Award-winning editor comes ‘home’ to help lead New Old North

Sometimes a place just stays with you.

It might be the happy memories you had there or the friends you made along the way.

And because of both of those, a piece of my heart has remained in North Carolina during the nearly five years I have been away.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Renee Carey. I was the former, and first female, editor of the Goldsboro News-Argus.

While I was there, we did real work, significant stories and changed this community, together.

We laughed. We cried. And we got our backs up when anyone disrespected our county, our state and our country. We told the truth — even when it was hard, and we pushed for better for our families and our future.

For nearly a decade, you shared your stories, your concerns and your thoughts.

But the decision to return here, to be a part of something that has been a dream of mine and my partner, Kenneth Fine, since the day I left, well that goes a little deeper.

Some of it is the thrill of setting a new direction for a profession that I love, but that I think has lost its way. Ask me someday and I will tell you all about it.

And some of it is timing, kismet, a message from the universe and perhaps even the gentle hand of someone who, like for many of you, is the reason I look to the heavens and ask for guidance.

But what I remember most fondly about my years in Goldsboro and Wayne County is why this step seemed to be the right one, the God-wink one.

It starts with some memories.

Like when word went out that an autistic child needed a special iPad to communicate with his mother — how within 15 minutes, not only was there an iPad, but dozens of other offers to contribute or to buy it outright.

Or when, a few weeks later, thanks to the kindness of Wayne County residents, that little girl said “I love you” to her mother for the first time. I will never forget that.

You did that.

There was the day a random email sent out into the World Wide Web landed in my hands and a community rallied around a young military family trying to keep their pets with them when they were reassigned after a last-minute complication threatened their journey.

The big donations were nice, but what touched me most were the small ones — the $1 or $5 bills that were dropped off by those who did not have much, but who wanted to be there to help someone else who needed it.

You did that, too.

And then there were the nights I spent walking around the Relay for Life track, looking at the love, support and faith in those tributes, memorials and teams focused on one goal: making sure no other family ever had to deal with the loss of someone they loved.

You helped beat more cancer than any other community in the country. I remember how proud I was to have been a part of such a caring place.

And your efforts would have a direct impact in my life, too.

I will tell you about that as we get to know each other again.

There are other moments, too, like the N.C. Pickle Festival, the cotton and tobacco fields and even the barbecue. It took going away to be reminded just how special this place really is.

And while it might sound silly to some, I have never forgotten the first time I saw a fighter jet take off from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base — how my eyes filled with tears.

They still do, as they do when I hear the Pledge of Allegiance or see an American flag waving in the breeze.

We should all be united under that flag.

I know what those stars and stripes represent, and what that freedom costs because I have been a part of telling the stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

So, what does this all mean?

I loved telling and sharing your stories, your triumphs, your victories and your challenges.

Yes, my path took me away for a while, but now it has brought me back to create a new kind of conversation.

New Old North, and its sister publication, Eastbound & Downtown, are about the people, places and ideas that define this community, but their role is so much more than that.

We have lost something all over this country — and Wayne County is no exception.

We have forgotten about being a community, a neighborhood and the power of our voices, our spirit and our vote.

We don’t talk anymore, and we don’t cross boundaries to try to find common ground. And our communities are suffering for it.

And it is time to change that.

We want to make a difference here. We want to tell the stories that need telling and to hold those who serve us accountable for the decisions they make.

So, there will be no holds barred, no influence peddling here.

And no one, I repeat, no one, will tell us how to think, what to say and who is or is not “off limits.”

We are asking the questions we think you would want us to ask and demanding more for the future of this community and its residents.

And if you knew Ken and me previously, you know just what that can accomplish. If you are new friends, you will not want to miss one moment.

Suffice it to say, we are not afraid — of anyone.

Consider us your watchdogs, your champions and your motivation to demand more for this county — a one-of-a-kind place that has been home for many of you for generations.

But be ready.

Some of what we will write about will make you talk — and it might even make you a little mad.

We will pick and choose, dart and weave and offer you what you tell us you want — perspective on what’s going on in your world.

We won’t drown your Facebook feed and inbox or “alert” you to death.

But when that ding comes, you will know that the story is on one you will want to read and to share.

You won’t always agree, but that is what the comments section is all about.

Share your tips with us, your ideas and your thoughts about the issues this county is facing and what needs to be done to address them.

The discussion will be lively — and honest — and we are going to take back the job of setting our own course — and calling out those who are getting in the way.

If you see me or Ken around town, say hello — and let’s talk.

Until then, email your tips and story ideas to newoldnorth@gmail.com

It’s good to be “home.”