On March 6, 2025, William E. Kearney II reached a significant milestone by graduating from the esteemed Excellence in Government Fellows Program.

“My inspiration to apply for the Excellence in Government Fellows Program comes from a deep-seated passion for public service and a desire to drive meaningful change within government institutions,” Kearney shared. “I was drawn to the program’s emphasis on leadership development, collaboration, and innovation, which align perfectly with my goals of enhancing my skills and contributing to effective governance.”

Throughout the 10-month fellowship through the Partnership for Public Service, Kearney engaged in intensive workshops, seminars, and hands-on projects addressing critical governmental challenges. Collaborating with a diverse cohort of fellows nationwide, he gained valuable insights into effective governance and policy implementation.

A proud native of Warrenton, North Carolina, Kearney is the son of Doris Kearney and the late William E. Kearney. His passion for public service began at Warren County High School, where he graduated in 2002. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Winston-Salem State University and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Beyond academics, Kearney has exemplified leadership and dedication through his service as a United States Army veteran. His commitment to public service continues in his current role as a Lead Investigator for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, where he helps ensure the integrity and effectiveness of food assistance programs nationwide.

An active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Kearney remains dedicated to fostering community service and mentorship.

“Completing the program means a great deal to me,” Kearney reflected. “It signifies not only the achievement of personal and professional growth but also a commitment to serving my community with greater effectiveness. The knowledge, insights, and connections gained through the program equip me to address complex challenges in the public sector and inspire others to do the same. It reinforces my dedication to fostering a more responsive and accountable government that truly meets the needs of its citizens.”

With the expertise gained from the Excellence in Government Fellowship, Kearney is well-positioned to address pressing federal issues and advocate for policies that directly impact rural communities. His unwavering commitment to public service reflects his drive to create meaningful, lasting change.

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For the fifth year in a row and in its commitment to building literacy consciousness through book reading and storytelling, the Heritage Quilters Giving Circle, a diverse group of quilting artists from Warren and Vance counties, donated culturally-significant children’s books to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.- Rho Tau Omega Chapter in Warrenton, NC for their annual African American Read-In program.

BOOKS DONATED:

AS THE SEAS RISE: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice
By Angela Quezada Padron

As a baby, Nicole survived an earthquake in Guatemala. She grew up in Guatemala’s beautiful jungles. Throughout her life, Nicole witnessed the power and wonder of nature. But she soon realized nature was in trouble. Her own community in Florida was struggling. And everyone needed to become resilient.

In this lyrical biography, readers will meet environmental scientist and climate activist Nicole Hernández Hammer and hear the message she’s spent her career sharing: As we look to the future, we can empower and protect our communities. But that will only be possible if we all work together—including the smallest of us.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

JERRY CHANGED THE GAME!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever
By Don Tate

Before Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, there was a tinkerer named Jerry Lawson.

As a boy, Jerry loved playing with springs, sprockets, and gadget-y things. When he grew up, Jerry became an engineer—a professional tinkerer—and in the 1970s, he turned his technical know-how to video games.

Back then, if players wanted a new video game, they had to buy an entire new console, making gaming very expensive. Jerry was determined to fix this problem, and despite roadblocks along the way and having to repeat a level or two, it was never game over for his mission. Eventually, he leveled up and built a brand-new kind of video game console: one that allowed players to switch out cartridges! He also founded Video Soft, Inc., the first African American–owned video game company in the country.

Jerry’s tinkering and inventions changed the video gaming world forever. Today, gamers have access to hundreds of video games at the push of a button, all thanks to him. Game on!

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE
By Jarrett Krosoczka

“Serving justice . . . and lunch!
“Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes–she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

FLYING HIGH: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles
By Michelle Meadows

A lyrical picture book biography of Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar.

Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard.

When she was six years old, Simone’s family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fueled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family.

