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Jackson withdraws candidacy 3 days before Richmond board was set to make a choice

Boice-Willis Clinic will start 2014 off in a new, larger facility, as the medical clinic plans to open its new office behind State Employees Credit Union on January 6.
Boice-Willis announced earlier this year that it was expanding into a 9,000 square foot building on Eastpointe Avenue.
Boice-Willis CEO Gary J. Fazio said construction has went well and staff will begin moving in after Christmas.

A Richmond, Virginia newspaper is reporting that Nash-Rocky Mount School Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson has withdrawn his intentions to become superintendent of the Richmond Public Schools.
Last week it was announced that Jackson was one of three finalists for the position. Jackson was one of three selected out of a field of 76 candidates. In a prepared statement last week, Nash-Rocky Mount Schools said Jackson was recruited by the executive firm handling the superintendent search.

Middlesex Commissioners held an emergency meeting last Wednesday morning to receive cost estimates on repairing three lift stations in town.
The town received a report on the condition of its 11 lift stations at its monthly meeting on December 9. Russell Underwood, of Charles R. Underwood, Inc, informed commissioners that several of the town’s lift stations were in poor condition.

A small, white Christmas tree sits among other holiday decorations in Carie Jones’ front yard. The tree is full of little cards that contain photos of law enforcement officers in North Carolina. Along with the photos is each officer’s end of watch date.
Jones said there are over 400 names on the tree. One is her uncle, Sharpsburg Police Chief Wayne Hathaway, who was killed in 1997.

The Nashville Graphic is introducing officers of the Nashville Police Department each month as part of an “Officer Spotlight” series.  The articles are featured the last Wednesday of each month  to help Nashville residents get to know the officers who protect and serve their communities.
Officer Name: Cpl. Phillip W. Spivey

Momeyer Ruritan Club celebrated its volunteers last week during its annual Christmas dinner and announced two members as Ruritans of the Year.
Club secretary and Rocky Mount/Durham District and Zone 5 Governor Fran Bunn welcomed members and guests, thanking them for their work in the community. “We could not, as a club, accomplish anything like we do without you,” she said.

INCIDENTS
A larceny was reported on 12/15/13 at 1302 Eastern Avenue
A larceny and breaking a motor vehicle was reported on 12/15/13 at 101 W Washington Street in the parking lot of CVS
A simple assault and assault on a female was reported on 12/16/13 at 1020 Sunnyfield Road

A breaking, entering and larceny of a residence was reported on 12/16/13 at 2411 Duke Road
A disturbance was reported on 12/16/13 at 6037 Mt. Pleasant Road
A breaking, entering and larceny of a residence was reported on 12/16/13 at 1275 Tyler Lane
An assault on a female was reported on 12/17/13 at 2801 Batchelor Road

Three hundred and fifty funded grants, 67 motivated teachers, and 22 schools.  Thousands of students in the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools district have benefited from materials and opportunities from grants funded through Donorschoose.org.

Gov. Pat McCrory has appointed Chad Hinton of Tarboro to the Edgecombe Community College Board of Trustees.
Hinton, originally from Nashville, is a partner in the law firm DeLoatch & Hinton, PLLC, in Tarboro. He also serves as legal counsel to North East Carolina Preparatory School.
“I believe that education is the best way to advance in our society today, and Edgecombe Community College provides outstanding educational opportunities to the people of our community,” he says.

The VOICE of Nashville recently adopted Brooklyn Boulevard as part of the Keep America Beautiful program. The organization, which is led by Ted Davis (front row far right), will clean up the road four times a  year. The Brooklyn Area Community Watch group, led by Lena Sessoms (front row second from left), will assist Davis with the cleanup.

Members of Mu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society sang Christmas Carols for residence of Spring Arbor Nursing Facility.  The residents enjoyed the singing, and joined right into the joy of the season. Pictured (L-R) are: Jane Parvin, Tobey Worthington, Beth Credle (leader and piano player), Elaine Christianson, Eva Bulluck, Margie Parker Brantley, and Anita Wesche.

