Stoney Creek flooded Washington Street in downtown Nashville during Hurricane Matthew. (Graphic photo by Bob Bartosz)

Flood waters in Nashville rescinded almost as quickly as they came following the wrath of Hurricane Matthew over the weekend.
Several homes and businesses in Nashville were flooded as a result of the heavy rains Matthew brought with it.
Now, the focus is on recovery.
Nashville Planning Director Brian Hassell said over 30 homes were affected in the Winwood Subdivision, located off First Street Extension.

Nashville's Fire Department is planning a centennial celebration and the community is invited.
The department will hold a community-wide celebration on Saturday, November 5 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Glover Park in Nashville.
The celebration will include food, games and music from local artists. There will also be a bouncy-house village as well as different demonstrations by local police, EMS and fire departments. Music will be provided by Meredith Davis and Adam Stone. Super heroes and princesses are also set to make an appearance.

A Nashville resident has accepted a challenge issued in the Triangle area that encourages the community to show appreciation to local law enforcement.
LaTisha Lofton said she saw the challenge on WRAL called "Feed the Force." The challenge was issued over the Labor Day weekend and challenged the community, particularly restaurant owners to do something positive for those who serve the community.
Lofton, who is a teacher, said she decided she wanted to get involved and started organizing her own event to feed Nashville police officers.

A former Rocky Mount restaurant owner is sharing his famous recipes in a cookbook.
Billy Vick recently published "Kitchen Secrets of Just What the Doctor Ordered! Restaurant."
Just What the Doctor Ordered Restaurant opened in 1982 in Rocky Mount. The restaurant was opened until 2002 and became a household name in the area. The restaurant first opened up in January 1982 on SE Main Street. In 1985, Vick moved into the Westridge Village Shopping Center.

Several bridges in low lying areas flooded early Sunday morning in Nashville. Pictured above, a car drives through water on the bridge on Red Oak Road.

Nash County Emergency Services reported that hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes during Hurricane Matthew as a result of rising water, which threatened to flood homes and businesses in the area.
Brent Fisher, Nash County Assistant Director of Fire and Rescue Services/Emergency Management, said numerous evacuations took place throughout Nash County and in the Town of Nashville and City of Rocky Mount.

Bunn Farm residents are evacuated from their homes for safety. (Graphic photo by Bob Bartosz)

A resident of Bunn Farm is evacuated to safety. (Graphic photo by Bob Bartosz)

This is a photo of Hwy 64 in Nashville where two people died during Hurricane Floyd (1999) due to rising waters crossing the bypass. This photo was taken Sunday morning after Hurricane Matthew and shows how close the water was to the highway but never crossed. (Graphic photo by Jo Anne Cooper)

The Anchor Holds will hold its first ever Addiction Awareness Rally at Glover Park on Saturday, October 15.
The event was initially scheduled for October 8 but due to Hurricane Matthew, organizer Heather Moore decided to postpone the event.
The event is set to go on as planned this Saturday from 2 until 5 p.m., with the exception of one speaker, who was unable to attend the rescheduled event.
Michael DeLeon, the creator/owner of Steered Straight, was unable to attend this weekend's event, Moore said.

The Nash County Sheriff's is investigating a robbery at the L&L Gas Station at Sandy Cross on Saturday night.
According to the Sheriff's Office, a male subject entered the store around 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 with his face, hand and neck area covered with gloves, a scarf and jacket over his face. The man demanded money at gunpoint and was able to escape with an unknown amount of money. He fled the scene in an unknown vehicle.

INCIDENTS
An obtaining money/property by false pretense, uttering a forged instrument was reported on 10/3/16 at Woodforest National Bank, 1205 Eastern Avenue
Found property was reported on 10/6/16 at 112 Embassy Drive
A larceny after breaking and entering and breaking and entering a motor vehicle was reported on 10/9/16 at 214 Hurt Court

A misdemeanor possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia was reported on 10/2/16 at 455 US 64 Eastbound
A call for service was reported on 10/2/16 at 4350 S Church Street
An assault on a female was reported on 10/2/16 at 11058 Rock Quarry Road
An assault on a female, communicating threats and injury to personal property was reported on 10/2/16 at 78874 McGregor Road

Pictured above, chamber member Jill Boone (far right) makes the formal presentation of funds for the HOPE Initiative to Stephanie Metzger, a HOPE volunteer, and Nashville Police Chief Tom Bashore.

Disaster survivors in Beaufort, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Hoke, Lenoir, Nash, Pitt, and Robeson Counties are encouraged to register for federal disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as they may be eligible for disaster assistant.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Schools in the Nash-Rocky Mount District were spared major damage from Hurricane Matthew but students were given several days off following the storm.
Patricia Hollingsworth, Chief Public Information Officer for the school system, said because of standing water and significant power outages, the school system made the decision to close on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As of presstime, it was unclear if schools would remain closed the rest of the week.
"The safety of our students and staff is our top priority," Hollingsworth said.

In an effort to help provide relief from the devastation caused by hurricane Matthew, The Impact Center will operate an "Emergency Day Center" daily from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm beginning Tuesday, October 11, 2016. The Center will provide social service delivery, counseling, spiritual support, hot meals, showers, recreation and a place for rest for any individual or family who has been displaced by the storm. Individuals will also be provided free WIFI access, computer usage and telephone use to contact family members, employers, or conduct other needed business.

Three roads are severely damaged and will remain closed for some time.

Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (NRMS) is preparing to launch a new electronic flier communication system.
"Peachjar" will allow parents to receive school-approved flyers on their phone or computer, NRMS Chief Public Information Officer Dr. Patricia Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth presented the system to board members last month. Board members approved "Peachjar" at their October 3 meeting. The system is anticipated to go live this week.

Coopers High School Class of 1952 held its 64th high school reunion on October 1, 2016 at Macedonia Church Fellowship Hall. Food was catered by Mrs. Glennie Tyson. Members attending were (front row, left to right) Florine Vaughan Joyner, Marriana Baker Smith, Althena Stallings Perkerson, Marion Joyner Pridgen, Hilda Haddle Viverette. (Back row) Sam Tyson, Thurman Carpenter, Joyce Turner Bass, Rudolph (Toad) Winstead and Alton Viverette.

The Raleigh administrative office of the State Park Division, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, has asked the park staff to conduct an equestrian use survey of the existing 10 mile bridle train network in Medoc Mountain State Park, located in the Hollister Community in Halifax County. The survey has been developed to identify the number of horseback riders and frequency of bridle trail use in the park. The results of the survey will be a factor in the administrative office's decision to allocate funds to expand improvements within that section of the park.

Pay It Forward Civitan Club installed new officers for the 2016-2017 year at their monthly meeting on September 12th at Ribeyes in Nashville. Pictured (left to right) are: Renee Habit, President-Elect, Deborah Hill, President, Stacey Knapp, Secretary, Rhonda Frazier, Director, Robin Sanders, Director, Alycia Taylor, Sergeant at Arms, and Mary Ann Tharrington, Chaplain.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office has in its possession several unclaimed items or found property to include ATVS, safes, bicycles, along with other items. The person that is inquiring about items must be able to provide a serial number, description, or any other information that proves the item belongs to them. A person has thirty days after this publication to make contact with Investigator Gardner or Investigator Hardy at 252-459-1559.

After adding on to their building three times over the past 30 plus years, Nash County Animal Hospital decided they needed something bigger.
The veterinarian office recently moved into a larger facility in Nashville and celebrated its move with Nashville's Chamber of Commerce hosting a ribbon cutting.
Nash County Animal Hospital came to Nashville in the mid 1980s, said Steve Thomas, President and CEO of Vets Pets, which owns Nash County Animal Hospital.

Wags East Pet Resort and Spa, also owned by Vets Pets, celebrates its new location at 928 Eastern Avenue in Nashville. Pictured on the front row, left to right, are: Nashville Town Councilman Larry Taylor, Nashville Chamber of Commerce President Dylan Bunch, Nashville Mayor Pro-tem Louise Hinton, Wags East Kennel Tech Nicole Stanley, owner and founder of Vets Pets, Dr. Frank Batten, President and CEO of Vets Pets, Steve Thomas, and Nash County Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Pam Childress. They are surrounded by chamber members, Town of Nashville and Nash County representatives.

