Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 (NRSV) In July 2012, my wife Joyce died suddenly within 48 hours after shepherding me back home to Oklahoma after emergency surgery in Florida to save my leg. I was bereft. Not only was Joyce my best friend, my wife of 35 years, and the mother of […]
2020-05-16
Weathercast: Warm, sunny weekend, then predictions get hazy
The weekend weather in The Wilson Times’ area promises to be warm, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, and sunny. By late Sunday through Wednesday, the reliability of any promise is suspect. A stationary front setting up across central Virginia on Sunday should stay north of eastern North Carolina. A strong coastal low that is likely to […]
Wilson County leaders urge precautions to keep COVID-19 in decline
Wilson County reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Friday.
While there was an uptick, Wilson is still on track to have fewer new cases this week than it’s had in a weeklong span since …
Public comments sought Monday on Wilson County Sheriff’s Office accreditation
Organizers have added a second telephone number for residents to call during Monday’s public comment session as a part of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office accreditation process. A site-based assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies was scheduled to visit in March to examine all aspects of the office’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support […]
North Carolina to expand COVID-19 patient testing
RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina health officials greatly expanded the scope of COVID-19 testing in the state Friday, encouraging doctors to order tests for higher-risk individuals even when they show no symptoms. The new protocol from the public health leaders comes as North Carolina has shown a significant jump in completed tests in recent weeks thanks to more laboratory capacity […]
Burr won’t recover from stock scandal
OPINIONIt’s equally true in politics and firefighting: The smoke can kill you quicker than the flames.
Whether or not Sen. Richard Burr faces insider trading charges, and whether or not he’s …
The few, the proud, the plumbers: Skilled trades generation gap needs sealing
COMMENTARYA few months ago, we had some trouble here at the house and had to call a plumber.
Well, as renters, we actually called the emergency maintenance number and the tired woman at the other end …
Cooper losing control of stay-at-home order
OPINIONWith sheriffs and district attorneys openly defying enforcement of state stay-at-home orders, the governor is quickly losing control of his statewide public health order. The #ReopenNC effort has clearly undermined public adherence to the stay healthy at home policy. The governor and his team may not realize it, but the economy is opening up regardless of what federal, state and […]
Roy Cooper is getting it right
OPINIONGov. Roy Cooper is showing us the difference between competent government and the mess in Washington. While Republicans complain that he’s reopening the state too slowly, the governor still has the support of the vast majority of North Carolinians. Polls show people are more concerned about their safety than their financial situations. While that attitude will certainly change, Cooper is […]
Christians called to sacrifice, not insist on church customs
LETTER TO THE EDITORRe: “Cooper’s church occupancy limits unconstitutional,” Times editorial, Friday: I’m not sure what is more foolish. The religious protest on the state capitol or The Wilson Times’ editorial questioning the constitutionality of Roy Cooper’s executive order on churches. In both cases, the argument seems to be that Christians are treated unfairly. It is an argument I hear from 2-year-olds. Few […]
Pandemic brings changes, but no ‘new normal’
LETTER TO THE EDITORAs we navigate COVID-19, we keep hearing a term used in recent years — “the new normal.” I spent many years in the U.S. Navy and often heard the “old-timers” complain about how the Navy had changed for the worse. In my years of service, I recognized that change was constant, and it was never as bad as some would […]
Reopening North Carolina in phases
LETTER TO THE EDITORMasks, social distancing and no handshakes is the immediate new normal. We are gradually reopening North Carolina’s economy by entering Phase 1 of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan. Phase 1 consists of modification of the stay-at-home order to allow people to leave home for commercial activity and to allow many businesses to open with limited occupancy. Phase 2 will last two […]
Fike’s Ricks-Daniels seize regional title
TODAY IN TIMES SPORTS HISTORYThe top-seeded Fike High senior tandem of Geoff Ricks-Jason Daniels emerged as doubles champion in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s boys tennis 3-A East Regional with a three-set thriller over No. 2 Tyler Harrell-Russell Holloman of SouthWest Edgecombe. An ace off Ricks’ racket set up the final point in the Golden Demons duo’s 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory on […]
Me, MJ and dark-thirty golf
After watching ESPN’s “The Last Dance” about the Chicago Bulls the last four Sundays, I looked up this column I wrote years ago and it has taken on a different meaning in a lot of ways. Thirty …
Wilson Girl Scouts among top cookie sellers
Rebecca Brown of Walstonburg is the Wilson top seller for the 2020 Girl Scout Cookie Program, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines announced last week. Brown sold 1,202 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the annual cookie program that ended in March. Chloe Walls of Wilson placed second with 1,092 boxes sold and Zoe Boyce of Lucama placed third […]
Interested in a career working with children?
WCC CORNERDid you know that you can earn an associate degree in early childhood education or school-age education at Wilson Community College completely online and in just two short years? If your dream is to work with kids during the most critical years of their lives and to prepare them for a world of learning, then these programs might be perfect […]
