iWlin iML ^ t m???
PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVI NO. 4 USPS 162-880 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 JANUARY 28. 1982 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
m
County To Crack Down
Social Services Fraud
^ The Duplin County Board
of Commissioners agreed to
hire two investigators last
week to crack down on fraud
in the food stamp, Aid to
Families with Dependent
Children and Medicaid pro
grams.
The investigators, assign
ed to the county Social
Services Department, each
: A-ill be paid $11,784 per year
1 Jfcith $4,000 each in annual
fringe benefits. Travel ex
penses will add $3,000 yearly
and supplies. $1,000.
Social Services Director
Millie Brown said the federal
government will pay 75 per
cent, or $23,931, of the cost,
leaving $7,877 for the county
to fund. The actual additional
cost to the county this year
will be $1,820, with the rest
^jbsorbed by unspent funds
in the social services budget.
Mrs. Brown said the
county will receive half of the
money recovered by the in
vestigators.
Last year the county dis
tributed $1.5 million worth of
food stamps, of which Mrs.
Brown estimated 3-5 percent
was fraudulently claimed.
She said 2.084 families, or
aboat 6,000 people received
the stamps.
The county has a popula
tion of about 40.000.
Mrs. Brown said the Social
Services Department has two
investigators to seek out
absent parents who are
failing to make child support
payments. They collected
$85,000 in the past six
months, and the county re
ceived half of that sum. She
said the department knows of
1.J59 absent parents, adding
that most are making the
required payments.
The board also approved
Mrs. Brown's application to
the state for 25,000 pounds of
surplus cheese to be dis
tributed by the federal
government. Food stamp
recipients are eligible to
receive some of the cheese.
Gail Bailey, vice-president
ofllnivision Cable Television
Co. of Richlands. reported to
the board that the company
had a letter of credit for
$100,000 in the Gastonia
branch of Branch Bank &
Trust Co. as performance
bond guarantee. Ed Holt,
manager of the bank's War
saw branch, confirmed this.
The letter of credit was
required before the county
would sign a franchise con
tract with the company to
establish cable television
service in rural areas. In
other action, the board app
proved:
? A plastic card system
for the Dorothy Wightman
Duplin County Library at a
cost of 53,042.50. The money
will come from $32,000 in
unused funds from a state
library grant to the county.
? April 13, 14, 15 and 21
for department heads to pre
sent their budget requests.
Each meeting will start at 7
p.m.
? Payment of $300 a
month to the new Pin Hook
volunteer fire-department
southeast of Wallace.
*? Use of the civil court
room at 5 p.m. Thursday by
the State Wildlife Commis
sion for a game law meeting.
Board Of Education Meets
Duplin County Schools
* Snow Makeup Days
According to information
received from the Duplin
County office. The Duplin
County schools had a reguiar
school day Jan. 26. (this past
Tuesday). which was
formerly scheduled as a
Aytcher workday, and shool
will be in session Feb. 26
(Friday), which was sche
duled as a vacation day. If for
some reason one additional
day is missed prior to April 9.
April 9 (Friday) will be
utilized to make up the last
school day. Any additional
days lost because of snow
will be scheduled at a later
date.
? Workshops scheduled for
onday. Jan. 25. will be
rescheduled and the 25th
was retained purely as a
leather workday.
1 he I'.rr.bet ot' stuccnts*
using the sehool lunch pro
gram decreased to 81 percent
of average daily attendance
this year from 84 percent last
year because of increased
charges and stiffer eligibility
requirements for free
lunches, according to Shelby
Kilpatrick. school food ser
vices supervisor. She
gave these figures last week
at the board of education
meeting Tuesday night.
Lunches for senior high
students rose from 65 cents
each last year to 75 cents this
year; for elementary stu
dents the price rose from 60
to 70 cents. The price of
breakfasts increased from 35
cents last year to 45 cents.
The average daily atten
dance from September
through December was 8,106
students, of which 6.465
participated in the lunch
program. Mrs. Kilpatrick
said 2,423 students paid full
prices. 587 paid reduced
prices, and 3.455 paid
nothing. Last year. 3.778
students received free
lunches.
During December, an
average of 1,995 students ate
brcakrast at the schools. An
average of 200 students paid
full price, 152 paid reduced
prices and l.b43 students
paid nothing.
In other action, the board
announced a schedule for
meetings to deal with cur
riculum matters. The
meetings will be Feb. 2 at
East Duplin High School at
Beulaville. March 2 at the
O.P. Johnson Building in
Kcnansville, April 6 at
Wallace Elementary School.
May 4 at Chinquapin Pri
mary School, and June 1 at
Charity Middle School east of
Rose Hill.
Meetings on business
matters will be held in the
O.P. Johnson building on the
third Monday of each month.
Jaycees Honor Jean Stephens
As Boss Of The Year
The Mount Olive Jaycees
named Jean Stephens of
Kenansville as Boss of the
Year at their annual DSA
banquet last Thursday night.
