Faith Christian Ministries Director Laura Bartholomew holds the Business of the Year award while surrounded by staff, volunteers and board members.

NASHVILLE - Nashville's Chamber of Commerce showed out as healthy and strong at its 33rd annual meeting, held July 25 at the Elks' Lodge at Birchwood with over one hundred people in attendance.
Among highlights of the evening, which included dinner and door prizes, were awards for Business of the Year, a 'Beyond The Call of Duty' recognition for a town of Nashville employee and four scholarships.

NASHVILLE - A pilot program to benefit select jail inmates struggling with opioid use disorders is due to get underway today at the Nash County Detention Center.
The new program, funded by a $395,000 state grant from the NC Department of Public Safety, will expand a current treatment program from Phase One to Phase Two, according to Captain Daniel Wrenn of the Nash County Sheriff's Office, who oversees the Detention Center and applied for the grant.

Ryan Conklin, Chef, tastes a lunch of Piedmontese beef with Marina Strickland of Old Rudera Farm. Contributed photo

MIDDLESEX - A Middlesex beef farm is drawing attention from across the state as it works to promote the health benefits of Piedmontese Cattle, an Italian breed unique for its genetic ability to produce meat lower in fat and cholesterol.
Old Rudera Farm, located at 10378 Nade Road, Middlesex, was the site of a "Got To Be NC" event July 8, in which local chefs were invited to a farm tour followed by a lunch, during which they could sample a lunch of Rib Eyes, T-bones and Tenderloins and kofta kebabs accompanied by a salad and Labne, a middle eastern cheese.

NASHVILLE - At-risk students in Nash County middle and high schools, particularly those with multiple office referrals for vaping and tobacco use and any found in possession of a controlled substance, will have the opportunity this year to work with a student support specialist in lieu of a suspension under a new contract to be signed August 1.

ROCKY MOUNT - "Stranger Danger" - it's a documented response for babies, who typically start to exhibit fears of people they don't know starting at five to six months of age. It's also something that parents try to teach older children in order to try to protect them, with the usual admonitions of not to take candy from or go with people they don't know.
The reality, however, is that most children who suffer abuse get it at the hands of people they already know.

Local Covid numbers are on the rise in a seasonal summer peak, which follows a pattern established over the past four years of more cases occurring in summer and winter.
"Eastern NC had an uptick in Covid diagnoses recently," confirmed Liz Lord, Deputy Health Director at the Nash Health Deparment.

A long-time Nashville resident and practicing attorney, John Ed Davenport, has passed away, but his legal legacy will continue to be felt by many local families that he helped.
Davenport passed away July 24 in Raleigh, with services held July 30 at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, also in Raleigh.
"Even though he's been retired for many years now, Ed was such a large presence in the Nashville legal community.

STAFF REPORTS - The Red Oak Area Rotary Club is holding a painting fundraiser event this Saturday, August 3, from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Red Oak Baptist Church Family Life Center.
"Teddy Bear Paint & Brunch," a class for participants to paint a teddy bear in a swing over a field of flowers, is open to beginner and experienced painters alike. The instructor is local artist Noel Butler.

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Police Department (NPD) has pulled an $18 thousand dollar grant to use towards paying an officer's salary under the NC Governor's Highway Safety Program.
An agreement between NCDOT, which includes the NCGSP and the town of Nashville, was approved last month, approving a one-year extension to a four-year grant, which has the overall goal to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes.

NASHVILLE - A 60-year-old Sandy Cross man has been arrested and jailed under charges of sexual crimes against two minors.
Louis Joseph Dreyfus of 2200 Sandy Cross Road, Nashville, was named in a July 31 news release from the Nash County Sheriff's Office, which stated he was charged with four counts of Felony Sex Office (G.S. 14-27.29) and four counts of Indecent Liberties with Children (G.S. 14-2-2.1), also a Felony.

