The following arrests were reported by the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office:

(AP) -- The budget-writing committee in the North Carolina House is preparing to evaluate the costs of a bill requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls.

(AP) -- The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has told some gang members that they will not be welcome at this year's event.

Plans for construction of a solar farm in Kinston were recently unveiled, pending municipal and state approval. The project is subsidized through federal tax credits. Sustainable energy projects like this one are billed as environmentally-friendly and claim to lower consumer energy costs. However, full disclosure reveals a much different picture.

Statewide, the buzz is hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for extraction of natural gas. The known natural gas deposits under our soil are plentiful; enough we can be self-reliant for over 100 years. As one expert recently put it, “We are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.”

I recently attended a town hall meeting with Algenon Cash of the N.C. Energy Forum. Simultaneously, three blocks away at city hall, a public forum for the proposed solar farm was underway. I couldn’t be at both places, but had a discussion with the developers after the public forum.

They acknowledge solar farms to be a poor investment without tax credit subsidies. They would not build unless subsidized. Public money is easier to spend because it’s not yours. This is the bureaucratic way. The investor is the benefactor, not the taxed consumer. Rates escalate to cover the vendors’ cost of operation.

While solar fields may create temporary jobs during their construction, the long-term benefit to the community is nil and solar panels take up valuable farm land. Solar energy production is intermittent, unreliable and dependent on sunlight. Predicting weather patterns to meet a significant load reduction is problematic.

Additionally, solar is not as “clean” as we have been led to believe. Chemicals involved in the production of solar cells emit potent greenhouse gases thousands of times more damaging than carbon dioxide. Energy storage systems to level the load demand compound the expense. Also, solar cells require rare, expensive exotic materials like cadmium telluride and gallium selenide.

Conversely, over 250,000 permanent jobs could be created from offshore and onshore drilling in North Carolina. These jobs would pay an average of $90,000 per year for workers and $60,000 per year for support roles. There will be no college degree required but only a six- to eight-week course from your local community college.

One can only imagine how this influx of jobs and spending will stimulate our economy in North Carolina as support industries and housing will become necessary. The state deficit will transform into surplus. Hydraulic fracturing is safe for the environment and will immediately benefit all citizens.

There are 29 million people out of work in this country; 47 million are on food stamps. Our national debt increases by $1 trillion each year. In North Carolina, we have a 9.1 percent unemployment rate and one in five people live in poverty. If jobs are a priority, then offshore and onshore drilling is a good answer. Acknowledging sensible investments is the answer; not continued subsidization of “green projects” designed to meet a world agenda.

Solar energy is beneficial when used in conjunction with other forms of power. When you make a personal decision to integrate solar into your home or business, cost is a factor. You are the one writing the check.

But using federal tax credits for a project that is expensive, unreliable and creates no long-term jobs doesn’t stack up. We have been indoctrinated to believe any project bearing the catch phrase “Green Technology” is a good thing. My response is, “Follow the money.”

Allow me the personal liberty to invest in alternative energy. Don’t infringe on my liberty by force-feeding me a serving of albatross purchased against my will with my money.

John Nix is the co-founder and partner at Matrix East, PLLC. He’s also the president of the CSS Neuse Foundation and the lead plaintiff in the Nix, et al v. Eric Holder case, for the reversal of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The opinions of the guest columnist are not necessarily those of The Free Press.

A group of retired Kinston firefighters weren’t planning on their annual banquet to serve as a tribute this year — but they lost six retired fire crew this past year.

They will be honored during Thursday’s 5th Annual Area Firefighters Reunion Banquet. Those lost include Kinston’s renowned fire chief Tony Kelly.

“(The banquet) has meant a lot,” said Guy Basden, curator of the Caswell Museum Fire Station No. 1 and retired firefighter. “To us, it expanded our communication with our fellow firefighters and other people who serve as first responders.”

More than 100 people are expected at Kings Restaurant on East New Bern Road for the 6 p.m. dinner. A committee of retired fire services crew met a few times leading up to Thursday’s banquet.

This was Robert Swiger’s first year serving on the committee, as he took the place of James Smith, the man who was instrumental in starting the reunion, when he passed away this year.

“We hope (the banquet) is bigger and better than it was last year,” said Swiger, who began in fire services in 1965. “It’s getting together with everyone and meeting those coming up in the fire department.”

The group plans to fellowship over a meal and entertainment, while surprising a guest of honor for the many years he or she has put towards the fire service. The retired group also hopes to spread awareness that they are still in the community.

“It also had some outreach effect to the public,” Basden said about the past years. “They appreciated what we do and who we are.”

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

Area Firefighters ReunionBanquet

What: Hosted by Kinston Retired Firefighters

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Kings Banquet room, 405 E. New Bern Road

Cost:$12 per person at the door included food, tip and entertainment

Statistics can be daunting.

