Nash County K-9 Chase has officially retired and will permanently reside with his handler Nash County Deputy William Toney.

A Nash County K-9 officer whose handler was shot and injured during a traffic stop last year has retired.
K-9 Chase, a six-year-old Dutch Shepherd, has been with the Nash County Sheriff's Office since April 2017.
He was assigned to the patrol division with his handler Deputy William Toney who was wounded in the line of duty.

A teenager has died and another person is wounded after being shot at a house party in Whitakers early Sunday morning.
Around 1:30 a.m. on August 7, Nash County Sheriff Office deputies were called to the 3600 block of Lonesome Pine Road in reference to a shooting.
Maj. Eddie Moore of the Nash County Sheriff's Office said as the party wrapped up, an argument between two groups of people ensued and shots were fired.

The Town of Nashville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources is hosting back to school fun at the Nashville Farmers Market.
The Back 2 School Bash will be held at the farmers market on August 19 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Ashley Hamlet, program supervisor of The Town of Nashville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, said the event will offer families a pleasant atmosphere and provide an enjoyable pastime for their children to engage in.

The 750 pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin pictured above is part of the Spring Hope Chamber of Commerce's "Operation Charlie Brown" project in which a massive pumpkin is grown in the depot area to embrace the town's agricultural heritage.
Ethan Vester, president of the Spring Hope Chamber of Commerce, said the milky white pumpkin is covered to shield it from sunburn that could dehydrate the fruit and cause cracks as well as a reduction in weight.

Nash County Commissioner Gwen Wilkins has been selected to serve on a committee that aims to strengthen and provide betterment for rural counties.
She is now a member of the Rural Action Caucus (RAC) for the National Association of Counties (NACo).
NACo's president Denise Whitley chose Wilkins for the position.

The temporary assistant provided by a state university program has begun her term to help out two local town hall offices.
Rocky Mount native Averi Parker was selected for Lead for NC Fellow (LFNC), a program through UNC School of Government (UNC-SOG) that aims to recruit, train, and place the state's most promising young leaders in paid local government fellowships.

Nash County has recently hired a safety and security officer.
Nash County Manager Stacie Shatzer said the need for the position came after the county began looking into infrastructure elements that must remain secure at the Claude Mayo, Jr. Administration Building in spring 2020.

The Town of Nashville is looking at hiring a new attorney to handle its legal needs.
Council members met on Tuesday, August 9 and discussed moving forward with interviewing two firms.
Seeking proposals for law firms was suggested at the board's May retreat. Council members said they wanted to seek a legal firm that specializes in municipal law.

Rising college senior Cathy Nicholson has interned with Nash County for the third time in a row.
Assistant to Nash County Manager Patsy McGhee said Nicholson's internship was through the Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program via the Center for Creative Leadership.

The town of Spring Hope has made a minor update to its noise ordinance, which will now be enforced regularly.
Spring Hope Town Manager Andrew DeIonno said previously, the standard for the noise ordinance was only 10 feet for loud disturbances.
The ordinance was written as 10 feet for many years and it may have been erroneous, he said.

A bus driver for the Nash County Public School System continues to speak out on working conditions for bus drivers.
Mary Arrington came before the Board of Education on Monday during public comments to address her concerns. This is not Arrington's first time speaking before the board.

Nash County will hold three public meetings to gather input on the draft version of a new land use plan to guide the growth and development of the rural, unincorporated areas of the county over the next 10 to 20 years.
The meetings will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in central Nash County on Tuesday, August 16, at the Nash County Administration Building in the third floor commissioners' room located at 120 West Washington Street, Nashville;

Hit & run-misdemeanor fail to stop reported at Eastern Ave/Red Oak Rd, Nashville on 07/31/22
Obtain property by false pretense and forgery-notes, checks, securities reported at 100 East Evans Dr, Nashville on 08/06/22
Sexual exploitation-third degree reported at 1303 Fairfield Rd, Nashville on 08/06/22

Warrant service reported at 11185 E. Finch Ave, Middlesex on 08/05/22
Obtain property by false pretense reported at 12815 Eagle Ridge Dr, Zebulon on 08/02/22
Damage to personal property reported at 2074 Madjar Rd, Zebulon on 08/02/22

Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews." (John 19:19)
Courts have long acknowledged that there is no greater truth than the last words of a dying man. They are rarely second-guessed by judges or juries.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, it took nearly six hours for him to die. During that time, he made seven statements.

Several children and chaperones from Red Oak Baptist Church attended the children's camp at Camp Caraway last week. They enjoyed worship, missionaries, music, activities, camp fire, and games!
There are lots of missions opportunities going on now at Red Oak Baptist Church! They are collecting new backpacks for a Backpack Giveaway which are due Sunday, August 14.

