Author: Jeff Aydelette

BAYBORO – A 52-year-old man, being held in the Pamlico County Detention Center since mid-February, died in the early am hours of Sunday, July 12 – apparently from natural causes. Derrick Willis had been charged with a variety of drug-related offenses. According to friends and…

AURORA – Take it from a guy, who has attended quite a few Fossil Festivals over the past 20 years. THIS THING IS A BLAST!! Admission is free. Parking is free. Absolutely perfect family fun. You’ll see a ton of vendors, offering a gargantuan variety…

NEW BERN – For the record, Republican Laurie Buckhout wears a lady’s 9 ½ shoe – but in this case, we are talking about white boots — which are a common sight in commercial fish houses throughout eastern North Carolina. The gift of foot gear…

BAYBORO – Monday night, calling the INN AT PAMLICO “a bona-fide grassroots project,” Lorraine Yaeger, representing a nonprofit known as Tried By Fire, told the County Commission that this ambitious project to reduce recidivism and homelessness among formerly incarcerated women will soon break ground at…

This musical is based on the 1980 film starring (top left) Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. At top right are local performers, Anne Hayes (Fonda role); Regina Ruisi (Tomlin role); and Angie Loften (Parton role). The classic, time-tested production features smart comedy, strong…

BAYBORO – On one side is the recently concluded ‘mass appraisal’ of the county’s 17,000 parcels (which is supposed to document the much higher home values). On the other side, is a proposed tax rate for the 2026-2027 fiscal year of 52.5 cents per $100…

RALEIGH – In North Carolina, so-called ‘dwelling’ insurance policies are not homeowners’ insurance policies. Dwelling policies are offered to non-owner-occupied residences of no more than four units, including rental properties, investment properties and other properties that are not occupied full time by the property owner….

COVE CITY – In a brief telephone interview shortly after his Sunday morning sermon, Tanner Poplin’s enthusiasm, zest for life, and (of course) spirituality came through loud and clear. In just his mid-20s, Poplin has been pastor of Cove City Christian Church since August of…

  COASTAL NC – Effective Dec. 1, recreational fishermen must now report the harvest of Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Striped Bass, Weakfish and Flounder. This requirement applies to fish that are kept, not fish that are released. Ironically, this filing is laid out in a…

VANCEBORO – Always upbeat, always positive, local evangelist Ray Griffin’s ‘Church on Wheels’ is one of the best-known of our local parade entries. In one way or another, Griffin has been doing this sort of thing since 1995! Plan to see him again this month…

Aggressive, hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners gerrymandering has transformed the state’s First Congressional District – held by a Democrat since 1883 – into a likely GOP cakewalk for the 2026 elections. A whopping 23 counties – many snared from the Third Congressional District – should be fertile ground…

Mild-Mannered Daredevil, now 35, Attended School in Arapahoe NEW BERN – This guy is good. And, he is a perfect complement to many other world-class aviation experts who will appear over the skies of Union Point Park beginning at 4:30pm on Saturday, Nov. 29 for…