NASHVILLE - The proposed Nash County FY 2025 budget projects a drop in the property tax rate from the current 67 cents per $100 assessed value to 63 cents per $100 assessed value; after revaluation, even the drop is projected to generate a 20.8% increase, amounting to an estimated $68+ million in property tax money for the county's general fund.

NASHVILLE - Nashville Town Council members, minus an absent Kate Burns, voted to move ahead with a $1.5 million purchase contract Tuesday night for the old Fellowship Church at 981 Old White Oak Road, with the caveat that the 'due diligence' period be lengthened to 90 days and the town granted the right to "back out" of the purchase contract for any reason during that time.

NASHVILLE - Nash's newest District Court Judge, the Honorable Alicia M. Slaughter, was sworn into office April 8, with her first day on the bench April 15. Slaughter won the March 5 democratic primary and was appointed by Governor Cooper to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Beth Freshwater-Smith as a Special Superior Court Judge. Her term will actually begin in January.

NASHVILLE - Nash County Sheriff's deputies and EMS workers could be seeing more money in their paychecks, if recommended pay hikes from a public safety salary study are adopted in the upcoming FY 2025 county budget. County officials were presented with study results in day two of their annual budget workshop April 12 and meetings are planned with both departments the first week of May to go over the data.

Eleven of twelve outside agencies asking for Nash County dollar assistance will be getting some or all of what they asked for, pending approval for the finalized fiscal year 2025 county budget.
Commissioners are being asked to include a total amount of $168,885, with the maximum allowed $35,000 per agency program.

Miranda Easter of Easter Creations sells baked delights to a crowd at opening day of the Nashville Farmers Market. The market will open Friday afternoons through October 11th.

ROCKY MOUNT - Engine issues are blamed as a cause of a plane crash Sunday night in the city of Rocky Mount. The condition of the plane's sole occupant, the pilot, is unknown and his identity has not been released.
A preliminary FAA Aviation Safety Information Analysis posted online Monday stated that the Cessna 172E, registered for personal use, was destroyed in the accident, which occurred in the 1200 block of West Raleigh Boulevard.

Nash County Manager Stacie Shatzer will meet with Nash County Arts Council's board of directors and the art center's director regarding the possibility of Nash Arts moving under the umbrella of Nash County's Parks and Recreation. The meeting will be held at Nash Arts Center on April 23 at 5:30 p.m. Nash Arts Center is located at 100 E. Washington St., Nashville.

Early voting starts April 25th for the statewide Republican second Primary Election, with two elected offices, North Carolina Lt. Governor and North Carolina Auditor, still contested as of the state board March 26 canvass.
Under state law, a second-place candidate in a primary may request a second primary if no candidate receives more than 30% of the votes cast in that contest.

Nashville Mayor Brenda Brown presents a proclamation to Faith Christian Ministries' Director Laura Bartholomew acknowledging the ministry's 40 years of service in Nashville. Graphic photo by Nancy West-Brake

NASHVILLE - Faith Christian Ministries of Nashville, celebrating forty years of operation and recently lauded by both Town of Nashville and Nash County officials with proclamations, has its sights set on continued expansion and is planning a new adjacent building to be completed by December.
Laura Bartholomew, organization director since January of 2021, said a main purpose of the new building, which will adjoin its 245 W. Washington Street location, will be for processing incoming donations, currently done on a loading dock outside.

A Nashville seasonal staple, Strawberry City, is celebrating its 20th year anniversary, and is planning live music and food trucks April 20 and May 4.
Brent and Sue Leggett began growing strawberries in 2005 at Airport U Pick on Highway 97 near the Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport, growing into their second location, Strawberry City, on 5384 N. Highway 58, Nashville, in 2009. Both operations were consolidated at Strawberry City in 2018.

What happens if the power goes out? With today's dependence on computers, an unexpected loss of power can wreak havoc on computer work, to say nothing of damage to hard drives or lost data. School lessons can be disrupted, as can work at government entities. Refrigeration suddenly becomes an issue. Healthcare operations, which run life-saving equipment and depend on electric power for equipment sterilization and for patients to signal nursing staff, are even more critical.
Even with backup power systems, such as generators, any amount of time without electricity causes multiple issues.

A Nash County Paramedic and mother of four is about to get a new car anytime now, thanks to her win on 'The Price Is Right.'
Kizzy Taylor Pittman was selected from the studio audience to compete in February, with the show episode airing March 26. The car she won was a 2024 Nissan Altima, but she doesn't have to take that particular car; Pittman told The Graphic that she will be able to choose one in its price range from a local dealer.

Nashville water residents complaining about low water pressure earlier this week should see those issues 'dry up' by Friday.
Lee Brown, Director of Public Works, told The Graphic that it turned out to be primarily a usage problem.
"Monday afternoon we started receiving calls of fluctuating water pressure on the east side of Town.

