Quantcast
Channel: KINSTON Rss Full Text Mobile
Viewing all 10120 articles
Browse latest View live

Historic firehouse’s days may be numbered

0
0

The unassuming rectangular building near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and East Caswell Street bears the label, carved into stone, “Hose Co. No. 2.” And it may not be there in the next few years.

The former fire station is the second oldest still standing in Kinston and served East Kinston for several decades, beginning in the 1930s and through the Kinston fire service’s professionalization in the 1950s.

It was also the home fire house of Kinston’s first two professional black firefighters.

However, it and a few other city-owned structures in town that are leased to churches and community groups has seen better times and the city may soon be in the position of deciding demolishing the building is more cost-effective than extensive repairs.

At Monday’s Kinston City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Tyson brought up the matter of the fire station, the recreation building at Lovit Hines Park and the building housing the Harris Croom Post of the American Legion as structures that have concerns beyond regular maintenance. 

“Fire Station No. 2 is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard that building may have to be demolished later on …” because of efforts by the city to lure business to the area of MLK Boulevard and East Caswell Street, and the structure’s condition, within the next 10 years, Tyson said.

The city and New Beginnings Outreach Center signed a lease agreement for the building in January 2008 for $1 annually, with the understanding New Beginnings would handle such things as maintenance both inside and the property outside the structure.

Local historian Guy Basden, who worked out of the former Tiffany Street Station in his days as a firefighter, is in the process of trying to put together a plan to save the building.

“The way we’re going to have to approach that is find out what the projection is and get together a committee of folks like we did when we saved the old fire station on Queen Street,” Basden said.

One of the other historic features of the station is its status as a hub at least into the 1960s for county firefighters, under a community facilities plan drawn up by the city council at that time.

Basden said he appreciates the city’s desire to draw commercial development to that particular intersection, but hopes the firehouse can be part of the overall plan.

“I can understand, from the standpoint of development, but it’s up to us to find a way to salvage the building and also not have the taxpayers to have to pay for it,” Basden said.

 

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.


The Rundown

0
0

Local Roundup 

South Lenoir soccer wins conference championship

South Lenoir’s girls’ soccer team won the Eastern Carolina 2A Conference championship for a second straight year after defeating Kinston, 2-1, in overtime on Wednesday night.

Kinston scored early in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Kaila Acuna scored with 3 minutes left in the contest to tie the game.

SL keeper Makenzie Loomis made a save on a Kinston penalty kick to force overtime. Carson Hood scored early in the first OT and the Devils held on for the victory.

South Lenoir finished 7-1 in the conference.

 

North Lenoir softball gets over non-conference foe

The Hawks defeated Southern Wayne, 12-1, in a non-conference game on Wednesday night.

Kaci Letchworth was the winning pitcher.

Letchworth finished 5-for-5 with two doubles; Megan Lanier went 4-for-5 with two doubles; Madison Allen went 4-for-5, Alison Montage went 2-for-5 and Janna Moore finished 1-for-4.

North Lenoir (10-3) traveled to Ayden-Grifton for the final game of the regular season Thursday night. 

 

South Lenoir softball takes down Greene Central, Kinston

The Blue Devils defeated Greene Central on Tuesday, 4-1. Bree Williams finished 2-for-2 with three stolen bases and two runs. Madison Herring went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two walks and run. Tiara Graham was 1-for-1, and Matti Beyer pitched a complete game with three strikeouts, giving up two hits and walking 1.

South Lenoir defeated Kinston, 19-1, on Wednesday. Cassidy Lingerfelt was a leading hitter, going 2-for-2 with two runs.

Baseball: Devils shine in regular-season finale

0
0

DEEP RUN | With South Lenoir’s playoff aspirations hanging in the balance on Senior Night, Dylan Rouse, Montana Thompson and Cody Ladich made sure their final home game was a memorable one.

Rouse tossed a three-hit, complete game, Thompson blasted a double and triple and Ladich singled twice and drove in a run as the Blue Devils knocked off Kinston, 8-1, in the regular-season finale for both teams on Wednesday.

SL (11-9, 6-4 Eastern Carolina 2A Conference) was left waiting for the outcome of Thursday’s North Lenoir at Ayden-Grifton game before learning its playoff destination, while the Vikings (3-19, 2-8) ended their season in fifth place in the final league standings.

“It wasn’t pretty but we did what we needed to do to win,” Devils coach David Combs said. “We swung the bats well (eight hits, three for extra bases) which was a big improvement over our previous two games (two runs, eight hits combined).”

The fact that Rouse was clicking on all cylinders certainly didn’t hurt the Devils’ cause either.

The senior allowed a single unearned run and nicely escaped a fifth-inning jam when he got Robert Blake to line out to right with two outs and the bases loaded.

“Dylan did a great job on a night when we really needed it,” Combs said. “This was our third game in three nights and for Dylan to go the distance, on Senior Night, was huge for us and for him.”

Rouse walked and struck out three and also rolled a trio of double play grounders.

That was more than enough on a night when the Devils scored four times in the second inning and then added another 4-spot in the sixth.

Jared Puckett added a two-base hit for the Devils, while Thompson, Hunter Winfield and Dalton Lane also contributed RBIs.

Sam McLawhorn drove in Kinston’s lone run. Blake, Joe Edwards and Kamryn Webster collected hits for the Vikings.

Webster was the hard-luck loser, hurling five terrific innings before tiring in the sixth. The fact that he did it on an injured hamstring made the outing all that more impressive.

“Kamryn truly stepped up, even though he was in some pain,” Kinston coach Ryan Buie said. “He did everything we asked: threw strikes, kept the ball down, and gave us a chance to win. It was a very gutsy performance by a sophomore.”

                 

South Lenoir 8, Kinston 1

Kinston                 100         000         0—1       3       5

South Lenoir      040         004         x—8       8       3

Webster, A. McLawhorn (6), and Whitfield. Rouse and T. Winfield. W—Rouse. L—Webster.

Wooten Virginia-bound

0
0

PETERSBURG, Va. | Richard Bland College Head Men’s Basketball and NJCAA National Coach of the Year Chuck Moore has announced the signing of Jaquan Wooten and Devin Smith to his 2015 recruiting class on Wednesday afternoon.

