OAK CITY, N.C. (WITN) - Deputies in Martin County are being credited for saving a man’s life after a home caught fire.
It happened around 9:15 p.m. Saturday on South East Avenue in Oak City. “I just think it could happen to anybody!” said neighbor Samuel Thompson. When deputies arrived, they learned from family members that Solomon Baker was still inside. A relative was trying to get Baker out through a window that was too small. ADVERTISEMENTOne sergeant tried to remove the window to get the man out, while another went in through the back door, but couldn’t get to Baker because of the heavy smoke. Deputy Justin Barr and Deputy Seymour Whitaker got inside through the kitchen and crawled nearly through the entire house to get to the bathroom. “It’s just something that comes with the job,” said Whitaker. “We run into different things every day. We just have to be prepared to do what needs to be done. " Once there, they guided Baker through the smoke and outside to safety, according to a news release. ADVERTISEMENT“There was no way he was coming out of that small window. So, we went in the back and without thinking about it we just went in and got him,” recalled Barr. As they were getting out of the burning home, Oak City Fire and EMS were arriving, deputies say, and firefighters were able to bring the fire under control. “I actually used to be a volunteer firefighter so I used that thinking to make sure we got below the smoke so we were able to see and stay calm,” said Barr. “With my partner there, we had our backs. We knew how to get back out, and we knew each other would be able to help each other out.” Baker was checked out by EMS, while the relative trying to get the man out through the window, and one of the sergeants was treated for cuts. ADVERTISEMENTNow, neighbors are focused on helping Baker get back on his feet. “I don’t know how he got it. I don’t care how he got it. All I know is, he’s a citizen of Oak City, he’s my neighbor, and I’m going to help out as much as I can,” said Thompson. No word yet on what started the fire.
0 Comments
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Eastern Carolina cyclists rode in silence Wednesday evening in honor of riders who have been killed or injured on the road.
The Ride of Silence is a worldwide event advocating for safer streets for cyclists. Eastern Carolinians taking part rolled out at 6:30 p.m. at the Greenville Bike Company on Clark Street. Steven Hardy-Braz mounted his bike for the first time since a crash almost left him dead. The thing he loved most, cycling, became one of his hardest moments to overcome. “In life, we have to make sure our fears don’t dominate us, but we can overcome them,” Hardy-Braz said. “But we always need to take precautions and be safe.” Hardy-Braz followed that mantra and organized a Pitt Counter chapter of the 12-mile Ride of Silence. In the East, cyclists have formed a strong community. “We just enjoy being out in the country on our bikes, fellowshipping with each other, just talking and having a good time out in the open,” cyclist Johnny Fleming said. Four feet of space is the law in our state that motorists have to give room on the road. Hardy-Braz sees that as an ultimate liability. “If I’m going to be a responsible husband, father, friend, brother, son... I need to be careful, and I always have to outweigh the dangers of anything I do in life versus the enjoyment,” Hardy-Braz said. “But for me, it’s a recreation or a choice in transportation. Other people, it’s the only choice they have.” Hardy-Braz advocates for everyone moving on two wheels, but cyclists know they have a responsibility on the roads too. “Follow all the traffic laws, ride with the traffic, and don’t weave in and out in traffic,” he said. “That’s what I do when I’m riding.” After 12 miles of silence, the riders had a lot on their minds. “Just thinking about being able to ride free, have fun, remembering some of the people that got injured just trying to cycle on the highway,” Fleming said. People can see pictures from those who participated in the ride across the globe by searching the hashtag: #RideofSilence2022 on social media.
WASHINGTON, N.C. (WITN) - An Eastern Carolina family continues to mourn the loss of one of its members as investigators enter the 25th year of searching for her killer.