The average age of a child in Lenoir County attempting to get high on a prescription drug is 9 years old, Shannon Ruiz said. Statewide, it’s 11 years old.

Ruiz is the founder and executive director of the PEACE Foundation — Prescription Education Abuse Counseling Empowerment.

She requested from Greene County commissioners last week to place a permanent prescription drug drop box in the Justice Center. The board approved the request.

Ruiz’ daughter, Kaitlyn Rouse, started taking Zanax to treat anxiety she felt when she could no longer compete as a cheerleader due to a torn ligament in her leg. For two years, she struggled on and off with a drug addiction. At the age of 16, she relapsed and used a fentanyl patch to alleviate pain from surgery and within five hours, she was brain dead. Ruiz said her daughter’s death in June 2011 was the result of the combination of Zanax and the patch.

“Every day across the U.S.,” she said, “a person dies every 15 minutes from an unintentional prescription overdose.” Rouse was one of 1,000 people who died in 2011 from accidental overdose.

The numbers exceed heroin and cocaine deaths and have increased from previous years.

Ruiz has made it her mission to promote awareness of how easy it is for people, particularly children, to access legal drugs.

“Forty-nine percent of people say that anyone who walks into their home has access to medication,” she said. “This is the potential for a dangerous or deadly situation.”

Lenoir County has a prescription drug box at the Kinston Department of Public Safety. Officers remove about 5 pounds of drugs a week from it, Ruiz said.

Duplin County is installing a box Monday. Jones County is in the process of obtaining a box. Now, Greene County is now on board to display one, as well.

Fifty-eight percent of the doctors in Greene County report opiate prescriptions to the controlled substance reporting system based in Raleigh.

“That’s a great number because it’s more than half,” Ruiz said, “I would love to see that increase to 75 percent.”

The boxes will be available for people to dispose of expired, unused or unwanted medicines. They will be locked and emptied regularly. The PEACE Foundation is raising the $2,000 for each box and installation.

Once installed, there will be a kick-off community day in each county to dedicate the box.

The Foundation’s goal is to stop prescription drug abuse before it begins.

“Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to prescription drug abuse,” Ruiz said. “It is our job to educate our children about the dangers of prescription drugs.”

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

Reports to the controlled substance reporting system in 2011:

• In Lenoir County, 43 doctors and dentists reported 14,709 opiate prescriptions. There were 734 accidental drug-related emergency room visits.
• In Jones County, three prescribers out of 23 reported 2,762 opiate prescriptions in the population of 10,000. There were 104 accidental drug-related emergency room visits.

A little after 9 a.m., Tuesday, there were more than three dozen people hiding in the darkened Kinston City Council chambers waiting to surprise Monique Hicks.

They succeeded.

As City Manager Tony Sears opened the doors to the dark chambers, the group shouted, “Surprise!” and the tears started to flow — from Hicks and from her plethora of gathered friends, many of whom she’s worked alongside during her 18-year tenure at City Hall.

After the initial shock wore off, Hicks was handed a vase of flowers, a bunch of balloons and a shiny new award proclaiming her as the Administrative Professional of the Year by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce.

As the administrative assistant to Sears, she handles customer service issues and complaints, according to Sears, who nominated her for the honor.

“This makes me very, very emotional,” Hicks said quietly after the ceremony, with tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I do a job where I serve my city and I serve my coworkers. It’s not about me and this was a great surprise. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the rest of my day.”

Sears — who lured Hicks into the chambers by telling her that he had left some important material in there — has only been on the job for 18 months; he said his transition into his new position was smooth, thanks to Hicks.

In his remarks to the assembled group, Sears declared that Hicks is the “Face of Kinston.”

“There are people who come to our offices who don’t want to speak to the mayor, they don’t want to speak to the city manager — they want to speak to Monique,” Sears said. “She is very knowledgeable, very efficient and very friendly. Everybody loves her. When you have a point of contact like that, she is who people want to see when they come to see the City of Kinston.”

To a person, everyone agreed with Sears’ assessment.

“She’s the consummate professional,” Kinston Department of Public Safety Director Bill Johnson said. “She always has a positive attitude and a smile. When customers come in, her smile, her professionalism and her sense of caring she has makes all the difference in the world for us.”

Kinston Public Services Director Rhonda Barwick said, “She’s the definition of an administrative manager. She handles everything and we’re so very proud of her.”

Chamber President Laura Lee Sylvester said many good nominations came into her office.

“And they were all very worthy,” Sylvester said, “but I have to say, because of the number of nominations, the selection committee had a very difficult time. Having said that, I must say when they reviewed Monique’s application … I think it was a very easy choice for them to make.”

Sears said the Chamber could not have picked a better winner for the award than Hicks.

“Monique means everything to Kinston; she’s the point of contact and has such a great personality,” Sears said. “She handles problems so well and is customer service-driven. I can’t think of a better person who’s done a better job than her the past 18 years.”

