NASHVILLE - Pressure on Nash County is mounting to fill the position of Emergency Services Director, left vacant upon the July 8 resignation of Tony Cameron, with three commissioners and a local fire department calling for action.
Robbie Davis, Chairman of the board of commissioners, broke protocol during the Sept. 9 board meeting to read a letter during the public comment portion of the meeting from Chase Bass, Chief of Momeyer Fire & Rescue.

NASHVILLE - Now that the Nashville Junction stage is complete and ready to be rented out for events, town officials are working to iron out the rental rules, including a fee schedule and stipulations on security and portable restrooms.
Koy Worrell, Parks and Rec Director, presented council members with a draft rental agreement at the council's September 3rd meeting, relaying that he had researched what other municipalities require who have similar outdoor stages or amphitheaters.

Ronnie Spivey of Red oak rides a 1942 standard twin convertible cultivator at the Red Oak Classic Tractor Show.

RED OAK - The annual Red Oak Classic Tractor show last week, which debuted several first-time events, drew a healthy crowd and sold out of BBQ.
The Whole Hog Cook-Off, organized by Rotary leadership in cooperation with the Red Oak Area Historical Preservation Society, had eleven teams competing from across Eastern NC, with grills fired up Friday night at W.B. Ennis Park. Friday night also featured the first Beer Garden and a performance by the band "Somewhere Between."

NASHVILLE - Students in Nash County public schools did so well with their end-of-year test results that the entire district advanced 75 positions in state rankings, moving from 108th to 33rd out of 115 districts in the state.
Data released Sept. 4. from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction showed that NCPS was one of only six districts in the state to reduce its number of low-performing schools each year since 2018.

SPRING HOPE - Eighteen-wheelers and box trucks are now prohibited from dropping trailers or parking for longer than two hours on residential Spring Hope streets now that a new ordinance has been adopted.
Commissioners, with the exception of an absent Tommy Toney, approved the ordinance, an amendment to Chapter 20 of codified ordinance on Traffic and Vehicles, at their Sept. 3 board meeting.

NASHVILLE - A new School Resource Officer position - making the total 10 for Sheriff's Deputies - has been approved for Nash County Schools, but Sheriff Keith Stone is asking that his department have a deputy in every school next year, including in the 5 public schools on the Nash side of the city of Rocky Mount.
In contrast, Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell wants to keep his officers in those schools, as they have been since 1995.

MOMEYER - Momeyer's Festival Committee has hit the ground running, asking for and receiving its first funding for pre-festival events.
Ashleigh Godwin, meeting remotely by phone with town council members at their Sept. 9 meeting, detailed plans for two new events: "Light Up Momeyer" in December and "We Love Momeyer" in February.

NASHVILLE - Swift Creek Elementary School, closed down in June of 2023 and put up for sale in January of 2024, is generating new interest, with five members of the public addressing Nash public school officials about it at their Sept. 4 board of education meeting.
Located at 2420 Swift Creek School Road, Whitakers, the school is on 17.74 acres. Nash County G.I.S. lists its build date as 1945, with a land value of $110,000 and commercial assessed value as $6,433,170.

A well-known former Nash County educator has died. Richard "Rick" McMahon, late of Rocky Mount, passed away Sept. 6 at the age of 72. McMahon's educational career began at Southern Nash High School, where he taught social studies and coached baseball, before working in administration at Nash Central Junior High school and then Benvenue Middle and Southern Nash Junior High, where he served as Principal. Making a jump to Wilson County schools' Central Office, McMahon returned to become Superintendent of Nash-Rocky Mount Schools in 2005, a position he kept until retiring in 2011.

Nashville's Parks and Rec folks are caught up in Fall crafting, and are offering a series of four arts and craft classes in September, October and November involving regional artists.
Registration is open now for a Sept. 21 class to make a Fall Door Hangar, two back-to-back classes in Barn Quilt painting October 10-11, an Adult finger-painting class November 2, and a Holiday Card-Making class Nov. 15.

SPRING HOPE - Voting on the adoption of system development fees (SDFs) for the town of Spring Hope has been tabled in order to allow another month to refine specific language terms and add additional necessary elements.
A public hearing and adoption had been scheduled at the September 3 Spring Hope Board of Commissioners meeting following a May presentation by Gary Hartong, President of the Wooten Company, during which he explained various cost methods the town could use to charge developers for connection to major water and sewer utilities; the charges are authorized under state statutes based on municipal utility costs.

Many of you know that I worked in a political arena for 40 years, so I was used to the name-calling that was often associated with my profession. As a Christian - particularly an evangelical Christian - I had also been subjected to a lot of labels over the years: fanatic, bible-toting believer, zealot, religious right, homophobe, etc. This is familiar territory for higher profile Christians like me.
There's a name I heard recently that is somewhat new to me. It's "biblical literalist."

