TRENTON, N.C. (WITN) - Christian Faith Assembly in Trenton held a fundraiser Saturday in support of Joel Brown, who’s recovering from his injuries after he saved a pregnant woman from a fire last month.
The fire happened at 702 South Caswell Street in La Grange in September. Brown broke the fall of Ulaysha Southerland, who jumped from the second floor unit in an attempt to escape. Brown has since been met with bills for his hospital stays, reconstructive surgeries, and medical transportation rides. His community hoped to take some of his struggles away by accepting donations and selling dinner plates at the church on Saturday. “I wanted to do something for him,” said event organizer and lifelong friend of Brown Cheryl Ward. “When I heard of his injuries, the extent of his injuries, I said, ‘We have got to do something for him. He’s our hometown hero.’” Dozens pitched in to cook food, ice down drinks, and serve the plate to others wanting to show their support. They surprised Brown with the event and the donation. “It humbles you to know that people realize that I maybe in a point of need and they’re willing to help or just to surprise me to make me feel better,” said Brown. “It’s great.” Attendees of the fundraiser spoke highly of Brown, saying his behavior on the night of the rescue was not at all out of character. “When they said it was Jo-Jo that helped the lady when she jumped out of the window, I really wasn’t surprised,” said George Ward with the Christian Faith Assembly. “I thank God that he was at the right place, at the right time.” Brown says he is healing a bit more everyday and just trying to be the best patient he can be for his wife and two children.
0 Comments
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - For National Disability Awareness Month, the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center is spotlighting its clients with diagnosed disabilities for their dedication to a strong work ethic and teamwork.
One of those spotlighted workers can be seen maintaining the patio and parking lot of the Sonic Drive-In on Firetower Road in Greenville. Tedrick Johnson is tasked with sweeping and pressure washing the store area and his managers say he is an exceptional worker. For all workers, whether they are differently-abled or not, confidence on the job is essential. Johnson’s assignments at Sonic provide him with that confidence. “When he’s focused on washing certain items on the patio or pressure washing the lot, it gives him the confidence to know... Yes, I can complete this job. I can do this job well and I know what I’m doing,” said Sonic Manager Omara Carmon. Johnson’s father, Toney Johnson, says he has noticed a change in his son’s urgency. “He wants to make sure that I’m coming to pick him up on time. Make sure he gets to work,” Toney Johnson says. “So, one thing that lets me know as a father is that he likes his workplace and he likes the workplace environment here at Sonic.” Tedrick Johnson likes his job so much, he is working with his job placement specialist to put in some more hours on the clock. “I can tell when Tedrick is here and I can tell when he’s not,” Lisa Taylor, employment specialist at ECVC said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better person for this time, for this moment.” As a worker shortage impacts businesses across the country, ECVC urges local managers to think outside of the box to fill their next open position with someone who is eager to make a difference. “Differently-abled workers approach it as not a chore but as an opportunity,” Laura Pittman, job developer at ECVC said. “And that’s what we need! We need more workers who are excited to go to work and looking for ways that they can contribute to their community.” ECVC partners with local grocery stores, fast food chains, hotels, and offices to place differently-abled workers in jobs that highlight their strengths.
PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Step dancing is about more than just rehearsals, routines, and performances.
When the Martin family of Pitt County first moved to the Greenville area, they noticed their son Ethan was having trouble focusing, making friends in school and regulating his behavior. That all changed when Mary Martin discovered the HYPE Crew step dancing team. HYPE was founded by North Pitt High School Assistant Principal Willie Joyner and has been providing extracurricular activities and mentorship opportunities to students since 1995. “The stress of a move and losing their friends and kind of wanting things to be normal again just caused normal childhood angst and step gave him an outlet for that,” said Martin. The troupe is open to community children from elementary to high school. Martin says with her son being her oldest child, it was difficult for her to find a good role model for him that is closer in age than his father. Ethan’s teammates and coaches quickly fit the bill. “There’s nothing in the world that’s more powerful than a kid being able to model themselves after someone who has been making good choices in their life and has been lifting other people up,” said Martin. HYPE Crew isn’t the only source of mentorship for younger students through stepping. Rodrayius McClure is a member of ECU’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and performs with their step team. “We work with kids in middle school, elementary, even some in high school,” said McClure. “And we have Guide Right and we have Kappa League that we work with.” He feels rewarded when he is able to set a good example for younger steppers and students. “Just going back and giving back to the community... it’s always great to see the young kids and to help them out with more than what we had,” said McClure. The pandemic put a pause on many extracurricular activities like step dancing but both Martin and McClure’s teams are back to performing. NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) - For some participants eager to go to MumFest after it was canceled last year due to the pandemic, large crowds can be overwhelming.
“The crowds are just ridiculous this year because it’s the first time after COVID that everyone is out and about and enjoying all of the stuff that Mum Fest has to offer,” said Melana Griffee. But for the first time, a designated sensory area and “welcoming environment,” was provided for individuals and families who may need a break at MumFest. Partners of Carolina Therapy Connection wanted to be inclusive for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, sensory processing disorder or neurodiverse individuals and their families by offering a sensory tent to explore and relax in. “This is a quiet area where they can come sit down on the chair, put on the headphones to block out some of the noise and just kind of chill to kind of shut out all of this,” said Becky Taylor, a life-long special needs educator. “Because this can be very stimulating for all of us, but a special needs child especially... this can be overwhelming.” The set up included Halloween crafts, sensory bins with sand, rice, and beans, and lounge chairs with noise canceling headphones. The pandemic caused a stop to many things, including social interaction. So, gatherings like MumFest can trigger some individuals into feelings of anxiety, according to Taylor. “Things are different, it’s just not the norm,” said Taylor. “We’re wearing masks and sometimes that’s uncomfortable for a child and it may be frightening for them. So, we all just really have to be more empathetic and understanding to find ways that we can all fit in.” Griffee knows the importance of inclusion first hand. “My brother has autism, so I know from my mom growing up that when you see your child just content in something, that makes you happy,” she said. “So that’s what our purpose is out here today.” Sensory play areas are becoming more popular in high-stress environments like airports, salons, and doctors’ offices. Carolina Therapy Connection will offer this service to all festival goers again tomorrow in Downtown New Bern. TRENTON, N.C. (WITN) - The Trenton Volunteer Fire Department received a new fire truck and equipment as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s investment in rural communities to help with disaster recovery.
