STRICKLAND

NASHVILLE - Nash County is promoting two employees to lead its Emergency Services department and the Soil and Water Conservation District.
Nash County deputy and retired state trooper Tony Cameron will direct emergency services and Cole Strickland, a natural resource conservationist, will lead Soil and Water.

An in-house parking study was presented to the Downtown Nashville Strong Advisory Board last week during their monthly meeting.
The study was conducted by Averi Parker, who is serving as an intern for the towns of Nashville and Red Oak. Parker recorded cars parked in the downtown area on three occasions, from August 22 through September 26.

Volunteers help sort pumpkins at M&H Edwards Farm outside Nashville late last week to help a family dealing with a hospitalized teenager injured in a recent four-wheeler crash.

NASHVILLE -- Cade Edwards' recent four-wheeler crash came at the worst possible time for his farming family. Not only are his parents Mike and Hope Edwards worried to death for their hospitalized son, it's harvesting time.
"You watch the news and think it's all bad people out there, but something like this happens and you find out it's not," said Al Edwards, Mike's brother and uncle to 15-year-old Cade.

NASHVILLE -- A fixture in Nash County news reporting, Lindell Kay has covered the area for multiple newspapers since 2015. He began this week with The Nashville Graphic covering news in Nash County.
An O. Henry Award-winning investigative reporter and editor, Kay has worked at several daily and weekly newspapers in eastern North Carolina during his 20-year career.

Progress continues on the new Red Oak Elementary School and plans are for some students to begin class in the new facility after Christmas break.
Shannon Davis, Director of Maintenance, provided an update on the new school at a Board of Education Administrative Services and Operations Committee Meeting on September 26.

NASHVILLE -- The Nash County Sheriff's Office is using grants to create a new traffic safety team.
The four-deputy team will focus on school zones, high traffic areas, speeding and seatbelt enforcement, said Sheriff Keith Stone.
"Nothing frivolous, these are things that save lives," Stone said.

SPRING HOPE -- Municipal water customers will soon have less time to pay their bill before service disconnection.
The town board voted Monday to cut the grace period for water bills from 20 days to 5 days beginning in January.
Spring Hope's water bills are due on the 20th of each month.

NASHVILLE -- Nashville's Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidate meet and greet on Oct. 18. The floating event will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Nashville Parks and Recreation Center. at 108 S. Boddie Street in Nashville. Candidates for the NC Senate and House to Sherriff, Clerk of Court, District Attorney, County Commissioner and School Board have been invited.

Local public health officials say folks should remain vigilant against COVID-19 even as government restrictions are being relaxed.
The Nash County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved a proclamation terminating the county's state of emergency.
The state terminated its state of emergency Aug. 15 and the county determined it's time to do the same, said Brent Fisher, the county's coordinator of emergency management.

Rocky Mount native Clifton Barnes, who was a news/features reporter and sports editor at the Nashville Graphic in the 1980s, has won a national writing award for an online post promoting high school classmate Buck Williams for inclusion in the basketball hall of fame.
Writing for his CapitalSportsNC.com website, Barnes won an Award of Excellence from the DC area-based Communications Concepts through its 2022 Awards for Publication Excellence competition.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office has announced the arrest of 10 suspects, including two supposed street gang members, charged with possession of illicit drugs and stolen guns.
"Sheriff Keith Stone is committed to the enforcement of drug trafficking laws and felons with firearms.

MIDDLESEX -- A man has been charged in an alleged incident last week where an elementary student supposedly brought a handgun to school.
Alvaro Cordova-Muniz, 29, faces one count of storing a firearm in a manner accessible to a minor. He received a $2,000 secured bond with a first court appearance set for Oct. 21.

Maintain vehicle/dwelling/place controlled substance felony sell/deliver cocaine reported on 9/30/22
Warrant service at 105 Wellington Ct., Rocky Mount on 9/30/22
Missing persons at 11498 Red Oak Rd., Whitakers on 9/25/22

Incidents
Death investigation, 110 Wheeless Circle, on 9/26/22
DWI, failure to maintain lane control, no operating license reported at mile marker 459 US 64E on 9/28/22

The Town of Nashville has selected a new firm to handle its legal services.
Council members voted Tuesday night to hire Cauley Pridgen, P.A., out of Wilson. The vote was not unanimous, however. Council Members Lynne Hobbs and Kate Burns voted to go with Cauley Pridgen, P.A. while Council Members Larry Taylor and Louise Hinton voted to remain with Fields and Cooper, PLLC. Mayor Brenda Brown broke the tie, voting to go with Cauley Pridgen.

