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PROGRESS SENTINEL
^VOL. XXXXVNO.49 USPS 162 860 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 ? DECEMBER 4, 1980 20 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Mora Than 2 Million Ronowal Cards To Bo Mailed
1981 Vehicle Registration Begins January 2
4-?* .... . ' ' ? ?
The North Carolina
?Department of Transporta
tion's Division of Motor Ve
hicles will begin mailing out
? 1981 vehicle registration re
' newal notices Dec. 8, ac
cording to motor vehicles
'commissioner Elbert L.
; -Peters Jr.
The motor vehicles divi
sion will mail approximately
. 2.25 million renewal cards at
that time. Peters said all the
k renewal card should be in the
Pmail no later than Dec. 19.
? The sale of 1981 validation
. stickers and license plates
begins Jan. 2, 1981. All
registration renewals, stick
ers or tags, must be dis
played by no later than
"? midnight Feb. 15.
State Transportation Sec
retary Tom Bradshaw
reminds motorists that North
Carolina is changing to a new
vehicle registration system
which will distribute license
plate renewals throughout
the year.
"This new staggered
registration system will en
able us to spread the volume
of work to register vehicles in
this state throughout the
year. Approximately five
million motor vehicles were
registered in 1980, and the
latest figures indicate than
an even great number can be
expected this year," he said.
"The new system will help
eliminate the traditionally
long lines at license plate
offices each year and allow
us to provide better and more
efficient service to the motor
vehicle owners once the pro
gram has been fully imple
mented."
Under the new system,
owners of cars, motorcycles,
trailers, private 4,000-pound
pickup 'rucks and U-drive it
(rental) vehicles will be
assigned registration months
alphabetically by the first
letter of their last names.
During the Jan. 1-Feb. 15
renewal period, owners may
be required to renew for as
few as eight months or as
many as nineteen months.
They will pay for the actual
number of months from
January to their renewal
dates.
"The annual license tag
cost has not been changed,"
Peters said. "The license tag
cost has been pro-rated ac
cording to the number of
months that the vehicle is
registered.
"Motor vehicle owners
should check their license
renewal dates. The varying
fees and expiration dates
make it more important than
ever that owners bring or
send lit both sections of their
perforated license renewal
cards v nen they buy their
plates."
The stickers and tags may
be purchased in person from
one of 115 license plate
agencies across the state or
by mail from the motor
vehicles division in Raleigh.
Each license plate issued
under the staggered system
(except farm truck plates)
will display two validation
stickers. One will be th year
validation sticker and the
other will be the permanent
renewal month sticker. Farm
trucks will have both the
month and year on one
sticker.
Motor vehicle owners who
have special license plates
(personalized, official,
handicapped, fireman, etc.)
will still renew their license
plates from Jan. 1 to mid
February each year.
Peters also noted that ve
hicle owners who registerei
their vehicles under the
staggered system from July
1-December 31, 1980, will
receive their renewal card in
mid-May 1981 since they
renew in June. Approxi
mately 508,000 vehicle
owners will renew their
license plates in June.
Area offices are:
LENOIR - Lonnie E. Hill -
Contractor, Vernon Park
Mall, West Vernon Avenue.
Kinston. NC 28501 (919)
523-5292. 9-5 Mon.-Fri.. 9-12
noon Sat.
DUPLIN - Gladys P. Sikes -
Contractor, Rockfish Plaza,
Wallace. NC 28466 - (919)
285-5926. 9-5 Mon.-Fri,.
During Renewal. 9-5 Mon.
Fri.. 9-1 Sat.
SAMPSON - Regina B.
Carter - Contractor,
Northcutt Roofing Companv
Building,908 S.E. Boulevard.
P.O. Box 778, Clinton. NC
28328 (919 592-5265. 9-5
Mon.-Fri., Closed Sat.
WAYNE - Neil Joseph
Baddour - Contractor. P.O.
Box 1833. 301 N. Best St.,
Sunrise Shopping Center,
Goldsboro. NC 27530 - (910)
734 0881, 9-5 Mon.-Fri.
Closed Saturday.
LICENSE PLATE RENEWAL CARDS
MAILED - More than two million of the
license renewal cards and informational
brochures pictured are being mailed to
motor vehicle owners across North Carolina
on December 8. All license renewal cards
should be mailed by December 19. Motorists
should make sure they take or send both
sections of their perforated license renewal
cards when tbey purchase their license tags
and stickers. Motorvehicles Commissioner
Elbert L. Peters Jr. also reminds motorists to
Till out and sign the insurance certification
on the back of their license renewal cards.
