A woman hired to clean the home of an 81 year-old man is accused of trying to clean out his checking account.

Cassandra Dawn Marshall, 34, of Avenue Road, Smithfield was arrested Monday by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office on 27 charges, including multiple counts of forgery.

The victim, who lives in the Brogden community, reported that 14 blank checks were stolen from him. Between April and October, Marshall allegedly forged and passed 12 of the checks.

Marshall was confined in the Johnston County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

Imagine being alone in your home when someone suddenly bursts through your front door. That happened to an elderly woman Monday afternoon in western Johnston County.

The 71 year-old victim said she heard someone banging on the front door of her home on Happy Trails Drive, then the intruder burst through the door, falling onto the floor.  The suspect began shouting at the woman that someone was shooting at him.

The elderly woman ran outside and summoned help from a neighbor.

Johnston County deputies arrived on the scene and with the help of a US Marshal surrounded the home. A short time later the suspect attempted to crawl out a window but retreated back inside when he saw officers. The suspect then began yelling out a window that he had been shot and couldn’t come out.

After a brief standoff the suspect eventually surrendered.

Christopher Devon Brown, 28, of Happy Trails Drive, Angier – a neighbor of the victim – was charged with burglary and damage to property. Deputies said Brown was not shot and no shots were fired while they were on the scene.  Brown was treated by EMS crews after complaining of having trouble breathing.

The elderly victim was also treated at the scene.

Brown was confined in the Johnston County Jail under a $25,000 bond.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday they are investigating the vandalism of a large Donald Trump sign. The sign was located at The Farm on Batten Road next to I-95 in Selma for the Donald Trump rally last Thursday night.

Someone used a knife to slash the bottom of the sign causing an estimated $600 in damage.

The sign is owned by Eric Neal of Neal Signs of Smithfield.

Authorities said they are following up on leads in the case.

This week, Johnston County Commissioners pledged $30,000 towards the proposed Selma Civic Center. With the pledge, a total of $75,000 has been raised or pledged for the project.

Ann Williams with the Civic Center Steering Committee made the announcement Tuesday night during an update on the project she gave to members of the Selma Town Council.

“We are very grateful for this funding and for the strong support that the Johnston County Commissioners have shown for the Selma civic center project,” Williams said. “In addition, we thank (Commissioner) Ted Godwin for his outstanding work on our behalf.”  The

An estimated $300,000 is needed to renovate the 80 year-old building located at 300 North Webb Street.

The building was purchased by the Town of Selma last December at a price of $60,000.

Fundraising efforts have been underway about 6 months. Williams anticipates more donations in the near future.  Once $100,000 has been raised by the group, First Citizens Banks has agreed to donate $30,000.

The steering committee also plans to seek several grants in early-2017. The grants range from $50,000 to $200,000.

Williams said since her last update to the town board in October, a surveyor has completed work at the site, a zoning permit application has been obtained from the Town of Selma.

A rare handgun valued at $250,000 was stolen during a break-in discovered this morning (Thursday).

Around 2:40am, a 49 year-old woman returned to her home on Highway 301 outside of Selma and discovered her residence had been forcibly entered and partially ransacked.  Johnston County deputies said a very large gun safe that would take several people to move had been completely removed from the home.

The gun safe contained a rare Flintlock Tower pistol reportedly valued by a museum at $250,000.   Six other pistols, a rifle, bayonet, computer and TV set were also stolen.

The total value of the missing property was estimated at $267,234.

Deputies said the residence was last known to have been secure around 9:30pm Wednesday night.  Authorities are following up on possible leads.

A Clayton mother was arrested Wednesday for negligent child abuse that has kept her 3-year-old son in the hospital for two weeks.

Aquilla Yvette Stewart, 40, of Herndon Court, faces one count of felony negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury. She is being held in the Johnston County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

The case dates back to October 24th when Stewart called 911 to report an unconscious person at her home in the Mitchiner Hills neighborhood. Stewart said her son had fallen the day before, and had appeared normal until she made the call. According to Clayton Police, the 3-year-old boy suffers from a medical condition that requires him to receive medical attention as soon as possible after an accident or injury.

The boy was taken to the WakeMed Children’s ER and later transferred to the Duke Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Since being admitted to Duke, the boy has undergone multiple surgeries to treat devastating brain and skull injuries.

On Nov. 2, the Clayton Police Department received an intake complaint from the Johnston County Department of Social Services in reference to the child.

On Wednesday, the Duke University Campus Police assisted Clayton Police in arresting Stewart, and Clayton detectives transported her to the Johnston County Jail.

FBI agents raided a Johnston County home Wednesday. WTSB News has learned FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at a home on Sanidine Lane, Clayton, which is off Buffalo Road near Archer Lodge.

Federal agents, assisted by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the raid as part of an investigation into child pornography.  WTSB News has learned that images of young children involved in sex acts were allegedly found on a computer inside the residence.

Jamie Brooks Franklin, 36, of Sanidine Lane, Clayton was arrested on 15 felony counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor. Bail has been set at $500,000.

The FBI is the lead agency in the investigation.  Additional charges are expected.

KS Bancorp, Inc., parent company of KS Bank, Inc. announced unaudited net income of $537,000, or $.41 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2016, compared to a net income of $350,000, or $.26 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2015.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, net income totaled $1.5 million, a $500,000 increase, or 50% from $999,000 for the same period ended September 30, 2015. Net income per common share increased from $.76 at September 30, 2015 to $1.14 at September 30, 2016. Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $2.8 million, compared to $2.6 million for the same period in 2015. Non-interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $689,000, compared to $538,000 for the same period ended September 30, 2015. The increase in noninterest income is primarily the result of income from the Trust Services Division, which was added in July, 2015. There was a slight increase in noninterest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2016. Noninterest expense was $2.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, as compared to $2.6 million for the same period ended September 30, 2015.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, net interest income was $8.4 million compared to $7.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Noninterest income increase 39% or $575,000 from $1.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 to $2.0 million for the same period ended September 30, 2016. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, noninterest expense was $8.1 million, as compared to $7.8 million for the same period ended September 30, 2015.

The Company’s unaudited consolidated total assets increased $14.9 million to $352.3 million at September 30, 2016, compared to $337.4 million at December 31, 2015. Net loan balances increased $11.6 million with a balance of $259.2 million at September 30, 2016, compared to $247.6 million at December 31, 2015. The Company’s investment securities totaled $66.5 million at September 30, 2016, compared to $67.6 million at September 30, 2015 which reflects a $1.1 million decrease. Total deposits have increased 7.7% or $19.8 million to $277.3 million at September 30, 2016, compared to $257.5 million at December 31, 2015. Total stockholders’ equity increased $2.1 million from $22.9 million at December 31, 2015 to $25.0 million at September 30, 2016.

Nonperforming assets, which includes nonaccrual loans and other real estate owned (OREO), represent less than 1.0 % of the total assets. The nonperforming assets consist of $301,000 in OREO and $2.1 million in nonaccrual loans. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, $5,000 was expensed to the provision for loan losses. During the third quarter 2016, there were loan recoveries totaling $135,000, which effectively increased the allowance for loan losses as a result of repayments of loans which were charged off in prior years. The allowance for loan losses at September 30, 2016 totaled $3.7 million, or 1.40% of all outstanding loans.

KS Bank continues to be well-capitalized according to regulatory standards with total risk based capital of 14.20%, tier 1 risk- based capital of 12.95%, common equity tier 1 risked based capital of 12.95%, and a tier 1 leverage ratio of 9.62% at September 30, 2016. The minimum levels to be considered well capitalized for each of these ratios are 10.0%, 8.0%, 6.5%, and 5.0%, respectively.

Commenting on the third quarter results, Harold T. Keen, President/CEO stated, “We are very pleased with the third quarter and year-to-date results. The increased profitability and steady growth shown over the past several quarters are indicative of both the bank and the communities served.”

KS Bancorp, Inc. is a Smithfield, North Carolina-based single bank holding company. KS Bank, Inc., a state-chartered savings bank, is KS Bancorp’s sole subsidiary. The Bank is a full service community bank serving the citizens of eastern North Carolina since 1924. The Bank offers a broad range of personal and business banking products and services, mortgage products and wealth management advisory services. There are nine full service branches located in Kenly, Selma, Clayton, Garner, Goldsboro, Wilson, Wendell, Smithfield, and Four Oaks, North Carolina plus a mortgage servicing location in Greenville, NC. In addition, KS Wealth Management has an office in Asheboro, NC and maintains a presence in Waynesville and Wilmington, NC.