The $690,000 disaster grant helped towards building a new fire house, purchasing a state of the art fire truck and getting new equipment to stock a station for almost any emergency. “We got a truck well equipped to handle almost any emergency,” president Charles Jones said. “We have a firehouse large enough to take care of people, we didn’t have that before.” The fire department initially applied for a $30,000 grant and said they were shocked to get that and more from the USDA. “We didn’t know what to think,” Jones said. “With the building, the grant to build the building and the grant to get the trucks, even though we had to borrow money and be in debt for a long time, we are still real pleased that everything came out like it did.” The firehouse was packed with firemen and their families on Sunday to celebrate the unveiling of the truck. “The firemen give us the edge,” Jones said. “We have good men, and they respond readily, putting their life of the line every time and rescue people or save prominent lives in the fire department.” Jones County was devastated by Hurricane Florence in 2018. The fire department rescued more than 135 people, although Jones said they were not as well equipped to house and protect the citizens as they could have been. The new additions will facilitate better safety for their firemen to protect and serve their community. Jones was also awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Roy Cooper. The honor was presented by Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Jones, Onslow).
FARMVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The Sutton Family of S&S Farms and Homeplace Strawberries has been awarded by the North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts as the 2021 State Conservation Farm Family of the Year.
A family operation since its inception, S&S Farms produces 3.3 million chickens, 306 thousand pounds of tilapia, 1100 acres of corn, 1400 acres of soybeans, and 450 acres of wheat a year. With such a high yield of services, comes an important dedication to how they can conserve the land they use for generations to come. Current owner Steve Sutton says that he has always had conservation in mind since he began working on the farm with his predecessors. “Conservation is a way of life. It’s not just a thing we practice year to year, but it’s a way of life,” he said. “Many, many years ago, as a matter of fact about 25 years ago, we began to see the return on investment on land that we did not till every year. But 25 or 30 years ago, the old saying was, ‘No till, meant no yield.’ That was not the case with us.” He has taken a no-tiling approach to his farming that benefits soil and root health and water conservation. The farm estimates that there are between 800,000 and 1,000,000 earthworms per acre of their land. This is essential for root zone health because when combined with the spreading of crop residue, they are able to conserve one day’s worth of water for three to four days. For Chairman Leroy Smith of the Pitt Soil and Water Conservation District Board, presenting this award comes hand and hand with recognizing the weight of the responsibility that area farmers carry. “The farmer’s job gets tougher every year. They’re an example of how you can have a big operation, agricultural operation, and do everything correct,” he said. “For the area, it enhances the whole area as a better place to live. And that’s the goal of the office, of the soil and water office and the board, is to make everything here a better place to live and work. And Mr. Sutton and his family have done an excellent job.” Conservation is not the only thing the Sutton family pays close attention to. They are dedicated to sharing their farming knowledge with our area’s next generation of conservative farmers. “We can do our part to conserve the environment and save it for our grandchildren and their children,” said Sutton. Beginning October 2nd, Homeplace Strawberries will open their Fall Festival. There will be pumpkins, a corn maze, and lots of information to share about how they work to better serve the area for the public.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - City employees met with local residents at Greenville City Hall Wednesday morning to board the Jolly Trolley and enjoy a taste of the town.
As part of Greenville’s Minority Enterprise Development Week, the event was sponsored in collaboration with the city and Greenville Utilities Commission. The tour included stops at The Breakfast Bar, Cinnamon Bistro, and Villa Verde. This week is meant to shed a special highlight on businesses that experience inherent disadvantages within the community. By taking this tour, local foodies had the chance to show their support and contribute to the city’s theme of “Back in the Black: Putting Our Dollars to Work.” “The pandemic caused a lot of businesses to pivot and restructure and they were drastically impacted,” said MED Week Organizer Danisha Harris. “Our MWBEs (Minority Business Women Enterprise) are already experiencing challenges just unique to their positions so now more than ever it is so important that we invest and support these MWBEs so they can sustain and grow.” Owner of restaurant Villa Verde, Jay Bastardo, is happy to be a part of the city event, especially with this month being National Hispanic Heritage Month. “I’ve been given the easiest tool there is to get people to like you, which is food, right?” said Bastardo. “We celebrate our heritage by doing what we’ve been trained by our moms and dads and our heritage... which is to work hard and do it in a way that honors God and honors our family and our heritage. So, we are just proud to do it.” Bastardo grew the Villa Verde franchise from an empty suitcase and five dollars in his pocket to a successful area food truck. Now, he owns both locations of the brick and mortar restaurant and his success does not stop there. He is now the proud owner of Harvey’s Breakfast Place on South Memorial Dr. “We get to continue to write the story, but we honor the one that’s been written for us.” Villa Verde is part of the city’s “In the Black” challenge. Customers can upload their receipts online from purchases made this week to compete for prizes from the city. The goal of city hall is to support minority and women-owned enterprises with $11,000 spent by the community for the 11th year this week is being honored. |
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
|