This passage is an apologetic for the authority, credibility, and veracity of scripture. But the writer does not defend scripture by addressing criticisms about manuscripts, archeology, prophecy, science, or history. He asserts the truthfulness and trustworthiness of scripture by arguing how God's word does not change despite those who oppose it.
Herbert Lockyer wrote, "Here is unfolded for our learning the righteousness of Jehovah and the reminder of the struggles of a holy soul in reference to such righteousness." Psalm 119:137-144 gives three reasons you should trust the Bible.

Wednesday night activities at Red Oak Baptist Church resumed on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Kingdom Kids is at 6:15 p.m. Adult Bible Study and Student Ministry are at 6:30 p.m.
The Baptist Men will have their monthly breakfast meeting on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8:30 a.m.
Women in Action of Red Oak Baptist Church is hosting "SONflowers," a missions celebration for ladies.

Coopers Ruritan Club President, Mike Glover (left) and Wanda Powell (right) present scholarships to local students. Sarah Ann Bass (second from left) received the Coopers Ruritan Foundation Scholarship. She will attend NC State this fall. Recipient of the E.C. Pearce Scholarship is Brayden C Moore (second from right.) He will attend Nash Community College this fall.

Amanda Jankowski accepts a donation to the Nash County Foster Care Program from West Mount Ruritan Club member Wayne Outlaw.

Damage to personal property reported at 1100 Benbrook Dr., Nashville on 9/2/24
Missing persons reported at 1177 Thompson Chapel Rd., Wilson on 9/2/24
Larceny by employee reported at 1765 Red Oak Rd., Nashville on 9/6/24
Fail to register as sex offender; fail to return verification form reported at 216 S. Vine St. on 9/4/24

Failure to reduce speed reported at 731 E. Washington St.on 9/1/24
Habitual larceny reported at 367 W. Washington St., on 9/7/24
Hit and run, misdemeanor, fail to stop reported at S. First St. / E. Washington St., on 9/6/24

Roll up your sleeves and join the N.C. Department of Transportation as we cleanup roadside trash during the Fall Litter Sweep from Sept. 14-28.
NCDOT needs volunteers to clear roadside litter and help keep North Carolina's roadsides beautiful. NCDOT county maintenance offices will provide volunteers with gloves, safety vests and bags.
Every spring and fall, North Carolina communities come together for the NCDOT Litter Sweep, making a visible difference in our environment.

Rocky Mount
9/12/2024: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, 3224 Woodlawn Avenue
9/13/2024: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Braswell Memorial Library, 727 North Grace Street

RALEIGH - Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced on Monday $12.4 million in awards that will focus on the expansion of current food manufacturers and processors with the goal of increasing value-added goods and products manufactured in the state. A total of eight projects that include produce, meat and dairy products received initial awards through the N.C. Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI).

Rhonda Silver Davis to Regina Ann Silver; 17000 Red Bud Road, Castalia
Thomas Daughtridge and Thomas L. Daughtridge to Glenda Dale M. Daughtridge and Dale M. Daughtridge; Appletree Farms, Block B, Lot 3
Glenda Dale Daughtridge, Glenda Dale M. Daughtridge and Dale M. Daughtridge to Glenda Dale M. Daughtridge, Brenda Gale Hadley, Jessica Hadley Joyner, Christopher Ryan Hadley and Tyler Warren Hadley; 2273 Reges Store Road, Nashville

Singlewide; 8751 School St., Rocky Mount; Joshua Taylor; $13,500
Renovation/alteration; 2415 W. Old Spring Hope Rd., Nashville; Esdras Guzman; $28,000
Multi-sectional; 5950 West Mount Rd., Rocky Mount; Dave Jardine, Kelly Barnes; $155,100
Multi-sectional; 5974 West Mount Rd., Rocky Mount; Dave Jardine, Kelly Barnes; $248,892

I've never really given a lot of thought to the U.S. penny.
I used to get excited when I found a "wheat penny," and never spent a single one that came into my possession. They currently rest out of circulation in a cigar box on my dresser.
And that is the case with most pennies in America and one of the reasons many believe the country should stop producing the coin.

As America was anxiously awaiting the 'big debate' Tuesday night between the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, I couldn't help to be equally, if not more, concerned about what's going on right here in North Carolina, Nash County and Nashville.
First - let me preface the next part of this column that I do not have anything against private schools. In fact, I believe there are cases where enrolling a child into a private school makes for the best choice for some children and family situations.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on August 13, 1953. A tobacco disease clinic was held in the farm agent's office in Nashville. At the microscope is Howard Garris, plant pathologist of the State College Extension Service. He is inspecting a diseased tobacco plant with Burt Taylor, assistant farm agent and the county's tobacco specialist.

Ellingwood and grandson Brayson Puckett examine a 1952 Ford tractor owned by Eddie Morgan of Spring Hope.