The Nash County Board of Commissioners has made a public statement in response to a smear campaign launched against board chair Robbie Davis and the board's alleged "failed leadership."
A mass mailing sent out at the end of the first week in January by the anonymous group "Liberty & Justice" has a photoshopped image of Davis' face wearing a white hat and suit and holding a cigar and refers to him as 'Boss Hogg' of Nash County.

Nashville Fire Chief Chris Joyner, having worked as Interim Head over both the Fire and Police Departments since the end of October, has been appointed Public Safety Director over both departments for one year.
Town Manager Randy Lansing proposed the position for two years, saying that since Joyner has been interim head, "the arrangement has worked really well and we want to continue the arrangement."

Those attending the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration in Nashville hold hands during the service to show unity.

Overarching themes of love, acceptance, hope and determination were expressed through song, speeches and prayer at Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, held at the O.D. Moore Building in Nashville. Presented in partnership by Nashville Willing Workers and the Nashville Democratic Party, the 11 a.m. event drew a full house of approximately 174 people.
Banquet Master and Mistress of Ceremonies were Nashville Town Councilman and Reverend Xavien Harrison and Stephanie Brown.

Nash County officials said they didn't want them, so two former elementary schools will be going on the auction block by Nash County Public Schools, with plans to list them for sale by the end of January or first of February.
Cedar Grove Elementary, located at 8967 Cedar Grove School Loop Road, Nashville, and Swift Creek Elementary, located at 2420 Swift Creek School Road, Battleboro, both currently vacant, were offered up to Nash County Commissioners for right of first refusal at the Jan. 8 County Commissioners' meeting, but were politely declined.

School buses in Nash County may be in line to receive Wi-Fi service, thanks in part to E-rate funding under the Federal Communications Commission.
Michael Baier, Director of Transportation for Nash County Public Schools, told board members on the Students Services Committee Jan. 4 that a "Learn Without Limits" initiative passed by the FCC allocated millions of E-rate dollars to add wifi to school busses, and that Nash County was on the list to get it.

Nash county officials plan to budget $162,000 to continue funding local non-profit organizations in fiscal year 2025, choosing also to have county officials select which organizations get money and how much is dispensed to each.
County Manager Stacey Shatzer said the amount would also have the North Carolina cost of living index added to it.

In response to public concerns about diminished EMS Service coverage from chronic understaffing, Nash County EMS has produced a video detailing how emergency responders are staged and mobilized.
Presented by Emergency Services Director Tony Cameron at the Jan. 8 Board of Commissioners meeting and accessible on Nash County's You Tube Channel, the 7:48 minute video was produced by the Nash County Communications Department and features video, interviews, and animated graphics showing how county EMS vehicles and staff are placed around the county, what they do, and how their coverage shifts based on need.

Building Permit Commercial
Amy Pearson, 6487 Deans St; renovation/alteration; $150,000
Don Lee Perry, 12991 B NC 581 S; addition; $20,000
Don Lee Perry, 12991 C NC 581 S; addition; $20,000

Call for service at 10696 E NC 97, Rocky Mount on 1/11/24
Assault-simple reported at 1100 S NC 581, Spring Hope on 1/9/24
Felony breaking and/or entering reported at 1110 Bloomery Rd., Bailey on 1/12/24
Domestic disturbance reported at 121 Pine St., Nashville on 1/1/24

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
When I lived in Georgia, I had a friend at my church that I had grown to admire. His love for Christ was deep and his passion to witness for the Lord was unmatched. In short, he was on fire for Jesus.
Unfortunately, his born-again attitude made him the brunt of a lot of jokes where he worked. He asked me to pray for him.

For many Christians membership sounds stiff, something you have at your bank or the country club, but too formal for the church. Even if it's agreed that Christianity is not a lone ranger religion, that we need community and fellowship with other Christians, we still bristle at the thought of officially joining a church. Why all the hoops? Why box the Holy Spirit into member/non-member categories? Why bother joining a local church when I'm already a member of the universal Church?

