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WILSON’S LOCAL PRINT AND DIGITAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTION SINCE 1896

‘Ultimate sacrifice’: Nash County deputy dies from crash injuries

A Nash County deputy injured in a Thanksgiving Day crash has died. Jared Michael Allison, 26, who’s been hospitalized at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville with brain damage since Nov. 26, …

Billy Ray Marshall, 54, was found dead on June 25 on the 1200 block of Ward Boulevard near Buddy's Home Furnishings and the Speedway convenience. His autopsy indicates Marshall died as a result of a stab wound to the neck.

Autopsy: Man died of stab wound

A Wilson man whose body was found on Ward Boulevard in June died as a result of a stab wound to the neck, his autopsy report states. Billy Ray Marshall, 54, was found June 25 on the 1200 …

Tasha "Tott" Williams, 43, has been found safe. Contributed photo

Police: Missing woman found safe

Police say a woman who was reported missing in November has been found safe. Officials say 43-year-old Tasha L. Williams, who goes by the nickname “Tott,” has returned home. …

Officers investigate Sunday shooting

Wilson police are investigating a Sunday night shooting. According to a press release, officers were dispatched just before 7 p.m. to the 200 block of Hines Street where they found Antonio D. …

Students gather around Frederick Douglass Elementary School fourth grade teacher Courtney Beckstead's computer in the pre-COVID-19 days during the 2019-20 school year's first nine-week grading period.

46% of Wilson County Schools students failed a class in 1st grading period

In the first nine weeks in this school year, 46% of Wilson County Schools students in grades 3-12 failed a class, according to data supplied by the district. Students were in remote learning during …

This illustration reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses.

Wilson reports virus death, 159 new cases; Jones Elementary halts in-person classes

Wilson County logged 159 new COVID-19 cases and one new death from Thanksgiving Day through Monday. “We are reporting numbers for five days due to the holiday. We do expect our recoveries to …

Samora Naturals store associate Briona Chavis hand-mixes a batch of Coffee Lovers Face & Body Scrub while shop owner Shawna Moses pours in one of the ingredients.

Entrepreneurs wanted for Wilson business accelerator program

When Shawna Moses was accepted into a business accelerator program in February, she never imagined how invaluable the assistance would be. “Before COVID hit, business was definitely very, …

Drop-in day care center a dream come true

Wilson parents looking for impromptu child care have a new option with Ms. Knight’s Drop-In Playhouse. The Airport Boulevard business has been a dream of owner Tawana Knight’s since she was a …

Gray Rivera of Wilson added dance steps into her daily workout.

She adds a twist to fitness routine

To see Gray Rivera’s workout is to witness boundless energy. Rivera, 25, is a nursing assistant for Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Since April, she’s been working out in The Bluffs …

Murder convict could be paroled in husband’s killing

A woman who’s spent three decades in prison for fatally beating and torturing her elderly husband in a Wilson hotel is eligible for parole. A Wilson County jury convicted 78-year-old …

A worker walks under the BB&T towers as an excavator works to smash out the first-story glass facade on one tower Tuesday in preparation for the eight-story buildings' December implosion.

BB&T towers’ demolition scheduled for Dec. 19

Decades after becoming an iconic sight in historic downtown Wilson, the BB&T towers will fall to the ground in a simultaneous implosion at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. “Many city departments …

The site of a planned parking garage is shown looking across Broad Street from the Wilson Visitors Center porch.

Wilson City Council approves 4 items in 4 minutes

The Wilson City Council met for just four minutes on Nov. 23 to approve several items that were subjects of public hearings. The regular meeting on Nov. 19 recessed to allow residents 24 …

Contentnea Fire Department volunteer and Christmas light programmer extraordinaire Josh Thomas shakes a string of lights malfunctioning on a tree Tuesday outside the fire station on N.C. 42.

