Columbus
Duplin Times
Remembering our history bring the importance of our freedoms to life, Battle of Rockfish commemorated by descendants of the Revolutionary era
Long after the 1781 Battle of Rockfish Creek, the surnames of the local militia remained in Duplin County. Among the 400 footmen who fought to stop the advance of the British found advancing along Raleigh Road during the Revolutionary War — Kenan, Caswell, and Dickson are some of the names that may sound familiar. In early summer of 1781, British Major James Craig issued an ultimatum to the Cape Fear region. They would need to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown, and enlist...
Farm Bureau’s Book Barn Project partners with Duplin County Schools to create educational space for young readers to learn about agriculture
Two years ago, several women started a program through the Farm Bureau by funding a project that gives students a chance to access books on agriculture and farming. Dr. Erica Brown Edwards has spearheaded the program with enthusiasm for the future of education in farming. As an educator who is actively involved in community service, she is honored to be a part of the program serving on the Duplin County Farm Bureau as the Women’s Committee Chair. Edwards has spent over a decade and most...
John Hood: Shot Clocks for Permits Make Sense
North Carolina plays a starring role in the origin story of college basketball’s shot clock. That is to say, it was the “four corners” offense of the late Dean Smith, longtime coach of the Tar Heels, that ultimately forced the NCAA’s hand back in the 1980s. Although professional basketball had employed a shot clock for decades, leaders of the college sport long resisted it. They thought limiting the number of seconds a team could possess the ball without shooting would make offenses too similar and...
Matthew Stevens: Crinum lily is a landscape favorite that is reliably hardy
Although new plants are introduced into the landscape trade each year, there are some plants that have been a part of our landscapes reliably for years on end without ever falling out of favor. There’s something familiar, even comforting perhaps, to have such consistency in our gardens. One such plant is the crinum lily, an amaryllis relative, that performs admirably in a number of landscape situations throughout the southeast. Crinums...
Steam train excursions travels through Smoky Mountains
Train enthusiasts may want to make tracks to Bryson City in September to hop aboard the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum's steam train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. This trip on Sept. 14 will offers travelers a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty of western North Carolina while riding the rails behind a steam engine in vintage passenger railroad cars, according to a news release. ...
Fire News
Monday, July 15Pin Hook VFD, Duplin County EMS, and North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to Angola Bay Road at Matthew Road for a MVC, unknown injuries. Pin Hook Rescue 17 and Engine 1 arrived and assisted EMS and controlled traffic. Pin Hook Car 1 requested Duplin County Water Department response to the scene in reference to a fire hydrant that has been broke off and is leaking water. Once released by NCSHP all Pin Hook units cleared the call. Magnolia VFD First Responders, responded...
Mystery Plant: Wildflower has a big bloom that draws attention
Flowers, of course, come in quite an assortment of sizes. The smallest flowers of any plant you are likely to see probably belong to the tiny, floating duckweeds. And the largest flowers of trees, at least in North America, must surely belong to various species of Magnolia. But what wildflower has the biggest bloom? Could it be this one? It’s a native species that is common from New England and Ontario south to Florida, and well into the Midwest and Texas. Technically, it is an...
Tom Campbell: Democrats must focus on ways to help Americans
What happened to Democrats? No, this isn’t about all the rapidly changing dynamics of the Presidential race. My question is what has happened to the traditional Democratic Party platform? For decades Democrats have focused on poverty, the blue-collar middle class, the hungry and those needing health care to just get by. But in this election cycle we’ve heard precious little about these issues. Instead, Democrats have hammered almost incessantly on...
John Hood: Growing states have enviable problems
North Carolina is no longer the best state in which to do business. Don’t worry — it’s no big deal. CNBC is out with its annual ranking, which combines data on land prices, capital, innovation, business costs, workforce, education, and various quality of life indicators. Last year, North Carolina got the No. 1 ranking. This year Virginia did, with our state falling to No. 2. The statistical difference between the...
Adventures in whitewater rafting - and swimming
I went on vacation last week and, along with some friends and family, tried whitewater rafting. To say it was an unforgettable experience would be an understatement. For the record, this was my second time trying whitewater rafting. We did it last year on vacation as well and it was memorable for very different reasons. Last year was in Boone and, while on the river, we didn’t encounter any rapids...
August 3 celebrates Back Street Wallace with music festival: Annual event benefits Tri-County foster care program
WALLACE — There was a time when Downtown Wallace nightlife thrived. The trains ran through town bringing friends and shoppers.There were stores, pool halls and food spots. There were some on Main Street, (Front Street) with counterparts on Boney Street (Back Street). At the corner of SW Railroad Street and Boney Street folks near the depot is where folks from both streets could meet. There was an unspoken line around that space that was not crossed. ...
