Goldsboro Daily News

DGAF Plans Homecoming Celebration

May 24, 2022 Bryce Wilson

The annual homecoming for Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni and Friends, Inc. will be held Thursday, May 26 through Sunday, May 29 as many alumnus await the return of homecoming.

This year marks the 67th anniversary of the organization. The celebration is traditionally held during Memorial Day weekend. The homecoming welcomes graduates of Dillard and Goldsboro High Schools back to the community, with an array of activities planned to celebrate the group’s role in education and service.

The national organization has grown over the years and continues to expand. It already boasts chapters in Goldsboro, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington, DC, Triangle (Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill) and Charlotte. There is talk about new chapters in the tri-city area of Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point being added to the list.

The event, which starts Thursday evening and runs through Sunday, packs the area hotels as it can draw more than 10,000 former students and families back to the area.

In addition to a variety of activities, this year’s celebrating classes are those ending in the number “2” and “7”. Class reunions, banquets, dances and picnics across the community will be taking place.

This year’s grand marshal will be Mrs. Eliza Jones. At 102 years, she is as fit as any and will tell you she exercises twice a day says, Janet Barnes, homecoming chair. Mrs. Jones was contacted by Prof. Brown to accept a teaching position after she graduated from NCCU in 1943. She taught for a total of 38 years at Dillard and GHS combined. During the year of integration, she became the first black home economics teacher at GHS.

On Thursday evening, the scholarship and awards program will be held in the Goldsboro High School auditorium, starting at 7:00 pm. There will be thirty-three (33) students receiving scholarships this year, Ms. Barnes said.

Membership tickets can also be purchased during the event and used for admission to a reception following the program, as well as admission to the alumni dance and picnic on Saturday.

Saturday events start at 1:30am with a Pre- Dawn Dance until 6:00am for those whose energy keeps on ticking! Admission is $20.00. A parade at 10:00am in downtown Goldsboro followed by a day party sponsored by the Triangle and Charlotte chapters on the grounds of the Elks Lodge on James St. from 12noon to 4:00 pm. Admission is $10.00.

Entry forms for the parade are available at the group’s headquarters on Poplar St. Car flags can also be purchased.

A picnic will follow at noon on the campus of the Dillard/Goldsboro alumni headquarters.

The Black & White dance will be held at the H. V. Brown Hall on Saturday night from 9:00 until 1:00 am. Admission is $20.00. Doors open at 8:30 pm.

The traditional Sunday morning worship service will not be held. You may worship at the church of your choice, says Ms. Barnes. The campus will also be open to all classes for their respective picnics. Vendors are welcome. For more information on the association or homecoming, call Ms. Barnes at 919-738-7331.

Mount Olive Presbyterian Brings Back Farmers Market

May 24, 2022 Bryce Wilson

The Farmers Market in Mount Olive returns for the summer at Mount Olive Presbyterian Church .

The church will resume the market on Saturdays from June through August, from 8 – 11 a.m. Opening day is Saturday, June 4.

“It makes sense for us to hold a farmers market,” said Mary Ann Wright, chair of the church’s Outreach, Witness and Stewardship Committee, which is spearheading the effort.

“First, there’s a need for something like this here in Mount Olive, and our location makes it convenient for people to find us,” she said. “With the farmers market we can connect people with produce to sell to those who want to buy from local sources.”

Mount Olive Presbyterian, located at the corner of West Main Street and Breazeale Avenue, first launched its farmers market in the summer of 2021, working in partnership with the University of Mount Olive’s Agriculture program.

UMO students and their produce return this year, and J & J Produce and The Honey Lady have also agreed to be vendors. Others are welcome to participate.

The Farmers Market is open to anyone who has produce to sell, and vendor spaces are free. Prospective vendors must sign up in advance by contacting the church at 919-658-2044.

The church’s physical address is 105 N. Breazeale Avenue, Mount Olive.

Benjamin Bayles, a member of Mount Olive Presbyterian Church, shows off the blueberries sold last summer at the church’s Farmers Market. The market reopens Saturday, June 4 and runs every Saturday through August.