‘A little bit of light in these dark times’: Annual light show starts Friday

For more than a month every holiday season, the Contentnea Fire Department is aglow with thousands of lights choreographed to music, and this year, the tradition lives on. “We can’t cancel …

Wilson County charts spike in suicide attempts

In the wake of a pandemic, social unrest and financial instability, Wilson County has seen a rise in suicide attempts in 2020. The Wilson Police Department and Wilson County Sheriff’s Office …

Bonny Parker, Cannon Hinnant's mother, sits next to a rendering for the Wilson City All Children's Multiplex as the boy's family announces its financial support for the project Wednesday at the J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex.

'We're doing it for Cannon': Boy’s family funds playground renovation, Miracle Field

The J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex playground was a favorite place for 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant. And to honor the boy’s memory after his August killing, his family joined city and community …

Local health officials ask county residents to practice the three Ws: Wear a cloth face covering when with other people, remain 6 feet apart, avoiding close contact, and wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.

Officials urge Wilson to follow mask mandate; executive order includes criminal penalties

Rising COVID-19 cases prompted Gov. Roy Cooper to expand the statewide mask mandate, and Wilson officials are encouraging residents to take the added precautions. “Wilson has a strong …

Lee Woodard Elementary classes go remote

Lee Woodard Elementary School students and staff will not be in the classroom for the next two weeks due to a positive COVID-19 case where staff members were identified as close contacts with the …

Tasha "Tott" Williams, 43, has been missing for more than a month. Police ask anyone with information about her wherabouts to contact them.

Missing woman’s family, friends want her home

Family and friends of a Wilson woman who’s been missing for more than a month are praying for her safe return. Officials say 43-year-old Tasha L. Williams, who goes by the nickname …

Mack Johnson pushes a cartful of cans and metal to sell for scrap to pay for his next meal. Johnson, a homeless man, said he is thankful just to be living.

'Thankful for another day to be alive': Wilson County residents share their gratitude

Can we all agree that 2020 has been a hard year? Sickness, job loss, anxiety and depression have hit so many of us. But in the midst of it all, there have been plenty of blessings and reasons to …

Wilson deputies help capture Lenoir County shooting suspect

The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team helped capture a suspect accused of shooting a Lenoir County deputy and another man. Officers shot 30-year-old Robert Lee …

ELECTION 2020 CENTRAL

When political shorthand gets it wrong

RALEIGH — If the Republican Party were only the party of white men, it would never win an election. When discussing electoral matters, we all tend to use the political equivalent of …

‘Defund the police’ undid the Democrats

States, voters share uneasy balance of power

Wilson County to recount votes in NC chief justice race

Workers, volunteers kept our election secure

Follow our ongoing coverage of Cannon Hinnant

VIDEO

From all angles, Hunt sweeps aside Southern Nash

Rare will be the night during the 2020 season where the Hunt High varsity volleyball team has a setter that flirts with the 25-30 assist range, emblematic of an efficient offense in its own …

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LOCAL HEADLINES

Community Briefs: Free coffee for veterans offered

Celebrating successful food drive

Barton gives back to community

Weathercast: Temps to plunge as high pressure takes hold

Nash deputy fighting for his life after Thanksgiving Day crash

Heed the call of Christmas' spirit of giving

Wilson native earns engineering degree

Barbershop, nonprofit feed 300

Registration open for Save-A-Youth computer program

Weathercast: Low pressure to increase shower, storm chances

College honors faculty, staff members of the year

Pet of the week: Friday the cat gets along with big, small dogs

Deed transfers: Who bought, sold property in Wilson County?

Winstead named to NC A&T alumni council

Community Briefs: Firehouse to host blood drive

DSS: Brighten holidays for older adults and youth

Who was convicted in Wilson County Superior Court?

