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NASHVILLE - Efforts to retain farmland in Nash County got a huge boost this week, with county commissioners approving not only the development of a Farmland Preservation program but deferring yearly monies from rollback taxes to fund it.
While not done by unanimous vote, commissioner action at their May 19 meeting will set up the Nash County Soil & Water Conservation District to develop and administer a pilot program, using rollback taxes, beginning with those collected during the FY2026 year.

NASHVILLE- The second of three budget-related meetings for the town of Nashville has passed, with the proposed FY-26 budget set for more tweaking following the May 21st council work session.
Randy Lansing, town manager, took council members through a line-by-line analysis of budget items at the council's May 14 meeting, incorporating several items
based on council directives from their April 2 budget retreat meeting.

NASHVILLE - The Annual Catfish Luncheon served up by the Nash County Soil & Water District attracted more than 250 people May 15, including some serious state brass, who said they knew where to come for food, friends and farming fellowship.
"Nash County is where people love each other and love to have productive lives," noted the Honorable Paul Newby, NC Supreme Court Chief Justice, adding that he was "delighted to be here." Newby said he was encouraged by the number of Nash young people "stepping up and understanding the importance of farming."

RED OAK- Red Oak town officials have put pen to paper to voice their opposition to a current NC House bill which would rewrite development regulations.
"If that passes, towns are going to lose a lot of control," commented Sandra Russ, councilwoman, at the May 12 town council meeting. "It will eviscerate anything that's there."

NASHVILLE - Nash Community College and Nash County Public Schools, both asking for money as part of Nash County's FY 2026 budget, received very different results at this week's Nash board of commissioners meeting.
Consensus voting during budget discussions between Stacie Shatzer, county manager, and commissioners basically gave NCC everything it asked for, while it was recommended that NCPS be held to the same amount of funding it got last year- with the exception of a potential increase to cover the placement of full-time school resource officers in every county school.

SPRING HOPE - The latest exhibit in the Spring Hope Museum, "Heroes vs. Notable Alumni," is now open, with a public reception held May 18 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the museum's West Main Street location.
A natural follow-up to the previous exhibition, "The History of School Consolidation in Nash County," the new displays feature yearbooks, photos and other memorabilia from local schools, particularly Southern Nash High School, between 1968 to 2020.

ROCKY MOUNT - Groundbreaking for UNC Health Nash's seven-story inpatient tower, expected to open in late 2027, took place May 14.
The project is part of a five-year Master Facilities Plan which identified the tower as a top priority to meet present-day care standards.
"This new hospital tower is a critical step forward. It reflects our shared belief that rural communities deserve the same level of care available anywhere. It's also a reminder that meaningful progress is no accident.

RED OAK - Red Oak firefighters, facing the choice of raising fire district taxes to pay for a much-needed truck or asking the town council for help, chose the latter- and help they got, with town leaders voting to allocate $625,000 to the cause.
Andrew Brown, Red Oak Fire Chief, wrote the council a letter detailing the need, which stems from ROFD providing rescue services to the area after the Stoney Creek Rescue Department went out of business in December of 2021.

NASHVILLE - Nashville utility customers have received notice of a violation of drinking water standards, with the result that the town is implementing a "rigorous flushing program" to help correct the problem.
"We are systematically flushing fire hydrants within our distribution system, starting at our interconnect with Rocky Mount, located on Kamlar Road, and concluding the flushing at the Nash County Corrections facility located on US-64 alternate," the notice states, adding that the problem should be resolved within six months.

SPRING HOPE - Despite efforts to document the pre-1979 existence of the 'the old Boy Scout Hut' on McLean Street, needed in order to fix the place up, no such historical evidence has found, leaving town officials a final option of just asking the state for approval.
Dicky Bass, American Legion Post 91 commander, started the ball rolling in January when he rounded up the manpower to renovate the structure, asking town commissioners permission to do so in order to give the Legion a place to hold meetings, as well as to entice the return of a Boy Scout troop.

SPRING HOPE- The town of Spring Hope is in line to get close to a million dollars in state dollars to pay for improvements to the town's water system, specifically to put the Poplar Street well back into service and do work on other wells.
Jonathan Boone, Deputy County Manager, asked for and received approval from Nash commissioners at their May 5 meeting, relaying that a letter of intent came through in mid-April about the project, which will be paid for through state-directed grant funds.