He also noted that motor vehicle owners who
have moved to a nev, address need to show
their correct addresses on both sections of
the renewal card before purchasing license
plates or validation stickers. License plates
and .stickers go on sale Jan. 2. 1981.
4
Woman Found Guilty In Shooting
Kathleen Hargrove
Mathis, 24 of rural Faison,
was found guilty of involun
tary manslaughter by a
Superior Court jury Wed
nesday.
Mrs. Mathis was charged
with the shooting death of
her husband. Roy Davis
Mathis Jr., near the couple's
home July 3.
Judge Robert D. Rouse Jr.
sentenced Mrs. Mathis to 8
to 10 years in prison.
She appealed the convic
tion and was freed on bond of
$15,000.
One state's witness,
Daniel Carlton of Mount
Olive, Tuesday testified he
saw Mrs. Mathis raise her
arm as if she were shooting
and then saw Mathis fall to
the ground. He also testified
he saw her leave the scene
near the Mathis house, come
out a few minutes later and
bend over the fallen man.
She started screaming, he
said. Carlton was plowing a
soybean field at the time and
said he stopped for several
minutes as he was "scared to
death."
Carlton finallv went to his
boss. David Brock, and told
him about what he had seen.
Brock was called to the wit
ness stand Tuesday and
testified he heard someone
screaming and also heard a
shot. He phoned a special
deputy. Jimmy Kelly, who
investigated.
When called to the witness
stand, Kelly testified he
found a pistol that had been
recently Fired in the car Mrs.
Mathis had been driving. He
also testified he found her in
hysterics beside her hus
band's body. He told the
court she repeatedly
screamed. "I shot him."
Judge Rouse sent the jury
out of the courtroom when
defense attorney Joseph
Chambliss of Clinton
attempted to enter a plea of
self-defense on behalf of
Mrs. Mathis. He refused to
allow Chambliss' motion,
saying there was no evidence
indicating Mrs. Mathis had
been attacked by her hus
band.
The judge instructed the
jury that it could find the
defendant guilty of second
degree murder, voluntary
manslaughter. involuntary
manslaughter or not guilty.
The jury received the case
Wednesday morning and
brought in the verdict in
about fO minutes.
Whitley Speaks
Duplin Farm City Week
Food and fiber grown on
the farm today are cheaper
than 20 years ago, according
to the amount of labor which
goes into producing them.
Congressman Charlie
Whitley said as he addressed
the Farm-City audience at
James Sprunt Technical Col
lege last week.
Third District Congress
man Whitley said he is asked
often about the rise in food
cost. And. Whitley said, the
third congressional district is
classified as one of the most
rural districts in the United
States, according to the U.S.
Census Department.
"Some would like to see
major cooperatives take over
agriculture," Whitley said.
"But, I am commited to
retaining the family farm; we
have had great success be
tween the farmers and the
local businesses." '
In Duplin, as well as the
entire third district, he said,
no business operates which
does not realize the impor
tance of the farm. The farm
props up each of the busi
nesses in this county with
money going into them,
Whitley said.
"What would Duplin be
like, if you can imagine,
without the family farm?"
asked Whitley. "And, how
many small businesses
would be left? Farm cooper
atives would cut the middle
man ou'. by purchasing
products directly from the
wholesalers." |
Whitley added encourage
ment for the development of
new industry in the counties
of the third district. How
ever, he said, the recruit
ment of environmentally
sound industry which will not
take much farmland or
deface the beauty of the
district should be the goal
when recruiting new in
dustry.
President of the Agri
Business Council Ebern
Watson of Rose Hill, added
farm-city week is Nov. 21-17
for a specific reason. He
continued, farm-citv week is
a national observance which
ends each year on Thanks
giving Day. Thanksgiving
week is an appropriate time
for the persons in this
country to realize the depen
dence of our country on
agriculture. Watson said.
And, the dependance of
agriculture on the products
and research of the indus
tries.
Whitley appeared as part
of the events scheduled for
farm-city night Nov. 25 at
JSTC. Appearing with
Whitley during the celebra
tion were Duplin singing
groups. Charlie Albertson
and his band, the Virgil
Murphy family, the East
Duplin Chorus, and the 1979
Miss Duplin County Tina
Brewer, along with special
exhibits from local busi
nesses and towns, agricul
ture. schools and industry on
display in the Hoffler and
V
McGowen buildings. Door
prizes were awarded
throughout the night.