The Baptist Men will have their monthly breakfast meeting on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 am.
Fundraisers for the youth and children's summer missions camps are coming up! A Soup and Sandwich lunch will be held on Sunday, Jan. 28 at Red Oak Baptist Church following the morning worship service. The cost is $5 per person. Also, on Friday, Feb. 9 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm they will have a Pancake Supper.

Benvenue Ruritan Club President Fran Bunn, right, is shown recognizing club member Donnie Perry for his 51 years of perfect attendance in the club.

Joseph A. Engrassia to Engrassia Investments, LLC; 131 Irene Court, Rocky Mount
RDG Real Estates, LLC, Thomas J. Pearsall Jr. and Mack B. Pearsall Jr. to Belmont Lake Preserve HOA; Chimney Hill Way, Block A, Lots 12-15 and Lots 3-4 and 8-9
Timothy W. Wheeler and June H. Wheeler to Stephanie Wiggs; 13191 NC 98 Highway West, Spring Hope
Linda Arnold Taylor to the Linda Arnold Taylor Irrevocable Trust, Linda Arnold Taylor and Rhonda T. Capps; 873 Bridle Drive, Rocky Mount

If you made a resolution to go to the gym every day in 2024, don't worry, January is half over and no one expects you to make it into February.
It's been tradition in this space to make predictions and resolutions, so here goes:
•We will be tired of the 2024 election by Valentine's Day. I'm giving it a couple of weeks because I no longer have live TV and will have to rely on radio and the internet for my sources of annoyance.

I'm not so sure the idea of adding Wi-Fi to school buses (reported in today's edition) is going to produce the benefits one would hope for.
If anyone these days has a kid, a grandchild, or even baby sits a child over the age of 7 - you know where I'm going with this.
Years ago the typical age for a kid to get a cell phone was around 13-14 or even older. But now you see kids as young as 7-8 glued to a phone or tablet.
I had a few years of experience in this area when caring for two great-nieces several years ago.

This photo originally published on April 6, 1967 in The Nashville Graphic. These members of the Junior Class of Nash Central High School were preparing to present a three-act play, "Was this Murder?" at the school.

NORTHERN NASH'S LATRAIL MOORE-BROWN

NASH COUNTY -- Recent poor weather has wreaked havoc on the Big East Conference basketball schedule -- forcing makeups and busy weeks heading into the regular season finale on February 16, which will be followed by the annual league tournament.
Here are the schedules for each Big East hoops squad for the rest of the regular season (home games are listed in CAPS):

UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE POLE VAULTER COLIN JOHNSON

NASH COUNTY -- The distance from the pole vault runway at Nash Central High School to the one located at the University of Charlotte is over 200 miles.
But the journey seemed much longer for former NCHS vault standout Colin Johnson -- both by time and distance.
Johnson is NC's school record holder in the event, and finished in third place in the Class 3-A State Track and Field Championships as a senior.

FORMER SNHS STANDOUT JERMIA WALKER (Photos Courtesy Guilford College SID)

NASH COUNTY -- Given her lightning-fast speed, it's no surprise that Jermia Walker is making a quick impact as a freshman for the Guilford College women's basketball team.
Although just 5-0 tall, Walker was the backbone of the Southern Nash girls hoops program since her freshman season. Ill-informed detractors said that Walker wouldn't be a standout on the collegiate level, but she is proving them wrong -- and immediately.

NASH COUNTY -- For Quinton Cooley, it was the opportunity of a lifetime -- the chance to compete in the college football New Year's Day Bowl Game.
That didn't sound like an attainable proposition in the off-season when Cooley entered the transfer portal and moved from Wake Forest University to Liberty University.

CHAPEL HILL - The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will return to Winston-Salem for the 2023-24 men's and women's basketball championships from March 11-16.
For the first time ever, the NCHSAA basketball championships will be contested at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.