Wilson News

Margaret Bess PAGELAND, S.C. - Margaret Oleen Bess, 56, died Thursday . Funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Gordon Funeral Service of Monroe, with burial in the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church cemetery.

Gov. Bev Perdue said Thursday that it is "visceral" to her to ensure that a group of violent criminals serving life sentences from the 1970s will stay in N.C prisons until at least 2054.

Once again, U.S. Cellular is inviting communities to rally around their favorite school to share $1 million. Ten schools across the country with the most votes will each win $100,000 to use in any way they want in the company’s Calling All Communities campaign. Between now and Jan. 15, 2010, anyone 18 or older can visit any U.S. Cellular store to receive a code to vote online for their favorite school. Schools of all sizes, public, private, urban and rural, K- 12 have a chance to become a Calling All Communities champion. “A strong education system keeps our children motivated to do their best,” said Congressmen G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.). “The Calling All Communities program gives communities an opportunity to do something special for their school and share in the students’ success.” The campaign returns at a time when school districts across the country are feeling a greater budget pinch in a slowing economy. According to the American Association of School Administrators, the percentage of schools cutting extracurricular activities almost tripled from 10 percent in 2008-09 to 28 percent for the 2009-2010 school year. Last year’s top 10 schools used their winnings in a variety of ways, including rebuilding a storm-damaged gymnasium, upgrading computer labs, building new playgrounds and creating scholarship programs. “We did not think we could win because we are a small, rural community in North Carolina,” said Wendy Hooks, principal of Brogden Primary School in Dudley, N.C., whose winning school is featured in U.S. Cellular’s national advertising campaign. "What we lacked in financial support, we more than made up for in spirit and hope.” Last year, U.S. Cellular shifted its giving strategy to helping schools. The company will give more than $5 million to support schools and teachers in 2009 and 2010 through Calling All Communities and Calling All Teachers, which awards $1 million to teachers across the country to fund classroom projects. “We’re eager to see the creativity of our local schools as they unite to gather community support,” said Marcel Bekers, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in eastern North Carolina. “We expect North Carolina schools to run strong, competitive campaigns.” Visit uscellular.com/callingallcommunities for official rules or to view videos from last year’s campaign.

Dail Hernandez's sense of duty as a firefighter stretches far beyond Wilson. It reaches to Central America.

After months of recruiting, the Wilson Civitan Club was officially chartered at a banquet Saturday at Sweet Maria's Bistro.

Bob Apol fought Wilson County's animal registration law, but the law won this week.

An adage cautions us to be careful of what we ask. But the Hunt High boys soccer team is not backing down -- it wants to play Jacksonville, the state's top-ranked 3-A team.

Southern Nash's game at Erwin Triton tonight in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-AA football playoffs has been postponed until Saturday at 7 p.m. Games involving Hunt, SouthWest Edgecombe and Charles B. Aycock have also been postponed until Saturday night.

An eastern North Carolina city is getting federal funding to redevelop its downtown.

More than 30 Wilson County residents could get some extra cash for the holidays from the Internal Revenue Service.

The name of a new tenant eyeing the former Belk department store at the Wilson Mall may be announced as early as next week.

No one was injured when stray bullets penetrated the walls of a residence in the 900 block of College Circle Sunday night.

Legislation passed Saturday by the U.S. House is "the best opportunity to fix a broken health care system," according to U.S. Rep.

A fire in a dryer line at the Alliance One International tobacco processing plant early Saturday morning shut down the plant until at least Wednesday.

The Hunt High boys soccer team passed its second-round test in the state 3-A playoffs Saturday with a 2-0 win at home against Jacksonville White Oak.

Wilson police have arrested one man in a recent smash and grab robbery at the Wilson mall and are searching for a second suspect.

A second suspect in an alleged Meadow Street dog fighting case was sentenced Thursday in Wilson Superior Court.

Wilson Medical Center's Continuing Education Symposium for health care professionals will be held Nov.

Around 6:20 p.m. Thursday, employees and shoppers at the Wilson Mall were evacuted for about 45 minutes after Radio Shack filled up with smoke.

An officer with 24 years of law enforcement experience now leads the Sharpsburg Police Department.