A great deal of gratitude should be shown to law enforcement officers from the Clinton Police, Sampson Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Highway Patrol for their quick response to last week’s dual shooting incidents at Eastover Terrace Apartments.

It was their sharp-edged observation and investigation that led to the quick arrest of two men believed responsible for firing into two apartments at Eastover and the apparent attempt to fire shots at another individual at those apartments, all the same night.

While no one was injured, having two suspected assailants roaming our streets would not have left residents with a good feeling. Instead, we can all rest a little easier knowing that officers had them in custody before the night was over.

It was because of their quick response that the pair were put behind bars and charged with a plethora of felonies.

Our hats are once again off to law enforcement for their continued service to our community. We know the jobs aren’t easy and go, many times, without thanks. We also know how dangerous the jobs can be and how willingly our officers risk that danger to serve and protect us all.

Today we thank you for a job well done and for the job you do each and every day.

Support our

local teams

The new football season has kicked into high gear around Sampson, and it is wonderful to hear the roar of the crowds, smell the hot dogs grilling and popcorn popping, and see young uniformed athletes excitedly pounding each other on the pads and hitting the field, doing their best to get the “W” for their team.

But that “W” doesn’t always come. But the support should.

We all need to keep in mind that the athletes on the field are high school students, working their hardest to excel at their sport of choice, and the coaches who train them for the games they play are their to teach as much as to coach.

While the season is still young, some of our teams have experienced losses, and sadly, some adults have found it necessary to criticize and bemoan the prospects for this year, forgetting that for these young athletes it should always be about more than just a victory notched in their belt. Remember the mantra “it’s now whether you win or lose but how you play the game.”

That still matters. As the adults watching the game, we would do well to remember that, too, cheering on the athletes and praising the jobs they are trying to get done rather than fuming about the play they didn’t make or the score that got away.

We support all our athletes and know they will bring it all season long, and we are proud of them each and every game because of the young men they are playing the game with respect, good manners and a gusto fitting of the jerseys they wear.

Let’s support our local teams, win or lose, showing them we respect how they play the game more than whether they win it or not.