Lawmakers File Bill to Provide Employment Protections for N.C. Civil Air Patrol Members

May 24, 2022 Bryce Wilson

This week, state House Majority Leader John Bell (R-Wayne) filed HB 1001, Uniformed Civil Service Act, to provide employment protections for members of the North Carolina Civil Air Patrol, which is a volunteer organization that serves as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

The legislation prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees for absences while performing authorized duties for the Civil Air Patrol. The total absences in a calendar year cannot exceed 14 days per year and no more than 7 consecutive days. Currently, such protections are only in place for state employees.

“Volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol are vital to North Carolina’s emergency response efforts, especially during natural disasters,” said Rep. Bell. “I have seen their impact firsthand when dealing with flooding in eastern North Carolina. This legislation will provide much needed employment protections for these men and women to help ensure they can serve their state when we need them most.”

In North Carolina, the Civil Air Patrol’s over 2,000 volunteers provide crucial assistance in emergency management services and response efforts, including performing aerial assessments, assisting in search-and-rescues, supporting ground-and-air communications, and transporting and distributing supplies.

Senior House Appropriations Chair Jason Saine, House Rules Committee Chairman Destin Hall and Deputy House Majority Leader Brenden Jones are also primary sponsors of the legislation.

Center Street Jam – Week 2 [Photo Gallery]

May 24, 2022 Bryce Wilson

Last Friday the second show of the 2022 Center Street Jam series took place in Downtown Goldsboro at The HUB as part of the kick-off for the NC Freedom Festival. The band The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra performed.

Center Street Jam is a FREE after hours summer concert series in Downtown Goldsboro. Great music, cold drinks, delicious food from local vendors, kids activities & more.

The next concert is scheduled for Friday, June 2nd and will feature the Cat5 Band.

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Pioneer African American Lawyer & Goldsboro Native Ruth Whitehead Whaley To Be Honored With Historical Marker

May 23, 2022 Bryce Wilson

A new North Carolina Highway Historical Marker will be installed on the corner of Ash and John Streets in Goldsboro, near First Citizens Bank on Wednesday, May 25, at 4pm. The marker commemorates Ruth Whitehead Whaley, a groundbreaking African American attorney who was born in Goldsboro in 1901 and graduated from Dillard High School.

Ruth was the daughter of Prof. C.A. Whitehead, a highly respected teacher in Goldsboro. In 1919, she attended and graduated from Livingstone College in Salisbury. She married Herman Whaley in 1920, and he encouraged her to enroll in law school at Fordham University in New York. The first African American woman to have beenπ admitted to Fordham, Ruth Whitehead Whaley graduated at the top of her class in 1924.

Whaley passed the New York bar exam in 1925 and became one of the first African American women to practice law in New York. Though her practice was in New York, with the support of family friend and local attorney Hugh Dortch, Ruth Whitehead Whaley returned to Goldsboro in 1933 to be sworn into the North Carolina State Bar, becoming the first African American woman to be licensed in North Carolina.

In New York, Whaley was an expert in civil service law, representing black local government employees in discharge proceedings. She was later appointed secretary of the New York City Board of Estimate, working in tandem with the City Council. An outstanding attorney, Whaley was the first president of the New York City National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, also serving as president of the National Council for Negro Women.

For two years, Sherwood Williford and Ellen Bland worked with Ansley Wegner at the NC Highway Historical Marker Program in the Office of Archives and History to gain approval for this sign.

North Carolina News – May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022 Bryce Wilson

NC Medicaid expansion gets serious attention from Senate GOP

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans are strongly considering legislation that would expand Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults. The idea is contained in a summary of a wide-ranging health care access measure being discussed by state senators. The Associated Press obtained the summary. Such legislation would mark an extraordinary turnabout by Senate Republicans set against expansion for a decade. Senate leader Phil Berger said last year he was now open to expansion, which is a top priority for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. House Speaker Tim Moore said last week he’d be surprised if expansion could be approved before the legislative session ends around July 1.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-PRICE

US Rep. David Price recovering after COVID-19 positive test

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — The longest-serving member of North Carolina’s current congressional delegation is recovering following a coronavirus diagnosis over the weekend. U.S. Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill wrote in a tweet that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday and that he was “experiencing mild cold-like symptoms.” The 81-year-old Price says he was vaccinated and boosted and would follow quarantining guidelines. Price has served in Congress almost continuously since 1987. He is not seeking reelection this fall for his Triangle-area 4th Congressional District. Other political notables in North Carolina testing positive recently include Attorney General Josh Stein and former Gov. Pat McCrory.