Principal’s List

Grade 9 – Morgan Adams, Margarita Anayiotou, Haleigh Archambault, Kelsey Arnold, Kaitlyn Artero, Madeline Atchison, Madelaine Bailey, Alyce Barrett, Alyssa Batten, Luke Batten, Shelby Blair, Thomas Bland, Melina Bosick, David Brees, Madison Buck, Kaylee Bull, Emerson Bullock, Dawson Campbell, Nathan Campbell, Wyatt Carlyle, Lucien Aurelio Carreiro, Megan Carroll, Nicholas Carroll, Paola Castaneda Vega, Eric Catalano, Jordan Clark, Alyssa Coley, Lucas Crickmore, Angela Cruz Perez, Ty Cummings, James Daniels, Ciara Darden, Kenzi Davey, Andria Davis, Teagan Dewey, Alexandra Dolinshek, Emily Dumonceaux, David Edge, Megan Elliott, Thomas Elliott, Jaylyn Ellis, Megan Ellis, Kenli Esau, Marvin Espinosa Moreno, Colby Ferrell, Marissa Fisher, Isabel Fricke, Gavin Gearheart, Tessa Gladwell, Nina Gordon, Sara Granger, Gabrielle Grant, Stephen Harrington, Makenzie Holzer, Olivia Horne, Reagan Hunt, Gavin Johannes, Cooper Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Colin Jones, Jeffrey Jones, Raven Jones, Lily Joyner, Anuhea Kane, Matthew Kelley, Alexandra Kennedy, Hunter Kreske, Savannah Kreske, Lauren Kuhn, Mackenzie Lee, Eli Leeworthy, Jenna Leidecker, Gillian Lekander, Lorelei Lewis, Tan Xun Lin, Lizbeth Lopez, Dayne Makowski, Miranda Marks, Ian Matthies, Turner McLamb, Thomas Moeller, Joshua Monsees, Taylor Moseley, Isabel Murcia, Victoria Olmo, Jesse Orlofske, Jeffrey Palmer Jr, Meghan Partrick, Michael Partrick, McKenzie Poland, Dalton Poole, Abbey Recser, Kerry Richard, Ashley Rodriguez, Kyler Roller, Abigail Sadler, Emma Sadler, Ryan Schappert, Ashley Shabo, Jennifer Sieredzki, Sydney Slater, Tanner Smith, Savannah Smoak, Justin Stephens, Zachary Stephenson, Caroline Stokes, Lauryn Swanner, Ryan Sylvia, Haleigh Thompson, Ninoska Torrico, Nicholas Tyler, Catherine VanSchaick, Iain Vaughan, Bryce Whitley, Austin Whitt, Kaci Williford, Kailah Winstead, Lauryn Woodard, Emily Worth, Luke York, and Tyler Young.

Grade 10 –Alyssa Alford, Brianna Allen, Ian Baranyk, Erin Barefoot, Zachary Bauer, Rylee Bays, Hunter Beach, Sydney Beck, Annelyse Belyea, Matthew Benca, Garrett Bennett, Megan Blackley, Abigail Blair, Callie Blandford, Joshua Boyd, Tristan Bussemas, Caleb Canterbury, Taylor Capps, Kristian Chandler, Landen Chavez, Hunter Clark, Steven Clark, Nicholas Consiglio,Isaac Cook, Sammi Coon, Dillon Cough, Ashley Culbertson, Gavin Cunningham, Dylan Cutler, Isaac Dailey, Brooke Davis, Daniel Deblaker, Anthony DeFlorio, Aimee Dollar, Tyler Dudash,Isabella Duncan, Nicole Eason, Tyler Ellis, Nicole Ethridge, Noah Evenson, Everette Faircloth, Allisyn Farkas, Sarah Freeman, Grayson Gall, James Gallons, Melissa Gathman, Sierra Gaudet,Mariam Giurgis, Grace Guillou, Benjamin Gusta, Zachary Hall, Emma Hardy, Ainsley Hargis, Jacob Hartman, Taylor Hathaway, Gracie Heppert, Malin Heppert, Olivia Hime, Andrew Holtzclaw,Olivia Jarvis, Alyssa Jennens Cheong, Kylee Johnson, Mikayla Johnston, Acacia Jones, Noah Jones, Noah Justice, Benjamin Keaton, Tucker Kontir Wyatt Kontir, Haley Lambert, Trevor Leach, Matthew Lee, Matthew Lewis Tan Yao Lin, Lindsey Mancini, Madison Martinez, Dylan Mason, Kara Matthews, Austin McAllister, Mya McDowell, Donald McGriff, Samuel Meierer, Yuniva Mendoza Apodaca, Andrew Messick, Daisy Miller, Thomas Montalvo, Abagayle Morgan, Jake Mueller, Addison Muller, Madison Padgett, Gavin Pearce, Joseph Lee Perry, Isabella Pettit, Sara Pinkowski, Madison Price, Sarah Putney, Victoria Resendiz Hernandez, Logan Richard, Eliza Ritchie, Virginia Ritchie, William Rowe, Emily Royal, Kaelin Sanderford, Caroline Sanders, Eli Seward, Justin Shirley, Robert Slemmer, Mark Smith, Makenzie Steidl, Daniel Stillman, Rachel Strickland, Tyler Stufano, Valerie Swart, Leah Thibaudeau, Mikayla Thompson, Logan Tippett, Angelica Valdivia, Audrey Vaughan, Brianna Vonderhaar, Helen Vonderhaar, William Vonderhaar, Tyler Wells, Brenden Whelan, Peyton Whitaker, Trinity Wilder, Ashley Williams, Matthew Williamson, and Caroline Windley.