 

“It’s exciting to get the talent level of Jaquan and Devin here with the fact that they are out of state,” said Coach Moore. “It shows that we are looking for the best talent and with also great character having both of them come from good families, I believe they will show that they can be true Statesmen on this campus.”

 

Wooten, a 6-foot-9 center averaged 16.8 points, 16.6 rebounds and 7.6 blocks per game his senior year at South Lenoir High School. He led the conference in rebounds and blocks for three consecutive years while managing to collect six triple doubles with four of them being back-to-back this season.

 

The Kinston, NC, native was named Pepsi Player of the Week, Kinston Free Press Player of the Week, First-Team All-Conference both junior and senior year and 2A Conference Defensive Player of the Year this past season. He was also selected to play in the Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic on March 27.

 

Wooten helped lead the Blue Devils to a 17-6 overall record and an appearance in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) playoffs.

 

Smith, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward hails from Hagerstown Community College where he averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per outing as a freshman. He scored a season-high 27 points against Allegany College of Maryland on Feb. 9.

 

Prior to Hagerstown, Smith averaged 15.5 points per game at Randallstown High School and was named to First-Team All-Division and selected to play in the Baltimore County All-Star game.

                                    

Both Wooten and Smith will join the Statesmen in the fall.

Tennis: Kinston doubles, North Lenoir single headed to state

0
0

Matthew Burwell didn’t expect he and his doubles partner, Koty Wojeski, would have advanced this far when the season began.

Kinston High School’s tennis team was coming off a tough year when the Vikings began this season.

But this doubles team's upcoming state tournament appearance more than proved the progress of Kinston tennis.

Burwell and Wojeski, the Eastern Carolina 2A Conference doubles champions, will play Carrboro today in Cary.

“I think me and my partner really work well together,” said Wojeski, a junior who’s played tennis since he was 11. “We both have our strengths and weaknesses. Whenever we get down, we bring each other back up and that’s what makes us strong: we can help each other back up.”

The pair will enter today’s tournament boasting a 12-4 record.

Second-year coach Chris Davis said the double team’s will and strength at the net have helped it advance this far.

“They’re both pretty consistent at the net,” Davis said, “and that’s helped them a lot, and they communicate really well. Any time you’re playing doubles, it’s really important that you communication and you pick each other up when somebody hits a bad shot, hits a bad serve.”

Serving is what both Burwell and Wojeski cited as the one thing to iron out in the days leading up to the big match.

They also named their matches with Croatan and EC2A champion North Lenoir as tests that prepared them for state.

“They prepared us because we know what we need to work on,” said Burwell, a senior. “We have to make sure we stay calm and not get too down on ourselves and lose points.”

The state-bound Kinston doubles team will be joined by league singles comrade Evan Kramer, North Lenoir’s No. 1 seed who also made it to state. He finished runner-up in the Eastern Regional 2A final to Washington’s Conner Wilkins, 6-3, 6-1.

The Kinston team said North Lenoir is a new rival.

Davis also hopes the state appearance will drive students to join tennis.

“It’s good for the different kids that don’t make the basketball team,” he said. “It’s exciting any time you make it, and it’s just great for the kids that chose to play tennis. It’s good for our program, because hopefully, it’ll get more kids involved with tennis.”

He added Carrboro will be a strong opponent.

“They’ve got some really good talent up there and those guys that are there, they’ve been playing tennis for a really long time,” Davis said. “If we play up to our talent level, maybe we can make a good showing.”

 

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

Bethel's Potter to putt for Johnston

0
0

On Saturday mornings, a young Ben Potter would wake up early to watch the European Tour to see Rory McIlroy, who would become his favorite professional golfer.  

Then, Potter started hanging around the Kinston Country Club course, observing those golfers and the sport’s culture.

Next, he set a goal. And on Wednesday afternoon, the Bethel Christian Academy senior cemented his aspirations for playing college golf by signing with Johnston Community College.

“(It’s) really about three years of hard work coming together, ever since I got in touch with George (Carroll),” Potter said of his swing coach. “He really saw my potential. Without him, I know I wouldn’t be playing college golf, so a lot of thanks to him and my parents for getting me the opportunity and getting me involved with golf at a fairly young age.”

Potter began playing the sport when he was 13 years old.

A few years later, the Trojans multi-sport athlete decided he wanted more from golf.

“I really like all sports, but golf is my passion,” said Potter, following a ceremony at Bethel that saw Johnston coach Ed Ransopher. “It’s the one I love the most. I put more time into golf than any other sports, and it’s just my favorite.”

Potter also plays baseball and basketball at Bethel, the latter coached by his father, Bert, who additionally serves as the school’s golf coach.

Ben Potter said the tough courses he’s had to play as a BCA golfer has prepared him for the next step of his athletic career.

“I’ve played some good teams in the past who have really pushed me,” said Potter, who was content to disclose he juggled his two other sports while practicing his golf game at least five days a week. “It’s never been a cakewalk at all. I’ve had to go out there and shoot even par or 1-under.”

He is expected to play with the Top 5 at Johnston next season, according to Ransopher .

Potter’s handshake impressed the Jaguars coach early in the recruiting process.

“What do I like about Ben? Ben’s character more than anything else,” Ransopher said. “I contacted some coaches in the area and they indicated he was a young man that could play, and that’s all I ask. I had a very, very good first interview with him. That first impression really made me feel like he could be in our program.”

Of the eight golfers recruited into the program, Potter will be one of the scholarship players.

He plans to get his degree and then transfer to study accounting. As for golf, he hopes to develop power and use one of his best assets, his short game, to contribute to the program.

“When I was smaller, I couldn’t hit a lot of greens,” Potter admitted. “I had to learn to how to chip and putt really fast to card a good score, so that’s one of my strong suits. I grew so fast, I’m still having to work on my long game a lot.

He added he chose Johnston because, “it was just really the best option for me. It’s close to where I won’t feel like I’m too far away. I wanted to go somewhere where I’d made a big impact, and I feel I can do that there.”

 

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

Drug dragnet results in 22 arrests

0
0

An effort between local, state and national law enforcement resulted in the arrest of 22 street-level drug arrests in Lenoir County on Thursday and Friday.

