Margaret Maroules Thorpe, 88, peacefully passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Testa Family Hospice House in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. A celebration of life service will be held Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 4 P.M. at Bethel Free Will Baptist Church by Rev. Chris Truett and her son-in-law, Dr. Mike Creekmore.  The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from 3-3:45 P.M.  The graveside service will be conducted Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11 A.M. in the Flatfield Cemetery, 5089 Pauls Path Rd, LaGrange, NC.

For most of his childhood, Kevon Garrett would not speak in front of a crowd. His parents, he says, had to beg him to stand and say a few words. This year he ran across a stage to accept one of the most visible leadership roles a young agriculturalist in the state can hold.

On August 26, 2026, deputies and narcotics detectives with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office arrested Markie Koonce of Kinston after he was found in possession of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia inside the Lenoir County Courthouse.

Civic Foundation proudly congratulates Demetrius Jones, Finance Officer / HR Director for the Town of Maysville upon receiving a scholarship to attend the Cash Management and Investment of Public Funds course at the UNC School of Government.

We continue to monitor the potential for heavy rain, flooding, and severe thunderstorms across parts of ENC on Friday, August 28, 2026. 

Jones County officials announced that the parking area across from Brock Mill Pond will be temporarily closed over the next several weeks while construction work is underway.

Two Lenoir County women have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in a COVID-era rental assistance fraud case involving more than $187,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Tall grass along some Lenoir County highways has drawn complaints from residents as students return to school and traffic increases near local campuses, but state transportation officials say new mowing restrictions and favorable growing conditions have contributed to the higher vegetation.

As children head back to school, many are returning facing challenges that they should not have to carry alone. Every child deserves to start the school year feeling safe, seen, and heard.

NWS: We are monitoring the potential for heavy rain, flooding, and severe thunderstorms on Friday, August 28, 2026.

The Town of La Grange said no utility service disconnections will occur while the town completes upgrades to its payment and utility billing system.

Mrs. Linda Rouse Rice, 78, of Leesburg, Georgia, formerly of Grifton, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Willson Hospice House.

The nine-year-old boy sat in my office. He’d made an appointment to ask a few questions. His mom and little brother were with him. I tried to make them all as comfortable as possible, joked about a few things, and said, “well, hit me with it, man!”

The state’s seasonally adjusted July 2026 unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, remaining unchanged from June’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 4.1 percent.

Joseph Oliver Stilley, 76, passed away peacefully at his home on August 23, 2026. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., At Chinquapin Chapel Church in Trenton with Pastor Paul Milner officiating. A private burial will follow.