ROCKY MOUNT - The Nash County Veterans Services Office is holding an informational event Thursday, May 29, for veterans and veteran spouses about benefits eligibility.
The Veterans Benefits meeting is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. in the Warner Room of the Braswell Memorial Public Library, located at 727 N. Grace Street, Rocky Mount.

MOMEYER- Town officials in Momeyer are planning a series of 'town hall' meetings, where residents living in the ETJ (Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction), such as the Hinton Plantation, will be invited to talk about potential benefits of annexation.
Driving the decision, according to Mayor Will Funderburg, is the progress of bills in both the NC Senate and House that would eliminate ETJ's.

NASHVILLE - Approximately $900,000 in state grant funds will be parceled out for public facility and public service projects around Nash County, with an amended grant budget approved by county commissioners May 5.
Emily Moore, Grants & InterGovernmental Relations director, said the money, actually awarded around 2020, would be used for projects in Castalia, Spring Hope, Nashville, Sharpsburg, Middlesex and Whitakers. The grant fund, which has undergone several changes over the years, has to be spent by the end of the year.

We have a dear friend who pastors a church here in our area who sends out a monthly newsletter.
In this month's edition, he wrote about Voltaire. Voltaire was a famous French philosopher who was an atheist. He often criticized the Bible. He even stated, "in one hundred years the Bible will be a forgotten book"!
Ironically, after his passing, his home became a depository for the French Bible Society.

Mark 15:22-32 records the crucifixion of Jesus. The word "crucified" occurs four times in these verses. That terrible term is the dominating theme of the text. Crucifixion was a slow death by dehydration, exhaustion, and asphyxiation. It was illegal for the Roman government to crucify Roman citizens. Foreign slaves, soldiers, and citizens were crucified. This "cruel and unusual punishment" was a public service announcement that warned all of the consequences of defying Caesar and Rome. The Jewish religious establishment and Roman political authorities did not crucify Jesus simply to get rid of him.

Women in Action met at Red Oak Baptist Church on Tuesday, May 13. The group made placemats which featured hand drawings and Bible verses about love and joy that will be donated. Vicki Lassiter presented the program about missionaries in Southeast Asia. She also prepared a tasty chicken dish that was included in the lesson. They also heard from "Miracles on the Field" which is stories from missionaries and miracles they have seen on the mission field. There was also a special time of prayer for the missionaries celebrating birthdays that day. The next Women in Action meeting will be on Tuesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the church.

WJH, LLC to Alyssa Love and Edward S. Love; 104 Ferry Court, Rocky Mount; $282,000
Sandra Davis and Sandra Lynn Davis to Oakleaf Property Solutions, LLC; 4732 Courtney Drive; $135,000
David D. Ghist II, David Donald Ghist II, Dexter Delany Ghist; Delicia Ghist Sharp and Davetta Ghist Whitehead to Dexter Delany Ghist, Delicia Ghist Sharp, Davetta Ghist Whitehead, David D. Ghist II and David Donald Ghist II; 36.21 acres, Red Road

Updated hazard mitigation plans for the Nash-Edgecombe-Wilson County region have been submitted to the state, with Nash County along with Nashville, Castalia and Bailey, Sharpsburg having new goals to work towards.
The draft plan, 358 pages long, was unveiled during an online public meeting May 1 and is designed to help counties and their communities to "identify hazard risks, understand vulnerability, and develop ways to proactively mitigate risk," according to the website, which can be found online at https://www.new-hmp.com.

The 17th annual Downeast Youth & Adult Bass Fishing Open Tournament was held on Tar River Reservoir April 26. Proceeds to benefit the Boys and Girls Club and Beauty For Ashes Outreach.

Graduation season is upon us, and maybe more than any other time during the year other than Christmas, it tends to make people stop and reflect.
I had a student close to my heart graduate last weekend. She was sharp, funny and curious and a joy to work with. Something unexpected happened when they called her name. The wind or my allergies kicked in and I felt a little burning in my eyes. Hay fever, I guess.
It may be because she's from the other side of the world and it's unlikely we'll ever be in the same room again.

Kudos to both Momeyer and Red Oak town leaders for paying close attention to state legislation which could potentially have a profound affect on small towns.
Red Oak is sending its official opposition to HB 765 which could force towns to allow more development than desired, or than a town can support due to relaxing development regulations and/or removing some of that control from local governments.
Momeyer is reaching out to residents in its ETJ due to a bill in both the NC Senate and House that could potentially eliminate ETJ boundaries.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on July 23, 1964. Peoples Bank and Trust Company's ladies held a solid first place in softball in the regular season.