Donald Williams poses next to his 600 horsepower Ford Mustang. Williams was only one of 30 motor enthusiasts to show off their rides at the Hog Wild Cookoff. Photo by Trevor Normile

Hundreds sampled local flavors, music and vendors at Beulaville’s annual celebration of traditional Carolina barbecue, Hog Wild, Saturday. The cookoff drew a hungry crowd and brought a stampede of thundering muscle cars in the event’s first car show.

Officer Brandon Turner with the Beulaville Police Department was enjoying the gospel music and said he liked to see the community get together for some good eats.

“It’s good to have something like this to bring the citizens together, young and old. And everyone loves barbecue, what could be better than that?” he asked.

Vendors included an information table for James Sprunt Community College and an apiary (bee keeper) from Comfort. Five competitors were in the run for the barbecue cookoff, but every contest needs a winner, no matter how tasty the competition.

Third place was awarded to Rod Hall, cooking for Carlton Insurance. Second was claimed by Carlton Lanier cooking for Bill Carone Chevrolet and Mark Bostic, cooking for Tarheel Hardware, won first place. Judges included local pastors and even Tori Shaw, weatherwoman for Channel 12 news.

“This was the largest group we’ve ever had, we cooked 10 pigs and sold out,” John Weston, president of  Greater Beulaville Revitalization said. Weston and GBR

No party is every complete without wacky hats. The crowd at Hog Wild 2011 in Beulaville knew how to have fun. Photo by Trevor Normile

organized the event.

“I couldn’t do it by myself, I had a lot of help. I want to thank all the workers and the community that gave its support,” Weston said.

He added that one of the goals for GBR is to repair and refurbish the old Beulaville school, as James Sprunt Community College is considering hosting classes there. No deal has been closed, but Weston feels that a possible agreement between the school and town could benefit the community in more ways than one.

“If JSCC comes, that’s going to mean more jobs. Students in the area also won’t have to drive as far to attend classes. We have people that can’t afford to go away to school, can’t even afford to drive out to Kenansville. This would be an opportunity for them to further their education, too,” he said.

Laura Maready emceed the Hog Wild Cookoff from beginning to end, and she said the event was a resounding success.

“I saw a lot of folks enjoying themselves, we had some fantastic entertainment and the weather was beautiful. Hog Wild brought a lot of folks together for an important fundraiser for the community,” she said.

A couple dances as Charlie Albertson and company lay down the beat at Hog Wild 2011. Photo by Trevor Normile

According to the GBR, about 30 owners showed off their rides at the car show, which even included a bored-out classic Ford Mustang with 600 horsepower under the hood. However, Beulaville resident Dessie Thigpen’s favorite part of Hog Wild was the music.

“I’m enjoying it, I love the singing,” she said.

A host of acts played including Beulaville Pentecostal’s own New Generation Praise team and former senator Charlie Albertson.

“The music was really good, and people love to be entertained. I am very pleased,” Patsy Smith of the GBR said.

Sandra Truscello is being held at Duplin County Jail in connection on theft charges. Photo courtesy of Richlands Police Department.

by Trevor Normile

A man and woman have been arrested in connection with a stolen credit card and a shopping spree that landed them behind bars in Duplin County.

Brian Hobbs 30, of Pecan Ln. in Richlands and Sandra Truscello of Inlet Acres in Wilminton. Hobbs is under a $10,000 bond.

According to Richlands Police Chief Thomas Bennett, the couple was anything but thrifty with the victim’s card, found in the unlucky woman’s car, which Hobbs and Truscello also stole around mid-August.

They made purchases at the Circle K station in Jacksonville, both Jacksonville Walmarts (they bought camping gear), Trade-WilcoHess in Jacksonville, Hardee’s in Richlands, Coastal Motel in Jacksonville and finally CITGO in Richlands.

They have been charged with breaking and entering an automobile, misdemeanor larceny, theft, financial card forgery, financial card theft and two counts of obtaining property under false pretenses.

Brian Hobbs of Richlands is under $10,000 bond for a shopping spree conducted with a stolen credit card. Photo courtesy of Richlands Police Department.

