Public notice: LCPS: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) Furniture Procurement – Frink Middle School

Lenoir County Public Schools is soliciting qualifications from qualified vendors to provide furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) for the new E. B. Frink Middle School currently under construction at 405 N. Charles Street, LaGrange, NC 28551. The district seeks firms with proven experience in furnishing educational facilities with durable, ergonomic, and flexible furniture solutions appropriate for middle school students and staff.

UNC Health launches nation’s first rural OBGYN Fellowship

UNC Health is the first healthcare institution in the nation to launch an Obstetrics and Gynecology Fellowship dedicated to rural women’s health. The new UNC School of Medicine program’s intent is not only to train physicians to provide high-quality care in rural settings but also to make it easier for women who live in North Carolina’s “maternity care deserts” to access the medical care they desperately need.

Kinston revitalization leader calls for action on neglected downtown buildings

Downtown Kinston Revitalization Executive Director Leon Steele told City Council this week that while investment in the municipal service district is growing, abandoned and neglected buildings remain one of the community’s greatest obstacles.

“These structures are not only unattractive, they are unsafe,” Steele said. “They present liability risks, they drag down property values and they obstruct the growth we’re working so hard to achieve.”

Obituary: Margaret Lucile Davis

Margaret Lucile Davis, age 90, of Kinston, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 24, 2025, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center in Goldsboro, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family. Visitation will be held at Edwards Funeral Home on Thursday, August 28, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Brian Rogers officiating. Interment will follow at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Kinston.

Kinston, La Grange and other cities pay off electric debt, future rate impacts uncertain

A debt that has weighed on Kinston, La Grange and 30 other eastern North Carolina communities for more than four decades has finally been retired.

The North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA) first issued $3.2 billion in debt in 1982 to buy ownership stakes in power plants, securing long-term electricity for its member cities. That decision gave towns like Kinston more control over power supply, but it also left them with some of the highest electric rates in North Carolina.