Dealerships Weather Car Shortage
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Save $165 with the coupons inside today! The Wilson Times WEEKEND EDITION Online Daily • Printed Tuesdays and Fridays | MORE THAN A NEWSPAPER — A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION SINCE 1896 | wilsontimes.com | Friday, July 16, 2021 | $2 Dealerships weather car shortage By Brie Handgraaf have because we hadn’t caught Recession forced many manu- Car dealerships [email protected] up since the shutdowns from facturers to close, causing an in- across the country, | 252-265-7821 last year,” said Lee Motor Co. ternational parts shortage with including Lee Ford General Manager Matt Evans, residual effects compounded by Lincoln on U.S. Lots along west Wilson’s auto noting he usually had 225-250 the shuttering of semiconductor 264 Alternate, are dealership row are looking a bit cars on the lot before COVID-19 chip factories due to COVID-19. experiencing record sparse lately as the pandemic hit. “In February, the shipments Computer chips are found in low inventory. Brie continues to disrupt global sup- really got curtailed.” most modern consumer goods, Handgraaf | Times ply chains. Lee has 10% to 15% of new including cellphones and laptops “We started the year off with cars usually stocked, and the that surged in popularity as em- probably two thirds of the in- dealership is not alone in the ventory we would normally shortage. Evans said the Great See CARS, Page 6A WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS Students get summer boost By Drew C. Wilson [email protected] | 252-265-7818 With six weeks of summer school classes, more than 1,700 Wilson County Schools students are working to make up for lost instructional time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The district has seven elemen- tary level sites and two middle school sites where students in Summer Scholars Institutes are being re-taught and academic subjects reinforced. Students who perform well in summer institutes can be pro- moted to the next grade level if they failed to advance at the end of the regular school year. A High School Summer School Scholars Credit Institute gives students the opportunity to achieve course credits needed for graduation. All school districts in the state were required to hold aggres- sive summer school programs to help kids catch up and get their education back on track. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Vick, Lucama, Jones, Hearne, Frederick Douglass, Vinson-By- num and Rock Ridge elementa- ry schools are hosting institutes Seventh grade teacher Tondia Best instructs students in the Summer Scholars Institute at Forest Hills Middle School on Tuesday. Drew C. Wilson | Times for the district’s elementary students. said. “I know a lot of children practice those difficult skills that Whitaker said reading and communicator, whether that’s Chasity Whitaker, an assistant suffered with that.” just don’t come naturally for a writing are foundational skills reading or writing or both, then principal for Wilson County Whitaker said younger chil- lot of us,” Whitaker said. for all students. you are not successful or pro- Schools who’s serving as prin- dren suffered in their reading The district chose to build a “Reading is thinking, and ductive in the job you do. So I cipal over the Summer Scholars development and language ac- reading instruction program writing is thinking. It’s your think it has long-reaching rami- Institute at Vinson-Bynum, said quisition. around animals. thoughts on paper,” she said. fications.” COVID-19 affected children’s In the summer institutes, “It is really motivating kids to “It’s the way that you commu- Attendance has been good this learning academically, socially teachers can help children with do research to learn about these nicate. It is the way that you summer, Whitaker said. and emotionally. difficult concepts such as pho- animals and putting them in a receive communication and it is “Overall, our children who “I think that Summer Scholars nics, decoding and other foun- place where they are excited the way that you give commu- have been coming have contin- Institute is important because it dational skills, Whitaker said. about what they are doing so nication, and without that, what ued to come,” she said. “I am gets our children back into the “It is quite beneficial for them the labor of learning to read basis do we have for any other a big believer that culture is building with other kids to help to have a trained teacher to sit isn’t so overwhelming for them,” things that we do? In school them emotionally,” Whitaker down with them and every day Whitaker said. and in life, if you are not a good See SCHOOLS, Page 6A Lucama administrator resigns, citing racial slurs By Drew C. Wilson On Tuesday, Whitehead listed watched by Commissioner Judy [email protected] the reasons she felt compelled