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Proposal would would name portions of ENC creeks in honor of Down East plane crash victims

Noah Styron, Kole McInnis, Jake Taylor, and Daily Shepherd.
(Photos provided by Carteret County Public Schools)
Noah Styron, Kole McInnis, Jake Taylor, and Daily Shepherd.

North Carolina U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill that would name portions of local creeks in honor of several victims of a fatal plane crash in 2022.

Congressman Greg Murphy and Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd have proposed the Down East Remembrance Act, to honor six victims of the plane crash in Carteret County.

The legislation gives the exact latitudes and longitudes of six creeks on federal land and renames them after passengers Noah Styron, Kole McInnis, Jacob Taylor, and Daily Shepherd – who were students at East Carteret High School -- as well as adults Hunter Parks and Stephanie Fulcher.

Pilot Ernest “Teen” Rawls and his son Jeffrey, who were also killed in the crash, were not named in the legislation. 

Related: Final NTSB report indicates pilot error as the cause of 2022 Down East plane crash

Related: Ground broken on memorial remembering 8 who died in Down East plane crash

Related: Young Waterfowlers Day honors four Down East students killed in a plane crash three years ago

Related: Lawsuits in NC plane crash that killed 8 settled for $15M

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.