From her athletic early childhood to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, Flying High is the story of the world’s greatest gymnast from author Michelle Meadows and illustrator Ebony Glenn.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

CLAUDETTE COLVIN: I Want Freedom Now!
By Phillip Hoose and Claudette Colvin

Montgomery, Alabama 1955. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin is tired. Tired of white people thinking they’re better than her. Tired of going to separate schools and separate bathrooms. Most of all, she’s tired of having to give up her seat on the bus whenever a white person tells her to. She wants freedom NOW! But what can one teenager do?

On a bus ride home from school one day, young Claudette takes a stand for justice and refuses to get up from her seat—nine months before Rosa Parks will become famous for doing the same. What follows will not only transform Claudette’s life but the course of history itself.

In the words of Claudette Colvin herself, as told to acclaimed nonfiction writer Phillip Hoose, this empowering, heroic story illustrates how one simple act of courage can create real and lasting change.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

KETANJI: Justice Jackson’s Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court
By Kekla Magoon

Ketanji Brown Jackson is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. When a high school guidance counselor told her she should set her sights lower than Harvard, she decided to go to Harvard for college and law school.
When she became a public defender and saw inequalities in the justice system, she used her legal skills to advocate for people who needed help, but couldn’t afford an attorney.
Ketanji’s path to the Supreme Court was unique: She’s the only current Justice to have been a public defender and one of a few who went to public school. Her story is powerful and heartening, and it’s a lesson in overcoming adversity by being true to yourself.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

TEN LIVES, TEN DEMANDS: Life-and-Death Stories, and a Black Activist’s Blueprint for Racial Justice
By Solomon Jones

Told through the powerful stories of Black lives that were ravaged by racism, this manifesto holds 10 demands to rectify racial injustice

Told through his perspective as an activist, acclaimed commentator Solomon Jones tells the stories of real people whose lives and deaths pushed the Black Lives Matter movement forward. He explains how each act of violence was incited by specific instances of structural racism, and details concrete and actionable strategies to address crimes committed by our “justice” system.

These stories and strategies are a critical resource for social justice activists looking to further their anti-racist education. These 10 demands form an actionable plan that is necessary to repair our racist past, change the racist present, and bring justice to the future

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

BUTTER: Novellas, Stories, and Fragments
By Gayl Jones

Gayl Jones, who was first edited by Toni Morrison, has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century and was recently a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. This new collection of short fiction is only the second in her rich career, and one that displays her strengths in the genre in many facets. Opening with two novella-length works, “Butter” and “Sophia,” this collection features Jones’s legendary talents in a range of settings and styles, from the hyper-realist to the mystical, in intricate multi-part stories, in more traditional forms, and even in short fragments.

Her narrators are women and men, Black, Brown, Indigenous; her settings are historical and contemporary, in South America, Mexico and the US; her themes center on complex identities, unorthodox longings and aspirations. She writes about spies, photographers, playground designers, cartoonists, and baristas, about workers and revolutionaries, about environmentalism, feminism, poetry, film and love, but above all about our multicultural, multiethnic and multiracial society.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

Jereann King Johnson places a Heritage Quilters gift label in one of the donated books. / Crystal Myrick (Warrenist)

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After a successful rebranding of SpringFest, the Eastern Bluebird Festival – Blues and Brews returns on Saturday, April 26, 10am-4pm in downtown Warrenton.

On what we hope will be a beautiful Spring day, attendees will be entertained by live blues music, shop with local vendors, feast with food trucks, kick back and relax in the beer garden, and more.

For those who are interested in being a vendor, applications are available online on the Town of Warrenton website.

Hosted by the Warrenton Revitalization Committee, the event is sponsored by First Citizens Bank, AccessOn Internet, Duke Energy, BlueCross BlueShield, and Solitude Farm and Retreat.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

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The Warren County community is invited to listen, express their concerns, and offer solutions about Warren County Schools and public education on Tuesday, January 21st, at 6pm in the John Graham Gym.

Hosted by Voices of Warren, Warren County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Carol Montague-Davis is the invited guests and will answer questions from concerned parents, students, and the public.

Those who are unable to attend in-person can watch via Zoom:
1 (309) 205-3325
ID: 88944280198
Passcode: 1

John Graham Gym is located at 115 Wilcox Street in Warrenton, NC.