Mason. | 252-265-7818 to leave the position. “Commissioner Mason was “The racist comments have coming into the office every LUCAMA — Citing contin- not stopped by David Johnson, single day from the time Megan ued racial slurs and the town and the board has not done any- (Hare, a Lucama town utility board’s unwillingness to stop thing about him,” Whitehead billing/zoning clerk) left until them, Town Administrator Te- told The Wilson Times. around May 2021 to watch the resa Whitehead has announced two Black ladies in the office,” her resignation. ‘WE FELT HARASSED’ Whitehead said. “We felt ha- Whitehead told the Lucama rassed, to be honest.” Board of Commissioners on Commissioner Johnson is Whitehead said Mason’s Monday that July 30 will be her accused of using racial slurs continual presence intimidated last day. She’s served as town to describe African American her and Town Clerk Melissa administrator since April 2019. town employees and to describe Hayman, who are both African “I am disappointed in a lot of Commissioner Patricia Uzzell, American. stuff,” Whitehead told the board the first African American on Mason responded Wednesday Town Administrator Teresa Whitehead announced her resignation at during its regular meeting Mon- Lucama’s town board. the Lucama Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday. Drew C. Wilson day evening. Whitehead said she felt See LUCAMA, Page 2A | Times Weathercast With Albert Thomas Jr. Preview of SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY the week posted Tuesdays. Preview of the weekend Mostly Sunny Partly Sunny Partly Sunny posted Saturdays. wilsontimes.com HI 91 LO 73 HI 89 LO 71 HI 85 LO 70 2A THE WILSON TIMES | wilsontimes.com Friday, July 16, 2021 Inmate lights small fire in cell, damages sprinkler By Brie Handgraaf A Wilson County inmate ties say he lit toilet paper tion center, Victor Lamont action.” moved the water from [email protected] received additional charg- on fire in his cell. Melvin, was attempting to Samuel said Melvin, 37, the sprinkler. No one | 252-265-7821 es Sunday after authori- “An inmate in the deten - burn toilet tissue in one of became disgruntled and was injured in the inci- the cells by twisting toilet broke a sprinkler head in dent. tissue and his cell. Wilson Fire/Res- Melvin was charged placing it to cue Services responded with a false fire alarm the light fix- just after 10 p.m. to a fire activation, fraudulently ture and then alarm with sprinkler acti- burning a dwelling and placing the vation at the jail. causing damage to real tissue in the “Upon arrival, crews property. vent, which found that a sprinkler Samuel said he was Melvin caused smoke head had activated in in jail on several counts to circulate one of the jail cells,” a of failure to appear, a somewhat through the fire report states. “Crews domestic violence pro- jail,” said Wanda Samuel, were able to wedge off the tection order violation, Wilson County Sheriff’s sprinkler head and stop breaking and entering, Office chief of staff. “The the water flow.” terrorizing and injuring detention officer saw what Firefighters ventilated and assault with a deadly was going on and placed the smoke, and county weapon inflicting serious the inmate on disciplinary maintenance staff re- injury. Lucama: ‘I feel like they harassed her’ beBe inin continued from page 1A esty,” Whitehead said. terms and conditions of about her presence at town employment for Town Hall. DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT years.” “The mayor, Jeff John- Whitehead ordered that demand.Demand. son, asked me if I would Whitehead, Melissa Hay- the records be retrieved go by the office on days man and employee Gene and town employees lifted I was not busy and just Taylor, along with Com- some of the records out of see if checks needed to be missioner Patricia Uzzell, the ground with a a back- signed — Megan had quit all African Americans, are hoe. Whitehead stored at this point — and see if I plaintiffs in a federal law- them in a secure location. could help in any way,” she suit filed on April 21, 2020, In a Monday public re- said. “I have some office in the Eastern District of cords request, the Times experience, and he did not North Carolina. asked Lucama for water ask me to spy on anybody. The plaintiffs sued after and electric billing state- He only asked me to see if I filing formal complaints ments, information on the could help in any way.” with the U.S. Equal Em- formation of and history Mason said she offered ployment Opportunity of town ordinances, work to help. Commission, which is- orders, minutes from “I said ‘I can stuff en- sued a notice of rights to Board of Commissioners velopes. I can answer the sue on Jan. 23 last year and planning board meet- Registration is (252) 291-1195 phone.’ I would be glad based on interviews with ings, previous years’ town to take the money, but town employees.