“This operation identified 28 street level dealers in Lenoir County that were selling illegal narcotics,” Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said in a statement. “Arresting these individuals sends the message that we do not want this activity in our county and the sheriff’s office will work with every agency that will help us to catch these suspected criminals and bring them to justice.”

One of the 22 suspects arrested was Cephus Bernard Whitfield, the victim of a Monday night shooting on Viking Drive.

Involved in the effort were the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, the Kinston Department of Public Safety, Greenville Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

Suspects arrested

Curtis Batts, La Grange, $25,000 bond

Two felony counts each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana, maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.

 

Rayshon Cannon, Kinston, $75,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Tavaris Cannon, La Grange, $90,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Patrick Dove, Pink Hill, $30,000 bond

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Amanda Daniell Espi, Kinston, $15,000 bond

One felony count each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana.

 

Deon Gardner, La Grange, $195,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

Amador Gonzalez, No City, $40,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance and two felony counts of maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances.

 

Frankie Graham, Pink Hill, $270,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, being a habitual felon and one order for arrest for nonpayment of child support.

 

Randy Gray, La Grange, $160,000 bond

Three felony counts each of trafficking by selling opium, trafficking by possession, trafficking by delivery and maintaining a place for controlled substances.

 

Larry Hamilton, Pink Hill, $50,000 bond

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

John McClain, Pink Hill, $75,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Darryl Mitchell, Pink Hill, $195,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with the intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

Ashton Moody, Kinston, $10,000 bond

One felony count each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.

 

Edward Ronnell Raikes, Kinston, $50,000 bond

One felony count each of trafficking by sale of opinion, trafficking by possession and trafficking by delivery.

 

Dontrel Tysean Smith, No City, $100,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and one felony count each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.

 

Stacey Smith, Goldsboro, $75,000 bond

Three felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and conspiracy.

 

Stephen Sutton, La Grange, $100,000 bond

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiracy and being a habitual felon.

 

Ricardo Thornton, La Grange, $60,000 bond

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, selling marijuana, delivering marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.

 

Cathy Jo Turner, Kinston, $30,000 bond

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Cephus Bernard Whitfield, Kinston, bond pending

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a place for controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

Marquez Williams, No City, bond pending

Two felony counts each of selling methamphetamines, delivering methamphetamines, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

Suspects at large

Al Ray Barnes, Goldsboro

Three felony counts of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, two felony counts of maintaining a place for controlled substances and one felony count each of trafficking cocaine by selling, trafficking cocaine by delivery, trafficking cocaine by transport and trafficking cocaine by possession.

 

James Frederick Dove, Pink Hill

Two felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

David Goff, La Grange

Three felony counts each of selling methamphetamines, delivering methamphetamines, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and being a habitual felon.

 

Terrell Junior Jones, Kinston

One felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and conspiracy.

 

Jonathan Rashawn Lensie, No City

Two felony counts each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and one felony count of conspiracy.

 

Alex Supel, No City

Two felony counts each of trafficking cocaine by selling, trafficking cocaine by delivery, trafficking cocaine by transport, trafficking cocaine by possession and one felony count each of selling cocaine, delivering cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

 

Anyone with any information on the at-large suspects is encouraged to contact the LCSO at 252-559-6118.

 

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.

Otis Gardner: Texas may have made some good choices

0
0
I’ve lived in North Carolina most of my life and don’t envision ever moving away unless Emerald Isle tides take my ashes on a long trip.
 
However I originally sprouted in Texas. Yep, the fact that I’m actually a Texan was brought to mind this week when I heard of the nutcase terrorist attack in Garland, a little blip in the shadow of Dallas.
 
Thankfully, both gunmen were killed by a traffic cop with his service weapon before they could wreak havoc. According to the sketchy reports I’ve seen, both were wearing body armor and carrying assault rifles.
 
Of course I don’t yet know specifics surrounding the encounter but clearly the initial tale of the tape put the law officer at a huge disadvantage. I tip my hat and offer my hand to this officer.
 
He was brave, cool headed, a great marksman, plain lucky or all of the above but whatever the mix, this outcome was as good as it gets given the world we live in. Brave and competent law officers aren’t unique to any one state but serve everywhere with distinction coast to coast.
 
But of all those coast to coast states, I was surprised this attempt was made in Texas of all places. Texans as a group are far from passive victims, being more cactus than mushroom.
 
Texas has more gun owners than any other state and those owners possess over 50 million guns. Inflicting sustained violence upon such a highly armed population is virtually impossible. Jesse James learned that in Northfield, Minnesota.
 
The cute marketing message “Don’t Mess with Texas” is more than a bumper sticker. Infamous outlaw Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because “that’s where the money is.” Reversing the corollary’s language, those who traffic in violence might consider not messing with Texas because that’s where guns are.
 
Even Japan rejected plans to invade the United States mainland because of our culture and freedom to own guns. hey weren’t afraid of our armies, they were very afraid of our citizens.
 
This isn’t an infomercial for gun ownership but rather acknowledgement that Texas has obviously made some good choices. Perhaps “The Lone Star State” and “The Common Sense State” could be interchangeable mottos.
 
The state is working well because Texans have chosen freedoms over controls, jobs over taxes. But its citizens aren’t without their special brand of western paranoia.
 
Lately warnings about a military training operation named “Jade Helm” has been making cyber waves as being a cover for instituting martial law. Even Obama – whom I consider an enemy of this country – doesn’t have a pen and a cell phone that big.
 
Some very respectable people have been toying with those accusations but hopefully they’ll quickly relegate such thoughts to “Once Upon A Time” fairy tale status. But I can understand with deep mistrust of national leadership, how weird stuff like this can gain traction.
 
Things worked out this week. Two terrorists were killed, I was thankful for the officer quickly putting them down and very much enjoyed remembering that I’m still Texan. Show ‘nuff!
 
Otis Gardner’s column appears here weekly.  He can be reached at ogardner@embarqmail.com
  

Viable legislation continues on the move

0
0
It can depend on your perspective as to whether a bill that’s “crossed over” has gone to a better place, but a week following the General Assembly’s crossover deadline, legislation with local connections continue on the path to passage.
 