The celebration was spon
sored bv the Duplin County
Agri-Business Council. And.
earlier that day, a tractor
driving contest for the Future
Farmers of America chapters
in Duplin had been held on
the JSTC campus. Trophies
were awarded to the winners
after Whitley spoke. Win
ning first place in the trac
tor-driving contest was
Herbert Stroud of East
Duplin and second place was
awarded to East Duplin's
Johnny Smith. The winning
chapter was East Duplin,
with James Kenan FFA club
receiving second place
honors in the driving contest.
Exhibits were opened Nov.
21 at JSTC. and featured
displays by. the town
Chambers of Commerce in
Wallace, Warsaw and
Kenansville. Industries such
as Guilford East, Reeves
Brothers and Wickline dis
played information about
their companies and pro
ducts. Agricultural exhibits
were represented by Murphy
Milling, Duplin Wine
Cellars, Wallace Warehouse
men's Association and
Carroll's of Warsaw. The
display furnished by
Carroll's consisted of live
turkeys, the grown bird, the
poult, and eggs in the
process of hatching. Quinn's
of Warsaw, Cates Pickles
and Joan of Arc in Turkey
also exhibited in the farm
city week celebration at
JSTC. East Duplin High
School and JSTC exhibited
information about their
school activities and
programs. Displays at the
larm-citv event totaled over
50.
Door prizes were awarded
each half hour of the farm
city program. And. winning
the prizes were Elouise Al
bertson. Dr. Mike Latta,
Hattic Register, Jack Smith,
Willie McGowen, Billy
Wilson and Rommie 'Hall.
And. drawing the numbers
for the prizes were special
guests Charlie Whitley, Miss
Duplin County 1980 Shari
Jones and Representative
Doug Clark.
FUTURES MARKETING
WORKSHOP PLANNED
A futures marketing work
shop is planned for Decem
ber 8 and 15 at the Agri
cultural Building in Kenans
ville. The workshop is de
signed to help swine and
grain farmers more fully
understand the concepts of
the commodity futures
market. The eight-hour '
workshop will be four hours
each day starting at 4 p.m.
and breaking for supper at
six. For more information,
contact Bob Swain at the
Agricultural Extension
Service, or call 296-19%.
*
, Corn Growers' Association
Meeting December 12
Aflatoxins will be high on
the list of topics to be
hdiscussed at the Dec. 12
annual meeting of the Corn
Growers' Association of
North Carolina. The meeting
will be held in the Jane S.
McKimmon Center on the
NGSU campus in Raleigh,
and will start at 9 a.m. with
registration, There is no fee
and a complementary lunch
will be served to all in
attendance. J. Michael
Moore, assistant agricultural
extension agent, encourages
corn growers to attend with
anyone who produces com
eligible to attend. Moore
said. "This will be a day well
spent for corn producers."
In addition to reports on. ,
. '
aflatoxins, growers will hear
about research projects con
cerning broadleaf signal
grass control and the effects
of subsoiling and irrigation
on yields.
A highlight will be pre
sentation of awards to
growers with the most out
standing yields. Two Hun
dred Bushel Club certificates
a . . '? 1' ?' i.' '? " :'
will be presented to all
growers surpassing this
mark.
The CGA is funded by an
assessment on each bushel of
farmer corn sold in the state.
The association is led by a
board of directors consisting
of 24 growers from across
the state. The association
also cooperates with the
NCAE? and the-NCHA.
commissioners take oath of office - Duplin
County Commissioners' D.J. Fussell and William Costin
. were sworn into office beginning a new term at Monday's
meeting of the board in Kenansville. Both commissioners
ran as incumbents and won re-election in the Nov. 4th
I
election. Administering the oath of office is Clerk of Court
John A. Johnson. Pictured, left to right, Clerk of Court
Johnson. Fifth District Commissioner D. J. Fussell and
First District Commissioner William Costin.
RECEIVE OATH OF OFFICE - The Duplin county
Register of Deeds and staff received the oath of office
Monday from Judge Henry Stevens. The Register of
^ Deeds Christine Williams ran as an incumbent and was
V re-elected to office. The new term began Monday after the
swearing-in ceremony. Pictured, left to right, Carol
Jackson. Wanda Kissner. Mrs. Christine Williams, Julia .
Hinson, Johnny Gainus and Christine DeWitt. Not
pictured is assistant register of deeds. Joyce Williams.
1