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Join the Warren County Senior Center for an educational outing to Kim’s Vineyard and Winery on Thursday, January 23, 2025. This experience will include a tour of the vineyard and a lecture on the science of winemaking, as well as the challenges of maintaining a vineyard to produce the perfect grape.

The group will depart from the Senior Center at 11:00 AM and return by 2:00 PM. Best of all, the outing is completely free, including transportation and lunch.

While visiting Kim’s Vineyard and Winery, guests will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of homegrown canned vegetables and fruits at their own expense.

Kim’s Vineyard and Winery is a treasured gem in Warren County, established in 1995 by Cheryl and Walter Royster. What began as a hobby for Mr. Royster—planting a few rows of grapes to test his green thumb—has grown into a thriving operation.

By 2004, the Roysters expanded their passion project to include a winery.

Today, the vineyard spans over five acres of land, with the winery adding another two acres. This family-operated business offers a welcoming, community-focused atmosphere and boasts a selection of more than 18 different types of wine, ensuring there’s something to suit every palate.

Don’t miss this chance to explore a unique part of Warren County’s agricultural and cultural heritage. Seating for this outing is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early.

For more information or to sign up, contact the Warren County Senior Center at (252) 257-3111.

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Join the Warren County Senior Center as they thrift shop on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at InJoy Thrift Stores in Rocky Mount, NC. They will depart the Senior Center at 9:30am and return by 2:00pm. There is no cost for transportation, but reservations must be made in advance. Seniors are responsible for the cost of their purchases and lunch at Gardner’s Restaurant.

The InJoy Thrift Stores are operated on Christian principles, by Christian people, from area churches
providing great merchandise donated locally and sold at great prices. Profits support and fund Christian
based ministries in your community and throughout the world.

Limited seating. For more information, contact the Warren County Senior Center at (252) 257-3111.

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Warren County Democrats and Independent voters gathered on the Courthouse Square to listen to candidates vying for their vote in November.

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Hundreds from all over Warren County (and beyond) attended the first annual DubFest hosted by The Experience Executives on Sept. 14, making an indelible impression during WCHS Homecoming weekend.

With DJ Mike Dub, DJ Paul of Fame, The Wax Bully, DJ Fly Dre, and special guest DJ Brian Dawson entertaining the masses and food trucks, Soulbachi, Lawrence & Perry, Candi Queen, Soo Jamaican, Kings Southern Style Cooking, Mac Scoops, Integrity BBQ, and Wing Master E & Trinity Eats ready to serve, the Warren County Armory Civic Center overflowed with people ready for a fun-filled time in Warrenton.

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Hundreds gathered on the Warren County Courthouse Square for the annual WCHS Alumni Meet and Greet.

With the temperature just right, former classmates, most adorned in t-shirts flaunting the year they graduated, got reacquainted on a lucky Friday the 13th (9/13) and enjoyed taking group pictures, sharing memories, and shopping with local vendors and food trucks.

The vibe was all about having a great time and set the tone for the rest of Homecoming weekend.

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The Front Porch Grocery Co-op, in partnership with Turner Brothers Media LLC and Pink with a Passion, hosted “Catering to the Community,” a street food festival and voter registration drive on Saturday, September 7th in the parking lot of the forthcoming Mag’s Marketplace in Warrenton, NC.

Attendees gathered at the festival to enjoy a variety of vendors selling everything from made-to-order fry bread, Indian tacos, and fried fish dinners to assorted desserts and also candles. Children kept busy with cornhole, a bouncy house (Sisterly Dreams Co.), and face painting.

In addition to the delicious food, attendees were also provided with voter information from various political parties, encouraged to register to vote, and offered voter identification cards if they did not have a proper ID, courtesy of the Warren County Board of Elections who were on-site.

It’s important to note that voters will be required to show valid identification to vote in this year’s election.

For more information about The Front Porch Grocery Co-op and how to get involved, visit them on Facebook @TheFrontPorchCoop.

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