TOTAL LOSS -- Just a shell of the Richardson Funeral Home building is left from Tuesday night\'s fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. (Graphic photo by Chuck Lewis)

A longstanding business in the Nashville community was destroyed by fire on Tuesday night.
Nashville's Fire Department was dispatched to Richardson Funeral Home around 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2 in reference to a possible fire at the funeral home, which is located at 204 N Alston Street in Nashville.

A body was discovered Wednesday afternoon in Stoney Creek near US 64 and Womble Road.
Nash County Sheriff's Office and several other emergency service agencies responded to the area in reference to a body found by employees of Locklear Boring based out of Creedmoor, NC.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office is looking for three men who broke into a home on Monday evening and assaulted a resident of the home.
According to the Sheriff's Office a female victim was sitting at her home in the 1300 block of Wiley Road in Southern Nash County when three unknown black males entered the residence. The suspects allegedly had handguns and hit the victim in the head.

ESCAPE ROOM -- Dante Bernis and his mother Michele Okoh (L-R) were one of six groups who participated in Cooley Library's Escape Room sessions last week.

Cooley Library provided some unique fun last week for patrons as they held Escape Room sessions inside the library's children's room.
An Escape Room is a physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints and strategy to complete the objectives at hand. The puzzles and riddles are completed in a locked room and once solved, the room is unlocked.

Christmas is over but Nashville's Christmas decorations are still a topic of conversation in town.
Nashville's Town Council addressed the topic on Tuesday night during their regular meeting.
Though the item wasn't on the agenda, Councilwoman Louise Hinton brought it up during council comments.

Nashville's Town Council approved the merger of the town's Public Works and Public Utilities Department into one department with one director.
Mayor Donald Street said the merger became a possibility after the recent retirement of longtime Public Works Director Larry Williams. Williams' retirement was effective December 31.

Nash County is looking for participants for its 10th annual Citizen's Academy.
The Spring 2018 session will begin on February 1, with graduation set in May.
The Nash County Citizen's Academy provides an in-depth look at the many functions of county government from the citizen's viewpoint.

Local churches are partnering with the Town of Nashville's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department to offer tutoring to students at Nashville Elementary School.
Marguerite Bishop, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, said the program was started to help build relationships with the community.

Nashville's Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of a new business last month during a ribbon cutting.
I Got U Bail Bonds opened on November 1 in Downtown Nashville. Owner Rosa Ferguson said Nashville's office is the fourth location of the business.
The business started in Henderson.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office is working to get bullet and stab proof protective vests for its K-9 officers, thanks to a non-profit organization in Massachusetts.
Most recently, K-9 Dino received his vest, which was embroidered with "Born to Love-Trained to Serve-Loyal Always."
The vest is made possible through Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Dino's vest is sponsored by Michelle and John Egan of Colorado Springs, CO.

INCIDENTS
An escape from custody or resist, obstruct or delay and assault on a government official was reported on 12/19/17 at 222 W Washington Street
A damage to property (vandalism) was reported on 12/19/17 at 314 S First Street

An assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and giving fictitious information to an officer was reported on 12/17/17 at 6343 Harrisontown Road
An identity theft was reported on 12/17/17 at 3664 McIntyre Road
A criminal damage to property was reported on 12/18/17 at 853 Red Oak Hills Road

Nash County Planning and Inspections issued the following building permits from December 25 through 29.

Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (NRMPS) is one of 447 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 8th Annual Advanced Placement (AP®) District Honor Roll.
To be included on the 8th Annual Honor Roll, NRMPS had to, since 2015, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of three or higher.

New rules that set limits on the quantity of opioids that can be prescribed took effect on January 1, 2018.
The STOP Act, supported by Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein, sets new initial prescribing limits and is part of the state's multi-pronged effort to reduce the oversupply of prescription opioids that has contributed to increased addiction and unintentional overdose deaths.

Merry Christmas Fellow Followers! I pray that as the Christmas season draws to a close on January 6th that you are still completely enthralled by the fact that the Father has sent Jesus to redeem us from the law and to destroy the works of satan. If the Christmas story ever becomes numb to us, we must revisit it again and ask the Spirit to give us His power in understanding the greatest story the universe has ever known.

Local churches should be groups of people with whom men and women may gather to draw near to God and meet with Him. God promised ancient Israel, "I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people" (Leviticus 26:11-12).

Friday, January 5 from 12 until 5 p.m. at the Whitakers Volunteer Fire Department, 104 SW Railroad Street, Whitakers
Thursday, January 11 from 2 until 7 p.m. at the Red Oak Volunteer Fire Department, 7951 Red Oak Boulevard, Red Oak
Friday, January 12 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at NC Wesleyan College in Pearsall Library, 3400 N Wesleyan Boulevard, Rocky Mount

The Nash County Sheriff's Office recently assisted the Nash County Senior Center in delivering stockings filled with goodies to Nash County seniors. Pictured (L-R) is: Dollie Parker, Frances Alston, Chief Deputy Brandon Medina, Morgan Doughtie and Sherry Leonard. Medina assisted with the delivery of nearly a dozen stockings throughout Nash County. Recipients were very appreciative of getting the stockings and that they were not forgotten during the Christmas holiday.

Nash-Rocky Mount Schools has released its Honor Roll lists for the first semester of the 2017-2018 school year.
The following students at the Nash-Rocky Mount Early College made the A or A/B Honor Roll.

Another year is upon us, and that can mean only one thing: gyms everywhere will be crowded for about six weeks, and then calmer heads will prevail.
It also means that it is time for the Soapbox Annual predictions. As you recall, everything predicted here last year, as in the previous 19 years, came true. Our biggest was that the world would not end. So pay attention, these are important.

Dear Editor:
Some time ago in The Graphic was an opinion piece that said government had no business in health care. It assumed that everyone could find it themselves and afford it. So why involve government? It implied that with age you forget what hardship is and pretend you had it harder than most- but you came through okay.

BANNER UNVEILED -- This photo originally published in The Graphic on January 10, 1978. The Nashville Business and Professional Women's Club was set to sponsor a Little Grand Ole Opry on January 28th at the Nashville Elementary School auditorium with proceeds from the event going toward the united Cerebral Palsy's annual regional telethon.

FOURTEEN FOR TWO. Northern Nash's Jordan Lynch (with ball) drives for a basket during last Friday night's meeting with host Bunn in the championship game of the annual Bunn Boys Basketball Christmas Tournament in Franklin County.

NORTHERN NASH'S SAM PAGE

BUNN -- Both Northern Nash's team and fan base were beyond disappointed with the excruciatingly painful Nash County Christmas Tournament Boys Basketball Championship loss to arch-rival Rocky Mount.
But fortunately for the Knights, the squad was able to bounce back with two good wins in the first two rounds of last week's 2017 Bunn Christmas Tournament that led to winning the tournament championship against host Bunn.

TOURNEY MVP DARQUEZ FLOWERS

BUNN -- In the estimation of veteran coach Henry Drake, Northern Nash's strong second half to the 2016-17 season actually began with a disappointing loss.
That setback came at the Bunn Christmas Tournament as the Knights were topped by Wake Forest in stunning fashion in the opening round of the annual event.
The defeat seemed to jolt Northern, which would only lose one more time before making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Class 3-A State Playoffs before dropping a heartbreaker to Eastern Guilford.

SOUTHERN NASH'S DEMETRIUS TOWNES

BUNN -- Strange as it may sound at first listen, Southern Nash boys basketball coach Robbie Kennedy has found the perfect way to describe the present-day version of his squad.
"We are consistently inconsistent,'' Kennedy said following his club's disappointing 1-2 overall stint at last week's Bunn Christmas Classic in Franklin County.

CLAYTON -- Nash Central traveled 55 miles to tangle with Rocky Mount -- located just down the road from the NCHS campus -- in the finals of the John Jacobs Christmas Classic.
That's how the bracket worked out in the eight-team event, which is held annually at Cleveland High School in Johnston County.

QUICK TO THE BUCKET. Nash Central's Mallory Roughton takes the baseline during last Thursday's tourney game against Wake Christian.

CLAYTON -- Nash Central drew the short bracket straw at the annual John Jacobs Christmas Basketball Classic -- but that didn't keep the Lady Bulldogs from stringing together a strong overall tournament performance.
Central's first-round opponent last Wednesday was a tough one as the Lady Bulldogs drew perennial powerhouse Kinston.

RED OAK -- Randy Raper began his 27-year tenure as a head football coach in 1991 when he was hired at Wilson-Hunt.
Raper then embarked on a fantastic run that, over 22 years, included ten double-digit win seasons, multiple conference championships and a state championship appearance as the head coach of the Warriors.

ROCKY MOUNT -- North Carolina Wesleyan College will kick off its 2018 baseball season on Feb. 10 with a home doubleheader against Eastern Mennonite.
The twinbill will begin at 11 a.m.
NCWC's complete ledger is as follows, with home games listed in CAPS:

Southern Nash's Zonovan Knight (left) scores in the paint during last Wednesday's first-round loss to host Bunn at the annual Bunn Christmas Boys Basketball Tournament.

Nash Central's Anna Shaye Thompson (left) scores inside for the Lady Bulldogs during last Thursday afternoon's victory over Wake Christian in the second round of the John Jacobs Christmas Classic.

Members of the Nash Central High School boys basketball team pose last Friday night after winning the John Jacobs Christmas Classic at Cleveland HS in Johnston County.

Editor's Note:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, a few of our special 'Letters to Santa' were slightly delayed publishing - but Santa and his elves received these letters, just in the 'nick' of time for Christmas.
At Santa's special request, we're including the letters in this week's publication.