WATERFALL-DROWNING

Swimmer drowns at popular waterfall in North Carolina

LINVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A 53-year-old man has died after drowning at a popular waterfall in western North Carolina. The Linville Volunteer Fire Department said it received a call late Friday morning about a missing swimmer at Elk River Falls. WJHL-TV reported that the victim was 53-year-old Philip D. Williams. Elk River Falls, in the Pisgah National Forest, has been the scene of multiple drownings in recent years. During the rescue and recovery efforts Friday, a diver with the fire department suffered a medical emergency and was taken by helicopter to the hospital. The diver is expected to make a full recovery.

MOTHER AND SON KILLED

N. Carolina man charged with murder in deaths of mother, son

HOPE MILLS, N.C. (AP) — A 68-year-old man has been charged with murder in the deaths in a mother and son from North Carolina who were found dead in the grass behind their apartment building. Police in Hope Mills, just south of Fayetteville, announced Saturday that Rodney William McCrary has been charged with two counts each first-degree murder and kidnapping. Police say he lived in the same apartment building as 48-year-old Julie Camacho Smith and her 25-year-old son, Desmond Miles Brewington. They were found dead Wednesday morning. McCrary was being held without bond. Hope Mills Police Chief Stephen Dollinger told The Fayetteville Observer that a motive was not immediately known.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER-DWI CHARGE

Police charge North Carolina school bus driver with DWI

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a North Carolina school bus driver is charged with driving while impaired after an accident in which a construction worker was hit. News outlets report Raleigh police responded to a report late Friday morning of an accident west of downtown. There were no children on the bus, but police said the bus hit a construction worker, who suffered injuries to his legs. Officers charged the bus driver with operating a school bus after consuming alcohol and impaired driving in a commercial vehicle. The driver has been removed from driving duties for the Wake County Public School System and is suspended pending an investigation.

REDISTRICTING-NORTH CAROLINA

NC groups, voters urge justices to avoid redistricting case

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina advocacy groups and voters have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to avoid hearing arguments on the role of state courts in reviewing congressional redistricting maps created by state legislatures. Their attorneys and those representing North Carolina government filed legal briefs Friday in a case involving the U.S. House map that was just used in the state for primary elections this week. The Supreme Court in March refused to block the map’s use this year, but some justices signaled they were interested in formally discussing the broader questions of a clause in the Constitution. Republican legislative leaders already petitioned the court to take the case.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

NC jobless rate falls to 3.4%, dropping toward 1990s levels

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s unemployment rate for April fell further below pre-pandemic levels and could be the lowest since the late 1990s. The state Commerce Department announced Friday that April’s rate is 3.4% compared to 3.5% in March. Department historical data shows it’s the lowest since the jobless rate reached 3.3% in June 1999. Current rates are subject to future alterations. A General Assembly staff economist wrote last week that state employment had returned to pre-pandemic levels last summer and had exceeded them. The Commerce Department reported 30,260 more people were employed in April compared to March, while the number of unemployed fell by over 3,900.

PONZI SCHEME-CHARGES

SEC accuses North Carolina man of operating Ponzi scheme

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Federal authorities have accused a North Carolina man of operating a $7 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 75 investors and using the money he gained to make mortgage payments and pay for private schools for his children. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a news release that it filed an emergency action Thursday in U.S. District Court. The complaint charges Wynn Charlebois of Charlotte and his company, WC Private, with violating antifraud provisions. According to the SEC’s complaint, Charlebois defrauded the investors since 2019 using multiple bogus investment opportunities. Most of the victims live in the Charlotte area.

Wayne County Under Level 1 Risk For Severe Weather Monday & Tuesday

May 23, 2022 Bryce Wilson

(NCNN WeatherCenter)–Much of central North Carolina is under a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Monday at the start of a wet pattern for this week.

It will be a milder day, with temperatures topping out in the upper 70s. The first half of the day will be dry, but NCNN meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said the storms are possible anytime this afternoon and evening, with the first wave most likely arriving between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wind damage and heavy downpours are possible, especially south and west of the Triangle.