One such bill, cosponsored by Senate Deputy President Pro Tem Louis Pate, R-Wayne, and Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, seeks to make sure children born with chemical dependencies get the immediate treatment they need.
 
If enacted, the state Division of Social Services would draw up protection plans for the newborns which would be uniformly adopted by county departments of social services, eliminating inconsistencies between areas of the state in treating the children.
 
“If (chemical dependencies are) not identified and efforts put in place in terms of treatment and dealing with a situation, it can lead to growth disabilities, learning disabilities and long-term effects, so what we’re trying to do is give these babies a fighting shot at life, here,” Davis said.
 
Over in the House of Representatives, House Majority Whip John Bell, R-Wayne, shepherded through a bill that would create a regulatory reform task force.
 
“The whole idea behind the task force is to have a collaboration between legislative leaders and business leaders across the state – folks from the environmental side, business side, agriculture side, just have a mixture of different energies coming to the table and look at burdensome regulations that affect economic development in the state, or maybe look at some industries that need regulation and what regulations are needed and what regulations are not,” Bell said.
 
He added, “That will give us a chance to not only listen to our constituents who submit things for the General Assembly, but also get recommendations from business leaders throughout the whole, entire state – broadens the scope.”
 
Of particular interest is the Senate’s local incentives for historical rehabilitation bill, which awaits action in the House after the House’s historic tax credit bill entered purgatory in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
 
Davis said this effort isn’t meant to replace a tax credit bill.
 
“What the version that passed does is simply – it says if municipalities, jurisdictions want to come out of their own coffers and pay for these projects, they can,” Davis said. “The issue is, a lot of entities are not going to want to do it. So, we’re not backing away and retreating, we’re going to augment our state historic preservation tax credits.”
 
And, Bell reiterated the position of the House to push historic tax credit legislation again, as well.
 
“I’m 100 percent in favor of getting that back on track – I think that’s a big deal and it’s extremely needed,” Bell said.   
 
The General Assembly reconvenes on Monday.
 
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.

Pro caddy conducts golf skills clinic for students

0
0
Spending half the year on golf courses in West Palm Beach, Fla., would be nice for some — for Ryan Reese, it’s a job.
 
“I follow the good weather, so I’m down there from about Thanksgiving until now — I’ve been here for a couple days — and I’ll leave here to go to Columbus, Ohio at a course called Muirfield Village, where they have a PGA Tour event, and I’ll work there, as well,” Reese said.
 
The Kinston native, Kinston High School graduate and professional caddy is in Bill Fay Park today giving students in grades 6-9 an introduction to the basic skills of the game.
 
Reese said he’ll work attendees on things like chipping, irons, driving, and generally show that there’s more to athletics than the more popular team sports like basketball and football.
 
He also said he wants to provide a little of what wasn’t there for him when he was younger.
 
“Growing up in Kinston, there weren’t a lot of resources for me, personally – there wasn’t really any opportunity for me to develop my game and get better,” Reese said. “And there wasn’t really a place for me to go and practice after school – I went to Kinston High School and played on the team and everything, but I didn’t really have exposure to clubs or professional help.”
 
He added that what he had to do he did himself, but it paid off.  
 
“I pretty much taught myself – I went out and got equipment on my own, and as I got older and went through the grades I got a lot better, obviously,” Reese said. “Just as anything else in life, you put the time in, you get a lot better. It’s taken me places I never thought I would go – I’ve seen some awesome things, golf tournaments … it’s been awesome.”
 
The event was planned and organized by the J.H. Sampson Community Development Corporation.
 
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.

Exceptional day for exceptional children

0
0
Smiles, hugs and clowns were just a few of the exciting things going on at Lenoir County’s Special Olympics held at Kinston High School on Friday.
 
This year’s spring Special Olympics brought the largest group of children together the county has seen. In previous years, the Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department has taken on the task of organizing and hosting the event on their own. This year, the parks and recreation department joined forces with the Lenoir County School System for the largest competition the county has seen.
 
Participants in the Special Olympics have to be eight years old or older so younger children have been left out of the festivities in the past. 
 
“This year, we invited our Pre-K students to come and have their own events,” Julie Hill, the assistant director for exceptional children services of Lenoir County Schools, said. “We invited children spectators that are EC, usually they get left out but this year we wanted them to participate.”
 
Flimsy the Clown, JellyBean the Clown and Out of this World entertainment kept the children laughing, singing and dancing throughout the event.
 
Sumer Ashlyn Smith, Miss Neuse 2015, emceed the games.
 
“I’m so privileged to be a part of this and represent Miss Neuse here,” Smith said. “I’m really enjoying seeing everybody here.”
 
Deacon Anthony Loftin of the parks and recreation department and a coach at North Lenoir High School looked forward to delivering the invocation and helping with the 50 yard dash and the 50 meter walk. 
“It’s exciting being here watching the kids get together and win their ribbons,” Loftin said. “We’ve got a nice crowd out here today and it’s a wonderful day for it.”
 
Student volunteers set up tents with different attractions to entertain the children. Students could make personalized visors in the arts and crafts tent, get face painting from art students or visit the photo booth and have their picture made with high school basketball star Brandon Ingram.
 
“We had one big brainstorming session,” Julia Ervin, the autism and low incident specialist from central office, said. “We’re trying to put as much out there as possible so that each kid with their varying levels of ability can access it.”
 
Vivian Roach, the director of exceptional children for Lenoir County Schools, became emotional as the parade marched down the track.  
 
“We were determined this year that we were gonna have a big event,” Roach said. “We’ve been working on it for awhile with parks and recreation. It makes my heart happy, it’s very emotional for me, it was a lot of us, not just me, it was a team.”
 
Now in her eleventh year with Special Olympics, Melissa McCoy, program supervisor with the parks and recreation department, appreciated the collaboration between the school system and her department.
 
“As far as my job is concerned, this is definitely the thing that’s the nearest to my heart,” McCoy said. “I know what it means to the participants and the athletes and that’s why it’s so important to me because just for them to come out here and have a good time one day, it’s just everything.”
 
Family members stood on the sidelines of the track waiting for their children to compete.  
 
“This means a lot,” Ardrigus Taylor, Sr., a parent, said. “We appreciate everything going on out here today. The National Anthem was really special.” 
 
