A tipster sent me an email Friday to tell me about a drug search at Swansboro High School, saying they wanted to help me “get on the ball!!!!” Sigh. I knew about the drug search – which happens frequently (searches, not me knowing) – almost as soon as it began. Please don’t construe this post [...]

Judging by the photos on his MySpace account, bank robbery suspect Rodney Milton had just one thing on his mind: Read the news of his arrest. Milton appears to be on parole in Pennsylvania. Not so easy to rob a bank in Jacksonville after all, huh?

While one alleged crook was robbing delivery drivers in Jacksonville another was beating up a store clerk with a framing hammer. Is it Black Friday all over again? Read about the guy accused of ordering pizza and Chinese and jacking the delivery drivers. McCarty: Read about the still-at-large suspect accused of robbing the Gum Branch [...]

I forgot yesterday to include this photo of the mobile home on Mattocks Road: And to answer Jan’s question, I don’t know who the body was supposed to be. I don’t think the authorities had an identity either just a tip a body would be there. ——————————————————————– A search for a possible dead body led [...]

A lot, I mean a lot, has happened in the last several days. Here is a run down of several loose ends and updates to stories and cases I have covered in the newspaper or on the blog: - A Sampson County man who killed his family will spend the rest of his life in prison now [...]

- One of the longest criminal trials in Wake County history is coming to a close. In a case I mentioned on the blog from time to time since 2008, Cary resident Brad Cooper is accused of killing his wife he said went out for a jog. Read the updated news here. – I have it [...]

Jeff Vavla, a convicted murderer suspected in at least one other homicide, was arrested this weekend and charged with stealing dogfood. I don’t know much about the guy arrested with Vavla, Archie Dale Lester, but he is well known to law enforcement. Vavla escaped justice in the death of Karen Sue Lanham - a woman who was [...]

The girlfriend of Joshua Mathis, a Marine arrested last week on charges of motor vehicle theft and breaking and entering, has been arrested. Gasp! I’m so surprised! … like anyone didn’t see this coming when the police said the vehicles were found in Arkansas, where she lives.

Four adults and a juvenile were charged Thursday with robbing an area business. Read news here. From the press release, with a bit extra since I completely spaced on checking the Department of Correction in the midst of typing what’s on the website up and fighting with my computer. ARRESTEE:  Cameron Albertini                   W/M D.O.B.  08/12/1976 [...]

D.A. Dewey Hudson was a more than a little disappointed the Willie Nelson concert was cancelled. Read the news. There to enjoy the show, Hudson found out like everyone else that A.L.E. agents from Wilmington crashed the party. Guess the boys from the Port City didn’t like Willie’s band toking up before the show. As if there [...]

[UPDATE: Lethen Pollock was charged Sunday by Onslow County Animal Control with cruelty to animals and mistreatment of animals.] Where to start… I have been all around the world. In my Navy days, I saw a fellow sailor catch fire and run around with his face burning off. I have been to some gruesome crime scenes in the [...]

Read this bit of news.

“Log in error” is all I saw all weekend when trying to log into Off the Cuff. The blog was inaccessible to me the whole weekend. I had a ton of stuff to say on Saturday, but I have forgot most of it now. I will post some information about this weeks cold case later in [...]

No lie, I woke up Wednesday morning thinking that by now I had pretty much seen and heard it all. Wrong. Amanda found a warrant at the magistrates office that turned into this news story about a Marine sergeant handling one of his private’s parts. As we gathered information on that, I received a tip [...]

Today, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department picked up a Havelock man who made four sales to a reliable informant. The odd part? He brought his kid with him. Read news here. As I told our city editor Timmi Toler after her blotter lesson, I’m all for someone making a living. However, don’t break laws and, [...]

Read news here. The Daily News does not usually identify the alleged victims of sexual assault (a long-standing policy I do not totally agree with). But in this case, the wife had an interview with a New Jersey newspaper which identified her as the wife and then had an interview with her father. The newspaper [...]

Hey guys I’m off for today and this has been kicked over to the boss to see what she wants done with it, but for now have at it: Onslow County Sheriff’s Office Press Release Date:  06-29-2009 Time:  17:00 Title:  Sheriff’s Deputies Serve Five Search Warrants Arrestees: Sean Smith 175-5 Wild Cat Pond Road Hubert, [...]

Some weekend shifts are pretty slow, but this weekend is not shaping up to be one of them. Today, Deanna Murphy and I headed towards the Vietnam Memorial dedication at about 10 a.m. to pull together a story about the dedication and Flag Day. From there, we went to the Jacksonville USO where the National [...]

Two Richlands men have been charged with a  Thursday night drive-by shooting that left a Richlands woman recovering from a gunshot wound. Read news here Jordan Weil was convicted of accessory after the fact in August 2006, and is currently on probation. I tend to think that a drive-by qualifies as a probation violation. According to [...]

I was about ready to do a jig since there were no felonies by Marines this weekend, but then it got ruined by one that decided to try and strangle his wife. Read news here. Apparently I have the luck of the Irish this weekend since every time I’ve gone to the magistrate’s office,  there’s [...]

I’m the lucky winner of the “Who works this weekend” contest, and I typically do my first check at the magistrate’s office before 2 p.m. Here are last night’s two felonious acts. Consider it a first glance at the next blotter portion of The Daily News.  Walter Chentlen Jr., 18, of Tarawa Terrace II, was charged Friday [...]

In case I haven’t mentioned it before, it’s a rarity something makes me want to hurl. But tonight, while checking blotter, a Jacksonville man accomplished that. A 24-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested today by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department for taking indecent liberties with a 4-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy. Read news here. As I [...]

Get arrested again? Brandon Futrell was arrested in February for operating a meth lab, and apparently did not learn his lesson after being bonded out since he was arrested again Thursday night. Read news here. According to Capt. Jon Lewis with the OCSO’s Narcotics Unit, repeat offenders are pretty common when it comes to meth, since [...]

It’s a rarity that I come across a crime that actually intrigues me. However, a Holly Ridge man pulled that off tonight. Frank Edward Coston Jr. was arrested by the Sheriff’s Department today on multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon. The weapon of choice? His fists and feet. That’s the part caught my [...]

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or live way outside the newspaper’s coverage area, you know by now we have a new print format (and had a little trouble getting there). Some people won’t like it just because they are resistant to change. A few will have legitimate complaints. But I like the format. [...]

This guy just got of prison and might be looking for a job…