Wilson County Public Library names new books

Nash deputy in critical condition after traffic stop crash

Thanksgiving is one meal, and yet so much more

Thanksgiving baskets delivered

Supreme Court blocks NY governor's coronavirus limits on houses of worship

Tacos join turkey for couple’s Thanksgiving food giveaway

Salvation Army starts holiday fundraising, Angel Tree campaigns

Stores work to keep holiday shoppers safe and happy

Pocket confetti

Collection day doubles pesticide poundage

Wilson recognizes Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday

Thanksgiving baskets delivered

COVID hospitalizations hit record high; Greenfield switches to virtual learning for 2 weeks

Wilson police distribute turkey dinners to 155 families

'My roots kept me grounded': Heather Finch returns home to restart wreath business

Farm gate sales dip to $124.8 million in Wilson County

Community Briefs: Library collecting food donations

More local news

SPOTTED: Whirligig Festival Outdoor Events 2020

THE BLACK EXPERIENCE

Randolph Sessoms, who served as Wilson County Schools' first African American superintendent, is pictured at his home near the Buckhorn community.

Leveling the playing field in education: Sessoms reflects on career in leadership

As the youngest of nine children in a rural Wilson County tenant farming family, Randolph Sessoms grew up to be Wilson County Schools’ first African American superintendent. “We grew …

Dante Pittman listens to Ruth Baines, curator at the Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House Museum, which celebrates African American history in Wilson County.

Black history often untold: Wilson native says museum helps fill educational gaps

Since moving back home to Wilson, Dante Pittman has visited the Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House Museum several times. “I am always blown away when I walk in and read,” Pittman said. The …

Bettie Applewhite of Wilson spent 25 years working in and around Washington for the federal government and the private sector before returning to Wilson in 2004.

Raising a child on a maid’s wages: College instructor’s mother was live-in domestic worker

When Bettie Applewhite was about 9, she remembers discovering that it was awfully hard to find a Black kid on television. Her rural Wilson County family had just installed a black and white …

Wilson resident Joan Pender Davis holds racial segregation placards she's collected over the years.

Segregation left lasting impressions

Joan Davis remembers the way things were when she was growing up in Wilson. The 77-year-old said the railroad tracks that slice through downtown Wilson were a line of demarcation with white on the …

Paul Sherrod, 86, stands in the mezzanine of The Boykin Center. Before the civil rights movement, African-Americans had to watch movies and shows from the top floor.

Sherrod sees changes upon return to Wilson

Civil rights icon U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ recent death caused Paul Sherrod to think about how far the nation has come and how far it has to go. Sherrod grew up trucking tobacco and picking …

SLICES OF LIFE

Daydreaming on the merry-go-round

Five-year-old Jaliya May, left, and 6-year-old London Jones, right, let the day roll by as they spin around on the merry-go-round Sunday afternoon in Wilson's Pender Street Park.

Students retire the colors

Lee Woodard Elementary students Giovanni Boseman, left, and Carlos Valdivizio join Gracie Skinner, not pictured, in the daily duty of lowering the United States and North Carolina flags at the end of the school day Tuesday.

Last walk across a century-old bridge

Bridgersville Road residents Emmalane Webb, Susie and Michael Sikes walk across the century-old N.C. Department of Transportation bridge spanning the Town Creek in rural Wilson County on Wednesday afternoon. The three had walked down from their homes to see and walk across bridge No. 105 perhaps one last time before it's torn down and replaced by a new span. The bridge was built in 1920. “It's a dangerous bridge because it is so narrow,” said Michael Sikes.

Great-grandfather time

Three-year-old Calle Batts passes the day on a bench with great-grandfather Henry Brice, 68, of Wilson, at the corner of Tarboro and Nash streets on Sept. 24.

Playing with the puppies

Irma Molina plays with her three puppies, Nico, Z and Zeus, in the Toisnot Reservoir dog park on Saturday. Molina was there with her husband Darwia to run their young German shepherd and Siberian husky mix puppies.

Routing the runners

Barbara Taylor, a Wilson County resident who lives on Hornes Church Road, weaves fresh butterbean runners back through the vines in her garden under the hot sun Thursday. "Last year we didn't have much luck, but this year looks a lot better," Taylor said. "We planted the runner kind because they are easier to pick."

