Raleigh). 
 
She didn’t want to be hacking throughout our honeymoon, so she scheduled a doctor’s appointment. After more than a month of appointments and misdiagnoses that produced a virtual roller coaster of emotions, the final diagnosis came through in late December: throughout her body, my Tina had developed Stage IV melanoma with spindle cell variety — a rare disease the doctors told us only happens to one out of every 500,000 women.
It’s an especially vicious disease, too, as it has brutally attacked her lung, ribs, hip, spine and lymph nodes. She had to go through more than three weeks of radiation to reduce swelling of her lymph nodes and a tumor in her spine that fractured a vertebra. Because of all the pain medicine she is forced to take, we are beginning to experience memory issues, too.
 
What makes Tina’s current situation even scarier is that she is in remission from breast cancer, which — as many longtime readers will recall since I shared it in this space — she fought and defeated in 2011.
 
Since discovering the cause of my Tina’s sickness, the past few months have been a haze. Since she is being treated at the UNC Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, I have made many trips from Kinston to Orange County.
In fact, I’m writing this column on an overcast Saturday afternoon in a rehabilitation facility because my Tina fell earlier this week and snapped her left femur 3 inches above her knee.
 
Throughout all these trials, though, my beautiful Tina has kept her sense of humor and positivity. Although her body is attempting to betray her, her incredible spirit and personality won’t allow it to happen.
 
One reason for our optimism has been the incredible doctors and nurses at UNC — in particular, Dr. Frances Collichio (a melanoma expert) and Paula Landman (a nurse navigator in the melanoma program). Dr. Collichio and Paula are the most caring medical professionals I’ve ever experienced; they are intimately involved in every aspect of my Tina’s fight.
 
But we’re also thankful for those of you who have known about this fight and have shown us awesome support. Tina couldn’t have a better group of friends and family — including her sister Dena Powers, brother Joey Powers, sister-in-law Lorraine Powers, niece Maria Powers, ex-husband Kevin Hughes and friends Jan Rogers, Clara Stark, Becky Medlin, Susan Bijleveld, Kelly Rogers, Pete Bailey and Kim Bailey. They have been with us every step of the way — staying with Tina when I have to come back to Kinston to work, fixing stuff around Tina’s house, bringing us meals and just generally keeping our spirits up.
 
Speaking of Kinston, I have had a great group that has helped me in this fight. My dear friend — Free Press Managing Editor — Jennifer Shrader has kept this ship afloat while being severely understaffed, while at the same time making me laugh. On too many trips up Highway 70, ENC Desk Chief Richard Clark has kept me from running off the road by talking to me on the phone (while continuing to make sure your paper remains a quality product). 
 
My boss, Vernon DeBolt, and our human resources director, Donna Wallace, have been as supportive as they can be while we’ve been going through this. 
 
And there are those of you in Kinston who’ve known this for a while who have really been there for me. Three of you, though — Richy Huneycut, Reece Gardner and Lesli Casey — have been especially supportive. That trio has gone down similar roads and has emerged with enough positivity and strength to inspire others, including me.
 
I really want to thank the Kinston Noon Rotary, who presented me a nice gift last week and whose members make up not only the most influential group in our town, but the kindest.
 
I also want to thank Kinston High School basketball coach Perry Tyndall, KHS Principal Tina Letchworth, Early College Principal Nick Harvey, girls’ coach Chris Bradshaw and the other assistant coaches (along with Nick Stevens from WRAL) who visited my Tina on March 9 when she was at UNC Memorial Hospital. They were in Chapel Hill for the state championship presser but took time out of their extremely busy schedules to visit her and buoy her spirit. 
 
It worked, Coach Tyndall — and you are appreciated.
 
Our family has set up a Caring Bridge account so anyone can keep up with my Tina’s fight; if you’d like to visit it, go to caringbridge.org/visit/tinahanks. 
 
Thank you, dear reader, for reading this. We’d appreciate your prayers.
 
Bryan C. Hanks is the editor of The Free Press; his column appears in this space every Sunday. You can reach him at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCHanks.

Hagan rumored to challenge Burr

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State Democrats want one more turn at the wheel of electoral fortune.
 