Henry Bunn of Spring Hope is the first player in the state to win the $1 million top prize in the Holiday Gold game.
Bunn said he plans to use the prize money to pay off his mortgage. He purchased his lucky ticket at the Dash-IN on North Arendell Avenue in Zebulon on Wednesday.

Next year marks the 100th Commemorative Anniversary of Park View Hospital and the 25th Anniversary of the Park View Nurses’ Alumnae Scholarship Endowment. To celebrate these special milestones, the Nurses’ Alumnae Association will hold a celebration on June 28, 2014 in the Nash Community College Brown Auditorium.
Park View Hospital opened its doors on July 1, 1914 and closed in May of 1971. In 1914, Park View opened with a 25-bed capacity.

The Office of Governor Pat McCrory recently announced several appointments to the Rural Infrastructure Authority, including a Nash County man.
Speaker of the House Thom Tillis appointed Lige Daughtridge of Nash County to the Rural Infrastructure Authority. Tillis, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger and Gov. Pat McCrory each appointed five to the board.

Nash Central High School’s Environmental Club received a donation from Aaron’s Rentals in Rocky Mount recently. The donation is for a project the club is working on to replace all outdoor lighting at the school with LED lighting. The club has raised over $3,000 so far. The goal of the project is to transition the school and community to a sustainable future, one in which stewardship is valued.

Rotarian President Krista Ikirt, at left, stands with Mary Willoughby, at right, a Strategic Consultant with BCBS of NC, who spoke to the Rocky Mount Rotary Club on Monday, December 9, at the DoubleTree hotel at their 1 p.m. meeting.

Rocky Mount Academy recently received a grant of $4,500.00 from the DeLeon Carter Foundation to be used toward the purchase of a wireless mobile laptop lab. In the spring of 2012, Rocky Mount Academy launched its EDGE Technology Program.  All faculty along with Middle and Upper School students have been issued a Lenovo ThinkPad for home and school use.

Santa Claus made a visit to Cooley Library on December 11 to hear the wish lists of local youth. Mrs. Claus also came out and read “The Night Before Christmas.” Pictured above, Mary Hammett, who is five and a half, chats with Santa at the library. Mary is from Nashville.

Air Force Reserve Airman William W. McLaughlin graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Are you a positive or negative  person? Do you see the cup half full or half empty? Ponder the thought for a few minutes and decide if you are a positive or negative person.
I believe the Bible encourages us to be a positive person. In Luke 1:37, the angel told Mary “For with God nothing is impossible.” Thus the virgin birth. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 10:27 “...with God all things are possible.”

Erin O’Brien (center), a French teacher at Rocky Mount Academy, was recently chosen as the 2013 Boddie-Noell Enterprises “We believe in Teachers” award recipient.  The award will enable her to attend the SPCD Teacher Academy in Vichy, France where she will join other foreign language teachers to perfect their skills in methodologies for teaching French language and culture.

On December 13, 2013, Rocky Mount Academy’s All-School Holiday Service Project collected and delivered 58 boxes of canned food to United Community Ministries.  Also, Lower School students paired together with their Middle and Upper School buddies to make Christmas place mats for Meals on Wheels. An important component of student growth and development at Rocky Mount Academy is community service.

Friday, January 3 from 2 until 6 p.m. at Parkwood Baptist Church, 1731 Hunter Hill Road, Rocky Mount
Tuesday, January 7 from 2:30 until 7 p.m. at Red Oak Baptist Church, 5515 Red Oak Road, Red Oak
Thursday, January 9 from 2:30 until 7 p.m. at the Momeyer Ruritan Club, 4812 Momeyer Way, Nashville

The Edgecombe-Nash Retired School November meeting was in Braswell Memorial Library’s Warner Room.
After Dr. Terry G. Mitchell, Vice President /President Elect of the North Carolina Retired School Personnel, was introduced by President Mary Williams, he spoke on the current NCRSP organization.
Why should we encourage more to join NCRSP?  What are the four main issues of concern to members in this organization?

