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PROGRESS SENTINEL ^
VOL. XXXXVII NO. 50 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 ' DECEMBER 15. 1983 20 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX j
KENANSVILLE BOARD MEMBERS SWORN IN -
Ex-Board member Jimmy Johnson, a magistrate, gives the
oath of office to new board members, (incumbent) Betty
Long, Jimmy Newkirk and Mark Vinson. . .Johnson did
not seek re-election nor did William Fennell.
\
Private Firm May Manage *
Kenansville Water Works
A private company's offer
to manage the Kenansville
sewage treatment plant and
water works for $500 a month
will be studied by the town
boardof commissioners.
The board will take up the
mattei at it's Jan. 9 meeting.
John Melville of Environ
mental Management Ser
vices Co. of Greenville told
the board at its meeting last
week that his firm has per
sonnel qualified and licensed
to operate city utilities. He
said the company has con
tracts to provide such ser
vices for several towns.
While the company would
not have a person at the
plants at all times, qualified
people would check regularly
to see that town utilities
employees were carrying out
their jobs. The company
personnel would make the
necessary tests of water and
sewage.
He also said the company
could save "half of its fee"
by making some changes in
the utilities facilities in
Kenansville.
The town has no licensed
sewage plant operator and is
seeking one. Several people
hired and paid by the town
while they were obtaining
town-financed training to
obtain operators' licenses
have left for jobs paying
higher salaries.
Three board members
were sworn in for new terms
at the opening of the meet
ing. Mary Vinson and Jimmy
Newkirk replace William
Fennell, a 14-year veteran of
*he board, and Jimmy John
son, an eight-year member.
Fennell and Johnson did not
seek re-election. Also sworn
in was Betty Long, who was
re-elected.
In other action the board:
? Agreed to ask the state
Environmental Management
Commission for permission
to treat an additional 10,000
gallons of sewage a day in
the town treatment faci: y.
The sewage would come
from the state correctional
unit on N.C. 11 south of
Kenansville.
? Decided to delay ap
pointing additional Alcoholic
Beverage Control board
members until next month.
Newkirk left the ABC board
to become a town commis
sioner. The term of Emil
Coggins on the ABC board is
expiring. *
Duplin Agencies
May Move Into Old School
The former Kenansville
Elementary School building
may house Duplin County
offices in the future.
The county Boaid-of Edu
' cation last week voted to give
the building, which is no
longer used for classes, to
the county government.
County Manager Ralph
Cottle, however, said Wed
nesday neither he nor the
.county commissioners had
officially informed of
thevaction. "It would be
premature for me to. make
I any statement concerning
I just what the county will do
with the building," Cottle
said.
Cottle said several county
departments were crowded
in their quarters. The social
services department is parti
cularly short of space, he
said.
County officials will have
to determine the condition of
v the building before they can '
i begin planning for its use.
The building has not been
used as an elementary school
since the new school opened
on the east side of Kenans
ville about four years ago.
The county Board of Com
missioners had wanted the
building since that time but
school officials were hesitant
to release the structure,
thinking the school system
might have further use for it.
The school board went into
secret session during its
meeting Tuesday night to
discuss the property. It later
voted to give the building
and a portion of the school
she between the building
and Duplin General Hospital
to the county. It also voted to
give the county the unused
Branch School building near
Albert son.
The school system plans to
retain some of the property
between the old Kenansville
Elementary School building
and Kenan Memorial Audi
torium and the amphitheater
behind it.
In other action, the board
refused to delay start-up of a
junior Reserve Officers
Training (ROTC) program in
East Duplin High School at
Beulaville.
Superintendent L.S. Guy
advised the board that
$10,000 would have to be
taken from the contingency
fund this past week to pay for
starting the program early
next year.
Guy recommended^ the
board delay the program
until it was sure it would
have the $30,000 to finance
its share of the program's
cost for a full year. However,
Guy warned the board, "It
could be a long cold spell
before you'll be able to get it
(the ROTC program) again."
Board member Bill
Richards of Wallace made a
motion to delay starting the
program. The motion died
for lack of a second.
Board member Carl Pate
of Beulaville said it would
disappoint many people if
the program didn't start,
"but if money is critical I
would hate to see another
program) such as band,
dropped; because of the
ROTC. However, I can't
second the motion."