The last angler

Wilson resident Anthony Edwards fishes on Lake Wilson as the amber hues of sunset fade away on July 15.

Changing the marquee

Bella Johnson, an Arts Council of Wilson volunteer and intern, changes the Edna Boykin Cultural Center marquee on Sunday to promote the art show "Healing" by Juan Carlos Duron-Martinez.

Sunset on the pier

Brenly Yencho and Patricia Luy, both of Wilson, sit on a pier together as the sunset fades away over Lake Wilson on July 15.

Catching air at the skate park

Nine-year-old Brooks Johnson of Wilson performs skateboard tricks while his father Brandon Johnson takes pictures of daughter Bria Johnson, 14, at the Toisnot Park skate park Sunday.

'Push me, Mommy'

Rachel Kimbrell of Wilson pushes her 2-year-old daughter Penelope Brock on the swing Sunday at Toisnot Park.

Father and son time

Darnell Jackson and his son Trevien enjoy an afternoon of fishing in Wilson as rainwater spills over the Wiggins Mill dam on June 17.

Playtime at the park

Danny and Heather Stapp of Wilson play ball with their sons, 5-year-old Jackson and 2-year-old Carter, on the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park stage.

Trail riders

Families mount up for a ride together near the city of Wilson's Equestrian Trail at the end of Sullivan Road near the Buckhorn Reservoir banks in late April.

Calling the play

Wilson Rough Riders football player Kuvante Griffin, right, and brothers Jay and Dominique Hinnant practice on the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park grass Sunday.

Fishing the Buckhorn Reservoir

Stephen Chambers and son Kaiden Chambers bring in a fish while angling on the Buckhorn Reservoir at the end of Johnson Farm Road outside Kenly in rural Wilson County.

Feathered friends

Sisters Morgan and Megan Hall feed the Canada geese at the Toisnot Reservoir on Sunday.

A lazy afternoon

Dillon Lee of Stantonsburg and Kristen Henderson of Wilmington relax in the grass at downtown Wilson's Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.

Paddling on Lake Wilson

Kayakers Jessica Phillips, Martha Jo Stanley, Tammy Hooks and Summer Hooks paddle onto a placid Lake Wilson on Sunday.

Family enjoys fishing trip

His hands full, Emerson Watford helps his wife Kiara and their children, Tiffany, Xavier, Emily and Kinsley, rig their fishing poles at Wilson's Toisnot Reservoir on Sunday.

A stroll in the park

A couple walks hand-in-hand around Lake Wilson Park on Sunday afternoon.

Waiting for a bite

As the Town Creek's tannin-colored backwaters creep by, Alvin Williams and his 6-year-old fishing buddy Kevin Johnson of Elm City angle for freshwater fish off the new 75-foot-long bridge finished in April along Rock Quarry Road near Elm City.

Fishing for that pot of gold

Abraham Alonzo of Wilson, an avid fisherman around the local fishing holes, walks his tricycle up South Street as a rainbow arcs toward the ground ahead last Friday.

Wedding on the run

Alexander Hayman of Boston, left, and Suzanne Michalak of Durham walk down the steps of the Wilson County Register of Deeds after getting their marriage license Monday afternoon just in time for their wedding Monday night at the home of her parents, Daniel and Paul Michalak of Wilson. The couple had planned to hold and Asheville wedding, but that had to be canceled due to COVID-19. "We didn't want to wait another year to get married," the bride said. His parents are Bill and Radhia Hayman of Houston.

WEATHERCAST

Weathercast: Temps to plunge as high pressure takes hold

A strong Canadian high pressure system is forecast to build into the Wilson Times area Tuesday, keeping high temperatures in the upper 40s. A west wind around 10 mph, occasionally gusting to 15, …

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UPPER MATH TEACHER

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North Johnston’s Lanie Croft, left, wins this battle at the net against Beddingfield’s Mackenzie Howard during Monday’s 2-A Eastern Plains Conference match at Beddingfield. Looking on are Myah Stevens, left, of the Lady Panthers and Emilee Moss of the Lady Bruins, who lost in three sets.