Rick Kraft was given the
DSA award and Cletus
Brock, former editor of the
Mount Olive Tribune, was
tlected as Senior Citizen of
e Year. Terry McPherson
was named Outstanding
Educator and E.J. Bundy Jr.
as Outstanding Young
Farmer.
Mrs. Stephens, 35, was
named Boss of the Year. A
resident of Country Club
Estates in Kenansville. she is
vice president and branch
manager of Southern Bank
and Trust Company in War
saw.
She began working with
Southern Bank in June. 1966
as a teller and bookkeeper
and has gradually worked
her way through the ranks
overcoming ? in the words
of her nominator ? "many
stereotypes and prejudices"
concerning women in the
business world. Many of the
positions she has held have
traditionally been held only
be men. her nominator
noted.
While employed at
Southern Bank she has held
the positions of teller. Book
keeper. loan clerk, assistant
cashier and assistant vice
president before being
named branch manager and
vice president. Her present
duties consist of recruiting
new customers, overseeing
loans to present customers
and overseeing day-to-day
activities of employees under
her management. "Jean has
accomplished what no other
female has done with
Southern Bank and Trust
Cd.'' her nominator said.
"In banking." her nomi
nator said, "as in many other
professions, the upper level
positions have been tradi
tionally held by men. It is in
this field that Jean C.
Stephens has made her
mark. In her 15-year career
with Southern Bank, she has
held practically every posi
tion within her branch."
Mrs. Stephens is a
member of Unity Methodist
Church and is active in the
town of Warsaw's recreation
program. She is a member of
the board of directors of
Duplin County Club where
she was social committee
chairman last year.
# Margolis Certified By Board
Dr. Jeffrey Alan Margolis
has successfully completed
the requirements for board
certification in internal
fffedicine.
To become board certified,
a licensed physician must
have completed a three-year '
residency program in
internal medicine and must 1
pass a rigorous two-day
examination encompassing
areas of both clinical internal
medicine and patient
management problems.
This award certifies Dr.
Margolis as a specialist in
internal medicine. He j
becomes the first board (
certified internist practicing r
in Duplin County. He re
ceived his M.D. from UNC
School of Medicine in Chapel
Hill. His three years of
residency training were
completed at Baptist Hos
pital in Memphis, Tenn.
A native of New Bern. Dr.
Margolis now practices at
Goshen Medical Center in
Faison. He is on the staff of
Duplin General Hospital and
also serves as a Duplin
medical examiner.
Dr. Margolis. his wife
Barbara and son Joshua live
in Faison.
Howard Returns To Jail
The Rev. Sheldon Howard.
44, was returned to jail last
Friday to be sentenced in
)uplin County Superior
Zourt for second-degree
nurderthis Friday.
Howard had been charged'
with first-degree murder in
the death of Inez Quinn
Jernigan. 53. a prominent
Kenansville businesswoman,
whose beaten and stabbed
body was found in her home
*
north of Kenansville April
22.
Howard pleaded guilty to a
lesser charge of second
degree murder last Nov. 17
after a plea bargain was
reached between his attor
neys and District Attorney
William Andrews. The
penalty for second-degree
murder is two years to life in
prison. If sentenced to life,
the prisoner becomes eligible
for parole in 20 years.
Judge Henry L. Stevens III
delayed sentencing pending
a mental examination of
Howard at Dorothea Dix
Hospital in Raleigh.
Following the plea in
November, Andrews said a
$20,000 loan made by Mrs.
Jemigan to Howard figured
prominently in the state's
case. Howard claimed he
repaid the loan but did not
have a receipt.
$ v
KENANSVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
INSTALLS OFFICERS - Carey Wrenn was installed as
president of the Kenansvillc Area Chamber of Commerce
Thursday night at the annual membership meeting. Other
officers and directors installed included: Douglas Judge.
vice president: Thomas Rouse, treasurer. Carolyn Hall,
executive secretary, and Directors Kay Stroud. Alice Rich,
Bill McKay. Hilda Booth nd Alice Worthington. Pictured
above. Rouse. Judge ano Wrcnn Earl Stroud, outgoing
president, presided at the installation
James Sprunt Foundation Sponsors
Lunch Matinee And Dinner Theatre
The James Sprunt Foun
dation will present a lunch
matinee and dinner-theatre
featuring the Carolina
Regional Theatre in Neil
Simon's comedy. "The Good
f.jKtor." Both performances
are scheduled for Feb. 20 at
The Country Squire in
Kenansville. Matinee-luneh
will begin at 11:30 a.m. and
tickets are available through
members of the James
Sprunt Foundation board of
directors, or from Joe West
at The Country Squire.
Tickets for the dinner
theatre are available
through the Foundation
board of directors. Tickets
mav also be purchased
through Foundation execu
tive secretary Donna
Thigpen at James Sprunt
Technical College. Members
of the Foundation include.