On October 26. 2013, the Drake Community celebrated the Grand Opening of the Drake Community Center. The Grand Opening Banquet featured Guest Speaker US Congressman GK Butterfield 1st Congressional District and the Gospel Community Choir of Greenville. Over 150 people were in attendance. The Community Center is now open for public and private use. It is located at 5561 Drake Road Battleboro, NC 27809.

Battleboro Firefighter Kevin Scott Marks, Jr. (at left) was recently presented the 2013 Henry Marriott Extra Efford Award by Fire Chief Eddie Hardee (at right).  The Battleboro Community Volunteer Fire Department presents the Henry Marriott Extra Effort Award each year. The award is named for Henry Marriott, who had Down Syndrome and was an honorary member of the Battleboro Community Volunteer Fire Department.

The members of  the Wilson-Rocky Mount-Tarboro Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, hosted their fourth Biennial White Rose Luncheon on Saturday, November 16, 2013, at the Gateway Convention Centre in Rocky Mount. The Theme for the occasion was “Showcasing the Arts Through Music”.
The Wilson-Rocky Mount-Tarboro Chapter of the Links, Incorporated was chartered in 1948:  the sixth chapter of The Links, Incorporated and the first chapter in the Southern Area.

As we make our last minute preparations for Christmas this week, most of us will view the holiday as the way we’ve celebrated just over the course of our lives. That seems like a reasonable view.
Christmas in this country has not always been a big deal. There was even a time when some colonies actually outlawed the celebration of the holiday.

This week, we are publishing Santa letters.
My kids are too little to actually write letters but being their mom, I thought I’d share their thoughts in this space.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

It’s  really hard to believe that we’re winding down and almost done with 2013. The year has flown by quickly and I’ve been told they’ll get faster as I grow older.
It seems like we were just complaining about Christmas decorations being put in stores before Halloween  and now, believe it or not, Valentine’s Day candy is sitting on the shelf just a few feet down from Christmas candy in a couple of stores.

Each year at Christmas time friends host gatherings to give warm wishes and renew acquaintances, companies hold parties to give thanks to their employees for another year of hard work and accomplishments. Some in retirement communities also set aside a time and place to enjoy the Christmas season.

This photo was originally published in The Graphic on October 19, 1967. Mrs. Wade Whitfield serves lunch to first graders at Momeyer School. Following the children is Mrs. Kermit Walker, the first grade teacher, and looking on is Mrs. George Young, lunchroom helper.

As we come to the end of the year, we want to thank you for your support of our efforts and helping us save  pets in the  Nash County Animal Control Shelter.  In particular, we wish to thank The Graphic for posting the pets each week, along with my ramblings.  We have one big goal for 2014.  To gain the support of our area  vets.  To work with us and develop special spay/neuter programs.

RED OAK - Strange as it may sound, a victory in the long-time Northern Nash-Rocky Mount girls basketball rivalry often comes with a few words of post-game warning, especially from NNHS veteran skipper Grover Battle.
Due to his lengthy first-hand experience, Battle understands that the best team between the two early in the season -- and at the Nash County Christmas Tournament -- might not reign supreme come the Big East Conference Tournament.

RED OAK -- A serious preseason injury threatened to curtail Red Oak Middle School’s boys basketball success this season.
But it wasn’t to a player, as veteran ROMS coach Jeff Dodrill was inadvertently struck during a practice session and suffered a broken nose.

RED OAK -- In the estimation of Southern Nash boys basketball coach Robbie Kennedy, it will take a near-perfect game for any Nash County club to be able to upset the Rocky Mount Gryphons on the hardwood this winter.
And what Kennedy’s crew offered last Thursday was nowhere near perfection during SN’s meeting with Rocky Mount in the championship game of the Nash County Christmas Tournament at the Northern Nash High School Gymnasium.

