Email announcements at least two weeks in advance to community@reflector.com for publication in The Standard and The Daily Reflector. Cornhole fundraiser The American Legion Ayden Victory Post 289 will host a cornhole tournament fundraiser at 9 a.m. on May 11 for the post and for postage for “Support Our Troops” (NC Packs4Patriots) in Ayden. Registering for the tournament can be done online at amlegionncpost289.org/cornhole. The entry fee is $20. Food...

Early voting has started. “For what offices?” you may legitimately ask. There are two state offices being contested in a Republican second primary because a winner wasn’t decided in the first primary on March 5. The first is the office of lieutenant governor and the second is the office of auditor. Under election law, a candidate must receive at least 30 percent of the vote to win in the primary....

Do you remember an auditory illusion that became popular several years ago? Upon hearing a recording of one repeated word, 53% of 500,000 respondents to a Twitter poll heard “laurel” while 47% heard “yanny.” The discrepancy had to do with hearing higher or lower frequencies. Just as a group can sit in a room together and listen to a recording but hear a different word, those same people might interpret the actions of a loved one differently. One spouse might believe that being a hard...

I recently made the statement that every Sunday the saints go to church and fellowship with each other. But the Lord is asking, when are we going to church to fellowship with him? Almost every church in this country is programmed by the shepherd. A lot of them don’t even fast and pray. Don’t get me wrong — a lot of pastors are doing all they know how. The problem is that they don’t know enough. ...

BIRTHDAYS May 4: London Godley May 5: Robin Wainwright, Tammy Lambert May 6: Brad Woodard May 7: Tony Ellis May 8: Ramone Bams ANNIVERSARIES May 6: Irene and Doc Hardison Please send updates and new entries to standardnews@ncweeklies.com Bobby Burns can be reached at baburns@reflector.com and 329-9572.

The Greene Central baseball team will enter the postseason with a zero on the end of its record. The Rams improved to 21-0 in Thursday’s regular season finale, a 10-0, five-inning thrashing of Croatan, which entered the non-league game 16-3. Austin Hardy struck out 10 and limited Croatan to one hit. Noah Uzell (2-2, RBI), Braden Burress (2-3, 2 RBIs) and Will Radford (2-3) each had doubles for Greene Central,...

Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have announced the approved season dates, bag limits and applicable regulations for the 2024-25 waterfowl, webless migratory game bird (including doves) and extended falconry seasons. The dates are available on the website and will be published in the 2024-25 Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest this August. Although the majority of seasons remain unchanged, notable changes include: ...

Most Ayden-Grifton High School baseball players would consider a career in the sport to be the field of their dreams. But their coach wants them to have a look at other fields as well. That’s why members of both the junior varsity and varsity teams took part in Grow Local last month. The initiative is designed to take students on field trips from their school campuses to area companies to learn about jobs that are available in their own backyard. ...

I discovered a new YouTube channel about eight months ago and I have found myself actually looking forward to new episodes every week, so I wanted to share it with you. Maybe you’ll find it as interesting as I do. There exists a gentleman and journalist by the name of Pablo Torre. If you don’t know him by name, you might recognize his mischievous smile and overly exposed calves from ESPN shows like High Noon, Around The Horn, Highly Questionable and a plethora of other...

An Ayden woman has been arrested and charged in the death of her fiancée who was killed more than a year ago at a Snow Hill apartment, law enforcement said. The Snow Hill Police Department said that Tameka Shalanda Best, 39, of 316 Roberta Drive, Ayden, was arrested by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday and charged with the April 23, 2023, shooting death of James Shultheis III. A...

FARMVILLE — Returning for the 37th year, the Farmville Dogwood Festival brought fun, family, music and more to the downtown during a four-day event that organizers said was one of the best. Great weather and entertainment contributed to the fun, said festival chairman Dan Taylor, who along with others was delighted with the turnout for the event, which was full of kid-centered activities. “I think the festival went great,” Taylor...

WASHINGTON, N.C. — A new podcast produced by a regional conservation organization will focus on efforts to protect the area’s waterways. “Sound Rivers: Riverkeeping Tales from the Neuse & Tar-Pamlico” is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music, as well as on the Sound Rivers website: www.soundrivers.org. A nonprofit based in Washington, Sound Rivers operates riverkeeper programs and other initiatives in the Neuse and Tar river basins. The...

GRIFTON — An effort to build a second Dollar General store failed with a 3-1 vote by the Board of Commissioners earlier this month, an action that had been tabled after a raucous public hearing in March. The board’s vote denied a request by Glandon Forest Equity LLC to rezone just over two acres of land on N.C. 18 near the town’s baseball park from residential to highway commercial. It followed a recommendation of the town’s planning board made earlier this year. ...

Members of a club that uses metal detectors to help with historical surveys recently located a 1954 Farmville High School ring, tracked down its owner and returned it to her at the field near Falkland where she lost it years ago. Members of the Historical Recovery Association of North Carolina were conducting research on land of the former Spencer-Harris plantation off of N.C. 43 to uncover historical evidence related to the Civil War raid of Union Gen. Edward Potter from New Bern to Rocky Mount...

The East Carolina baseball team made a jump in the national rankings to No. 7 earlier this week after going 4-0 last week. The Pirates earned wins over William & Mary in the midweek before sweeping visiting Wichita State over the weekend. ECU (31-8, 11-4 AAC) is off to its best start since the 2004 team started 33-6. ...

The century-old tale “The Great Gatsby,” often ranked as the Great American Novel, is a longtime favorite among English teachers for its rich symbolism. Just ask Lenoir Community College instructor Cody Creech. The East Carolina University graduate and former South Central High School teacher has read it more than two dozen times, enough to have memorized parts. Next week, she can put that skill to use as the classic F....

Email announcements at least two weeks in advance to community@reflector.com for publication in The Standard and The Daily Reflector. Museum open house The Ayden History and Arts Museum will host its spring open house from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday followed by the quarterly board meeting at 4 p.m. Visit completed exhibits of Ayden history in education, military service, early household items, toys, churches, barbecue and agriculture, with local artists featured...

WINTERVILLE — In honor of Earth Day, UScellular associates helped lead a campus beautification project at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain’s Jack Minges Club. This is one of many activities that UScellular associates around the country will be participating in to celebrate National Volunteer Month. “At UScellular, we embrace the idea of giving back to our communities,” said Wayne Suggs, store manager. “Through our associates’ collective efforts in eastern North Carolina, we’re excited to create meaningful connections with each other and with...