Preservation NC inspects Faison-Williams House with enthusiasm for potential museum in future
Preservation North Carolina inspects the Faison-Williams House through the Endangered Properties Program hoping to eventually open its doors to the town in its sound condition. Preservation North Carolina President and CEO Benjamin Briggs recently attended an inspection with the organization’s summer intern Julian Beaujeu-Dufour to check on the property. According to their website, Preservation North Carolina “promotes and protects the buildings and landscapes of our state’s diverse heritage.” Preservation North...
Harris ticket will not include North Carolina governor
Kamala Harris’ pick for her presidential ticket will not be North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The 67-year-old second-term Democrat on Monday night released a statement saying he strongly supports the vice president in her quest to succeed President Joe Biden, who awkwardly removed himself from the race July 21. The timing, he said, isn’t right for him. Cooper said, “I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for president. I know...
Greenevers fills Alice James’ seat on the town board
The Greenevers Town Board of Commissioners held their monthly town hall meeting on Monday, July 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Greenevers Community Center. Several topics were discussed during the meeting. New Commissioner AppointmentDuring the meeting the board appointed Joseph Bivens as a new board member replacing Commissioner Mary Alice James who stepped down in June. He will fulfill her term that ends in 2025. Water and SewerMcDavid Associates has...
Special Needs Opportunities of Duplin County gives the gift of sport
Everybody deserves a chance to experience the joy of participating in organized sports; however, that opportunity was not always available to everyone in Duplin County. That changed for good though, thanks to the Special Needs Opportunities of Duplin County organization. The organization was founded in 2018 by Brandy Moulton who has spent much of her adult life helping special needs patients as an occupational therapy assistant. Moulton was proud to do her small part in helping the special needs community. She didn’t realize, however, just...
Wayne County wins its first ever state championship
CHERRYVILLE — There were over 90 teams in North Carolina who participated in the 2024 American Legion Baseball season, but only one team came away with the state championship and that was Wayne County Post 11 thanks to their defeat of Wilmington Post 10 by a score of 7-2 on July 24. The state championship win was the first in the over 60-year history of the Post 11 baseball program, and head coach Adam Pate said that the win was due, not only to the...
North Carolina among voluntary pilot programs for lead-free hunting
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced it is implementing a pilot program at seven National Wildlife Refuges during the Fall 2024 hunting season to test voluntary, incentive-based efforts to increase the use of lead-free ammunition by hunters on Service-administered lands. The best available science indicates lead ammunition and fishing tackle can have negative impacts on wildlife. The Service developed the pilot program working with the Hunting and Wildlife...
Time in the passenger seat for Danny Jackson of popular auto mart, retired this summer
Danny Jackson of Jackson’s Auto Mart has retired after years of serving the area with much appreciation. Mount Olive Motor Company’s H.D. Grady has been handed the reins and now furthers the business with its new name. Owner H.D. Grady buys wholesale and retail and sells to public and dealerships. “I started out on my own car lot when I got out of college,” said Grady. Grady grew up in...
Cowan Museum offers great opportunities for young ones interested in pollinators
KENANSVILLE – The Cowan Museum presents Moth Night on Saturday, July 27. The museum is partnering up with National Moth Week associations to bring a fun event about our nighttime pollinator friends. The event is free and includes moth observation stations with staff to assist with identification, hands-on activities, treats, giveaways, and a screening in the schoolhouse of "Godzilla vs. Mothra." This is not the only pollinator on-site. There is an apiary by the botanical garden where Duplin County Beekeepers Association has hives. They will part sometime in the near future as the hives will be kept to function but sent to a pending location. You can check out Moth Night on July 27 from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Cowan Museum operates from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission and guided tours.
Teachey hires new public works team member who continues to save lives with the fire department
TEACHEY — Bryan Mecenpadilla joins the town of Teachey as their new Assistant Public Works Associate. At the age of 16, Mecenpadilla joined as a volunteer firefighter with the Teachey Volunteer Fire Department, which began about four years ago. He was looking for long-term work which the Deputy Chief recommended him since he is already so involved in the community. Mecenpadilla improves the grounds of the township. He looks at...
Duplin Times
2K+
Posts
3M+
Views
Duplin Times is an award-winning weekly newspaper published every Thursday by Adams Publishing Group Eastern North Carolina. Our coverage area is Duplin County, NC and the immediate surrounding area. Our office is located in historic downtown Kenansville.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.