Bryan C. Hanks can be reached at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks.

Administrative Professionals of the Year since 2008, as awarded by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce:

2008 — Donna Smith, Moss Hill Elementary School

2009 — Miriam Lanier, Caswell Development Center

2010 — Linda Whittington, Lenoir Community College

2011 — Jennifer Stroud, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension

2012 — Debbie Lanier, Lenoir Memorial Hospital

2013 — Monique Hicks, City of Kinston

Source: LauraLee Sylvester, President, Kinston-LenoirCountyChamber of Commerce

Have you ever tried rhubarb? Most of us would be forced to say no.

While it may not have risen to popularity the way that kale has, it certainly has many health benefits. In most parts, rhubarb and strawberries are ready during a similar season and are often used together in recipes, which might be an easy way to get your family on board.

Rhubarb looks a lot like celery but is generally pink in color. The vegetable has large leaves that are toxic in very large amounts. This is one green you want to stay away from.

Rhubarb will grow in most warm climates and is a perennial so it is left in the ground to produce for 10 to 15 years. 

Rhubarb can boost your health because it is loaded with antioxidants to fight disease; its stalks are a good source of fiber, which aids in digestion; it contains vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, protecting bones, fighting off cancer and lowering cholesterol; and its levels of vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium improve the immune system.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Crumb Topping

For Fruit:

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, leaves trimmed, stalks only, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons flour

1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated

For Topping:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch salt

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon zest. Transfer to a buttered 8-inch baking dish.

For topping, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and walnuts; pour in melted butter and toss to combine. Tumble over fruit mixture. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is browned.Serve warm with softly whipped cream.

Rhubarb Custard Bars

Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Cooking spray

Filling:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups 1 percent low-fat milk

3 large eggs

5 cups (1/2-inch) sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (unthawed)

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese 

1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Mint sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

To prepare filling, combine flour and sugar in a large bowl; add milk and eggs, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir in rhubarb. Pour rhubarb mixture over crust. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature.

To prepare topping, place 1/2 cup sugar, cheeses and vanilla in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping; spread evenly over baked custard. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Believe it or not, each serving has only 131 calories.

Rhubarb-Be-Cued Beef Ribs

4 pounds lean, meaty beef short ribs

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup sliced rhubarb

1 envelope onion soup mix (1 1/2 ounces)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup chili sauce

3/4 cup rose wine

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Red onion and greens

Place ribs in 9- x 13- inch pan. Add 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 2 hours. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients except garnish in a sauce pan. Simmer half an hour. Pour over ribs. Bake another half hour uncovered. Baste several times. Place on serving platter.  Garnish. Serves 6.

Rhubarb Pecan Muffins

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 teaspoons orange peel, grated

1 1/4 cups fresh rhubarb, finely chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg and oil; add orange juice. Add to flour mixture. Add rhubarb.

Pour into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.

Various wildlife species are making mysterious holes in lawns and landscape beds in Lenoir County. Careful examination, and knowing what to look for, is the first step in solving the mystery.

Where is the damage? What size is the hole?  Is there a mound of soil around the hole? What time of day were the holes formed? What is the environment like?

These suggested pests fit the variety of answers.

In wet areas, crawfish make 2-inch wide holes surrounded by a mud tower. Rats make holes 2 to 3 inches wide, with sides often worn smooth from repeated use. It is not common to see rats during the day unless the population is high. 

Moles live underground where insects are present, in soil that is moist, sandy and easy to dig. Their soil movement makes raised tunnels and hills on top of the ground.

Skunks and raccoons are more active at night. They dig individual holes looking for grubs and other insects. The holes are cone-shaped and 3 to 4 inches wide. They frequently move from one area to another during the night. Both have been known to peel back newly laid sod.

Foxes dig 4-inch wide holes or take over another animal’s den. Animal parts may be found around the entrance. Earthworms live under a 1-inch high pile of small, granular pellets of soil. This is common in the spring and fall when soil moisture and temperatures are favorable. The pellets are castings that pass through the earthworm’s body as soil is moved from tunnels below the surface.

Small mounds of loose soil and pellets may surround nickel-sized holes made by insects emerging from the soil in the spring and early summer, especially when the soil is moist.

Vole holes are up to 1 inch in diameter, frequently found near the roots of plants. They eat a variety of plant material and are active at night all year long. Moles and voles are the most common in residential settings but they cause different types of damage.

Moles make raised burrows and their tunneling raises the soil into ridges. They are searching for worms and grubs to eat, not roots. Voles search for roots to eat and do not create raised ridges.

Eastern moles feed primarily on grubs and earthworms. They mostly live in seclusion in underground burrows and rarely come to the surface. It is rare for more than two or three to occupy the same burrow system.