Taylor, Sr. and his wife, Michelle, were prepared to wait out the rain to watch their 11-year-old, Ardrigus Taylor, Jr., of Contentnea-Savannah School, compete in the 300-yard dash.
 
“This is our first year participating,” Taylor said. “I just want Ardrigus to enjoy himself. That’s all that matters.”
 
McCoy said they were prepared to feed more than 900 people at the end of today’s festivities.  At last year’s event, she said they fed around 250.  
 
McCoy and Roach plan to continue the collaboration between the parks and recreation department and the school system.
 
Jennifer Cannon may be reached at 252-559-1073 or at Jennifer.Cannon@Kinston.com. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @JennylynnCannon.

The Rundown

0
0

Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference Standings

Baseball

Team    Overall, Conference

North Lenoir     13-6, 8-2

Ayden-Grifton  17-5, 7-3

Greene Central 10-7, 7-3

South Lenoir     11-9, 6-4

Kinston            3-19, 2-8

Goldsboro        1-17, 0-10

 

Softball

Team    Conference

South Lenoir    8-0

North Lenoir    6-2

Greene Central 3-4

Ayden-Grifton  2-6

Kinston            0-7

 

North Lenoir softball tops AG to close regular season

The Hawks downed Ayden-Grifton, 5-2, in Thursday’s regular-season finale.

Janna Moore was the winning pitcher, while Sarah Craft suffered the loss. The leading hitters for North Lenoir included Roxie Stallings, who finished 2-for-3. Moore went 1-for-4; Kelsie Stocks, Alison Montague, Kacie Letchworth, Madison Allen and Taylar Brown all were 1-for-3.

Craft finished 1-for-3 for Ayden-Grifton with a triple, while Tauja Worthington was 2-for-3. Amanda Speer and Andria McLawhorn finished 1-for-3 for the Chargers.

North Lenoir (11-3) will start NCHSAA 2A playoffs next week; the brackets will be released this weekend.

 

ECU’s Wes Conover names to American All-Conference golf team

PROVIDENCE, R.I.  East Carolina junior Wes Conover has been named to the 2015 American Athletic all-conference team, the league announced Friday afternoon. He became the Pirates’ first all-conference selection since 2012.

Conover, who was chosen the 2013-14 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, is the first player in program history to be recognized with a postseason award in two conferences. He was a two-time Golfer of the Week as a sophomore in C-USA and was named Golfer of the Month for September earlier this season by The American.

Conover recorded six top-10 finishes in 11 events this season, including three top-5 finishes. He posted a third-place finish at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate at 4-under par and earned fourth place with the same score at the Rod Myers Invitational. He completed the 54-hole Rees Jones Invitational tied for fifth place. On the season, he owns an ECU-best 72.25 stroke average, which currently ranks as the fifth-lowest single-season stroke average in the Pirate annals.

His six top-10 finishes this season ranks second only to Harold Varner’s seven top-10s in 2010-11 and 2011-12 in chronicles of ECU golf.

Conover and his ECU teammates will begin their quest for a trip to the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship Finals on May 14 at the NCAA regional tournament at The Sagamore Club in Noblesville, Ind.

 

UPCOMING GAMES

TODAY

Prep Baseball

NCISAA 2A Playoffs

Charlotte Northside Christian at Parrott 4 p.m.

Region X Baseball

At Grainger Stadium

Wake Tech CC/Brunswick CC vs. Catawba Valley CC/Southeastern CC 4 p.m.

Lenoir CC/Pasco-Hernando SC vs. Patrick Henry CC/Surry CC 7 p.m. 

 

Go Online

Visit Kinston.com and follow us on Twitter @KinstonSports for the latest updates 

Softball: Parrott walks off to end regular season

0
0

With the score tied in the bottom of the seventh, a seemingless lackluster Arendell Parrott Academy softball club didn’t seemed a bit fazed.

Two outs, one shy of extra innings in the regular-season finale Thursday, didn’t make it sweat either. For a team with state championship aspirations, the visiting Lawrence Academy was the least of Parrott’s worries.

Parrott sophomore cleanup Savannah Hill belted a walk-off single to score Jessie Shingleton, as the Patriots claimed a 2-1 victory to wrap its regular season. The Pats clinched a co-conference championship and used Lawrence, a squad they beat, 10-1, earlier in the year, as playoff primer.

“I think you could kind of tell they knew this game didn’t mean anything,” said Parrott coach Matt Beaman of his Pats, who received the No. 1 seed in state playoffs. “We’ve got to do a better job of bringing it every day, no matter what. It’s just something we’ve got to get better at.”

The Patriots (16-2) will host Raleigh St. David’s in the first round of NCISAA 2A playoffs Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

So Lawrence, a team they defeated three times in the last two seasons, was no bump in their road.  

In a defensive battle, Parrott had two outs when Hill stepped up, Shingleton on second. On the second pitch, Hill connected.

“It was a pop up, so I’m looking at my coach to see if I need to tag up,” said Shingleton, who recorded a triple in Parrott’s six-hit victory. The Warriors executed two fly outs, including an outstanding play behind the plate for the first two outs of the home half of the seventh. Shingleton added she was “just looking to advance to the next base and push forward to score some more runs."

Freshman Darci Basden led Parrott’s offense against Lawrence, going 3-for-3.

Last season, the Pats advanced to the NCISAA 2A state championship game, falling to Harrells Christian, 10-3. Before this year began, the team’s goal was to get back — and then some. The Crusaders, who share a conference with the Pats, are responsible for one of Parrott’s two losses on the season.

The Patriots dropped an early game against Oakwood.

“If our bats don’t wake up, we’re going to struggle,” Beaman said of playoffs. “We just gotta keep grinding, keep working and trying to get our bats to wake up. We’re not a team that’s going to beat a lot of people 1 to nothing. We’re going to need to score 5, 6, 7 runs a game.”

Parrott has averaged 8.7 runs a game this season. 

In league play, APA comes in second to Harrells in fewest runs allowed with 18. Shingleton, batting second, leads Parrott with a .426 batting average and 26 hits. Hill has a team-best 24 RBIs as the team enters playoffs.