John Parker of Nashville shows a 10-pound canteloupe freshly picked from his garden Monday morning. Parker said he gardens letting nature take its course rather than adding fertilizers. Parker was featured in The Nashville Graphic in 1995 featuring a model house he built to resemble his childhood home.

An Agri-science Home school Course will be offered beginning Aug. 22 at the Nash County Agriculture Center. The cost is $30 per student. Supplies are included in the fee.
The 12-week agriscience course is open to rising 8th-12 graders. The course will provide a hands on learning experience for homeschool students that have an interest in learning about crop science, animal care and plant science from the Nash County Extension Agriculture Team.

N.C. Cooperative Extension - Nash County is hosting a school supply drive at the Nash County Agriculture Center, 1006 Eastern Avenue, #102, Nashville through Aug. 19, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Items needed include backpacks, pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, folders, glue sticks, Kleenex, headphones/earbuds, colored pencils, highlighters, binders, markers, crayons, erasers, kid scissors, sanitizer, pencil boxes/pouches.

Johnny Shook is pictured replacing a horse shoe while his grandson, Jacob Ezzell, watches.

NASHVILLE - A Nashville granddad is continuing a family tradition by taking his grandsons with him on the road to learn the art of farriery, also known as horseshoeing or blacksmith work.
Johnny Shook, who has been doing his job for thirty years or so, originally took his daughter Jessica Ezzell with him from barn to barn when Jessica was two or three years old instead of taking her to daycare.

The 2024 Summer Olympics are well underway. It is truly amazing to watch those athletes who have trained endlessly over their entire lives to become outstanding participants. You would never see me in one of those events. I do well not to fall while I walk!
Years ago, my wife and I tried to walk most days at our neighborhood high school track. There we noticed something different about the early morning crowd. They walk slower than the evening crowd. Why?

For two weeks, i have been preaching from Matthew 5:13-16. It's a really challenging text. I have learned that Jesus' words to the disciples are not a command, rather they are indicative of a disciple's life.
In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus compares his followers to light, saying we "are the light of the world," unable to be hidden. No one puts a lamp under a bowl because a lamp is designed to help people see in dark places.

Please be in prayer for the children and chaperones this week who are at missions camp at Camp Caraway!
Crayons are still being collected at Red Oak Baptist Church for Banner Bears. They are asking for the 24 count boxes. Crayons, along with coloring books and teddy bears, are included in Bear Bundles. Bundles are given to abused or hurting children in tragic situations. See Linda Sheets for details and check out the website at www.bannerbears.org.

Barbara J. Kleber to Jeannette Bucher; .54 acres; $295,000
Adams Homes AEC, LLC to Doreen Anderson-Facile, Doreen Anderson Facile and James Facile; 5000 Dogwood Drive, Battleboro; $401,000
Tony M. Morris and Lynda S. Morris to Cokey Road Rentals, LLC; 521 Cascade Avenue, Rocky Mount
The Dickens Living Trust and David Michael Dickens to Meri Fern; Block D, Bonair Subdivision, Lot 2

Nashville Chamber of Commerce President Cliff Joyner, right, presents the Beyond the Call of Duty Award to Chad Neville.

Just when you thought you'd heard enough government nonsense and ridiculousness in 2024 to last the next five months, the Ohio Supreme Court asked the public to hold their beer.
Before the Court was a case that originated in 2016 when a man ordered boneless chicken wings in a restaurant and then swallowed a bone that caused an infection that led to two surgeries. The man sued the restaurant, the supplier and even the farm that supplied the chicken.

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce announced its 2024 Business of the Year last week. (see page 1A) This year's recipient is certainly award worthy in countless ways.
Faith Christian Ministries has worked for, and given back to, its community for 40 years. The ministry and stores continue to grow enabling the ministry to help even more people who dearly need them.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on May 21, 1953. Diplomas were awarded to Nashville High School's 1953 graduating class. The graduating class of 37 included 12 honor graduates (students with a four-year scholastic average of 90 or above.)