A high metabolic rate makes moles consume large amounts of food, mainly earthworms, snails, slugs and insects. They destroy very few plants by direct feeding, and one mole can dig up to 150 feet of new tunnels daily. They are most active in early morning and late evening on damp, cloudy days during the spring and fall, and may be seen above ground at night or when they disperse to new areas.

Moles are extremely beneficial. They consume the larvae and adults of numerous pest insects, such as Japanese beetles, that affect garden, landscape and flowering plants. Their tunneling activity loosens the soil, improves aeration and mixes deeper soils with surface organic material.

Moles’ tunneling can disturb lawns, but their feeding habits rarely cause damage to roots of vegetation or seeds in gardens. There are no easy answers to mole management. In the past, insecticides frequently were applied to reduce populations of various beetle grubs, which are a major food of moles. However, these applications rarely have been effective in removing all potential food sources.

Some insecticides applied in the past were toxic to wildlife, particularly granular formulations that were especially attractive to songbirds. This approach is no longer recommended. Trapping is difficult and labor intensive but probably the best choice.

Next we will consider voles and how to control them.

Peg Godwin is horticulture agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center. Reach her at Peg_Godwin@ncsu.edu or 252-527-2191.

School, grocery stores promote Earth Day

First- and second-grade students at Contentnea Savannah K8 School and two Piggly Wiggly stores in Kinston celebrated Earth Day 2013, observed Monday, with its Earth Day Grocery Bag project.
  The students — 188 in nine classrooms — created artwork promoting environmental awareness on paper grocery bags donated by the Piggly Wiggly stores at Kinston Plaza and on U.S. 258 North. The bags are being distributed to customers this week at the two stores. The students were allowed to illustrate their own message about Earth Day and the environment.
  The project was coordinated through the school’s Project D.I.G., a gardening-based program that teaches young students to respect their environment, to nurture its plants and to enjoy its bounty.

BB&T hires city executive

BB&T has hired Brian Wiggins as its city executive serving the Kinston market. He is based at 2009 W. Vernon Ave.

The Kinston native earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from N.C. State University and brings 12 years of experience in the financial services industry to his new role.

He is treasurer of the Committee of 100 and financial secretary for Westminster United Methodist Church. He is an advisory board member for Congressional District 7 on business and economic affairs and is a Kinston Noon Rotary Club member.

Red Cross response efforts continue across country

The American Red Cross is supporting people in West, Texas, after the plant explosion there while continuing to help first responders and victims of last week’s Boston Marathon bombings. Local chapters in the Midwest are responding to issues from severe weather there.

The Red Cross has enough blood now to support the Texas and Boston situations but reminds that the need for blood is constant. Those eligible to give blood are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment to give in the days and weeks ahead by calling 800-RED CROSS or visiting redcrossblood.org.

To support Red Cross disaster response, donate to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. To donate directly to support victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, visit theonefundboston.org.

This is Part 4 of a series to recap and understand what went wrong with Greene County’s financial state.

SNOW HILL — It may have come down to do or die for Greene County.

Chuck Stokes of Scuffleton posed the bottom line for the county’s future.

“The question is,” he said, “Can Greene County survive? Can it even sustain itself? Or do we need to be absorbed by another county at some point?”

Snow Hill resident Carolyn Newcomb said the county commissioners need to work together to make decisions that will benefit the whole county or the state will take over and determine its future.

“When these people (the Local Government Commission) say they can come in and take it over,” she said, “it’s not a threat, it’s a promise. So we need to find our own solution.”

Interim County Manager Richard Hicks continues to iron out the tenacious wrinkles in the budget and will be overseeing budget workshops starting today at 2 p.m. at the farmers market. Workshops will also be held on May 1 and May 8 at the same time and place.

But Hicks will not stay on permanently. The Board of Commissioners will need to search for a new county manager to replace Don Davenport, who retired in December.

Newcomb listed her priorities for a new hire as having “a good financial background, a vision for the future, transparency and an open door policy.” Others expressed similar views.

Chairman Jack Edmondson said he will be looking for someone who “knows the books,” can say “no” when department heads can’t stay within their budgets and doesn’t come up with any “surprises.”

When asked about having a forensic audit performed, Commissioner Jerry Jones said “it might be a good idea every few years,” starting after the coming audit.

Hicks said the budget will continue to be cut, positions may be eliminated, property taxes may be raised and fees may be implemented.

“I think (the board will) just have to look at a wide range of options,” he said.

All five commissioners agreed taxes will have to be raised by some amount. The current tax rate is .756 per $100 of property value.

“I don’t think there’s any way around raising taxes,” Commissioner Bennie Heath said. “That’s my opinion.”

Some citizens also speculated the county wouldn’t be able to get back in shape without a tax hike.

“Certainly, I believe a part of this equation is going to have to involve a tax increase,” Arba resident Jody Tyson said, “which ironically is what we as citizens were working to avoid, you know, when we stepped up to the plate to help pass the sales tax referendum.”