That's a pretty powerful statement, especially considering the fact that Jesus said it. It makes you wonder: "Could Jesus be talking about my church"?
Actually, the church to which Jesus was referring to was the church at Laodicea. Laodicea was the last of the seven churches described by Jesus in Revelation.
The Apostle John - now John the Revelator - was directed by Jesus in Revelation 1:11 to write down what he saw from a vision. He was then to deliver it to seven of the churches which occupied Asia Minor. That area is now Turkey.

It was the Passover, the annual celebration of Israel's exodus from Egypt. It was the Last Supper Jesus would have with his disciples before his death on the cross. During dinner, Jesus announced, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The sorrowful disciples asked, "Is it I, Lord." In Matthew 26:23-24, Jesus answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

The Rocky Mount Debu-ette Club has announced its 2024 seniors.
The organization consists of young women in grades ninth through twelfth who volunteer together in the community. They become community leaders while developing lifelong friendships during four years of service.

Ambergate Phase II Dev. LLC to Foundation Home Builders, LLC; Ambergate Subdivision, Phase II, Lots 41-42; $100,000
Mindy A. Myers, Mindy A. Brabham and Nathan A. Brabham to DY Property Investment, LLC; Spring Creek Subdivision, Lot 52
John Larry Strickland, Jeannie Strickland Arena, Trust Under Last Will and Testament of John Larry Strickland for the benefit of Linda Strickland Matthews and Jeannie Strickland Arena and Spouse Paul Arena, Linda Strickland Matthews, Jeannie Strickland Arena and Paul Arena to Omar Alexander Garcia; 13668 West NC 97 Highway, Zebulon; $330,000

We just recently passed the last frost, so that means it is time for me to get going on my garden.
Except this year, there isn't going to be a garden.
After several years of one agricultural disaster after another, I'm giving it up. If I was a ball coach, I would have been fired for my string of losing seasons.
I've written plenty about the massive garden my parents had every year. My daddy planted so much corn it was like he was going to supply Napoleon's army on the march to Russia.

My column last week was not meant to be a news report of any specifics as to what is happening with Nash County and Nash County Arts Center. If you missed last week's edition, this editorial/column focused on the possibility that Nash County is proposing that Nash Arts be placed under its parks and recreation department. I couldn't offer specific details since the idea has never once popped up in a public meeting. I actually found out merely by accident there was such an idea being tossed around. And yes, I did verify such a plan was being proposed by Nash County to Nash Arts before launching an editorial regarding the issue.

This photo was originally published in The Nashville Graphic on April 9, 1970. Ralph Batchleor of the Coopers Community was pictured with the steer he entered in the 33rd annual Meat Animal Show and Sale.

RED OAK -- Recent poor weather has brought with it some winds of change in the Big East Conference girls soccer standings.
That's because the Northern Nash Lady Knights, with their rebuilding work apparently complete, have started to breeze past their league foes -- even perennial powerhouse Southern Nash.

BUNN -- It took just 21 hours for the rematch of the 'Game of the Year' in the Big East Conference to be played -- and that brought a few key intangibles into play.
With rain in the forecast for last Thursday, Round Two of the Bunn-Northern Nash baseball showdown was moved up one day -- and the first game of the series had been staged Tuesday, with host Northern Nash rallying from a huge deficit to force extra innings before finally earning the tough victory in the bottom of the 11th stanza of action.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan University baseball program welcomed back the 1989 & 1999 National Championship teams back to Bauer Field for the 25 and 35-year reunions on April 5.
Led by Head Coach Mike Fox, the 1989 Battling Bishop baseball squad brought home NCWU's first National Championship when Wesleyan defeated California State-Stanislaus by an 8-7 score on June 4, 1989 at Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The first Big East Conference boys golf match after Spring Break culminated in the same result as all of the previous ones this spring -- with the Roanoke Rapids Yellow Jackets taking first place in the overall team standings.
Roanoke Rapids, also the defending league champion, saw its margin of victory drop, but the Yellow Jackets still got the job done by finishing with 347 team strokes to take the 18-hole competition last Wednesday at The River Golf Course near Bunn.

ZEBULON - The Carolina Mudcats (4-1) saw three leads disappear throughout last Wednesday night's contest at Five County Stadium, but a big Cooper Pratt two-run single in the eighth gave the Mudcats just enough of a cushion to hand the Down East Wood Ducks (4-1) their first loss of 2024 by a final score of 7-6.
Despite the several surges from Down East, Carolina never trailed in the ballgame.
The Mudcats took a 1-0 lead on a Kay-Lan Nicasia sacrifice fly in the second that was quickly erased by an Echedry Vargas RBI double in the top half of the third.

Nash Central High School presents the musical "Grease" at the Imperial Centre, 207 Gay St., Rocky Mount. Shows include: Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m.; Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m.; Sat., April 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The musical is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company. GREASE book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online only.