Lady Panthers 3-0 after sweeping Beddingfield in its opener

The difference in experience, both overall and immediate, was apparent between varsity volleyball teams from Beddingfield and North … Read More

Gracie Farmer (1) of Wilson Christian tries to get a step on Greenfield's Serenity McNair during the second half of Thursday's game at Wilson Christian. Farmer knocked down four 3-point shots, one in each quarter, to help propel the Lady Chargers to a runaway 53-28 victory.

Lady Chargers shackle Greenfield for third straight win

Brian Trull would much rather talk about his team’s defense. But if the Wilson Christian varsity girls basketball team can … Read More

Firefighter Jordan Childress from the Silver Lake Volunteer Fire Department sprays water into the Silver Lake Growers Cotton Gin trash building on Tuesday.

High winds spread fire at cotton gin

ELM CITY — Some 50 firefighters from five departments fought a stubborn cotton waste fire adjacent to the Silver Lake Growers … Read More

High winds cause fire to leap from burn pile at Silver Lake Growers Gin on NC 58

High winds cause fire to leap from burn pile at Silver Lake Growers Gin on NC 58 Read More

A truck turns around Friday after the driver chose not to venture into floodwaters on N.C. 222 between Stantonsburg and Saratoga.

Stantonsburg 'like an island' as water rises after Tropical Storm Eta

STANTONSBURG — This southern Wilson County town was almost cut off from the rest of the world Friday as runoff from Tropical Storm … Read More

RESTORATION NEWSMEDIA

THE ENTERPRISE

Highway Patrol probing roadside brutality claim

ROCKY MOUNT — Although no official complaint has been filed, the N.C. State Highway Patrol is investigating social media claims that trooper brutalized a Black woman during a recent traffic …

County OKs zoning for biomass plant: Power Resource Group plans to buy Masonite building

Spring Hope is focus of new feature film: Native directs love letter to town

Nearly $1 million in Nash County Detention Center repairs complete

Giant pumpkins tip scales in Spring Hope: National weigh-off to become annual tradition

JOHNSTONIAN NEWS

Son to face murder charges in parents’ deaths

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office plans to charge a 53-year-old man with murdering his parents. On Oct. 4, sheriff’s deputies went to 960 Olivia Way, Selma, to conduct on well-being check …

Former Kenly police officer pleads guilty

With Smithfield surgeon’s help, a Golden Knight aims to soar again

Virtual learning begins to fray parent, teacher relationships

Roundtable to tackle racism in education

FUN STUFF

COLUMN

The beauty of a handwritten letter

With no time to waste, I rip it open before I even make it back from the mailbox. With the package in my hand, my heart races as I glance at the return address and smile because I know exactly where …

LIFE

Full services return in classroom: In-person learning benefits county’s exceptional children

Exceptional children resource teacher Lisa Harrison could see her fourth grade student was having trouble with the reading lesson. With in-the-moment precision, Harrison made eye contact, helped …

E-EDITION

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

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BEST OF

Let them run: NCHSAA cross-country season opens Monday

As the North Carolina High School Athletic Association lifts …

Southern Nash junior Natalie Price (10), shown during a match at Hunt on Nov. 23, helped key the Ladybirds’ three-set sweep of host Rocky Mount in 3-A Big East Conference volleyball action Monday.

Ladybirds’ team effort results in sweep of Rocky Mount

ROCKY MOUNT — With an all-around team effort, the Southern Nash High varsity volleyball team evened its record at 2-2 with a three-set sweep of host Rocky Mount on Monday. The …

In this photo from the Friday, Dec. 1, 1939, edition of The Wilson Daily Times, Elon College senior Charlie Pittman, who was from Wilson, had 142 yards and three touchdowns rushing in his final career game, a win over Guilford College.