Bennett said that although electronic money theft isn’t common in the Richlands area, it’s also not unheard of.

“Sometimes we get calls from people about sweepstakes scams, but most of it probably goes unreported,” he said, adding that he knew of one woman who lost her life savings.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Disaster unemployment: Benefits are available to individuals who lost work in the disaster counties. Those who may apply include self-employed persons, farm and ranch owners and others not usually covered under regular unemployment insurance programs. Call 866-795-8877 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Legal assistance: Those who can’t afford an attorney an who run into a legal snag due to the hurricane in a county listed below may call 800-662-7404 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ask for Disaster Legal Services and a volunteer attorney will call back in 48 to 72 hours.

Unemployment help:

The North Carolina Employment Security Commission can provide unemployment benefits dating back to September 3. Workers and business owners who are unemployed due to disaster and do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits, self-employed individuals and small business owners who:

Lost income due to the disaster, were prevented from working due to an injury caused by the disaster, unable to get to work because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so because of the disaster, we to begin work but were prevented by the disaster, became major supplier of income for a household because of the death or injury of the previous wage earner.

The deadline for the Counties of Duplin and Onslow is October 5.

Disaster-related legal assistance s offered by the North Carolina Bar Association. The Young Lawyers Division of the NCBA is providing volunteer attorneys to help with legal complications that arise from the hurricane.

Examples include: Advice regarding landlord/tenant issues, replacement of lost legal documents, advice about contracts disrupted by the hurricane and help with insurance disputes and other legal complications caused by the disaster.

For more information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Find disaster recovery centers through the Hurricane Irene tab at www.nccrimecontrol.org or the FEMA locator at www.fema.gov/drlocator.

]]> http://capefearnewspapers.com/unemployment-benefits-legal-advice-offered-to-irene-survivors/feed/ 0 http://capefearnewspapers.com/aldermen-discuss-resolutions-contracts-and-spending-cuts/ http://capefearnewspapers.com/aldermen-discuss-resolutions-contracts-and-spending-cuts/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:44:55 +0000 capefear http://capefearnewspapers.com/?p=8556 by Trevor Normile

The Richlands Aldermen met Tuesday September 13 for a number of unanimous votes and one contested spending item.

The Aldermen approved a suggested proclamation from the Daughters of the Revolution that September 14 – 23 be known as Constitution Week as well as one declaring September Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

The Maidstone park subdivision Final Plat Phase 2, Section 1 plan was approved unanimously.

A franchise ordinance with with Progress Energy has been renewed after having been in effect since 1952. The ordinance allows Progress Energy to utilize right of ways in order to work on power lines. Nothing changed in language of the original ordinance.

Duke Energy and Progress Energy are set to merge, and Progress Energy spokesman Dan Oliver said the process could benefit customers.

“We do have a number of regulatory steps we have to pass and we’re in the process of doing that now. The merger should delay the increase in the cost of power, and there are some benefits that will accrue immediately, one of them is being able to join dispatch and generation systems,” he said.

“Another is that [Progress and Duke] have purchased a lot of fuel and if we combine that purchasing power in the marketplace, we can drive the cost of fuel down. That you’ll see on an annual basis.”

The Aldermen unanimously voted for the paving of Cooper Street with ONWASA.

Alderman Tom Brown presented a motion to allow town funds to only be used for the Mayor and Town Administrator to attend the the annual North Carolina League of Municipalities conference in Raleigh.

By Brown’s estimation, the total cost of the Aldermen, Mayor and Administrator to attend would be about $4,300. Brown said he wanted to cut costs in tight economic times, and wanted to discuss whether the NCLM conference was worth the money in sending board members.

“We have elections coming up, so we have new board member school, which is definitely beneficial, as well as new mayor school, which will be beneficial. So those costs will be incurred toward the town,” he said.

Board member Fran Pierce disagreed, saying since members of the board have already attended for a number of years, they should continue.

“There are some that have never gone, and do not choose to go, and I figure that’s their choice,” she said.