Rebecca Moses Garcia was shot in Snow Hill and although there has been a suspect since the investigation started, he’s continued to evade arrest. The year was 1997 when Rebecca Garcia died. Her two-year-old son was at the home at the time of his mother’s death. As her family replays the hardest time of their life, they have grown impatient with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation. “This is the man that murdered my sister 25 years ago,” said Beverly Wilkerson as she held a mugshot. For years, Wilkerson has been haunted by the image of Ramirez Garcia. Investigators believe he shot and killed his then estranged wife, Rebecca. A warrant is out for him charging him with first-degree murder. “Every day we still live with it. No answers, a lot more questions,” said Wilkerson. The family says Rebecca Garcia was living in Beaufort County but went to the Snow Hill area to pay a ticket. She was staying with a friend in a mobile home on Highway 58. In the early morning hours, deputies believe Ramirez Garcia attacked. For years, no new details have been provided to the victim’s family. “There’s been nothing, absolutely nothing done, except for my daughter making a Facebook page,” said Wilkerson. “She’s done a great job and people have reached out to us, but somebody has got to know where he is.” The Facebook page is called Justice for Rebecca Moses and it has reached people throughout the East. Lloyd Tippett says he used to run in the same social circles as Rebecca when they were younger. He found out about her death from the family’s posts. “I found out who she was and how I know her and it was just so mind-blowing because I’m reading about how she’s supposedly dead and gone and I’m thinking, ‘What happened?’” said Tippett. Not only did Rebecca’s killer take her away from Beverly, but she can’t find the strength to go near the site of her death. When asked how she finds the strength to carry on, Wilkerson said, “That’s a good question. We ain’t got no choice. You gotta keep going, you gotta keep looking. You gotta keep remembering.” Tippett says remembering Rebecca through her Facebook has inspired him to share other families’ stories in need of closure. “Rebecca being gone now, she don’t have the say so,” said Tippett. “Especially for the family, it’s made it hard.” As they keep going, they keep advocating for the woman that no longer can. Greene County Sheriff Matt Sasser says in old cases like this one, updates to the investigation do not come often. If anyone were to produce a lead on the whereabouts of Ramirez Garcia, he tells WITN his office is ready to pursue them. Rebecca Garcia’s case remains open so anyone with information on her death is asked to contact deputies.
PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Colleges and universities across the east are rounding out the school year with graduation ceremonies. Tuesday night, Pitt Community College joined the list.
A wave of royal blue caps and gowns marched through Minges Coliseum at ECU with hundreds of families there to cheer on the new graduates. In just a few years the students say they have become like family, and today was the greatest celebration of their friendships. “They did everything that they could to help me get through this program, I swear, especially the friends that I’ve made,” said Jasmine Vickery. She’s going to be a paramedic. With so many higher education options throughout the east, PCC attracts students with certain values. “It’s so close to my home,” said Vickery. “I have a two year old so I like to stay home.” For the past three years, this group of friends has been through it all together, but the road to their success wasn’t easy. Friendships challenged by the difficulties of the pandemic came out stronger on the other end. \“It’s passed COVID. It’s the first one we’ve been able to have in person,” said Emergency Medical Science program director Leslie Carico. “They’ve made it wonderful. I’ve got to say I’m going to miss all of them.” As they take these next steps toward the rest of their careers, nostalgia creeps in and they reflect on their time in school. “We cried. We fought. We did everything we could, and we got it!” exclaimed Bethany Peterson, another graduate. She now looks forward to living out the daydreams she had as a student. “Seeing different things, doing different things, saving people, that’s all I’ve wanted to do,” said Peterson. The full graduation event will be rebroadcast on Pitt-TV at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. every Sunday through September.
N.C. (WITN) - Gov. Cooper and the North Carolina General Assembly were given recommendations on how to lower the child fatality rates in the state.
New data reveals that North Carolina has the eighth-highest infant mortality rate in the country. The report was created by the Child Fatality Task Force. They say more than 1,200 children died in the state in 2020. Over 100 baby deaths each year are caused by unsafe sleeping environments. “Few people would realize just how many infant deaths occur in an unsafe sleep environment,” Kella Hatcher, the group’s executive director said. “If we can do better at teaching folks about what an unsafe sleep environment is and how to avoid that, we really can prevent a lot more of those infant deaths.” In Eastern Carolina, Martin County has the highest infant mortality rate at 1.75%. Bertie County is second at 1.69%, and Beaufort County is third at 1.40%. The state currently spends $45,000 on programs to prevent infant deaths, but the task force says it’s time to raise that budget. They recommend spending a little over $2.00 per North Carolina baby and devoting $250,000 each year to that precaution. “We’d love for healthcare providers, plus everyone else, in addition to the governor and the General Assembly to really be informed about this because that’s what the task force was created to do: to study and report on this data and to make recommendations to prevent future child deaths and maltreatment," said Kella Hatcher, Child Fatality Task Force executive director. The report also found that areas of the state with the highest child death and infant mortality rates were also areas with other high-risk factors. Black infants in North Carolina are 2.5 times more likely to die than white infants. “We’re focusing really on social determinants of health,” Hatcher said. “When we look at those geographic maps, we see that the highest rates tend to be the areas that also have the highest social determinant of health risk factors such as poverty, unemployment, and things like that.” While the data from 2020 across the state represents about half of the number of deaths North Carolina saw in the 1990s, the numbers have stayed relatively unchanged over the past decade. This is a clue for the task force that means the systems can be improved. Each of the state’s 100 counties has a local child death review team to highlight systemic failures and work to prevent future death and mistreatment, but there is no centralized state-level coordination. The task force recommends creating that system and joining the 47 other states that integrate national data in their practice. It would cost the state about $550,000 per year. The full report by the Child Fatality Task Force can be found here.
GREENE & HYDE COUNTIES, N.C. (WITN) - Teachers are rounding the corner on the school year, but before school is out for summer, educators are being celebrated.