Campaign talk around Capitol Hill indicates former U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan could take a shot at rejoining the Senate in 2016 by challenging U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., in his reelection bid.
 
Talking to public radio program “Here & Now” on March 11, Hagan said, “You know, I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no.”
 
She chalked up her loss in 2014 to, among other factors, the large amount of money spent on the race and President Barack Obama declining to tub-thump on the economic recovery.
 
“I think there are several things,” Hagan said, regarding the election outcome. “First of all, I think the money in politics – after (the) Citizens United (ruling) — is a situation where we, as a nation, have got to solve this problem. I think once you really look at the fact corporations can give unlimited money to politicians, I think that’s not democracy.
 
“I think when you see what David and Charles Koch were able to do, and how they’ve announced they’re going to do $900 million going forward in the next two-year cycle, most people in the United States do not have $900 million to spend.”
 
She continued, “So, I think that when we look at this, their right to First Amendment freedom of speech mutes 350 million other Americans, because they don’t have that kind of access to TV, radio, media because of money.”
 
Of the other Democrats who could run against Burr, Roll Call reported the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee talked with state Treasury Secretary Janet Cowell, but there are no details as to what may or may not have been agreed.
 
“If she were to choose not to run, it would open to a field that doesn’t have as strong a credential as she would,” said Michael Bitzer, provost of Catawba College and professor of politics and history. “By its very nature, running statewide for that major of an office, you get some qualities that folks who run for a state Senate seat or maybe even a Council of State seat really doesn’t have.”
 
A Public Policy Polling survey released Feb. 3 puts each of the five possible Democratic challengers trailing Burr, but Hagan did the best of the lot, coming in at 42 percent to Burr’s 48 percent. Burr led Cowell 45-38 percent, former U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre 44-37 percent, UNC President Tom Ross 44-35 percent and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx 44-36 percent.
 
“I would tend to think that because of the differences in both 2008 and 2014, that if she was seriously thinking about it she would look at those two elections and indeed say a presidential year in North Carolina is very different from a midterm year election,” Bitzer said. “Considering she only lost by (1.56) percent in 2014, that could be a way for her to say, ‘Yeah, I should get another shot because the electorate is going to be distinctly different than when I lost.’”
 
“Now, the willingness to take on another battle, the willingness to go through what is probably going to be another expensive Senate race, in a very crowded election year, that maybe something that you would turn and say, ‘You know what, I’ve done my fair share.’
 
While most political observers would put North Carolina in the “leaning Republican” column for Burr, 31 percent of state residents still have no opinion of him according to PPP, giving enough room for him to either gain substantial traction or suffer a serious hit depending on the reaction of the populace in the coming months.
 
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
 
Breakout Box
2014 U.S. Senate Election
Thom Tillis: 48.82 percent, 1,423,259 votes
Kay Hagan: 47.26 percent, 1,377,651 votes
Margin: 1.56 percent, 45,608 votes
Turnout: 44.35 percent
 
2008 U.S. Senate Election
Kay Hagan: 52.65 percent, 2,249,311 votes
Elizabeth Dole: 44.18 percent, 1,887,510 votes
Margin: 7.7 percent, 361,801 votes
Turnout: 69.25 percent
 
 

Sweepstakes cafés making one more go

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North Carolina’s quasi-legal gaming parlors are coming back.
 
Maybe.
 
In Lenoir County and across the state, sweepstakes cafés are reopening with new software that some consider legal. Previous shut-downs and re-openings also dealt with the software on the computers, which customers use to play the games online.
 
State law prohibits video sweepstakes that operate with what’s called “an entertaining display.” While the first offense is a misdemeanor, subsequent offenses are considered felonies.
 
The new software “pre-reveals” the amount of money won before or even if a customer chooses to play a game. The state Court of Appeals ruled in November such sweepstakes are illegal under the statute meant to prohibit most video sweepstakes.
 
According to an undercover police detective who testified in the matter of State v. Kawana Spruill and Richard Conoley Chapman in Edgecombe County, “You cannot win any more money than what it says you’re already going to win before the game starts. So it’s irrelevant what you click on.”
 
In ruling the software violated the entertaining display definition, Judge Wanda Bryant, writing for the court, said, “Under the pre-reveal format, entry and participation in the sweepstakes, through the pre-reveal, is a prerequisite to playing a video game. Thus, the sweepstakes takes place during the initial stages of any game played.
 