Grade 11 – Hailey Allen, Emily Alvarado Quitto, Kayla Alznauer, Emmanuel Amerson, Ian Apsey, Reagan Bagwell, Olivia Bargoil, Paisley Barrett, Afton Benner, Alex Bernard, Stella Blackwell,Alexandra Blanco, Haley Bloom, Hannah Bober, Cristin Boswell, Erica Boswell, Seamus Brennan, Liam Brown, Shelby Calloway, Sandra Carrillo, Brandon Coates, Jose Colon Rivera, William Coughlin, Amanda Craig, James Darden, Jacob Dean, Braedon DeFalco, Connor Doering, Philip Douglas, Kayla Driver, Sara Earp, Christian Edwards, Brianna Everett, Erik Fain, Grace Farmer, Jenna Felts, Samantha Fetchko, Rose Marie Fitzpatrick, Cameron Fletcher, Alexander Freeman, Emily Freeman, Gabriel Galicia-Balderas, Elizabeth Gathman, Nia Gilmore, Sydney Gladwell, Ashlynn Goff, Adriana Guerra, Yelines Gutierrez Mercado, Dylan Haynes, Shanan Hester, Hannah Hill, Emma Holland, Eberenna Igba, Alexandra Jackson, Elizabeth Jarman, Troy Jensen, Eric Johns, Zachary Kas, Jackson Kline, Ronald Langley, Carly Larson, Mason LeBlanc, Jared Leidecker, Jacob Linker, Brendan Little, Emily Loos, Christian Lower, Travis Martin, Summer Maxwell, Amber McFerren, Steven Melton, Tessa Musgrave, Joseph Norris, Devin Noyes, Claudia Parker, Arden Parrish, Ryan Partrick, Hannah Paul, Jacqueline Pavel, Corbin Pearce, Grace Pittman, Taylor Poland, Lauren Propps, Hope Rawls, Justin Recser, Hannah Richardson, Kendall Richardson, Hannah Ring, Tristan Ruksznis, Nicholas Ryan, Carson Sakowski, Shelby Sampson, Tyler Sealey, Hailee Seifried, Ashleigh Smith, Nia Smith, Peyton Smith, William Snow, Ryan Stein, Ryan Strickland, Victoria Stubblefield, Dustin Styons, Cameron Summers, Garrett Sutton, Maya Swasey, Kelly Telfer, Eric Tellefsen, Kinsey Tetterton, Enrique Torres-Cruz, Peyton Tyler, Linda Ung, Trey Utrup, Francis VanSchaick, Larry Williams, and Jessica Wooding.

Grade 12 – Haley Adams, Gabriela Alfaro Orellana, Katharine Altman, Elizabeth Arbutina, Adam Ardis, Audrey Arnn, Kaitlin Bailey, April Baker, Amber Barbour, Meghan Barefoot,  Che-Val Batts, Jared Beshgetoorian, William Brantley, William Byrd, Caroline Campbell, Hannah Canipe, Lily Carroll, Karla Castro Urquieta, Andrew Catron, Bailey Cayco, Ean Chase, Paola Cira, Mason Cooper, Eric Courtney, Hunter Creech, Brianna Cutler, Melanie D’Angelo, Sierra Dalton, Jasmin Diaz, Myles Dow, Robert Dudash, Hunter Dupree, Joseph Dupree, Hunter Ellis, Antonio Foote,Cecilia Fricke, Samantha Gall, Samara Gibson, Diana Gomez Diaz, Erick Granados-Orozco, Emilie Guillou, Rachel Hedges, Alfa Hernandez, Andre Hichue, Logan Hickey, Nolan Hines, Luke Hinton, Kaitlyn Hogg, Abigail Hunt, Randall Isenhour, Henry Jackson, Jordan Jarman, Joshua Jarman, Zachary Johns, Loren Johnson, Madison Kapke, Michaela Kelley, Heather Kirby, Alexandra Knight, Emma Kontir, Rachel Koufas, Peyton LaBonte, Madison Langley, Elizabeth Lavery, Madeleine Ledenyi, Phoenix Little, Harper Lock, Connor Lovette, Brooklyn Madison, Peyton Mase,Brianna Matthies, Jared McCarver, Mark McCormick, Christina McCutchin, Ryan McDaniel, Madison McDonald, Abby McDowall, Macy Meyer, Summer Mitchell, Hanna Mizell, Sarah Muller,Johnavan Neal, Jacob Nelson, Haylee Nicol, Ethan Orozco, Bryan Pannell, Rachel Parrish, Gabriel Patton, Carolina Petersen, Savannah Phillips, Marcy Price, William Proctor, Jessica Pulley,Emily Ray, Glenn Reardon, Tyrell Robertson, Alexandra Rodier, Kyle Ryan, Victoria Schirtzinger, Kaitlyn Simon, Bailey Smith, Natalie Smith, Jessica Stelzner, Rachael Stevens, Coleton Stewart,Alexis Strickland, Emma Swarts, Paris Tant, Siana Thomas, Jessica Thomson, Claire Tilton, Frank Tincher, Melanie Tola, Jamie Turner, Anna Wagner, Malcolm Watson, Victoria Watson, Autumn Wright, Sloane Yates, Maria Young, and Keeley Ziermann.

