Thu., August 6, 2020 |

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WILSON’S LOCAL PRINT AND DIGITAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTION SINCE 1896

Lucama admits 'honest errors' on residents' electric bills

LUCAMA — The town’s mayor pro-tem says mistakes on residents’ electric bills were “honest errors” that weren’t intended to affect any particular group of …

Barton College

Eddie Hopkins was on the job for 61 years

Eddie Hopkins’ affable smile, his good-natured personality and that happy-to-see-you wave of his arm across campus have endeared him to countless Barton College employees and students for the …

Volunteers Jenna Wagoner, left, and sister Alyssa Wagoner help Luncheon Lions Zelle Phelps and Freddy Massimi, right, during the seventh annual Tobs' Home Run for Hunger Celebration at Fleming Stadium in June 2019.

Help Tobs load the bases with food donations: Collection scheduled Sunday at Fleming Stadium

Despite having to end the baseball season early due to COVID-19, the Wilson Tobs are still gathering food for the annual Home Run for Hunger campaign. On Sunday, the Tobs will host a …

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.

Cooper orders 5 more weeks of 'Phase 2' virus restrictions

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that North Carolina will remain in Phase 2 to slow the spread of COVID-19 for an additional five weeks. Cooper said this effort is in place as students …

Collin Blalock of Collin's Produce steps over sunflowers toppled in Hurricane Isaias' wind gusts Tuesday morning. Paths have been cleared and the sunflower maze is open.

Maze reopens after storm flattens sunflowers

High winds on Hurricane Isaias’ backside early Tuesday damaged the sunflowers at Collin’s Produce, but the maze reopened this week and is ready for visitors. “I woke up about 7 this …

Shanna Moore, a resident at Whirligig Station, looks at flooded portions of her apartment on the ground floor at the development on Tuesday morning. Drew C. Wilson | TImes

Isaias floods downtown Wilson's Whirligig Station apartments

It was love at first sight when Shanna Moore saw the historic beams of the tobacco warehouse turned into urban apartments in downtown Wilson. She quickly signed a lease and moved into Whirligig …

Wilson Energy worker Clay Vick cuts a limb off of a power line Tuesday morning on Albert Avenue.

Isaias left Wilson largely unscathed

Wilson escaped major damage from Hurricane Isaias as it swept through the state late Monday and early Tuesday, leaving several inches of rain in its wake. Peak wind gusts reached 43 mph at …

Wilson's Truist employees will transition from the BB&T towers to the bank's new 95,000 square-foot building at the corner of Broad and Pine streets this week.

Workers transfer from BB&T towers

While many Truist employees continue to work from home, the bank’s transition from the BB&T towers to a new downtown Wilson office is underway. “We have begun moving into the new building, …

Christy Boykin, radiologic technologist, checks Mark Holyoak's temperature at Wilson Medical Center last week. Like other employees, Holoyoak, hospital CEO, gets a health screening when he arrives at work every day.

Wilson Medical Center adapts to COVID-19 pandemic: Community’s cooperation can help stop the spread

They’ve lined the hallways and celebrated when recovered COVID-19 patients were wheeled out of the hospital to go back home. They’ve mourned at the bedside of patients who have died from the …

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Chatting With Chip

Welcome to the inaugural edition of "Chatting With Chip," a weekly video interview with Barton College football head coach Chip Hester, who will lead the Bulldogs into their first football season …

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LOCAL HEADLINES

Williams, Fyle named Wilson Community College trustees

2 students receive Greenfield's Beaman scholarship

Coronavirus’ effects could stretch far beyond 2020

Buckets of light give elements of surprise, hope, comfort

Man unhurt when car overturns

North Carolina surpasses 2,000 COVID-19 deaths; Wilson County adds 11 cases

Weathercast: Warm days and scattered storms ahead this week

Lucama residents protest electric bills

Nash County commissioners adopt modified gun rights resolution

Free coronavirus tests available in Bailey; Nash County's death toll reaches 13

Police relations improved in town where man went missing

County board's Sunday split means state will choose Nash early voting days

Community supports Landon Davis with birthday parade

New COVID-19 cases continue in Wilson County, but recoveries are increasing

Fat & Skinnys food truck gets creative

Nash County reports 13th coronavirus death

Pray for hope to fight pandemic fears

Free Weathercast: Isaias' eye may pass between Wilson and Greenville

Free High winds, flooding possible overnight

Free North Carolina officials caution residents about Isaias

Weathercast: Will Isaias washout follow hot weekend?

Changes brewing near Whirligig Park: Casita to replace 217 Brew Works

Sunflower maze blooms for Blalock

Pet of the week: Nxyee

Veterans Residential Services of Wilson requests food donations

The SPOT to open remote learning lab

College offers free customized training for industries

More local news

SPOTTED: Greater Wilson Rotary Park 2020

#ICYMI - IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Linda Cooper-Suggs waves at supporters Saturday after a Wilson County Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting to replace Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield. Members voted to recommend Cooper-Suggs to fill the remainder of Farmer-Butterfield's unexpired term and to face Republican Mick Rankin for the House District 24 seat in November.