Tyson called the budget a “forest of false figures.”

Edmondson expressed concern for how a tax increase would affect senior citizens living on a fixed income.

“It’s a heck of a problem,” he said, “that we’re going to have to really consider and deal with.”

Stokes said the property owners have carried the financial burden too long, and he brought up another avenue that hasn’t received much attention.

“For some reason, he said, “industry has not been recruited in Greene County and, at some point, the landowners probably can’t carry it anymore because, you know, it won’t be feasible to own property anymore.”

Commissioner Denny Garner, a former banker, said the county needs new industry.

“The thing that we’ve got to do is,” he said, “we’ve got to get some economic development in our county. That’s where your big bucks come from, as far as taxes.”

However, the commissioners voted in June to eliminate the position of assistant county manager/economic developer, Chris Roberson. They placed Beyond Tobacco director/tourism director Misty Chase in a position with the same job requirements, except with the addition of grant writing and a new title. Chase has an associate’s degree and no experience with industry development.

Garner said he expected Spirit AeroSystems in Kinston would draw aircraft-related industries into Greene County but, so far, it hasn’t.

The commissioner said the State Department of Commerce and N.C. Eastern Region are instrumental partners to recruiting industry to Eastern North Carolina. But there have been no takers for Greene County.

None of the potential solutions are going to be easy or come soon.

“This is not going to be a quick fix in this situation,” Tyson said, “because it wasn’t a quickly-created situation. This has been a downward spiral for multiple years.”

Edmondson figures two to three years to get the fund balance back up at least to the minimum level, or 8 percent.

“We will be very diligent,” Heath said, “and scrutinize the budget very diligently.”

Garner said it’s going to take everyone working together.

Stokes said a plan must be made to save the county and a plan B if Greene County ends up dissolving.

“Greene County is never going to look the same in my eyes,” he said, “for the foreseeable future.”

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

SNOW HILL — A woman who lives alone falls inside her mobile home. A man suffers a heart attack. Fortunately, they are able to call 911. But when the first emergency responders arrive, they have trouble finding the right house.

The responders move forward and back, looking on both sides of the road trying to determine which house is the one. There are no numbers on the homes, so valuable time is lost.

“Greene County does not have an address ordinance,” Former Hookerton EMT, Susan Blizzard, told the Board of Commissioners last week.

The county does have a mobile home park ordinance, which states at 152.062-F that “All spaces are to be permanently identified with numbers at least 3 inches high.” That is the only reference made in the ordinance concerning addressing.

“The problem is,” Blizzard said, “we have mobile home parks that are not complying with that ordinance and do not have to comply with that ordinance because they were grandfathered in.”

Blizzard said emergency responders — law enforcement, fire and medical — often have difficulties finding residences on 911 calls because of a lack of visible numbers, as well as road conditions — particularly in mobile home parks.

“When you go into a mobile home park and you don’t know what trailer is what,” she said, “you have holes to have to deal with that can go up to your knees at times — that is a problem.”

Commissioner James Shackleford empathized with the difficulties emergency responders face in some mobile home parks.

“I don’t know how they deal with getting in some of these places sometimes,” he said, “because they’re terrible.”

Lenoir County has a similar problem. Wayland Humphrey, GIS and planning coordinator, said Emergency Management has expressed concerns about it on various occasions.

Roger Dail, Lenoir County Emergency Services director, said, like Greene, the problem is mainly in the mobile home parks or wherever there are a group of mailboxes. The numbers are on the boxes, but not the houses.

“How do you enforce it?” he said. “That’s one of the big things.”

The question came down to who and how will an ordinance be enforced, and the costs involved.

Emergency delays could mean the difference between life and death — unnecessarily.

“If it’s a matter of life and death,” Greene County Emergency Coordinator Dennis Baker said, “just a couple of minutes could make a difference.”

Baker agreed it’s especially a problem in mobile home parks.

The simple remedy would be to not only create an address ordinance, but provide for enforcement, as well, Blizzard told the board.

The N.C. Building Code book, updated annually, under General Building Heights and Areas gives specific information on address identification as to type, size and visibility.

The U.S. Postal Service, under D041 Customer Mail Receptacles, specifies numbering standards for different types of mailboxes.

Blizzard told the board area counties have partnered with the Postal Service in placing information about addressing requirements in mailboxes.

“(Requirements are) not being enforced, but hopefully we can come up with an ordinance for Greene County, as far as an address ordinance,” Blizzard said. “And maybe we can do a cooperative effort with the post office to possibly get the pamphlet put in the mailboxes so people will know it is the law and they have to do this.”

Attorney E.B. Borden Parker said the county would need to allow a reasonable amount of time for compliance.

In some North Carolina localities, such as in Perquimans County, fire departments have provided green address signs with white lettering for rural residents to place near the road.

Dail said Lenoir County works to create an awareness of the need to display addresses.