Honor Roll

Grade 9 – Deonna Adams, Kacie Alford, Edgar Alvarez Orozco, Olivia Arteaga, Nicholas Atkinson, Hannah Barrett, Serena Bass, William Benson, Kamryn Blakely, Angelina Blanco, Marcus Bland, Nicholas Bland, Devon Bott, Payton Bouren, Eden Brackman, Mollie Brantley, Demily Broschinski, Anna Brown, Aidan Budziszewski, Caroline Byrd, Madison Callihan, Andrew Campbell,Lauren Capps, Matthew Carmichael, Kristina Carson, Alexis Carter, Logan Casey, Chloe Caton, Anthony Cavallaro, Jordan Cavanaugh, Mackenzie Cayco, Connor Cline, Francisco Cruz Olguin,Britney DeCathelineau, Jordan DeLoatch, Legacy Dent, Joshua DePoy, Sydney DiCarlo, James Dove, William Doyle, Gianna Dubrin, Kaitlin Duke, Cal Eichelberger, Lauren English, Alex Espino,Emma Faulkner, Brooklyn Ferguson, Eduardo Feria Guerra, Charles File IV, Connor Gay,, Jonathan Gaydos, Hunter Ginsburg, Savanah Goad Cortes, Amber Godwin, America Gonzalez, Grace Graham, Bennett Gravely, Morgan Griffith, Eva Guerra, Reyan Gutierrez, Logan Hahn, Gabriel Hall, Daisy Hare, Trent Harris, Caleb Jarman, Thomesha Johnson, Riley Kaple, Zachary Keene,Luke Kikendall, Santino Lauriello, Katherine Lewis, Lofton Lewis, Trent Maness, Katelyn Matter, Joshua McCune, Lauren McCurdy, Amber McNally, Mitchell Medlin, Leonel Mendez Lopez,Cooper Mickey, Hailey Miller, Skylor Moseley, Tyler Moss, Mallory Musgrave, Lucinda Wynn Nolet, Owen Palmer, Dylan Paonessa, Chance Parrish, Logan Patera, Christian Peru, Andrew Phillips, Summer Phommachieng, Madison Poland, Jenna Poole, Lauren Price, Elaina Prida, Parker Proctor, Chloe Renfer, Mateo Restrepo, Ethan Rodriguez, Katherine Rodriguez Trinidad,Hanna Rogowski, Quincy Sandaire, Anthony Saunders, Abby Sealey, Sierra Shepherd, Gregory Smith, Makayla Smith, Jackson Snelling, Heather Soles, Connor Stickley, Chloe Strickland, Keri Strickland, Gabrielle Sweeney, Abigail Tessier, Cooper Tharp, Samuel Thorpe, Lillian Totherow, Sierra Tyler, Eric Vanderhoff, Tiffany Vann, Allyson Veilleux, Alyssa Walawender, and Caitlyn Wood.

Grade 10 –Zachary Adams, Jamaria Alston, Melannie Alvarez Ortiz, Shelby Anderson, Zachary Armstrong, Cassidy Avila, Jessica Aycock, Caitlyn Bagwell, Jermaine Best, Anna Bissette, Ryan Bodnarik, Evan Boswell, Nathaniel Breen, Abigael Brees, Benjamin Burchfield, Andrew Burton, Kevona Buzzar, Liliana Camacho Davis, Leesa Carpenter, Madison Carte, Justin Cooper, Grant Cartledge, David Cockrell, Mark Crosio, Peyton Dewey, Tyler Dillard, Mackenzie Dunn, Anikah Edwards, Abihail Encarnacion Colon, Cesar Escobar Pulquero, Manuel Espinosa Contreras,Nicholas Fauci, Michael Fields, Joseph Galarneau, Karla Garcia, Parker Garrett, Madeline Gerrell, Tierra Gibson, Rylie Gill, Brayden Harris, Morgan Heminuk, Katelyn Hocutt, Ashlyn Hogg,Lauren Holbrook, Shannon Homick, Ian Horne, Kay Htoo, Adam Ingram, Evan Inkrott, Grace Inkrott, Jordan Jarvis, Timothy Jaspers, Caleb Jenkins, Abigail Jones, Austin Jones, Dylan Jones,Jordan Kale, Scott Kenefick, John Knickerbocker, Savannah Lee, Mackenzie Liles, La’Maya Lomax, Caleb Luce, Jasmyn Madrid, Alyssa Medeiros, Avery Meierer, Luke Miedema, Gabrielle Miller,Anthony Moretti, Lindy Morgan, Marshall Morgan, Leslie Neal, Jennifer Nwankwo, Roberto Olvera, Dakota Otto, Kyle Painter, Gregory Parrish, Thania Perdomo, Justin Perry, Jake Petroski, Noah Poole, Jack Read, Marcos Retama Ruiz, Austin Roberts, Race Roberts, Miguel Rubio Villagran, William Russell, Jesus Sanchez Romero, Sydney Schneider, Hannah Scott, Myasia Sessoms,Erin Shanno, Preston Slater, Jerdan Smith, Justin Spencer, Sarah Strickland, Avery Sullivan, Grace Talley, Stephen Thompson, Tanner Thomsen, Emely Vences, Mark Wagner, Blake Wall, Humphrey Wangari, Latya Watson, Quiana Webb, Geoffrey Wiggins, Joel Williamson, Kathryn Wood, Stacy Wood, Tyler Wooten, and Vaden Young.