When Brown asked whether Pierce planned on continuing to go at the expense of the town, the latter responded she would, saying that it is beneficial for all board members to attend.

After a halting of discussion by Mayor pro-tem Smith, Brown’s motion for restricting town funds for NCLM attendance to the Mayor and Administrator passed. Paul Conner and Tom Brown voted aye, Fran Pierce abstained.

In the Administrator’s notes and updates, Gregg Whitehead reported that the after hours networking event with the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for October 6 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

Also, the first round of debris pickup has been done, and it took workers until mid morning Saturday to get everything in the first round. Pickup will continue this week, and the Department of Transportation is scheduled to pick up Hwy 24, Franklin St. and Gumbranch Rd.

“It should be pretty soon,” Administrator Whitehead said, adding advice for those requiring assistance.

“There is individual and town assistance. If someone needs individual assistance, we have numbers here,” Whitehead said. “Apply for a small business loan, if they reject it, go back and reapply, and eventually if you meet qualifications which are income based, you get a grant combination. The first step is applying in the small business loan section and then going from there.”

Administrator Whitehead said that residents have been dealing with pickup very well, but would like readers to know that the town is not able to touch debris along state maintained roads such as 24 or 258 as such action could jeopardize state cleanup funds. Essentially, if the town picks up the debris, Richlands can lose money used to pay for the pickup of the rest of the town.

So far, 4700 cubic yards has been removed and disposed of in the landfill.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Suspect Axel Alago. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Axel Alago, 37, Sheffield Rd. in Jacksonville has been charged with two counts of statutory sexual offense on a child, seven counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of crime against nature.

Alago is being held on a $75,000 secured bond.

The narrative reads,

“The Department of Social Services contacted the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in July 2011 concerning possible charges of sexual offenses on a child … Alago refused to come in and cooperate with the investigation.”

The suspect was arrested on Thursday, September 8. The girl is between eight and twelve years old and had been molested by her stepfather. Alago’s first court appearance was Friday, September 9.

Heath Earl Hayes. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Heath Earl Hayes, 32, of Chadbourn, NC, was arrested on charges of first degree statutory rape, seven counts of first degree sexual offense on a child and four counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Hayes is being held under $886,000 secured bond.

Narrative:

“The grandmother of the victim came to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in [May of 2011] … The detective contacted the Hayes to ask him to come to the Sheriff’s Office and speak with him. However, Hayes left the state of North Carolina and wen to West Virginia instead.”

The narrative further explains that Hayes allegedly committed the crimes while the child’s mother was bedridden and terminally ill.

Hayes was located with the help of the US Marshal’s Service in New Martinsville West Virginia and arrested. His first court appearance was Thursday, September 8.

Terry Richard Widner. Courtesy of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office

Terry Richard Widner, 19, of Raintree Circle in Jacksonville, was arrested by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office for indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery.

Widner is being held under a $25,000 secured bond.

The narrative reads that a young girl was visiting her friend, whose older cousin (Widner) resided at the same address. According to the report, Widner allegedly inappropriately touched and kissed the visiting girl during the afternoon she was there.

On Thursday, September 8, Widner was apprehended at his home without incident. His first court appearance was Friday, September 9.

Photo of Bryan Davis courtesy of Beulaville Police Department.

by Trevor Normile

Law enforcement continues to look for a Beulaville resident who is wanted on multiple charges.

Police Departments from Kenansville and Beulaville as well as the Sampson County Sheriff’s Department are looking for Brian Davis, a man suspected of trying to kidnap another Beulaville man and rob the local Family Dollar.

Davis is a black male, 25 years old, five feet, five inches tall and weighs about 150 lbs. His most accurate address is Pine Street in Beulaville.

He is wanted for armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of firearm by felon, possession of stolen goods, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, aid and abet to obtain property by false pretense, possess counterfeit, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and felony conspiracy.

Resident Josh Jones recapped the September 4, the night he was nearly kidnapped by Davis and two partners.

“I caught one of the three guys breaking in, and thought it was just the one, so I filed a report,” he said.

However, Jones soon found out what the thugs were after when one dropped a cell phone while fleeing the scene.