Dems send Cooper-Suggs to General Assembly

From an initial pool of nine candidates, Linda Cooper-Suggs was selected Saturday to represent District 24 in the N.C. House and to face off against Republican Mick Rankin to retain the …

Shown is an envelope containing a 2020 census letter mailed to a U.S. resident last month.

Wanted: Census responses for 4 in 10 Wilsonians

There’s still time to get counted for the 2020 census. This week, the U.S. Census Bureau will send out postcards reminding households to fill out the 2020 census if they haven’t …

Wilson County joins a growing number of library systems going fine-free in response to American Library Association recommendations.

4,000 patrons pardoned as Wilson library system phases out fines

It’s official — the Wilson County Public Library system has gone fine-free. Library patrons will no longer be issued fines if they miss a due date for material returns, and all …

Wilson Mayor Carlton Stevens holds the Bible as Former N.C. Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield is sworn into office as a member of the North Carolina Employment Security Board of Review Friday by North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. Supporter Bill Myers is at right. Drew C. Wilson | Times

Officials applaud Farmer-Butterfield’s service: Longtime legislator joins state employment review board

Championed as a compassionate, caring professional by a parade of lawmakers, judges and fellow citizens, former state representative Jean Farmer-Butterfield raised her hand Friday and took the oath …

A sea of faces floods Goldsboro Street for the first day of the N.C. Whirligig Festival in 2019.

COVID-19 pandemic forces Wilson's NC Whirligig Festival to go virtual

The N.C. Whirligig Festival, which brings around 30,000 visitors to downtown Wilson each November, will not be held in person this year. Instead, the Nov. 7-8 event is going virtual, all because of …

SLICES OF LIFE

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: Warm days and scattered storms ahead this week

Tuesday may start out blustery and stormy as Isaias moves through the Wilson Times area, but by afternoon, there should be plenty of sunshine. With winds eventually settling at 10 mph or less and …

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Wilson Team Elite catcher Justin Holland awaits a throw that will not arrive in time as Wayne County Jets third baseman Logan Merritt (19) scores during the first inning of Wednesday's independent summer league game at Eastern Carolina Athletic Park. Wilson lost 14-4 in five innings.

Pair of costly innings ends Team Elite’s season, 14-4

GOLDSBORO — Quickly falling into the losers bracket of a double-elimination baseball tournament can send chills down the spine of … Read More

Wilson Team Elite right-hander Chad Bean worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed five hits to keep his team in the 2020 Independent Summer League tournament with a 7-4 win over the Kinston Battleships in the first game of two Tuesday at Eastern Carolina Athletic Park.

An arms race: Strong pitching performances keep Team Elite season alive

GOLDSBORO — Wilson Team Elite has spent a good portion of the 2020 independent summer league baseball season being dictated to on an … Read More

Members of the Wide Awake Riders pedal along Nash Street to bring attention to voter registration on Monday.

Riders saddle up for voter registration

Wilson’s Wide Awake Riders rode for registration Monday — voter registration, that is. “Our ancestors fought very hard to … Read More

Peninsula's Tommy Bell, right, slides in safely as the throw to Wilson Tobs catcher Brady Garrison is far too late in the ninth inning of Saturday's Coastal Plain League game in Fleming Stadium. Garrison homered in the third inning, but the Tobs saw their four-game winning streak ended with a 7-2 loss.

Bullpen falters as Tobs win streak ended by Pilots

Twelve Coastal Plain League games are now in the books for the Wilson Tobs, and the Peninsula Pilots team they encountered to open the … Read More

Jared Carr (6) greets Damon Dues at home plate after Carr slugged his CPL-leading eighth home run of the 2020 season Thursday night against the Martinsville Mustangs at Fleming Stadium. The Tobs won 6-0.

Tobs record 17 strikeouts, corral Mustangs 6-0

For the bulk of the 2020 season for the Wilson Tobs, the focus has been on a rampaging offense that has had little trouble threatening … Read More

RESTORATION NEWSMEDIA

THE ENTERPRISE

Nash County reports 11th coronavirus death as case count reaches 880

NASHVILLE — Public health officials have reported the 11th death associated with COVID-19 in Nash County. The patient, a man in his early 70s who also had other health problems, died on July …

Insurance company probing Bailey hog plant fire

Spring Hope board to weigh zoning change to allow new downtown auto shops

Bailey resident questions town board's ethics training

Virtual Academy available to all Nash students

JOHNSTONIAN NEWS

Confederate monuments spark conversation

BENTONVILLE — Monuments to the Confederacy and its soldiers are coming down across North Carolina. Frank Powell, a spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, thinks that’s wrong. …

Deputies should have body cameras, Johnston resident says

Board was insistent that K-5 students return

Selma storefronts collapse; no one hurt

Planet Fitness hopes to open by end of July

FUN STUFF

COLUMN

Homicides spiking in Carolina cities

RALEIGH — As if the COVID crisis and economic recession weren’t bad enough, here’s some more bad news to process: homicide rates are spiking in many North Carolina …

LIFE

Sweet potato muffins will remind you of fall

It’s amazing how a muffin can give you all the feelings of fall. I could smell the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves as my sweet potato muffins baked last week, and later I could taste the flavors I …

E-EDITION

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

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BEST OF

Through ups and downs, Team Elite finds its place

It was July 14, and Wilson Team Elite had just put forth what amounted to a lackluster performance — in both urgency and execution — in a 9-1 loss to the Garner Nationals at Rocky …

In this photo from the Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008, edition of The Wilson Daily Times, Amy Otteson shot a 67 to set a new girls record for the Larry Pittman Memorial/Wilson Junior Golf Association Championship.