Grade 11 –Mackenzie Alford, Dayna Allen, Hanna Alley, Shani Atkinson, Alexis Ayers, Kristin Barnes, Brandon Barrow, Jessica Bass, Gavin Brackman, Jonathan Brees, Jake Bullock, Jack Camp, Cameron Carroll, Mackenzie Clark, Stephanie Constantelos, Sonia Contreras De La Torre, Jordan Cooper, Matthew Corts, Jacob Crute, Elijah Dalton, Sydney Deloatch, Connor Doering,Julia Dolinshek, Evan Dugan, Lauren Feldhouse, Alexander Ferrer, Braeden Frankenfield, Alexandra Furman, Haley Gammon, Casey Glover, Catherine Golden, Erik Gonzalez, Dylan Gould,Cameron Gurgainus, Conner Gurganus, Daniel Hayes, Jordan Henderson, Hector Hernandez, Ashley Hill, Alexis Hinton, Luis Huerta Castaneda, Mirei Isozaki, Trey Jansen, Geraint Jennens-Cheong, Austin Jordon, Jerome King, Alyssa Klepchick, Benjamin Lantier, Haydn Ledenyi, Kristina Lewandowski, Joseph Loftus, Nicholas Lownds, Cade Lydon, Colin Makowski, Casey Martin,Mekenzie Martin, Olivia Martin, Zachary McAllister, Kayla McCaffrey, Isabella McClentic, Tarron McCord, Daniel McGeever, Tiauna McKinney, Manuel Mejia Hernandez, Jada Miller, Shelby Mitchell, Alvin Montanez Gonzales, Julio Morales, David Nagy, Layla Nichols, Cooper Nightengale, Samantha Olmstead, Ryan Orlofske, Kaitlyn Painter, Ethan Palmer, Fabian Palomo-Mendez,Leonardo Perez-Apodaca, Cameron Perry, Daniel Petersen, Megan Philipson, Kory Powell, Lyndestaney Pretty, Leslie Ramsey, Sydney Reeder, Thad Reichley, Jacob Reome, Nicolas Ricks,Jennings Ritchie, Chelsy Rivas Hernandez, Kathryn Rodier, Keila Rodriguez Salazar, Jacob Rose, Leandra Russell, Matthew Salome, Andrew Sowards, Jacob Stephens, Mary Stubblefield,Ashlee Stutts, Bryson Tant, Jenna Tedder, Crystal Tingle, Zachary Tolksdorf, Jose Torres Ibarra, Seth Upperman, Lizabeth Vazquez-Mendoza, Cameron Wall, Ryan Wegener, Faith Weidner,Emma Werner, Kaitlyn Williams, Lindsey Wood, Elijah Wright, Semaj Wright, Scott Young, and Veronica Young.

Grade 12 –Earl Adams, Veronica, Almanza Gonzalez, Joshua Bailey, Seth Beabout, Kiara Tione Belin, Rory Beach, Taylor Beasley, Kaela Bechtold, Breanna Brady, Courtney Breen, Cullen Brown, Tori Brown, Katelyn Budziszewski, Casey Byrd, Austin Carroll, Aaron Carter, Alexis Chase, Braxton Chase, Delaney Colangelo, Georgia Cummings, Ava Daniels, Devin Daniels, Alysa Dent, Bryanna Doyle, Diamond Driver, Samantha Dupree, Zakary Frankenfield, Brian Frazier, Norma Garcia, Dean Gawthorpe, Brady Gearheart, Amanda Gillis, Jose Gomez, Sarai Gonzalez, Julianna Greene, Ryan Harrington, Cody Hedrick, Victoria Hendricks, Wilco Henriquez, Camden Hogg, Dylan Hogg, Addey Jenkins, Faith Johnson, Sean Johnson, Brianna Kale, Jarod Keller, Michael Lester, Rachel Lewis, Tori Long, Ryan Marshall, Cynthia Massey, Jacqueline Mccaffery, Symone McClain, Ronnie McFadgen, Lakindra McKnight, Jacob Meierer, Braden Miller, William Miller, Janai Minga, Austin Morgan, Matthew Morgan, Rebecca Mujica, Patrick Myers, Tiffany Myers, Christopher Naum, Natalie Palmer, Dillon Parker, Jolena Phillips, David Price, Patrick Rawls, Margaret Raynor, Alejandro Restrepo, Zachary Reynolds, Luke Rhoades, Kathryn Rodriguez, Allison Royer, Alec Seaton, Scott Seifried, Parker Slater, Chianne Slocombe, James Stevens, Allison Stilley, Jacob Stokes, Carley Stone, Dylan Swain, Pepin Krystien Tamondong, Brittany Thomas, Janaisia Upchurch, Lauren Wall, Joseph Weckesser, Hunter Whitley, and Logan Whitley.

