2022-08-16

Fire officials: Arson suspected in 2 Friday fires

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Investigators say early morning fires Friday at two vacant houses were intentional. Wilson police are working with Wilson Fire/Rescue Services to determine how the fires started at 804 Vance St. E. and at 810 Green St. E. According to reports filed by James P. Campbell, deputy fire chief of Wilson Fire/Rescue Services, no firefighters or civilians were injured in either […]

Demons hold off Ladybirds for opening triumph

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A less than typical third-set outcome propelled the Fike High varsity volleyball team to a 25-14, 19-25, 26-24, 25-21 season-opening conquest of neighboring Southern Nash in a nonconference clash of 3-A rivals Tuesday evening in the Fike gym. The teams split the first two sets and the Golden Demons of the 3-A Quad County conference bolted to a 13-6 third-set […]

Demons, Knights draw 4-4 in opener

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The Fike and Northern Nash High boys soccer teams made the start of their 2022 fall seasons worth the wait in a back-and-forth shootout of a game that ended in a 4-4 tie in Wilson on Tuesday night.  There were offensive fireworks galore, as the 3-A Knights of the 2-A/3-A Big East Conference jumped out to a 2-0 lead in […]

WYSA’s Summer Explosion Cup still popping

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The Summer Explosion Cup has been a popular event since its inception a decade ago and Wilson Youth Soccer Association’s annual kickoff tournament continues to be a big draw in eastern North Carolina and beyond. The Summer Explosion Cup, which had 66 teams in its inaugural event in 2012, will pull in 59 teams, including 11 from WYSA, for the […]

Warriors tasked with reloading quickly

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With only eight players, including a mere three starters, returning from last season’s Hunt High varsity football team that seized the inaugural 3-A Quad County Conference championship, third-year head coach Juan Jackson could hardly be blamed for downplaying 2022 expectations for his 45-member squad. Let’s see. “WIN! Our expectations are to compete and to win,” Jackson, a star running back […]

AREA ROUNDUP: Lady Chargers open title defense with sweep

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Wilson Christian opened its volleyball season as the defending North Carolina Christian School Association 2-A champion for the first time in nine years as the Lady Chargers swept visiting Gospel Light Christian of Walkertown on Tuesday. Wilson Christian, which won its 11th NCCSA title last October but first since 2012, was led at the net in the 25-18, 25-14, 25-22 […]

Area Calendar, Aug. 17-18, 2022

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Wednesday, August 17 High School Varsity Boys Soccer Manteo at Greene Central, 4:30 p.m.; North Johnston at Hunt, 6 p.m.; Southern Nash at Greenville Rose, 6 p.m.; C.B. Aycock at South Central, 6 p.m. High School Varsity Volleyball Ayden-Grifton at Fike, 4 p.m.; Smithfield-Selma at North Johnston, 4 p.m.; Princeton at C.B. Aycock, 5 p.m.; Lawrence Academy at Greenfield, 5:45 […]

Little League World Series is back with 4 more teams

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The Little League World Series is back to its old self, and more. After no tournament in 2020 and no international clubs in 2021, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth baseball tournament has expanded to 20 teams from around the world that will play ball in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, starting Wednesday. This year’s series marks the 75th anniversary […]

AP Top 25 Reality Check: Pouring caution on that optimism

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Low expectations rarely disappoint. That’s not to say your favorite team will fail to live up to the promise that comes with landing a spot in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll presented by Regions Bank that was released Monday. But numbers suggest it is best to sprinkle a healthy amount of caution on that optimism as […]

NFL looks like old self entering 3rd season in COVID-19 era

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Derrick Henry has been seen jogging on the field with his daughter after practice. Green Bay Packers are once again borrowing kids’ bicycles for rides to practice. Fans are rubbing elbows with their favorite players to get those coveted autographs. Yes, the NFL is looking and acting like it’s essentially back to normal going into its third […]

Panthers, Pats aiming to improve offenses at joint practices

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass.  — The Patriots and Panthers opened two days of joint practices Tuesday both hoping to see progress on the offensive side of the ball. Carolina is trying to sort out its situation at quarterback after bringing in Baker Mayfield to compete alongside Sam Darnold. New England is still working through tweaks it’s made since former offensive coordinator Josh […]

Our Opinion: Follow move-over law to save lives, prevent tragedies

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THUMBS DOWN to the preventable tragedies, close calls and near-misses that result from inattentive drivers failing to heed North Carolina’s move-over law, which requires motorists to change lanes when approaching stopped emergency vehicles with their lights activated. The N.C. Department of Transportation called attention to the dangers highway scofflaws pose to transportation workers and state troopers in a Thursday news […]

Wanted: Teachers for the classroom

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If you stepped inside A.J. Gunter’s classroom, you’d never know he’s a first-year teacher. His passion for students and teaching is evident. Gunter is a ball of energy, too. He makes learning fun. “I knew in my heart this is what I wanted to do,” Gunter said. “It was my calling.”  Gunter, an earth science teacher at the Wilson Academy […]

Biz Bits: Vanity Boutique adds formalwear selection

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Just in time for school to start, and the fall formals and eventual prom that come with it, Vanity Boutique has added formal wear to its continuously growing selection. Boutique owner Bris Hagen said the decision to add formalwear was a yearlong process that started with people simply asking about its availability. “If someone asked me if I have something […]

Hospital submits ‘solid plan of correction’ addressing deficiencies

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While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officially removed Wilson Medical Center’s immediate jeopardy status, the process isn’t over just yet.  Surveyors conducted a July follow-up visit to determine if the hospital was following its plan of correction for Medicare rule violations and deficiencies noted in a May inspection. During that North Carolina Survey Agency visit, inspectors determined that […]

Deputy, fiancee adopt three-legged dog

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Deputy Jesse Asbury didn’t plan to adopt Murphy when he brought the three-legged dog home to recover from a front-leg amputation. But once his fiancee Lindsey Stever got a look at Murphy, the pup’s forever home was never in question.  “Very loving. He’s a puppy, so he’s teething. He’s trying to get his mouth on everything,” Asbury said as Murphy […]

Troopers seek driver in fatal hit-and-run

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SIMS — State troopers say a driver struck and killed a North Carolina Department of Transportation employee in a Friday hit-and-run on U.S. 264 Alternate.  Authorities identified the victim as 60-year-old Anna Bradshaw, who worked in the NCDOT’s Wilson County maintenance office. She was hit while holding a sign with two-way “stop” and “slow” messages to direct traffic around a […]