“That the sweepstakes is conducted at the beginning of a game versus its conclusion makes no significant difference: the sweepstakes prize is not dependent upon the skill or dexterity of the patron; it is a game of chance. And, in conjunction, the electronic video game is a display which entices the patron to play.”
 
However, that ruling’s not being taken as gospel for the lower courts. On Feb. 4, an Alamance County jury found WRWI LLC’s operation stayed within state specifications.
 
WRWI attorney Shannon Joseph told the jury the “system was changed to comply with the law. Reading the law and acting accordingly is not evading the law. It’s complying with the law,” according to The Times-News.
 
While shutting down a sweepstakes café is the purview of the area district attorney and sheriff offices, as seen in the Alamance case, whether that will hold up in court is a matter of debate. Currently there is no new sweepstakes legislation in the General Assembly. The deadline to file a new bill — not destined for reference to appropriations or finance committees — is April 8.
 
 
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.

'CAS't of great kids present school projects

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A group of Kinston High School students had the chance to reflect after many months of preparation Saturday.
 
The International Baccalaureate students of the school presented their CAS projects — the letters standing for creativity, action and service — on Saturday at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library. The project, which is a part of the core curriculum for an IB diploma, is a way to challenge students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance and develop collaborative, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
 
Ruth Anderson, coordinator of the CAS program at Kinston High, said this was the first time students presented their projects in a setting outside of the school.
 
“The kids are working in the community, so we didn’t want to have the presentations at the school,” Anderson said. “The library seemed like a great fit and we hoped people would come here and see what the students did.”
 
The IB students worked over an 18-month period, using a myriad of ideas to bring projects into fruition. Some worked individually, while others had group representation.
 
Emily Webb said her group worked with Pennies For Patients to raise money and awareness for child leukemia and lymphoma. Webb, along with Robert Blake, Matthew Burwell and Daniel Maynard were able to raise about $1,000 for the organization.
 
“Before us, a group of seniors did it, so we wanted to get involved and carry the torch,” Webb said. “This project helped us become true International Baccalaureate students — it’s not just about academics. We have to be global thinkers, well-rounded and kindhearted, so this helped us set priorities, along with balancing academics and helping others.”
 
Two brothers in the IB program, James and Mitchel Smith, worked with the Cub Scouts of La Grange. James said it started with the leader asking him to assist before he took on a bigger leadership role.
 
“They needed help because there are a lot of kids and not as much parent involvement,” James Smith said. “I wanted to stay involved with the Cub Scouts after I became an Eagle Scout and phased out of the younger groups. There’s a lot of work involved behind the scenes, such as planning, while trying to meet the requirements of this project.”
 
Mitchel Smith said the entire experience was rewarding and the children played a big role.
 
“The Cub Scouts are so energetic, so it makes me more excited to help out,” he said. “Trying to keep some of the scouts excited can be a problem at times, especially some of the older ones, but it’s a lot of fun and I plan to keep doing this.”
 
Anderson said she couldn’t be any prouder of the students.
 
“It makes my heart happy to see their success,” Anderson said. “They’ve had failures too, but I like to call it failing forward. They’ve picked themselves up from past mistakes and went ever harder on their projects. It was a wonderful sight to see.”
 
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.
 
Breakout box
Here is a list of the International Baccalaureate students at Kinston High School who created projects:
n Robert Blake
n Matthew Burwell
n Phebe Cantey
n Brittani Ford
n Ryan Grady
n Emleigh Hughes
n Stewart Hughes
n Rachel Jones
n Daniel Maynard
n Estrella Paez
n Marcus Pittman
n Raiser Ravenell
n James Smith
n Mitchel Smith
n Emily Webb
n Aysha Zayyad
 

Sinus problems complicated by allergies

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Which came first — allergies or sinus infections?
 
That’s how Dr. Barbara Goheen, an otolaryngologist with Kinston Head & Neck, describes some of the complexities of nasal problems all too common in Eastern North Carolina.
 
Spring’s breezes carry tiny pollen particles causing histamines to be released in the sinuses, which create an allergic reaction in many people.
 