National Teacher Appreciation Day gives school systems and classrooms the chance to highlight their favorite teachers’ favorite things. “Our staff loves to eat so we are eating every day this week,” said Greene County Intermediate School principal Jada Mumford. After two years of interrupted education from the pandemic, teachers in Eastern Carolina are getting back into the swing of things. “This is the first year that we’ve had some sense of normalcy,” said Mumford. “We were able to go on a field trip for the first time in three years to the Wood Ducks game and took almost 350 students. So, I just think it’s a great time to be able to come back together.” Tuesday’s celebration was just one part of a whole week dedicated by the National Parent-Teacher Association to those educators going above and beyond for their students. “There’s a lot more that a teacher does other than just educate our children,” said Hyde County administrative lead teacher Paige Smith. “You’re nurse. You’re a mom in school. You are someone to get them food if they are hungry outside of the lunch or breakfast time. So, just a kind note, letting them know that you realize that they are going above and beyond for your child and that you appreciate it, that really means a lot. " Now seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, teachers still have their plates full. The National Education Association’s annual teacher salary report placed North Carolina as the 34th highest paying state. The state’s Department of Public Instruction has the ranking a bit higher at 32nd. “The pandemic was definitely a challenge for us all so it is so nice to be as close to normal as we can in the meantime,” said Smith. “Our teachers are working diligently to help our students grow and fill in those gaps that happened during the pandemic.” The National PTA has many resources your family can use like fillable cards, poem templates, and coloring print outs. Even just a passing encouragement to those educators can make a positive impact on their day. Teacher Appreciation Week runs all the way until Friday, May 6.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - For thousands of college students across the East, the pressure is on as they prepare for final exams.
Students at East Carolina University were met with an unlikely visitor to campus. Just as their week was set into motion, pet therapy came to the rescue. “ECU has a couple of things where there would be dogs, and there was a parrot one time,” said freshman Caroline Bridges. “So, they had those little setups and that was really nice to see. Any animals around makes you feel comforting and makes it feel like home.” This time, goats, old and brand new, did the comforting. ]They came to the Greenville campus from the farm of Sarah Ratley, also known as “The Painted Farmer.” Ratley says goats provide therapeutic benefits that more traditional animals cannot. “Some people have allergies or sensitivities to cats and dogs,” said Ratley. “Some people also have a fear of cats and dogs.” According to Mental Health America, 46-percent of Americans meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition at some time in their lives, and half of those people develop the condition by the age of 14. “Goats are very novel and it’s very exciting I think for the students to see something, an animal that they’re not used to, as well as, these particular goats have been around humans since they were tiny babies and they’re used to all that interaction,” continued Ratley. Some students came to the library specifically for the goats. For others, it was a welcomed surprise. “In my group chat someone said, ‘There’s goats in the library,’ and I swear I’ve never walked faster in my life!” said freshman Stephanie Stewart. It isn’t just exam season stressing these students out. “I just moved into my apartment yesterday, so I have exams this week, I’m moving into an apartment, and now I’m holding a goat,” Stewart said. With so much on their plates, the goats gave the students a boost. “Honestly, I really think this made me more awake and a lot more energized,” said Bridges. “I think I’m going to go back into studying a lot more ready to study and instead of just wanting to go back to sleep.” Although the goats have made their way back to their farm in Wilson County, you can find pet therapy across the East. Many animal shelters and humane societies have volunteer programs in place to spend some time with four-legged friends.
GREENE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Unemployment rates across Eastern Carolina are trending downward according to new reports from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, but some business owners say that data does not represent the struggles they face in filling open positions.
Sitting at an even 3% unemployment rate, Greene County seems to be back on track in the workforce. However, restaurant owners along Highway 58 in Snow Hill say they have been having trouble filling jobs for months, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. “It’s really bad. I don’t see why the numbers would say it’s good because everywhere you look is hiring, even our sign,” Bilinda Gwaltney, Two Cousins Pizza in Snow Hill owner said. When the new data from the state showed Greene County’s apparent employment success, Gwaltney objected. “We’ve actually had to shut down our deliveries, which was a big thing, because of lack of help,” Gwaltney said. “We just lost one driver and we’re still looking for another one.” Being family-owned and operated, the pizza shop had to make tough business decisions. “It does a hurtin’ because people don’t know whether we’re going to be open, whether we are not. They question and it causes them to have to hurt too because they love our business... and I think because we’re short-staffed, part of that could contribute to the fact that we’re getting a little bit slower," said Bilinda Gwaltney, Two Cousins Pizza owner. A few minutes down Highway 58, the staff of Piggly Wiggly tells a different story. “We haven’t had any problems as far as employment or getting people to come to work or anything like that,” Danielle Gray said. “We’ve actually had people willing to come to work.” Gray has worked at the grocery store for 12 years. She’s seen a lot in that time but says she and her coworkers stayed employed throughout the whole pandemic. “I did get COVID during the time, but the show continues. Everybody showed up, everybody worked together,” Gray recalled. “We always work together. Us here, we’re going to come to work. We may have to get sent home, but we’re going to come to work.” For employers still putting out the help-wanted signs, many shortages are yet to be filled. The state-wide unemployment average sits at 3.5%, just a fraction under the national average of 3.6%. With more than 55,000 new workers in the state in March alone, the hope for many struggling employers is to add to their own rosters soon. While Greene County was reported to have the lowest unemployment rate in the East, Hyde County was on the other end of the spectrum with the highest figure of 8.7% of its residents unemployed.