“The police said [Davis and others] planned the whole ordeal,” Jones said. “The guy they caught laid out an orchestrated plan to kidnap me in my home, bring me to Family Dollar and open the safe. I just thought they wanted my television or something.”

Beulaville Police Chief Joey Carter confirmed Jones’ story and said Davis’s accomplices were armed. Carter and Jones both wondered what would’ve been done with Jones after he opened the safe, as Davis had been a regular customer whom Jones described as relatively friendly.

“What were they going to do with me? They weren’t going to let me walk home afterwards,” Jones said.” Looking back, it’s a lot scarier than I initially thought. I didn’t know the men outside were armed.”

Davis is to be considered armed and dangerous, if anyone has information on him do not approach him. Instead, contact law enforcement immediately. He was released in 2008 after less than 10 months on a sentence for shooting at a Duplin Sheriff’s Deputy.

According to the Beulaville Police Department, Davis said he wanted to shoot a cop. Davis is still believed to be in Duplin County.

If you have information on Davis’ whereabouts, the Beulaville Police Department can be reached at 910-298-5360. In the event of an emergency, always dial 9-1-1.

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Trophies have been taken care of, but GBR is still seeking judges for the barbecue contest. They are trying to get five area pastors to volunteer their time to taste-test pork.

The group said it was very pleased with the amount of assistance it has received from Whaley’s and IGA in the past, but will have to replace some iced-tea buckets lent by Bojangles last year. The buckets have since turned up missing.

Beverages will be simple- water and sweet tea. Some patrons were confused last years as to the order one should follow through the foot line. In order to speed up the process, members discussed possible plans to streamline and organize the serving process.

Food will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

GBR President John Weston was told to expect about 50 cars. It was suggested that the event start at 10:00 a.m., and members explored parking solutions for the mass of vehicles.

The group is still seeking entertainment for the cook-off. So far, only a few groups have shown interest. See contact information at bottom. GBR is looking for groups who are willing to play for little or no payment.

Large vinyl signs from last year’s event have also gone missing. Mr. Weston said they were purchased with the intention of reusing them over an extended period of time, and had changeable dates and times on them. GBR, which is already largely member-supported, may have to buy new ones.

Member Sally Weston voiced the need for extra hands to help out at Hog Wild.

“All of us need to go to people and say, “could you come out and help, just for 30 minutes,” she said. “This is a community project, not just a Beulaville project. That where the ‘greater’ in Greater Beulaville Revitalization comes from.”

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

“I want to make people aware of how much cooperation we had. Town employees, especially the police department and public works, put in extra hours, including preparation for the storm,” he said. “During the storm, they stayed in touch with electric crews, with power out in the treatment plant and in the main intersection in Beulaville.”

Smith also thanked the treatment plant workers for their dedication, “I know they were at the plant as soon as everything was dry,” he said.

Beulaville Volunteer Fire Department was on hand during the storm, as were all the departments in the area. In the whipping wind and rain, it was up to them to keep watch over the town and assist line crews. But BVFD went the extra mile. Smith said they were preparing meals for the electric workers.

He wanted to thank local businesses as well for donating the food.

“They were making calls as soon as it was safe, maybe even when it wasn’t. The department was also cooking for line repair crews, ” The mayor said. “The IGA and Dollar General provided food for the FD to prepare the meals. Mama G’s offered to bring a soup. Their desire to help was the important thing.”

Mayor Smith also mentioned Jerry Koonce, a local resident who worked to get electricity restored.

“Most of the power workers were from out of the area, but Jerry Koonce is local and he worked tirelessly with the rest of them to get the power on,” he said.

The most important thing during a storm such as Irene is to stay calm and keep a level-head. Mr. Smith said the town did a great job.

“We appreciate the citizens of the town as we work to bring things back to normal. People used good judgment and stayed in during the most dangerous times. After the storm, neighbors were helping neighbors. That’s one of the great advantages of living in a town like Beulaville.”

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

Richlands Farmer’s Day never fails to deliver a good time, and even though the celebration is in its 45th year, Farmer’s Day is still going strong.