Board member Jimmy
Strickland said, "I feel
strongly about it, but if we
can't do it right now, maybe
we should wait."
Chairman Joe Swinson
was absent. Vice Chairman
Riddick Wllkins presided.
The board directed attor
neys to work out arrange
ments so Beulaville can turn
over to the school system
$10,000 obtained through
public fund-raising efforts
for improving-the Beulaville
Elementary School sports
fields for public use when the
field is not being used by the
school.
fh other action, the board
sold a tobacco production
quota of 647 pounds to
Grover Rhodes for $1,900.
The allotment belonged to
the B.F. Gradv School.
Three Held On Drug Charges
Three people were being
held in the Duplin County
Jail in Kenansville Friday on
charges of conspiracy to
| traffic and trafficking in co
cain.
Robert Moye, 34, of Route
S, Bo* 57, Mount Olive, was
charged with trafficking in
cocaine. He was being held
in lieu of $15,000 bond
Friday.
Michael Cecil Queen, 30,
and Edward K. English, 39,
both of Clayton, Ga. were
Duplin Students Tested
Duplin County school offi
cans reported 90 percent of
county students taking state
competency tests in 1983
passed the reading section
| and 87.3 percent passed the
mathematics section.
The average for schools in
the region that includes
Duplin was 92.3 percent
passing the reading and 88.8
percent the mathematics
sections, the state average
was 92.6 percent passing
reading and 87.3 percent
passing the mathematics
sections.
Eighty-five Duplin juniors
and 33 seniors failed all or
part of the tests.
charged with three counts
each of conspiracy to traffic
in cocaine and one count
each of trafficking by trans
porting, sale and possession
of cocaine. Queen and En
glish were being held in lieu
of $100,000 bond each Fri
day.
Glenn Jernigan, chief
deputy, said the men were
arrested about 9 p.m. on
Thursday. He said Sampson
and Onslow sheriffs depart
ments drug officers and the
State Bureau of Investigation
participated in the investi
gation. He said six ounces of
cocaine was seized at the
titne of the arrests.
Duplin Hospital Turns
The Fiscal Corner
Duplin General Hospital's
financial status turned from
red to black in its fiscal year
ending Sept. 30, the annual
auditors' report revealed
Thursday night.
The hospital ended its
recent fiscal year $260,898 in
the black, compared with
$251,798 in the red for the
previous year, a turn-around
of$512,696.
Operating revenues ex
ceeded expenses by $82,325
for the past fiscal year.
The previous fiscal year's
report showed an operating
deficit of $351,329.
Not-operating revenues of
$178,573 in the 1982-83 fiscal
year increased the net in
come to $260,898 and non
operating revenues of
$99,631 reduced the 1982-82
year's deficit to $251,798.
The report showed gross
revenues from patients' fees
increased 15.5 percent
during the fiscal year ending
Sept. 30 while gross ex
penses increased 8 percent.
Joseph Hart of the audit
ing firm, Ernest & Whinney
of Raleigh, reported operat
ing revenues of $5,083,443
for the past fiscal year com
pared with $4,293,377 for the
fiscal year ending Sept. 30,
1982.
Hart reported the hospital
is now owed $187,077 from
insurance companies and
other sources while a year
ago it owed $50,525.
The profit shown in the
past fiscal year's report was
the first since 1978.
Last year the county Board
of Commissioners ordered a
study of the hospital's fi
nancial situation. Recom
mendations included making
some physical improve
ments, tightening up on ex
penses. improving account
ing procedures and reducing
the size of the hospital's
Board of Trustees. The re
constituted trustee board and
hospital administration fol
lowed the recommendations,
said Richard Harrell, hospi
tal administrator.
"You're not out of the
woods yet," Hart told the
board and several county
commissioners and officials
Thursday night.
John Laird, aiso a member
of the auditing firm, empha
sized the chanse in federal
Medicare payments. Pre
viously. Medicare payments
were made according to how
much the hospital care cost.
Now. Medicare will pay set
fees for each type of health
problem.
"The new system puts the
hospital at risk." Hart said.
"It can come out better or
worse than before. It
changes the whole technique
of hospital management."
Harrell said a slight de
crease in days of patient care
has been recorded by the
hospital since Sept. 30. com
pared with the same period
last year.
