New hearing set to combine trials in Ackerson murder prosecution
RALEIGH — Did the Wake County assistant district attorney let something slip? The Monday motion hearing in the murder case of former Kinston resident Laura Ackerson in Wake County had all the...
View ArticleSheriff says jail construction coming to a close
Sheriff W.E. “Billy” Smith gave welcome news to the Lenoir County Commission as he told its members the new Lenoir County Jail facility should be operational soon. Smith said Monday he intends to move...
View ArticleSeason’s winding down
Crunch time for the high school basketball season has officially commenced. There are at most four games left for area public school teams as the regular season winds down. Here is a team-by-team...
View ArticleKinston mayor says he won't seek re-election
Kinston's first Republican mayor since Reconstruction announced today that he would not seek re-election this year in the city's first non-partisan vote. BJ Murphy, 32, said he would keep the...
View ArticleReece Gardner: Help someone feel important and trust in God
In a couple of weeks our North Carolina legislature will have been in session almost a month, and in my next column I plan to highlight some of the activity going on and what it might mean to us....
View ArticleFirst-ever spelling bee stirs excitement in Jones County
TRENTON — An all women’s education group will host its inaugural Spelling Bee fundraiser on Thursday, hoping to raise $2,000 in scholarship funds for two Jones County girls planning to study...
View ArticleGreene finance officer resigns amid budget shortfall woes
SNOW HILL — In the heat of a budget shortfall, Greene County’s finance officer, Shawna Wooten, has announced her resignation. Interim County Manager Richard Hicks said she had told him she would be...
View ArticleLanguage study could help second graders' test scores
Southeast Elementary School second graders could be the inaugural subjects in a language study conducted by linguist researchers, if all goes well. Their previous research shows the discrepancy...
View ArticleKinston man pleads guilty to raping daughter
For raping his daughter, Tracy Jones received 25-35 years in prison Tuesday. Jones, 41, pled guilty to one charge of first-degree statutory rape, a Class B1 felony. In exchange for his plea,...
View ArticleKinston mayor to continue giving back to community
In what some consider one of the most surprising decisions of the 2013 local political season, Kinston Mayor B.J. Murphy formally announced Tuesday morning he will not be running for reelection. He...
View ArticleLenoir County sheriff retiring
The Lenoir County sheriff since 1989, W.E. “Billy” Smith now rides into the sunset. Smith’s announcement of his retirement — effective March 31 — ends an uninterrupted run of stability that’s seen...
View ArticleColumn: The hard work pays off today
For a high school sports writer, National Signing Day can be a long, arduous day. But for the kids who sign — and they’re the only ones who matter — it’s a day to be celebrated. Today, The Free...
View ArticleMonarchs sweep Blue Devils in revenge games
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Northside not only got its revenge over South Lenoir on Tuesday, but the Monarchs also stayed alive for the East Central 2A Conference regular season title. Jamal Parker...
View ArticleLancers thinking big
A sign hangs in the Lenoir Community College dugout pointing the way to Enid, Okla. — home of the NJCAA Division II World Series. If the Lancers are to get there, they’ll need minds as sharp as...
View ArticleKinston routs Tarboro in sweep
From a ceiling already full of banners, two more will hang at Viking Gym. Monique Lofton scored 17 points and Kinston’s girls basketball team clinched the Eastern Plains 2A Conference regular season...
View ArticleBullock leads UNC to victory
(AP) Reggie Bullock scored 23 points to help North Carolina beat Wake Forest 87-62 on Tuesday night. James Michael McAdoo added 20 points for the Tar Heels (16-6, 6-3 Atlantic Coast...
View ArticleMcCrory: N.C. colleges should focus on job skills
By EMERY P. DALESIO Gov. Pat McCrory said Tuesday he's determined to get North Carolina's public university system to focus on teaching what's useful in terms of getting a job and criticized an...
View ArticleSleep Center manager addresses Rotary / Names in the news
Sleep Center manager addresses Rotary Cindy Dail, manager of the Cardiopulmonary Department at Lenoir Memorial Hospital, described the features of the new Sleep Center and detailed the symptoms of...
View ArticleAlbum reviews: Ultraista and Charley Pride
New album: Ultraista Artist: Ultraista Label: Temporary Residence Rating: 4 stars out of 5 Ultraista is a trio consisting of producer Nigel Godrich, session drummer to the stars Joey Waronker and...
View ArticlePicks of the week
NNENNA FREELON/Kinston World class vocalist Nnenna Freelon will spend an intimate cabaret evening with her audience Saturday at the Community Council for the Arts, 400 N. Queen St. An up close cabaret...
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