The Nash County Board of Education gave formal approval on Monday night for an additional one percent supplement for certified staff.
Finance Director Doug Hale presented the information at the board's regular meeting but added that the additional supplement had already been implemented with payroll beginning in August. Nash County Commissioners agreed to provide $900,000 to help with the one percent increase.

The Nash County Board of Commissioners earlier this week approved a loan with a business and grant administration to further progress at Middlesex Corporate Centre, a county-owned 368-acre industrial park located on U.S. 64.
Nash County received $400,000 in Economic Development Building Reuse funds from the N.C. Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division.

The 50th anniversary Spring Hope National Pumpkin Festival may have been called off due to rain last weekend, but this Saturday the town will be full of giant gourds.
The third annual Giant Pumpkin & Watermelon Weigh-off sanctioned by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of First Baptist Church at 111 N. Walnut St. in Spring Hope. The event has been rescheduled from Oct. 1.

When Spring Hope voters hit the polls on Election Day, it will most likely be at town hall.
The precinct's usual polling place, the Spring Hope Community Building, received water damage earlier this year.
The Nash County Board of Elections voted recently to use town hall as a backup in case the repairs aren't finished, which now appears to be the case.

At the Shelter, there were a couple of hounds that came in that were too skinny and our Rescue partner, PAWNC had to pull to save their life and get them vet care. Hounds hunt for you, but they cannot hunt for their food successfully. One of them had been shot with a BB gun, probably when trying to find something to eat. Vomiting up cig butts, pieces of wood and other junk. Obviously overbred. Very little hair, from fleas and lack of nutrition. It makes you cry for them.

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
The Bible says that we should bear one another's burdens. In other words, we should share our worries and fears with our Christian family. But we don't follow that advice as much as we should, do we? Think about it: How many times can you remember not sharing the need when your pastor or Sunday school teacher asked?

(41) So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. (42) They were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (43) Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. (44) All who believed were together and held everything in common, (45) and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.

Join in the fun at the Community Trunk or Treat at Ennis Park on Sunday, October 30! Event is sponsored by Red Oak Baptist Church and will be held at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. There will be candy, food, and fun for the entire family.
Pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin pie!

Victoria Oloyede, of Castalia, Graduates from Georgia State University
Victoria Oloyede of Castalia earned an Associate of Science degree, with studies in Health Information Administration from Georgia State University during the summer semester of 2022.

Joseph D. Parker and Lashelle K. Parker to Odinakachi Nnadi; Autumn Ridge, Phase B1, Block A, Lot 46
Jean Boone Joyner to Karen J. Joyner and Ricky W. Joyner; 7069 Tinks Lane, Elm City
Katherine D. Gardner, Elton E. Gardner, Shelby D. Poythress, Dennis L. Poythress, Amber Lee Dixon, Katherine D. Gardner and Shelby D. Poythress to Shirley L. Tallam; Lot 1, Block C; $180,000

Building Permit Commercial
Robbie Davis, 3713 A. Halifax Rd., N; new construction; 387,777
Walker Shaw, 9377 N US 301, renovation/alteration; $5,000,000

I don't know if you heard, but pickleball is going big.
There is a thing called Major League Pickleball. And more importantly, celebrities are getting involved.
It was announced last week that LeBron James and some other NBA players are investing in a pro pickleball team.

This photo first published in The Nashville Graphic on June 5, 1958. Linda Baines (left) and Kel Denton of the Deans Community won third place in a talent show for a musical skit. Ginny Kay McCain (right) of the Beulah Community won first place for a song and dance routine.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The Imperial Center for the Arts and Sciences is staging performances of the crowd-pleasing Noel Coward comedy "Blithe Spirit" on Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16.
"Blithe Spirit" was a smash hit that premiered in London and on Broadway in 1941. Since then, it has been revived numerous times.

Earlier this month, North Carolina Wesleyan University announced its new Practical Skills Academy (PSA) that will offer life and professional skills to students in areas not typically covered in traditional coursework. Through the PSA, NC Wesleyan University is also offering its newly-developed Resident Expert Program (WES-R.E.P.). To kick off this program, NCWU will be hosting award-winning actress Sharon Lawrence as its first Actor in Residence.