NASH COUNTY -- Even with a change in command, Wilson Hunt was able to maintain the recent status quo in the Big East Conference football standings.
Hunt, which has controlled the Big East the past handful of seasons, continued that success this fall under new coach Stevie Hinnant.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Nash Central Middle School had its undefeated girls basketball record put to the test last Monday during a hard-fought home victory against Parker.
Another challenge came three days later at Red Oak, and once again the Lady Trojans came through when it mattered most.

DURHAM -- North Carolina State University will meet the University of North Carolina for the Duel at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, a one-time neutral site meeting between the two national baseball powers.
The event is scheduled for April 15 at 7 p.m.
The mid-week game will be considered non-conference.

ZEBULON -- Eddie “Scooter” Tucker will return to Five County Stadium as the manager of the Carolina Mudcats in 2014, the Cleveland Indians announced last Friday.
Tucker made his coaching debut in 2012 as hitting coach for the Mudcats under Edwin Rodriguez.
Joining Tucker will be pitching coach Steve Karsay, hitting coach Tony Mansolino and trainer Bobby Ruiz.

GIRLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER ALEXUS HILL, NORTHERN NASH

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina University senior Drew Reynolds has been named Preseason First-Team All-American as a utility player by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
The Pirates top utility player the last two season, Reynolds earned Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-Conference USA honors a year ago after leading ECU with a .322 average and 68 hits, while ranking second with 13 doubles and fourth with 30 runs scored.

Nash Central’s Corey Foster heads to the basket during last Thursday’s road loss at Red Oak.

ROCKY MOUNT GRYPHONS BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONS

NORTHERN NASH KNIGHTS GIRLS TEAM CHAMPIONS

BOYS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Nash Central’s Tim Bridgers (right) tries to drive while being defended by Red Oak’s Silas Gonzalez.

Kiana Thomas had a strong game in the post last Thursday, helping the Northern Nash Lady Knights defeat rival Rocky Mount in the championship contest of the Nash Country Christmas Basketball Tournament at the NNHS Gymnasium.

Red Oak Middle School’s Ashley Brackett elevates for two points during her team’s home contest last Thursday against rival Nash Central.

ROCKY MOUNT –– Allegie Speight-Bryant, 87, of Rocky Mount, died on Monday, December 16, 2013.

Armeates Brewer Brown, 86, of Bailey passed away Monday, December 16, 2013. Funeral services were held  Thursday, December 19, 2013 at New Sandy Hill Free Will Baptist Church, 8021 New Sandy Hill Church Road, Bailey.  Interment followed in Bailey Town Cemetery.  Rev. Anderson Barnes and Rev. Charles Petit officiated.

Nashville - Fannie B. Richardson, 68, passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2013.

Gordon Fitzgerald Loose, 48, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2013. He was born April 18, 1965 in Chicago, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his mother, Janet Gillespie.

James “Edward” Hendricks, 90, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2013.  He was born December 30, 1922 in Nash County to the late Johny Raymond and Mamie Joyner Hendricks.  Edward was a life time member of Macedonia Baptist Church where he served as Deacon, Sunday School Director and Teacher.

Enfield - Leola “Ola” Coley, 88, passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2013.

ROCKY MOUNT - Master Ky’meire Jakel Hines, infant, was born on Sunday, December 15, 2013 and died on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

NASHVILLE - Walter L. Granison, 75, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

Tyler Williams, Guitarist, and Associate Pastor of First Methodist Church, was a special guest at the December Englewood Garden Club Luncheon.  Reverend Williams played the guitar and sang songs for the season of Christmas.  He had written some of the songs.  The program was spiritual and inspirational.

Dear Santa,
I am almost two years now and I have a little brother on the way. So I would like to have babies, things to draw and color with and riding toys. I am a real good girl and I am going to be the best big sister.