Petition Opposes
Rezoning In Faison
A petition of more than 50
names opposed the rezoning
of the property on South
Railroad Street to commer
cial and was presented to
Faison Town Commissioners *
during a public hearing Dec.
7.
The owners of Community
Funeral Home in Warsaw
and Rose Hill requested the
rezoning in order to open a
business extension in the
recently purchased James
Jordan home in Faison. The
rezoning of the property was
unanimously approved and
recommended to the Faison
Commissioners by the town
planning board, said Mayor
Francis McColman. Faison
Commissioners voted four to
one, Board member Jane
Hollingsworth opposing, to
rezone the property from re
stricted to commercial.
The petition was presented
by John C. Rouse and raised
questions of commercial spot
zoning, inadequate parking
for the proposed business,
and future location of un
desirable businesses within
the residential neighborhood
affected by the zone change.
"1 have lived on that street
all my life and I really don't
want a funeral home there,"
Faison resident Bessie
ti.vgmcj Slid.
Town Commissioner
Melvin Rogers stated the
growth of Faison would
mandate tlie eventual rezon
ing of property along High
ways 403 and 117 such as S.
Railroad Street. Rogers
pointed out the area re
quested for rezoning is lo
cated in an area surrounded
by property presently zoned
for commercial use.
Immediate rcnova'tn of
the lamc^ Jordan .'me is
planned by owners of Com
munity Funeral Home and a
Spring 1984 opening sche
duled.
N ?
INSTALLED AS PRESIDENT Dr. Hervy B. Kornegay,
M.D. of Calypso, was installed as president of the North
Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Dec. 2 in
Greensboro. Kornegay is a family practitioner with Mount
Duplin Native
Photo Courtesy Mt. Olive Tribune.
Olive Family Medicine in Mount Olive, and he has
practiced medicine 22 years. Pictured above, left to right,
Dr. Hervy .Kornegay, Dr. Harmon Holverson. installing
officer, and out-going president of the Academy, Dr.
Robert Townsend.
Installed As President Of
Family Physicians Academy
Dr. Hervy B. Kornegay
Sr. of Calypso was installed
as president of the North
Carolina Academy of Family
Physicians at the 35th annual
Scientific Assembly banquet
in Greensboro Dec. 3.
The North Carolina Ada
demy of Family Physicians
has a membership of 1,500.
Kornegay is the third doctor
from Mount Olive to hold the
title of president of the
Academy. An associate of
Kornegay's at Mount Olive
Family Medicine, Dr. Robert
Shacklefbrd, has held the
office and Mount Olive
native Dr. Lynn Jordan, who
now resides in Smithfield.
Kornegay will replace out
going president Dr. Robert
Town send.
Kornegay uas practiced
medicine for 22 years. He is
currently associated with
Mount Olive Family Medi
cine working with Dr. Robert
Shackleford, Dr. Robert S.
Mayer, Dr. Ellen T. Brubeck
and Dr. James R. Lambert.
He is a graduate of Wake
Forest University and the
Bowman Gray School of
Medicine.
In the coming year as
president of the Academy,
Kornegay plans to make
educational opportunities
available in a variety of fields
related to the medical prac
tice of a family physician.
Also, Kornegay plans the
continued support of political
involvement by the Academy
of family physicians, espe
cially in tne areas of life
support ethics.
"The family physician is
involved with a patient from
birth to the grave and in
many instances treats the
entire family," Dr. Hervy
Kornegay of Mount Olive
said. "Because of the close
relationship with the patient
and family members, the
family physicians should be
involved deeply in life sup
port ethics. The physicians
should not be making the
decision, but should be
available to offer objective
information to assist the
family in making the best
decision for all the people
involved." He added, life
suppoort decisions made by
the family or individual, their
family physician should not
be second-guessed by a
governmental agency.
"My practice is like doing
something for fun and then
getting paid for the plea
sure." Dr. Kornegay said.
After attending medical
school. Kornegay returned to
his home in Duplin and
began work immediately.
Also, he took on the job of
doctor for the North Duplin
football team and he con
tinues to be on the sideline
after 22 years. "North
Duplin is one of the few
schools of its size to have a
physician on the sidelines
during games. Over the
years 1 have treated most of
the football players in my
office as my patients) and
many of them keep in touch
years after they have left
Duplin."