I’m a creature of habit. Every workday, the alarm sounds at the same time. The coffee brews on schedule. The first hour of our day is in quiet: meditating, reading, orienting, caffeinating, praying, planning. Most evenings for 12 years, we’ve walked the dog after dinner.
Every March, Women’s History Month reminds us to pause and celebrate the women who have changed the world, especially those who’ve done it by healing others. Medicine hasn’t always been an easy field for women to break into, but from the first female doctors in the 1800s to today’s surgical leaders, women have pushed through barriers with intelligence, compassion, and grit.
Across Kinston, a troubling conversation continues to grow louder. It is happening in living rooms, church parking lots, grocery store aisles, and community meetings. The topic is the same everywhere: extremely high electric bills. Residents throughout the city are reporting utility bills that seem almost unbelievable. Some families say their monthly statements have reached $700, $1,000, and in some cases even $2,000. For many households, these amounts are not simply difficult—they are devastating.
Phyllis M. Wooten, 90, of Hookerton, passed away peacefully at her home on March 13, 2026.
Delmas Colton Head, 90, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Snow Hill, North Carolina, surrounded by his family. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Seymour Funeral Home in Goldsboro. A private graveside service to celebrate his life will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Gurley Family Cemetery.
When I was young, my camp counselor at the Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Camp taught me how to relax into floating on my back in the swimming pool. The body of water seemed so big to me then. I felt the need to control my little body in it. But the wise counselor taught me how to allow the water to support me. And when I followed her advice, swimming became easy peasy. She simply said to "Lean back and let go."
Statewide law enforcement will conduct increased patrols to deter impaired driving
Over the weekend, KPD officers remained proactive in addressing crime and keeping our community safe. The following individuals were arrested and charged:
The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City warned Monday that severe thunderstorms remain a threat across Eastern North Carolina on March 16, with forecasters calling it a potentially significant severe weather event.
(RALEIGH) Governor Josh Stein and state officials are asking all North Carolinians to prepare for severe weather because a rare Level 4 Moderate Risk has been issued by the National Weather Service. The primary threats with this storm system are damaging wind gusts of 74 mph or higher, large hail, and tornadoes.
The following businesses were registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State:
On November 15, 2018, the most courageous kid I have ever known, at the age of 15, passed on to be with the Lord. He was handsome, intelligent, great sense of humor, and a quick wit. He was a gifted musician. His faith was stronger than that of some of the greatest preachers I’ve known. He was the best of us. His name was Colby Tucker.
Although women did not have the guarantee of general voting rights until the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 18, 1920, women who owned property in New Jersey were allowed to vote from 1776 through 1807. Beginning in 1869, women in the Western territories won the right to vote.
The threat for severe thunderstorms continues for Monday, March 16. This has the potential to be a significant severe weather event. In addition, there remains a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms this evening and overnight. Attached is the latest briefing for this event.
The threat for severe thunderstorms continues to increase for Monday, March 16. This has the potential to be a significant severe weather event. In addition to tomorrow, there is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms Sunday and Sunday night.
Pink Hill residents gathered to honor Dr. Edwin Little as he retires after more than four decades of serving the community, marking the end of an era for one of the town’s longtime physicians.
During the evening of Friday, March 13, 2026, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office conducted a Border-to-Border DWI Checkpoint on US 70 at the Wayne/Lenoir County line.
Hickory Grove was organized as a Free Will Baptist (F.W.B.) congregation by 1841. Evidence suggests they met as a house church until their building was constructed around 1860. Although it continued as an F.W.B. work throughout the 1840s and 1850s, little is known about Hickory Grove during the 1860s.
Michael Lee Bridwell, of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, passed away on March 11, 2026, at the age of 66. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 PM at Emerald Isle Baptist Church.
The following restaurant inspections were conducted by the Lenoir County Health Department:
