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The Town of Nashville is close to having an updated Comprehensive Plan.
Town Council, Planning Board and Steering Committee members gathered last Tuesday for a presentation of the draft plan.
The town hired WithersRavenel Inc. last year to update the town's comprehensive plan, which was last done in 2011.
A comprehensive plan is a town's vision and goals for the future and guides the town's growth and decision making.

Nash County youngsters of all ages are back in school. Pictured above, Nashville Police Chief Anthony Puckett welcomes students back to Nashville Elementary. He is shown opening the door and greeting Joe'Nyiah Whitley (left) and Krishera Shearin upon their arrival to school.

Nashville native Phil Valentine, 61, passed away Saturday after a month-long battle with COVID-19.
Valentine resided in Tennessee and has long been known as a nationally acclaimed conservative radio talk show host.
His family conveyed through various interviews and social media that Phil's opinion on the COVID-19 vaccine had changed after being hospitalized with the disease in mid July. His family continues to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Similar to other places in the state, nation and world, Nash County's positive cases of Coronavirus are rapidly rising again.
Nash County Health Director Bill Hill announced 256 new positive cases over the past seven days on Tuesday. Thirty-four of those are hospitalized and three people are on ventilators. "Very serious conditions that are in Nash county," he said.

The 2021 "Heroes Field of Honor," will display 380 American flags September 9-12 at 1081 S. Wesleyan Blvd in Rocky Mount.
The event is hosted by the VFW Post 2057 and the Sharpsburg Exchange Club.
A special recognition ceremony will be held Saturday, September 11 at 5:30 p.m. at which time the names of all those honored will be read.

Due to a rapid and significant rise in COVID hospitalizations, all non-urgent "elective" surgeries that require an overnight stay in the hospital after surgery will be postponed indefinitely, effective Thursday, August 26.
Urgent and emergent surgeries will still be performed, as will outpatient surgeries. Patients will be contacted by their care team if their case is to be rescheduled.
"We are seeing a rapid influx of patients needing hospitalization from COVID," said Dr. L. Lee Isley, president and CEO of Nash UNC Health Care.

Nash County Clerk of Superior Court Linda Thorne gives "Willow" a kiss all in the spirit of raising money for North Carolina Special Olympics. Pictured with Thorne is her great-grandson, Eli Brannan.

Willow, the goat, gets prepared as 7th District Court Judge Anthony Brown leans over to kiss her as his pledge to raise money for the North Carolina Special Olympics.

Warrant service at 100 N. Boddie St., Nashville on 8/17/21
Felony larceny at 1792 First St. Ext., Nashville on 8/20/21
Larceny of a firearm at 2404 Tom George Rd., Nashville on 8/20/21

A Rocky Mount man was sentenced recently to 120 months in prison for robbing a convenience store at gunpoint. On May 6, 2020, Irvin Fields pled guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, which charged Interference With Commerce by Robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Fields, 42, robbed the West Mount Food Mart in Rocky Mount on May 10, 2016.

On August 13, 2021, the Rocky Mount Police Department Criminal Investigation Division arrested and charged Deshunto Alston Jr. with shooting into an occupied dwelling, shooting into an occupied vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill for an aggravated assault that occurred on August 10, 2021. Alston received a $65,000 secured bond.

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17)
Recently, I wrote about my daughter's automobile accident 17 years ago. The accident brought many scars - physical, mental and spiritual - and a lot of questions. A few weeks after she returned home, she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Dad, why did God allow me to hurt like I did"?

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. - Matthew 5:13
Salt gets bad press. it is tied to hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and other ailments. The need for salt is questioned. The use of salt is discouraged. The presence of salt on many tables is more decorative than anything else.

"We at Peachtree Baptist Church want to say we sincerely hope you; your friends and family are healthy during these potentially stressful times. Over the last several weeks, fear over the Covid-19-DV has spiked as the number of cases and infected countries has multiplied.
So much has happened in our world in just one week. We are further restricted because of the virus, Afghanistan is in such turmoil, the Talban is on the rise, we still have hate, murder, injustice, and so much more. We indeed live in very different and strange times.

Aubrey Skibniewski is ready for her first day at Nashville Elementary School.

Spencer Turner enjoys some reading time during open house at Nashville Elementary School.

Colton Wood is pictured with his mom, Laura, on the first day of school at Nasvhille Elementary.