“What we try to do,” he said, “instead of an ordinance, is public education.”

Greene commissioners agreed to have the planning board look into the feasibility at its May 16 meeting and make recommendations. The planning board meets at 7 p.m. in the small conference room.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.

In a couple weeks Matt Beaman will have to convince the N.C. Independent School Athletic Association that his Parrott Academy softball team deserves to be in the state 3A playoffs.

On Tuesday, the Patriots made a believer out of Raleigh Grace Christian.

Brianna Casey drove in a combined seven runs, Savannah Hill and Summer Taylor combined for a total of 11 hits and Parrott Academy easily took two games of a doubleheader, winning the first 18-1 and the second 17-1.

“We still play in a 2A conference, but we don’t get an automatic bid (to the playoffs),” Beaman said. “Like I’ve been telling (the girls), we’ve got a lot of work left to do.”

Darci Basden pitched all five innings of the first game, giving up three hits to go along with seven strikeouts. Michelle Ballard pitched two innings for the win in a three-inning-long Game 2. Ballard gave up two hits and struck out three while Casey pitched the final frame.

The two-time defending state 2A champion Patriots (10-3, 6-0 Eastern Plains Independent Conference) have dominated 2A competition for years now. But this year they’re in the 3A classification, and with that aren’t guaranteed a playoff spot — even with dominating victories like Tuesday’s and having already clinched at least a share of the league championship.

Parrott’s outings against 3A teams are what the selection committee looks at, Beaman said, and so far his team is 3-1 against 3A competition with two games left.

Tuesday’s doubleheader was used as a teaching tool to work on the little things for the stretch run, and Parrott did them to perfection.

“We just went through the basics — making sure we’re hitting on top of the ball and still playing hard and not letting up,” Taylor said. “We’re still playing hard, winning by a lot, and working as hard as we do every year.”

The Patriots had a total of 33 hits, 11 for extra bases, with all nine who played having a multi-hit afternoon. Eight of the nine had at least one run batted in and all nine scored at least one run.

“The last four or five days of practice we’ve really focused on tee ball — line drive hits,” Beaman said. “We did that today.”

If Parrott can knock off Halifax Academy on Thursday — its fourth game in three days — it will clinch the regular season title outright. But before that is a game today at Fayetteville Village Christian — a 3A school.

The Patriots have one more 3A game after that — a game at Wake Christian Academy on May 6.

Right now, those two games are the most important, and what happened Tuesday will go a long way in helping turn those contests into wins.

“We’ve got a crucial 3A game tomorrow. It’s one of those must-wins,” Beaman said. “We’re not a lock to get into the playoffs yet, so those games are crucial.”

Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports. 

Kinston’s baseball team is winless in conference play no more.

Taishu McLawhorn was solid for seven innings and Sam McLawhorn went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs as the Vikings downed Wilson Beddingfield 4-1 at Grainger Stadium on Tuesday for their first Eastern Plains 2A Conference win of the year.

Taishu McLawhorn fanned eight and scattered six hits. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third. Kinston (5-13, 1-9) took a 4-0 lead into the fourth, when the Bruins (8-9, 3-6) scored their first run.

Will Deters went 3-for-3 and scored a run, Damien Williams went 1-for-4 and scored a run, Robert Blake was 2-for-3, VeQuain Joyner went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Ryan Harrell went 1-for-3 and scored a run.

Kinston scored all four of its runs in the second inning off five hits by Harrell, Deters, Williams, Joyner and Sam McLawhorn’s two-run double.

“The kids did it, worked for it, overcame adversity, and earned it,” Vikings coach Michael Ellsworth said. “They have battled and have competed so hard this season and I am extremely proud of them. Taishu has pitched very well all season and he made big pitches in big spots to put our team in a position to win. Putting the ball in play, with some timely hitting and defensive plays, and putting the pressure on the other team gave us an opportunity to win. 

“The team's desire to overcome the pressure and opposition is one that has been strong all season and I am glad to see it pay off for them.”

GREENE CENTRAL 10, SOUTHWEST EDGECOMBE 0, 6 INN.: At Greene Central, the Rams mercy-ruled the Cougars for an Eastern Plains 2A Conference win.

Ben Brann allowed four hits, walked two and struck out nine in the complete-game win.

Kevin Ormond and Mason Head each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and James Head was 1-for-2 with a two-run double.

Greene Central (10-7, 8-2) travels to Eastern Wayne today for a non-conference game.

SOUTHERN WAYNE 2, NORTH LENOIR 1, 10 INN.: At Southern Wayne, the Hawks came up short in the extra-inning Eastern Carolina 3A Conference affair.

Luke Jackson and Caleb Baird doubled, Baird drove in his team’s only run in the first inning, and Luke Jackson, Dylan Puchalski and Sammy West singled for North Lenoir’s five hits.

