Betty Joe Cumby Kotcho Naylor, 81, passed away peacefully in the early hours of January 17, 2026, while being cared for in her daughter’s home. A memorial service to honor Betty’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at Rouse Funeral Home. The family will receive friends following the service.
Due to continued support from Lenoir-Greene United Way and the broader community, the Friends of the Homeless shelter will remain open 24 hours a day for the duration of the storm. The extended hours will provide a safe place for homeless individuals and families throughout the severe weather.
(RALEIGH) Governor Stein declared a State of Emergency as North Carolina prepares for the impacts of a major winter storm. On Thursday, January 22, at 11:15 a.m., Governor Stein will hold a media briefing to provide updates on the status of storm preparations. He will be joined by NC Department of Public Safety Secretary Jeff Smythe, NC Department of Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson, NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray, NC State Highway Patrol Colonel Freddy Johnson, and NC National Guard Major General Todd Hunt.
Increasing confidence that the greatest impacts within our area will be from ice accumulation due to freezing rain.
The Kinston City Council met Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at City Hall, addressing public safety concerns, approving multiple grant-related ordinances, and selecting a consulting firm to lead the search for the city’s next permanent city manager.
Greatest uncertainty in freezing rain impacts has now shifted west to the Hwy 17 corridor with little to no freezing rain accumulation currently forecast along the coast.
Thomas Denny Garner, age 81, passed away peacefully at his home on January 20, 2026. Visitation will be held Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Snow Hill, NC
On January 20, 2026, at approximately 11:20 p.m., officers with the Kinston Police Department’s D-Squad checked out with a suspicious vehicle in the area of Plaza Boulevard.
The biggest changes this morning are increased confidence in ice and freezing rain impacts, and lower probabilities of snow impacts for most, except those along and north of US 264.
At the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 21, 2026, Cleveland Lovick was sworn in to fill the vacancy created by the death of Commissioner Roland Best. The oath of office was administered by Mary Alphin, Clerk of Superior Court for Lenoir County.
A church is formed, established, and founded when a group of people organize for the purpose of meeting together for worship. Although a permanent place to assemble is a goal for most fledgling churches, a building is not required for people to worship. Further, the year a church erects a building does not necessarily align with the year it is organized.
Former NFL player and lung cancer awareness advocate, Chris Draft will visit UNC Health Lenoir on Tuesday, January 27, to spotlight the Get Real and Heel exercise oncology program at the Minges Wellness Center.
The Lenoir County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council announces the availability of $247,183 for 2026-27. Use of these funds requires a 10% local match. Needed programs: Mentoring, Parent/Family Skills, Interpersonal (Social) Skills, Vocational Skills, Restitution, Teen Court, Home-based Counseling, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Juvenile Structured Day.
It remains too early to pinpoint amounts or where specific precipitation types will set up, but potential continues to increase for significant impacts this weekend into next week.
A joint effort between the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrest of a 20-year-old Duplin County woman for narcotic related charges.
Roland Ernest Clayborne, 85, of Kinston, North Carolina, was called home to the Throne of Jesus on January 18, 2026, where he was reunited with his beloved wife, Marie, and a host of family and friends. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Rouse Funeral Home in La Grange, North Carolina. A celebration of his life and interment will follow at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Westview Cemetery on Hwy 70 in Kinston.
Confidence continues to increase for a winter storm to unfold across Eastern NC this weekend.
After a decade in call centers, nothing makes me turn into the stereotypical entitled, middle-aged, woman quite like a bad customer service experience. Last month, my youngest son was involved in an accident while riding the monster bike. Apparently, a red pickup truck side swiped him, sending him and the bike over a curb. He’s fine, the bike is banged up, but fine, so he goes home.