No human eyes have ever seen the full manifestation of God's holiness and glory. But some biblical authors caught a glimpse and lived to tell the tale. In Isaiah 6, the Old Testament prophet brings us along with him into the throne room of heaven. Verse 1 sets the context, saying it happened, "in the year of King Uzziah's death."
Uzziah became king at age sixteen and reigned for fifty-two years under God's continuing blessing.

Saturday, September 24th, hundreds of supporters will gather at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex for Your Choice Pregnancy Resource Center's 32nd Walk for Life and 3rd 5K Run for Life. Registration and Prayer Walk will be floating from 8-10 a.m. Registration for the Run begins at 8 a.m. with the race beginning at 9 a.m. Chick-fil-A coupons will be available for all sponsored walkers and runners.

People in mental health crisis can dial 9-8-8 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and get immediately connected to trained crisis counselors 24/7. The new three-digit number provides a faster, easier way to get the help already available at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
"Help is available to those experiencing a mental health crisis," said NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. "Our goal is to make 9-8-8 a household word that North Carolinians know they can access from wherever they are to get the help they need. This resource will literally save lives."

Nash Community College has named Derrick Armstead as its Small Business Center Director, effective July 18, 2022.
Armstead served in the United States Marine Corps as a Corporal / E-4 based in Camp Lejeune, NC. In his position as telephone technician, he traveled to Japan, South Korea, Norway and Mexico and was honored with the National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Award. Armstead was honorably discharged following four years of service.

Bayden Collins, Sarah Rhodes, Christa Baines and Kylee Pitt accept the Gold and Nadine Joyner and Russell and Peggy Cockrell academic scholarships from the West Mount Ruritan Club. Club President Robby Causeway is shown congratulating the recipients. Contributed photo

Four cadets graduated from Edgecombe Community College's 11th Basic Academy of Basic Law Enforcement Training on July 12.
Graduates are Adnan A. Allan, Anthony Dickens, Daneeka R. Govan, and Erin M. Grimes. All of the graduates are in the process of being hired by law enforcement agencies and will be taking their oath of office soon.

Western Carolina University (WCU) announced more than 1,200 students named to the Spring 2022 Dean's List. To qualify for this honor, students must achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher while completing 12 or more credit hours. Local students named to the Dean's List include: Francisco Cazares of Spring Hope and Samuel Smith of Nashville.

Joseph Glenn Murray to Raaziq Arrington; 3.053 acres in Ferrells Township
Joseph Glenn Murray, Peggy Louise P. Murray, Connie Yvonne Murray Hull, Alden Wayne Hull and Cynthia Va-Rinne Murray Orr to Razzia Arrington; 3.053 acres in Ferrells Township

Nash Community College recently held an orientation and leadership session to welcome its Student Ambassadors for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Students are selected for the program based on application, letters of recommendation and an interview. They must be enrolled at NCC as a full-time student, maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and demonstrate a commitment to academic and career success.

All members of the Radiography Class of 2022 at Edgecombe Community College passed the national certification exam on their first attempt, becoming registered radiographers and earning the title R.T.(R)(ARRT), which signifies Registered Technologist in Radiography by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Twelve students graduated from the program in May 2022.

Building Permit Residential
Jordan Martin, 429 Holly Dr; renovation/alteration; $19,415.76
Meredith Cooper, 501 Center St; renovation/alteration; $150,000
Wayne Skinner, 10242 Pasture Rd; new single family; $269,900

Civil Air Patrol's second annual High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets is underway, with 7 teams from the North Carolina Wing working hard to develop their unique scientific experiments to be launched to the edge of space from central Indiana on Aug 13. Tar River Composite Squadron, the local squadron, is one of the 7 North Carolina Wing teams competing.

Rocky Mount
8/15/2022: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., First Baptist - Rocky Mount, 200 South Church Street
8/18/2022: 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Englewood Presbyterian Church, 100 South Englewood Drive
8/19/2022: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Englewood Presbyterian Church, 100 South Englewood Drive

I'm not going to lie or be modest -- what I did last Friday morning was an extreme act of courage.
I took my two teenage sons to play golf for the first time.
On top of that, I had not played in at least 12 years, although historians (Kristi) have been unable to pin down the exact date.

September 11 is just a few weeks away.
I am so excited to see Nashville has the honor of hosting the site for the 2022 Heroes Field of Honor.
If you've never visited this event, you're in for something pretty awesome.

This photo originally published in The Nashville Graphic on September 4, 1958. The 1958 version of the Nashville Blue Flames were to meet Plymouth in the opening game of the season when this photo was taken.