Tyler Smith started for the Hawks and gave up one run on four hits, walked four and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings. Jackson pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Seth Beard gave up one unearned run for the tough-luck loss.

North Lenoir committed five errors.

The Hawks (4-13, 2-9) host Eastern Wayne at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

SWANSBORO 5, SOUTH LENOIR 4: At South Lenoir, the Blue Devils fell to the Pirates in an East Central 2A Conference game.

South Lenoir tried to rally in the seventh but left the tying run at third and the winning run at second.

Grant Tyndall went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and scored a run, Cody Ladich went 2-for-3 and drove in a run and Jake Villabona had a hit and drove in a run. The Blue Devils left nine on base.

Wyatt Janning was chased in the third. He gave up five runs, four earned, on four hits and four walks with a strikeout. Justin Howard pitched the final 4 1/3 innings. He didn’t allow a run and gave up only two hits.

South Lenoir (9-8, 6-5) travels to Croatan on Thursday.

AYDEN-GRIFTON 6, SPRING CREEK 1: At Spring Creek, the Chargers won a Carolina 1A Conference game.

The win, paired with North Duplin’s loss to Princeton, gives Ayden-Grifton (16-4, 6-1) sole possession of first place with three more league games left, including a home game Friday against the Rebels (12-6, 5-2). No other details were reported.

BETHEL CHRISTIAN-GREENVILLE TRINITY CHRISTIAN POSTPONED: Tuesday’s conference game between the Trojans and host Trinity Christian was postponed with no makeup date announced, Bethel coach Kenny Sutton said. The game was postponed because of a wet field.

SOFTBALL

SOUTH LENOIR 10, SWANSBORO 0, 5 INN.: At South Lenoir, the Blue Devils mercy-ruled the Pirates for an East Central 2A Conference win.

Taylor Sandlin pitched four innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits. Madison Beyer needed only seven pitches to get through the fifth inning.

Madison Herring went 2-for-3 with two triples, an RBI and scored twice, Bree Williams went 2-for-2 with a double, drove in two runs and scored two runs and Meredith Sanderson had a double and two RBIs.

South Lenoir (14-3, 8-2) travels to Croatan on Thursday.

GIRLS SOCCER

PARROTT ACADEMY 4, GRACE CHRISTIAN 0: At Parrott, the Patriots rolled to the Eastern Plains Independent Conference win.

Jana Warren opened the scoring in the first half with an assist from Holden Arthur. Parrott added to its lead with goals from Arthur, Langley Mills and Chelsea Thomas and assists from Melissa Rudolph and Brooke Tyndall .

Parrott (9-4-1, 8-2-1), in search of its first league title in school history, plays at Halifax Academy today.

GREENVILLE TRINITY CHRISITAN 2, BETHEL CHRISTIAN 1: At Greenville, the Trojans fell in a conference match.

Kelsey Worthington scored the tying goal in the second half, then Trinity answered with a goal inside of a minute to play for the win. Worthington had nine saves on 16 shots in goal and Haley Moody had one save on two shots. Bethel was outshot 18-11. Lydia Crain led the Trojans with 18 steals.

Bethel travels to Raleigh Friendship Christian on Thursday.

BOYS TENNIS

APA SWEEPS GRACE CHRISTIAN: Parrott Academy won a pair of conference matches with Raleigh Grace Christian 9-0 and 6-0 to improve to 10-1 overall, 9-0 in EPIC play.

Match 1: Singles — 1. Miller Stallings (APA) d. John Jegt 8-0; 2. Jackson Perry (APA) d. Alex Provenzano 8-2; 3. Parth Patel (APA) d. Kenny Rousello 8-1; 4. Jason Farsaie (APA) d. Mike Casella 8-0; 5. Neil Sides (APA) d. Ethan Baily 8-0; 6. Ridge Mazingo (APA) d. Josh Carpenter 8-2. Doubles — 1. Stallings/Perry (APA) d. Provenzano/Rousello 8-0; 2. Patel/Sides (APA) d. Jegt/Casella 8-2; 3. Farsaie/Mazingo (APA) d. Bailey/Carpenter 8-0.

Match 2: Singles — 1. Miller Stallings (APA) d. John Jegt 8-0; 2. Jackson Perry (APA) d. Alex Provenzano 8-0; 3. Parth Patel (APA) d. Kenny Rousello 8-0; 4. (APA) Neil Sides d. Mike Casella 8-1; 5. Jason Farsaie (APA) d. Ethan Bailey 8-0; 6. Ryan Smith (APA) d. Josh Carpenter 8-3.

BOY LACROSSE

KERR-VANCE ACADEMY 11, PARROTT ACADEMY 3: At Kerr-Vance, the Trojans dropped a match.

Wyatt Webster, Nick McIntosh and Toby Finizio scored for Parrott (4-9), which hosts New Bern Epiphany School at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. 

JACKSONVILLE — Police are investigating the death of a child this week at a residence in downtown Jacksonville.