Families even split over all-star votes

The first appearance of “family voting” came to the Daily Times Football Contest without any ballot “marking” by the head of the family in either. The family of …

North Carolina guard R.J. Davis (4) leaps to shoot a basket over UNLV guard Bryce Hamilton (13) in the first half of a game in the Maui Invitational tournament, Monday in Asheville.

Davis, Brooks help No. 14 UNC top UNLV 78-51 in Maui tourney

ASHEVILLE — North Carolina started its first game of the relocated Maui Invitational so badly that it faced an immediate double-digit hole as its Hall of Fame coach benched …

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few motions toward the court in the second half of a game against Saint Mary's in the final of the West Coast Conference men's tournament March 10 in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga, Baylor stay atop AP Top 25; Va. Tech, Richmond in

The first Associated Press men’s college basketball poll of the regular season remained steady at the top. The rest, predictably, was filled with change as teams exceeded or …

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, left, talks with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) in the fourth quarter during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 28-27.

Coaching staff deserves blame after loss to Vikings

CHARLOTTE — Matt Rhule hit the nail on the head when he said he and his coaching staff deserve full blame for the Panthers surrendering an 11-point fourth quarter lead and losing …

Jordan Goldwire (14) passes the ball for Duke against Coppin State in the Blue Devils’ season-opening 81-71 victory Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. No. 6 Duke will host No. 8 Michigan State on Tuesday.

No. 6 Duke to host No. 8 Mich. St in Champions Classic

Michigan State and Duke were scheduled to meet in the 10th annual State Farm Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago, but like with so many other sports events in the 2020 …

Barton fans cheer on their team at Wilson Gymnasium during the NCAA Division II East Regional in March 2007 as the Bulldogs started their journey to the national championship. Times file photo

‘Small, special and family:’ Barton celebrates 90-year affiliation with Conference Carolinas

The 90th anniversary of the formation of Conference Carolinas is Dec. 6, 2020. This story was posted with permission of Conference Carolinas and appears on its website. As the …

Sports home

College Sports

It’s Maui in the mountains for the Tar Heels

Roy Williams is taking North Carolina on another trip to Maui, but the Tar Heels are riding a bus to Asheville in western North Carolina’s mountains rather than boarding a plane for paradise in …

No. 1 Alabama leads locked-in top 8 for 4th week

Wolfpack sharp, cohesive in 2-0 start

Scrappy Wolfpack hangs on to beat unheralded Orange

San Francisco stuns No. 4 Virginia 61-60 in Bubbleville

School Sports

Lake Wilson 12U seizes Downeast Fall League title

Sweeping each match in its final two outings, the Lake Wilson Tennis Club 12U Beavers concluded its Downeast Fall League Junior Team Tennis season with a championship by throttling their final two …

‘Bow therapy’ can be needed stress reliever at times

McGuire, Sutton cop WSCC women’s titles

No harm, no foul

Lake Wilson 12U, 18U Green both improve to 5-1

EDITORIALS

Free, independent press is a uniquely American concept

Religion, speech, press, assembly, petition. If you can recite that list from memory, you’re ahead of 96% of American adults, according to the Freedom Forum Institute’s 2019 State of …

Our Opinion: Stealing signs squelches voters' political speech

Our Opinion: Cooper-Suggs, Rankin share their Raleigh road maps

Our Opinion: King's dream should convict, challenge and unite us

Our Opinion: Wilson benefits from frank talk on race relations

Our Opinion: Crime coverage doesn't require mug shot gallery

Our Opinion: Political clothing offers no excuse to mistreat guests

Our Opinion: Wilson can relax mural, sign rules to boost business

Our Opinion: Farmer-Butterfield gave Wilsonians a voice in government

Our Opinion: Founding principles still inspire America

Our Opinion: Mask mandate drafts cashiers, clerks as Cooper's cops

Our Opinion: Lunch shaming finally off the menu for Wilson County Schools

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR