The Town of Nashville's plans to purchase the Birchwood property for recreation have not come to fruition.
Interim Town Manager Leonard Barefoot confirmed the property had been sold to a developer instead.
Jason Davis, President of Turn-Key Contractors, said his company has purchased the 120-acre property.

Red Oak adopted several resolutions Monday and presented a proposed budget reflecting a 25.7 percent increase over this year's budget.
First, the board unanimously approved the Site Specific Master Plan for W. B. Ennis Park provided by Rivers and Associates.
The plan was created based on information obtained from a public hearing in March.

An Edgecombe County man accused in 2017 of murder and kidnapping will spend up to 47 years in prison.
Shantonio Lucas, 26, of Battleboro, pled guilty last Thursday in Superior Court to second degree murder and first degree kidnapping. Senior Resident Superior Court Judget Quentin Sumner presided over the case.

Castalia's Town Hall was full of people excited about the possibility of getting internet service at their homes.
CloudWyze officials held two informational sessions on Tuesday in areas where they plan to start a pilot program as part of a partnership with Nash County to provide internet services to underserved and unserved areas of the county.

Momeyer's newest town council member was sworn in on Monday during the board's regular meeting.
Momeyer's Town Council appointed Richard Matthews to the board last month. Matthews was sworn in by long-time Momeyer Mayor Kenneth Parker at the start of Monday's meeting.

Randy Lansing is looking forward to moving to Nashville.
Lansing will officially join the town as the Town Manager on June 4.
Nashville's Town Council announced last Tuesday night that they had hired Lansing to serve as their manager. Lansing was hired at a salary of $110,000.

Nashville police arrested a Rocky Mount man on Saturday after responding to a disturbance on Jackson Way.
Police were dispatched to the 600 block of Jackson Way around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Upon arrival, officers determined there had been some type of physical altercation.

Nash County 4-H volunteers and supporters were honored at the state level for their dedication to the mission of 4-H.
Around 350 4-H alumni, family, friends, volunteers and donors visited Greensboro for the Celebrating North Carolina 4-H: Ever GREEN event, which honored NC 4-H Hall of Fame members as well as Lifetime Achievement and Family Legacy Award recipients.

Cancer survivors were celebrated Monday night at the Nash County Relay for Life Survivor Dinner at Nash Community College.
Survivors will again be recognized on April 26 at the 25th Annual Nash County Relay for Life event.
This year's event is being led by Chairs Bradly Leonard and Ron Jackson.

Former Spring Hope Town Manager, John Michael Holpe, Jr., 69, of Winston-Salem, passed away, Sunday, April 7, 2019.
A mass of Christian burial will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 13, at Our Lady of Mercy, Winston-Salem, with Father Carl Zdancewicz officiating. Entombment will follow at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Rocky Mount Police are investigating a homicide that occurred over the weekend.
Police responded to a call around 12:14 a.m. on Sunday, April 7 on King James Court in reference to subjects being disorderly. While officers were in route to the call, they received information about a subject laying in the road unresponsive.

A Rocky Mount tax preparer was charged last week with aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return.
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. reported that Moses Whitaker transmitted or casued to be transmitted around 3,384 U.S. individual income tax returns during the 2010 through 2018 tax years.

The Rocky Mount Police Department made several arrests last week in an operation focused on disrupting the illegal sales of controlled substances.
Multiple enforcement operations were conducted over the March 29th weekend.
The operation, dubbed "Hammer Time," was focused on disrupting the illegal sales of controlled substances while at the same time deterring acts of violence and crime within the city of Rocky Mount.

INCIDENTS
A larceny (shoplifting) was reported on 4/1/19 at Food Lion, 1151 Eastern Avenue
An involuntary commitment service was reported on 4/2/19 on Embassy Drive

An obscene material exploiting children was reported on 4/2/19 at 3170 Red Oak Battleboro Road
A failure to work after paid was reported on 4/2/19 at 5861 Maggie Road
A larceny of a fireram was reported on 4/2/19 at 2788 Rocky Cross Road

Nash County Planning and Inspections issued the following building permits from April 1 through 5.

TEA PARTY - Pictured (L-R) Karen Clark, Mary Brake, Dalphne Bullock and Annette Xavier enjoy refreshments on Sunday at the Community Tea Party, hosted by My Sister's House.

Instead of donning high heels and marching around a track, supporters of My Sister's House met for tea on Sunday to show support for victims of domestic violence.
The first annual "Community Tea Party" was held at Benvenue Country Club and was held in lieu of My Sister's House "Walk in Her Shoes," an event that has been held the past five years.

Red Oak United Methodist Church has received a grant from the Duke Endowment to host another summer literacy program.
The church was one of several other rural North Carolina congregations selected to offer the program, which is designed to help early readers avoid the learning loss that can happen over the summer break.

The town of Spring Hope will experience an increase in recycling rates within the next few months.
Government Contracts Manager of Waste Industries Patrick Luce came before the board to request the increase, which commissioners approved.
The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, for the town will increase by 3 percent and the cost per account will go up by 34 cents.

Kevin Barnes has come out of retirement to serve as the new jail administrator for Nash County Detention Center.
Barnes was hired by the Nash County Sheriff's Office on April 1.
A Wilson County native with experience in overseeing state prisons in North Carolina, Barnes started his career in 1987 as a Correctional Officer at Polk Youth Center in Raleigh. He has 31 years of prison experience and over 28 years of supervising experience in correctional management.

4-H'er Bryleigh Colbert, at left, partnered with Logan VanHouten, at right, during the Eastern Carolina 4-H Livestock Show and Sale Exceptional Exhibitors Show last Wednesday. (Contributed photo)

Wade Coffield guides his goat around the ring during the goat show last week at the annual Livestock Show and Sale. (Graphic photo by Amanda Clark)

Dylan Newbold showed swine for the first time at this year's Livestock Show. He finished fifth in Showmanship and sixth in his Market Class. (Contributed photo)

Trey Ormond guides his pig around the ring last week during the swine show. (Contributed photo)

Stacie Winner shows her goat during her last year of showing at the Eastern Carolina 4-H Livestock Show and Sale. Winner had the Grand Champion Market Goat. (Contributed photo)

Taryn Reams shows her goat during the show last week.

Nash Community College welcomes runners, walkers, volunteers, and sponsors to the 5th Annual Run for Knowledge 5K and One Mile Fun Run on Saturday, April 27, 2019. The runs will begin at the Continuing Education and Public Services Building.
Runners will enjoy the 5K at 8:30 AM on a mix of paved and trail surfaces covering the outside loop of Nash Community College before entering the woods for a scenic second half of the course.

STRAYS ~ Most of the pets in the Shelter, in particular the dogs, are strays. Most of them are because people let their dogs out to potty, then they leave their yard for adventures, especially when they or other dogs are in heat. Obviously, for their safety and the safety of others, they need to be under control of their owners. See the regulations below. If you don't have a fenced yard, you should have them on a cable or on leash.

Recently, I was involved in a misunderstanding that turned out to be a real source of embarrassment.
The particulars are not important because the embarrassment that I experienced had nothing to do with the nature of the misunderstanding. I was embarrassed because the circumstances that surrounded the incident made me look as if I was the farthest thing from a Christian.

The God we glorify is the God who gives. The God we honor is the God who is humble. The God who is sovereign over all the earth rode on a donkey.
Hi Fellow Followers, Palm Sunday (almost) greetings to you this day. We've come a long way from Ash Wednesday and things are getting real. Good Friday is coming, Passion Week is before us - yet before that, we witness the Triumphal Entry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he enters Jerusalem on a donkey.

Please be in prayer for the staff, girls, and moms who will be traveling to Camp Mundo Vista on Friday, April 12-13 for Mother/Daughter Overnight Camp sponsored by the North Roanoke Baptist Association.
All ladies invited to the Early Risers breakfast at Red Oak Baptist Church Family Life Center on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 am.

God truly blesses us. The Peachtree Baptist Church Congregation and friends met to worship last Sunday.
The Sanctuary flower arrangement Sunday was presented to glorify God by Beverly Wilson in loving honor of Barbara Privette and Laicyn Batchelor for the joy they give to others.

On the morning I was trying to compose my article, I realized how easy it is to take the path of least resistance. I don't expect any of us wake up on any given morning hoping that we will encounter discomfort or uneasiness of any kind. We also know the reality of life.
I also suppose readers of the Bible find it easier to read and engage those texts which are "easy" and more comforting than others.

Jamare Turner, 10, works on a special project after school at the Boys & Girls Club in Nashville.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of The Tar River Region invites you to visit its Nashville location!
The club has been housed, since its inception, on the campus of the former W.L. Greene School, in the facility which was known as the agriculture building.
Last week, the club relocated into one of the education buildings on campus.

Big Hats, Sundresses and Seersucker Suits. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tar River Region is hosting Derby Day at the Mills! The afternoon will be filled with pre-race fun, streaming of the Kentucky Derby, a derby inspired meal, cocktails, music, photo booth, kid friendly derby day themed events and more!
Experience the 2019 Kentucky Derby in The Power House NC at Rocky Mount Mills. Stay tuned for more details and how to purchase tickets!

When I started writing a column in this space over 20 years ago, I did not foresee a day I'd have to write a piece about the threat of socialism in America.
Of course, when we look at life in this country in 1997 compared to today, there are a lot of unbelievable things have come to pass that most of us never thought would be possible.

My oldest kid is getting to the age where he's very interested in technology.
We've tried hard to keep the boys away from devices but last year, we did buy Corbin a handheld game set. We limit the time our kids can play tablets or any devices and we also eagerly take those devices away when the boys misbehave. Corbin hasn't been able to play his game for two months now!

Dear Editor: Nashville Elementary School took part in a special, community wide shared reading event. Every family received a copy of the same book, The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill, and were asked to read it together at home over the last few weeks.

VETERAN BACKS -- This photo originally published September 16, 1971 in The Nashville Graphic. These five backs, who saw a lot of action that year, were the top performers in the Knights' season. Pictured, left to right, kneeling, Butch Petty and Jimmy Williams. Standing: Danny Weaver, Frank Hedgepeth, and Larry Hines.

SPECIAL TIMES. Northern Nash High School boys basketball coach Henry Drake talks about Sam Page during Page\'s college signing last Thursday afternoon at the NNHS Gymnasium.

RED OAK -- Fitting that one of the final acts of Sam Page's time at Northern Nash came last Thursday as he unzipped a jacket to reveal the name of his college basketball choice.
That's because Page was a Superman of sorts this past season for the Fighting Knights -- seemingly always coming through with the clutch play when his team needed it the most.

50-50 BALL. (L to R) Southern Nash's Layla Austin and Franklinton's Hayla Ahmadi try to gain possession during last Friday's girls soccer showdown.

STANHOPE -- The weather cooperated -- barely -- for Southern Nash and Franklinton to play their Big East Conference girls soccer showdown last Friday on the SNHS campus.
While most other area events were postponed, the SN and Franklinton pressed on and played a memorable contest that went to overtime before it was finally decided.

NORTHERN NASH HIGH SCHOOL'S JAY PATEL

FRANKLINTON -- Destiny apparently didn't want the Franklinton-Northern Nash boys tennis series to finish this season.
The clubs had tried to play their Big East Conference matches on several occasions -- only to be thwarted by poor weather.
Finally, Northern Nash and FHS met last Thursday at the NN Courts, with the homestanding Knights securing a 7-2 victory despite being shorthanded for the event.

SOUTHERN NASH'S KAYLYN YOUNES

STANHOPE -- True signs of Southern Nash's continued girls soccer progress can only be measured by how the Ladybirds compete with the top-level clubs in the always-competitive Big East Conference.
With that in mind, the Ladybirds played perennial powerhouse Wilson Fike to a tough contest last Wednesday at the SNHS Soccer Complex -- only to see the visiting Lady Demons pull away late to secure a tight 3-1 triumph.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan College baseball team finished off a three-game conference series sweep of Averett University (Va.) by winning 4-1 in game three on Sunday afternoon.
Senior starting pitcher Nate Gardner helped lead the Bishops to the win by pitching 8 stellar innings allowing just 4 hits and one run on 2 walks and five strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the year.

NASHVILLE -- LBJ Chevrolet is partnering with the Town of Nashville as part of the national Chevrolet Youth Baseball program to provide new equipment, invitations to free instructional clinics and an opportunity for community members to earn donations for their league via a Test Drive fundraiser.
"Playing the game of baseball helps kids develop skills like leadership, cooperation and sportsmanship while bringing families and communities together to show their support," said Johnny Matthews, LBJ Chevrolet Sales Manager.

KINSTON -- Carolina's starter Dylan File retired nine straight and had six strikeouts over the first three innings on Sunday, but ended up allowing four runs and four hits in the fourth while taking the loss as the Wood Ducks defeated the Mudcats 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at Grainger Stadium in Class A Carolina League baseball action.

NASH COUNTY -- Here are updated Nash County Recreation & Senior Services Flag Football scores from the spring season:

NASH COUNTY -- Here are updated Nash County Recreation & Senior Services Softball & Baseball Scores:

ROCKY MOUNT -- Dylan Moseley lined a two-out, two-strike single to center field, which chased home 2 runs and gave the Wesley Men a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Pizza Inn in recent Opening Day Little League baseball action at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.

The Racing Dodrills -- Tracy and Jeff -- recently took part in the annual Sunset Beach Half-Marathon in Brunswick County. Tracy finished 21st overall and was the female champion with a time of 1:38.21. Jeff took 15th overall at 1:37.12 and won his age group. A total of 698 runners participated in the Sunset Beach Half-Marathon event.

Southern Nash's Valerie Velez (left) tries to win a race to the ball during last Wednesday afternoon's Big East Conference home soccer meeting with rival Wilson Fike High School.

Southern Nash's Brisa Savilla-Castro gains the ball for the Ladybirds during last Friday's overtime victory against Big East Conference soccer opponent Franklinton High School.