WASHINGTON, N.C. (WITN) - New improvements are underway for an airport in the East that caught the attention of state lawmakers.
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore and state Rep. Keith Kidwell were among the leaders shoveling the first scoops of dirt at the Washington-Warren Airport, symbolizing the start of the aerospace future of Beaufort County. With $20 million of state funds promised to the airport, Washington-Warren Airport Manager Earl Malpass joined the crew with a promise. “The quality of life for the employees is going to go up dramatically,” Malpass said. With Eastern Carolina situated about halfway between New York and Miami, the improvements are anticipated to keep the good news coming. “An expansion of the airport, of course, is going to allow folks to travel into the region easier. It’s going to allow you to have larger jets, you’re going to be able to have more aircraft parked here,” Moore said. “But it’s also going to allow an opportunity for industries or companies that are centered around aviation to be able to open here.” The money comes from a General Assembly allocation originally presented to the airport in December 2021. “We’re talking about hundreds of jobs per firm, so that’s going to multiply,” Malpass said. “It may not be ginormous with something like Amazon, but for Beaufort County, you get a thousand good-paying jobs and that’s going to make an impact.” Aviation jobs hope to offer upward mobility and competitive salaries to the communities around the airport. “One of the challenges that a lot of rural counties, like this county, like where I live, is that folks will sometimes graduate high school or graduate college and they struggle about where are they going to work? Where are they going to find a job?” Moore said, “and the aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing areas of the economy. " The $20 million appropriation isn’t just going to benefit the future employees of the airport, but also those currently working the tarmac. Equipment upgrades like lights on the runways and better aircraft taxi tractors are included in the plans. The current fleet of aircraft at the Washington-Warren Airport is made up of mostly single-engine planes, with one multi-engine plane, one jet, and one helicopter also part of the mix. Future plans include expanding aircraft capacity and also branching into the marine industry, providing access for houseboat and yacht owners along the coast to the skies.
BATH, N.C. (WITN) - As summer approaches in the East, more outdoor activities are on the horizon, but one group of avid cyclists says everyone who shares the road needs to be on the lookout.
Monday, that group rode in solidarity for their friend who suffered extreme injuries earlier this month when she was riding her bike. “The drivers here, generally, are very considerate of cyclists. We’re lucky. We hear horror stories all over the place,” said Jill Paxson’s friend Liane Harsh. About halfway through the month of April, Paxson was involved in her own horror story, a crash with a pickup truck on River Road in Washington. She broke 17 ribs, each of her limbs, her jaw, her collar bone, her sternum, and was hospitalized in the ICU for over a week. With hefty medical bills racking up, the cyclist’s friends mounted their bikes, over the bridge from Washington to Bath, and bought shrimp platters to help her out. “I was out on a ride just out here the other day and I was like, ‘What can I do to help? What can I do to have a positive influence to help her out?’” said a fellow cyclist, Jeff Staton. “This is what came to my mind. We discussed it with the guys and thought this was perfect.” Cars and bicycles shared the drive-thru lane to get their dinners, all with the injured rider on the minds. “She always says, when we’re going into the wind or we’re going up a little hill, she always says, ‘And we’re climbing!’” recalled Harsh. “So, all weekend long that was kind of the phrase. We hit some really strong headwinds and we’d quote Jill.” Also on their minds, was a warning sign to be careful out there. “It just reminds me that we all need to take that extra moment to double-check, look before you turn, listen before you turn. You can hear cars sometimes before you see them,” said Harsh. For, now, they wait for the day they can ride the roads of the East with their friend once again. Paxson’s friends have raised nearly $25,000 to assist with her recovery and medical bills through a GoFundMe page. Last week, Paxson was taken off of her ventilator for periods of up to four hours and she was moved to a long term care facility where she’ll undergo intensive rehabilitation. Although there is a difficult time ahead of her, the rider’s family is happy to see her responsive. WITN is waiting to hear back from Highway Patrol about the details of this crash. |
breaking!Every story you see here is written, filmed, edited, fronted, and day-turned by Maddie. As an MMJ with WITN, she really does it all! Categories
All
|