Four separate accidents occurred within one hour Thursday evening on US 70 Business West.

The accidents caused a huge traffic mess for drivers attempting to get home from work. Clayton Police are investigating all of the collisions.

Photos by John Payne

Neuse Charter School 6th graders, along with faculty and parents, participated in the annual class trip to Washington D.C. Nov. 3rd-4th.

Students were able to tour the Mall area visiting war memorials and monuments, posing for photos by the White House and participating in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Dakota Williams, Jane Ivey Johnson, Kadin Henningham and Ella Rozier, 6th grade students at Neuse Charter School, place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 4th.

The four students were selected for the honor from more than 70 peers when they won an essay contest sponsored by Neuse Charter.

Retired Superior Court Judge Knox V. Jenkins Jr. died Monday at Johnston Health in Smithfield. Judge Jenkins was 81.

Jenkins was a graduate of Goldsboro High School. He received his undergraduate and Law School Degrees from UNC at Chapel Hill. Judge Jenkins was a general civil and criminal trial attorney from 1962 until 1991, at which time he was appointed to the Superior Court Bench and served until his retirement in December 2006.

Upon his retirement he received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine”.

Judge Jenkins proudly served his country in the U. S. Army’s 7th Infantry Division during the Korean conflict from 1954 – 1956.

He was a member of Holly Springs Free Will Baptist Church in Kenly.

Judge Jenkins was an avid golfer and University of North Carolina Tar Heels basketball fan. According to his obituary, his happiest and proudest moments were when he was watching his children and grandchildren compete in various athletic events.

Judge Jenkins provided counsel and support to numerous individuals and clients struggling with substance abuse. He was appointed to the President’s Council on Substance Abuse and attended seminars in Florida, New York and Kentucky.

“I was honored to meet Judge Jenkins before he became a judge,” retired Clerk of Court Will R. Crocker said. “I was the assistant clerk of the court in the 1960’s about the time he started practicing law here in Johnston County and remember when he ran for judge the first time. He was a very fine judge and easy to get along with. He was very fair to each side in a case. I spent many a day with him as clerk. I enjoyed all of them. He was my friend. He will surely be missed.”

“Judge Knox Jenkins was a friend of mine, on and off the bench, and was a mentor to me when I was first elected Sheriff,” stated Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzll. “His title “Honorable” Judge was truly befitting of him because he was definitely a man of honor who served on the bench with compassion, dedication, and professionalism. He will definitely be missed, and long remembered.”

Judge Jenkins is survived by his wife of 43 years, Violet Weaver Jenkins; son Henry Darden Jenkins of Fayetteville; daughters Hannah Jenkins Youngblood of Smithfield, Page Jenkins Partin and her husband, Jake Partin of Selma, Alice Jenkins Gipe and her husband, Jason Gipe of Smithfield. Grandchildren: Anna Youngblood Armstrong and husband Hinton Armstrong, Katie Youngblood Stephenson and husband, Will Stephenson; Dwight Benjamin Youngblood, III, Knox Vaughan Jenkins, II, Joseph Knox Gipe and Anna Kate Gipe.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm at Holly Springs Free Will Baptist Church located at 80 Beulahtown Road, Kenly, NC 27542. The visitation will take place in the Church fellowship hall following the funeral service and burial in the Church cemetery.

Memorials may be made to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710 in Honor of Hannah Jenkins Youngblood.

One person died, six others were injured, in a fiery crash Thursday night in Johnston County. The single vehicle accident happened on Highway 96 about two miles north of Selma, near Holley Berry Lane just north of Old Beulah Road.

Around 7:46pm, the Highway Patrol said a 2007 Cadillac Escalade was traveling south on Highway 96 at a high rate of speed when the driver, Anthony Leon Ellis, 40, ran off the road in slight curve to the right, crossed the centerline and overcorrected. The SUV ran off the roadway to the right, struck a ditch and began to overturn.

Troopers believe the SUV overturned 6 or 7 times before coming to rest and bursting into flames.  One of the occupants was ejected and died at the scene.  The remaining 6 occupants were rushed by ambulance to Wake Medical Center.  Four of the occupants sustained serious injuries, including Ellis the driver.

Sgt. Michael Baker, Public Information Officer for the NC Highway Patrol, said none of the occupants were wearing seat belts.  The name of the victim killed has not been released pending notification of their next of kin. Photos by John Payne

The Clayton Police Department needs your help to identify the suspect or suspects who broke into a Clayton gun shop and stole five weapons.

Just before 4:30 a.m. on November 23rd, officers responded to a reported break-in at Trigger Happy Guns at 227 East Main Street in Downtown Clayton. During the investigation, officers discovered that someone threw a brick or block through the window of the store.  A total of five AR-15 rifles were stolen. Two were manufactured by Palmetto State, two by Anderson and one by Rock River Arms.

Federal ATF agents are now assisting with the investigation.