Junior championship heating up

Amy Otteson set new tournament — and family — records as she shot a 5-under-par 67 in the second day of the 30th annual Larry Pittman Memorial/Wilson County Junior Golf …

Beddingfield High graduate Kelvin King keeps his eye on the speed bag during a training camp session. King, after a layoff in excess of 500 days, will be back in the ring Aug. 15 against Charleston Pou in Daytona Beach, Fla.

After 500-plus days, layoff finally nearing an end for Kelvin King

When Aug. 15 finally rolls around, it will be 539 long days since Beddingfield High graduate Kelvin King stepped foot inside a professional boxing ring. A temporary shift in …

In this photo from the Tuesday, Aug. 5, 1997, edition of The Wilson Daily Times, Kendrick Bunn of Wilson won the State Closed Girls Ages 16-U tennis championship at Chapel Hill Country Club.

Bunn leads local netters

Kendrick Bunn of Wilson won her third career state championship in tennis by taking the State Closed Girls 16-Under title at Chapel Hill Country Club. Bunn added the 16-U title to go …

In this photo from the Friday, Aug. 4, 1978, edition of The Wilson Daily Times, assistant coach Jimmy Tillman directs players during the first week of practice at Beddingfield, one of two new high schools in Wilson. Tillman had been head coach at Lucama High the previous two years.

Tillman’s goal is to become head coach but excited about duties at Beddingfield

After two years as head football coach at Lucama High, Jimmy Tillman eyed his new role as assistant football coach at brand new Beddingfield High as “real good …

Snyder Pearson plays in an 18U match for Lake Wilson Tennis Club during the recently completed USTA Junior Team Tennis Down East League season. After starting late, the league concluded without any major issues related to COVID-19.

Pandemic tennis: Local USTA league adapts, overcomes

While the COVID-19 pandemic has served to take a bite out of a number of sports across the area calendar since March, the built-in advantages of tennis enabled it to stand up better …

In this photo by Vernon Morton in the Friday, Aug. 3, 1951, edition of The Wilson Daily Times, UNC All-American Jimmy Thomas, left, clipped N.C. State’s Bob Mattson in a featured 150-meter medley race on the eve of the eighth annual Southern AAU Swimming Meet at Wilson Municipal Pool. Thomas won in 142.9 to set new AAU national and world records while Mattson also surpassed the previous mark.

Thomas sets national mark as AAU swimming meet begins

Jimmy Thomas, an All-America swimmer from the University of North Carolina, shattered the AAU and world record for the 150-meter individual medley at Wilson Municipal Pool as a prelude …

Pandemic baseball was fun while it lasted

A summer of baseball, created out of some of the most challenging circumstances, found life when the Wilson Tobs and Wilson Team Elite elected to give players an opportunity to play …

Sports home

College Sports

NCAA Division II cancels 2020 fall championships

There will be no pathway to a national championship for athletes representing NCAA Division II schools this fall. The Div. II Presidents Council announced late Wednesday afternoon that it would …

Barton turns to Woodhull-Smith to lead swimming programs

ACC schedule includes Notre Dame, 10 conference games

COVID and out: Tobs' season stops after players test positive

Wild things: Tobs sunk by 7 errors in extra-innings loss to Pilots

School Sports

James takes competitive drive from tennis court into accounting

Nick James can still rattle off the names of old high school tennis adversaries with the best of them. Chaz Fitzpatrick. Russell Turner. The list goes on. But it was a freshman year singles …

Lake Wilson 10U ties for Down East league title

Team Elite thumped in playoff opener

Funding national parks a bipartisan win for all

Lake Wilson tennis breaks even in Down East League play

EDITORIALS

Our Opinion: Political clothing offers no excuse to mistreat guests

Rachel Williams says a T-shirt got her thrown out of a Wilson doctor’s office. In the Charlotte suburb of Gastonia, Lydia Sturgues-Robinson said an ice cream parlor booted her over a …

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

Our Opinion: Police reform must start with transparency

Our Opinion: Open government guarantee belongs in NC Constitution

Our Opinion: What's Wilson's plan to prevent COVID-19 utility shutoffs?

Our Opinion: Cooper's church occupancy limits are unconstitutional

Our Opinion: Transparency, free speech win in NC Supreme Court battles

Our Opinion: Virus outbreak sites shouldn't be a state secret

Our Opinion: Cooper wise to avoid restricting #ReopenNC protests