Recent Articles

Hedgepeth Hutson Insurance Services of Nashville, with the assistance of their customers and local elves, gathered a truck load of toys and gifts which were taken to Western North Carolina recently for children of families who lost everything due to Hurricane Helene. Pictured, left to right, are: Jennifer Hedgepeth Huston, Brian Hutson and staff member Kelsey McCarl.

The other night I awoke from a bad dream. It seems I had wronged someone and was now defending myself in court. The interesting part was that I was not in court because of what I did, but rather for what I had not done.
I couldn't believe what was happening! The harder I tried to convince the judge of my innocence, the deeper in trouble I found myself. I know that justice is supposed to be blind. However, it never occurred to me that the judge could be blind, too! So there I stood being convicted for a crime I didn't commit.

NASHVILLE - It's National Farm to City Week, which honors local farmers and the history of agriculture and Nash County celebrated its farmers on Tuesday with a special breakfast.
One local man whose contributions to the agriculture industry are great was surprised with a special recognition during the annual event.
Bobby Joe Fisher, 89, of Red Oak, was celebrated for his contributions to North Carolina agriculture with a flag presentation and recognitions by NC Senators.

Fifty-five acres in the West Nashville Commerce Center will soon be a commercial hub for farming, food, philanthropy and community.
Nashville's Town Council approved an economic development agreement on Tuesday night to allow Ripe Revival, a North Carolina produce company currently located in Rocky Mount, to purchase 55 acres in the West Nashville Commerce Center on Cooke Road for $150,000.

Nash County Cooperative Extension celebrated area farmers on Tuesday at the annual Farm to City Breakfast.
Several local farmers were singled out during the event, receiving special awards.
Nashville farmer Jonathan Evans was named the Farmer of the Year. Brittany Pendleton, Nash County Extension Agent for Agriculture, presented the award to Evans.

ROCKY MOUNT- To better understand emergency law enforcement operations as they occur, 9-1-1 telecommunicators now know more about how the Nash County Sheriffs Office uses drones in the field.
Philip Parker, NCSO Deputy and Assistant Program Director of the Drone division, met with two shifts of 9-1-1 personnel Nov. 7 at Nash Community College, explaining how different types of drones work and demonstrating their capabilities in a field adjacent to the Firefighter Academy's controlled burn area.

NASHVILLE - In what is so often a place of business, the business gave way to warm smiles of appreciation, praise, good wishes and applause at the Nov. 4 Nash County commissioners meeting, as Sandy Hall, former Nash County Cooperative Extension leader, was publicly thanked for her service.
Hall, who was promoted in October to become Director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension's Northeast District, was recognized for a job well done.

ROCKY MOUNT ‑ The life and military service of James Merritt House was remembered recently at a special flag raising ceremony in Rocky Mount.
House, of Nashville, was better known as Jim by family and friends. He attended Edwards Military Academy and later joined the United States Army.
Rev. J. Kenneth Byrd, Jr. referenced scripture when speaking on House's life.
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends," Byrd cited from John 15, verse 13.

Dr. James A. Bailey, retired Minnesota State University forensics professor will present the history of Middlesex and Hollywood, the town cemetery, at the November 26th meeting of the Wilson County Genealogical Society. The meeting will take place at the Wilson County Public Library at 6 p.m.
Dr. Bailey will present the formation of the Town of Middlesex, its first leaders, the impact of a train stop on the Middlesex community, and the history of Middlesex's Hollywood Cemetery.

Participants of the first AgriScience Homeschool Course were recognized at the annual Farm to Table Breakfast. Nash County Cooperative Extension hosted the 12-week course, with 14 youth participating. Classes focused on horticulture, crop science and livestock and animal care. The goal for the course is for youth to have an increased appreciation for agriculture.

The Business of the Year Award was presented to B&S Enterprises, a agriculture and lawn and garden equipment company out of Wilson.

Nash County Cooperative Extension Agent Colby Griffin presents the Women in Agriculture Award to Christina Wrenn of Wrenn's Farm. Wrenn is a third generation family farm, producing strawberries and cut flowers.

Colin Leggett of Nashville received the Next Generation in Agricutlure Award.

Regular readers of the Soapbox have been reading about my daughter for about 25 years. Every spring on her birthday, I've written a "Dear Holly" column, making sure I said the things I needed to say.
You found out about her birthday parties and her reactions when she found out new baby brothers were on the way.
You read about how I took her with me to vote when she was four, and she announced to everyone at the Samaria polling place, "I'M HERE TO VOTE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON!"

It always amazes me every year how some of the busiest folks in Nash County find the time to spend a day with local youth to make sure they're learning about agriculture and teach them where their food comes from.
Local farmers can be found every year parking their tractors to spend a day with local students during events such as the annual Heritage Days. This event gives kids hands-on lessons about farming right down to milking a cow. Though the cow is mechanical, kids get the idea that milk comes from an animal instead of thinking it's something that is made at a grocery store.

These photos published in The Nashville Graphic on December 31, 1964. In the above photo, Donald Winstead (seated, second from left) scoutmaster for Troop 76, and Raymond Batchelor (seated third from left), chairman of the scout committee, accept the scout charter from Willard Inscoe, chairman of the Board of Deacons for the Nashville Baptist Church which sponsored the scout troop. Also seated were Tommy Batchelor (left), assistant scoutmaster, and Cleveland Jeffreys. Standing left to right are Teck Bass, Fred Winsetad, Kermit Dunn and Edgar Batchlor.

It is almost alarming to consider the difference between a man or woman in hell and a man or woman in heaven. In that amazing story from Jesus about Lazarus the poor man who ate the crumbs from the rich man's table we learn, after the death of both of them, something which we might not know otherwise.
The rich man is in Hades, the first dimension of hell. He is in torment, and asks for mercy from Abraham, the man of faith, who is next to Lazarus. He is "in the bosom" of Abraham, which only means that he was lying next to Abraham on the triclinium or three-sided couch used for eating meals in that day.

Meredith and Besweri Walujjo and son, Parker, visited Red Oak Baptist Church on Wednesday, Nov. 13 while here from Uganda. Children, youth, and adults enjoyed hearing from Meredith and Besweri and learning about their ministries. Preschoolers had a separate session about Uganda with Marilyn Boone and Taylor Brantley, They joined the group for refreshments and a time to meet Meredith and Besweri. Meredith is from the Justice community and has been on several mission trips before she decided to dedicate her work in Uganda.

For a century plus a decade, Boice-Willis Clinic has been providing primary and specialty medical care to the residents of Nash and Edgecombe counties. The area's largest provider, the practice serves more than 40,000 patients a year in three towns: Rocky Mount, Nashville and Spring Hope.
Boice-Willis Clinic was founded in 1914 when Edmund Boice, MD, and Byrd Willis, MD, relocated to Rocky Mount, from Richmond, VA, to begin their surgical practices.