NASHVILLE - Nash County leaders are snapping up the Fellowship Church property at 981 Old White Oak Road, Nashville, to use for "existing county services and departments," approving a motion after closed session Monday to enter into a purchase contract for $1,250,000.
The renewed Dec. 2 open session lasted for less than two minutes, with Sue Leggett, commissioner, making the motion, which was seconded by Gwen Wilkins, commissioner. There was no discussion, and the motion was passed unanimously.

The Town of Red Oak hosted its annual Christmas Festival on Nov. 30th featuring amusement rides, vendors, food trucks and a parade. Pictured above, St. Nick arrives in Red Oak pulled by a carriage of horses in the parade.

NASHVILLE - Nine months after being awarded $400,000 from the state for the construction of a new Southern Nash Middle School, the hunt for a potential site has flushed out several potential locations, with the preferred option two adjoining parcels not far from the current school.
Robbie Davis, Nash County commissioners' board chair, brought members of the Nash County Public Schools' Administrative Services committee up to speed at the committee's Nov. 25 meeting, reminding members that the clock is ticking on drawing down grant funds.

NASHVILLE - In a split decision, Nash commissioners have approved a plan to consolidate county health services in the Med Park building at UNC Nash, while allocating money in the 2026 budget to purchase a mobile health unit to service other areas in the county, particularly in the Middlesex-Bailey area, which is most distant from Rocky Mount.

NASHVILLE - In response to public request, half of the regularly scheduled Nashville Town Council meetings for 2025 will be conducted during morning hours, as opposed to the usual nighttime routine.
Council members voted Dec. 3 to adopt a new town meeting schedule in which the first of two monthly meetings, routinely held on the first Tuesday night, will start at its usual 7 p.m. time - but the second monthly meeting will shift both to a different day and time, happening on Wednesday with a start time of 9 a.m.

NASHVILLE - Nash County Public School board members will now have to operate under new, tighter restrictions on the conditions and number of times they can "remote in" to meetings, according to a state-enforced policy change.
Jason Weber, school attorney, told NCPS board members present at the Nov. 25 policy committee meeting of changed rules for remote attendance, the most significant being that members attending remotely would no longer be allowed to vote on any action items unless the meeting is called during a state-authorized emergency.

SPRING HOPE - The town of Spring Hope has received a solid "A" on its financial practices, with an auditing firm representative complimenting town officials after a presentation at the Dec. 2. Board of Commissioners' meeting.
The Board of Commissioners heard remotely from Sam Potts, an accountant with the firm of Thompson, Price, Scott and Adams of Wilmington, who made a power point audit presentation for the year ending June 30, 2024.

Downtown Nashville
December 7th
Free children's activities 2-4:30 p.m.
Children's Bike Parade - 4:30 p..m.

NASHVILLE - The Nash County Senior Centers are expanding their holiday cheer program, implementing a first-time effort to distribute gift bags to seniors who apply.
"Wish list" donations are sought to fill the bags, according to Ashley Winstead, Senior Center Director, because "we often see older adults who are struggling financially due to fixed incomes and limited resources.

NASHVILLE - A Nashville woman is due in court to answer a felony charge of exploiting disabled/elder trust after allegedly withdrawing personal funds from an ATM for a man she was doing medical transports for.
Jackie Dianne Johnson, 46, of 5325 Old White Oak Road, had been "in a position of trust and confidence as an employee for transportation and as a Med Tech" when she withdrew an undisclosed amount of money from the Wells Fargo ATM at 169 Nashville Commons Drive on Jan.20. 2023, according to court documents.

NASHVILLE - While two veteran commissioners and one newly-elected commissioner were sworn in at the Dec. 2 Nash Board of Commissioners' meeting, another leadership change involving the board itself occurred to produce a new board chair and new vice-chair.
Re-elected to new four-year terms were Marvin Arrington, District 1 commissioner, who was sworn in by Nash Superior Court Judge the Honorable Tim Wilson; Sue Leggett, District 4 commissioner, recited her oath of office as administered by the Honorable Paul Martin Newby, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice.

NASHVILLE- The first resident of the Cardinal Woods subdivision, located off Glover Park Memorial Drive, closed on her home November 20, and celebrated with Starlight Homes developers and town officials at a Nashville Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting Nov. 6.
Cynthia Cooper, who with husband Nelson Cooper and four of their eight children, will be moving there from Old White Oak Road after a fairly fast process. She said it started when brought her kids to the nearby Glover Park October 19th.

NASHVILLE - A 47-year-old Elm City man is racking up criminal charges, currently incarcerated for selling and delivering heroin while also due to appear in court on charges of exploiting older adults.
Melvin Kent Mathis of 6211 Bottoms Dairy Road is jailed under a $50,000 secured bond at Nash County Detention Facility under the charge of sell/deliver heroin and the charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, but has a case continuance in Superior Court on a different matter:

SPRING HOPE - A Spring Hope man was arrested on Sept. 29th for attempting to burglarize a home on Southern Nash High Road in Spring Hope.
Jose Uribe Martinez, 33, whose address was listed as Unit 4, 2778 Highway 97 W, Spring Hope, was charged with burglary, first degree; possession of burglary tools, damage to real property, impersonating an office, resisting arrest and impersonating an officer, according to NCSO Investigator Sgt. Kevin Bissette.
Deputies were dispatched at 6:27 a.m. to 5517 Southern Nash High Road based on a report of a suspicious person attempting to break into a residence.