Willy Figueroa, of Joyner's Funeral Home, at left), serves B. Jenkins, of the Nash County Sheriff's Office during an appreciation luncheon.

Two funeral homes teamed up to show their appreciation for local law enforcement and first responders.
Cornerstone Funeral Home and Cremations in Nashville, with help from Joyner's Funeral Home in Wilson, served lunch to hundreds of law enforcement officers, fire fighters and other first responders last month as part of an appreciation event.

Jose Mora was the first place finisher overall and in the male category for Saturday's race. Mora, 25, finished with a 16:58.3 time.

Rain did not stop runners from participating in the third annual Fruit of the Spirit 5K run in Red Oak on Saturday.
Just over 60 runners participated in the event, which is sponsored by Red Oak United Methodist Church.
"The race continues to be a success even in the rain," said David Joyner, the pastor at Red Oak United Methodist Church. "We had runners come from as far away as Virginia Beach."

Flooding has put a stress on animal services. Shelters need to be a safe place for misplaced pets. We may be mistaken, but we were told there were no plans in place to accommodate people's pets, to hold them until they could be reclaimed, without waiting until the Shelter was open their normal operating hours. Of course, the community is coming forward, individuals and groups trying to help. Such as that amazing rescue of the dog that ended up clinging to a tree that was saved by the Coast Guard!

Nashville United Methodist Church has started its very own pumpkin patch as a mission project for youth.
Though Hurricane Matthew delayed the kick-off for the pumpkin patch, events kicked off on Monday instead.
Robin Miller, who serves on the committee that started the pumpkin patch, said the idea was that of a church member who felt led to do it.
After years of putting off the idea, the church came together and decided that this year was the year to put the idea to test.

"We need to get home," I thought to myself sitting in a hotel room, Thursday evening in Chicago. While at a conference with some leaders from church, we were monitoring the track of Matthew and had the nudge from the Spirit we needed to get home quick. If you remember, the forecast was for Matthew to make an immediate right turn when it ventured close to the Wilmington area, however the Lord was nudging us to seek an earlier flight on Saturday, despite the forecast.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses that were affected by Hurricane Matthew that USDA has several programs that provide assistance before, during and after disasters. USDA staff in the regional, State and county offices along the East Coast are ready to help.

No Aventon News this week, just thoughts.
Old habits die hard! That statement slapped me in the face this morning. When I got out of bed, I found myself turning the oven on to take the chill off my new house. Man, it was cold and I needed a sweater and socks to watch the news. Hot cup of coffee in hand and sitting under the afghan, it hit me. JoJo, all you need to do is flip the switch for heat.

I will never forget that September in 1999. No one who was in this area ever will.
I remember finally getting out, after enough chainsaws had cleared the roads and using alternate routes around flooding waters, Kristi and I finally got to Nashville to check the damage from Hurricane Floyd, and to see if our business had survived.
It was strange having to show ID and prove that we had a legitimate reason to be in town.

When we were first warned Hurricane Matthew could come our way, I'll have to admit -- I got nervous. This was a huge storm. The radar images continued to grow larger everyday.
When the news came that Matthew would take a hard right turn missing our state, most North Carolinians, including myself, exhaled with a huge sigh of relief -- which was a huge mistake!

Dear editor, When it comes to this presidential debate business, prospective voters fall into two camps.
In one camp, you have people who eagerly look forward to the debate, or debates, since there figures to be more than one. They might be undecided voters, these viewers, but probably not. They look forward with "baited breath" to the debate itself.

HOMECOMING PARADE -- This photo was found in The Nashville Graphic's November 3, 1966 archives. Pictured is an entry in the parade held for Nash Central School's Homecoming.

ALL'S GOODY IN RED OAK. Raymond Bullock and the Northern Nash Knights have allowed just 76 points in seven contests this season.

