CLINTON — A Sampson County was sentenced Thursday to 23 years in prison for the murder of a Newton Grove resident, whose remains were discovered close to a year after his family reported him missing.

Clinton Police Department received a $173,000 United States Department of Justice grant to upgrade existing radio communication devices. Earlier this year, Clinton PD staff submitted a grant application to the USDOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS office) to upgrade current handheld and in-car radios. Clinton PD received its award letter this week, naming them one of only four agencies in North Carolina to receive the Technology and Equipment Program grant. The COPS office will make available 120 awards totaling approximately $111.6 million to state, local, tribal, and other entities through the COPS Technology and Equipment Program (TEP), which is congressionally-directed spending for community projects to develop and acquire effective equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime. ‘I’m elated to receive such a large grant that will certainly improve vital communication systems to keep our officers safe and improve responsiveness,’ Clinton Police Chief Anthony Davis stated. Pictured, from left, are: Davis, Mayor Pro Tem Marcus Becton and Mayor Lew Starling.

CLINTON — On Tuesday, Aug. 23, the Sampson Community College (SCC) Foundation met for their final quarterly meeting of the 2021-2022 fiscal period. The meeting reflected on the growth of the Foundation during the past year and marked many positive changes coming in 2022-2023, including the welcoming of new leaders.

Delveccio Faison is a Clinton-born artist with several pieces hanging in the downtown business of his former classmate Tomeka Robinson, owner of 810 Studios. Faison, now teaching art in D.C. public schools, has navigated the practical hurdles to his artistic success, which has its basis of support in Sampson County.

A night for honoring and remembrance was held Monday at Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church. Members from the church, U Care and community each gathered there for a singular purpose — the annual candlelight vigil for victims of domestic violence.

A large standing clock within downtown Clinton has now been installed, and was quickly cloaked, leading up to what will be its unveiling this Saturday at 10 a.m. The City of Clinton’s bicentennial will be memorialized by the Rotary clock dedication at the corner of Main and Lisbon Streets. The clock will be a large, four-faced pedestrian clock with a turn-of-the-century look like the one erected years ago in Garland. Along with the Rotary clock dedication, the city will bury a time capsule to be opened at its 300th year anniversary in the year 2122. The clock dedication will kick off a day full of festivities at the annual Square Fair this Saturday, which will include art activities on Main Street sponsored by the Sampson Arts Council, an open house at the Sampson County History Museum, the Ol’ Lightin’ Rods Car Show at the Clinton City Market, and various vendors and exhibitors stationed along Main Street, Vance Street and Lisbon Street. At 2 p.m., a BBQ cook-off winner will be announced on the Main Street side of the Sampson County Courthouse. The courthouse square event actually kicks off on Friday, Oct. 7, with a concert by Spare Change on Vance Street from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

A procession of close to 20 individuals spoke at the tail end of the Sampson County Board of Commissioners regular Monday meeting, voicing their displeasure on what they said was low pay for deputies and a lack of support for the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, echoing a rallying cry ignited on social media in August and building steam ever since. The comments, which lasted for about 40 minutes of the hour-long meeting, took commissioners and county administrative staff to task on what residents said was their failure to do what they should to keep residents safe.

Holly Grove Church of Christ will celebrate their 117th Church Anniversary & Fall Revival on Oct. 6-7 & 9.

The 2022 growing season has been abnormally dry and hot for Sampson County, however, hurricane Ian brought some much needed precipitation to the majority of our area. Now that we are beginning to see rainfall more prevalent in the forecast for our area, growers will soon be planting their cover crops as quick as they remove the last remaining summer crops out of their fields.