On the mound, Brianna Casey is 6-0, while Basden, is 5-1. Junior Kerry Miller collected the win Thursday after pitching one inning. Parrott’s staff has combined for 57 strikeouts, behind Basden (25) and Casey (24).

“Our defense is strong,” Shingleton said. “We just need to get a main focal point down to push through the rest of the season.”

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

 

Parrott 2, Lawrence 1

 

LA 010 000 0 — 1 2 0

APA 010 000 1 — 2 6 1  

Baseball: Chargers extend season

0
0

AYDEN | The stage was set for a great Thursday night baseball matchup.

North Lenoir entered the contest fresh off of a pair of Eastern Carolina 2A Conference wins against South Lenoir and Goldsboro. At stake against Ayden-Grifton was the playoff position.

In an extra innings classic, the Chargers strengthened their season by defeating the Hawks, 5-4, on a walk-off single in the ninth inning.

“We always seem to have some wild games with North Lenoir,” said Chargers coach Corey Skinner. “We tried to stay calm no matter if we were ahead, even, or behind. I knew if we just stuck to it, we’d be ok.”

In the team’s previous meetings, the Chargers down North Lenoir, 1-0, to hand it its first league setback of the season behind AG ace Clay Wilson. The junior starter again took the mound Thursday in the regular-season finale for both teams. North Lenoir finished as EC2A champions for the second straight season, whilethe Chargers’ win put them in second-place deadlock with Greene Central.

 “We fought back but couldn’t complete it tonight,” said Hawks coach Donell Garris. “Our pitchers did good and our fielding was excellent. It just didn’t go our way tonight at the end.”

Over the first two innings, there were a few hits scattered and base runners by both teams, but nobody could get past second base. The only real threat came when Ayden-Grifton was able to get two runners on with two outs against North Lenoir senior starter Chad Ginn in the bottom of the second. Ginn was able to work his way out of the jam by forcing a ground out to end the inning.

After the first batter in the third inning grounded out, the Chargers (17-5, 7-3 EC2A) made their move. Two hit batters followed a single to center field. First baseman Chris Johnson came to the plate and lined a pitch to the right-center gap, driving in two runs. Two batters later, AG’s Cole Hendricks knocked in another run on a single to right, forcing Garris to pull Ginn in favor of Drew Burke.

Burke retired the first batter he faced — but the damage had been done, as North Lenoir found itself down, 3-0.

And Burke faced a threat of his own in the fourth inning.

The Chargers put runners on first and third with two outs. Burke was able to induce a line out to Turner Butler, who leapt to make the catch, as North Lenoir (13-6, 8-2) escaped the inning without giving up any runs.

The Hawks finally got on the board in the fifth.

Will Braxton threw down a chopper to third to lead off. Joseph Harrison then creamed a pitch that rolled all the way to the wall in right center, scoring Braxton on the play. Harrison advanced to third on a ground out and then scored off Allen Sutton’s ground out. Luke Jackson followed up by singling to right and then stealing second and third with two outs. Wilson ended the inning with a strikeout but had allowed North Lenoir to come back into the game.

In the top of the sixth inning, Orlando Cannon, who had just pitched a scoreless inning in relief, took the first pitch he saw from Ginn and deposited in over the left-center wall into the wind. His solo shot tied the game up at 3-3.

“I was feeling good before I went out there to pitch. I got myself mentally prepared, knowing my team would need me,” said Cannon, whose jubilant teammates greeted him at home as he rounded third. “When I was at bat, I was trying to get a hit and keep up the momentum. I just laid into the pitch and it sailed out of here.”

Braxton Greene led off the seventh with a single to right. Two batters later, Jackson singled.  With two outs and two on, Wilson faced off against Cannon. Cannon took the first pitch and lifted it deep to center field, but Ayden Grifton’s Michael Baker was able to track it down and end the inning.

Greene would lead off the ninth inning with a single. He stole second base and advanced to third on a bunt single by Sutton. Jackson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Garrett Letchworth lined a pitch that scooted under the third baseman’s glove and into left field to score the go ahead run. AG reliever Dakota Delisi struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

And Ayden-Grifton wasn’t done yet.

Cannon walked Wilson and Hunter Cannon to start the bottom of the ninth. Orlando Cannon was pulled after pitching four scoreless innings of relief, while Jackson came on to replace Cannon.

AG’s Jackson Reckord approached the plate with two on and no outs. Reckord flew out to deep right field, but nobody advanced because they failed to tag up. Both AG runners would advance, however, on a wild pitch. Chris Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases for Zach Johnson. Jackson struck out Zack Johnson on a 2-2 pitch. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hendricks represented the last chance for the Chargers. Hendricks hit a ball that rocketed towards the first baseman. The ball deflected off of his glove and careened into right field, scoring two runs in the Chargers’ come-from-behind victory.  

“To be honest, I was just looking to draw a walk,” Hendricks said. “The pitcher was throwing wild, and I was just trying to tie it up. I got a hold of a 1-1 pitched in the middle of the plate, it went down the line, and then — wow. We won the game. Now, instead of this being our last game at home for us seniors, we get to host a playoff game.”

Both North Lenoir and Ayden Grifton will discover their playoff matchups after this weekend. Both teams now have to prepare for their next opponents.

“Pitching and defense will have to be our keys for the playoffs,” Skinner said. “The scoring will be low because you are going to face better competition. But we cannot have any off days pitching or fielding. A game like tonight is going to help us going into next week.”

“This game was a playoff atmosphere. Even though we lost, it will be good prep for next week. Now we just have to get it done,” said Coach Garris.

Ayden-Grifton 5, North Lenoir 4 (9 innings)

                                                                                                                                

Hawks                  000         021         001                           --                              4              13           0

Chargers              003         000         002                           --                              5              11           3

 

WP : Delisi (2-0)

 

LP:  Jackson (0 – 2)

Ormondsville to continue with no fire hydrants

0
0
SNOW HILL | Greene County commissioners voted 4-1 on Monday for a change order to the Phase 1H alternative water project.
 
The resolution includes an increase of $5,940 to McDavid Associates for additional engineering services and awarding Contract No. 15 – Water Transmission Lines and CFS to Tony E. Hawley Construction Company for about $3.68 million.
 