NASH COUNTY - Something will have to give this Friday when Southern Nash travels to Northern Nash for what is expected to be a titanic Big East Conference football showdown.
The red-hot Firebirds are now 7-0 overall after blasting Wilson Fike last Friday in the league opener for both clubs.
Southern Nash boasts one of the best offenses in the area -- and beyond -- this fall. The prolific Firebirds are averaging an amazing 40 points per outing to date this season.

NASHVILLE -- LBJ Chevrolet recently partnered with Nash County Parks and Recreation as part of the National Chevy Youth Soccer Program to provide new equipment, a monetary contribution as well as an opportunity for community members to earn additional funds for the club via a test drive fundraiser.
LBJ Chevrolet presented Nash County Parks and Recreation with soccer kits filled with various items such as equipment bags, field markers, coolers and a tent.
In addition, LBJ will present a check representing a one-time monetary contribution to Nash County Parks and Rec.

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash was busy on the soccer field last week, beginning with a 7-2 home victory last Monday against Big East Conference opponent Nash Central.
Justin Vazquez finished with a hat track, including the opening goal of the matchup.
Cristian Salazar was also sharp for the Firebirds with two goals to go with an assist.

MARYVILLE, TENN. -- Homestanding Maryville College scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter of action to pull away for a 31-17 USA South Conference football victory over North Carolina Wesleyan College on Saturday in East Tennessee.
The Scots are now 2-0 in league play, while the Bishops are 1-1.
MVC's Alex Willard and NCWC's Christopher Richardson traded 31- and 22-yard field goals in the first quarter to open up the scoring.

NASH COUNTY -- Listed are recent results from youth softball and baseball action in the Nash County Parks and Recreation Department's fall schedule:

NASHVILLE -- Riding a 2-0 record with dominant wins over the Parker Pirates and Phillips Bulldogs, Coach Matt Lancaster's Nash Central Trojans turned their focus to archrival Red Oak Middle for a Tri-County Conference football showdown last Thursday on the NCMS campus.
The Tigers came in with a 2-1 record, with wins over Rocky Mount and Phillips, and their lone loss coming in their season opener against Edwards.
Central remained unblemished with a convincing 28-0 decision over the Tigers.

Pictured above (L-R) are: Shyloh Wilson, who received an orange with black stripe belt in the Tiny Nama Tots (TNT) program along with Mercedes Brouard, Joshua Wilson, John Michael Bass, Spencer Cary and Madeline Robertson, who all earned orange belts, Micah Rackley, who earned a green belt with black stripe, and Noah Henry, who earned his purple belt.

ELM CITY -- Listed are results from Oct. 1 action at County Line Raceway:

FERRUM, VA. -- Senior Tori Stewart notched her 1,000th career kill last Saturday afternoon, leading her North Carolina Wesleyan College Battling Bishop volleyball squad to a 3-2 victory over Eastern Mennonite University in non-conference play (17-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-10, 15-9).
Earlier the day, North Carolina Wesleyan suffered a heartbreaking league loss to Ferrum by the same score (30-28, 25-20, 16-25, 21-25, 15-10).

(L to R) Zavion Knight and Jerod Wright have been exceptional on the defensive side of the ball this season for the Southern Nash Firebirds.

Nash Arts will hosts its 11th annual Nash County's Got Talent auditions on October 24 and 25 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Callback rehearsals are set for November 1 at 5:30 p.m. with the Finals set for November 3rd and 4th at 7 p.m.
The entry fee is $25 for an individual contestant and $50 for a group or band.
If selected for a callback, there is a $100 sponsorship fee required.

The Cherry Hill Concert Series welcomes pianist Raffi Besalyan on Sunday, October 16th at 3 p.m. A native of Armenia, Besalyan began his music studies at the Tchaikovsky Special Music School for Gifted Children. He received his Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Yerevan Komitas State Conversatory. In addition, he studied at the Manhattan School of Music with legendary American pianist Byron Janis and with Sara Davis Buechner.

The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences will host the stage play, "Dracula." Based on the novel by Bram Stoker and directed by Brooke Edwards, artistic and managing director for the theater at the Imperial Centre, the public may catch a performance of "Dracula" Oct. 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. The final performance will be Oct. 16 at 2 p.m