CASTALIA- A Castalia man was lucky to escape injury after someone shot into his mobile home.
Nash County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call of shots fired at 1:05 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at 10840 Lancaster Store Road, according to NCSO Investigator Sgt. Kevin Bissette. The homeowner told deputies he had been lying on a couch in his living room and heard several gunshots; deputies found evidence of several shots at the rear of the mobile home and also found a bullet fragment on a living room couch.

Well, we've already had Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But if you are like most people, you've really not done all your Christmas shopping.
This is the season of the year is when one of the Ten Commandments is broken DAILY, if not hourly! Which one is it? #10 - "Thou shalt not covet"!
This has probably just hit a nerve with some of you. Your children and grandchildren have probably already asked for everything in the Amazon Catalogue. And of course ALL their friends have a cell phone. There is no way a child should be expected to live without one of those!! That is the very definition of coveting!

"He is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." Acts 17
Paul on Mars Hill in Athens proclaimed the entire self-sufficiency of God.
We are his body, it is true, which is the fullness or completion of the Head. He uses us. But he needs nothing from us. Let that sink in. We do not add to him in any way, but rather, he gives us our "life, our breath and everything else."

The Lottie Moon Christmas Post Office is now open for the holiday season at Red Oak Baptist Church. Through the post office members can "mail" Christmas cards to other members for only 25 cents each or donations. All proceeds go to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. There is also the Lottie Moon Experience table which will change weekly telling the story of Lottie Moon, missionary to China, and it will also have activities for all ages to learn more about Lottie and her missions work in China.

NASH COUNTY - Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease that most commonly affects infants and young children. North Carolina is seeing an increase in pertussis cases to pre-pandemic levels. Pertussis can cause breathing problems and pneumonia, leading to hospitalization or death, especially in infants.

On Nov. 9th, C&C Industrial Inc.'s flag was flying high representing the destination for Friendsgiving. C&C Industrial, Inc. is owned by Chris Collie. Through sales of bar-b-que chicken, pork plates, sweets, and donations $3,030 was raised with 100 percent going to the Nash County Sheriff's Office Christmas Children's Fund.

WILSON- World-leading healthcare company Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to invest more than $2 billion biologics training center in the city of Wilson, expected to create 420 new jobs.
An Oct. 1 news release from the Office of Governor Roy Cooper stated that new positions for the project will include analysists, engineers, microbiologists, scientists, specialists, manager and senior leaders, with the average annual wage $108, 823.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health (NC DPH) announced it is investigating multiple illnesses that appear to be related to eating raw oysters. The cases have not been traced to a single oyster harvest area, and different germs, including Hepatitis A, norovirus, Shigella spp., and Plesiomonas spp., have caused the illnesses. Oysters sold in NC can come from waters anywhere in North America, including NC waters.
The NC DPH strongly advises that people only eat fully cooked oysters and shellfish.

Edgecombe Community College's Alpha Omega Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa recently welcomed 28 new members. Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society for students attending two-year schools. The organization held an induction ceremony on the Tarboro campus on Thursday, Oct. 24. The guest speaker was Suzi Shippen-Wagner, surgical technology program chair at ECC and the 2024 Hitachi Astemo Endowed Faculty Chair recipient. Samanthia Phillips, vice president of Student Services, also shared remarks.

Deck; 6975 Hill Rd., Spring Hope; Ian Kendrick; $20,780
Miscellaneous 10471 S. Walnut S.t, Middlesex; Martha Campos Limon Limon; $4,000
New single family dwelling; 10609 Farmall Dr., Middlesex; Steven Futrell; $250,000
New single family dwelling; 11884 International Dr., Middlesex; Steven Futrell; $250,000

D.R. Horton, Inc. to Kesha C. Taybron; Bentridge Subdivision, Section 5, Lot 54
Erma Clark King and Erma C. Taylor to Jameson Greywolfe Heath; property in Rocky Mount
Angelo Hardy to Ahmad Abdulkalik; 932 South Grace Street, Rocky Mount; $85,000
Marcus Laquan Evans to Barbara McCann and Thomas McCann; Lake Royale, Lot C-1773

Paisley Thomas of Nashville rides the merry-go-round at Red Oak's Christmas Celebration.

Oak Creek Farm horses and riders don festive attire at Red Oak's Christmas Parade.

Members of Nash Central High School's Student Goverment walk in Red Oak's Christmas Parade.

As is tradition, the Soapbox staff has been hard at work trying to provide great service this holiday season. We've scoured the Interwebs to try to find shortcuts for your Christmas shopping needs and offer the following solutions:
•The Ostrich Pillow. I can't believe I didn't see this truly unique item this summer when I took several flights. The Ostrich Pillow fits over a person's head and somewhat resembles an ostrich, if ostriches had heads the size of pumpkins.

On July 28, 2009, The Graphic published a story regarding the number of euthanizations at the Nash County Animal Shelter. From January-June of 2009 the shelter had taken in 1,369 animals: 103 had been adopted; 52 reclaimed; 69 were relinquished to rescue groups; and 1,145 were euthanized.
At the time that story published, the shelter only had 16 kennels for dogs and 13 for cats.
The shelter's adoption hours were Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. which offered little time for people to visit the shelter - especially working people.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on August 20, 1964. This group of Hornes 4-H'ers did their neighbors a good deed by getting a truck and hauling off their trash.