On Monday afternoon, tornado warnings were issued in the Triad area in Montgomery, Davidson and Randolph counties.

Damaging winds and hail will be the main threats for Monday’s severe storms risk. The risk area covers the Triangle and points south and carries a medium risk for flash flooding.

Even after the stronger storms move out of our area, rain showers and isolated storms could linger overnight and into Tuesday morning. A second round of storms could move in between 9 p.m. and midnight. By Monday night, some areas of central North Carolina could see upwards of two inches of rain.

After a mild Monday, even cooler temperatures will arrive for Tuesday. Tuesday will feature a high of 73 degrees and some showers possible in counties south of Wake County mostly in the morning hours.

On Tuesday, Johnston, Wayne and Wilson counties are part of a Level 1 severe risk that extends to most of eastern North Carolina.

“Showers look more likely for Tuesday morning’s commute,” said NCNN meteorologist Zach Maloch. “We are looking at generally lighter rain shower activity for Tuesday afternoon.”

Wednesday will be drier and warmer with a high around 80 degrees, “Showers look more likely for Tuesday morning’s commute,” said NCNN meteorologist Zach Maloch. “We are looking at generally lighter rain shower activity for Tuesday afternoon.”

Next weekend appears to be the driest portion of the week, with highs in the 80s. Temperatures will heat back up and reach a high of 83 degrees on Friday.

“Click It or Ticket” Campaign Kicks Off Today

May 23, 2022 Bryce Wilson

Fasten your seatbelts – summer’s heating up, and so is the statewide Memorial Day Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign, which kicked off Monday, May 23.

Through June 5, law enforcement officers in Wayne County and all 99 other NC counties will be patrolling the roads to make sure citizens are buckling up, whether they’re behind the wheel, in the passenger seat or in the backseat.

“Although citizens could face a citation and fines for not wearing their seatbelt, the real goal here is saving lives,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell. “Your chances of being killed or seriously injured in a car crash are reduced by nearly half when you wear a seatbelt.”

In 2021, 555 North Carolinians who were not wearing seatbelts lost their lives in vehicle crashes, including nearly 30 over last year’s two-week Click It or Ticket enforcement period.

North Carolina law requires all passengers in a vehicle to be properly restrained and violations are punishable by fines of up to $180. Children younger than 8 years and under 80 pounds must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat or booster seat. If a passenger under 16 is not properly restrained, the driver faces a $266 fine.

When North Carolina launched the Click It or Ticket initiative in 1993, only 64 percent of North Carolinians used their seat belts. Today, that number hovers around 90 percent.

In addition to increased enforcement statewide, the campaign will include a paid media component, including an influencer campaign where Tik Tok and Instagram influencers will share their own seatbelt messages with North Carolina audiences.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program, which is an arm of the N.C. Department of Transportation, provides grants to law enforcement agencies for various traffic safety initiatives, including campaigns like Click It or Ticket.

Report: NC Among Best States For Military Retirees

May 23, 2022 Bryce Wilson

For decades, North Carolina has been home to military installations like Seymour Johnson Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, Camp Lejeune, New River and Cherry Point . It’s also been a state with heavy support for the troops.

So, it’s no surprise that the state ranks among the best for being among the most military-friendly states, especially for retirees. North Carolina ranks 11th out of the 50 states overall, according to a new report from personal-finance website WalletHub and WNCT.

With May being Military Appreciation Month and the U.S. sending additional troops to NATO countries in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, WalletHub on Monday released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees, as well as accompanying videos and its Memorial Day Facts infographic.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 29 key indicators of retirement-friendliness toward veterans. The data set ranges from job opportunities for veterans to housing affordability to the quality of VA hospitals.

NC Freedom Fest 2022 [PHOTO GALLERY]

May 22, 2022 Bryce Wilson

With the threat of thunderstorms in the area many were thinking if the NC Freedom Fest was about to become a washout, but luckily the storms managed to slide by to the northwest of the city leaving only dark clouds in the distance.

The event brought in a large crowd of people that wanted to get out and enjoy the activities that were set up along Center Street in downtown Goldsboro, where the public could stroll up and down looking at some of the vehicles in the car show and good food and great music throughout the evening.

NC Freedom Fest is a Military and First Responders Appreciation Festival, celebrating their
dedication to our community, state, and country.