Patrol officers with the Jacksonville Police Department responded to a home on the 100 block of Westminster Drive at around 9:23 a.m., Wednesday to a report of a juvenile not breathing and being unresponsive.

Neighbors said first responders tried to resuscitate a young child that had been carried onto the front porch of the house.

“I watched as they tried to save the baby and carried the baby away in an ambulance, and the baby hasn’t returned home,” one neighbor said, unaware Wednesday afternoon that the child had died earlier in the day.

City firefighters initiated life-saving measures, and the child was transported by Onslow County Emergency Services to Onslow Memorial Hospital where the child was pronounced dead, said JPD spokeswoman Beth Purcell.

Uniformed police and detectives, as well as a Marine in a dress uniform, spent a couple of hours at the residence.

Authorities have not released the child’s name or any specific information related to the child’s death.

“This is an open investigation and there is no additional information to release at this time,” JPD Capt. Jason Bettis said in a news release.

You can reach Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com.

The following decisions were reached in Lenoir County district court in April, 2013. The presiding judge was the Hon. Brian DeSoto. Matters may be resolved as the result of a guilty plea or dismissal negotiated with the district attorney without a trial. Matters may also be resolved as the result of a trial during which the judge dismisses the case for insufficient evidence or renders a verdict of innocence or guilt. In any case in which a guilty plea or verdict is entered, sentencing is determined by the judge:

New album: Bankrupt!

Artist: Phoenix

Label: Atlantic

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Remember the group A-Ha? They had a massive worldwide hit with “Take On Me” in 1985. The group’s sound was dominated by synthesizers and a lead singer who could hit Freddie Mercury high notes as easily as if it were blinking.

A-Ha went on to have a respectable career in Europe for the next two decades, but in America the group might as well have been a beta max VCR. Why? Because for some reason any pop group that sprang to life in the 1980s was for the most part chained to that decade forever.

Fast forward to 2013, and some of the biggest bands in the world are the ones that have most successfully aped the synth-driven pop sound of the 1980s.

Phoenix has been releasing albums since 2000, with its biggest success being 2009’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.” The new “Bankrupt!” builds on the success of “Wolfgang” but hovers in the musical and melodic areas that has served the band well in the past. The miscues that kept early albums “Alphabetical” and “It’s Never Been Like That” from being truly great have apparently been noted and neutralized.

The most blatant gob of paint pulled from the 1980s occurs during “The Real Thing,” when the door-knocker snare drum sound from the Prince classic “When Doves Cry” makes an appearance. “The Real Thing” has a great hook that is sung brilliantly by Thomas Mars, but it’s hard to conjure visions of “Purple Rain” during the song’s verses. Is this an homage or a blatant attempt at near subliminal marketing?

Most of the songs on “Bankrupt!” are pleasant enough (“S.O.S. in Bel Air,” “Trying to Be Cool”), but there’s not enough stink on the riffs or melodies to worm the material into the listener’s consciousness. The line dividing irony and affection blurs on “Drakkar Noir,” a nod to a popular 1980s cologne — which would make it an ode to an odor.

While some hipsters may listen to this album with a smirk on their ears, in the end Phoenixcould be making a case for the much maligned decade.

“Bankrupt!” is not an incredibly original batch of songs, but they're well-executed and fun. If you’re a child of the 1980s and are looking for a portal back to the days when preppies wore mullets and bands put babes in their videos, “Bankrupt!” fits the bill.

Also recommended: A-Ha — Definitive Singles Collection

Classic album: Mixed Bag

Artist: Richie Havens

Label: Verve

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Probably the best all-around musician of the 1960’s folk boom, Richie Havens, is annoyingly remembered by many as the guy who opened the original Woodstock Festival and sang in a commercial for Maxwell House coffee.

In reality, Havens was an inventive, original performer who, according to multiple media outlets, once got such a reaction from a Tonight Show audience that Johnny Carson invited him back the following night.

Released in 1967, “Mixed Bag” is as its title suggests — a collection of moods and styles that follow a neat narrative. Opening track “High Flyin’ Bird” features the driving, open-tuned guitar work that would define Havens’ sound for his entire career. Blessed with a voice as instantly recognizable as Sinatra or Joe Williams, Havens’ deep nasal tone was one of the most distinctive in folk or any genre.

Whether performing originals (“Adam,” “Three Days of Eternity”) or covers (Gordon Lightfoot’s “I Can’t Take It Anymore,” Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman”), Havens had the ability to make any song his own — no matter how iconic the original. His take on “Eleanor Rigby” is appropriately stark, but in his hands this Paul McCartney tune sounds less like a lament and more like a mystery that needs to be solved.

Havens made many recordings of note over his 45-year career, but none of them eclipse the soulful versatility and charm of “Mixed Bag.”

 Also recommended: Richie Havens — Wishing Well

Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase books, music and parachute pants at jondawson.com.