Ellen Brewer, Pfentice
Smith, Tom Yates and
Charles Alhertson. Members
of the Matinee- ar.d dinner
theatre committee are J.
Willard Hoffler, Pearl'S.
McGowen, Emmett Wick
line. Riddick E. Wilkins,
Harold Precythe. F.dd
Dudley Monk, Dr. Corbett
Ouinn. Allen Nethercutt.
Robert Lee, Dixon S. Hall
and Winifred T. Wells.
Construction Firm
Assured By Wallace
The town board at Wallace
assured a Greensboro con- i
strnction company Monday
night last week that water
and sewer service will be
provided to a 44-unit town
house project the firm plans
to build.
Harris Brown of Weaver
Construction Co. of Greens
boro received a letter of
assurance from the board.
Wallace has been under a
virtual no-growth order from
the state Environmental
Management Commission
because of limited sewage
treatment capacity. By
taking steps to limit the
amount of storm runoff
getting into the sewer
system, the town has been
able to keep sewage within
the plant's limits.
EMC approved service to
the new development last
year.
The $1.5 million develop
ment will b on a six-acre site
South Raleigh Street in the
southern part of town. It will
be medium-income develop
ment with no subsidized
rental units.
The project will include 24
one-room and 20 two-room
apartments. The smaller
units will rent for about $100
permonth.
Construction is scheduled
to start in midsummer.
Weaver Construction has
300 similar units in the state
managed by its real estate
division.
In other action, the board:
?Voted to sign a franchise
contract with Univision Cable
Television Co. upon receipt
of a construction schedule. In
the contract, the firm agrees
to make 21 chanels available
to customers for $8.95 a
month. It will provide five
other channels for additional
fees. The firm will pay the
town 3 percent of its gross
income from service in the
town.
?Agreed to study street
needs to determine how to
allocate $49,000 from the
Powell Bill fund. This is the
1-cent share of the state
gasoline las anucatcu iu
cities and towns for street
work.
? Appointed Walter
James Jr. to :tudy possi
bilities of a town gymnasium.
-^Agreed to have town
administrator Steve Routh
apply for $1.1 million from
the Environmental Protec
tion Agency for Steps Ii and
III of its long-planned sew
age treatment plant.
Routh said he was in
formed Monday that EPA
will no longer accept Steps 1
and II separately but will
accept applications for the
second and third steps. The
second step is the detailed
planning preparation, and
the third is the construction
phase.
Audience Divided On Hunting
Policies At Wildlife Hearing
Opponents of state wildlife
resources commission
management of game
hunting seasons in Duplin
County spoke vehemently in
a hearing in Kenansville
Thursday night, but sup
porters appeared to be more
numerous among the 81
people present.
When W.G. Blanchard
asked those favoring wildlife <
commission control to say s
"yes." a loud chorus re- I
sponded, drowning out op- s
1 ponents. I
"The wildlife people are
much more capable of 1
managing the season than '?
the county," Blanchard said. '
"1 think we should keep '
wildlife separate from this '
political football (of county '
regulation)." '
Commmission Chairman
Woodrow Price said it was
the largest crowd at any of
the panel's hearings so far.
Through local laws ap
proved by the state legis
lature. the Duplin county
Board of Commissioners
barred a doe hunting season
' last year. Many Duplin
County farmers claim deer
are overrunning their fields,
damaging crops.
Another locaf law bars the
use of leg-holding traps in
the county. The law is favor
:d by many hunters who fear
>teel traps will cripple their
turning hounds, but trappers
iaid they want the law re
lated.
Jack Brinson of Kenans
dlle suggested a doe hunting
ieason should be permitted
n a triangular area between
S.C. 11 and N.C. 25 from
Kenansville, to the county
ines near Wallace and at
Jnslow County line east of
Beulaville.
The wildlife commission
had recommended doe hunt
ing be allowed in this area
last year, but the county
board objected.
Winnifred Mobley, a
Duplin hunter, said the area
involved in Blanchard's re
quest is too large. Milton
Bradshaw and Norwood
Blanchard of Chinquapin, a
member of the Pender
Hunting Club, both opposed
any doe days in the Cypress
Creek area of southeastern
U
Duplin County.
Charles Slemenda of Rose
Hill said he doubted the
accuracy of deer kill county
and herd counts.
Price agreed, saying, "We
do not have accurate counts,
but we can get the generil
trend. We figure we get one
out of five, or at very best,
one out of three (deer
counted)."
Theodore Rouse of Rose
Hill said, "We pay a lot of
rent for hunting (areas) and
we should be able to de
termine the way we harvest
(deer) ourselves."
Rouse said he knew ot
more than 100 deer killed out
of season by farmers las
year to protect their crops
"These deer had to be (pf
for the vultures,'' he added.
Tommy Potter of Kenans
ville said he knew of many
deer shot out of season and
that there should be a doe
hunting period.
I >