It also includes an increase to the same contractor in Contract No. 14 – Change Order No. 3of $159,780 for two additional lines and the removal of the planned construction of a 6-inch line through Ormondsville.
 
Commissioner Bennie Heath made a motion and commissioner Brad Fields seconded the motion.
 
Susan Blizzard opposed the resolution, raising objections to the removal of the water line project through Ormondsville, based on information she received in a letter from Fire Chief Leonard Hardy of Maury Fire and Rescue.
 
The letter requested the board not remove the provision allowing construction of the line to Ormondsville, which is in the Maury area.
 
“The Ormondsville water system has never had any fire hydrants installed on its water system due to the small size of their well,” Blizzard read from the letter to the board. “A few years ago, the well failed and they began purchasing water from Greene County.”
 
The letter also states there are two large churches and more than 75 homes in the vicinity and the closest county-supported fire hydrant is a mile away.
 
“Transporting water from this long distance to combat a fire is difficult and it takes time to set up a fire apparatus required to transport water to the fire,” Blizzard read.
 
The line, originally included in the project, would have connected with existing lines to the north and south of Ormondsville and along N.C. 903 North from Ormondsville to Hardy Road. Placing the installation back into the project would not only provide faster service in the event of a fire, but would also keep the fire insurance costs low, Hardy’s letter states.
 
Another portion of the project, adding an 8-inch line on Brick Kitchen Road at a cost of $468,133, will serve three houses.
 
“This project has already been engineered by McDavid,” Blizzard read from the letter, which was referring to Brick Kitchen Road, “and the work I’m requesting to be done should be able to be done at no more than the $468,133.05 cost for the Brick Kitchen work.”
 
County Manager Kyle DeHaven told the board he a representative from McDavid said the engineering firm made a choice for Brick Kitchen to make the “most efficient use” of funds. He told Blizzard, when she asked, he wasn’t aware there were only three homes on Brick Kitchen.
 
“I took the word of the engineers,” DeHaven said.
 
Andrew Parker, an engineer, said there is “more benefit” on Brick Kitchen.
 
“Some of that water line will eliminate dead-end lines,” he said. “It will complete the 8-inch loop around that side of the county, which will help with the circulation of water in that area.”
 
In addition, upon Blizzard’s questioning, Parker said he had just found out that afternoon the difference in the number of homes and churches between the two areas.
 
In other county news, a public hearing was removed from Monday’s agenda at the beginning of the meeting. The hearing involved discussion on levying a $5 annual registration tax on motor vehicles located within Greene County. The funds generated would be used for economic development.
 
During public comments, Dora Pasour, chairwoman of the Greene County Economic Development Commission, gave her approval of the tax if and when the item is placed back on the agenda.
 
 
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

Photo Page: Brick by Brick

0
0
Dozens of children, gleefully chatting while sifting through thousands of plastic bricks, scurry around the stacks as they return to their workstations, some with their parents, some with their friends. 
This is the scene in the children’s section at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library twice a month as the new Lego club meets. The month’s first meeting offers free play, an opportunity to build whatever comes to mind. The second meeting presents the “Lego Challenge.” Each challenge is based on a theme; the most recent was “self portraits.” Participants who complete the challenge have their work displayed in public view in the entryway to the library until the next month’s challenge.
The library received its 10,000 bricks by way of a grant from Lego itself, in partnership with the state library system. Fourteen libraries in North Carolina received the grant.
“Legos can be an important learning tool, especially with the STEM initiatives in public schools,” children’s librarian Antuan Hawkins said.
The Lego club is open to anyone interested in attending. Meeting dates vary and are posted on the calendar at neuselibrary.org.

Today’s lesson: Golf

0
0
They may seem like an unlikely duo, but football legend Lin Dawson and pro caddy Ryan Reese teamed up Saturday morning for a golf clinic at Bill Fay Memorial Park.
 
“The most important thing for us is to continue to expose Kinston youth to different opportunities,” Dawson said.
 
Dawson and his wife, Margo, founded the J.H. Sampson Life Community Center to address social issues and provide mentorship to local youth. The Lin Dawson Boys Leadership Saturday Academy is an offshoot of their organization.
 
“Ryan Reese is a professional caddy and an aspiring golfer,” Dawson said. “His mother and my wife got together to get this done.”
 
Reese’s mother, Cathy Reese, wanted her son to explore different sports options.
 
“I would not let him play football, that’ probably the only reason he didn’t,” Reese said. “There was golf, there’s tennis, there’s swimming, there’s other arenas where you can be just as successful and that’s what he’s done.”
 
Reese comes home twice a year and one of those times is always around Mother’s Day. Reese and her son had been looking for a way for him to get involved with the community while he is in town.  
 
“He loves junior golfers and he really likes to teach others what somebody’s done for him,” Reese said.
 
Ryan Reese’s early golf exposure came through the youth development organization The First Tee.
 
“I basically just want to give back because I didn’t have this when I was here,” Reese said. 
 
Reese hopes to increase exposure to the game for African Americans.
 
“I want to show people that one, it’s fun and that it’s quote, unquote, ‘cool’ to play,” Reese said. “A lot of people don’t try because they think it’s nerdy so I’m basically just trying to break down stereotypes.”
 
One of the junior golfers and a recent addition to the Saturday Academy is 12-year-old Darrien Brown, a student from Contentnea-Savannah School.
 
“I wanted to get with my friends and learn a sport I’ve never done before and get out of my comfort zone,” Brown said.
 
Brown enjoys all types of sports and was excited for the opportunity to learn the game from Reese.
 
Jennifer Cannon may be reached at 252-559-1073 or at Jennifer.Cannon@Kinston.com. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @JennylynnCannon.
 

Shrader: The day there was a bear, there

0
0
When the newspaper office in Georgia first got the call, I didn’t believe it.
 
I had plenty to do. I’d just come from a council meeting in West Point, where the long-time and much-beloved police chief had announced his retirement.
 
I didn’t have time to deal with someone saying there was a bear loose in Hogansville.
 
Eventually, I called Hogansville police to confirm the news; I wanted to make sure this was actually happening and not some random caller off their meds.
 
Sure enough, the caller was right. A small, black bear had been spotted at the city’s walking track and eventually climbed up a tree behind a nearby house. Police and local wildlife authorities were on the scene.
 
