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State and military leaders gathered Thursday, Sept. 17, to celebrate the opening of Fleet Readiness Center East’s new aircraft maintenance complex at the North Carolina Global TransPark, a project expected to bring more than 400 jobs to eastern North Carolina and expand the military’s ability to keep aircraft ready for service.
The Kinston Police Department and the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office have officially merged KPD’s Violent Crime Action Team with the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, effective this week.
The smART Gallery will host the closing reception for "Neuse Reuse," a unique community art exhibition featuring trash-terpieces created entirely from discarded materials and litter collected during local cleanups. The event will take place on Thursday, September 24 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the smART Gallery, located at 210 N. Queen St.
The Snow Hill Board of Commissioners spent much of its September 14, 2026, meeting working through a months-long dispute over how the town billed residents for a new water and sewer rate, even as members pushed forward on a full slate of infrastructure work, from grant-funded well repairs to a new sidewalk contract, and accepted an award for the town's drinking water protection efforts.
The Kinston City Council on Tuesday approved a $3 million grant application for the Washington Avenue sewer rehabilitation project, advanced housing and public safety funding and, after a closed session, unanimously appointed Jon Mendenhall as the city’s next manager.
Kinston Toastmasters Club 962 invites the community to celebrate its 75th anniversary at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library, 510 N. Queen St.
Queen Street United Methodist Church will celebrate its 25th annual “A Queen Street Christmas” concert with three free performances Dec. 11-13.
The Kinston City Council announced Tuesday night that Jon Mendenhall, who recently concluded a six-year tenure as Eden’s city manager, will serve as Kinston’s next city manager.
The Lenoir County Board of Education voted 6-1 Monday to move forward with seeking a $52 million state grant to replace Woodington Middle School, following debate over whether the district should explore a different grade configuration before pursuing the project.
A significant turning point in the life of Hickory Grove Church was the December 1884 pastoral call to Rev. William Ellis Swain of the Methodist Protestant Church (M.P.C.) Conference. In his 1929 book that traced the history of the M.P.C. Conference, Dr. Olin B. Michael, Th.D. affirmed, "The Hickory Grove people had come to us [the M.P.C. Conference], under W. E. Swain's pastorate."
Kinston has been selected for a new electric-vehicle charging station as part of a $14.4 million statewide investment announced by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles’ license plate agency (LPA) in Kinston is temporarily closed through Sept. 18 to allow for contractor ownership transition. The contract for the previous owner expired on Sept. 11.
On September 11, 2026, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office regarding a suspect who had stolen a vehicle and fled the scene with a small child. Deputies immediately responded to an address in La Grange, where the suspect, Austin Riggs, a resident of Lenoir County, had barricaded himself inside a residence.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold an outreach event in Kinston for small contractors interested in working with the agency.
The following inspections were conducted by the Lenoir County Health Department:
Cormya Baker, of Kinston (28504) was named to the Summer 2026 Dean's List at Georgia State University.
The following is a list of people who have recently passed away in Lenoir County:
The Kinston Toastmasters Club will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on September 19, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. in the Kinston-Lenoir County Library.
Snow Hill Primary gives out a weekly award called "Terrific Kid" awards. Each teacher at SHP chooses a student who has been responsible, shows great character, or has reached a personal goal.
Most will recognize the sweet Muscadine grape by the variety of sweet wines produced right there in Eastern North Carolina. They are very commonly grown and celebrated by many Muscadine lovers each year.
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