“But some people go on with allergies and have more problems where they get sinus infections,” Goheen said, “and that’s where your nose gets congested and swells and the sinus cavities themselves become blocked off.”
 
That can lead to a bacterial infection, which for some people just won’t clear up.
 
On the other hand, other people suffer with sinus infections, making them more susceptible to allergies.
 
The increasing numbers of allergies, especially for women and in the South, could be due to a number of factors, including chemicals in the air, pesticides in food and sporadic weather patterns, Goheen said.
 
“In the agricultural area,” she said, “(researchers) think it has more to do with the chemicals we’re using to treat our crops that we’re seeing more asthma and allergies.”
 
David Chalcraft, an ECU associate professor of biology and director of the North Carolina Center for Biodiversity, said he could make an educated guess that there may be a connection between climate change and allergies.
 
He said climate change could alter when and how long a flower blooms, as well as increase the production of pollen in some plants.
 
“I don’t know that this would mean that more people would develop allergies,” he said, “but it would likely increase the duration over which people that already have allergies would be suffering from them.”
Goheen said processed foods cause inflamation, which causes the immune system to react and worsen allergy symptoms.
 
Reducing sinus symptoms
 
There are numerous ways to reduce allergy symptoms — sprays, drops, shots and neti pots (saline washes) — and infection can be halted with antibiotics.
 
But when those don’t work and symptoms such as blockage from swelling and drainage are chronic or recurring, there is a procedure that can be performed in a doctor’s office that opens up the sinus cavities.
 
It’s called balloon sinuplasty and was developed in the early 2000s, said Goheen, who began doing the procedure in the operating room in 2008.
 
“In 2011, it got approved to do in the office,” she said, “and that’s when I started doing it in the office.”
 
Today, most health insurances cover it, and many physicians are now doing the procedure for mild to moderate sinusitis, Goheen said.
 
“The balloon actually microfractures the bone,” she said.
 
It sounds a bit creepy, but it’s not intolerable and takes about 15 or so minutes.
 
Earl Wilson, 71, of La Grange, had the sinuplasty done about six months ago by Goheen.
 
“It was not uncomfortable one bit,” he said. “... I talked to (the staff) the whole time they were doing it.”
 
Robert McCain, 80, of Kinston said he had the procedure about a year ago and didn’t feel a thing.
 
Success for most people
 
There is about a 10 percent failure rate.
 
“So about 10 percent of the people we do it on,” Goheen said, “they have to go and have traditional sinus surgery, which is the procedure in the operating room.”
 
People with severe sinus problems will invaribly skip the in-office procedure and have the traditional sinus surgery. Patients are anesthetized, some bone is removed, a complete sinus cleaning is performed and it takes about a week to recover, Goheen said.
 
With the office procedure, patients can go back to work the next day. Some of them stop having sinus problems.
 
Rufus Allen, 88, of Jackson Heights said his sinuses were never right and he shouldn’t have waited so long to have the sinuplasty done.
 
“It worked for me great,” he said. “I could hardly breathe. It opened up my sinuses.”
 
Wilson said he had allergy and sinus problems all his life and he had to clear his throat so often, it was “embarrassing.”
 
“I’ve done well with it myself,” he said about the procedure. “It’s really helped me.”
 
Not everyone has dramatic results. There was a chance the sinuplasty would improve McCain’s hearing, but it didn’t. His nose still gives him trouble, depending on the weather and going in and out of air conditioning. But he said overall his condition is better.
 
“The main thing, I haven’t been sick this year,” McCain said.
 
All three patients continue to use saline spray for allergies. But the good news is there is more room for breathing and drainage once the sinuses are expanded by the balloon device.
 
Goheen suggests patients irrigate nasal passages with a neti pot or use mists or sprays, use hypoallergenic bedding and wash it in hot water every couple of days, remove wall-to-wall carpeting in the bedroom and don’t let pets sleep in the bed.
 
She also recommends keeping windows repaired and closed and using a HEPA filter, a humidifier in the winter and dehumidifier in the summer, as well as making sure to clean the filters often to prevent mold.
 
Goheen is a graduate of the University of Washington-Seattle and trained at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., where she met her husband, Dr. Brian Brodish, an ear, nose and throat physician in Greenville. She began practicing in 2002.
 
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
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