Soon enough, so was I.
 
Have you ever been to a standoff involving a bear? Bring your water and some sunscreen, because it’s going to last a while.
 
The bear, who still qualified as a young cub, was probably too scared to get out of the tree when the entire world showed up. I’m not even sure who needed to read the story I eventually produced that night — the whole town was there to watch already.
 
The house with the tree with the bear-in-residence was conveniently across the street from a small park. Everyone in Hogansville who wasn’t gainfully employed — and a few who were — convened at the park to watch the action. The downtown development director brought bottled water for the authorities. A local restaurant owner brought them pizza. Local television news helicopters convened on the area and were politely asked to leave — the noise was not helping with the bear’s anxiety.
 
The choppers were nice enough to comply with the request and the crowd was confined — as best as possible — to the park. That’s where the chatter started, along with a few rumors. The ladies who’d redeveloped the park and had the walking track installed were disappointed they didn’t get a picture of the bear in the park. Others said the incident reminded them of the alligator found near the city’s reservoir a few years ago. Still more had come to the park to watch the action but had their escape route from the park mapped out should the bear get loose.
 
The best rumor was that the bear’s “momma” and some siblings had been spotted behind the Piggly Wiggly a few blocks over, and police were headed to contain them next.
 
That’s when I was able to use one of the best lines I’ve ever used in a story, when the police chief assured me “the bear acted alone.”
 
As the afternoon waned — and the crowd did not — the bear eventually crawled down the tree far enough that law enforcement felt it could be shot with a tranquilizer dart without injury. This led to the only time I’ve ever hung up on an editor — I happened to be standing on the porch of a flower shop across the street from the treed bear. I heard a commotion, then saw everyone in the park running down the street and around the corner.
 
It looked like one of those episodes of “The Simpsons” where the entire town converges as an angry mob, usually headed straight to Homer’s house.
 
“Oh, they shot the bear, I gotta go,” I said, before hanging up.
 
The bear had fallen out of the tree and headed for the safety of a backyard one street over — imagine that homeowner’s surprise when a bear, then the town, showed up — where it eventually passed out. Wildlife officers were able to get it in a cage.
 
The crowd was not satisfied and literally chanted in the street “We wanna see! We wanna see!”
 
“Oh, shut up!” a wildlife officer yelled back.
 
The bear was loaded up and eventually released in a much safer wildlife area in middle Georgia. The crowd broke up and went home. Everyone did a pretty good job of keeping their outside trash picked up after that, and a few people even went as far as to change their daily routine.
 
“I don’t think I’m going to be on the walking track so early,” one former city councilman told me.
 
Jennifer Shrader is the managing editor of The Free Press; her column appears in this space every Friday. You can reach her at 252-559-1079 or at Jennifer.Shrader@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter at jenjshrader.

‘Stamp out Hunger’ food drive expects record-breaking donations

0
0
Mail trucks backing up to the main post office in Kinston on Saturday were dropping off more than just the day’s mail.  
 
Plastic grocery bags hung from mailboxes around the community for the annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. Now in its 23rd year, the event is the largest single-day food drive in the nation.
 
“For the last 13 years we have averaged over 70 million pounds in one day,” Tab Brown, food drive coordinator for Lenoir County and the surrounding area, said.
 
Brown, a Desert Storm veteran and retired postal worker, volunteers for the program every year. He expects Lenoir County’s contribution to be more than 30 thousand pounds this year.
 
“The food stays where it’s collected,” Brown said. “If this food’s collected in Kinston, it’s going to stay in Kinston; the food that’s collected in Mt. Olive will stay in Mt. Olive, that’s a change I made when I took over.”
 
In his 14 years coordinating the food drive, Brown has noticed a few things.
 
“It’s been my experience that oftentimes the people who give the most are the people that you would think have the least to give,” Brown said. 
 
The plastic grocery bags distributed before Saturday have made a significant difference in the collection process and amounts of food collected. 
 
“You can see how many of these bags are being utilized by the customers,” Brown said.
 
Brown’s daughter, Taylar Brown, volunteered to help with the food drive this year.
 
“It’s all he talks about when it turns to May and he seems excited I’m out here helping him today,” Brown said. “I enjoy doing it with him because not everyone can afford to get food and it means a lot to give to people who don’t have it.”
 
Jennifer Cannon may be reached at 252-559-1073 or at Jennifer.Cannon@Kinston.com. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @JennylynnCannon.

Kinston Teens raising money for TEDxTeen trip

0
0
Kinston Teens, an organization founded by 14-year-old Christopher Suggs, has been invited to attend the annual TEDxTeen summit in New York City.
 
To make the trip, leaving Friday, they need to raise about $4,000.
 
“They want to go, so we’re going,” said Kristal Suggs, Christopher Suggs’ mother. 
 
The group has a website at http://www.gofundme.com/kinstonteensnyc to accept donations and donations may be made in person at Self-Help Credit Union and Greater Kinston Credit Union. 
 
As of Saturday afternoon, they were halfway to their goal.
 
TEDxTeen is an independently organized TED event, sponsored by the We are Family foundation, highlighting the work of teens from around the world. TED is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 that focuses on short, powerful talks devoted to spreading ideas.
 
To be invited to the TEDxTeen summit is an honor for the Kinston group.
 
“They had to put together a proposal of how they would benefit from attending and the purpose of the group,” Kristal Suggs said. “From out of the masses to be chosen is wonderful.”
 
The teens will attend the all-day summit and see some sights around New York City. About 10 teenagers and chaperones will make the trip. 
 
“They’re a great team with a lot of bright ideas and they’re hard-working,” Kristal Suggs said.
 
Those interested may donate online at www.gofundme.com/kinstonteensnyc, or by making a check payable to “Kinston Teens, Inc.” and mailing to P.O. Box 2625, Kinston, NC 28502. People may drop donations by Self-Help Credit Union at 1910 W. Vernon Ave., or by Greater Kinston Credit Union at 901 N. Queen St.
 
For more information, please visit kinstonteens.org/nyc.
 
Jennifer Shrader is managing editor of The Free Press. You can reach her at 252-559-1079 or jennifer.shrader@kinston.com or via Twitter, @jenjshrader.
Viewing all 10120 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images