Rebecca Johnson tries her hand at the frying pan toss as festival goers look on. Johnson won the event. Photo by Trevor Normile

Saturday’s event was much like ones of the past. A maze of vendors sold everything from vegetable preserves to office supplies while food carts stayed busy. Antique tractors in the “Parade of Power” drew gawking enthusiasts young and old as bands picked and grinned from the stage.

The Marine Corps brought Joel Amaral to Hubert from his home state of Massachusetts. Amaral was glad to share what he had to say about Farmer’s Day.

“I’m doing good, having a great time. There’s a lot of different things to see here, and I just enjoy walking around, looking at the different vendors,” he said.

Renee Page of Burlington is in The Director’s Trio, a gospel group that performed that day. Page said she was having a blast.

“We always stop here on the way to Emerald Isle to get ice cream,” she said with a laugh. “I love Farmer’s Day. I love all these crafts, and the people here are all so friendly.”

The Director’s Trio often travels far to perform, but for many, the event is something only the Richlands community could produce. Whether contestants are tossing eggs (or frying pans) or eating watermelon, Farmer’s Day isn’t just an institution of family fun, but a unique expression of what it means to live in Richlands.

The grid of vendors was punctuated by local celebrities; the Swamp Loggers of television fame had a booth as well as area politicians. Richlands Alderwoman Fran Pierce was more than happy to brave the heat for Farmer’s Day.

“I love both seeing people enjoy themselves, and the recognition this gives the community,” she said. “It brings people from Jacksonville, Pink Hill, Beulaville, everywhere. It’s really nice.”

The feeling of community and good-will didn’t just reach past the Richlands town lines. This year, they even transcended the human barrier. A young lady from Richlands named Kelsey saved a kitten from misfortune in the nearby Dollar General parking lot.

“My mom was in the parking lot and heard a cat whining. I looked under the car and it wasn’t there. The people in the car next to us heard it too, but couldn’t see it,” she said, holding a small and noticeably frazzled kitten. It had climbed into the wheel well of the vehicle, where the girl rescued it.

Kelsey and her mother spent part of their afternoon looking for a home for the feline, who eventually went home with a Trenton couple.

After all was said and done, event coordinator Amy Rhodes felt that Farmer’s Day 2011 was a success.

“It came together wonderfully, I have a fabulous committee. It’s like clockwork, we’ve been together for 13 years and we work together like a big, happy family,” she said. “We have a small crowd this year, but that doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits of our vendors.”

Event winners:

Samantha Sharp was named Little Miss Richlands and Scott Howard Jr. was selected as Little Mr. Richlands.

The winners of the frying pan toss were: Rebecca Johnson (1st), Nicole Hunt (2nd) and Rebecca Saul (3rd).

Contact Trevor at 910.285.2178 or at tjnormile@readcapefear.com.

]]> http://capefearnewspapers.com/farmers-day-does-it-again-2/feed/ 0 http://capefearnewspapers.com/beulaville-felon-considered-armed-and-dangerous/ http://capefearnewspapers.com/beulaville-felon-considered-armed-and-dangerous/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:11:06 +0000 capefear http://capefearnewspapers.com/?p=8500

Photo of Bryan Davis courtesy of Beulaville Police Department.

Law enforcement is after a Beulaville resident who is wanted on multiple charges. Police Departments from Kenansville and Beulaville as well as the Sampson County Sheriff’s Department are looking for Brian Davis.

Davis is a black male, 25 years old, five feet, five inches tall and weighs about 150 lbs. His most accurate address is Pine Street in Beulaville. He is wanted for armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of firearm by felon, possession of stolen goods, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, aid and abet to obtain property by false pretense, possess counterfeit, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit felony larceny, first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and felony conspiracy.

Davis is to be considered armed and dangerous, if anyone has information on him do not approach him. Instead, contact law enforcement immediately. He was released in 2008 after less than 10 months on a sentence for shooting at a Duplin Sheriff’s Deputy.

According to the Beulaville Police Department, Davis said he wanted to shoot a cop. Davis is still believed to be in Duplin County.