Mary Lee Rowe Greene to Kelsey Elaine Peele; .67 acres in Mannings Township
Riffat Shafiq, Shafique Ahmad, Farmida Chishti and Muhammed Chaudhry to Riffat Shafiq and Shafiique Ahmad; 101 Ashmore Lane, Rocky Mount
Jeffrey Ray Morgan, Virginia Marie Morgan, Cindy Morgan Pace and Jeffrey Hunter Pace to Cindy Morgan Pace, Jeffrey Ray Morgan, Virginia Marie Morgan and Jeffrey Hunter Pace; property on E Old Spring Hope Road

The N.C. Department of Transportation needs volunteers to help clean up trash along roads during the Adopt-A-Highway Fall Litter Sweep from Sept. 11-25.
Each April and September, NCDOT asks volunteers to help remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers from local businesses, schools, nonprofits, churches, municipalities, law enforcement and community groups play an important role in keeping North Carolina's roads clean.
Joining this effort is easier than ever before as volunteers can now sign up by way of a convenient online form.

Building Permits
Commercial
Halley Keyser, 470 Swift Creek School Rd; renovation/alteration; $15,000
Buddy Laws, 1050 S NC 581; sign; $2,250

Rocky Mount
8/26/2021: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Nash Community College-Building CE, 522 N. Old Carriage Rd.
8/26/2021: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Parkwood Baptist Church, 1731 Hunter Hill Road
8/26/2021: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., West Mount Volunteer Fire Department, 7955 West Mount Drive

Free speech is being attacked, maybe more seriously than even the Sedition Act of 1798 which was designed to be in force during John Adams' presidency and prevent criticism of the government.
But it might not be exactly how we think at first glance.
For example, social media platforms Twitter and Facebook have banned former President Donald Trump.

We're all plenty worn out with the COVID-19 pandemic. We've become exhausted with restrictions - whether you're of the opinion there are too few or too many.
It seems when things start looking a little normal we head back into a direction nobody wants to go again.
We are tired of the worrying.
Many of us have mourned the loss of people we care about who passed away due to complications from COVID-19.

This photo originally published in The Nashville Graphic on July 16, 1970 of tobacco reaching the barning area. Bundles were either strung on sticks or placed on a mechanical looper such as this one belonging to Milton Manning of the White Oak Community.

ROCKY MOUNT-- No lead-in undercard here -- just an elite-level prize match to begin the 2021 high school football campaign.
That's what happened last Thursday as Tarboro, the defending Class 1-A State Champion, traveled to Rocky Mount -- the defending Big East Conference title holder.
As expected, it was a memorable showdown -- one claimed by the homestanding Gryphons by a 12-0 margin.

RED OAK -- The Northern Nash Knights were back in action on the gridiron Friday night as they faced off with the SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars -- and the result was a positive one as the Fighting Knights rolled to a 53-0 home victory at Death Valley on the NNHS campus.
It had only been a few months since the two teams last met on the field, thanks to the pandemic pushing the 2020 football season to early 2021.

STANHOPE -- Strange things inevitably seem to happen to the Southern Nash Firebirds whenever they compete in a road football game at backyard rival East Wake.
The teams haven't met each other in over two decades, but SNHS current head coach Brian Batchelor has vivid memories of quirky events that occurred at East Wake during his playing day.

ROCKY MOUNT-- The quest has just begun for the Nash Central Bulldogs, but the first chapter of the journey sure was nice.
After an off-season filled with questions, the Bulldogs hit the road last Friday for their regular season football opener at Southeast Halifax High School.
It was a fruitful trip as Nash Central returned home with an impressive 49-6 decision over the homestanding Trojans at the SEHS Football Field in Tillery.

ZEBULON - Ashton McGee hit his second grand slam of the season, Wes Clarke hit a two-run home run in the sixth, Micah Bello had three hits, Freddy Zamora scored three runs and the Carolina Mudcats walked seven times during a five run seventh while finishing off a home baseball sweep of the visiting Augusta GreenJackets with a 15-7 victory on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The USA South Athletic Conference's football coaches have released their 2021 preseason poll.
Huntingdon was atop the rankings and will look to capture the program's sixth USA South championship.
During last season's COVID-altered spring campaign, the Hawks earned a win in the USA South championship game over East Division champion Methodist while sharing the West Division crown with Brevard.

Tarboro High School's Tobias joyner gains some running room for the Vikings during last Thursday evening's road football contest against backyard rival Rocky Mount.

BLOCK BUSTERS
NASH COUNTY PARKS AND REC
13-15 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
TOURNAMENT SECOND PLACE

DOLPHINS
NASH COUNTY PARKS AND REC
10-12 TOURNAMENT CHAMPS

STRIKERS
NASH COUNTY PARKS AND REC
13-15 TOURNAMENT CHAMPS

Junior quarterback Stephon Jones was exceptional for the Rocky Mount Gryphons during their non-conference home victory last Friday night against the Tarboro Vikings in the regular season opener for both squads.

The city of Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Department will hold an End of Summer Celebration at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The evening will feature a pair of performances from former Def Jam Records member The Junkyard Band.
Signed by Def Jam Records in the 1980s, the Junkyard Band has decades of experience in performing at New York's Apollo Theater, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, as well as opening for well-known acts such as Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill and Chuck Brown.