Clayton Police ask anyone who saw anything that Friday morning, or knows anything about the specific weapons stolen to call Clayton CrimeStoppers at 919-359-TIPZ (8479) or the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS(1-800-283-4867), the firearms hotline of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).

Bail has been set at $3.5 million for a Goldsboro man accused of sexually assaulting a minor child.  Investigators with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said the crimes were committed over a 3 year period.

Matthew Gordon Williams, 30, of Stevens Mill Road had been under investigation since the incident was initially reported on January 4th.

Williams was arrested this week and charged with two counts of statutory rape, three counts of incest with a child, and one count each of taking indecent liberties with a child, first-degree rape and assault on a female.

No additional details were released.

A Johnston County man will spend just over 15 years in federal prison after being sentenced Thursday by a judge in federal court in New Bern.

United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Kenneth Eugene McCoy, 44, of Blount Street, Smithfield to 183 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. McCoy pled guilty on August 18th to possession with the Intent to distribute 28 Grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana and to possession of a firearm in commission of a drug trafficking crime.

The Smithfield Police Department launched an undercover investigation after receiving information about McCoy’s drug trafficking activities at a residence in the 900 block of Blount Street. Officers learned that McCoy had been selling unspecified amounts of cocaine from the residence. Officers were able to make an undercover purchase of cocaine base prior to obtaining a search warrant for the residence.

On October 16, 2015, McCoy’s house was searched and officers found over 28 grams of cocaine base, a quantity of marijuana, a stolen Hi Point handgun, a RG .22 caliber handgun with ammunition, other assorted drug paraphernalia, and $428.88 in cash in a bedroom. The front and rear entrances to the residence were reinforced with devices to make unwanted entry difficult.

The case was conducted by the Smithfield Police Department, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette is handling the case on behalf of the government.

A burglary suspect shot after breaking into a Benson area home last month has been arrested.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21 year-old Frederick Demonte Walden of the 200 block of Barefoot Road, Newton Grove Thursday as he was being discharged from Wake Medical Center in Raleigh.  Walden had been in the hospital since he was shot by a homeowner on Sunday, November 27th on Adams Road.

The 49 year-old homeowner said he heard a knock on his front door around 4:20 that morning. When he answered the door a man he did not know ran across the street.  Minutes later, Walden allegedly returned and began beating on the windows and the doors of the home.

The victim said he shouted, “I have a gun, leave now!” but deputies said Walden broke out a window and began to crawl into the home. That’s when he was shot in the arm. He also sustained other injuries from the broken glass.

Walden was charged with first degree burglary.  Detective Lt. Don Pate said Walden is also a suspect in a second break-in on Adams Road that same morning.  More charges have not been ruled out.

Walden was still in jail on Friday being held under a $100,000 secured bond.
The homeowner will not face any charges. Photos by John Payne

Johnston County School Board Chairman Larry Strickland announced Friday he would formally resign from the board on Dec. 13th. Strickland won election to the NC House in November. Strickland has two years remaining on his term on the school board. His replacement has not been named. JoCoReport.com Photo

Johnston County School Board Chairman Larry Strickland of Pine Level announced Friday that he will resign from the board during the December monthly meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.

Strickland is currently serving his fifth term.  He recently won election to the NC House District 28 replacing retiring Representative J.H. Langdon who did not seek re-election.  Strickland cannot serve on both the school board and NC House at the same time.  His resignation was anticipated after his win in the November general elections.

“It is my intention to resign from the Johnston County Board of Education near the conclusion of our meeting that will be held on December 13, 2016. The vacancy of the seat will be immediate, therefore giving the board an opportunity to discuss its “announcement of vacancy” while the board is still in session,” Strickland said Friday afternoon in an email.

“I have enjoyed my 18 years of service to the citizens of Johnston County as a member of the Board of Education, especially the last eight years. It has been a great privilege for me to have served alongside with 16 other board members during my tenure, who all worked hard for the people of Johnston County, especially its children.”

“I look forward to working with this current board of education in my capacity as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. I wish this current board of education much success as they continue to build upon the great tradition of our school system here in Johnston County, which is recognized as one of the best in the State of North Carolina.”

The school board could name a replacement for Strickland as early as Tuesday or a new chairperson.  Strickland’s term does not expire until November 2018.

Strickland will assume his duties in the NC House on January 1st, 2017.

Seated (Center) Blake McLean and his grandmother Diane Guin (left) and mother Shelia McLean (right). Standing Assistant Coach Ricky Price, Blake’s father Daniel McLean, and Head Coach Brian Ford.

Blake McLean, a middle infielder for the North Johnston High baseball team, will continue his education and play next year for the University of Mount Olive (UMO).  McLean plans to attend UMO and pursue a degree in agribusiness.

Blake has played varsity baseball for 4 years with the Panthers.  Last season, he posted a .382 batting average with 9 RBI’s and 6 doubles, leading the 2-A EPC in runs scored, and finished the conference season in the top 3 with his batting average, slugging, on base percentage and stolen bases.  Blake has also received All Conference Awards and was named to the NC All State Team.